An Early American Nonagenarian

Posted on October 4, 2023October 5, 2023 by FHadmin

We think of people today as living longer than people of days gone by. People today do have the advantage of modern medicine and easier lives. However, even someone born in 1683 could live to a ripe old age.

The Early Years

My 6^th-great grandfather Griffith John was born in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, Wales in 1683. It is said that he was the second child of six children. His father was John Phillips (John ap Phillips) and his mother was Elinor “Ellen” Haward. The naming delta is due to naming conventions in Wales at the time. Per earlier naming conventions Griffith would have been known as Griffith ap John (Griffith of John). However, it was a time of change in naming conventions and he simply became Griffith John.

Arrival In America

Griffith, his brother Samuel, and Samuel’s wife Margaret arrived in America on the eleventh day of the second month of 1709. Many people have recorded this date as February 11, 1709. However, if the notes in the Bible use Quaker dating of that era, the date would be April 11, 1709, which seems more likely since they are said to have sailed in December.

Griffith and Samuel each had a Bible from Wales. The Bibles that they brought with them supposedly contained a story about a member of the family being knighted for his role fighting in the Crusades. The validity of this story is unknown. However, it is known that they could read and write. And, it was said that besides Welsh, they spoke English with a strong Welsh accent.

Marriage

It is believed that upon arrival in Philadelphia, Samuel, Griffith, and Margaret went to the Goshen area in Pennsylvania that was then known as the Welsh Barony. However, it isn’t until 1714 when Griffith and Ann Williams requested permission to marry at the Chester Monthly Meeting of the Society of Friends that we find a record that is verified to be the Griffith of our family line. The Griffith John that is documented in that area in the interval prior to 1714 appears to be a much older widower who came to America before the brothers.

At the time of his marriage, Griffith was 31 years of age; however, Ann, daughter of Robert and Gwen (Cadwalader) Williams, was only 14. Apparently, her parents, who are believed to have been the first settlers in Goshen township, approved of the marriage. If not, it seems highly unlikely the Society of Friends would have approved since her father was referred to as “King of Goshen.” The couple wed on the twenty third day of the seventh month of 1714. .

Uwchlan Township

Griffith John was one of the first men to purchase a plantation in Uwchlan Township. A plantation in those days was really another word for farm. Plantations could be of any size and were not limited to the large plantations of South. His initially was stated to be 100 acres and lie about 1.5 miles west of Lionville, which was about 25 miles west of Philadelphia.

Records appear to show fluctuation in the size of his property over the years. By 1765, Griffith’s property included 120 acres with buildings, 10 acres of woodland, 2 horses and two cows. Five years later, records only listed 115 acres and stated that he had gained 3 sheep. He had no servants, which was keeping with the Quaker life style, which focused more on getting by instead of getting rich.

Uwchlen Meeting House Built in 1756 Still Stands Today

His Ministry

Griffith had become interested in various religions including the Society of Friends (Quaker faith) while still living in Wales. Once in America, he associated with people of the Quaker faith and not only joined them, but, along with his brother, became a Quaker minister.

Griffith was one of the founders of the Uwchlan Monthly Meeting, which was located near Lionville. Griffith and Samuel, were the first ministers at the church, providing services in their native tongue.

The early meetings were held in homes, with the very first being in the home of John Cadwalader, who is likely Ann’s grandfather. Later, a log cabin was built for meetings. It wasn’t until 1756 that a 2+-story stone structure was built. The new building also served as a library and school.

The War

Seizure of The Meeting House

When the Revolutionary War came knocking on their door, the Quakers, being pacifists, denied the use of their building to support the war. However, the Continental Army seized the meeting house. Ironically, Revolutionary War soldiers that died at the meeting house were also buried in the Quaker graveyard, leaving the stain of war on the grounds forever.

Seizure of The Home

Members of the Uwchlan Meeting met in private home while the meeting house was used as a hospital. It was unlikely, however, that the Quakers met in Griffith’s house since George Washington, who is said to have visited soldiers at the meeting house, issued the following order on March 25, 1778.

“The Honorable the Congress having appointed Matthew Clarkson and Major John Clarke Esquires Auditors to settle and adjust the accounts of the Main Army they are to be respected accordingly; Any persons who have any accounts to be audited by them may find them at the house of Griffith Johns about three miles beyond the Pay-Master Generals quarters.”

Although there were at least two other men named Griffith John, the location described likely aligns with this particular Griffith John. If true that the Army used his home, it would have placed him in the middle of a war that he did not believe in.

Longevity

Griffith died on the 29th day of the sixth month of 1778. By this time the calendar had changed; thus, this date would be June 29, 1778. He was 95 years of age. He had been married 64 years, fathered six sons and six daughters, and had been a minister for approximately 70 years. He had continued attendance at meetings until physically no longer able.

Although he lived the plain and simple life of Quakers, Griffith managed to leave a small inheritance to each of his living children and to his grandchildren in the cases where his child was no longer living. Most of the children received 15 pounds of Pennsylvania currency with the grandchildren receiving 10 shillings. Griffith Jr. received the plantation as he had stayed in the area and help care for his parents. Additionally, Griffith Jr. had to provide specific amounts of numerous items, such as, wool, wheat, and apples for Ann as long as she chose to live at the plantation. The provisions changed if she were to move away.

The year following Griffith’s death, the meeting published a testimony to him. You can read a copy of the original document in its entirety below.

Afterward

Many years later when the Civil War broke out, the members of the Uwchlan Meeting willingly gave up their meeting house to be used as a hospital. What was different this time was that their dislike of slavery was stronger than their dislike of war. Thus, they supported abolition by passively helping the north in their fight.

Credit to Marijane “Johnnie” Zerphey, who traveled across the United States and to Wales researching the John family. Many facts herein are based on my research. However, I have supplemented them with information from her extensive research.

The Gift of Surprises

Posted on September 27, 2023September 27, 2023 by FHadmin

Grandpa’ McCracken’s Aunt Minnie Alameda Munroe unknowingly left the family a wonderful gift even though she didn’t name them in her will. The only people included in her will were Charles Munroe (her husband), Mabel Raukohl (her niece), and The Old Peoples Home of Illinois Conference of Methodist Episcopal Church in Quincy, Illinois.

The Probate Paper

Grandpa had kept a paper he had received from the Probate Court in Quincy, Illinois regarding his Aunt Minnie’s estate. It listed all of her heirs, leading to many surprising discoveries. (Thank s to Grandpa and my dad for saving this document!)

The list of heirs was quite lengthy and contained names unknown to the family. The names of these unknown people were sprinkled amongst the known names. Aunt Minnie had no known children nor did her husband Charles. So, who were these people?

Margaret Armstrong

Addie Brown

Martha Boswell,

Eleaner Kealen

Anna Macklin

John Macklin

Lester Macklin

Oltis Macklin

William Macklin

Lawrence McCracken

Bertha Neal

The most prominent name was Macklin, but the name that caught my attention the most was “Lawrence McCracken.” None of the records I had found at that point for Lemuel and Louisiana McCracken, Minnie’s parents, listed a son Lawrence. Who was Lawrence McCracken?

The 1860 Census

After much digging, I had some records, but they didn’t come together into a clear picture. Finally, I started going page by page manually walking through the 1860 census for Lee County, Iowa where Lemuel supposedly lived at the time, but where a census record for that year had not yet been found. Eventually, I found a census record that had been poorly recorded and poorly transcribed. As transcribed online, it included the names shown.

I had expected to find Lemuel, Louisiana, and their son Lemuel Franklin/Francis. However, none of the names were quite right and there were extra people. The names “Samuel “and “Lemuel” look very similar in handwriting of the time, so that was a likely match, but Rosannah was way off. And, who were Delormah, Mary, and Lewis?

Still, I was sure this had to be our family.

Census Record

(as transcribed online)

Samuel McCracker

Rosannah McCracker*

Mary McCracker

Lewis McCracker

Delormah McCracker

Samuel McCracker

* Rosannah is an apparent misunderstanding of Louisiana that occurred in multiple documents.

The Surprises

After many, many hours of research I determined how each of these people fit in the family tree, learning many surprises along the way. (I was going to number the surprises, but that became a bit complex.)

Lemuel McCracken

I found that Lemuel had been married to Sarah Dufer before he married my great-great grandmother. It is assumed his first wife died, but no information has been found about her death.

Lawrence McCracken

Delormah McCracken

Lawrence McCracken was the same person as Delormah McCracken. His name was Delorma (various spellings) Lawrence McCracken. He was the son of Lemuel and his first wife. We had never heard of him before the probate papers. He had been living with another family in 1870. Thus, he didn’t show up with the family in that census. And, although he was only 15, he stayed in Iowa when Lemuel and Louisiana moved to Kansas. He later married and had 8 children. We have DNA matches to many of his descendants.

Louisiana Matteer

Louisiana Johnson

Louisiana Badgley

Louisiana’s maiden name was not Johnson as the family had always believed or Mattser as some researchers believed. Instead, it was Matteer. Her parents were Matthias Matteer and Mary Rodgers. She was the oldest of their 10 kids. After her mother died, Matthias and his new wife Elizabeth Soloman moved to Lee County, Iowa with many of his kids. Louisiana joined them sometime before 1859, coming from Ohio.

Louis McCracken

Louis Badgley

Louis was the son of Louisiana and James Badgley. We hadn’t known he existed and something appears to have happened to him between 1860 and 1870 as no records are found for him after 1860. Additionally, he is not mentioned in the probate papers for Minnie.

Mary McCracken

Mary Badgley

Mary Macklin

Mary was the daughter of Louisiana and James Badgley. Her existence was also a surprise. She married John Macklin in 1865. They moved to Adams County, Illinois, where Lemuel and Louisiana’s children Frank, Minnie, and Ida later lived. It is believed , but not yet proven, that after Louisiana died, Mary raised her half-sister Minnie, who was 27 years younger than her. It is important to note that prior to that time Minnie was called Frances. The name change is a mystery that has yet to be solved, but Frances and Minnie are clearly the same person.

And, The Rest

Mary and John had 8 children. The remainder of the people in the probate document are their descendants. Addie Brown, Martha Boswell and Eleaner Kealen were their children. Otis Macklin, Lester Macklin, Anna Macklin, Margaret Armstrong, and John Macklin were the children of William Macklin, who was deceased.

These members of the Macklin family led to even more descendants of great-great-grandma Louisiana.

The Moral Of The Story

So, as a result of starting with one probate paper, I ended up finding additional marriages for both of my great-great grandparents, additional children for each of them, Louisiana’s parents, Louisiana’s siblings, and a bunch of descendants of the various people. Could they have been found without the paper? It is reasonably likely that I would have eventually pieced this branch of the family together without it. However, it would have set my research back years.

Moral of the story: Don’t toss aside a record just because names on it are unfamiliar or don’t look quite right. You never know what surprises are in store for you with a little (okay sometimes a lot) of research!

Life Of An Early Colonialist

Posted on September 20, 2023September 20, 2023 by FHadmin

Lawrence Peelle (Peale, Peele), born about 1601 in England, is believed to be our earliest ancestor in America. The line can be traced back to Robert, who is believed to be Lawrence’s son per location and associations.

In 1620, Lawrence boarded the ship the Margaret & John for the trip across the Atlantic. Some people record the date this journey began as December 1620 and others record it as February 1620. The latter is believed to be correct as the year in that era started on March 25 and that would match the end of 1620.

The plan for 1620/1621 of the London Company of Virginia (often referred to simply as the London Company), who arranged the trip, called for 800 people to be sent to the colonies. Over half were to be farmers, carpenters, potters, and men of other skills. The remainder were maids, boys, and servants.

By this time, the London Company had come up with a plan to finance voyages by dangling land in front of potential colonist. They got the people to pay for passage. Then they would get rights to 50 acres of land per person. And, the London Company would continue to profit as they required the colonists pay a fee each year to use the land.

Adversity On The Sea

The Margaret and John set sail in the capable hands of Captain Anthony Chester. The conditions weren’t ideal and passage across the Atlantic was a rough and unforgiving one. The ship was packed with future colonists and provisions bound for Virginia.

There wasn’t a first-class section or even many accommodations for the passengers. Everyone and everything simply shared space on the 150-ton ship. The trip was long, cold, and wet. Between those factors, minimal food, and sea sickness, the trip was often miserable. In addition, stench on the ship would have been horrible.

The Sea Fight

The ship traveled through the Lesser Antilles as a voyage directly west wasn’t possible given the winds and current. When approximately 100 miles northwest of Guadalupe, the Margaret and John encountered two larger ships flying the Dutch flag. Once together, the other two ships tossed aside the Dutch flag, replacing them with the Spanish flag, which meant trouble for the Margaret and John. The Spaniards disliked the English settling in North America and they made that clear to the English every chance they got. And, that day the Margaret and John was in for a fight.

The Spanish ships dwarfed the Margaret and John with the larger being twice the tonnage. Both were also far more equipped for battle than the English ship. Over the course of six hours, a war of words and cannon balls was fought. The battle ended when the English, which could only use 4 of their 8 cannons due to goods on board, disabled one of the Spanish ships and killed many of the men aboard the ships. However, by the time the conflict ended, approximately a third of the people on board the Margaret and John had been killed or injured with 10 killed and approximately 20 injured.

Captain John Smith’s Map of Virginia. Published 1612.

A Strange Land

Lawrence arrived in Virginia from England in May of 1621. The number of settlers in Virginia at the time was quite small. By that spring the London Company records stated that only 603 Europeans were living in Virginia. Nearly, a third of the ones living there the year before had died. It is estimated that only about 25% of the people that left England for Virginia survived the journey and the next few years that followed.

Lawrence was a lucky one. He settled in Elizabeth Cittie. Life was never easy. The land, diseases, the weather, limited supplies, and more presented challenges for the colonists. The Colonist’s version of ordering from Amazon and having something delivered was to send a request back to England with the Captain of a ship. That request then had to be filled and shipped back to Virginia.

Indian Massacre

The Treaty

Several years before Lawrence’s arrival, the local Native Americans (Indians) in the area had agreed to a treaty with the Colonists. The English wanted to be safe from attack and had agreed to defend the Native Americans from other hostile tribes. The two groups became friendly with each other, visited, and moved unarmed amongst each other.

The Attack

In 1622, the King of England reminded the Native American tribe of their prior treaty. Both sides stated that they were in full agreement. However, that was about to change. One day the Native Americans visited with the Colonists and they joined together in a meal, which was not uncommon. Then suddenly, the Native Americans launched a large-scale attack on the settlers, killing men, women, and children. It is also said that they flaunted and celebrated their killing spree.

The reason for the Native American’s attack isn’t known with people debating the motive. It is possible it was revenge for a Native American being killed after the English believed he killed one of their own. Another theory was that they wanted to trade for weapons and the English were reluctant to do so. No matter the reason, it greatly changed the relationship between the Colonists and the Native Americans. The English were more wary of the Indians. As soon as the King of England heard about the incident, he ordered the Native Americans’ crops and homes to be destroyed. He also sent lots of weapons and ammunition so the Colonists could defend themselves.

Captain Tucker, who was in charge of Elizabeth Cittie and the adjoining plantation, received an order to account for the living and the dead following the massacre. Lawrence was listed among the living. However, 347 people were killed. The number might have been an even larger had not an Indian who was close to one of the Colonists alerted him to what was happening.

The Royal Commission

In 1623, an investigation into the London Company’s finances was began. The next year, the company lost its charter to colonize Virginia. The King of England took control of Virginia.

In 1624-25, the Royal Commission under the king’s direction, took a “census” to determine who lived in the Virginia settlement. Lawrence is listed in the census as “Larence Peale.” He was 23 years-old and listed as the head of household having one house. William Smith, age 30, who had arrived on the ship the Jacob in 1624, is living with him. The provisions they had on hand included: 4 barrels of corn, 2 bushels of peas, 300 ct fish, 2 weapons, 6 pounds of powder, and 6 pounds of lead.

From the inventory, Lawrence’s role in the colonies was not clear. However, being a servant can be eliminated as he is listed with having a house. Plus, servants were indicated as a servant to a particular person.

The “Peelle” spelling is used here although various spellings were used in records.

Testimony

On December 30, 1625, Lawrence testified in General Court regarding statements made by Robert Leister regarding Captain Tucker. In those comments, he stated that about 3 years earlier (1622) he heard Mr. Leister say that the Captain “had said harsh words to him which grieved him very much and he said he would be revenged of Captain Tucker if he lived.^”

This shows Lawrence’s closeness to Captain Tucker. However, I did not find the details surrounding the need for such a statement.

As The Colonies Grow

As the Colonies grew, Lawrence become more established. He settled in or near Elizabeth Citti. He appears to have married an unknown woman and fathered at least one son by about 1635. His son’s name was Robert, a name that was a family name for many generations.

Afterward: Robert As Lawrence’s Son

The relationship between Lawrence and Robert is based on location and timing. Per Horace Peele, who extensively researched the family, no records have been found of an immigrant named “Robert Peele” until after 1700. However, this Robert Peelle purchased land in the mid-1600s. Additionally, he purchased land adjoining Captain Tucker’s land in Lower Norfolk County, Virginia. This places him close to Captain Tucker and Lawrence clearly was in the same area that the captain lived. It remains possible, however, that Robert came from England and no record of his arrival was made.

A Place For Everything

Posted on September 13, 2023 by FHadmin

Different people have different things that they are successful doing. For some it is their job, for others it is raising their family, helping people, or becoming an expert gardener. This story is a bit different. It is about my mom and her success with fitting anything and everything into the house.

The Early Days

This is believed to be the necklace that Mom’s grandfather gave her for her 8th grade graduation.

Mom was born the year after the stock market crashed and when the Great Depression was beginning to hit. Additionally, she was the third child in a small-time farming family. So, money was definitely tight. By the time she was eight or so, her father was in a VA hospital and her mom was raising the family on her own.

The family didn’t have many things. Her younger sister (Ruby) had a baby doll and a couple of siblings had baby albums. However, the only thing as an adult that Mom had from her childhood was a necklace that her grandfather had given her for her 8^th grade graduation. She did have a few photos, her diplomas, and high school yearbooks.

As A Young Adult

As a young adult, Mom worked at the Western as did her sister Inez. The family started to accumulate a few items, with salt and pepper shakers being some of the favorite nik-naks to collect. When the family went somewhere, one or more of them would come home with a set of unique salt and pepper shakers. Her sister Inez bought a large display case to display all the pretties.

Mom’s Fancy Glasses. Not sure if they have ever used. I know that one time Uncle Don grabbed one out of the cabinet to use. Not sure if Mom caught him before it was used or not.

Getting Married

Still, Mom didn’t have a lot of things until she got married. She didn’t get any china or crystal for her wedding. However, she got plenty of useful items and a few items that she considered too good for every day. The new canister set, rolling pin, cutting board, and other items filled her cupboards. Her fancy glasses, cake plate, and other fancy dishes filled the built-in in the dining room.

Every time she got a new plate, bowl, set of cups, set of pans, etc., she fit them in. She saw no reason to get rid of the old ones unless it was truly broken and unusable. The same was true of the latest pretty bowl, pretty candle, cute stuffed animal, Christmas ornament, pillow case, and more. The thing is that over the years she had plenty of time to collect a lot of items. And, she found a place for every single one.

Dad always wanted to store things outside of the house, but that wasn’t Mom’s way. I think it just motivated her to find that open spot for the latest item that she had acquired with most being gifts.

Kept Through The Years

Even years after she passed, the breadboard, rolling pin, cake plate, fancy glasses, and more were still in the house. The Great Depression mentality of keeping things in case you need them or simply keeping them because you have something to keep had stayed with her throughout the years. And, Mom had been very successful squeezing it all in!

I think she passed that gene down because I can pack more stuff in a suitcase, car or whatever container than you can imagine. And, if I get stuck fitting everything in, I just ask my youngest as he is even better at it. Mom would be impressed.

It isn’t a skill most people even think about it, but it can really come in handy. And, Mom used it to the fullest to ensure she could enjoy those things she accumulated through the years!

A Carpenter And A Farmer

Posted on September 7, 2023 by FHadmin

William Johnson Peelle was my great-grandfather. He was also a carpenter, farmer, and all around jack of all trades. He kept a journal from 1878 when he was 22 until 1894. That journal primarily focused on his work and the places he went. He spoke mostly of men, even referring to his brother-in-laws instead of his sisters. He rarely wrote of personal family events. Thus, this story will outline his life, focusing on his carpentry work. The story also includes a special “surprise” that I learned while putting this article together.

The Early Years

William J, as I refer to him most often, was born in 1856 in Wayne County, Indiana to Passco and Martha (Johnson) Peelle. They had a school on the corner of their property where he most likely got his formal education. However, a good portion of the education that he used in his adult years came from working with his father, brothers-in-laws, and other men in the neighborhood.

By the time he was 22, he was helping various people farm and erect buildings on their property. For example, in 1878, he helped his brother-in-law Wiley Benson (husband of Rachel) erect a stable on his property.

Moving to Kansas

It was late in 1878, when Passco, Martha, William J. and a couple of his sisters prepared to move to Kansas. This was quite the undertaking as goods that were moving had to be taken to another county to be put on the train. William J. drove the cattle to the same place, but it is unclear if they were shipped to Kansas or sold. It seems that his father, and presumably his mother and sisters, spent some significant time in that county before leaving for Kansas.

William J. stayed in Indiana after his parents left. He seemed to have some details to manage. During the spring of 1879, he helped his brothers-in-laws plow, plant, do other farm work, and a bit of carpentry here and there. One of the last things he did before he left was selling his horse. After that, he had to walk. He spent his last night in Indiana at his Uncle John Peelle’s house in Winchester. On June 8, 1879 he boarded a train with the destination of Hiattville, Kansas.

Settling In

William J.’s early days in Kansas were a mix of farming, sickness, and building on his father’s property. It is unclear what made him sick on and off, but perhaps it was the change in the environment (e.g. water, allergies). His carpenter skills were put to work building a stable for which he had to cut poles to be used in the project. He also made a door for the kitchen, fixed the corn crib, and made a shed for the calves. In the years that followed, he would add a new kitchen to the house, build a barn to replace the old one, etc.

By that fall, he was branching out and helping one of the neighbors fix his house. Then, at the end of October, he went back to Indiana for the winter where he spent time visiting and helping various relatives and friends.

The Surprise

Olathe

When William J. returned to Kansas, he picked up where he left off farming and doing carpentry. This went on until 1883 when suddenly, he went to Olathe (now part of the Greater Kansas City area) to work completing some houses. After he finished, he worked for the water works and built a fence for a school. He returned home on December 13 for a few days, but ended his work in Olathe in early January.

The Railroad

Later that month, he went to work on the Ft. Scott-Wichita Railroad. It is unclear what he did for the railroad as he simply recorded the days work and overnight shifts counted as two days pay. He worked in this job until June 12, when he worked half a day and quit. (There is probably a story behind that, but we will never know.)

Again, he returned to his life as a farmer and carpenter. But, working in Olathe and on the railroad are not something I grew up knowing. Although this was unknown, it’s not overly surprising. However, in the process of writing this article, I uncovered a potentially “big” surprise related to William J. during this time period. Read the Bonus Story for details.

Becoming a Boss Carpenter

At this point in his life, William J. really started to focus on his carpentry. Over the next several years, he would build, build, build. . .

Big Farm Projects

William J. built basically anything that a farmer would need on his property. He built houses, barns, stables, corn cribs, straw sheds, calf sheds, smoke houses, wagon sheds, hen houses, coal houses, water tanks, and granaries. In many cases, these projects took a few days to a few weeks. A house was much easier to build without plumbing, electricity, building permits/requirements, and very few if any closets.

He also made additions to buildings; put floors into existing buildings; roofed buildings; and built doors, door frames, and gates. And, sometimes he tore down buildings instead of erecting them.

Besides pure carpentry, William J. plastered walls – sometimes in a house he was building and sometimes in house that had already been built. He was even known to hang wall paper.

It appears that while working on large project, he often stayed away from home. This was definitely the case when he went to work on a barn near Hepler, which was around 15 miles from his home.

Bonus Story

While pulling together facts for this article, I did a little searching. I found a marriage record for a man listed as “William Peell” in one document and listed as “William Peale” in a transcription of another. His bride was an “Ida Johnson.” They were both local to Bourbon County. Could William J. have been married before he married great-grandmother Matilda?

It turns out that both William J. and Ida lived in Marmaton Township and in 1880 they were listed a couple pages or so apart on the census. So, we have a coincidence. Additionally, no William Peell or any other William Peelle of any spelling can be found in Bourbon County in the years before or after that. According to the record, they married September 3, 1883. It just so happens that William J. went to Ft. Scott that afternoon and spent the night. It was the next day that he left for his new job.

Ida gave birth to a son William Guy Peele (his spelling of his name as an adult) either December 20, 1883 or December 20, 1884. Records vary as to the year. It seems that if the actual year was 1883, that Ida may have concealed the actual year to hide the fact that she would have been pregnant when she married. As for how this aligns with William J.’s journal entries, he was home and not working for several days around both of these dates.

He does not mention this woman or her son in his journals, but then again, he does not mention my great-grandmother or any of their children either.

What is known is that in 1885, William J. is listed in the state census as married. However, no wife or child are in the household. At some point, Ida and her family had left Bourbon County and moved to Douglas County, Missouri. In 1887, she married a Mr. Hall. So, if it was another man that she married, something happened to him or their relationship before this date.

William G. lived with Ida and her husband’s family, but continued to use the name Peele. He later lived in Oklahoma. I have not found an indication that he ever had a wife or children.

Of interest is that the newspaper reported that William J. took a trip to southern Missouri in 1906 just before they moved to the Home Place. Douglas County is in southern Missouri. So, it begs the question, “Did he go see his son?”

Researchers indicate that her son was a Jr. and believe his father’s middle name was Guy, like the son. However, I have found no records that indicate the father’s middle name. I have also found no record of the son’s middle name until he was older.

Additionally, over the years I heard stories that William J. had a son out of wedlock. However, the story said that occurred in Indiana and that was why they moved to Kansas. I have found nothing to substantiate a child in Indiana. I also heard that a “man” came to the farm looking for him and that some of the McCracken girls thought he was William J.’s son. I have no idea if there is a bit of truth in these stories or not.

At this point, we are left wondering. Was William J. really married before he married Matilda Jury? Or, is this just a coincidence?

Schools, Churches, & More

William J. also repaired and/or built schools, churches, at least one store, and a warehouse. Scofield School (less than a quarter mile from his house), Cold Springs School, and Hiattville School were among the schools where he utilized his skills. Based on the length of projects, he must have built at least one school from scratch. Other times he made new steps for the school, fixed desks, made bookcases, fixed the building, put glass in windows, and made blackboards.

He mentions working on “the church” and the Christian Church. It is unclear if references to “the church” are to the Christian Church. Hiattville also had a Catholic and Methodist Episcopal churches. Meanwhile, to the northeast of his home was Pleasant Valley Church.

Small Projects

Not every project took days and weeks to complete. Some of William J.’s smaller farm projects include: tool boxes (the first was his own), milk troughs, water troughs, workbenches, sleds, bull rakes, wagon tongues, hay ladders, and beds for wagons.

For inside the home, he made flour chests, a desk, and wardrobes. The desk was for his family and my dad remembers it. He said that it was a bit rudimentary, but William J. didn’t have tools to make anything fancy. Additionally, he made the Walkertown mailbox, the Hiattville Cheesehouse, and items for doctors, including crutches.

He also fixed lots of items, such as, binders, water tanks, wagons, corn planters, scales, cradles (farm equipment, not the baby kind), cultivators, hay rakes, and buggies.

Peelle Properties in Kansas, Schools Attended by Peelle children are highlighted

Moving Into Town

On October 7, 1891, William J. and his parents moved into Hiattville where they had acquired lots in the northern part of the town and one lot along the east side of the railroad. Prior to the move he had built a shop (presumably on the lot along the railroad), built a barn, and made other improvements to the properties. He worked in the shop much of the time, but still did work outside the shop. Unfortunately, he did not detail the work that he did in his shop, but it is assumed to be building and fixing items.

The next year he married Matilda Jury, had a daughter, and added a blacksmith to his shop. The newspaper said that his time was in such demand that he split it an hour for this man and the next for another. It was during this interval that he became very active in Hiattville Camp No. 1364 of Modern Woodsman of America, where he served in multiple roles.

In 1893, some interesting quandaries arise. He is working away as usual when at the end of June his journal indicates that he went to Indian Territory (Oklahoma) for over a month. The question is, “Why?” Did he leave his wife and 7-month old daughter at home? Did he take them on a month long journey?

Additional questions arise given that he is listed as an assistant marshall for Ft. Scott’s 4^th of July celebration. How could William J. be in the parade if he was in Indian Territory?

When he returned in early August, he went back to work like always. Then around the beginning of September, he began working almost continually for the Routhe Brothers. It is unclear if he was using his carpentry skills or working in their business. However, in December, he started working at the mill. It is assumed that his work at the mill at least was not carpentry work as he stated the next February that he gave up the mill to move to a farm.

Walnut Township

William J., his parents, and his growing family moved to a house southwest of Hiattville. By the time his second daughter (my grandmother) was born in June, William J. had basically stopped writing in his journals. How he split his time is unknown. However, it is known that he continued to do both farming and carpentry. In 1896, he took on a new role when he was elected Justice of the Peace for Walnut Township. He was re-elected in 1898.

In the early 1900s, something happened that caused the family to give up this farm. They lived briefly at a location nearby before returning to the property north of Hiattville where they had lived in their early days in Kansas.

The Home Place. Owned by the family for 90 years.

Adding Another Kitchen

In February 1906, William J., Matilda, and his parents bought what is known as the Home Place, the home where Dad and his siblings grew up. William J. put his carpentry skills to work and built a large kitchen on the back of the house. Since the kitchen was also used for bathing, he slanted the floors so that water would run to the northwest corner of the room. He also intentionally slanted the ceiling . I don’t know the reason why, but perhaps the roof line and the ceiling were initially the same. None of the slanting caused too much trouble until Dad began building cabinets for the kitchen. With the floor and ceiling angled and a long window that wasn’t quite perfect, nothing was straight and it complicated things a bit.

His Last Load

In September 1911, he was again hauling lumber. This time for a barn at the Home Place. He never made it home with the lumber as he had a stroke on the way home from Hiattville. He was only 55.