One Church, So Much Family History

Posted on August 7, 2024August 8, 2024 by FHadmin

Churches provide a space where anyone is free to wander in and join the congregation. They also often provide space for activities – some church actives, some for the community, and some for specific families. In addition, the church records often contain a wealth of genealogical information.

History With Churches

Both my husband’s family and my family have extensive relationships with churches of various denominations. A few years ago, we had the opportunity to attend the 250^th Anniversary of Old Pine Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is rich in both American history and the history of my husband’s family.

Rod’s ancestors signed the call for Reverend Duffield in the early days of the Old Pine and his 7^th great grandfather was the first sexton of the church. However, as family members died and moved west, the association with the church ended. Read more about Old Pine.

Chartering A Church

The association with the Palmyra Presbyterian Church in Palmyra, Nebraska, however, has lasted the entire time the church has been in existence. And, next year, the church will celebrate its 150^th Anniversary. The main celebration planned for May 4, 2025 with other events throughout the year.

The association with the church began when my husband’s 3^rd great grandmother Mary (Gourley) Ronald, his great-great grandparents Arthur Reid and Margaret (Ronald) Thomson, and Margaret’s brother William B. Ronald became charter members. They made up one third of the charter members of the small church.

Roles in the Church

Members of the family are still active in the church today. Over the many decades, members of the family have served as church officials, teachers, participated in women’s groups, participated in Bible School, been elders, etc. For instance, George Thomson served as an elder and in 1941 Arthur Klinefelter “Art” Thomson was a member of the church board.

Music is also an important aspect of a Presbyterian Church. Local music teachers provided recitals at times in the church. In 1937, Alma Thomson was one of the students who performed in the recital. Arthur K. Thomson’s wife Verna (Wall) Thomson was also known to sing at church events. In more recent years, Emma (Bremer) Faulkner sang in the church choir. However, I am sure many others in the family were involved in providing music for the church throughout the years.

Life Events

Funerals

When asking a family member recently about who in the family that had passed had their funeral held at the Palmyra Presbyterian Church, the answer was, “Everyone!” Well, that was an exaggeration, but was on the right track.

Of the charter members, funerals were held in the Palmyra Presbyterian Church for Arthur Reid Thomson and his wife Margaret. It likely that Mary Ronald’s funeral was also held there as she died at their home. However, given that she died before 1900, it is also possible that the funeral was held in the home. William B. Ronald died at York, Nebraska and was buried there.

Over the years, various family members funerals were held at the Palmyra Presbyterian Church. Just a few in the following generation include Arthur Reid and Margaret (Ronald) Thomson’s children: Mary A (Thomson) Orrison, and Herbert James Thomson. Additionally, Flora Marion Bunten, granddaughter of Mary Ronald through Mary’s daughter Jane Ronald and her husband William Bunten had her funeral at the church.

In the next generation, a few whose funerals were held at the church include: George Thomson, Alexander Thomson, and Arthur K Thomson. Funerals of family members continue to occur in later generations. For instance, Sandra (Thomson) Stickney, and Sandra’s grandson Alexander Thomson.

Judge Sharpless Klinefelter’s funeral was held at the church only days after his 100^th birthday party was held there. In addition, there were funerals for those who married into the family. A few of the spouses are: Blanche (Klinefelter) Thomson, Donna (Van Allen) Thomson, Verna (Wall) Thomson, and Kenneth Leith (husband of Virginia Thomson).

Members of the family also served as pall bearers and in other capacities for many other funerals for family, friends, and neighbors.

Marriages & Baptisms

Palmyra Presbyterian Church was also the scene of many happier occasions, such as, marriages and baptisms.

Thomson-Bremer Wedding with parents of the couple

In the early days, many of the marriages were held in the bride’s home. However, over time marriages in the church have become more common. Some of the weddings at Palmyra Presbyterian Church include my husband’s parents: James Thomson and Janice Helm; his sister: Jackie Thomson & Duane Bremer, and his niece: Emma Bremer and Zachary Faulkner. His aunt Rachele also married in the church as did Georgia Faye Thomson, daughter of George and Viola (Lanning) Thomson.

Rachele (Thomson) Newbury’s children Clayton Johnson and Paul Johnson were just two of the many family members baptized in the church.

My husband’s mother’s family, although not living in Palmyra, even had a marriage at the church when Arlin Reuter, a cousin, married Lucy Ann Ikenberry, a local woman, at the church in 1963.

A portion of an article about the 50th Wedding Anniversary celebration of George and Jessie (Bunten) Lanning. Source: Lincoln Journal Star, Feb. 11, 1951.

Other Events & Celebrations

The church was a gathering spot. As such, it was used not only for church events, but also for family and community events. One of most unusual events was a lard making demonstration. That wasn’t something I would expect at a church.

More traditional events that have been held at the church are the 50^th wedding anniversary celebration for George and Jessie (Bunten) Lanning, which was celebrated with 150 people. Their marriage was likely a much smaller event being held at the Bunten homestead in 1901. A reception for my husband and me was even held at the church after we married in my home state.

Birthdays or other family celebrations were also held at the church. Besides Judge Klinefelter’s birthday party, a 65^th birthday and retirement party was held for Janice Thomson in the basement of the church for both family and community members.

Likewise, church functions sometimes took place at one of the Thomson residences. For instance, in 1898, the Sunday School Picnic was held in Arthur Reid Thomson’s grove.

Have info about the Palmyra Presbyterian Church?

If you have information about the history of the Palmyra Presbyterian Church or know of descendants of any of the charter members (especially those not related to this particular family), please share with the 150th Anniversary celebration planning committee. Do so by contacting Jackie Thomson-Bremer. If you don’t have her contact info, contact me.

Charter Members

Mary DeCou

W J Dougall

Emma Dougall

William Dunlap

Jane Dunlap

Robert Dunlap

Moriah McGonigal

Elsie Smith

Mary (Gourley) Ronald

William B. Ronald

Margaret (Ronald) Thomson

Arthur Reid Thomson

The End of Three Lines

Posted on July 31, 2024July 31, 2024 by FHadmin

Passco “Pat” R. Peelle was the last Passco in our family line, the last standing Peelle in our family line, and drove the streetcar to the end of the line.

Uncle Pat

To me Uncle Pat, great-uncle actually but we never made that distinction, was always an old man. Everything about him was old. He looked old, smelled old, and had old things. I remember visiting his home and feeling very uncomfortable, not because Uncle Pat and his wife Aunt Verda weren’t nice to us, but because everything was old. Not a lot seemed to have had a lot of care given to it.

Despite the fact that he looked a bit rough around the edges, he always had a loyal dog or two by his side. And, I can’t remember him being unkind to anyone or anything.

Conversations

After his oldest sister Lydia died, my Grandma, another sister, inherited Lydia’s house. Uncle Pat, whose wife had also died, moved in with Grandma for a while. Interestingly, I don’t remember having a single conversation with him. However, my sister remembers one conversation with him where he told her about an acquaintance of hers coming up to him at the filling station in Arcadia where he hung out and asking if he was related to her. Apparently, the acquaintance had moved to Arcadia, where he lived.

One thing I do know about Uncle Pat i that he was the one that would leak the family secrets. His sisters definitely weren’t going to tell anyone anything bad or risque. They might whisper to each other, but things they thought were not aligned with their upright-uptight English upbringing were not going to be spoken loud enough for a bystander to hear them.

He was also open to telling slightly off-color stories. I am thankful for his stories. If he hadn’t passed on some secrets to members of the family, I would never have known things to research about some of the cousins in the Jury family (Uncle Pat’s mom’s family) to discover their stories . Read about Rebecca and Warren. There were probably some secrets in the Peelle family, too, however, his father William J. Peelle died when Uncle Pat was only 12. So, he didn’t have as many years to learn all the stories of that family.

Last of the “Passco” Name

Uncle Pat, Passco by birth, was the last Passco in our family line. He did have two first cousin with a middle name of Passco – Clayton Passco “Clate” Farmer and Walter Passco Longnecker. Uncle Pat outlived both of them and none of them or any of their siblings/cousins appear to have named a child Passco. However, neither of them were called Passco and both of them died before he did.

The name Passco was a name the family repeated often in multiple descending lines after the first known Passco Peelle, who was born in 1733 in Northhampton County, North Carolina. We don’t know where the name Passco originated. Some researchers believe the first Passco’s name was actually Issac and that he took on Passco as a nickname. This is based on his father’s first will that lists him as Issac. However, I believe the first will was in error as all the records I have found shows some form of the name Passco. It has also shown up in records spelled Pasco, Passcow, Pashal, Pascal, etc.

For Uncle Pat, he was simply named for his grandfather whom lived with his family. He may never have known his name went back over 160 years before his birth.

Last of the Peelle Name

Uncle Pat was the only male of his generation in our specific family line. Thus, he was the only one in our line to carry on the Peelle name. He married Verda (Carson) Albrecht on August 14, 1926 in Hesston, Kansas. She had a daughter Roberta Evelyn (Bobbi) Albrecht, who Uncle Pat adopted.

It was April 13, 1929 before they would welcome their first and only child, a son, Paul Russell Peelle. Life seemed to be going well for the family. In the 1930s and early 1940s, the family lived in Delano Township. It is located just to the west of Old Town on the west side of the Arkansas River.

Delano

In the earlier Cowtown years, the Delano area hadn’t been very suitable for families. It was at the end of the Chisholm Train and was full of saloons and brothels to entertain the weary cowboys. Drinking, gambling, prostitution, and gunfights were part of life in Delano. Even bathing in the nude in the Arkansas River that flowed between Delano and Wichita was quite common.

Across the river, Wichita had laws that prohibited the vices that Delano allowed. However, in 1872, Delano did require that cowboys restrict bathing nude in the river to a nighttime activity (i.e. No running around nude during the day.) However, the saloon maids were allowed to race nude through the streets with bets placed on who would win. Read more about Delano @ http://historicdelano.com/HistoricDelano/history.php

By the time Uncle Pat lived there, Delano had became a part of Wichita and had settled down from the wildness in its early years. Uncle Pat’s kids attended the O.K. School (yes, that is really its name, O.K. stands for nothing just like Uncle Pat’s middle initial stands for nothing). It had its roots back to the 1870s just as the cattle trade was shifting to Dodge City. Since then, it had been rebuilt and expanded multiple times. It was by this time a regular city school with a PTA. At one point his wife Verda served as vice-president of the PTA and he was involved with a play performed at the school.

Disaster Strikes

Thursday, June 12, 1941, Uncle Pat’s life changed forever when his son Paul was in horrible and bizarre bicycle-car accident. Paul was riding his bicycle near his home, which appears to have been right by the O.K. School on north West Street, when the accident occurred. The driver of a car had chains wrapped around his front bumper. Somehow, they loosened and the driver’s side front wheel became entangled in the chain causing the car to veer to the left. The car hit Paul’s bicycle head on at approximately 40 m.p.h.

Paul was rushed to St. Francis Hospital, which was about 4 miles away with critical injuries. Both his legs were broken and he had internal injuries. He died the following night.

It is said that Uncle Pat lost his interest in life and drive to achieve after he lost his only biological child and the only one who could carry on the family name. At the time of Paul’s death, Uncle Pat was working as a pressman for Inland Printing, a position which he had held for at least 15 years. He seems to have left that job later in 1941 or in 1942.

In the years following, the family was back and forth between Wichita and Arcadia in Crawford County, Kansas for several years before settling in the Arcadia area. I assume depression and/or a desire to leave the city that reminded the family of their loss drove them to leave Wichita. I do not, however, know what attracted them to Arcadia. It wasn’t a great distance from his sister Nellie. Yet, it wasn’t a logical place to live if he wanted to be near her.

The remaining years of his work life were spent primarily as a farmer and a miner.

The Key

Key from a Wichita streetcar used by Pat Peelle

Sometime during his time in Wichita, Uncle Pat drove a streetcar. It is unclear exactly when he drove it or how long he was a streetcar driver. However, it was likely in the first half of the 1920s unless he had a second job while working at the printing company. This is possible as he is listed in one city directory as both a pressman for Inland Printing and as a clerk.

The Wichita Railroad & Light Co., had a streetcar system in Wichita. Uncle Pat could have worked for them. Since I haven’t found proof of the company that employed him, I speculate that it wasn’t the streetcar system within WIchita that hired him. Instead, it seems likely that he was working for the Arkansas Valley Interurban Railway. It was considered an electric streetcar. However, it traveled between Wichita, Newton, and Hutchinson.

Why do I think Uncle Pat worked for the latter company? His wife Verda lived in Newton for about 15 years when they married. After she divorced her first husband, who had abandoned her and their daughter Roberta, Verda worked at Anderson’s Bookstore in Newton. It seems likely that he could have had a break while in Newton and wandered into the bookstore or had some other chance meeting. This is very likely given the rail station was at 5th and Main and the bookstore was at 422-424 Main. Of course, it is also possible that they met when she took the streetcar into the city (Wichita).

The streetcar key looks completely different than an automobile key and has a totally different function. It didn’t turn on the streetcar. Instead, it was used when the streetcar got to the end of the line to reverse direction of the streetcar.

Land, Sea, and Hair

Posted on July 23, 2024 by FHadmin

This story starts with a Seaman’s Certificate and ends with orphans, “servants,” George Washington’s hair, and a body donated to science.

The Certificate

Some time back I discovered a Seaman’s Certificate for Samuel McGinley. It was signed by Margaret McGinley, which was odd as the certificate was clearly set up specifically for a man to sign. It was 1814 and women didn’t often sign legal documents. However, Samuel’s father Captain John McGinley, who served as superintendent of blacksmiths during the Revolutionary War had died ten years earlier. Thus, Margaret McGinley, nee’ Hurrie, certified her son as a U.S. citizen.

The U.S. Congress had passed an act in 1796 to create the protection certificates to protect merchant seaman from being pressed into service by the British. They had become very important during the War of 1812. Certification by a sworn statement was the most common proof used to get a Seaman’s Certificate. However, a birth certificate, naturalization papers, or other official record could also be used.

From this we can assume that Samuel traveled outside the coastal waters of the United States. However, nothing is known about his life on the sea.

The Marriage

The next record for Samuel is his marriage on February 23, 1814 to Jerusha McCann in Charleston, South Carolina. Jerusha was the widow of Edward McCann, who had died in 1809. Her maiden name is unknown.

Besides a wife, Samuel gained a step-daughter Mary Ann Louisa McCann. Mary Ann was not in the household long, as she married Samuel W. Wilcox just over four years later.

Edward’s will mentions no other children.

The 1820s

In 1822, Samuel was listed in The Directory and Stranger’s Guide, for the city of Charleston as a carpenter living at 74 Market Street. However, by 1824, it stated that his occupation was “boarding house.” It did not specify if he managed a boarding house or owned one. However, it listed him at the same address that he was living at in 1822. Neither of these jobs seemed aligned with his previous job on the sea.

1830s

In the 1830 census, Jerusha is listed as head of the household with a girl between 15 and 19 years of age living with her. The relationship to this girl is unknown and she doesn’t show up in any other records with Jerusha and Samuel. There were also three male slaves or servants, as Samuel referred to them, in the household.

Samuel was absent. Possibly he was traveling or working away from home. Five years later he is listed at 17 Price’s Alley. In that record, he is again listed as a carpenter. Thus, it isn’t exactly clear as to his occupation.

1840s

In 1840, Samuel and Jerusha are living in a household with two male slaves and two female slaves. The following year their son-in-law Samuel W. Wilcox, who was an accountant, died. Samuel petitioned to be the administrator of his estate, indicating that he was his son-in-law’s biggest creditor.

Travels

In 1845, Emma of Philadelphia came to visit Samuel. It is unclear who this woman was. No woman named Emma has been identified in Samuel’s family during that time period. However, during the 1840s Samuel took several trips to Philadelphia via boat. It is possible that Emma’s visit was in some way related to those trips.

Summer of 1849

In 1849, Samuel agreed to purchase Gibbes & William’s Mill from the city. However, soon after, he filed a request to be released from the agreement. He offered $100 in exchange for the release. He stated that unexpected difficulty had arisen and he would not be able to meet the requirements of the deal with the city. The city decided that the mill, which they described as at the west end of Tradd Street, should be sold as soon as possible.

It would seem most likely that the issue was one of money. Earlier that same summer, Samuel was one of several members of the grand Jury that requested pay for being on the jury. At the time, men selected for duty on the jury were compelled by law to serve up to three weeks, depending on the business of the court, without compensation. The group argued that other courts paid those who were required to serve.

Properties Associated

with Samuel McGinley

Charleston 1849. Source: https://www.sciway.net/hist/maps/mapscharleston.html

The map highlights approximate locations of properties associated with Samuel McGinley. In many cases, the exact address has not yet been identified.

Pink – Locations that Samuel owned, advertised, or said that he was located.

Green – It marks Broad Street as Samuel requested that an unplanked portion be planked.

Orange – Orphanage

Note: There are two pink indicators that have a “?” on them. This is because there are two different Bull Streets and the reference to that street did not have a specific address. Thus, I marked both areas.

1850s

In 1850, Samuel was 64 and his wife Jerusha was 71. By this time, Samuel had accumulated $1200 in real estate and his wife owned $3600 of real estate. It is assumed that she inherited these properties from her earlier husband Edward McCann.

James Hynes, a boatman of Scotland, and his family were living with Samuel and Jerusha in their home on Price’s Alley. They also had four female slaves ranging in age from 38 to 65 and seven male slaves ranging from 8 to 64.

Jerusha’s Death

Two years later, Jerusha died, leaving her entire estate to Samuel. Although no record of her daughter Mary Ann Louisa (McCann) Wilcox’s death has been found, it is assumed that she must have died by 1842, as that was the date of Jerusha’s will. Otherwise, one would expect her to have received something in her mother’s will.

Trips To Philadelphia

During this decade Samuel continued to make trips to Philadelphia with at least one trip to New York. Sometimes he traveled on steam ships, such as, the Osprey, Columbus, and James Adger. Other times it was a brig, such as, the Cohansey and Paul T. Jones. However, sometimes he traveled on schooners like the Somers, Constitution, and Dart.

Upon My Death

Dying in 1857, Samuel did not live to see another decade arrive. He had no descendants. However, he had a very detailed will that ensured his wishes would be followed.

To Family & Friends

Samuel made some traditional monetary distributions to a few of his family members. To his sister Mary (McGinley) Davis, a widow, he gave two hundred dollars per year for the rest of her life. He gave the same amount to his niece, Maria M. (Owens) Lyons, daughter of his sister Martha. Maria was also a widow. Oddly, he did not give money to Martha, who was also a widow.

To his friend John Dougherty, he willed $200. Interestingly, he was listed in John Dougherty’s will with the same amount of distribution.

Washington’s Hair

The only personal possession that he willed to anyone was his gold ring with George Washington’s hair in it. It is possible that it was one of the 22 rings designed for family and friends of George Washington. If so, it would have had an engraved image of President Washington on it. See https://artofmourning.com/george-washington-memorial-ring/ for an image and more information.

However, it is more likely it was a ring fashioned by someone else as numerous people appeared to have had rings made that supposedly contained Washington’s hair. It seems that in his position as a general and first President of the country, memorials of George were in high demand, even when he was still alive. Relatives, colleagues, members of the military, and others desired to have something related to Washington. In many cases, hair was requested. See https://www.themagazineantiques.com/article/george-washington-hair-relics/ for more information.

In either case, the question arises of where Samuel would have gotten Washington’s hair or the ring after it was made. One possibility is that his father Captain John McGinley, who was the superintendent of blacksmiths during the Revolutionary War, had received the ring or the hair. No mention of it is made in his will. However, he gave his entire estate to his wife Margaret (Hurrie) McGinley.

It is possible that he inherited it from his wife. Perhaps Jerusha’s family or her earlier husband Edward McCann’s family had some association with George Washington. Another possibility is that he somehow obtained it from the local orphanage as George Washington had laid the cornerstone for the building of the first permanent orphanage in the new country. That occurred on November 12, 1792, before Samuel was in the area. However, Samuel did have some connection to the orphanage.

McGinley Education Fund

Samuel ordered the rest of his estate, including eight properties, shares of stock in two banks, his remaining slaves, and his personal items to be sold. The money remaining after accounting for the money willed to family and friends and paying any debts was to be used to create the McGinley Education Fund. Additionally, after his sister and niece died, the money set aside to create an income for them was to be added to the education fund. Additionally, he stated that he had or was planning to apply for his father’s military pay from his Revolutionary War service.

Public Domain. Retrieved from Wikipedia.

The trustees of the fund were to be the mayor of Charleston, the city treasurer, and the chairman of commissioners of the Orphan House of Charleston. The trustee role was assigned to the position rather than to the people currently serving in those positions. Thus, for example, when the city elected a new mayor, the new mayor would replace the outgoing mayor on the board of trustees.

The income from the fund was to be used for the education of “orphan children of deceased members of the St. Andrews Lodge of Masons.” The other requirement was that the children must have been born in the country. The children sponsored would be nominated by the master and wardens of the lodge. If there is a surplus of income it was to provide for education of orphans of other masons.

Caring For Elderly Servants

Samuel bequeathed his servants (slaves) Flora and Mary, who were elderly, to John Dunn. John worked for Samuel and lived in his home. He was also designated as Samuel’s executor. Samuel did not feel that Flora and Mary could provide significant value to anyone and he wanted them treated humanely. Thus, he gave John $200 ($100 each) per year to care and provide for them. The amount was to be cut in half upon the death of either of them. The yearly amounts expired upon the death of both servants.

Body to Science

Lastly, Samuel ordered that his body be given to Doctor Henry William Desausser. He wanted the doctor to look specifically at the bones in his chest. He had experienced what he called “complicated diseases” during his life and he wanted to see if understanding his body could lead to help for others who might experience similar issues. Nothing is known about the physical ailments that Samuel experienced except that he died of stomach cancer.

He also wanted his body to “be skeletonized.” And, he stated that this should be done without a cost to his estate.

Afterward

Samuel has so much more to his story. The story of his ownership of “servants” is one path that needs further exploration. His relationship with his various friends and acquaintances would be very interesting to understand. Additionally, research of the properties that he owned could be quite interesting. They were all over the city as shown on the map. At least one was leased and not all had buildings on them. Why did he make a significant number of trips to Philadelphia? And, why did he want to buy a saw mill?

Featured Image Source: pixabay.com

Autos of Yesteryear

Posted on July 15, 2024July 16, 2024 by FHadmin

This is a collection of images of cars various families have owned going back into the 1960s and earlier. Not nearly all the cars that were owned are included mainly because many were not photographed. Some cars have interesting stories. For others, I know very little. If you can identify the make and model of any of the cars that aren’t identified, have corrections to the make/model of any cars, or have additional stories about them, please contact me.

Car on Fire

Inez L. Pellett’s car with Elma (Pellett) McCracken, Inez Pellett, and Ruby Pellett

This Chevy was Aunt Inez Pellett’s first car. I remember riding in it and climbing into the backseat as it was a two-door. At some point, Inez decided to get another car, probably to have four doors. So, she negotiated a deal to sell it to Roy Mosley (his wife was the famous Mrs. Mosley, who taught at Hiattville).

Before the transaction had been completed, Dad was doing some work on the car. I am not sure what happened, but there was a fire and the fire department was called. They talked to Dad about what happened and never bothered to ask who owned the car. So, it was reported in the newspaper that Dad’s car had a fire.

When Roy Mosley found out, he called Dad. He offered to let Dad borrow the car he was buying until Dad could get his fixed. Little did he know that he was offering Dad the very car that had a fire.

Family Reunion

Portions of the McCracken family gathered for a family reunion in 1953 at Lincoln Park in Pittsburg, Kansas. Anyone able to name all the people in the photo?

Multiple of their cars can be seen. Not sure where the rest of the cars are hiding.

Thomson Cars

These are old cars at Hebert and Blanche (Klinefelter) Thomson’s farm.

Car Models

Dee (McCracken) Burnam and Ruthe (McCracken) McCarty posing on Dad’s car sometime in the 1950s.

Thomas-Pellett Auto

This was found among my photos from Mom’s family. I assume this is from the Thomas family, but it is possible that it is from the Pellett family.

White Walls

Max and Betty Barton are standing by their “get-away” car when they married. Max’s 1956 Buick had great white walls. And, if you look close you can see the word “married” written on the side of the car. While living at Dave Workman’s farm, which was about a mile from our house, Their kids, Mitzi and Tony, learned to drive in that very car. The year was 1970/71 and the kids were at the ripe old ages of 8/9 and 11/12. According to Mitzi, they learned to drive over the rocks, cactus and rattlesnakes in the drought ridden pasture. Max always planned to fully restore the car, but that never happened. However, Tony’s family still owns the car and perhaps one day they will restore it to its original beauty. (Mitzi [Barton] Hutcherson contributed to this story.)

Suicide Door

Verda (Thomas) Eastwood is standing beside a car with an open suicide door.

1953 Chevy

Rambler

Desoto

1925 Chevy

This is Herbert and Blanche (Klinefelter) Thomson and their family. The photo was taken in 1928 and as you can see their 1925 Chevy was just as much a part of the photo as the family. It really makes you wonder why the photographer didn’t just focus on the family or have the family stand closer to the car.

This was likely taken near Stettler, Alberta, Canada, as the family traveled there in the summer of 1928.

1930 Plymouth

Joe and Nellie (Peelle) McCracken had a 1930 Plymouth when WWII started. This photo would be three or so years earlier. I am assuming that is the car in this photo. If anyone knows differently, please let me know.

The entire family did not often all ride in the car at one time, but it did happen. Of course, I should say, “In or on the car.” As I understand it, Don and Dad rode on the front fenders. Meanwhile, Dewey and Howard rode on the running boards. That left only eight people to squeeze inside, assuming they had no extras.

Another Car Prop

Inez Pellett and I assume her nephew Glen Pellett pose with a car in the 1950s. The front grill looks a bit like it might eat you for lunch.

Wittmer Car

This car is believed to have belonged to the Wittmer family in Rod’s Klinefelter line.

Bumper Test

Great Uncle Dewey C. “Doc” McCracken, his great-nephew Larry Linke, and his nephew Roger McCracken test out the bumper of a car.

Thomson’s Ner-A-Car

Advertizing agency for Ner-A-Car (I don’t know), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

When Judge S. Klinefelter was living in Florida, he sent his grandsons (Alexander, Arthur, Alfred, George, & Reid Thomson) a Ner-A-Car, which is an early motorcycle. The ad describes it as a a two-wheeler and also an auto.

The photograph above shows George Ackermann taking a spin on the Thomson’s Ner-A-Car when Herbert & Blanche were in Stettler, Alberta, Canada.

Dean Thomson came into possession of the family’s Ner-A-Car. In the early 1980’s, he sold it. He told me that he regretted not keeping it.

Car On The Field

Looks like this car is almost on the pitcher’s mound. That adds a bit more excitement when you have to play around a car. Here I thought it was bad enough that they had to try to avoid rocks, cacti, and cow pies when playing cow pasture baseball.

Wedding Day

Attendants at Marvin and Edna (Lobmeyer) Pellett’s wedding in 1948.

Sears Car

This car is thought to be a Sears car approximately 1911 or earlier. The family is thought to be related to the Wittmer family in Rod’s Klinefelter line.

Shift, Dad, Shift

I think that is Don McCracken’s Dodge behind his sons Vance and Sky. The interesting thing about this car isn’t the car itself. Instead, it is Don, the absent-minded professor, and his driving habits. Before the boys were as old as shown in the picture, they learned to remind their dad to shift.

One Ball Team, One Car

Dad is carrying the bats and it looks like the entire team is going to pile into that old convertible (or topless).

Uncle Pat?

I seem to recall Dad saying that this is Uncle Passco “Pat” Peelle with his car. Anyone know for sure?

A Lonesome Car

This car with its white walls is sitting all alone. It is from the Thomas-Pellett collection.

Westward Choo-Choo: Moving By Train

Posted on July 9, 2024July 10, 2024 by FHadmin

Many of us think of wagon trains when we think of people moving westward. However, when my Peelle family moved from Indiana to Kansas in 1879 the railroad had been completed all the way to their destination. And, locomotive power would take them to their new home.

The Decision To Move

Passco and Martha (Johnson) Peelle married in Wayne County, Indiana September 4, 1845. By 1878, their oldest 4 living daughters were married. Only William Johnson Peelle (William J.), their only son, and their two youngest daughters, Emaline D. “Lillie” and Mossie Lea, remained at home.

The family lived on 159 ½ acres near Lynn, Indiana in Randolph County, which is adjacent to Wayne County. For some unknown reason, that winter Passco and Martha decided to pull up roots, leaving their older daughters, who were married, behind.

Note: Their daughter Evaline and her husband John Farmer also moved to Kansas by 1880. However, they initially settled in western Kansas. By 1885, they had moved to Olathe, Kansas, where their youngest child was born. Later, Evaline and John moved to Bourbon County.

Peelle property in Randolph County, Indiana is highlighted in green

The Journey Begins

The first real indication that something might be afoot was November 13, 1878. On that date, William J. drove the hogs to Lynn, Indiana, which was a distance of three to four miles depending on his exact destination. He sold 19 hogs that evening. About a week later, he got a wagon from his brother-in-law Christopher Columbus “Chris” Longnecker and loaded it. The next day he took the load to Jay County, Indiana, for his father. On its own, it could have meant a load of corn or other commodity. However, the next day, he went back to Union City after stoves, which he took to Jay County.

Little, other than William J.’s typical activities, seemed to occur over the next month. Then, on December 28, he again went to Jay County. This time he stayed several days, returning home on New Year’s Eve.

In January, William J. made three trips to Jay County. On the last trip that month, he drove the cattle to Jay County and spent time at his father’s home. This is first statement that confirms that his father (and presumably his mother and younger sisters) had moved to Jay County. The question is, “Why?”

Purchase The Property

William J. primarily spent the time he wasn’t going to Jay County, Winchester, Richmond, or the smaller towns nearby gathering, husking, loading, and transporting corn. On February 13, he declared that he had gathered the last of the corn. Still, more husking and transporting remained to be done.

On February 25, William J. husked more corn before leaving for Winchester that evening. The next day William J. did the paperwork necessary to purchase a 160-acre property near Hiattville, Bourbon County, Kansas from Frederick A. and Annie E. Engle. William J. signed for the property purchasing it for $1200 plus taxes owed. The sale took place in Randolph County because despite owning property in Kansas, the Engle family lived in Randolph County, Indiana. The transaction would not be recorded in Bourbon County for another month.

This raised several questions:

Why Kansas? Why Hiattville?
Why was William J.’s father (Passco) living in or recently living in Jay County?
Was Passco already in Kansas? Martha? William J.’s younger sisters?

Location, Location, Location

No known relatives of Passco or Martha lived near Hiattville. If they did, that which would have also been a draw to move. However, James M. Hiatt, on whose land Hiattville was started lived in Randolph County, Indiana before moving westward. It is unclear if the family knew the Hiatt family. They likely did know some of the Engle family, but not necessarily the ones who owned the property they purchased, as some of them owned property nearby.

Jay County

Moving his family to Jay County made me wonder if they initially planned to move to Jay County permanently and something changed their mind. However, I suspect that wasn’t the case as early on William J. sold the hogs. If it was a matter of a few miles, it seems they would have simply moved the hogs to Jay County.

I also wondered about access to roads or trains, but found no significant difference between the two counties. I haven’t yet had an opportunity to do local research to see if they owned property in Jay County or rented.

Where Was Everyone?

The answer to this question is unknown. However, if Passco was still in Jay County, why wouldn’t he have come to Winchester to purchase the property instead of sending his 23-year-old son to transact the business. William J. did transfer the property to his father, but not for several years.

It is possible that Passco’s brother John Cox Peelle, who lived in Winchester, provided William J. some support, but why wouldn’t Passco have made the short trip to Winchester? My guess is that Passco, at least, was already in Kansas, having gone there to check out the property.

Car The Goods

On March 1, William J. went to Portland, which was in Jay County and which was the main railroad center in the county. Then on March 10, William J. said that he moved to Jay County. Now, this statement is curious as he spent the remainder of the time before he moved to Kansas primarily in Randolph County. It seems, however, that he may have moved the remainder of the household goods to Jay County.

Then on March 15, 1879, William J. “boxed up things to ship to Kansas.” He finished the task the next day and began loading them on a wagon. The following day, he finished loading up the wagon. At that point, the house must have been bare as he spent the night at someone else’s house. Then on Tuesday March 18, he hauled them to Union to car them, which meant to get them loaded on a railroad car. He had to wait until Thursday for a car to be available. After they were loaded, he headed to Winchester.

Here, There, And Everywhere

After all the farm tasks were complete and the goods were shipped to Kansas, William J. spent time with various friends and relatives in the area. He always liked to go places – lectures, classes, events, or simply visiting. Everywhere he went he was helping with farming or carpentry, which would be his two primary focus areas throughout his life.

Probably the most interesting of his travels was when he went to the big city of Richmond. On April 11, he went via buggy to Richmond and spent the night at Uncle Will’s. Uncle Will would be his father’s brother William Adams Peelle, who was a lawyer, judge, and had held several state offices. I wish I knew if this was just a visit or business. I suspect the latter as he returned to Richmond on April 24.

Sometimes he traveled with his trunk and sometimes he traveled around and later went to get his trunk and take it to another relative’s house.

Then on May 18, William J. sold his horse. Now, he had to walk or rely on others to get around. But, he didn’t let that stop him. He walked from where he sold his horse to Winchester. He stayed with his Uncle John. The next day he hopped on the train to his typical stomping grounds. From there he continued his travels around the area.

Indiana. State Board Of Tax Commissioners. Railroad map of Indiana. [Indianapolis, ?, 1896] Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/98688475/>.

Kansas Bound

Last Good-Byes

When June arrived, the time for William J. to move westward arrived. He spent the first three days of the month with three of his sisters’ families . . . or as he would say with Wiley Benson (Rachel), Chris Longnecker (Sarah), and Bill Lewis (Jennie).

On June 4, Chris Longnecker took William J. and William J’s trunk to his Uncle John Peelle’s home in Winchester. The next day he took the morning train to Farmland. He spent the night at Sam Bolinger’s, assumed to be a friend, and returned to Winchester the next evening. On June 7 he made a trip to Bloomingsport, one of the places close to the Peelle Indiana home that William J. visited frequently. He stayed with John Benson (his brother-in-law’s brother) and the next day, after another visit to Bloomingsport, John took William J. to Winchester to catch the train for Hiattville, Kansas.

The Trip

William J. left Winchester at 8:40 p.m. headed to Muncie, Indiana. He spent the night there and left the following morning at 6:10 a.m. From there he traveled to Bloomington, Illinois where he had a four-house layover. He left Bloomington at 6:10 p.m. His next destination was Kansas City. He arrived there the following morning at 9:30 a.m. At 11:00 a.m., his travel turned southward. He had dinner at Lacygne and arrived in Ft. Scott at 4:30 p.m.

That night William J. splurged and spent $1.25 to stay at the Lockwood House. It was located only a block from the MK&T (Missouri, Kansas & Texas) Railroad Station (also known as the “Katy”) on Jones Street. Jones Street is better known by its current name of “National Avenue.” It was at the edge of the flood zone for the Marmaton River as the “big flood” the year prior had reached to the hotel.

The next morning (June 11) William J. left Ft. Scott at 4:35 a.m., arriving at Hiattville, his final train stop, at 6:00 a.m. From there he went to “his father’s house,” which was an interesting reference since it was William J.’s name that was on the official paperwork for the property.

He came back to Hiattville to get his trunk, but did not get it. He had to come back in the afternoon to get it. So, it seems that luggage issues existed even back in 1879!

Afterward – Why Move?

The question remains: “Why did the family decide to move?” Several reasons for the move can be eliminated. They didn’t move to get more land as the land they purchased was approximately the same size as the property they left behind. For the same reason and the fact that they paid to move via train, one can surmise that they didn’t move because they were in financial trouble.

One other story that my aunts told was that they thought the family moved because William J. got a woman pregnant and he needed to leave the area. If that was the reason, one would think William J. would have been the first one in the family to leave the area. However, it appears that he was the one that stayed behind. And, he made trips back to Indiana after he made the move. Thus, I believe this story is debunked.

Unless a letter or an article is found, we will likely never know why they moved.

Featured Image: Public Domain, retrieved July 9, 2024 from Wikipedia.