Fire After Fire

Posted on October 19, 2025October 20, 2025 by FHadmin

Small towns in America have always struggled to survive. One of their greatest nemesis is fire. Hiattville was no exception. Matter of fact, Hiattville had more than its share of fires. It is a wonder that it survived beyond that early 1900s.

Building a Town

Hiattville had its origins as a post office called Pawnee, which was located near Pawnee Creek. When the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway (MKT) railroad was coming through, the line was located to the northwest of the post office. James M. Hiatt gave land to create a town. The post office moved to that land, which was about a mile north of the Pawnee Post Office. The town was named Hiattville after Mr. Hiatt and the post office was renamed accordingly. Thus, on April 2, 1872, Hiattville was born.

It was a time when the railroad was busy, plenty of land was for sale, and people were moving into the area. Thus, Hiattville was poised for growth. By 1880, Hiattville had a population of 35. However, it soon grew to 75. By that time, the town’s business district included: two general stores, a blacksmith, a wagon maker, and a dealer in lumber and agricultural implements.

A Thousand Memories tells more about my family that lived in Hiattville.

Significant Hiattville Fires

Fire of 1886

Early on Tuesday October 5, 1886, a fire started in the harness shop in Hiattville. Within the hour the harness shop, butcher shop, and two dwellings were nothing more than ashes. Fortunately, the townspeople were able to get the fire under control before it spread further. Had the wind been stronger or the people hadn’t gotten the fire under control when they did, it is feared that other buildings of greater value would have burned. Some speculated that the entire town might have been destroyed.

Still, it was a hardship for the owners of those buildings as none of them carried insurance.

Fire of 1889

On February 6, 1889, a fire broke out in the general merchandise store in town. The store, which was called Grange store was managed and possibly owned by W. H. Deesler. The store was already beyond being salvaged when the fire was discovered at 11:30 p.m.

Seeing that the store could not be saved, the people in town went to work trying to protect other nearby buildings from the fire. They were mostly successful. Only a nearby corn crib and hay mow or stable owned by Mr. Thomas were also destroyed by the fire.

Mr. Deesler, who had been in Fort Scott, arrived on the midnight train to see his store in flames. Only $150 insurance was carried on the building. Arson was suspected as the lock was found afterward unlocked and no fire had been lit in the store that day.

This was not the first case of arson in the area. In 1878, fire destroyed the D. D. Rall home 1.5 miles south of Hiattville with nothing saved. That early fire was also believed to be arson.

Fire of 1894

Early on the morning of November 16, 1894, a fire started in the rear part of A. W. Fellows Drug Store, possibly from a stove. An engineer on a train coming through town spotted the fire between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. At that point, the fire was already consuming the drug store building, which was owned by O. L. Settles of Ft. Scott.

Upon the alert of a fire, the citizens of town, which numbered approximately 500, formed bucket brigades to fight the fire. However, they were greatly challenged as the wind was high and pushing the embers toward other businesses, which were mostly frame structures.

Besides the drug store, the fire went on to consume R. M. Wallace’s livery barn and Robert Pool’s residence. Then the fire jumped the road and burnt R.T. Williams’ lumber yard, implement sheds, and 1,000 bushels of grain. The citizens of the town worked tirelessly to save R. M. Wallace’s store and R. T. William’s hardware store. To this end, they were successful.

The Losses

The drug store was a complete loss with the loss estimated at $3,500 split between O.L. Settles and A.W. Fellows. O.L. Settles lost not only money, but also opportunity. He had left his position in Ft. Scott and was in the process of getting full control of his Hiattville property. His plan was to trade his Hiattville property for a drug store in Kansas City, Kansas. As such, he had allowed his insurance to lapse only fifteen days earlier. Now, he was out of a job and had no property to trade for the Kansas City drug store.

R. M. Wallace had 2,000 bushels of oats destroyed along with the barn. His loss was estimated at $1,100. Additionally, a man from Ft. Scott had his team and medicine wagon in the barn at the time of the fire. He succeeded in saving the horses, but his wagon was destroyed and in the effort, he received burns on his face and hands.

The other losses included the Pool residence, which was valued at $650, and the lumber yard and sheds, which was estimated to be a loss of between $1,500 and $2,000.

Fire of 1905

State of the Town

Over the years, people and businesses come and went. For instance, one newspaper had come and gone. Likewise, my Great-grandpa Peelle had owned a carpentry shop in town, but sold out and moved to a farm west of town only a few months before the 1894 fire. Read A Carpenter and a Farmer to learn more about the Peelle family in Hiattville.

However, Hiattville had generally grown. Around the turn of the century, the small town had three general stores, two blacksmith shops, a livery, shoemaker, hotel, cheese factory, grain elevator, a hardware store, a restaurant, an insurance agent, a railroad depot, and three doctors. Other businesses of the era completed the business district. And, by 1905, Hiattville was becoming quite progressive having formed the Hiattville Mutual Telephone Company.

Tragedy Strikes

Unfortunately, the town suffered a tragic fire on March 1, 1905, which destroyed several of the businesses. Charles Yager left his drug store around 10:00 p.m. The fire started in the store around 10:30 p.m. It was thought that perhaps some oils or chemicals exploded causing the fire.

Fire Detected

When the fire was detected, the entire roof of Yager’s Drug Store, which also included a soda fountain, was on fire. It was impossible to save anything in the store. Mr. Yager’s loss was estimated at $4,000 with insurance covering $2,000 of the loss.

High wind spread the fire quickly through the small town. Next to burn was Mr. Newton’s barber shop. Reports on what was saved varied with one saying nothing was saved and another saying he was able to save all the contents except a large mirror. His loss was set at $500. He was insured.

Not Under Control

Still, not under control, the fire wiped out A.M. Routh’s mercantile, which also included the post office. The upper floor of the building was a hall that was used for meetings by all the lodges. They were able to save the first class mail, Mr. Routh’s books, typewriter, several hundred dollars worth of goods, and his uncle, who was sleeping. inside. The furniture, second class mail, and most of the stock were destroyed by the fire. Additionally, everything in the upper level was burnt.

A.M. Routh had $4,400 insurance on the stock with one company and had additional insurance with other companies on the stock and building. His loss before insurance was estimated at $10,000 for the stock and $2,000 for the building.

The fire then headed to E. E. McCord’s blacksmith shop. He was able to save only a few of his tools. The building was only estimated to be worth $150. However, the tools and machines destroyed were valued at $2,000. He carried no insurance.

Still More Losses

The citizens of the town, who were joined by people of the surrounding countryside that saw the glow of the fire, fought tirelessly to put out the fires started by embers that flew quickly in the brisk wind. However, they were not able to save W. H. Routh’s flour mill. The only thing saved was between one-half and two-thirds of a pile of corn and that corn had been damaged by the fire. The loss from the flour mill was estimated at $2,000 and the facility was only insured for a small amount.

Ed Hall also lost his business. For him, this was the second time his livery stable had been burnt out. The first was in Pawnee (Anna). He would encounter fire again in Redfield the following year and just escape another fire in Bronson later on. In this fire, he lost the building and hay, but was able to save his horses and buggies. His loss was $700. Since the insurance company had refused to pay when he had the fire in Pawnee, he had become wary of insurance and had none on his livery in Hiattville.

The last business to burn was the Arlington Hotel, which was owned by George Howell. The hotel had twenty furnished rooms. The people of the town had time to get the furniture out of the hotel. However, they erroneously thought that the fire would not reach the hotel. Thus, they had not removed the furniture. The loss was estimated at $2,000 for the furniture and $2,500 for the building with only a small amount of insurance.

Saved

The townspeople finally started to get the fire under control around midnight. By then, the town had lost seven businesses. They had managed to save the nearby homes of Dr. Clark, Charles Gray, and F. J. Showalter. To save the homes men got on the roof and used water handed up to them to put out fires as soon as the embers landed. On Dr. Clark’s house there were so many embers and the heat was so intense that Clayton McClelland had to cover himself with a wet blanket to keep fighting the fire.

The citizens of the community were also able to save John Lander’s barn. A ton and a half of hay burned only two feet away, but they kept the barn from burning. Likewise, they saved Scott Wilson’s mill and the section building. Despite being a quarter of a mile away, an ember had ignited them. Fortunately, the fire was seen before serious damage occurred.

The Prediction

This was the third time in fifteen years a building had burned on the corner where Routh’s store had sat. Oddly, it was claimed that eighteen years prior (1887) a medium had gone into a trance and predicted that three buildings would burn on that corner. She also predicted that after the third fire, no more fires would happen on that particular lot for the next 100 years. Since there had been three fires, speculation was that it was safe to build on that lot and that the owner wouldn’t even need to waste their money on fire insurance.

Recovery/ The Aftermath

Mr. Yager apparently reconsidered and decided to stay in Hiattville. This AD is from 1908.

After the fire, John Hartnett reported on the decrease in taxable property in the township. However, the townsfolk rallied, and many found ways to keep their businesses open. A. M. Routh, used his “old” building temporarily while he built a new store. It is unknown if he believed the prediction of the medium or not, but he did rebuild on the same lot. Mr. Newton’s solution was to move his barber shop into his home.

Not everyone, however, decided to stay in Hiattville. For instance, E.E. McCord moved his blacksmith shop to Pawnee (Anna). And, Mr. Yager was considering going back to Kansas City despite not having property to trade.

However, new businesses sprung up. Bertha Wallace and Mrs. J. C. Landers noticed that since the fire, no hats were available for sale in Hiattville. Thus, they decided the town needed a new millinery store. So, they headed to Ft. Scott to purchase stock for a new store.

1906 Fire

On October 18, 1906, Mr. Aidlock/Aldlot’s family was wakened by unusual howling and actions of their dog. When looking to see what the problem was, they discovered fire in the eaves of the Christian Church next door. Unfortunately, they didn’t have a ladder high enough to reach the eaves.

Soon, however, people arrived with ladders, but it was too late. An ember had gone down the cupala (small structure on top of the building) and the building was engulfed in flames. Mr. Aidlock’s blacksmith shop also caught fire and could not be saved despite heroic efforts of the townspeople.

Despite the losses, the town was fortunate that the wind was from the west and was light. Thus, no embers reached any other buildings. People speculated that if the wind was stronger or blowing from a different direction that the loss would have been much greater.

A. M. Routh owned the church. It had not been used in that capacity for several years. However, it had been used recently as a town hall. The building was not insured and was not rebuilt. Two years later, Mr. Thompson of the Hiattville State Bank built a new home on the property.

Mr. Aidlock’s loss was $1,500, but it was fully insured.

Fire of 1910

The previous fires had stopped the growth of Hiattville. By 1910, although it still had stores, a blacksmith shop, post office, and more, the number of businesses in town had dropped. Likewise, the population had fell to 250.

Strode Brothers General Store

On February 23, 1910 about 10:45 p.m. fire was discovered in the wareroom (store room) of Strode Brothers General Store. The exact circumstances of the discovery vary.

Two Versions of The Story

The Hiattville News, in their very last issue ever printed, indicating that C. W. Strode was at the store. He had just recently checked the store over and all appeared to be well when he heard an odd sound. He thought it was someone at the front door, but alas it was fire in the wareroom.

On the other hand, the Fort Scott Tribune and Fort Scott Monitor reported that Mrs. Strode discovered the fire. Her husband and two other men were in the main store, but hadn’t smelled the fire. When Mr. Strode went to the wareroom and opened the door, the flames were right upon him.

Fighting the Fire

They immediately sent the fire alert and worked to save the post office items. They were successful in that endeavor. However, they lost most of their stock and the building. The building was estimated to be worth $2,000 and the stock worth $12,000. Mr. Routh owned the building and had $1,000 in insurance. The stock loss fell upon the Strode Brothers who were insured for half of the loss.

As soon as it was clear that the Strode store could not be saved, the people of the town turned their attention to saving Lander’s General Store and the lumber yard. With lots of hard work, they were successful.

This store was built around 1912. It continued to be a grocery for many years to come.

The origin of the fire seemed to be a mystery. The wareroom did contain a heat stove, which was lit at the time. It was to keep a large inventory of potatoes from freezing. However, the fire appeared to originate at the north end of the room and the stove was at the south end of the room.

Despite the significant loss, Mr. Strode, who had been doing a lot of business in the area, immediately began considering rebuilding a bigger and better store.

1911 Fires

Johnson & Cordts’ Homes

On June 13, 1911, Mrs. Lem Johnson, who lived near Hiattville saw flames at her neighbor Henry Cordts’ house. She headed to their house to alert them. When she looked back toward her own house, it was also on fire. The Cordts family was not home to help and both homes were a total loss.

One must suspect arson although it is possible that something caught on fire at the neighbor’s house and an ember landed on her own. Yet the fact that a large barn near the two houses has burnt only four weeks prior raised more concern. The barn fire burnt the building, grain, hay, a colt, and a mare.

Mosley Home

The very next day (June 14, 1911), the O. J. Mosley home in Hiattville was completely destroyed. The story was that a roomer dropped a lighted match and the house caught on fire. However, it seemed that people questioned that story.

The fire destroyed the home, but the goods on the main level were saved. Everything on the upper level was destroyed. The loss was estimated at $600 for the house and $300 for the goods.

1913 Fires

Livery Barn & More

Around 10:30 p.m. March 31, 1913, members of the band were on their way home after practicing at the school. They noticed flames at John Fox’s Livery Stable. As they formed a bucket brigade, they tried to get the horses out. However, the fire was too big to allow them to safely go very far into the building.

Soon, people from all over town arrived and joined the bucket brigade. However, the fire was too big to quickly get under control. The entire building and all of its contents were destroyed. They were only able to save two of the eight horses that were inside. The loss was estimated at $2000 with only $800 covered by insurance.

The home of Pat Kelly, who was the rural mail carrier, burnt next. Fortunately, the townspeople were able to get most moveable items out of the house. Mr. Kelly carried insurance to cover his $800 loss.

The Wareroom

Next in the path of the fire was Wallace’s wareroom. In this case, it seems to be a storage building that wasn’t attached to the store. It contained oils and gasoline, which were stock for his store that he kept separate, fortunately, from the store. Knowing what was in the building and that the hardware store was only a few feet away, the town put up a mighty fight to beat down the fire before the oils and gasoline caused it to explode and become even bigger.

They kept the fire away as long as they could. The fire did eventually make its way to the wareroom. Explosions did occur, but the effort had helped contain the fire enough that the explosions were much smaller than feared. This was the last gasp for the fire and the people of the town were able to save Wallace’s Hardware Store. His loss was estimated at only $100.

How the fire started was a mystery. It was determined to have started in the northwest corner of the livery barn. However, nothing stored there was thought to have possibly started a fire.

Hotel Fire

Between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. on August 2, 1913, fire was discovered in Charles Yager’s Hiattville Hotel. Fortunately, the fire was discovered before the fire got too large. The people of the town got the fire out in a few minutes. However, the building still received substantial damage. Had the fire gotten any larger before it was discovered, the building would have been a total loss.

The fire appeared to have started in a closet that contained “bed clothing.” Among the items were a number that contained feathers. The only guess at what occurred was that maybe the large number of feathers in a small stuffy space led to spontaneous combustion.

1932 Fires

Routh’s Garage

On March 10, 1932 about 10 a.m. fire was discovered in I.T. Routh’s garage. The townspeople were able to get the car stored inside out. However, the building and most of the tools and other items stored inside were destroyed. Additionally, while trying to save the garage, Mr. Routh received burns on his hands and face. They were described as painful, but not serious.

Once it was clear that the garage could not be saved, the focus shifted to the nearby lumberyard. It was feared that the intense heat combined with flying embers would catch one of the buildings or the lumber on fire. Fortunately, the townspeople’s hard work paid off and the lumberyard was saved.

Lumber Yard and More

On March 31, around 3 a.m. Mrs. Henry Baker woke up and saw the glow of a fire lighting up her bedroom. She quickly woke her husband and he alerted others in town. By the time they arrived at the scene of the fire, I.E. Morrison’s lumberyard, sheds, and lumber were all ablaze. There was little they could do to save the business.

Williams’ Property

Seeing that the Earl WIlliams’ place, currently occupied by the H. J. Lundberg family, was in the path of the fire, men rushed to alert them. The family was asleep and had no idea that a fire was burning so close by.

The townspeople managed to save the home by watering it down. However, the coal house, chicken house, and garage at the back of the Williams property were destroyed. Mr. Lundberg lost 53 chickens in the incident. Burr Armstrong had a bigger loss as his brand new Plymouth coupe was parked in the garage that burnt. It was a total loss as were the other items stored inside.

Williams’ building, which had previously housed Williams Hardware Store but was currently unoccupied, also caught fire. It had recently been rented, but luckily nothing had yet been moved into the building. Fortunately, the townspeople were able to contain the fire to the back of the building. Although the building sustained substantial damage, it was not completely destroyed. By the time the fire was done growing, the fire had covered about a half a city block.

When & How

The exact time and location the fire started was unknown. Several Hiattville men had returned from Ft. Scott about 12:15 a.m. They had passed right by the lumberyard on the way to their homes. None of them had seen anything suspicious or smelled smoke at that time. Thus, it was believed that the fire must have started after they reached their homes.

Furthermore, it was believed to have started at the western edge of the burn area. Wind out of the west was believed to have propelled it eastward causing it to grow in size.

The damage was estimated to be between $15,000 and $20,000.

1954 School Fire

In 1954, William Koppa, the custodian of the Hiattville School, built a fire at the school. As he headed home, he happened to look back and saw sparks on the roof, which started two fires. However, he had no ladder that reached the roof. So, he needed help.

By now, the town could alert people of a fire via telephone, which is what he did. People nearby soon arrived at the school with pails and ladders. They formed a bucket brigade and saved the school. Only a small area of the roof was damaged and insurance covered the repairs. Had, Mr. Koppa not looked back towards the school, there might have been a very different outcome.

1955 Church Fire

On August 20, 1955, the Methodist Church, which was started Oct 25, 1884 and which had just undergone renovations, was reduced to ashes. It was insured for $5,500 and the church had a $500 improvement fund. At the time of the fire, it was estimated that the new church would cost $12,000.

A new church was built on the site and was dedicated a year later on October 28, 1956. Classrooms and a basement were added in 1967-1968. Services are still held at the church and it has been a gathering place for our family and the community for many years.

Family Fires

The Big House

Peelle Home. Shown: Martha (Johnson) Peelle, Lydia Peelle, Matilda (Jury) Peelle, and Passco Peelle.

In 1894, William J. Peelle, his wife, children, and parents moved to a house west of Hiattville. That house was referred to as “the big house.” Something occurred related to mortgages, which resulted in the family moving back to their earlier home north of Hiattville.

The Davis family then began moving into “the big house.” They moved most of their furnishings into the house, but were still waiting for the last load that had gotten stuck in the mud. Ruth Alley, whose husband was the foreman and who was good friends with the family was doing laundry when the house caught fire from the kerosene powered washer.

Again, the Peelle family lucked out, as they moved before the house burnt. The Davis family was not so lucky.

Later, Mount Hope School would be moved to the property and located near the ruins of “the big house.” Don and Kay (McCracken) Davis and family would live in the school turned house for many years.

The Homeplace

In 1993, Dewey and Jackie (Corfman) McCracken’s house, also known as “the homeplace,” caught on fire. They caught it early and on instinct called Dad. (I think before calling the fire department.) He didn’t know anything except that they had a fire. When he got there, he could see smoke coming out from under the eaves. They had thought the fire was in the chimney, but Dad realized it was in the attic. By the time the fire department arrived, Dad had the fire under control. They were fortunate. The damage to the house was repairable and most of the contents were salvageable.

tidbits about Other Fires Around Hiattville

A prairie fire on Charles Warren’s destroyed 10 acres of hay.
In late October 1876, a freight train started a prairie fire near Hiattville. Mr. Rall lost hedge and rail fences. Teachers and students had to fight to keep the fire away from Mt. Hope School.
Mar 2, 1914 at 7:30, Sam Henning, who lived 4 miles north of town lost his house. The only contents saved were those in one room. His daughter was baking bread and the fire was really hot. She went to the kitchen to check on the bread and the roof was on fire. They were getting ready to retire for the evening and lost most of their clothing and their shoes. Mrs. Henning was ill and had to be carried out on a stretcher. They thought the fire was from a defective flue.
In 1922, Lon Crays’ home caught on fire while the family was at Sunday School. Almost everything burnt that was in or near the house. The house and barn were owned by Curt Deering.
On July 13, 1910, Mrs. Chambers was home alone when she suddenly realized the roof of her house was on fire. The family’s six-room home two miles west of Hiattville was a complete loss. Very little furniture was saved as Mrs. Chambers could only get out items that she could carry by herself. The loss was $2000 with only $800 insurance.

Hiattville Today

Today, Hiattville is only a bit more than a ghost town. The Methodist Church is still in use, but the businesses are all gone. Even the railroad tracks have been removed. Quality of roads, automobile travel, and other mechanical and technological advances helped kill small towns like Hiattville. Still,the fires contributed significantly to the decline of the town.

Afterward

As I was finishing this article, I found another articles about fires at Hiattville. That article is titled “The Fiery History of Hiattville” and was authored by a K-State student. (Download the pdf)

Featured Image: Hiattville map showing land ownership. Pink – Passco Peelle; Green – William J. Peelle; Blue – Walter Jury; Turquise – Wilburt Jury; Lavender – Early hotel and likely where Thomas Harnett lived given they ran a hotel; Orange – Grocery store. Map Source: Historic Reflections of Bourbon County, Kansas.

Prompt: Fire

#52ancestors52weeks

The Deadly Voyage

Posted on October 12, 2025October 12, 2025 by FHadmin

In 1698, Thomas and Grace Pearson decided to move their family to America. It was a decision that would turn deadly.

Extwistle Hall. By Mark Belshaw, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14280884. Ruins of this building still exists. Zooming in with Google Maps shows the building’s large footprint.

Life In England

On April 24, 1679, Thomas Pearson, a linen draper (fabric merchant), of Keighley, Yorkshire, England married Grace Veepon. The couple married in a quiet Quaker ceremony at the home of her parents John and Elizabeth Veepon in Briercliffe, Lancashire, England (marked in pink on map). Assuming they lived in the same home as they did in 1662, it was quite large, having five hearths. It was one of three homes of this size. The only house that was larger was Extwistle Hall. It had 11 hearths.

Grace’s parents, James Veepon, and Edward Veepon were all in attendance. However, according to the records of the Marsden Monthly Meeting no one with the Pearson name is listed among the attendees. Keighley was some distance away, but it wasn’t so far as to prohibit any travel. It likely was a matter of his family not belonging to the Society of Friends.

After their marriage, Thomas and Grace settled into their home in Keighley, but continued their association with the Marsden Monthly Meeting. In the coming years, Thomas and Grace would have three daughters: Grace, Elizabeth, and Sarah. Grace was born on May 31 of the year following their marriage. Elizabeth came along two years later on March 25, 1682. And, finally Sarah on October 15 1684. Their three daughters’ births were all registered in Keighley.

America Bound

Certificate of Removal

On August 20, 1698, Thomas Pearson informed the Marsden Monthly Meeting that he intended to remove his family to Pennsylvania, America. The reason for the move was not directly stated. However, the family was going on the journey with other members of the Society of Friends. The Lancaster Meeting had chartered the Britannia to take Quakers to America. Many friends from surrounding meetings joined the voyage.

Lancashire County, England with places of interest marked. Source: **Lancaster University Library**. Lancashire… from Cary’s New and Correct English Atlas, 1789 by John Cary, London, 1789. **Creative Commons 4.0**

It is likely that the Quakers were moving to America to gain religious freedom. Although some leniency in religion had been allowed more recently, Quakers were still required to take oaths and pay tithes to which they objected. It is not known if Thomas had simply paid the tithes or objected like many others who attended the Marsden Meeting. However, it is likely that he had objected and been punished as this was the case for his father-in-law John Veepon.

John Veepon’s Persecution

Prior to Thomas and Grace’s decision to make America their new home, John had spent considerable time in prison. His crime was refusing to pay tithes and to take oaths as they were against his beliefs as a member of the Society of Friends. In 1676, John had a piece of kersey (coarse wool cloth) taken from him for payment of tithes. It was valued at one pound and 10 shillings.

By 1682, the Church of England had strengthened their penalties for non-payment of tithes. That year ten individuals, including John Vipon were prosecuted in the Ecclesiastical Court of Tithes. They were prosecuted based on suite brought by Edmund Ashton of Whalley (marked with light green on map). Mr. Ashton was described as an impropriator, a layperson who possesses church property. They were excommunicated from the Church of England and received an “excommunicatus capiendus,” which required them to be arrested and imprisoned until they made amends with the church.

It is unclear how long they served, but they were out of prison by the fall of 1684, as on September 1 of that year, John and eight others from the Marsden Meeting were back in court at the request of Edmund Ashton. Upon refusal to take the oath, which they did not believe in, they were again committed as prisoners. They were imprisoned at Lancaster Castle until August 23, 1686 when released by proclamation of King James II.

Just over a year later, John and 18 others from the Marsden Meeting were back in Court again at Mr. Ashton’s request. On October 4, 1687, they were in the Bishop’s Court at Chester. Again they refused to take the oath and they were imprisoned. They were held until August 22, 1688 when King James II again freed them.

John had a slight reprieve. Then on April 28, 1691, John and 31 friends from the Marsden and Rosedale meetings were imprisoned. Six of them died “for their testimony”. I am not sure, but this wording implies to me that they might have received this as their sentence. In June 1695, King William granted John and the other prisoners a general pardon. They were finally released after serving four years.

The only question this raises in my mind is, “Why didn’t Thomas take Grace’s father with them to America?”

Marsden Meeting record .of certificate for Thomas Pearson and family

Preparations to Set Sail

Thomas got his affairs in order for the move. I am not sure if he owned property, but being a merchant, it is likely that he had property – land, home, or furnishings to dispose of before the journey to America. During the months that Thomas and family were preparing for the move, the Marsden Meeting investigated, as they always did before a person moved from the area to ensure they were in good standing and that all debts had been paid. They found the family to be in good standing. On February 16, 1699, the meeting provided the family a certificate that they could present to their future Quaker meeting in America.

The family traveled to the port at Liverpool (marked in green on the map), taking whatever goods that they intended to take to America. On April 16, 1699, they began loading goods that were being transported to America for commercial purposes on board the Britannia. Only ten men shipped goods to America, most of them also sailed on the ship. It is not known if Thomas planned to continue as a fabric merchant in America. If he did, then he likely was one of the 10 men shipping this type of goods.

By May 5, the loading of commercial goods was complete. Then, the passengers and their personal goods were loaded on board. Ready to set sail, Richard Nicholls guided the Britannia out of the port at Liverpool. The ship sailed for Cork, Ireland, arriving May 20. In Cork, they obtained provisions before heading out to sea.

At Sea

At the time, it typically took about eight weeks to travel from Liverpool to Philadelphia. However, the Britannia was significantly slower in crossing the Atlantic, taking approximately 13-14 weeks to make the journey. The ship wasn’t the fastest available and they had likely encountered winds that were unfavorable to swift travel.

Additionally, the ship appeared to be overloaded with both passengers and goods. The ship’s capacity was 140 passengers. However, 145 people have been identified as sailing on the ship and this is not considered a full list. It is believed that over 200 people may have been on board.

Thus, before they reached Philadelphia, the provisions on board ran low. This was especially challenging because it was very hot and dry during their journey. One man wrote home that the passengers were very thirsty and that the ship did not have enough water and beer. Even if they prepared for a delay in the travel, it is unlikely that they would have brought on board enough liquid for such a long journey.

The Sick Ship

During the journey illness raged on the ship. It is unclear exactly what ran rampant through the ship. Some people reported it to be smallpox. Others said that people had fever, dysentery, and jaundice. However, records indicate that it was likely Typhus, which was also known as “Ship Fever.” Typhus was highly infectious and was common in that era on crowded immigrant ships. Poor sanitation was a major contributor to the disease, which was transmitted by lice.

The illness was definitely severe and it was reported by those traveling that over 50 people died before the ship docked in America. The group most greatly impacted were the men, followed by women. Children and young adults were the least affected.

Thomas Pearson was among the men who perished on board the Britannia.

Arrived

Once in America, the Britannia stopped at a couple of ports (maybe more) to allow passengers to disembark before reaching its final destination. The ship finally reached Philadelphia on August 24, 1699.

More Illness and Death

Many of the passengers arrived sick and weak. Unfortunately, arrival on land did not mean the end of illness and death. Twenty more passengers succumbed, including Grace Pearson. Grace died on September 14, 1699, three weeks after their arrival.

It is assumed that Grace was ill at the time of arrival. However, a Yellow Fever epidemic was also raging in Philadelphia at the same time. It seemed to rage, then calm, then rage again. It was so bad around the time the Britannia arrived that all business in the city was suspended. Many deaths, however, occurred in September with many among members of the Society of Friends. Thus, the illness that led to Grace’s death could have been contracted on the ship or on the shore.

In total, twenty more people on the Britannia died within weeks of arriving in Philadelphia. When word got back to England about the fate of so many on board the ship, the Quakers in the are recorded “that all Friends who are concerned in transporting people into foreign parts take care not to crowd them together in ships to prejudice their health or endanger their lives.” It is said that no Friends from Lancashire moved to America for some years to come.

Orphan Daughters

Thomas and Grace’s three daughters, ages 19, 17, and just shy of 15 found themselves alone in a strange land, having lost both parents in a matter of weeks. Fortunately, the members of the Society of Friends in Philadelphia and other nearby areas stepped up to care for the sick and assist the widows and children. However, this led to the sisters being split up. Grace, who was nineteen, stayed in Philadelphia and was cared for by the Philadelphia Meeting. Meanwhile, Elizabeth and Sarah were cared for by the Neshaminy/Middletown Meeting in Bucks County. (Note: In this time period, this meeting was called Neshaminy in some records and Middletown in others. F or readability, Middletown will be used herein.)

It is unknown who took in the the three teenage orphans. An Edward Pearson family lived in Bucks County, Pennsylvania at the time. Edward was from Wilmslow, Cheshire, England (blue dot on Lancashire map), some distance away from Thomas and Grace’s previous home. No evidence, however, has been found to indicate that they are related or that they had a hand in caring for the teenager girls.

Settling Thomas’ Estate

Upon learning that Elizabeth and Sarah were in their midst, the Middletown Meeting requested that William Hayhurst, a prominent member of the meeting, arrange for Sarah and Elizabeth to provide their father’s certificate from their prior meeting as soon as practical. They also asked Mr. Hayhurt to send a request to the Philadelphia Meeting to have Thomas Pearson’s estate distributed. This request was likely made in order to obtain funds for Elizabeth and Sarah’s living expenses.

Being the oldest, Grace was responsible for distributing her father’s estate. However, she was a single female and only 19 years of age. Therefore, the Philadelphia meeting assigned David Brentnall to assist her in settling the estate. Before Grace married in May 1700, the Philadelphia Meeting requested that David Brientnall, Anthony Morris, and William Forrest attempt to get Thomas Pearson’s estate settled, if possible, before Grace’s marriage.

One of several entries in the Quaker records regarding Thomas Pearson’s estate.

I have not found anything as to the size of the estate or what it may have included. However, many of the people who came to Pennsylvania in the 1600s had already purchased land before they made the journey across the sea. So, it would not be surprising if he owned property in Pennsylvania. In addition, since he was a fabric merchant, it is possible that he had fabric that he intended to sell. Thomas and his wife also likely brought some personal items that also had to be distributed.

Elizabeth

(March 25, 1682 – August 21, 1743)

On September 4, 1702, Elizabeth Veepon Pearson married John Stackhouse. John was also an Englishman and member of the Society of Friends. He had come to America in 1682 with his uncle and his brother.

It is from Elizabeth and John, that Rod’s family line descends. At the time of their marriage, Elizabeth appears to have been living in Burlington, New Jersey. Meanwhile, John Stackhouse is living in Bucks County, only a few miles away across the Delaware River. Their marriage intentions were presented at the Burlington Monthly Meeting in Burlington, New Jersey. What Elizabeth was doing in New Jersey is unknown. However, since her sister Sarah also lived in Burlington and Elizabeth and John stated their marriage intention in the Burlington Quaker, it suggests that her stay in Burlington was a bit longer term. It is possible that the family they were living with in Bucks County moved to the area.

John Stackhouse and Elizabeth Pearson Marriage Intention

John and Elizabeth settled in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. They were the parents of nine children, including Thomas Stackhouse from whom Rod’s family descends.

Elizabeth died August 21, 1743 at Middletown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. She was 61. Elizabeth is buried at the Middletown Friends Cemetery. John outlived Elizabeth by fourteen years, dying in 1757.

Grace

(May 31, 1680 – April, 1719)

In 1700 Grace and Robert Heatom went the the Quaker approval process to get married, declaring their intention to marry at the Philadelphia Monthly, Meeting. On May 8, 1700, Grace married Robert in Bucks County and it was recorded in Middletown Monthly Meeting records. Robert had also been on the Britannia, having gone to England on business.

In attendance at the wedding were her sisters, Thomas Stackhouse Sr., Thomas Stackhouse Jr. and a large group of other members of the Society of Friends. Elizabeth would later marry Thomas Sr.’s nephew John, who was the brother of Thomas Stackhouse Jr.

Grace and her husband Robert had nine children. However, in 1719, disease struck the family. Grace died in April. Over the coming months, her five youngest children followed her to the great beyond.

Sarah

In 1707, Jonathan Woolston married Sarah Pearson, of Burlington, New Jersey. They had several children.

An interesting note is that Jonathan Woolston’s brother-in-law John Stackhouse was a witness to his will. Based on information found, it seems that Sarah, Elizabeth and their husbands remained close throughout their life.

Lineage

The following chart shows Rod’s relationship to the Pearson, Veepon, and Stackhouse families. It is important to note that the Veepon name is recorded with many different spellings. Some of the spellings found in records are Veepon, Viepon, Vipon, Vipond, and Vipont. Pearson is also recorded as Pierson. Clearly the early generations are quite distant relatives, but are also an important part of his English Quaker ancestry.

Featured image: By WikiImages via pixabay.com

Prompt: Water

#52ancestors52weeks

Buried in the cemetery or not?

Posted on October 3, 2025October 3, 2025 by FHadmin

The cemetery records for Brown Township in Ripley County, Indiana indicate that several members of the Ellis family are buried across the road from the Benham Church Cemetery. But, are they?

The Records

Cemetery Records

Brown Township Tales: The History, Stories and Lore of Brown Township in Ripley County, Indiana includes a list of burials for cemeteries in the county. It contains the following entry:

‘There are some unmarked graves across the road from the Benham Cemetery. They are supposed to be members of the Ellis Family. The farm where they are buried is now known as the Lafe Benham farm. Mr. Roger Ellis’s nickname was “Toddy”. ‘

It also contained the name of the person who had provided the information and then listed Roger with his birth and death dates. Scrawled in cursive next to the entry is that he was buried with his wife and daughter. Thus, sometime between the time the cemetery lists were put together and the time they were scanned for the book, someone had noted that Roger was really in the cemetery with his wife.

Find-A-Grave

This information existed in several other places as well. If I recall correctly, it was also on Find-A-Grave. Records for him on that site were merged at one point with a brief reference to the grave supposedly being across the road.

The gravestone in Benham Church Cemetery does indeed have both his wife Susannah and his name on it. Still, we know that at least at one time, someone believed he was buried across the road.

The Questions

So, where is Roger Ellis buried? If he is buried in the Benham Church Cemetery, why was he believed to have been buried across the road? And, who are the other members of the family that were supposedly buried in the field across the road?

Who was Roger Ellis?

Let’s see if Roger’s life sheds any light on why he might have been buried outside of the cemetery.

Roger Ellis, my 4^th Great-Grandfather, was born July 29, 1782 in Pennsylvania. The exact location is not known; however, speculation is that he was born in Washington County. His parents’ names are also not confirmed. A handwritten note in a record book indicates that his father was Obediah Ellis and a man with that name lived in the general area that Roger lived as a young man. However, no records have been found confirming this man as Roger’s father. And, that name does not appear in the Ellis Bible. Read more about the Mystery of Roger’s parents.

Kentucky

The first record suspected to be of our Roger Ellis is a tax record for Franklin County, Kentucky in 1801. Roger would have only been 19 years old. Then in 1805, he married Susannah Lewis in nearby Shelby County, Kentucky. Susannah was the daughter of Joseph Lewis.

The will of Joseph’s sister Susannah confirms Roger’s nickname as being Toddy. His sister gave Susannah 3 shares of bank stock and stated that she was the daughter of his brother Joseph and wife of Toddy Ellis. I wish all wills were this descriptive.

Indiana

In 1816, Roger and Susannah were living on Six Mile Creek in Shelby County. When Ripley County, Indiana opened land for settlement, Roger purchased land in Brown Township. Soon Roger and Susannah moved their growing family to Indiana.

According to Roger and Susannah’s daughter Mary’s obituary, the family did not stay long due to an uprising of the Native Americans in the general area. I assume they returned to Kentucky. However, they returned the following year, settling in Ripley County at their homestead located at the SW¼ of Section 14, Township 6N, Range 11E.

Roger Ellis Land Patent. Source: Bureau of Land Management – General Land Office Records.

DNA Matches to Roger and Susannah’s Descendants

The table shows the number of DNA matches I have identified to date that appear to be descendants of Roger and Susannah. The chart shows matches to seven children. Two daughters, Susannah and Rebecca, married later in life and never had children. I have not found DNA matches to John, who I believe is a son, but whom I have not easily traced. Additional questions about others related to the family remain.

Number of DNA Matches Identified to date to Roger and Susannah’s descendants. The * indicates our direct ancestors.

The Baptists

Middle Fork of Indian Kentucky Church, was formed around 1820 or 1821 in Ripley County. It was formally chartered in 1821 with eight founding members, one of whom was William Bassett. William was one of the first deacons of the church and was also my 4^th great-grandfather (William Bassett, Sarah (Bassett) Nicholson, Cynthia Ann Nicholson, Rosa Isabel (Ellis) Mccracken Apt, Joseph Andrew McCracken, Joseph Edward McCracken).

In 1826, the church was deeded land described as NE¼ of Section 12, Township 6N, Range 12E. According to current maps and other information, this description appears to be incorrect. The church that replaced it is in the NW¼ of the SE¼ of Section 12, Township 6N, Range 11E.

The church was associated with the Madison Baptist Association and is listed in the minutes of the association in 1826 and 1845. The records for both years include R. Ellis as a member. This is likely Roger as other families mentioned married into his family.

Thus, it implies that Roger was Baptist. This is consistent with other Ellis families with whom he may be associated. At the time that Roger died, W.W. Ellis, who is likely Roger’s son Wesley W. Ellis, was active in the church.

Roger’s wife Susannah died in 1865 and Wesley moved his family to Minnesota within a couple of years. This may have been a significant portion of the church as membership had been decreasing in recent years. The Baptist church disbanded sometime around 1875, give or take a few years.

Brown Township in Ripley County, Indiana. Highlighted RE area shows Roger Ellis’ property. The location of the church and cemetery is also highlighted. Source: David Rumsey Map Collection.

The Methodists

In the late 1800s, the church became the Middle Fork Methodist Episcopal Church. There is a claim that this happened much earlier. It is possible that both the Baptist and Methodist Episcopal churches co-existed at one time.

In 1899, a new church building was constructed. It may be that the Methodist Church was located at a slightly different location. A storage type building is located just south of the cemetery and it seems that location could have been the original location. It could have also have been located on the corner, which is now part of the cemetery.

The Middle Fork Methodist Episcopal Church later became known as Benham Methodist Church. Middle Fork was the name of a settlement that was later changed to Benham. Today, it is Benham United Methodist and is located at 648 E Co Rd 650 S ( Benham Rd), Versailles, Indiana.

The Cemetery

Benham Church Cemetery adjoins the church. The earliest burials in this cemetery pre-date either church with fifteen burials occurring prior to Roger’s death. Thus, we can eliminate the date the cemetery was established as a reason Roger might not be buried in the cemetery.

Since the Baptists started the cemetery and Roger appears to have been active in the Baptist Church, it seems odd that he would not have been buried in the cemetery. However, he could have had a falling out with the church even though his family remained active.

It is also possible that the family did not have money at the time for a cemetery plot. Thus, just across the road was close enough to the cemetery.

Another, possibly more likely scenario, is that other members of the family had already been buried across the road before he died and he was simply buried with family. Yet, it is odd that he would be buried somewhere that does not appear to be his property (more research is needed to confirm this assumption) instead of in the cemetery across the road.

Burials Across The Road

The other question is “Who else is buried in the unmarked graves across the road from the official cemetery?” One possibility is Jeremiah Ellis, who lived for a time with Roger and Susannah. A Jeremiah of that approximate age is listed in the Ellis Bible. If that is him, he is likely a nephew of Roger or Roger’s much younger brother.

It is also possible that Roger and Susannah or one of their older children lost a child and they are buried in that location.

We will likely never know for sure where Roger is buried or who else may be buried in the unmarked graves.

Research Notes

My research for this article included records (ancestry, etc.), web searches, and using two AI tools. It demonstrated the limits of AI and the reason you can only use AI to assist in research and not to replace research. One tool had an extremely weak response with almost no information – not even the information I had found about the church(es) involved.

The other was much more thorough. However, it had a great deal of difficulty with the location. It insisted that the original description of the church property was correct until I pointed out that the sources it provided showed it differently. In addition, it kept thinking the church was across the street from the cemetery, which it is not. And, it thought the cemetery was in a different section than the church. It was very clear using official and unofficial maps that this was not the case.

Featured Image: This is not the Benham United Methodist Church. I could not find an image of the church that was free to use. This image is, however, similar to the actual church. Click here to see Benham United Methodist Church. Image features is from Photorama via pixabay.com.

Prompt: Cemetery

#52ancestors52weeks

The Last Letter

Posted on September 25, 2025September 25, 2025 by FHadmin

My Uncle Howard, who was serving in Italy during WWII, wrote a letter home on April 15, 1945. The family would never hear from him again.

The Letter

Howard’s letter of April 15, 1945 was written on stationary, which was something that wasn’t always available to soldiers in Italy during World War II.

The letter was short as was typical. Howard couldn’t say where he was, where he had been, or anything that was happening. That limited the conversation a great deal. Generally, his letters were about the weather, food, farming, or what was happening back home.

Unlike most letters, this letter seemed to hint that he was going to be in a battle. The mention of “C” rations was one hint. When the men were eating rations instead of meals, it usually meant that they were close to the fighting.

Even more ominous was a short statement nestled in the middle of the letter, which stated, “I may be too busy to write for the next few days so think nothing of it.”

He ends with “I’ll write more next time.” Next time never came.

A Brief Back Story

William (Howard) McCracken was the second oldest son and fourth oldest child of Joseph Andrew “Joe” and Nellie (Peelle) McCracken. He was born February 19, 1919. So, when the United States became involved in World War II, he was of the perfect demographic to serve – a young, unmarried, male.

Howard had, however, initially gotten a deferral because he was working at Solar Aircraft in San Diego. Airplane manufacturing was considered a high priority for the war effort. Thus, they had allowed him to remain at his job. By the time the deferral expired, however, things had changed. He knew that this time he would be required to serve.

Howard was inducted into the Army on October 16, 1943. He did his basic training at Camp Wolters near Ft. Worth, Texas. After basic training, he was given a short leave to go home and visit family. Soon he was on a train headed for the east coast. It was his first stop on his journey overseas. The Army initially sent Howard to North Africa. Shortly after the Allies freed Rome, Howard joined Company “C” of the 350th regiment of the 88th Division (the Blue Devils) as a replacement.

After joining the unit, Howard had endured battles, terrible weather, and sores on his feet. He had also had times of rest and had gotten to enjoy some of the sights Italy had to offer. Now, it appeared that he was preparing for another battle.

April 15, 1945

“The night . . . was partly cloudy and dull, a mist of smoke and dust hung low over the enemy positions, lending a fearful atmosphere for the men quietly awaiting the attack.”[[Danley]

Throughout the day, planes buzzed overhead. Bombs from nearly 1,000 airplanes were dropped on key targets behind enemy lines. Then, “at 2200 hours . . . the front erupted with a flaming roar. Artillery, tanks, tank destroyers and all available weapons poured thousands upon thousands of shells into enemy positions.” Even the kitchen staff manned weapons during the assault. It was one of the most powerful bursts of gunfire that the Germans had ever faced.

Quest for Monterumici Hill

Howard’s company received orders to hold their position near La Valle. Meanwhile, under the cover of darkness, the men of the 350th began their quest of Monterumici Hill, a steep “hill” squeezed between Mt. Adone to the east and Mt. Sole to the west. It was their first major objective of Operation Craftsman, which was intended to break through the mountains north of Florence.

The regiment was supported by an artillery battalion, most of one company of a tank battalion, a platoon of a tank destroyer battalion, and one platoon of a chemical battalion. Immediately to the 350th’s right was the 91st Division, who were assigned to take Mt. Adone and the town of Pianoro. To the regiment’s left was the 349th regiment of the 88th Division. That regiment was to approach Furcoli Ridge.

Four divisions, including some of Germany’s best units in Italy, were in position to fight the 88^th with the 350^th directly facing the 296^th and 297^th regiments of the German 15^th Mountain Division. Howard’s battalion advanced along a trail to La Tombe to create a diversion while the third battalion, followed by the second battalion, came from behind and attacked.

Landmines

No matter what direction they turned, the soldiers approaching Monterumici, Mt. Adone and Furcoli Ridge encountered landmines. Tanks exploded on roads that the engineers thought were clear of mines. So many mines were exploding, that the engineers switched from using mine detectors, which had limited effectiveness, to probing the ground for landmines. They worked ever so slowly across the landscape.

Just when the Americans thought they had figured out a way to find the German mines, they encountered a new German trick. The Germans had placed a group of four to six tellermines 4 to 6 feet underground and had used a long piece of wood to transfer the weight of vehicles to the mines. By clustering the mines deep in the ground, the Germans had hidden the mines from typical detection methods and were able to create a large explosion.

The soldiers came up with a new probing method and again started covering the land inch by inch. Within a few hours, 71 clusters of tellermines were found and one by one the mines were cleared.

Strong Resistance

After crossing the Savena River, the attacking units began to move up the slopes of Monterumici, which was pocked with natural caves and the scars of previous battles. The rough terrain on Monterumici necessitated that the combat teams climb narrow, twisting trails and cross narrow ridges to advance on the enemy.

Before reaching their first objective, the 350th met strong resistance, including mortar and machine gun fire. This caught them a bit off-guard as the Allies had believed the shelling of enemy positions would weaken the enemy at least initially. However, many of the German units had escaped the initial strike essentially unscathed.

The continual bombing missions during the day had alerted the Germans that an attack was likely. Additionally, the Germans observed some of the Allied soldiers moving to new positions, which they believed indicated that an attack was imminent. In anticipation of the barrage, the enemy had scrambled to take cover.

Determined to hold this strategic location, the Germans fought intensely. Casualties ensued. One company was forced into a minefield to escape direct fire and others were forced to take up defensive positions.

Dawn

Not-Fooled

As the day dawned and the sun illuminated the mountain peaks, Monterumici, Monte Adone, and Furcoli Ridge remained in the hands of the German army. The diversionary tactics the 88^th had employed over the past few weeks had not fooled the Germans into concentrating their military strength in other sectors. Although individual German soldiers indicated that until the offensive began they had been completely baffled regarding the location of the Blue Devils, German leaders near Furcoli had guessed correctly that the 88^th Division was assigned to the area after finding a helmet from the division.

Enemy intelligence had deduced based on the helmet that the main effort of the 5^th Army would come in the Monterumici area since they expected the Blue Devils to lead the Fifth Army’s offensive. Therefore, the Kraut commanders had prepared to take a stand against the Blue Devils. Ironically, the helmet had been lost when the 88^th had previously moved through the area – long before the offensive was planned.

Bomb And Go Again

With a heavy concentration of German troops in locations that made it very difficult for the American troops to gain ground, the Fifth Army called in bombers to attack Mt. Adone. The attack resumed. This time the 350^th met less resistance from the Germans and was able to take control of the villages of Di Sotto and La Torre with ease.

Although all of the units met heavy resistance, one of the companies made a serious mistake. They did not do a thorough check of Di Sotto before continuing the advance. After moving forward, the Germans, who had been hiding in cellars, tunnels connecting the villages, and among the rubble of the bombed out village, attacked.

Now, the company was trapped with fire coming from three directions. The company found little cover in the area except booby-trapped foxholes and no escape routes aside from mine fields. Twenty men were killed, forty wounded, and nine had an unknown fate. They weren’t the only unit to be ambushed. Company “A” fell into a similar trap.

With casualties mounting and fears the offensive was bogging down, the Blue Devils modified their plan of attack to address their fierce resistance. The new battle plan called for Howard’s battalion to join with another battalion to take Monterumici. Replacements also arrived to replenish the companies battered by the fighting of the past twenty-four hours.

Howard’s Unit Moves Out

At 2200 hours on April 16, Howard’s unit moved out. Howard’s company (“C”), faced machine gun and other fire as they advanced toward Di Sopra, a tiny village on the high ground that was more rubble than village. The darkness allowed Company “C” to scale the bluffs of Monterumici to secured the village of Di Sopra and the nearby high ground.

Meanwhile, other companies used the cover of darkness to move into position. Company “A” edged their way along a narrow cliff toward Di Sotto. One of the companies of the 349th regiment had to move through a minefield, which forced them to probe for mines and they inched their way across. With dawn upon them, they gave up the effort and retraced their steps out of the minefield, but not without casualties.

Other units made slow or no progress overnight. One battalion pulled back as they didn’t want to be without cover when the sun rose. Likewise, Company “A” had a change in plans when officers determined that a direct attack would require the unit to attack up a 30-degree slope while moving through an exposed vineyard.

The Injury

At the crack of dawn, the men in Howard’s company moved out from their position near the area referred to as Di Sopra to assault the cemetery north of the village. As the men moved forward, the stubborn Germans showed no indication of weakening. Shielded by gravestones and utilizing automatic weapons, the enemy soldiers continually sprayed bullets across the approaches to the cemetery. As the company crossed a narrow ridge, the men were caught in the crossfire with shots coming from the Di Sotto area and the cemetery.

Still under fire, Company “C” cautiously crept toward the cemetery moving slowly through an area laced with anti-personnel mines. Without warning, the charge of a landmine detonated sending a wave of energy upward through the ground and into Howard’s foot.

The Foxhole

Some of the men in Howard’s company helped him to a foxhole near the road to await medics. There they believed he would be less noticeable to the watchful eye of the Germans.

Howard, along with a deluge of other soldiers, were headed to Army hospitals. His likely destination was the 8^th Evacuation Hospital which had been located near Pietremala since the previous winter. The hospital was only a few miles behind the lines and was directly south of Monterumici Hill on Highway 65.

While Howard awaited assistance for his severely injured foot, the other men continued the battle. By mid-morning Monterumici was in the hands of the Allies. However, the day was costly for Company “C” with ten men killed, including their captain, and thirty-one wounded.

The combination of The Blue Devils’ determination and the German’s desperation had made April 17 the day of the most intense fighting of the Spring Campaign.

The Telegram

On Sunday, May 6, 1945, shortly after 10 a.m., the Hiattville postmaster hand-delivered a telegram to the McCracken home. A telegram – hand delivered – on a Sunday morning could not be good news.

Hearts stopped. Each member of the family had their own reaction – sadness, disbelief, and questioning. More than anything the family wanted to know what had happened. Since it didn’t say he was killed, their was hope, but also intense worry.

The Search for Howard

A Hint

The first hint of what happened to Howard came eight days after the telegram arrived. Howard’s sister Ruthe received a letter from Richard Fields, one of Howard’s friends from his outfit. Richard asked Ruthe for Howard’s address so that he could write to Howard while Howard was hospitalized. Hospitalized?

The family only knew what was in the telegram, which said nothing about Howard being injured or hospitalized. It raised the question, “Was Howard injured or missing?”

Ruthe learned that Richard and Howard had both been injured the same day. Richard explained that although his wound had sent him to the hospital for treatment, it hadn’t been serious. He was doing well and would be returning to his unit in a few days. He went on to say that the day after he was injured, he had searched bed by bed through the hospital for Howard. However, he had been unable to locate him. He assumed that Howard had been transferred to another hospital for treatment. He believed Howard’s injury to his foot – Another new piece of information – would require significant time to heal.

Sharing Information

After the family let Richard know that Howard had been identified as Missing In Action (MIA), Richard went to officers in his unit with the information he knew about Howard’s location. A regiment that was not far from Howard’s last known location went looking for any sign of Howard. None was found.

Grandma and Grandpa wrote letters and tried to learn something of Howard’s situation. No one knew anything more. Additionally, none of his personal affects were found. This went on until all avenues were exhausted.

My Research

I researched Howard’s unit’s movements, a small portion which are included herein. Then I had my dad send in a request for Howard’s military records as he was considered a “close relative.” We received a response, but it contained very little information.

I also attended a briefing with Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, which is a government organization that looks for missing service members. They provided me with a file of all the information that they had on Howard directly. Many of the records on soldiers in this era were lost in the fire at the records center in St. Louis in 1973. No significant new information came to light.

The organization requested that one or more of Howard’s siblings do DNA tests in the hopes that they could match their DNA to existing remains or any new remains that were found. Thus, my dad and his brother Don (Kenneth Donald McCracken) did DNA tests for the organization. They later asked me if we had any of Howard’s DNA as an exact match would be even faster and easier to process. Thus, I sent them two envelops that Howard sent home and which were still sealed. Thus, if he licked the seal, his DNA was preserved. No match has been found.

I also gave information on his disappearance to an independent group that looks for missing soldiers. In addition, I shared information on his location with a professor in Bologna who indicated a special interest in WWII. He was going to be searching in that area for artifacts.

Despite these efforts spanning eighty years, not a trace of what happened to Howard has been found!

Howard’s Military Honor Wall Page

Adapted from a draft of my book regarding the McCracken family during WWII.

Prompt: Missing

#52ancestors52weeks

Sleigh Accident

Posted on September 18, 2025September 18, 2025 by FHadmin

Eunity “Euna” was only 23 when she died. A life cut far too short.

Early Life

Eunity was born in 1862 in Logan County, Ohio to Harrison “Hack” and Elizabeth (Martin) Pellett. Eunity was one of two girls in a family with nine children. She was known as Euna or Una. Most likely the nickname was because she shared her given name with her grandmother Eunity (Harrison) Pellett.

In 1867, Eunity’s father went to Kansas as a scout. Soon thereafter, Eunity’s family along with a lot of her extended family, moved to Bourbon County, Kansas with most of them settling in Drywood Township.

Sleigh Accident

On February 24, 1885, Euna went on a sleigh ride with Miss Hays and Mr. Hilburn. The group were headed east on Wall Street near the Tremont House (approximately the front lawn of the Sleep Inn) when the horses suddenly bolted. When the sleigh got to the Gulf House near the railroad, the girls bailed out of or were thrown from the sleigh. Mr. Hilburn continued to attempt to bring the horses under control. He was finally successful in stopping the horses when they reached Harmon’s Grocery Store, which was just west of Barbee Street.

Ms. Hays dislocated her ankle and broke the small bone about 3 inches above the ankle.

Euna had a sprained wrist and a concussion. The doctor was called and he got the two young ladies as comfortable as possible.

Death

Two months after the accident, Euna died.

The logical conclusion was that it was related to the injuries that she had sustained in the accident. However, it appears that she had recovered just fine from her injuries only to be stricken with malaria while visiting her sister Mary (Pellett) Strothers. She died at her sister’s home within a few days of the onset of her symptoms.

She was buried at Clarksburg Cemetery. Oddly, her gravestone has her death occurring 10 years earlier. It must have been an engraving error because her death clearly occurred in 1885.

Featured Image: Modification of OpenClipart-Vectors image via Pixabay.com

Prompt: Animals

#52ancestors52weeks