Wordless Wednesday: Snow in the Mountains

Since we woke up to fresh snow this morning, about two inches worth, I felt this was appropriate. Make sure to stop and think about the monthly measurements listed towards the end of the article. Fairly impressive! 

The Kokomo Fire of 1881

Although the articles can be somewhat difficult to read, they are worth the time. These newspaper clippings describe a fire in the town of Kokomo, Colorado in 1881. How would the population have been affected? Who stayed? Who left? Who lost property, who rebuilt? 

Imagine: "Less than twenty houses remaining."

Lottie's Memoirs: The Store

... This is part three in a series. Please see the initial post for explanation.

The Lee Family at Silver Creek, Nebraska

Lottie Mae Lee Houston

Mrs. Andrew Houston

1964

Page 6, continued.

The Lee store grew from a small, pioneer venture to a large mercantile business covering more than half a block, and including warehouse buildings as well as the general store. It carried dry goods of all kinds, "notions" for sewing, etc., groceries, feed, hay and grain. People bought staples in large quantities as they did not come to town often. The groceries were shipped in from Chicago, mostly, and were in bulk. For example, rice or beans or sugar came in large sacks or boxes. There was a great "cheese block", a round piece of wood as large, almost, as a table, which we kept on a counter by itself, with a large cheese on it, covered by a wire screen to keep the flies off.  A piece would be cut off and weighed for a customer as he wanted it. The cheese itself was covered with a very fine cheesecloth which came around the mold. There were crackers in a large barrel or boxes, (I remember big wooden boxes best), and sometimes when Dad could not get home for a meal on time he sliced off cheese and took some crackers for a quick lunch. He loved crackers and cheese, and I remember that in his old age he still liked them for a snack.

As the farmers prospered they began bringing in grain in big sacks or by wagon loads, to be shipped out. A big scales was installed in front of the store so that loads of grain could be hauled on be horses, and weighed. All grain was then sacked and shipped out in freight cars on the Union Pacific railroad. Later, a grain elevator was built in Silver Creek, by a grain company.

A post office department was added to the store, and our father was appointed postmaster. The business grew, and the store was enlarged by building on, four times in all. Many settlers

Page 7.

had no cash, so Dad gave credit, with the people promising to pay when they sold their crops. Some did pay, probably most of them, but to this day many have not! Our father felt that he was doing something for his country, for humanity and for religion when he could help someone in need. Many times I have heard him say when someone said "Mr. Lee, how can I ever thank you for this?" ------ "Pass it on. Pass it on to somebody else who needs something." He was known as the kindest of men.

With the thriving business it was necessary to employ several clerks -- one being young Thomas Lee, a brother of C.H. Lee and nine years younger. Another was Warren Tolman, son of a fine Baptist family who had moved to a farm east of Silver Creek. Both Thomas and Warren were boys of about 16 when they began at the store, and they kept mattresses under the counter, which they laid out at night to sleep on. This gave the store some protection at night. Also, living quarters were hard to find. (Warren grew up to become a lawyer and to move to Washington State where he finally became a Supreme Court judge, at Olympia, Washington. He visited and was visited by Lottie, daughter of C.H. Lee, in the 1920s, where she lived at Enumclaw, Washington.)

Uncle Tom Lee was bookkeeper for the store for a long time. He worked at a high narrow desk which stood against the wall, and he sat on a high stool. The desk was built like a box on four long legs, and had a sloping hinged lid which let down to form a writing surface. When the lid was closed, the ledgers could be locked inside.

The money was kept in a large safe, and although there was fear of outlaws in the new country, I do not remember that there was ever a robbery. There was always someone at the store. Dad worked there early and late, and as I have said, the boys slept there at night. I can see Dad as he was then, a tall, good looking man in his twenties, always whistling or singing, busy unloading merchandise from railway cars, loading grain, supervising men, checking invoices, replenishing shelves, waiting on customers.

The town gradually added a drug store, blacksmith shops, livery stables, barber shop, saloons, meat market and a weekly newspaper, predecessor of the "Silver Creek Sand", ( I do not remember the name). Our Grandmother Lawrence, while she lived in Silver Creek, helped support herself by writing for this newspaper, which was owned and operated by one man. She was something of a poet, as well as a cap-writer of prose, and was always called upon for vivid descriptions of special news events and for editorials and obituaries. In those days obituaries were very complete and meant a great deal to friends and families, and I remember that many people requested the "Mrs. Lawrence write the life story of someone dear to them.

[Transcribers note: "Grandmother Lawrence" is Sarah Evans Lawrence, mother of Mary J. Lawrence, who is Lottie's mother.]

Grandmother Lawrence later moved to Colorado, where she lived with Uncle Warner and his family. She died there and is buried at Brighton. She had a large family of children. I have been unable to keep up contact with most of these relatives, but in later years have known and valued the families of Aunt Frances Lawrence Brown, and Lula Gregory Ten Broeck. Lula's daughter, Ruth has more information about the branches of the Lawrence family.

...to be continued...

Property map from 1899 listing Mary J. Lee, mother of Lottie.
Also includes Tolman family mentioned by Lottie in her text.
(Source: Ancestry.com)

Sunday's Obituary: John McGowan

"John McGowan, 49-year veteran of The News, dies


John R. McGowan, Sr., a composing room employee for The Birmingham News for almost 50 years and through whose hands some of the century's most important stories passed, died Wednesday. He was 67.
Mr. McGowan retired from The News in 1974 after 49 years of work. Beginning as a printer's devil (an apprentice), he worked his way up to copy cutter, the man who directs the flow of copy from the newsroom to machine operators in the composing room.
A native of Birmingham, he lived at 1237 Princeton Ave. SW. He was a member of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church.
Funeral will be at 9:30am. Friday at the church with burial in Forest Hill, Elmwood Chapel directing. Rosary will be said at 8 tonight at Elmwood Chapel.
Surviving are his wife, Mrs. Georgia F. McGowan; four sons, John R. Jr., James W. and Patrick J. McGowan, Birmingham, and Robert B. McGowan, Georgetown, Ga., and a daughter, Mrs. Mary Frances Creel, Birmingham.
The family suggests any memorials be made to the American Cancer Society."

Born 9 November 1908 in Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama, to Patrick Henry McGowan and Elizabeth McNamara, John was the last of their ten children. He married Mildred Fratoddi in 1931, and lived in Birmingham his entire life. His children lovingly referred to him as "Big John".

Mortimer J. Lawrence

The Lawrence family was essentially split in two, financially speaking. One side had siblings that were farmers, nearly destitute, with several children to each family and visibly struggling. On the other was Uncle Mortimer, or "Mort" and Warren. Together, they owned, operated and edited The Ohio Farmer and other monthly publications.

Mortimer liked to travel, and there are several surviving letters and postcards from his journeys in the family archives today. There did not seem to be any tension between the farmers back in Nebraska and the well to do Uncle, at least none that is obvious from their correspondance. Mortimer especially kept in touch with his niece, Carrie Brown, daughter of Frances (his sister) and Oscar. 

Front Image

Postcard from Brazil

Mortimer James Lawrence was born 8 Dec 1843 in Springfield, Pennsylvania to John Horatio Lawrence, Sr. and Sarah Evans. By the 1860 census, the family was residing in Ohio, and this is where he enlisted for service in the 3rd Ohio Cavalry, Co. B. He was captured and served time as a POW in Andersonville Prison. In 1866, after the war, he attended Bryant & Stratton Commercial College in Oberlin, and spent several years working in the news industry in the Cleveland area. By 1887, he owned a home in Denver, Colorado, which had running water and electricity, and he was the President & Owner of the People's Savings and Deposit Bank.

On June 25, 1888, the Charter was issued to the thirty ninth Shrine Temple, the El Jebel Shrine, in Denver. During their first meeting, Mortimer suggested the name, "El Jebel", meaning "The Mountain" in Arabic.

On 20 Dec 1866, Mortimer married Hellen J. Mattison, of Cleveland, and they had four sons: M. Lyman, George Stone, Mortimer William, and Paul Terry.

Throughout his life, he resided in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Washington D.C., New York, and Florida, and had traveled to Brazil, the Bahamas, Europe, and sailed extensively throughout the Atlantic on his yacht. A few days before his death, his former business associate, W.W. Porter, dreamed of it happening. Mortimer passed away on 30 Nov 1922 in Washington, D.C. 

16,500,000 Eligible for Military Training

From the Record Journal of Douglas County, Castle Rock, Douglas County, Colorado. Friday, October 18, 1940, Page 2. 


16,500,00 Are Eligible, Census Figures Indicate


United States census bureau estimates that 16,500,000 men will be found eligible for military training after the completion of registration of all persons within the age limits fixed by the Burke-Wadsworth act.
Among the states which will contribute the larger number of eligible trainees, according to the bureau's estimate, are: New York, 1,835,000; Pennsylvania, 1,190,000; and Illinois, 1,043,000."

Counting Noses: Getting Ready for the 1940 Census

From the Record Journal of Douglas County, Castle Rock, Douglas County, Colorado. Friday, March 29, 1940, Page 4.


THE CENSUS ENUMERATOR WILL SOON BE COUNTING NOSES OF YOU AND YOURS


"If every family in Douglas County would devote the conversation at one single dinner hour to a discussion of the coming Census of Population, it would be a great convenience to the family, an aid to the community and to the Government," according to C.C. Unfug,  District Supervisor of the Census for this district.

"The Census man is coming to every home in April," said Mr. Unfug, "and some member of each family should be designated by the family to act as spokesman when the Census taker comes, and give all the information required about every household occupant, even including roomeys and hired help who live in the household." According to Mr. Unfug, these are the facts that the Census man will ask for at every household:

House number and street.
Home owned, or rented; home value, if owned; monthly rent if rented.
Live on farm?
Name of every person in household and relationship to head of family; sex, color or race; age last birthday; single, married, widowed or divorced.
Whether attended school or college since March 1, 1940; highest grade completed.
State or Country of birth.
Citizenship if foreign born.
Where did each person live five years ago, that is on April 1, 1935?
To get complete facts of employment and unemployment, each person 14 or over must say whether at work for pay or profit in private industry during March 24-30, this year. If not working for private industry, or non emergency government work, or regular government work, whether working for WPA, NYA, CCC for that week. If neither at work nor assigned to public emergency work, each person must say whether or not he is seeking work; if not seeking work, whether he has a job or business from which he is temporarily away.
Each person not at work or not seeking work must say whether engaged in home housework, in school, unable to work or "other".
All persons employed by private industry or on regular government work are required to give the number of hours worked the week of March 24-30, and those seeking work and those assigned to public emergency work must state the duration of their unemployment in weeks up to March 30, 1940.
Every person at work, either private or emergency, must give present occupation, industry and class of worker. Those without work but seeking work must report on whether they have had previous work experience lasting one month or more and give their last occupation, industry and class of worker. If they have not had previous work experience and are seeking work they will be listed as "new workers".
Information sough on "occupation" above, must include exact nature of duties performed, such as trade, profession or particular kind of work done. Under "industry" above, report kind of factory, store or other business in which duties are performed. Under "class of worker" above, report whether a wage or salary worker in private work; a wage or salary worker in government work (including WPA, CCC, NYA); an employer: working on own account, or an unpaid family worker.
Report the number of weeks worked during 1939 (equivalent, full-time weeks). Report the amount of wages, or salary received (including commissions) during 1939 and whether there was additional income of $59 or more from other sources during the year.
Each twentieth person will be asked the state or county of birth of father and mother; mother tongue; whether a veteran; whether a wife, widow or child under 18 of a veteran; if a child, is the veteran father dead; what war or military service.
Each twentieth person will also be asked whether he or she has a Social Security number, whether or not deductions were paid for Federal Old Age Insurance, or Railroad Retirement in 1939. If deductions were made, were they based on all, one-half, or more, or less than half of wages or salary?
Each twentieth person will be asked his or her "usual" occupation, industry, and class of worker. State as usual occupation that one so regarded, or if not sure, that one at which he has worked in most(?) during the past ten years.
The supplementary Census will also ask each woman who has been married whether married more than once; age at first marriage and number of children.