On This Day in Family History - June 30

I don't have pictures of any of the June 30th birthday folks, but since I took a shortcut yesterday I'm going to backtrack and do one from June 29th... 

Joan Louise Colman Treat died 29 June 2001, age 66

Joanie was the wife of my dad's cousin Jack Treat.

Photo: Joanie and Jack

Jack Treat was my dad's cousin - his father was a brother of my grandmother Christie Thomas.

Photo: John and Mabel Treat, Jack and Joanie Treat, Christie and Bill Thomas

Jack and Joanie had three children -- Terry, Jeff, and Jackie Jo

Here are the most recent pictures I could find of them (thanks to Facebook) -

Terry and wife Wendy

Jeff and wife Carol

Jackie Jo and husband (don't know his first name) Clark

On This Day in Family History - June 29

 Having a fight with my computer today, so I'm gonna take a shortcut and post a new bit of information about one of our Gard ancestors. The Gards married into the Gibson family, and the Gibsons married into the Burford family -- so that's the connection. Here's a picture of Seth Gard and the new information I got about him today --

Wabash County Museum

Jun 15, 2020

4 min

First Settlers of Lick Prairie

Lick Prairie is the smallest precinct in Wabash County but was one of the first settled, at least in its eastern part.  The western parts, near Bonpas Creek were the last to be settled and cleared for farming.  The precinct is named for the salt lick which attracted deer.  The area is still prime deer hunting territory so the lick may still be present.  I could not find anyone who was certain of its location, now or in the past.  There was a lot of swampy ground around the Fordyce Creek (named for Jarius Fordyce) and that area is still known as the Fordyce bottoms.  The base line runs through the precinct.  The base line is a line set by surveyors, running east and west and it is a division between Township 1 North and Township 1 South.  As one moves farther north of the base line the township numbers grow larger and as one moves south of the baseline the township numbers also increase in value.  (Benjamin) Franklin Gard was the first to settle in Fordyce bottoms.  Griffin Prairie is in sections 25 and 26 ad is named for the early settler Ichabod Griffin who came in 1818 and settled on the SE 1/4 of Section 24.  Brush Prairie was small and located in Section 19 and got its name from the brush surrounding it.

Seth Gard was probably the most prominent settler.  He came from Hamilton County, Ohio, the site of Cincinnati.  His father's family were some of the earliest settlers of that county.  Seth brought a family of seven children with him in 1814 and there are many descendants.  His children were Susan who married Jairus/Jarius Fordyce, Ruth who married Ephraim Armstrong, Amelia who married Charles McNair, Benjamin Franklin who married Mary Bratton, Resin who married Sarah Mills, Justus who married first Anna Oman and then Elizabeth Campbell, Anna who married Mr. Eaton, Phebe who married Mr. Compton, Hiram and Joseph.  These last 2 sons were likely born after Seth arrived in Wabash County.  Justus and Resin were identical twins.  Seth Gard was the second representative to the Illinois territory and one of the first judges/commissioners of Edwards County.  He was a minister of the Christian or New Light Church and his family were charter members of the Barney Prairie Christian Church, the oldest existing Christian Church in Illinois.  Seth Gard's land was in the SE 1/4 of Section 28.  This is just south of Nye Chapel and he is buried in the Gard's Point or Nye Chapel Cemetery.  (This church disbanded a few years ago and is now an artist studio.)  In the early 1990s a house stood at the site of Seth's home, built after Seth's time, but was abandoned and torn down by the coal company.  At the rear of the house was a small root cellar made of native sandstone which was most likely from the  Gard homestead.  Also a barn just to the north was from the 19th century.  It is all gone now.  The root cellar may have been built by Gard's nephew Aaron Waggoner who came with him to the territory.  Warroner also had a large family of children.

James Claypool entered the first land in the precinct in the SW 1/4 of Section 4 on August 5, 1814.  This land is between Wabash 12 and Wabash 13 roads and on the upper branch of Fordyce Creek.

December 30, 1814 S. M. Russell and C. Dana entered 480 acres in Section 33.  This land is on the Bonpas Creek just north of Browns and most of it is in Edwards County.  Phillip Hull entered land in the NE 1/4 of section 28 in 1815.  This is on a fairly rolling section just north of Maud.  Mr. Ocheltree settled in the SE 1/4 of Section 21 in 1815.  This section is just north of Phillip Hull's land.  James O. Chetrod entered land in the NE 1/4 of Section 28, also near Phillip Hull.

In 1818 James Black settled on the SW 1/4 of Section 25, northwest of present day Bellmont.  Ephraim Armstrong came from Tennessee in 1819 and settled on the NW 1/4 of Section 30.  This land is near present day St. Sebastian Church.  He came to the vicinity of Timberville in  1816 or 17 before moving to Lick Prairie precinct.  Armstrong had been in the army during the War of 1812 while still in Tennessee.  Armstrong held the office of constable for many years.  His son Thomas became a wealthy farmer in Lick Prairie precinct.  On August 29, 1818 T. Ayeres and P. Mundy entered land in the SE 1/4 of Section 25.

Samuel Mundy, wife and sons Griffith and William came from New York State in 1819.  They went as far as Cincinnati, OH by horse and wagon and then by boat to Illinois.  They first settled on the NW 1/4 of Section 24 and a few years later moved to the S 1/2 of Section 19 where they stayed permanently.  The permanent home was southwest of the current location of St. Sebastian Church.  Mr. Mundy was a member of the legislature at the time the legislature was meeting in Vandalia.  He was elected as Wabash County clerk for several terms.  Lewis Armstrong, brother of Ephraim, settled on the SW 1/4 of Section 19 but did not remain long.

Edward Ulm and his son, William Ulm, a farmer and minister of the Methodist faith, came to Wabash County from Ross County, Ohio in 1820.  William was a boy of only 6 at the time.  Edward was born in Virginia but moved to Ohio before coming to Wabash County.  He is said to have built the first mill in Mt. Carmel, which was a tread mill run by horses and he was also a shoemaker.  His wife Kate Nation was the daughter of a Hessian soldier who voiced his desire to become an American citizen after the battle of Yorktown at the end of the Revolutionary war.

James Wiley came to Lick Prairie from New York in 1820 or 1821.  He was a farmer and raised a family of 5 or 6 children.  Several other early settlers came after 1820, but we will stay with the plan of only describing the settlers of Wabash County arriving before or during 1820.

On This Day in Family History - June 28

 Marcus Elmer Treat was born 28 June 1874

Marcus Treat was my great-grandfather. He was married to Massie Parker Treat.

Marcus and Massie were both born in Ohio, but moved their family to Michigan in 1916. At the time of the move, they had four children - Ray (age 18), John (16), Christie (12), and Madge (9).  (That's why most of the Treat relatives were still in Ohio when I was growing up, except for my grandmother and her sister and brothers.)

Photo: Marcus and his sister Belle Treat Herdman

Marcus and Massie

Mabel and John Treat, Marcus and Massie, Jack (John and Mabel's son)

Ray Treat, John Treat, Marcus Treat

Marcus Treat died 25 March 1954. Massie died 20 April 1956.

They are buried in Arlington Hill Cemetery, Bangor, Van Buren County, Michigan

On This Day in Family History - June 27

 Elisha Forrest Herdman was born 27 June 1862

The Herdman family is only tangentially related to us, by the marriage of Belle Treat -- sister of my great-grandfather Marcus Treat. She married Ulysses Grant Herdman. Aunt Belle died in 1962, so maybe that's where we got so many pictures of the Herdman family. Or maybe my dad got them from someone else when he was working on the Treat family history. (Come to think of it, I don't have any hard-copy pictures of them. Only digital prints from my dad's research...) Well, anyway... 

I've had a heck of a time figuring out all the permutations of the Herdman family -- and I'm still not sure I've got it all straightened out. The census records don't match our family records, nor the FamilySearch records. Well, FamilySearch is not that reliable. (It's like Wikipedia, in that anybody can pretty much put anything they want on the website, with or without official sources.) Census records are not altogether reliable, either, when it comes to specific names -- but pretty good as a head-count, at least. So, after comparing 1) family records and photographs 2) FamilySearch, 3) census records, 4) obituaries... I'm still just making my best guess. 

In the first place, there are two Michael Herdmans. (There are FIVE John Herdmans!) Fortunately, one of the Michael Herdmans had an obituary that I found, so I was able to pretty much verify that the three people in the photo above are his children. The funny thing about it is that Eva (or Eve) does not show up in any of the records except the census. In two different census records the Michael Herdman family children include Elisha and Eve, who are the same age. (Twins, I assume.) But poor little Eva is not mentioned anywhere else. BUT -- here she is in this picture! The obit mentions four children - Sarah Scott, W.I. and E.F., and 'Mrs. Frank Brown' ... well, um... I'mma assume Mrs. Frank Brown is Eva. W.I. is kind of a mystery, because census records list a William, but other records don't, but they do mention an Amos Wesley, who doesn't show up in the censuses! Aarrgghh!

Well, here's the obituary for Michael Herdman -- you can figure it out for yourself:

Michael Herdman, a well known pioneer resident of this county, passed away at his home in Armour, South Dakota, Sunday, April 19th. The remains were brought here for burial and the funeral held from the Pleasant Hill Church Wednesday afternoon. He was born in Ohio in 1829. In 1850 he was married to Miss Hannah Bennett, who preceded him in death August 26, 1887. They came to Boone county in 1851 and made their home here continuously until a few years ago when he went to Armour to make his home with his son, Forest. Four children survive, Mrs Sarah Scott of Linton ND; W.J. and E.F. Herdman of Armour, S.D.; and Mrs Frank Brown of Boone.

[Boone Co Democrat, 24 Apr 1908]

On This Day in Family History - June 26

 James Franklin 'Frank' Carter was born 26 June 1904

Photo: Back - Frank, Lena. Front - George and Larah Carter, baby Etta

Frank Carter was the son of George Thomas Carter and Larah Ann Elizabeth Wilkerson. (I don't know if her name was spelled Larah or Laura. I've seen it both ways.) He had two sisters, Lena and Etta.

Photo: Etta and Lena Carter at family reunion 1983

George Carter was a brother of my great-great-grandmother Adaline Carter Arnold.

Larah Wilkerson Carter died in a tornado in 1938.

Frank Carter married Vesta Springfield 18 February 1935. They were later divorced. Vesta was the daughter of Frank's cousin Parlie Rhoades Springfield. (It's not  specifically stated as the reason for their divorce, but the family records imply that Frank and Vesta were divorced because they were cousins and it was not legal for them to be married.) Vesta later married Joseph C Allen. I don't have any records indicating whether Frank ever married again. There is a child, James Carter, who is Frank's son, buried in Pine Grove Cemetery, where Frank and most of our Carter relatives are buried. That baby only lived one day. He was born in 1938, but he is not listed in Vesta's memorial on FindAGrave, so I don't know for sure whether he is her son, or if he was Frank's son with someone else. I don't know how long Frank and Vesta were married before their divorce.

Frank Carter died 11 Dec 1975, age 71

He is buried in Pine Grove Cemetery, Floral, Independence County, Arkansas

On This Day in Family History - June 25

Malisa Evaline Burns married John Henry Hicks 25 June 1865

Photo: John Henry Hicks and Malisa Evaline Burns Hicks

Malisa Burns and John Henry Hicks were my great-great-grandparents. Their son, Ulysses, was my great-grandfather. Malisa and John Henry had nine children, of which my great-grandfather, Ulysses, was the last. 

Hicks brothers L-R: Ulysses, Felix, Pinkney, David

Photo: Back - Felix Hicks, his wife Ida holding daughter Rosie, Ulysses. 

Front - John Henry, Malisa, David Hicks.

Photo: Front - Malisa Hicks, Nancy Ellen Hicks Sandefur (Malisa's daughter)

Back: Ida Mae and Viola (Nancy Ellen's daughters)

On This Day in Family History - June 24

Elmer Sidney Baker was born 24 June 1910

Photo: Elmer and Agnes Carter Baker

Elmer was the husband of Agnes Earle Carter.

Elmer and Agnes had three children - Melvin Eugene, Harold Wayne, and Roy Glen 

L-R: Melvin, Harold, and Roy Glen Baker

 (These pictures are taken from their FindAGrave website memorials. Melvin died at age 23, and this picture is cropped from a photo of his gravestone.)

*   *   *

Agnes Carter Baker was the daughter of John Martin Carter and Amy Tamsett Carter

John Martin Carter was the brother of my great-great-grandmother Adaline Carter Arnold

Photo: John Martin Carter, Amy Tamsett Carter

Here is another picture of  John and Amy when they were older:

Here is a group picture that includes Agnes Earle Carter and some of her siblings and cousins, with her mother Amy Tamsett Carter, and Annie Hicks and Sylvia Arnold.

Back: Ned Jackson Carter, Ruby Hicks, LaVada Carter

Front L-R: Sylvia Arnold, Eldred Arnold, Birdie Arnold holding Arbon Arnold, Elvin Hicks, Annie Hicks holding Evalee Hicks, Amy Tamsett Carter, Cleffie Hicks behind Eulene Carter, Irene Hicks, Elmer Carter, Agnes Carter, Ollie Carter.

(All the Arnold kids are Birdie's, the Hicks kids are Annie's, the Carter kids are Amy's. 

Annie was my great-grandmother, Birdie was her sister-in-law, Amy was Annie's aunt.)

On This Day in Family History - June 23

I don't have pictures of any of the people on my birthday/anniversary/memorial list for today, so I'm going to do something different. 

I've recently discovered this guy on Instagram who posts videos about Southern things. He is from Laurel, Mississippi. His name is Landon Bryant -- he's actually an art teacher in a magnet school in Laurel. His Instagram account is "landontalks" and he is on Facebook, too, under his own name. But his funny videos are posted on Instagram.

Well, when I listen to his videos I'm transported right back to my childhood and my grandmother -- Cleffie Hicks Burford. She was from Arkansas, and she (and her siblings) used just about every Southern expression Landon has included in his talks. And whichever ones Grandma didn't use, I heard in southern Alabama from my ex-mother-in-law, Topsy Carrigan.

Photo: Cleffie and Casey, November 1982

Photo: Topsy with Christopher and Casey, December 1982

(I didn't realize I had two pictures of them holding my kids sitting right by the same window in our house in Searcy, Arkansas.)

Somewhere in just about every video Landon uses the expression "mama an'em" (and them), which is one of my favorites -- more often heard in Alabama than when I lived in Arkansas. 

Here are some examples -- taken from a couple of his videos:

HOW SOUTHERN FOLKS SAY "TIRED"

wore slap out

have to get better to die

under the doctor

petered out

worn to a frazzle

had to take to the bed

have a spell

sinking spell

puny

peaked (that's two syllables: peak-ed)

dog tired

stove up (tired and sore, or stiff and sore)

petered out

stick a fork in me, I'm done

pooped

give out

plum give out

tuckered out

running on empty

running on fumes and co'cola

tired as all get out

under the weather

feeling poorly

STARTLED EXPRESSIONS

mercy

mercy me

mercy sakes alive

oh my stars

o my stars and garters

dagnabbit

ooh wee

what in the world

for crying out loud

oh forever more

oh my heavens

never in all my days

never in all my born days

I do declare

well I declare

mercy sakes

oh my

dadgummit

what in tarnation

well forevermore

well I never

man alive

if that don't beat all

great day in the morning

oh foot

heavens to betsy

I declare

as I live and breathe

what on gods green earth

man alive

land sakes 

land o' goshen

my lands

great day in the morning

Okay, admit it -- you heard them in Cleffie's voice, didn't you?

On This Day in Family History - 22 June

Beverly Jean Jones was born 22 June 1944

 Beverly was the daughter of Charles and Evalee Hicks Jones. 

Photo: Charles & Evalee Jones, Buck and Beverly

Evalee was a sister of my grandmother Cleffie Hicks Burford.

Photo: Evalee and Cleffie

(That's Buck Jones, Ronnie Burford and Beverly Jones in the background. There might be some other kids hidden in the bushes, too, I don't know. This picture was apparently taken the same day as the one below...)

Photo: Annie Hicks (center), Ronnie Burford (left), Beverly Jones (right)... hidden in the bushes, Buck Jones (left), Wathada and Bobby Burford (right).

[This is the picture I used for the cover of my book "The Woods is Full of 'Em"]

Anyway... back to Beverly...

Beverly Jones married Ted Radde in 1962 and they had four children - Scott, twins Mike and Melanie, and Rick

Photos: Beverly and Ted wedding announcement in the newspaper, Ted Radde

Photos: Scott Radde, Melanie and Mike Radde

This is the only picture I have of Rick Radde (I got it from his Facebook page).