"Writing These Few Lines"

This week's prompt for #52Ancestors is Letters and Diaries

I am not lucky enough to have many letters from relatives. In fact, I have precisely one—a copy of a letter from my second great-grandfather, Alexander Clark, in Iowa to an old friend, C.B. (Charles) Reddie, in Brazil, Indiana. It's unclear how they knew each other—perhaps they arrived in the United States together or knew each other in Scotland. They were both coal miners; based on the letter, they knew each other's families. C.B.’s wife, Isabella Graham, was born in County Fife, as was Alexander, so perhaps that was the connection.

The letter, dated 16 December 1895, was written in Clarkdale, Iowa, and sent to C.B. Reddie of Brazil, Indiana, in response to a letter that C.B. had sent.

“Of course, you will find a great change from your former way of living, but these things must be put up with.”

Something had happened in C.B.'s life that changed it —his wife had died in August 1895  Charles was a new widower. Alexander mentioned that they received the photos that were sent and he noted “You have better stood time well as far as looks go. Well I hope trade is good with you and keeping you going and help to keep your mind from other things.” This seems like something an old friend would say to comfort a grieving widower.

“Work is going slow here. Trade seems at a stand still. No one seems to be using any coal this winter. I think the coal trade is played out in this part of the country. We hardly make as much as clear expenses  but then we will best have to put up with it. I hope for better times.”

Besides working in the coal mines at an early age, Alexander Clark and his family owned a small coal mine in Appanoose County, Iowa. It’s unclear what years they had this mine and how large it was, but they were concerned about the coal industry. A major strike had occurred the previous year, and the effects were still being felt. As a small mine operator, they faced competition from the mines in southern Illinois. Unionization and mechanization were growing, which likely also affected the mine operation.

Then Mr. Clark went on to talk about his family.

“Alex, John & Charles are all dead & gone. George & William are married & live here beside us. George & wife has 2 children, 1 boy & 1 girl. William & wife has 6 children, 1 girl and 5 boys. Grace & Maggie [my great-grandmother] are married & live at WhatCheer. Grace has 1 girl & 2 boys. Maggie 1 girl. James & Isabella are still unmarried & live at home with us. Alex left one boy & he lives with us. He is 13 years of age. John left 5 children 3 boys & 2 girls. They live with their mother in Mystic. Alex was killed in the Pit at WhatCheer. John died of Typhoid fever in Mystic. Charles was killed by lightning standing speaking to his mother in the door about 3 years ago. He was 17 when he died. So you see we have all our little troubles in life. And when death comes we have rest from them all.”

He finishes his family talk with the following:

“I was 61 years old yesterday. I am not able to work very hard now but still I get along very well. Mrs. Clark has got a cold in her back which pains her bad at present but I think it will soon get better again.“

Mrs. Clark lived until 1903, and Alexander Clark lived until 1912.  He closed his letter somewhat pessimistically – or perhaps he was being a realist.

“Wishing you all as Merry a Christmas as it is possible for you to have under the circumstances. There will be a great want this time.”

And he signed off:

I loved reading this letter for so many reasons. First, it’s a genealogical goldmine!! But secondly, this is a man I know very little about. Born out of wedlock, he was in the coal mines at a very early age. He and his family journeyed to the United States, hoping for a better life. He seems to have written this letter very matter-of-factly, and I get the feeling that, regardless of the troubles he’s seen, he is proud to have his family around him. 

 

A Pickard Family Reunion and the Underground Railroad Story

The Pickard family had frequent family reunions. These were the relatives of Henry Pickard and his wife, Eleanor Woody, a Quaker family that had moved from North Carolina to Indiana and finally to Henry County, Iowa. While most reunions were unremarkable, the 1935 Pickard family reunion was a bit different because of a special guest.

The Quakers of Iowa, while opposed to slavery, were divided on what they should do about it. Many felt they should help the fugitive enslaved, while others were against that. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 impacted Henry and Lee Counties as they were in southern Iowa, near the border with Missouri, which remained a slave state until the Civil War. The Act required that enslaved people be returned to their owners, even if caught in a free state. [1] The enslaved knew that the many Quakers in the area would help them as they escaped. This caused friction between enslavers seeking runaway enslaved people and the Quaker families.

 Salem, twenty-five miles from the state line, became a station on the Underground Railroad. The Henderson Llewelling house, the largest house in the area, hid the runaway enslaved via a hidden door in the kitchen. [2] A famous runaway slave case--the Ruel Daggs case, happened around Salem and involved many of the Quaker men. [3]

While it is unclear which side Henry Pickard took in the Quaker discussion regarding slavery, he became personally involved. There are several stories about how this involvement came about. But the most likely is that a father knocked on the door of the Pickard house and asked for help. As he was escaping to Canada, the father felt he could not take care of his sickly six-month-old daughter and asked the Pickards to take her in until he settled in Canada. They did, but the father never returned. [4]

The child was named Mary. She was born about 1857, so her father would have left her with the Pickards about that same year. She stayed with them until early adulthood. At around twenty years of age, Mary started attending the Methodist Church, which included singing. Quakers did not sing in church then, and Henry Pickard disapproved of this. So Mary decided to leave the Pickard home. 

No proof of the incident has come to light. A black child named Mary did not show up in the 1860, 1870, or 1880 census, living with Henry and Mary Pickard (Henry's second wife). Understandably, they may have kept her hidden in 1860, but there would have been no reason to do so after emancipation. Mary is not mentioned in Henry's will. But the story continues to be told.

So, what does this have to do with a family gathering? In 1935, the Pickard family held a reunion, information about which was published in the newspaper. At this reunion, Mary, now Mrs. Mills, attended and "could not speak highly enough" of Henry Pickard and his family. She was described as "a bright, refined nice-looking old-lady, stylishly dressed." Mrs. Mills was "so proud of her connection with the Pickards." [5]

While the newspaper article doesn't prove the story, Mary would have no reason to attend and lie about her association with the Pickards.  This goes to show that you never know what will happen at these annual family reunions. 

___________________________________________

[1] 9 Stat.462, https://govtrackus.s3.amazonaws.com/legislink/pdf/stat/9/STATUTE-9-Pg162.pdf. 

[2] Llewellyn Quaker Museum, Website (http://sites.rootsweb.com/~ialqm/index.htm; accessed 5 July 2022).

[3] Jones, Quakers of Iowa, 189. For the court case, see Daggs, Ruel, Elihu Frazier, George Frazee, and United States District Court. District Court of the United States for the Southern Division of Iowa. Burlington, June term, Ruel Daggs vs. Elihu Frazier, et als., trespass on the case. (Burlington: Printed by Morgan & McKenny, 1850); digital image at https://www.loc.gov/item/54051811/.

[4] Savage, "Fugitive Slaves and Henry Pickard in the Iowa New Garden Meeting," Also see "Quakers helped Slaves fell," Washington (Iowa) Evening Journal, 17 May 2004, p.1 & 9; digital image, Southeast Iowa Digital Archive (seiowa.advantage-preservation.com: accessed 26 May 2022).

[5] "Reunion Held at Donnellson," Fort Madison (Iowa) Evening Democrat, 30 August 1935, p.7, cols. 2-5; digital image, NewspaperArchive (https://www.newspaperarchive.com: accessed 22 May 2022).

Finding Frank

FRANK MARTIN is the last of the Martin line that I have traced and I know very little about him.

BIRTH DATE: Frank was born in November 1824 according to the 1900 census, family members state he was born 4 October 1823. The 1895 Iowa census puts his birthdate at 1829. And the possible arrival record I have for him gives his birthdate as 1826.

BIRTH LOCATION: Passenger list states they came from Hungary. 1895 census states he is Bohemian. 1900 census states he is Austrian. 1905 census does not state place of birth. Son Michael Philip's naturalization papers list Austria as place of birth.

MARRIAGE DATE: Frank was married to Barbara (Cernowski, Chrinstota??) in the "old country". According to the 1900 Census, they were married for 46 years which means their marriage date would be 1854. Family lore says they were engaged for 7 years and were in their 30s when married.

ARRIVAL IN THE US: The 1900 census listed his arrival in the US at 1893. He was obviously here by 1895 as he is listed in the Iowa State Census. A New York Passenger List found in 1893 shows a Franz Martnick age 67, Barbara Martnick, age 56 and Michaly Martnick, age 16 arriving on the S.S. Lahn. I suspect this could be accurate for several reasons.

1. The 1900 census information listed Michael Philip's arrival in 1893.
2. On Michael Philip' naturalization record, he states he was 16 when he arrived.
3. Family lore again says the name was probably Martinek or something similar before it became Martin.
4. Franz and Barbara are the correct ages.
5. Origination is listed as Hungary. Again, family lore says they were Bohemian/Austrian and moved to Hungary.

Some things that are possibly conflicting include:

1. Frank is not noted as Franz in any other records.
2. No mention on this record of their other three sons. Michael is the youngest. The others most likely traveled separately.
3. Family lore states that Frank emigrate to avoid military conscription. At age 67 this was highly unlikely but it might explain why they possibly moved from Austria to Hungary early in their lives. Or perhaps they emigrated to assist Michael Philip in avoiding military conscription?
4. The 1900 census lists their arrival in 1895.

DEATH DATE: Frank is listed in the 1905 Iowa census. There is no record in the 1910 census. There does not appear to be a death record or cemetery record. Frank is not listed in the St. Mary's Cemetery census in Albia which is where the rest of the family members appear to be buried. Is there any possibility that Frank and Barbara went back to the old country?

This is not a family that left many records behind. And at this time they continue to be a mystery.