52Ancestors52Weeks Week 31 Theme: Favorite Name......Reason Rounds Boothby Came to Oregon in 1849

 

Reason Rounds Boothby b. May 15 1812 Brown County Ohio, d. October 30, 1884 Monmouth, Oregon.

    The theme for this week's challenge is...favorite name.  This name is probably the most unusual name I have come across so far in my family tree, and it really is my favorite name.  There is a reason I am writing about Reason Rounds...he happened to be among some of the first settlers in Oregon that came by wagon train following the Oregon Trail in 1849.   That is quite a distinction!

  I loved finding out that I had a relative that participated in a wagon train trek across the country to settle in Oregon.  Growing up I was always fascinated with westward movement and especially traveling by wagon train. I really enjoyed visiting the National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center in Baker City, Oregon a few years ago.  It wasn't too hard to imagine that I was looking at the same scenery that Reason Rounds Boothby saw in 1849. 

Vista from the National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center, Baker City, Oregon

Reason Rounds was born in Brown County, Ohio, May 15, 1812.  He was the older brother of my Great Great Grandfather Josiah Stewart Boothby.  Their father Josiah Boothby married Mary Rounds in Ohio in 1802.  By 1803 Ohio had become the 17th state in the Union  after being partitioned from the Northwest Territory, which was the first frontier of the new United States.  Josiah and Mary had come from York County Maine at a time when many New Englanders were moving westward to open up more land.  Within this wilderness the settlers set aside land for public schools and banned slavery.  Josiah and Mary were a part of this first westward expansion, and settled on Donation Tract land near the Ohio River. 

  Ohio was a pivotal state that marked the beginning of organized settlement in the western frontiers.  The Pioneers by David McCullough is a book I am currently reading that paints a picture of the hardships these settlers endured to carve out civilization in the midst of pure wilderness.  It fits perfectly with this week's theme. 

  Mary Rounds was born in Buxton, York County, Maine in 1784 and died in Ohio in 1824.   Her line goes back with her father Lemuel Rounds born 1756 in Buxton and dying in Hamersville, Ohio (near Cincinnati),  his father Joseph Rounds born 1734 in Buxton, his father Samuel Rounds born 1703 in Boston and dying in Buxton, and his father Mark Rounds born 1660 in Salem,  Massachusetts and dying in Boston, Massachusetts in 1729.  So, the name of Rounds had been a surname from the early part of our country's history, and was handed down as a middle name. I am not able to find what country the Rounds originated from, but it was most likely England. 

  But what about the name Reason?  That name is very unusual.  It may have been a surname at one time down the line, as was Rounds.  It could have been from confusion with the biblical name Rezin, as Rezin and Reason are sometimes interchangeable; Reason or Rezin Pleasant Bowie (brother to Jim Bowie) is an example.  I am really not sure where this name came from, but Reason Rounds is an alliterative name that sounds like it belongs to an adventurer in the 1800's. By the time he was a young man, Reason was ready to keep moving westward.  I found a short biography for Reason in History of the Willamette Valley, Chapter 38 History of Immigration on Ancestry.com.  It succinctly tells the story of his wanderings and eventual move to Oregon. 

Taken from History of the Willamette Valley Himes and Lang 1885.

  I also found another piece of information that told about his journey to Oregon in 1849.  This excerpt is from Christians on the Oregon Trail Churches of Christ and Christian Churches in Early Oregon 1842-1882 by Jerry Rushford 1997:   

"....The other three families of Oregon '49ers were the Brunks, Boothbys and Butlers. Harrison and Emily Brunk and their five children migrated from Troy, Missouri. They settled first near Rickreall but  moved to Eola  in 1856. Emily was a sister to MAC WALLER, and they settled near him in 1856 and became members of the church he established at Eola. REASON ROUNDS BOTHBY had married Mary Ann Waller , sister to Mac Waller and Emily Brunk, in 1834 in Morgan County, Illinois. They moved to Texas in 1845 where Reason joined the Texas Rangers and fought the Indians.  They returned to Illinois in 1848 and finalized plans to accompany the Brunks to Oregon Territory in the migration of 1849."

 

Mary Waller Boothby with her son Reason Thomas Boothby from oregonpioneers.com

  The Boothby's  journey across the plains was probably much like the rest of the pioneers who came before and after them.  This group must have been a hardy bunch, because they survived the trip.  There were no letters, no journals  or anything else that survived to record their particular journey. The Oregon Pioneers website does a great job of documenting what the move might have been like through extensive research and it also has comprehensive lists of  emigrants.  It is a fun site to visit.  

  Reason's brother Josiah Boothby also came to Oregon, but not until 1879 when he settled in Monmouth. By that time the wagon trains had stopped.  Both seemed to be very adventurous in their youth, probably because they had lost their parents at a young age.  Josiah had a similar experience of moving around.  He worked as a cabin boy on the Mississippi River, tried his hand at farming in Kansas and Illinois and then eventually joined the Civil War before moving his family to Oregon where he served in the state legislature, and then raised wheat and cattle in eastern Oregon. By the time Josiah got to Oregon, there were many Boothbys in Oregon. 

  Reason lived to be 72 years old, and died in 1884.  He was buried in Monmouth Oregon.

 

Fircrest Cemetery Monmouth, Oregon

  The story of the Boothby family is deeply embedded within the history of the United States.  It seems like they were always moving, moving, moving, along with the westward expansion of the country.  The story of Reason Rounds is no different.  This story has always been one of my favorite genealogy stories to research. His name is one of my favorites, too!

Relationship Reference:  Me->Dale Boothby->Sterl Boothby->Josiah Thomas Boothby->Josiah Stewart Boothby (younger brother to Reason Rounds Boothby)->Josiah Boothby from Maine 

52Ancestors52Weeks Week 24 Theme Father's Day: Josiah Thomas Boothby Was Fondly Remembered by the Heppner Gazette Times in 1915

Written on the back "Josiah T. Boothby Lexington, Oregon Please return" Photo in my family collection.  

M.S Eastman was working as a photographer in Portland and Cascade Locks (on the Columbia River) beginning in 1891 (historicphotoarchive.com/oregon). 

    Josiah Thomas Boothby was my paternal Great Grandfather.  Growing up I never knew his name or anything about his life.  I knew a great deal about my maternal side of the family but this man and his story was a mystery.  And then I began my genealogy research a few years ago.  My paternal Grandmother  Terry Boothby fortunately possessed a few pictures of this side of the family which I was given after her death. So, I had three pictures of Josiah and an initial search of census records to go on.  

   The first picture (above) was probably taken in Josiah's mid 30's in the early 1890's, as Melton (or Milton) S. Eastman did not begin his photography business until 1891.  It is hard to tell, however.  Josiah looks younger to me than mid 30's and the striped jacket was a popular style in the 1880's.  So, I'm really not sure when this picture was actually taken.  I do see that Josiah still had most of his hair on top.   

  In my research I  found an obituary written in 1915 in the Heppner Gazette Times that described my Great Grandfather's  personality, character and what kind of father he was.  That obituary rounded out his life for me.  I feel like I know a little bit more about him beyond the basic facts.  So, on this Father's Day 2021 I am sharing Josiah Thomas Boothby's story. 

But first, the basic facts...

  Josiah T. (he went by Josiah T., J.T. and sometimes Thomas) was born in Illinois in 1856 to his parents Josiah Stewart Boothby and Elizabeth (Peyton) Boothby.  He was most likely born in Coles County, Illinois.  In 1860 J.T. was the youngest of four Boothby children:  Charlotte Samantha, John Collins , Mary Jane Boothby and then Josiah T.  The 1860 US Census enumerated the family when they were living in Willow Springs, Kansas Territory.  Josiah T.'s father Josiah Stewart was making a living as a farmer at the time, before he enlisted in the Civil War.  

  The 1870 Census enumerated the family back in Okaw Township, Coles County, Illinois.  Elizabeth Peyton had passed away in February of 1867 when Josiah T. was 11 years old and was buried in the Smith Cemetery in North Okaw Township.  She was 47 years old.  Josiah Stewart married Susan Yates and they had their first child together, Grant Boothby, who was 2 years old at the time of the census.  Josiah T.  was listed as Thomas on this census, and was 13 years old.  His brother John was 19 and was working as a farmer, and Jane was 16.  I am unable to find any more information about Charlotte Samantha after 1870.   

  The 1880 Census enumerated the family in Monmouth, Polk County, Oregon on the 14th day of June.  Josiah Stewart was working as a baker (he arrived in Oregon with "three nickels to his name" in 1879) and was living with his wife Susan, as well as their children Grant (aged 12) and Luella (aged 6).  Also living with Josiah and Susan was Josiah T., who was listed as Josiah T. Boothby, aged 23.  His occupation was not listed, although by this time he was probably working in some capacity in Monmouth.    Also listed on this census (and 3 dwellings down from Josiah Stewart)  was the family of Thomas Boothby.  This Thomas Boothby was Reason Thomas Boothby, who was the son of Reason Rounds Boothby.  Reason Rounds was the older brother of Josiah Stewart and had already come to Oregon  in October of 1849 with the Waller family via wagon train. (Christians on the Oregon Trail Churches of Christ and Christian Churches in Early Oregon 1842-1882 by Jerry Rushford College Press Publishing Co. Joplin Missouri Copyright 1997).  I will do a separate post on the Reason Rounds family in Oregon at a later date. 

   There is no 1890 US Census available, so I have to surmise that Josiah lived and worked in Heppner and Lexington Oregon around the mid 1880's through the 1890's.  His father arrived in Lexington by 1883 and made his living by cattle ranching and wheat farming (The Illustrated History of Umatilla and Morrow Counties, Oregon by William Parsons and W.S Shiach 1902 pg. 542).  He had sold his farm in Lexington to Josiah around the time of Josiah's marriage in 1898.  Josiah T. was 42 years old when he married. 

Josiah Thomas Boothby, probably taken either before or around the time of his marriage to Lillie Mae in 1898.  He now has the "Boothby hairline".  Photo in my family collection. 

  In 1898 Josiah T. married Lillie Mae Hayman Horner, and the 1900 Census had them living in Lexington, Oregon where Josiah continued his work as a farmer.  His father and step mother were still living in Lexington at the time.  Josiah and Lillie Mae had three boys of their own together:  Thomas Josiah (born in Lexington, Oregon in 1899),  Sterl Kenneth (born in Kent, Oregon in 1907) and Harold Glen (born in Grass Valley, Oregon in 1908).  Josiah was also the step father to Lillie Mae's children born during her previous marriage to Silas Horner:  Marion M., Ceola May, Harry Richard, and Clyde Dale Horner.  Josiah continued working as a farmer during the family's time in Kent, Oregon.  I am not sure what kind of farming he was engaged in, but the area is known for dry land wheat farming, growing barley and cattle ranching.  His step son Harry Richard Horner stayed in Kent, married and was a wheat farmer by the 1920 US Census.  It is probably safe to say that the Boothby family was primarily engaged in dry land wheat farming. 

Wheat harvest 1904 shared by the Sherman County Historical Society on Facebook July 17, 2020

  By the 1910 US Census Josiah was 54 years old and living in the Grass Valley precinct of Sherman County, Oregon.  He was working as a farmer in the area.  He was living with Lillie Mae, Thomas, Kenneth and Harold as well as Harry and Clyde Horner.  I can imagine that household was a busy one, with the ages of all the children living at home ranging from 17 years to 1 1/2 years.  

U.S. Indexed Land Ownership Maps 1860-1918 for J T Boothby Oregon, Sherman, 1913 from Ancestry.com

By 1913, Josiah was leasing land from O.P. King outside of Grass Valley (see plot 14 above).  I am not sure when Josiah and Lillie Mae moved, but when he passed away in 1915 he was living in The Dalles, Oregon (right on the Columbia River) and was interested in purchasing an orchard in Rufus, Oregon. 

   Metsker Maps "Metsker Map of Sherman County" Special Collections and Archives Research     Center   https://scarc.library.oregonstate.edu/omeka/items/show/29551  1934. 

 This gives you a good idea of the area that the Boothby family lived and worked in.  

Close up of the Metsker Map.  Route from The Dalles to Rufus. 

Close up of the Metsker Map.  Grass Valley in 1934.  Plot 14 is still there (right under Boardman on the road to Rutledge). 

Close up of the Metsker Map showing the relation of Grass Valley to Kent, Oregon. 
 

   Lillie Mae and Josiah Thomas taken close to 1915 (enlarged).  

The complete photo in my collection.  It is actually very small as the interior mat size is 3 x 6 inches. 

     

  During my research I found an obituary for Josiah Thomas, who sadly passed away October 11, 1915 at the age of 59 years.  This was printed in the Heppner Gazette Times October 28, 1915, and originally ran in The Dalles Weekly Chronicle.  Again, I am not sure how long the Boothby family lived in The Dalles, or what their connection to the town was. 

"Josiah Thomas Boothby, who was taken to Portland for an operation for cancer, passed away Monday at 1 p.m., and The Dalles lost one of her most respected and valuable citizens.  Mr. Boothby was 59 years of age.  For many years he had been a resident of this city.  In 1898 he was married to Lily May Hayman and from this union there were born three children, Thomas Josiah, aged 16; Kenneth Sterl, aged 9; and Harold Glen, aged 7.  The names of his step children are, Marion Horner of Oakland, Cal., Mrs. Ceola Heyler of Sheridan, Ore., Harry Horner of Kent, Ore., and Clyde Horner of The Dalles; also two grandchildren, children of Mrs. Heyler.  Mr. Boothby also leaves to mourn his loss a brother, John, and, his step mother of Lexington, Ore.  

 

 Mr. Boothby was a man who loved his family and always labored diligently to provide for them and make his home a happy one.  He made no distinction between his own children and his step children, but seemed to possess that rare spirit that made him love those about him and made them all love him.  Good cheer and sympathy was felt wherever Thomas Boothby was.  He was a good husband and loss is felt keenly by those who love him so dearly.  

  All The Dalles sympathize deeply with the family in their bereavement.  The funeral services were conducted from the Christian Church, the Rev. Leon L. Myers officiating. Taken from The Dalles Weekly Chronicle." 

  

  I was not able to find any information on his life in The Dalles, but through Facebook I was able to find out a little bit more about his later life living near the Colombia River.  Sherry Woods Kaseberg shared another shorter obituary with me May 29, 2021.   Sherry is a fourth generation Sherman County resident who shares her knowledge on a wonderful website:  shermancountyoregon.com  which is worth checking out.   She also is a member of the Facebook group Oregon Genealogy Network, which is where she shared the following:  

Sherman County Observer, Moro, Oregon October 22, 1915

J.T. Boothby, formerly a resident of this county, farming at Kent and also being interested in an orchard at Rufus, died at a hospital in Portland October 11, where he had been taken for treatment for cancer.  Funeral services were held from the Christian Church at The Dalles.  

  Rufus is approximately 26 miles from The Dalles, following the Columbia River going east.  Perhaps Josiah was looking for something easier to manage as he got older.  His boys were not quite old enough to be helping him on a daily basis and farming was a tough business to be in, and especially north central and eastern Oregon farming.  

  I can see why Josiah T. was such a good father and husband.  He lost his mother when he was 11 years old and finished growing up with a step mother and step siblings, so he understood the dynamics of that kind of family.   He grew up around extended family and understood the importance of family connections. He learned from his father's work ethic.  He married late in life, and by all appearances his marriage to Lillie Mae was a good one.  He worked hard to provide for all his children and give them a stable and happy home.  I can imagine that his death had a huge impact on his sons, especially my grandfather Sterl, who was only 9 years old when he lost his father.  Lillie Mae never remarried, but moved her boys to Newberg, Oregon where they finished their schooling before going to college.   I love the fact that he was also fondly remembered by the communities he lived in.   I wished I had known him in person, but I am also happy that I have his pictures and obituaries.  

Relationship Reference: Me->Dale Richard Boothby->Sterl Kenneth Boothby->Josiah Thomas Boothby

52Ancestors52Weeks Week 12 Theme: Loss....The Story of Affa Woodcock Hayman (Boothby/Hayman)

 The theme for this week is loss.  Loss is universal.  It touches everyone at some point  in their lives and in multiple forms.  You can loose a cherished object.  You can loose a loved one.  You can loose your children.  You can loose your livelihood.  You can loose your freedom.  You can loose your ability to tell your own story.  You can loose your life.  

  This is the story of Hannah Aphia "Affa" Woodcock Hayman Kirk (my paternal Great Great Grandmother) and the losses she experienced during her lifetime,  until she eventually lost herself and then her own life.   This is a difficult story to tell, but today I am honoring her memory by relating her life story and the strange events that surrounded her death. 

Back of the above picture.  Joseph Buchtel was one of the earliest photographers in Oregon.  In 1873 he partnered with E.H. Stolte, and they had a gallery on the corner of First and Morrison Streets in Portland (No. 91). That partnership dissolved in 1878.  This picture was taken  between 1873 and 1878.  The Hayman's were living in Portland at the time. 

Top writing: "Mrs. L. Horner (Lillie Mae Horner) Heppner, Ore". My Great Grandmother. 

Bottom writing (upside down) "Mrs. Harry Hayman, Heppner, Oregon". That would have been Harry Rideout Hayman's wife Laura May. Harry was Lillie Mae's brother. 

Side writing on right:  Affa Hayman

This photo ended up in the possession of Terry Boothby (my paternal Grandmother) and came eventually to me. It is one of my favorite photographs on the Boothby side of the family. 

  Hannah Aphia "Affa" Woodcock was born in St. David, Charlotte County, New Brunswick, Canada on 17 March,  1844.  Her mother died when she was 14 years old. By the 1860 US Census the Woodcock family lived in Calais, Maine.  When she was just 16 she married Martin Dinsmore Hayman. 

  

Martin Hayman shared by Ritch Fuhrer on Ancestry.com

  Martin Dinsmore Hayman (my Great Great Grandfather) was born in Robbinston, Maine.  In 1860 he was aged 22, and was working as a laborer.  Calais and Robbinston are about 12 miles apart on the United States side of Passamaquoddy Bay.  Martin and Affa were married October 23, 1860.   Their first child, Holmes Van Buren Hayman, was born in 1864.  Then came Elizabeth "Lizzie" Hayman in 1866, then Lillie Mae in 1870.  

   The Hayman family came from Maine when Lillie Mae was around 6 months old and settled in Portland.  On the 1880 Census Martin's occupation was teamster.   Martin worked for R. Pittock (older brother to Henry the publisher) or Henry Pittock himself as a teamster.  Their last child Harry Rideout Hayman was born in Portland in 1871.  Between 1878 and 1880 Martin drove a horse drawn street car in Portland.  

Horse drawn street cars Portland 1888

   Affa's older sister Harriet and her younger brother Edwin moved to Portland at around the same time as the Haymans.  I can imagine that being close to family again would have been a comfort and support for Affa.  Sadly, Edwin died in 1875 and Harriet died in 1878.  That must have seemed a huge loss.  

   By 1880 the Hayman family had moved to Heppner, Oregon where Martin tried homesteading and  farming on Balm Fork, south of Heppner, Oregon.  Heppner lies about 50 miles south of the Columbia River in northeastern Oregon, and sits on Willow Creek amidst rolling basalt hills and plateaus.  Balm Fork lies several miles from the actual town.  It must have been quite a shock for Affa,  moving from the large and bustling city of Portland to the remote and isolated community of Heppner.  This move set in motion a series of downturns for Affa and her children and eventually led to the loss of her life.  

  The rest of her story comes from Frances A. Cox Griffin, a granddaughter of Lizzie Hayman Cox, sister to Lillie Mae Hayman.  This story was shared on Ancestry.com by Mike Keo, who is a DNA cousin.  She wrote these stories in 1969 and they were preserved by her family.   Her words are in quotations.  

  "Hard times came to Hannah (Affa) as in 1882 she gave an affidavit for her daughter to marry F. D. Cox."  (This would be her older daughter Lizzie). "In it, she states that 'Lizzie is past the age of fifteen and that I am the mother of Lizzie I. Hayman and have sole care of my family including Lizzie. My husband having left me with my children to care for without his aide and support.'  At the age of 14 Lizzie was 'lent out' as an indentured servant".... (She was in service in the family of George Herrington in Heppner.)... In 1884 she gave her consent for Lillie to marry Silas Horner." Lillie Mae would have been around 14-15 years old at the time of her marriage. 

   This loss must have been enormous for Affa and heartbreaking.  For unknown reasons Martin left her and she suffered not only economically but emotionally as she let her two daughters go at such an early age. Although not that uncommon at the time, the early marriages of her daughters took away their company and much needed help.  Her oldest son was living with Martin who was working at the Star Boarding House in Dayton Washington as a clerk.  Her youngest son Harry was around 13 years old and was probably living with Martin until 1886 when he moved back with her.  So, she lost not only her husband, but her daughters and sons as well. She probably could not support her children with the mending and sewing she did to earn money.   She ended up doing what most women did at that time after the loss of a husband and economic stability;  she remarried.

  "On 26 October 1885 Hannah married William Whitney Kirk. They lived on his ranch six miles north of Heppner. I believe this was on Blackhorse Canyon.  She had maintained her family by doing sewing for women in the Heppner area.   She must have continued this practice after her marriage.  This was not a happy marriage and on the 15th of August 1886 Hannah was ill and asked her husband of one year to take her into her daughters in Heppner.  He refused and the next morning she was evidently too ill to eat but drank a cup of coffee and started to Heppner on foot.  It was six miles to town and she bundled some clothes and some work she was doing for a Mrs. Blackman and although her son Harry who was living with her went to get his pony for her she did not wait, telling him she was going to town and not coming back.  Harry was 14 at the time."

  "Hannah got about two miles and stopped at the A.S. Wells home probably for help.  The Wells family was not home. She went to the well for a drink and then into the house.  She came back out and layed down on a 'straw tick' mattress in the yard.  She then went back into the house where the Wells family, at least Mr. Wells, found her dying on his return home.  And on her last trip into the house, stopped and leaned against the door casing.  She must have been in a lot of pain.  In spite of Mr. Wells attempts to revive her she lived but a few minutes."

  She stated that she was going into town and 'not coming back'. What did that mean? Was she so despondent that she was thinking of leaving William Kirk? Or was she thinking about something entirely different?  Was she even able to think coherently on that morning? Had she lost herself entirely at that point due to actual illness or was it profound depression? Francis Cox Griffin had questions, too......

  "There was in inquest into her death, and though they were thorough for that day and age, I feel there were many extenuating circumstances that were not paid attention to, possibly because they didn't even know what these signs meant at the time.  In any case, the ruling was suicide. I have included the following pages to bring these other issues to light." 

State of Oregon 

County of Morrow

In the matter of Coroners Inquest at S. S. Wells place four miles north of Heppner in Morrow County, State of Oregon, on the body of one deceased supposed to be Mrs. W. W. Kirk--August 15 1886. 

The following named persons were duly impowered and sworn as Juror

D.W. Horner, G.W. Shipley, J.D.L. Lockmane, E. Nordyke, John McEntire, Thos. Morgan

(Daniel Webster Horner was the brother of Silas Richard Horner who married Lillie Mae Hayman)

Evidence Adduced

A.S. Wells  Sworn-says

Came to my house at about half past ten this morning. Saw the door open. Went thru and saw a woman seemingly in a fit.  Rubbed her hands with camphor and tried to revive her, but she died within five minutes after I arrived.  Seen her bonnet on the table and bundle of clothes on the floor--saw a teacup containing what appeared to be poisoned wheat--Had not seen her about my place before--When I first seen deceased her lips were blue-Eyes rolled back-lips quivering-Did not notice cramps in hand-Think she was breathing when I went into the house.  No froth or discharge from the mouth.  When I saw she was dead.  Straytned (sp) her head-Her hands were on her breast.  Found no writing about the house-My residence is four miles north of Heppner in Morrow County.  Believe saw track which I think was that of the deceased going up the road and into my house from there to the well and back-Recognize hat and gloves present as those of the deceased-Had some poisoned wheat over sitting in the house which has not been touched.

W. W. Kirk Sworn said--

Recognized deceased as Hannah Kirk, my wife.  Last saw her alive about half past eight o'clock this morning at my house-two miles from this place.  She wanted to go to Heppner last night-I think it was after she had gone to bed-She was not well.  I did not take her to town-Told her she could go on horseback but she did not do so.  She took a severe cold about three weeks ago and has not been well since.  She acted strange since that time was nervous.  Small things seemed to trouble her.  For some time past parties have been circulating stories to the effect that I turned all of my property over to Jeff (his son)-This seemed to trouble her but she was always wild in talking about it.  Did not know when she started this morning. She dressed in the room where I was lying.  Said she was going to Mr. Horners in Heppner (Lillies) to stay awhile-Took some work she was doing for Mr. Blackman-wrapped up a calico dress for everyday ware-We have lived peacefully together for the past few weeks-Her son Harry lived with us.  Could not get him to do anything while I was away.  He would lie about the work would leave and be gone for several days.  He was at home when his mother left this morning.  He might have left when she did.  Deceased had never said to me that she thought of committing suicide sometimes said in a joke I was getting tired of her.  I had a small amount of poisoned wheat around the place. Don't think there was more than two tablespoons full.  She had it put away.   Was cheerful last night she wanted to know if she could put down some butter for Lillie.  I told her she could.  Deceased got breakfast this morning did not eat anything but drank some coffee.  Seemed to have lost her appetite gradually since she last went to town.  Did not rest well nights.  Coughed a good deal did not complain of heart troubling her.  Has complained of her stomach..

J.H. Gentry Sworn said

Saw a woman near Mr. Wells house going toward the well and returning to the house.  After a minute came out and went to a straw tick back of the house.  Went back to the house.  When she came back to the house the second time stopped in the door and leaned against the door post saw no more of her.  Then supposed it to be Mr. Wells daughter.  Soon after this perhaps an hour Os Wells called my house and wanted me to come quick said that a woman was dying at the house and they did not know who she was.  Came down when I arrived she was dead to all appearances. Her color was blue around the nose and a spot on the neck.  Expression of face natural, not painful, mouth slightly open.  Was acquainted with her have know her five years.  Recognized body as that of Mrs. W.W. Kirk-last saw her alive about three months ago.  

Harry Hayman Sworn said

Body present is that of my mother.  Saw her at home this morning.  She started out on foot this morning and said she was going to town and was not coming back.  I told her to wait and I would get a pony for her to ride-she would not wait.  She and Mr. Kirk had quarreled some.  Don't know what about.  Mr. Kirk has not treated her well.  Would not go anywhere with her. She had had no water fit to drink for three days.  She left the house about an hour before I did.  I went to hunt my pony when she started.  Bundle and parasol shown witness, which he recognized as that of decease that she had with her when she left home. I know where poison wheat is kept about the house.  None has been used that I know of since I have been living there.  Have lived with mother since last May last.

Her appetite has been poor lately she ate nothing this morning drank a cup of coffee.  Has coughed much lately.  Would get tired and rest occasionally when at work.  Sometimes would help me run after the hogs and complain of being tired afterward.

W.W. Kirk recalled

"Produced can about 1/8 full of Wakleys squirrel poison.  Said it was the same can his wife had-There was more in it than he thought there was-said "Can't tell whether any has been taken out lately or not--found can where my wife kept it". 

A.S. Fox Sworn said

After careful examination of the body of deceased and the circumstances connected with her death.  I conclude that death was cause by taking poison-It is my opinion that it was strychnine. 

Facts-A teacup containing a small amount of wheat (moist) was standing on table in same room where deceased was found.  Experiment with same on a chicken proved it to be poisoned.

State of Oregon

County of Morrow

I hearby certify that the foregoing is a true copy of all the proceedings of the inquest as indicated by heading of said copy and that this bill of expenses the results attached is a true account of the cost of said inquest that the same was all necessary expense. 

Signed this 20th day of September 1886

C.M. Wollery 

Court of Morrow County

We the jury duly impowered and sworn to hold inquest upon the remains of Hannah Kirk found about five miles north of Heppner Morrow County, Oregon, on the 15th day of August 1886.  The said Hannah Kirk came to her death by means of poison administered by her own hands,

Dated August 15, 1886

D.W. Horner, G.W. Shipley, J.D.L. Lockmane, E. Nordyke, John McEntire, Thos. Morgan.

 We will never know the true details of the morning.  Affa's voice was officially silenced by her neighbors and her husband who made the final pronouncement of suicide.  Was it really suicide? Or was she slowly being poisoned by her husband who seemed indifferent and uncaring to her well being. She seemed to be a lost soul in that marriage, and became powerless to assert herself.  Was she suffering with depression after experiencing so many losses during her short life time?  Or, was she suffering with a long term illness such as tuberculosis?  It was a tremendous loss for her children, certainly.  She was only 42 years old.  

W.W. Kirk died in 1912 and was buried in the Penland Cemetery in Lexington (down the road from Heppner).  A.W. Wells who gave sworn testimony to Affa's death died in the 1903 Heppner Flood. Francis and Nancy Schaffer Gentry lived up Willow Creek and their son J. H. Gentry may have been another witness to give sworn testimony as a witness.  His name was James Hiram Gentry.  Martin Dinsmore Hayman died in 1906 and was buried in Kent, Sherman County, Oregon.  

Martin Hayman's Obituary shared by Ritch Fuhrer on Ancestry

 This is the only record of where Hannah Aphia "Affa" Woodcock Hayman Kirk is buried.  She is buried in the Heppner Memorial Cemetery in an unmarked grave.  All was not lost, however, as all four of her children lived long, resilient lives and raised remarkable families.  My last picture is of all four siblings in their older years. 

Left to Right:  Holmes Van Buren Hayman, Lizzie Hayman Cox, Lillie Mae Hayman Horner Boothby, Harry Rideout Hayman.  Picture shared by RobertPotter62 on Ancestry.  

  

52Ancestors52Weeks Week 10 Theme: Name's the Same Four Generations of Josiah Boothbys Traveled Across America (Boothby)

   The theme for this week's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge is "Name's the Same".  My research into the Boothby family from Maine came up with 4 generations of the same name...Josiah Boothby.  The name was carried all the way across the United States! And created some confusion with research.  Because, their names were the same....

  #1.  The first Josiah Boothby was born in Scarborough, Maine in 1738.  The town of Scarborough was located in the County of York in the Province of Massachusetts Bay in New England at that time (Maine did not become a state until 1820, and Scarborough is now included in the county of Cumberland).  At some point in time Josiah moved from Scarborough to Pepperrellborough  and was enumerated in the 1790 Federal Census there.  The name of Pepperrellborough became too cumbersome, so the town was renamed Saco in 1805.  Scarborough is about 7 miles south of Portland, and Saco is about 9 miles south of Scarborough. 

   

1790 United States Federal Census for the Town of Pepperrellboro 

1790 Census close up listing James, Josiah and John Boothby (all brothers).  The numbers are enumerating free white males and females in the household. 

  #2.  Josiah Boothby (Jr.) was born in 1775 in Scarborough, Maine, came to Ohio with his father Josiah (#1) and his Uncle James, and by 1802 had married Mary Rounds in Claremont County, Ohio.  He was making a living as a farmer.  Josiah (not sure if it was #1 or #2) was on the list of one of the first grand juries assembled in 1801 in the county.  Josiah (#2) and Mary had 7 children in Ohio.  Their youngest son was named Josiah Stewart Boothby (#3) and he was born in Brown County, Ohio in 1824.  There are still many, many Boothbys in Ohio. 

  

  Josiah (#1) and his wife Sara Stewart took advantage of the opportunity to potentially own their own land in Ohio when they settled on Donation Tract land sometime after 1792.  The Ohio Company petitioned Congress to donate some land along the borders of their land to act as a buffer against the Indians.  Josiah (#1) and his son, Josiah Jr. (#2) were given lots in the Olive Green section of the tract.  Josiah's (#1) brother James was also given land in this section. The land was conveyed in lots of 100 acres free of expense to any adult male of at least 18 years of age who settled there.  Josiah (#1) passed away in 1804 in Ohio. 

  

 

  #3.  Josiah Stewart Boothby led quite a life of adventure.  His mother Mary died when he was two weeks old, and his father Josiah (#2) died when he was six years old.  He went to live with a brother in Illinois (most likely Daniel) and worked as a cabin boy on the Mississippi.  He eventually married Elizabeth Peyton in Coles County, Illinois. They had four children, one of which was Josiah Thomas (#4).  Josiah Stewart (#3) served in the Civil War.  After the war Elizabeth died and he married Susan Yates in Coles County.  The family moved to Kansas where he was a farmer, and then to the Willamette Valley in Oregon.  He served in the Oregon State Legislature and became a wheat farmer and rancher in Lexington, Oregon.  He died in 1905.  

Old Smith Cemetery North Okaw Township, Coles County, Illinois. From FindaGrave.  Elizabeth Peyton Boothby is buried here with other  Peyton family members.  Coles County is south east of Springfield and Decatur. 

  #4.  Josiah Thomas Boothby was born in 1856 in Illinois and moved to Oregon with his father Josiah (#3) and his step mother Susan Yates Boothby.  He became a wheat farmer and rancher in the towns of Lexington and Grass Valley in north eastern Oregon.  He married Lillie Mae Hayman in 1898.  He passed away in 1915 at the age of 49 years in Portland where he was undergoing an operation for cancer.  

  Josiah and Lillie Mae's  first son was named Thomas Josiah Boothby, which put an end to Josiah as a first name until several generations down the line, as the names Thomas and Josiah  continued to be handed down on this branch of the family.  Their second son,  Sterl Kenneth Boothby,  was my Grandfather.   Their third son was Harold Glenn Boothby. 

 Josiah Thomas Boothby Lexington, Oregon around the turn of the century. 

  Four generations of Josiah Boothbys made it across the country, taking their name with them!  And I think I have all of them straight.  

Relationship Reference:  Me->Dale Boothby->Sterl Boothby->Josiah Thomas Boothby->Josiah Stewart Boothby->Josiah Boothby (Jr.)->Josiah Boothby born in Maine in 1738. 

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saco,_Maine

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/York_County,_Maine

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donation_Tract

http://genealogytrails.com/ohio/clermont/history_1880pg17.html

52Ancestors52Weeks Week 8 Theme: Power Josiah S. Boothby and the Heppner Flood 0f 1903

The town of Heppner, Oregon during the flood of  14 June, 1903 

National Weather Service Public Domain picture

  The theme for this week's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge is Power.  I have chosen to explore the power of water and the Heppner Flood of 1903. 

  The power of moving water can be harnessed for many useful purposes when it can be managed carefully.   Moving water  has helped operate mechanical devises such as gristmills and sawmills for thousands of years.  It helped usher in the Industrial Revolution in Britain. Water in canals could be used to move goods and people long distances. Hydraulic mining during the Gold Rush era used high pressure jets of water to dislodge rock to then extract gold.  Even tidal power can be harnessed to generate electricity.  

  Sadly the power of water can be  responsible for a great deal of destruction when it is uncontrolled.  This is the story of the neighboring  towns of Heppner, Lexington and Ione Oregon on the 14th of June, 1903.  My paternal Great Great Grandfather, Josiah Stewart Boothby, was living in Lexington at that time working as a rancher and farmer.  I had no idea that this area endured so much devastation until I began my research into this side of the family.   The death toll was 247 souls and remains the deadliest natural disaster in Oregon history, and the second deadliest flashflood in the United States, behind the 1889 Johnstown flood  and ahead of the 1972 Black Hills flood.  The flood caused over $600,000 in damage, equivalent of $17 million dollars today (Wikipedia Heppner Flood of 1903).  

  

 The Heppner Gazette 18 June, 1903

  The town of Heppner is located in eastern Oregon, just south of US-84 and the Columbia River.  It lies in a small, tight valley that contains a small little stream that drains into the Columbia River.  Willow Creek is about ankle deep, and can even run dry during the summer.  However, on June 14, there was an exceptionally strong thunderstorm which dumped torrential rain and hail on the watershed of Willow Creek.  Within 15 minutes, smaller streams emptied into Willow Creek, which in turn sent water towards Heppner, which at that time had about 1,500 residents.  The rain and hail were so loud most people took shelter inside their homes, contributing to the death toll. It is thought that the rattle of hail masked the roar of the muddy water, trees, cattle and buildings that came down the canyon and into town.  The water was so powerful it picked up dozens of occupied houses and moved them downstream.  A third of the town of Heppner was gone, as well as a quarter of its population in a very short period of time. Excerpt from the Heppner Gazette....

"Words cannot express the horror, the awful destruction.  Entirely helpless, from the hillsides, the survivors watched the terrible waters take there course. To attempt to battle the great waves meant only suicide without being able to accomplish anything."

"This city is a heap of ruins. Twisted tree trunks against which are piled masses of wreckage mark the residence districts. Scattered throughout this wreckage and the bruised and distorted bodies of the dead..."

 "...the large two story residence building of T. W. Ayres left its foundation and swung around into May Street and crashed into and lodged on some wooden buildings just back of the Palace Hotel....Mr. Ayres was at the power house and his family was at home, when the building started. The family ran upstairs and were rescued when the building stopped ...the family came down on a ladder and were taken out uninjured." 

"Phil Cohn, whose family was out of town, was at home and asleep when the flood struck his house, he stayed with the building until it went to pieces and for a mile he clung to the wreckage, going under a half a dozen times or more, and was finally able to crawl out more dead than alive in W. O. Minor's alfalfa field." 

  The little town of Lexington, where Josiah Boothby lived, was down stream of Heppner.  The telegraph and telephone lines were out, so Lester Matlock and Bruce Kelly rode their horses down the valley, racing the moving water, and warned the ranchers and residents of Lexington and Ione of the approaching disaster.  Lexington was badly damaged, but Ione escaped any destruction.  When the flood had gone, it was apparent what force the water had.  These are excerpts from another local paper, talking specifically about Lexington, Oregon. 

"Fifty men were at work this morning breaking away the piles of trash expecting at any moment to come across the body of some unfortunate who went down in the flood. Yesterday morning, the body of an elderly lady, the wife of ex-judge Keithly, was found in Andrew Rainey's field two miles below Lexington. Mrs. Keithly was in Heppner when the flood came. As Heppner is nine miles from Lexington, it can be readily seen what force the water must have had to carry a body that distance.

  The paper also listed monetary damages suffered by its residents...

"B. M. Booher, one of the prettiest cottages and finest orchards in Lexington, $1,500 ; W. J. Davis, orchards and gardens ruined, $2,000;  J. S. Boothby $1,500 across the creek; Mrs.  Penland, owner of the principal portion of the townsite and several orchards up the creek, will loose $8,000......while some of these figures seem small it means everything to the poor unfortunates. Their all is gone. In many cases not even the soil is left in fit condition to cultivate.  Rocks are embedded in the slime, which covers the land to the depth of 12 to 20 inches." 

Willow Creek dam above the town of Heppner,  constructed by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1981 to prevent further destructive flooding. 

   In 2003, a three-panel stone monument was placed in the town of Heppner to mark the 100th anniversary of the disaster. The monument also lists the names of the victims of June 14, 1903. 

  

  The present day Community Bible Church in Lexington, Oregon.  It was originally the Methodist Episcopal Church when Josiah Boothby and his family attended, and is best known for being swept off its foundation during the Heppner flood of 1903.  It rode the flood tide down the street and crashed into the Congregational Church.  It was retrieved, replaced and restored and continues to serve the community at its original site. 

 Josiah Stewart Boothby died in 1905, just two years after the disaster.  He was buried in the Penland Cemetery.  I have to think that this event had a profound effect on his health and his family.  His monetary losses were substantial.  My Great Grandfather, Josiah Thomas, was also living and working as a farmer in Lexington in 1900 with his wife Lillie Mae Hayman Boothby.  They had a home there with Lillie's four children by her first marriage (Ciola, Harry, Clyde and Marion), as well as Thomas Josiah Boothby, their first born together.  Although he is not listed with other town members as having lost a home or property, it took the town quite a long time to rebuild the railroad bed and other damaged infrastructure to enable it to function economically as it did before 1903.  By 1910 my Great Grandfather  was farming in Grass Valley, Oregon, so he may have not been able to make a living  in Lexington to support his growing family.   Lexington remains a very quiet little town today, with a population of a little over 200 people, up from 185 in 1910.  Residents are mainly sheep and cattle ranchers, and wheat farmers.