Duchess' Domain

My friend Daisy has been sleeping over for the last few weeks. That is us snoozing' together on the sofa like a pair of "couch potatoes." Daisy is the small schnauzer and I have my nose snuggled in towards Daisy's cozy body.


The photo on the right shows the mountain peaks North of Vallecito that we took the other day, Oct. 7, 2009, while NW Okie zoomed in with her digital camera. NW Okie was a mile (or less) South of Virginia's restaurant and south of the marina, looking towards the North mountain peaks and slightly to the West of Irvin mountain. Just love the way the clouds are framing the peaks -- it was like viewing it with your head in the clouds.

An Okie Legacy
- the photo on the left is a picture of Young John Robert Warwick, my Great Grandpa.

I am trying to find the date that Great Grandpa Warwick left the Virginia's and headed West with his family and settled near Coldwater, Kansas before he eventually made the "Run of 1893" into Oklahoma Territory.

We know that G-Grandpa & G-Grandma Warwick had a daughter (born Oct. 1882) and son (born Nov. 1887) and both were born in Monterey, Virginia.

Did G-Grandpa leave Virginia sometime after 1887 … or sometime between 1884-1886, leaving family at home until he found a place to settle? Does Kansas (Coldwater) archives have any records going back to that time period showing John Robert Warwick being counted near Coldwater? In John R. Warwick's Obituary, my grandmother (Constance Warwick McGill) mentioned that John Robert Warwick taught school around Coldwater, Kansas.

If there are any Coldwater natives or inhabitants out there that would have access to any records that could help me with nailing down the timeline of Great-Grandpa's arrival in Coldwater, Kansas, it would be very much appreciated and helpful. Thanks!
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Collection of Letters From Alva POW Prisoners

Aaron says, "Linda, My name is Aaron Horton. I'm a PhD student in history at LSU, and I'm researching German POWs in the US during World War II. I came across your email address on the Camp Alva website, and I wanted to ask you if there is an archive dedicated to the camp. In a French-language study of German POWs, I came across a reference to a collection of letters from prisoners at Alva, and I have as yet been unable to locate this collection. Any info you can provide would be greatly appreciated."
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Fisher Hotel of Alva, OK

Lance says, "Ms. Darlene- I noticed that you commented you were the owner of the former Fisher hotel. Is that correct? It appears on Kohlrus/Alva Real Estate as it for sale. I have some questions but did not want to bother you should you be represented by a realtor. Please let me know .Thank you.

P.S. My mother was from Alva and my father was raised in Ringwood but attended NWOSU in the early days. If I could help you in any other way please don't hesitate." -- Lance A. Spellman - Email: ariesinv@gmail.com -- OkieLegacy comment, Vol. 9, Iss. 9
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Perry, OK Weather & Gas

Roy says, "This past week I saw another three and two-tenths inches of water added to my rain gauges and there was lightning and thunder along with it. One of those thunder claps was extremely loud and had been preceded just a second or two by the sound of a nearby cloud to ground lightning strike!

"I have no idea where it struck but dogs were jumping and running for cover everywhere. Now (at about 8 PM Sunday, Oct. 11) it has started again, but very little 'rolling' thunder this time and the rain is gentler so far. We also had strong north winds that brought temperatures in the 30s and 40s, signifying that summer has ended for sure. They're predicting another 'colder than normal' winter for us.

"Also, the gasoline prices have been steadily rising again. Conoco was at $2.33.9 most of the latter part of the week and then Saturday it increased another cent to $2.34.9!"
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50 In 52 Journey - Interview With Rosalea Hostetler

Rosalea Hostetler, Founder / President - The Balmer Fund was interviewed recently for a "50 In 52 Journey" interview of Rosalea Hostetler. A native of Harper Kansas, she's battled one thing or another most of her life.

After moving away and then becoming ill, she decided she still had things left to do and moved back to Harper. With a small board of directors she founded The Balmer Fund to preserve the history, art, and culture across the prairies for future generations. Watch this video to see how one woman is determined to preserve the history of a small town and keep her community so that it can move forward.

www.50in52journey.com/states/Kansas5.asp/

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1870 West Virginia Census

According to the following 1870 census, our Great Grandpa John Robert Warwick was listed as "Robert W. Warwick. This source was taken from Source Citation: Year: 1870; Census Place: Meade, Pocahontas, West Virginia; Roll M593_1697; Page: 31; Image: 323; Post office: Greenbank.




Warwick, Wm F, 1823, Male, White, Virginia

Warwick, Phebe A, 1833, Female, White, Virginia

Warwick, Amelia E, 1853, Female, White, Virginia

Warwick, Paul P, abt 1856, Male, White, Virginia

Warwick, Robert W, 1857, Male, White, Virginia

Warwick, Wm W, abt 1859, Male, White, Virginia

Warwick, Peter H, abt 1861, Male, White, Virginia

Warwick, George C, abt 1863, Male, White, West Virginia

Warwick, Charles F, abt 1865, Male, White, West Virginia

Warwick, James F, abt 1870, Male, white, West Virginia

Warwick, Elisabeth H G, abt 1868, Female, White, West Virginia

Pray, Mary E, abt 1826, Female, White, Virginia

McGlaughlin, Mary, abt 1800, Female, White, Virginia

McGlaughlin, George C, abt 1858, Male, White, Virginia

McGlaughlin, Rebecca F, abt 1862, Female, White, Virginia

Carpenter, Peggy, abt 1820, Female, White, Virginia

Kerr, Phebe A abt 1824, Female White, Virginia

Kerr, Rachel, abt 1848, Female white, Virginia

Kerr, Hulda J, abt 1852, Female White, Virginia

Kerr, John W, abt 1854, Male White, Virginia

Kerr, Samuel R, abt 1856, Male White, Virginia

Kerr, Allie M, abt 1862, Female White, Virginia

Siple, Hannah R, abt 1834, Female White, Virginia

Siple, James M, abt 1832, Male White, Virginia

Siple, Nannie J, abt 1856, Female White, Virginia

Siple, Carrie E , abt 1861, Female White, Virginia

Siple, George Ann, abt 1862, Female White, Virginia

Siple, Willie M, abt 1864, Male White, West Virginia

Siple, Mary Kate, abt 1866, Female White, West Virginia

Siple, Joel W H, abt 1866, Male White, West Virginia

Siple, Lucie Cranford, abt 1869, Female White, West Virginia

Siple, Warrick, abt 1844, Male White, West Virginia

Siple, Josiah, abt 1844, Male White, Virginia

1880 West Virginia Census

We have been doing some census searching of the late 1800s to see where some of our Warwick ancestors had been found. Particularly, our great grandpa John Robert Warwick.

This census year began June 1, 1879 and ended May 31, 1880. It is page No. 9, Supervisor's Dist. No. 2, Enumeration Dist. no. 119, Sched. 1, inhabitants in Huntersville District, Pocahontas county, WV, enumerated on 4 June 1880. Source Citation: Year: 1880; Census Place: Huntersville, Pocahontas, WV; Roll T9_1411; Family History Film: 1255411; Page: 193.1000; Enumeration District: 117.

In 1880 we found our Great Grandpa John R. Warwick, living with his older sister, Amelia (Warwick) Dilley, and her husband George M. Dilley and their three children (2 sons & 1 daughter).

John R. (Robert) Warwick was listed at age 22, single, brother-in-law, farm laborer, place of birth as WV, place of birth of father as WV, and place of birth of mother as WV.

George M (age 34) and Amelia E.(Warwick) Dilley (age 23), were farming and keeping house in house number 13096262, in Huntersville, Pocahontas county, WV with one son and 2 daughters:

Dilley, George M., White, Male, 34, bat 1846, Self (Head), Self (Head), Married, WV

Dilley, Amelia E., White, Female, 23, 1856, Wife, Married, WV

Dilley, Pruyn S., White, Male, 6, abt 1874, Son, Single, WV

Dilley, Emma G., White, Female, 4, 1876, Daughter, Single, WV

Dilley, Bessie, White, Female, 2, 1878, Daughter, Single, WV

Warwick, John R., White, Male, 22, 1857, Brother-in-law, Single, WV

Pray, Mary E., White, Female, 52, 1828, Aunt, Single, VA, New York, New York

Wanless,Margaret E., age 51, aunt, married, place of birth WV

Wanless, Arlena E., White, Female, 14, abt 1866, Niece, Single, WV, WV, WV

Handyschell, Antha R., White, Female, 5, abt 1875, Cousin, Single, VA, VA, VA

Handyschell, Andrew H. B., White, Male, 27, bat 1853, Something other than a direct relationship, Single, VA, VA, VA

Dilley, Carline H., White, Female, 31, abt 1849, Wife, Married, WV, WV, WV

Dilley, Birdie O., White, Female, 7, abt 1873, Daughter, Single, WV, WV, WV

Dilley, Ellis, White, Male, 4, abt 1876, Son, Single, WV, WV, WV

Moore, Mary J., White, Female, 58, abt 1822, Something other than a direct relationship (Other), Single, WV

Dilley, Mary G. L., White, Female, 16, abt 1864, Wife, Married, WV, WV, WV

Dilley, Minnie G., White, Female, 6M, abt 1879, Daughter, Single, WV, WV, WV

Sharp, Enos E., White, Male, 21, abt 1859, Son, Single, WV, WV, WV

Moore, Sheldon, White, Male, 36, abt 1844, Self (Head)Self (Head), Married, WV, add, WV

Moore, Sallie E. M., White, Female, 27, abt 1853, Wife, Married, WV, VA, VA

Moore, Ellis H., White, Male, 6, abt 1874, Son, Single, WV, WV, WV

Moore, William B., White, Male, 21, abt 1859, Brother, Single, WV, add, WV

Dilley, Clayton, White, Male, 40, abt 1840, Son-in-law, Widower, WV, WV, WV

Dilley, Anderson L., White, Male, 12, abt 1868, Grandson, Single, WV, WV, WV

Dilley, Fracis M., White, Male, 10, abt 1870, Grandson, Single, WV, WV, WV

Digs, Susan, Mulatto, Female, 35, abt 1845, Something other than a direct relationship (Other), Single, WV

Dilley, Anna E., White, Female, 35, abt 1845, Wife, Married, WV, add, WV

Dilley, Sarah R., White, Female, 11, abt 1869, Daughter, Single, WV, WV, WV

Dilley, John O., White, Male, 10, abt 1870, Son, Single, WV, WV, WV

Dilley, Byron D., White, Male, 8, abt 1872, Son, Single, WV, WV, WV

Dilley, Kahan T., White, Male, 8, abt 1872, Son, Single, WV, WV, WV

Dilley, Leven, White, Male, 5, abt 1875, Son, Single, WV, WV, WV

Dilley, Larinda L., White, Female, 4, abt 1876, Daughter, Single, WV, WV, WV

Dilley, Blanch G., White, Female, 2, abt 1878, Daughter, Single, WV, WV, WV

Dilley, Mary A., White, Female, 50, abt 1830, Wife, Married, WV, WV, WV

Dilley, George, White, Male, 20, abt 1860, Son, Single, WV, WV, WV

Dilley, Robert, White, Male, 19, abt 1861, Son, Single, WV, WV, WV

Dilley, Margaret J., White, Female, 15, abt 1865, Daughter, Single, WV, WV, WV

Dilley, Harry, White, Male, 11, abt 1869, Son, Single, WV, WV, WV

Dilley, Charley, White, Male, 9, abt 1871, Son, Single, WV, WV, WV

Dilley, Josiah, White, Male, 7, abt 1873, Son, Single, WV, WV, WV

McCarty, Minnie F., White, Female, 1, 1879, Something other than a direct relationship (Other), Single, VA

US General Land Office Records, 1796-1907

Source Information: Ancestry.com. U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2008. Original data: United States. Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office Records. Automated Records Project; Federal Land Patents, State Volumes. Springfield, Virginia: Bureau of Land Management, Eastern States, 2007.

About U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907 -- This database contains land patents from 1796-1907 for 13 U.S. states. Information recorded in land patents includes: name of patentee, issue date, state of patent, acres of land, legal land description, authority under which the land was acquired, and other details relating to the land given.
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Google Maps - Vanderpool WV & Surrounding Areas

The following is a Google map showing communities around Vanderpool(VA), WV & VA: Vanderpool(VA), Mountain Grove(WV), Staunton(VA), Monterey(VA), Dunmore(WV), Mill Gap(VA), Harpers Ferry(WV), Rockbridge(VA), Pocahontas County(WV), Hunterville(WV), Frost(WV), Clover Lick(WV).


View Vanderpool, VA in a larger map
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Insight Into Grandma & John C. McClure

While John McClure was writing Constance two letters in April, 1906, Bill McGill was posing on April 2, 1906, with a few southwest Texas League baseball buddies from the Austin Senators.

That is why this week's insight shows Bill McGill's and baseball buddies, instead of Constance Warwick's photo.

April 16, 1906 -- This one page letter was addressed to Miss Constance Warwick, Alva, O.T., and began, "Alva, O.T. Mon Eve, Miss Constance Warwick. My Dear little Girl:

"I reckon you think I don't love you any more, but I do, and I'm going to come out the first nice night. A week ago yesterday I was not feeling well, but went out Monday eve. When you heard me coming you ran away. I was out to Capron yesterday. Went up Saturday eve, came back last eve. I want you to go with me Friday at the Normal, but will see you before then if I can. So bye bye Sweetness. J. C. McClure"

April 19, 1906 -- This short little note begins, "I don't seem to get you over the phone. I don't know whether I will be able to get out tomorrow or not. I guess I will come out to get you if I can. I don't know whether I can get away from the bank, or if you can come into to Bolte's. So, if I can't get away you will be here. Yours, J. C. McClure."
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1884 Lynching in Monterey, VA

This story takes us back to the old days when laws were carried out with mobs of drunken men carried out justice with lynchings from an infamous hanging tree. It was not only in the West, but Monterey, Virginia had one of those lynching mobs back in January 3, 1884.

As the story goes, on Christmas Day, 1883, E. D. Atcheson and Sidney Ruckman got into argument while drinking and Atcheson subsequently cut Ruckman with a knife. Ruckman wasn't wounded badly and didn't pursue the matter with the authorities.

I did some research online and this is what I found in the book, A History of Highland County, Virginia by Oren Frederic Morton, page 230.

"The good record of the county in this respect was marred by a lynching in the month of January 3, 1884. A laboring man from Michigan, whose name was Porter (alias E. D. Atchison), came into the west of the county after his release from the Pocahontas jail. He was not a well-behaved person, and during a game of cards with a citizen of Back Creek, a quarrel arose, both men being intoxicated. Atchison struck the other person a blow with his knife, but inflicted only a slight wound in the breast. For this he was lodged in the Monterey jail.

"Exaggerated reports of the affair got abroad. A party of citizens broke into the jail, shot him in his cell, and then hanged him to a tree on the Vanderpool road, where the same crosses the brow of the conical hill south of the town. All but one of the lynching party were identifiable. One citizen was tried by a jury Rockbridge men but acquitted. The others who were assumed to be implicated in the unfortunate occurrence left the county and never returned."

It is rumored that Atcheson had a reputation as a "mean" man and as someone of less than stellar integrity. He had served most of the past year in a Pocahontas County, WV, jail for stealing a horse, and that had been the latest of his "deeds."

Back to the story … Word of Atcheson's "assault" on Ruckman spread around the community, and Atcheson was immediately arrested and placed in the Monterey jail on or about January 3, 1884. Once in jail, Atcheson reportedly stated that he had at least "7 men to kill … and 1 woman." The one woman allegedly was his estranged wife, Gladys (Howdyshell) Atcheson. The seven men could have possibly been the family or families who lived close by to Ruckman and part of the mob.

It is alleged that the members of the "mob" had met at Lightner's Store near Mill Gap in Highland County to put together their plans for getting Atcheson. It was further stated that Atcheson had previous run-ins with many members of the mob, including a rather nasty fight at the local saw mill only weeks earlier.

Once Atcheson started threatening from his jail cell that he had people to kill, the plan was put into place to get Atcheson first. It was thought that Atcheson was serious, given his previous actions, and it probably boiled down to a "Get him before he gets one of us" kind of situation.

Has anyone out there ever run into any version of this 1884 lynching in Monterey, Virginia? We would love to hear from you, if that is the case! Thanks for your help!
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1884 News Notes From njsuttonfamily.org

Mark says, "At the njsuttonfamily.org there are a lot of crime stories in these papers. So E.D. Atchison didn't have a descendant named Roy that had an ice cream shop in Kingman, Kansas did he?"

January 15, 1884, Forty-Sixth Volume, No. 22, News Notes -- "Joe Wander, fireman on the fast midnight train from New York to Buffalo, was blown from the tender and killed near Dale last Wednesday night during the storm.

"Francis York, of Lockport, N.Y., aged twenty-five, employed in the construction of the Junction Railroad, while going to his boarding house last Wednesday night was caught in a snow-drift at Skunk Hollow and frozen to death.

"John H. Thatcher, aged 13 years, an imbecile through spinal disease, set fire to his bed clothing at his home, in Central Falls, R.I., on Wednesday night, and was so badly burned that he died Thursday.

* "E. D. Atchison, a desperate character, was taken from the Monterey (Va.) Jail on Monday night and hanged by a mob. His body was then riddled with bullets. Atchison was incarcerated for stabbing Sidney Ruckman, a prominent citizen, who still lives.

"Hampton Bird and eight members of his family, at Kaufman, Texas, were taken violently ill on New Year's eve night with strong symptoms of poisoning. Tuesday Mr. Bird and two of his daughters died, and the others are in a precarious condition.

"A Sussex County Sensation -- The little village of Hamburg, Sussex county, twelve miles from Newton, has been in excitement during the week over the discovery that Barton E. Rude, a rich young farmer of that village, had eloped with a pretty, rosy checked schoolmarm named Miss Ward. The young lady taught school at Rudeville, a small hamlet near Hamburg, last fall and boarded in Rude's family... It is believed that the couple are living in Jersey City. Mrs. Rude is left with five little children to care for."
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