Early's and Gatliffs begin to move West to Missouri and Iowa.

So, Mary Early and Charles Hobart Gatliff moved to Wayne Co., IA,

- and her brother John Grandison Early and Eleanor Rockhold moved to

Mercer Co., MO.

 

Eleanor Rockhold was, by the by, the dau of Charles Rockhold who

preceded Dr. JHE in the KY legislature representing Whitley Co.,

and who, no doubt, provided Thomas Rockhold Early's middle name.

 

Bein' pretty much geographically ignorant, I wondered at the dynamics

of brother and sister movin' 720 of today's miles, not a trivial trip

in the 1850s, and then bein' separated by livin' in separate states.

 

Why did they move?  My mother's stock answer to such a question was

always, "Looking for cheap land."  But rising tensions over the slavery

issue might have prompted some to get out of harm's way -- the coming

Civil War.

 

https://www.history.com/topics/abolitionist-movement/missouri-compromise

has a helpful treatise on MO's part in those tensions.

 

But, back to geography.  The IA and MO counties to which the Earlys moved

were joined at the hip.  To refresh your memory:

 

Mary moved to Wayne Co., around Lineville, and her tribe spread into Decatur Co.

John Grandison moved to Mercer Co.

Those counties were joined at the hip.

 

Search for Gatliffs in Wayne Co., and you mostly see Morgan and Grand River

townships.  Search for Earlys in Mercer Co., and you mostly see Marion township.

Lineville frequently appears in the Gatliff records.  I think that

the western edge of the Gatliff farm must've been in Morgan Township

because that's where the Gatliff cemetery seems to be.

 

So, separated?  Shoot, Mary and Eleanor mighta lived further apart

back in Whitley Co.  In MO and IA, they durn near coulda chit-chatted

over the fence after hangin' out the wash!

 

5 miles can be walked in 1 1/2 hours; 1/2 hour for a horse/buggy.

 

It would be nice to know the location of the Early/Rockhold farm

in Mercer Co.  I suspect it was S of Mercer [town of] as that's where

the Early cemetery seems to be.  But if it was N of Mercer, then Mary

and John Grandison might really have been next-door neighbors.

 

I haven't found any on-line sources for Mercer Co. land deeds, but

there's a lot of Rockhold activity in the area.

 

All of which leads me to a slight quibble with Cleland.

 

When he says Williamsburg, Whitley Co., KY, I know what he means.

When he says Marion, Mercer Co., MO, I get confused.

 

Williamsburg is a town in Whitley Co., KY.

 

Marion is also a town, unincorporated, in Cole Co., MO, but Cleland is

actually referring to Marion Township in Mercer Co., MO.

 

It's a small quibble because if someone looks in Mercer Co., and has the

right map, they'll find Marion Township.  If they google Marion, MO, they won't.

 

I've seen it before.  I found a findagrave page that mentioned Lafayette

Co., AR, when I'm pretty sure they meant Lafayette Township, Crawford Co., AR.

 

I don't suggest a fix, nor even suggest that it needs fixin', but I always wonder

what is meant by the Location part of Location, County, State.  Just as I wonder

what is meant by Name in Name, State.  Usually Name is a county, but sometimes

it's a city, maybe even a township.  That's why I always use Name Co., State, to

make it clear.  I've begun tryin' to specify Township when appropriate.

 

I wonder if there exists something like Iowa, Iowa Township, Iowa County, Iowa?

 

The Gatliffs didn't persist.  In the 1940 census, there were 13 in IA, 19 in MO.

The Early/Earley clan did better.  430/622 Earlys and 47/101 Earleys, in IA/MO.

 

cheers grady

Ran N Early Family in Texas by Grady Early

For those of you interested in Grady's latest efforts, check out the link below regarding the Ran Early family.  You can skip over the genealogic numbers if you want to go straight to the text of the stories, but note there are more than a few missing links in there! if any of you are descendants of this branch and want to help fill in the gaps, please message us either on Facebook on through this blog comments. and be sure to let us know how best to reach you. We will get back to you as soon as time allows..

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ra7dGOc1-nwqE7zjeq-F6bNwF4vEgqEC/view?usp=sharing

Samuel F Early, Nora, and Pearl by Grady Early

Sam Early was well loved by all his siblings and had an interesting life. See how Grady Early reconstructed and added to the account that Cleland Early gave us in his 2nd edition, just by clicking on the shared link below. any baseball fans should especially check on the indirect connection Sam had with Dizzy and Daffy Dean! Enjoy the read!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Uh6AGlSj3HbS1mfZHH-YCU0MWs-GhnvF/view?usp=sharing

Overwhelm? It is to laugh! -- Stream of consciousness genealogy by Grady Early

It's drizzlin', which discourages me from me usual task of cuttin' and burnin'

brush, so I thought I'd subject y'all to a little "stream of consciousness"

genealogy [regarding the time period for the photos taken on the farm] .  Overwhelm?  It is to laugh! 

Bless Ethellea's heart for sloggin' through the photos and id-ing the folks. 

The 1 Jan 1915 Eufala, OK, "Indian Journal" reported that Mr. and Mrs. J.E. Early

spent Christmas with Armour Willis and family.

I suppose that Armour was connected to Clara Alice.  He is listed on the

Cherokee Rolls as 1/16 Cherokee.  Clara Alice is listed as 1/64.

In 1900, Armour A. Willis, born Jun 1891, was with his parents Walter W. and

Alice S.  Censuses are so interesting.

That 1900 census is dated 10 Aug 1900.  Armour's [then] youngest sibling, a

boy, had not been named.  But b. Apr 1900, age 1/12.  Census day was 1 Jun 1900,

so "unnamed boy" must've been b. late Apr to only be 1/12 by 1 Jun.

Same census.  Clara is listed as 31/32 white.  Her father Ferdinand is listed

as "W", her mother Isabel as "In", 15/16 white.  So is Clara 1/64 or 1/32?

Ain't it curious that 1/32 Indian gets ya listed as "In" rather than 31/32

gettin' ya in the "W" category?

In 1910, Armour was a hired hand on the William F. Reed farm in Beck township,

McIntosh Co., OK.

In 1920, he, wife Ruth, and son Andrew P. were in Porum, Muskogee Co., OK.  Farmer.

In 1930, Armour, Ruth, and 6 kids were in Wekiwah township, Tulsa Co., OK.

That's Armour Albert Willis findagrave.com/memorial/104806198/armour-albert-willis

If you chase that link, you will find that Armour had a daughter Wilma Jean Willis.

Wilma appears to have married a feller named -- curious coincidence -- Roberts.

Of whom there is absolutely no mention in her obituary.

In the 1940 census, there is a J.R. Roberts b. ~1902 AR.  He and wife Beatrice

are in Porum township, Muskogee Co., OK.  Sons Coy and Allen are 12 and 11,

born in AR.  Wilma Jean was 15.

On 23 Jun 1945, Wilma Jean Willis 20 m. William Robert Trotter 21 in Tulsa Co., OK.

The name Trotter does not appear in her obituary.

Well, more than enough about Wilma Jean in spite of her connection to the

Roberts family.

I suppose that in 1915 the Jake/Alice marriage was still tolerable.  Did Alice

move to Wigwam with Jake?  Apparently not.  Cleland says Jake and Alice divorced

in 1917 and then Jake moved to Wigwam in Spring 1918, so we may need to push

the date of the pic to at least 1918.

Note:  Cleland says she was Clara Alice Farmer and refers to her as Clara.  The

1900 census says Clara A.  The marriage certificate only says Alice.  The death cert

only says Alice.

At the first move to Wigwam, Jake had no kids, so who is the "3rd feller" in the Wigwam photos?

Cleland says that Jake became a "tenant farmer" on land that Cleland later identifies

as the "Robinson farm."  "Tenant farmer" is a step up from "hired hand".

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

1918 Spring  Jake moved to Robinson farm

1918 Aug  6  Jake 1st writes to Myrtle

1918 Dec 26  Jake/Myrtle marry in Deming, NM

"soon after" Jake/Myrtle return to the Robinson farm

             It was winter time.  Farm chores had dwindled.  Jake made a

             flying trip from Wigwam to Deming, ~600 miles, married, took

             his bride back to Wigwam in time for Spring 1919 farm chores.

             Flyin'?  Well, railroad, I presume.

1919 Oct 13  Cleland born on the Robinson farm

1921 Jun 23  Norvill born in Wigwam.

1925 Aug 13  Bona Jeame born in Colorado Springs

1925 Sep 19  Kenneth [Myrtle's 2nd son by Benjamin Roberts] died

1926 Apr  7  Bona died in Colorado Springs

             Jake sold his farm equipment and went in search of a new home

1926 Oct     Jake/Myrtle family moved to Stinnett

1927 Dec 20  Ethellea born in Stinnett

So, at least, we can put the pic 1918-1925.  Who took the pic?  Maybe Myrtle.

The size of the Robinson farm is not specified, but one man, with horse/mule

power, pretty well maxes out at 40 acres.  Natheless, at times -- harvest --

help is needed.  The 3rd feller may be a temporary hired hand.  Perhaps a Robinson,

of which there were 100+ in El Paso Co. in 1910-1930.  In 1911, the population of

Wigwam was only 30, but it had a post office.  R.G. Robinson was the postmaster.

I suppose the 3rd feller could be another of Jake's brothers, but I doubt it.

Certainly not Harve.  He wasn't cut out for farm work.  Besides, from 1914 to 1920,

he was with 2nd wife Annie Holland in Grant Co., AR.

Cleland says that Norvill lived on "three separate farms" before the move to Stinnett.

So there was not just "the" Robinson farm.  Perhaps the Robinsons had other farms.

Perhaps there were other landowners.

It turns out that I met, or at least saw, Jake in 1964 at my grandmother Pricie's

funeral.

Oh, Jake, Jake, Jake, ya had plenty of room to put more than "J.H.".  Sigh.

There are a lot of J.H.s; Cleland lists 16.

The only Early 1st cousins that Tracy and I had were sons of J.B.

No J.H.'s there.  So J.H. must be x removed.

I suppose that various of Ran's family attended the funeral; they

were next door in Fisher County.  Whether they were at the funeral or

not, Jake certainly would have visited with some of them since he was

in the neighborhood.  Ran had a grandson James Henry Early b. 1921;

I doubt he could've had a grandson in college by 1964, and Cleland

lists no James Henry grandsons.

Perhaps, in Jake's correspondence, there'll be a letter from Tracy

clearin' up that little mystery.

All of which brings me to that audio tape of Ethellea's interview with Jake.

Mebbe so you could get that converted to an audio file so we can all listen?

A Bona fide Connection by Grady Early

Largest Mayor in the Smallest Town in Texas by Grady Early

the good 'ol days by Grady Early

Hi, All
Some folks think that Facebook is an excellent and convenient medium for broadcast sharing of news.  Much easier than individual emails or [gasp] snail mails.  Quite an innovation. Well, there ain't nothin' much new under the sun. Back in the day, newspapers served much the same purpose:

The Cisco Roundup was published in Cisco, Eastland County, Texas
 -  Friday, March 15, 1906.  Willis Early is building a $1200 residence on South Avenue D.
-  Friday, December 21, 1906.  Born, to Mr. and Mrs. W. W. Early, Tuesday morning, Dec. 18, a fine 8 1/2 pound boy.  [that'd be Worley]
 
The Carbon News was published in Carbon, Eastland County, Texas

-  Thursday, July 16, 1908.  Mr. Free and family visited at Willis Early's yesterday.
-  Thursday, October 1, 1908.  Willis Early is hauling seed from Romney to Cisco.

The Snyder Signal was published in Snyder, Scurry County, Texas

-  Friday, November 7, 1919.  J. M. Denson and wife to W. W. Early lots 3 and 4 in block No. 9, T. N. Nunn addition.  Consideration $2500.
-  Friday, November 28, 1919.  Mr. Jim Kelly of Snyder and Miss Pearl Early of Camp Springs were married at 3 o'clock Thursday at the home of the bride's parents by Rev. W. H. Sims.
-  Friday, May 14, 1920.  FOR SALE--Two good fresh milk cows with heifer calves.  Also good yearling mule.--W. W. Early, Snyder, Texas.
-  Friday, June 18, 1920.  Miss Olive Early, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. W. Early, left Sunday for Abilene to enter Draughon's Business College where she will take a thorough commercial course.
-  Friday, August 13, 1920.  W. W. Early returned Thursday from an extended visit to Emporia, Kansas, Kansas City and Van Buren, Ark., returning by way of Dallas to attend the state republican convention.
He sends the Signal to his father at Van Buren, Ark.
-  Friday, November 12, 1920.  Born to Mr. and Mrs. W. W. Early Nov. 4th, 8lb girl. [That'd be Vera.]
- Friday, February 25, 1921.  Mr. W. W. Early tried it without the Signal for a while but says he couldn't do without it.  He has our thanks on renewal.
-  Friday, May 20, 1921.  W. W. Early and children went to Abilene last week on a visit.  They
were accompanied home by Mr. Early's daughter and husband, Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Knowles, to spend a week or ten days visiting.
-  Friday, December 9, 1921.  [Summary:  The Meadows family lost everything when their house
 burned on May 2.  Donations were solicited to help out. Donations ranged from $25 to 25cents.  W. W. Early donated $1.]

The Hutchinson County Herald was published in Stinnett, Hutchinson County, Texas.

-  Friday, May 10, 1935.  W. W. Early of Hermleigh was a visitor in the home of his brother J. E. Early and family Friday night.

cheers grady