Answering a Question about Alva Carl Linn

I received a question, wondering what took William Peter Linn's son Alva and his wife Daisy to California. Here is what I know about Alva who appears to have had wonderlust, difficulty in choosing just one profession, or maybe just loved the change:

An advertisement in the December 11, 1913, Dayton Review, shows Alva Linn as proprietor of an auction house.

Alva Linn married Daisy Kirkman in 1915 in Boone County, Iowa, and, in the 1920 US Federal Census are found as renters of a farm in Clay Township in Webster County.

In the 1930 US Federal Census, Alva and Daisy are boarders living in Los Angeles, California. They are listed as proprietors of a restaurant.

In the 1940 US Federal Census, Alva and Daisy are now living in northern California in Squaw Valley Township in Siskiyou County. In that census, everyone was asked if they were living in the same house in 1935. Daisy and Alva had moved from Yreka, also in Siskiyou County. Alva is now listed as being a timber faller in the logging industry. This would have been a very physical job, entailing trimming and cutting down trees, as well as cutting them into smaller pieces and loading them for transportation. In 1940, Alva was in his early 50's.

Daisy Kirkman Linn died in 1964, and, at that time, they were living in Modesto in Stanislaus County. Daisy was buried in Pleasant Valley Cemetery in Pleasant Valley, El Dorado County, California.

In 1966, Alva married Vera Burnett. When Alva died at the age of 92, he had been living in a convalescent hospital in Modesto. Alva died in 1981 and is buried next to Daisy in Pleasant Valley Cemetery. His second wife Vera lived to be 93 and is buried in the Modesto Pioneer Cemetery in Modesto, California.

Both Alva and Daisy, and Alva and Vera, had no children.

So, from farmer to auction house proprietor, from restaurant proprietor to timber faller, living in Iowa and then several locations in California, Alva certainly lived an adventurous life!

William Peter Linn

Some people never reach their goals in life or find personal fulfillment because of obligations to their parents, siblings, spouse or children. Some work hard to provide for themselves and family and, only later in life, do they seek out their own personal goals or achievements.

While many may look at farming as an ordinary profession, in our family, we see farming as a most noble profession. As we look at Gus and Catherine’s second born, William Peter Linn (aka W. P.), we see a man who worked hard and later found other endeavors that might have given him recognition and a sense of personal achievement. William was born July 14, 1855, in Pilot Mound, and was just 8 years old when his father left to serve in the Civil War. When Gus returned, he had lost a great deal of weight from being a POW and had physical limitations the rest of his life.

And so, William and his older brother John must have had to share the burden of running the farm both in Gus’ absence and when he returned. Life could not have been easy for William in those years, living in their small log cabin, an isolated farm, with extreme and sometimes cruel weather conditions.

When William was nearing the age of 25, he married Florence Zelpha Wilson, on March 10, 1880. An interesting question was posted in the Webster County Gazette on March 5, 1880, just before the wedding:

“Wm Linn has bought the homestead of F. M. Owen. Whether he intends to set up a bachelor’s house or take a life partner in the housekeeping business is not yet known by this correspondent.”

And 5 days later, William and Florence were married!

There is some confusion about whether this couple had 7 or 8 children. Five children survived to adulthood. I have discovered two children who died in infancy. But I’ve not found a record of an 8^th child.

Robert R. Linn (1882), Jim Linn (1883 or 1884 and died June 11, 1884), Floyd Linn, (1884), Vinnie Linn (1888 and died November 2, 1888), Alva Carl Linn (1889), Guy Gustus Linn (1891), and Ivy F. Linn (1893).

In the 1900 Federal Census for Pilot Mound, William is a farmer born in Iowa; his wife Florence was also born in Iowa but her parents were born in England. Florence’s widowed mother and a servant are also living with the family.

In the 1905 Iowa state census, the value of William’s farm was $7,500, with no encumbrances. Using an inflation calculator, that amount would be roughly $200,000 in 2017. William was indeed making a good life for his family in 1905.

From 1908-9 through 1913, William served as the local postmaster, giving up his farm during that time. From the 1914 Boone County History Book, we learn that “W P Linn has held the office of postmaster in Pilot Mound for five years but has recently resigned that position and as soon as his successor is appointed will again turn his attention to agricultural pursuits, with which he was formerly identified for many years…. W P Linn attended the district schools of this county in the acquirement of an education and remained on the home farm with his parents until twenty-two years of age. Subsequently he cultivated rented land for three years and on the expiration of that period purchased 80 acres of the old homestead in Pilot Mound township. He improved the property and afterward bought an additional tract of 78 acres, while later he purchased 40 acres more. General agricultural pursuits claimed his time and energies until 1908, when he disposed of his property and came to Pilot Mound, where he was appointed postmaster and has capably served in that capacity continuously since. He has recently resigned the office, however, and intends to begin farming again as soon as his successor is appointed…. Mr. Linn has always exercised his right of franchise in the interests of the republican party and for fourteen years acted as a trustee of Pilot Mound township, while he has also done able service as a member of the town council and as a school director. His religious faith is that of the Methodist church. Through his enterprise he has won financial success.”

And so we see that, in his later years, William was busy as Postmaster, as trustee for Pilot Mound township, and also served the town on the council and as school director. William indeed found personal satisfaction through these other efforts.

William P. Linn's appointment as Pilot Mound Postmaster on 18 March 1909 from "Appointments of U.S. Postmasters 1832-1971"

In 1929, the couple celebrated their 50^th wedding anniversary at their home. William was 74 and Florence was 70.

In the August 6, 1936 issue of the Ogden Reporter, the headline “Celebrate 81^st Birthday” reports on William Linn with the following: “Mr. Will Linn celebrated his 81^st birthday July 14. Mr. Linn is probably the oldest resident here born and raised in Boone County, Pilot Mound Township. To this generation it is entertaining to hear him tell of the pioneer days of which he went through and when but 8 years old, saw a steam boat go up the Des Moines River and many such interesting features of his childhood. Mr. and Mrs. Linn enjoy good health and, with their son Guy, at home, celebrated the occasion with a family gathering. Those present were their daughter and family, Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Malmberg of Boone and sons; Mr. and Mrs. Robert Linn of Stratford and grandsons. Mr. and Mrs. George Thorngren and two children of Des Moines; Mr. and Mrs. C. Davidson of Waterloo; Mr. Floyd Linn of Des Moines; and Miss Thuyer of the same place.”

By the 1940 Federal Census, William is 84 years old and is unable to work. Florence is 80. Their son Guy lives with them, never marries and is a cemetery sexton.

William died on May 16, 1943. His wife Florence died just two months later on July 19, 1943. They are buried at the Linn-Bethel Owen cemetery. Following are their obituaries:

The Ogden Reporter, front page, May 27, 1943

The Ogden Reporter, July 29, 1943

 

OUR DIRECT ANCESTOR: ANDREW FREDERICK LINN

It’s not wise or fair in most cases to judge a person by one event, one mistake. And it is especially true when all we have about a person are pieces of a life written down in censuses, short news articles, an obituary, and found in photographs.

During a recent genealogical search to determine the sale of land that belonged to my great grandfather, Andrew Linn, I ran across the following news article from the March 30, 1893, Dayton Review:

I never knew my great-grandfather. He died in 1939 at the age of 78. He was born on March 10, 1861, the fifth child of Gustus and Catarina (Lundblad) Linn. When Andrew was just 1 ½ years old, his sister Emma died (January 24, 1857 – August 24, 1862); then at the age of 3, his sister Anna died (February 19, 1859 – January 10, 1864). And shortly after Anna’s death, Gus left to serve in the Civil War.

All of this must have had a tremendous impact on the entire family, even the youngest children who may have had to take on additional farm and house responsibilities and support their grieving mother. Catarina was left on the farm with four young children: John who was 12; William who was 9; Andrew, age 3; and Mary, age 1.

I’ve seen photographs of Andrew, said to be 6 foot tall, 240 pounds, fluffy gray beard, well-dressed. I’ve seen a photo of him and his wife Elin in a buggy drawn by a team of horses, photos of Andrew at family reunions. He and Elin owned their own farm of nearly 400 acres. They had three children, Elsie Louellin Linn Carlson (1889-1976), Peter Edward Linn (1892-1980), and Frank Frederick Linn (1895-1986).

From all records, all accounts, Andrew was an upstanding citizen, hard-working farmer, father and husband.

And so, when I saw this short article, I believed that Andrew must have received some specialized education or instruction as he had “graduated from the Keeley”.

But to my surprise, I learned that the Keeley Institute was a place where alcoholics, opium addicts, and morphine addicts went to get clean. I was stunned. And I’m still baffled. I immediately read everything I could find on the Keeley. It was founded in Dwight, Illinois after the Civil War by a Civil War surgeon. Dr. Keeley’s proclamation was that “Drunkenness is a disease and I can cure it.”

Treatment at the Keeley Institutes was humane with no locks or cells. Patients received injections of bichloride of gold or “the gold cure” four times daily. There were other tonics given as well. Treatment normally lasted four weeks.

Who knows what the struggles were of this young family, what challenges and obstacles they may have faced. We don’t know the dynamics of this family, what pressures they had, whether Andrew’s early childhood had an impact on him. We don’t know what drove him to drink, and we don’t know the length or severity of the problem.

Elin and Andrew married on November 1, 1888. Elsie was born on August 3, 1889, and my grandfather Peter joined the family on March 31, 1892.

Then, in 1893, Andrew Linn was a patient at the Keeley Institute. What brought him there is clear. He had some form of addiction. But did he go of his own volition? Forced by his parents, his wife, his siblings or friends? Did his Uncle John who was an esteemed Methodist minister and active participant in the temperance movement prod him to seek help?

The family had been living with Gus and Catherina, but after Andrew returned from the Keeley, they rented a farm in Clay Township, Webster County. This is where Frank Linn joined the family on April 21, 1895.

The family moved again in 1903 to a farm that Andrew purchased outside of Stratford. This is the farm that we all have seen photos of or visited or lived at.

Except for the short article that caught my attention and sent me on a path to learn more about Andrew Linn’s involvement with the Keeley, it appears that he led a very ordinary, but fulfilling life. Social engagements, church attendance and reunions made up the bulk of articles in the local newspapers mentioning his name.

Andrew served for a time as the Dayton representative to the school board (1901); was the assessor for Hardin Township (1904); and had his widowed mother live with him for a winter (1902).

Just six months prior to his death, Andrew was placed in a convalescent home in Boone, passing away on March 22, 1939. He is buried at the Linn cemetery next to his wife Elin (1867-1925) who preceded him in death.

Andrew F. Linn's obituary was on the front page of the 30 March 1939 The Ogden Reporter reads:

Pioneer Citizen of that Community Answers Final Summons. Pilot Mound. Funeral services for Andrew Frederick Linn were held Friday afternoon at 1:30 from the home of his daughter and at 2 o'clock from the Methodist church at Pilot Mound. Services were in charge of Rev. Morston from the United Brethren church at Lundgren, assisted by Rev. Weitemier of Pilot Mound, using scripture taken from the 23d Psalm.

A mixed quartette from the United Brethren church sang: In the Sweet Bye and Bye, Going Down the Valley and Life's Railway to Heaven. Interment was made in the Linn cemetery where the remains were laid to rest beside those of his wife.

Pallbearers were five grandsons: Stanley and Roland Linn, Kenneth, Chester, and Wayne Carlson, and one nephew, Donald Linn. The many beautiful floral tributes were in charge of: Mrs. Clark Forney, Mrs. George Witcraft and Mrs. Paul Zunkel.

Life Sketch: Andrew Frederick Linn, son of Catherine and Gustus Linn was born on March 10th, 1861 on the Linn homestead north of Pilot Mound. He departed from this life March 22d, 1939 at the age of 78 years and 12 days, at the Highfill Convalescence Home in Boone where he had been a patient since October 25th, 1938. His boyhood days were spent near Pilot Mound and in Dayton vicinity until November 1888 when he was united in marriage to Ellen Matilda Anderson at Boone, Iowa. To this union was born three children: Mrs. Elsie Carlson of Pilot Mound, Peter of Dayton and Frank of Des Moines. With his wife he started farming north of Pilot and later moved to Webster County locating near Lundgren where they joined the United Brethren church of which he remained a member until his death. In the spring of 1902, they moved over to Harden Township east of the river where they resided until the death of his wife October 22d, 1925.

Since that time he made his home with his children until his health failed so that he entered the Highfill Convalescence Home in Boone where he received the best of care and during the past week his children had kept constant vigil at his bedside. He leaves to mourn his departure beside the three children, one sister, Mrs. Mary Curtis of Caldwell, Idaho and one brother William Linn of Pilot Mound. Two brothers Charles and John preceded him in death as well as two sisters who died in infancy. He also leaves ten grandchildren, four great grandchildren and a host of friends and other relatives.

During his declining years he was unable to attend church services but received a great deal of enjoyment from radio worship. He was willing and ready to go and had made his funeral arrangements. His death marks the passing of a splendid pioneer, a kind and loving father, a good neighbor and steadfast Christian."

  

I would like to think that Andrew had a short-lived issue with alcohol, received treatment, and went on to live the positive life that we read about in news articles and hear from stories of those who knew him.

We see a lighter moment of Andrew in an email from Ellis to Myron dated 9 December 2009: "I knew Grandpa Andrew Linn quite well. He stayed at my Dad and Mother's farm (4 and 1/2 miles southeast of Dayton). He was a big man (6 feet tall and weighed 260 lbs.). So heavy he could barely walk and always sat in an oversized chair in the dining room next to the doorway leading to the kitchen. He wanted fresh drinking water quite often so he would give me a nickel each time I would get a gallon of water at the pump house. He was a good-hearted man but could also be a 'stinker'. Whenever my mother would walk through the doorway from the kitchen he would try to hook his cane around her ankle to trip her. Many tempers flared at those times."

When I remember stories of my own grandpa (Peter Linn) being a "stinker" to grandma (Maude Linn), I think that the apple didn't fall far from the tree!

NOTE: Whether my ancestors had great successes or failures, whether they had personal triumphs or disappointments, I’ve thought, as a family historian, that their lives were just that…their lives. In writing about our ancestors, I feel compelled to write about all sides of an individual, all parts that I’ve found. If any one of you has additional information that could enlighten others on Andrew’s time at the Keeley or positive memories of him, please comment on this blog for others to see.

Andrew and Elin Linn

One Surviving Daughter

Last week’s blog post about the baby in Gus and Catherine’s family ended sadly with Charles’ sudden death at age 46.

As we continue to look at the children of Gus and Catherina Linn, the next one up the ladder is their only surviving daughter, Mary C. Linn. She was born on March 11, 1863, one year before Gus left to serve in the Civil War.

On December 2, 1887, Mary was united in marriage to Milan Ellsworth Curtis. Milan was born in Wisconsin and moved with his parents to Dayton sometime before Milan’s younger brother Charles was born in 1868. In the 1900 Federal census for Dayton, Milan is shown as a mason; in the 1910 census, he is a manager in an egg house.

Mary’s best friend, Elsie (Meaner) and her husband Harry Kinney had 5 young children; and when Elsie gave birth to her youngest in 1897, she died from child birth complications. The father, with so many young children, was unable to cope and gave them to various friends and family to adopt or to care for. In the case of Bessie who was born in December 1895, Elsie’s best friend Mary (Linn) and husband Milan Curtis decided to adopt her. Bessie took the name Bessie Myrtle Curtis when she was adopted by Mary and Milan, whom it has been said, could not have any biological children. And Bessie was their only child.

I’ve had contact with descendants of this family and have learned from them that Milan had a serious illness in the late 1800’s that took him and Mary west to try to find a better climate for him. While they were searching in Oregon, Mary’s father Gus died in 1897. Mary and Milan immediately returned to Iowa where Milan was made the trustee of Gus’ estate.

Mary, Milan and Bessie stayed in Dayton at least through the 1910 Federal Census; but by the 1920 Federal Census, they had moved west to Caldwell, Idaho. Their descendants say that Mary and Milan had visited Ontario, Oregon, and loved the Snake River but decided to live in Caldwell, Idaho, not far from the Snake River, and near the state capital of Boise.

Idaho became a state in 1890, but it was still a bit “rugged” and unsettled during the early 1900’s. Life couldn’t have been easy in the beginning.

Milan’s occupation in Idaho was hay dealer in both the 1920 and 1930 Federal Censuses, providing hay to local ranchers and farmers. By 1930, Milan was approaching 70 years of age and still working as a hay dealer.

In The Ogden Reporter, 29 August 1939, "Mr. and Mrs. M. E. Curtis of Caldwell, Idaho, are here for a ten-day visit with her brother, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Linn and other relatives. Sunday all the Linn families met at the M.E. church basement for a covered dish dinner in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Curtis. They numbered about fifty relatives for dinner. All enjoyed a very pleasant day visiting."

This gathering happened just a few months after the passing of her sibling and our direct descendant Andrew Linn (March 22, 1939). And just a few months after this visit, Mary (Linn) Curtis died. She passed away on the 8^th of February 1940 in Caldwell, Idaho, of congestive heart failure at the age of 76.

I look at the pieces of Mary’s life, dates and places, and see a strong and adventurous woman. In being supportive of her husband’s health condition, she moved far away from her family, living the last 30 years of her life thousands of miles away from them. Unable to have children of their own, Milan and Mary did a most generous and loving thing by adopting Bessie, the daughter of Mary’s best friend.

I’d like to turn briefly to their daughter Bessie because she too, as a young girl, left her home and friends and siblings in Iowa for the unknown of Idaho.

In 1917, Bessie married Homer S. Jarvis in Caldwell, Idaho. They had three children: Curtis Jarvis, born in 1919; Homer Jarvis, born in 1921; and Betty Mae Jarvis, born in 1925. It is with the descendants of Betty Mae that I have had some contact over the years. The story they tell of Bessie is the following:

Bessie had become pregnant a fourth time and was having serious complications. The doctor recommended that Bessie terminate the pregnancy so that Bessie might live. Her husband refused this request. Bessie left Homer because of this and did not have the fourth child. We see Bessie and Homer in the 1930 Federal census in Pocatello, Idaho, living near each other but not in the same household.

Bessie decided to gain some training so she could help support her children. During this time, she sent Homer (known as Bud) to live with an aunt in California, Curtis to live with Milan and Mary Curtis (the grandparents), and Betty to the State Home for Children (for 3 months only as Mary Linn Curtis took her out to live with her and Milan when she found Betty crying at the state home). Bessie attended business school during this time, but still had regular contact with Curtis and Betty who lived with her parents.


 In the 1940 Federal Census, Bessie is a stenographer to an Adj General.and she has full custody of the three children. She and Homer are divorced.

Bessie did marry again. On December 12, 1943, she married Jesse Leon Basil. Bessie died April 15, 1956.

And again from family members of Bessie, we learn Bessie and her 4 siblings stayed connected and also had a good relationship with their father Harry Kinney. Bessie took up painting in her later years and, along with her sister Nellie (Nell) Kinney Boardman, who was a painter of some renown, the two traveled together and showed their paintings, mostly landscapes in many galleries. You can see images of Nell Boardman’s paintings online.

Some brave, loving and resilient women we have in our family!

More About Charles Henry Linn

When preparing the article on Charles Henry Linn last week, I emailed the Washington County Genealogy Society in Nebraska for information on the type of business Charles was operating when the fire broke out in Arlington. Today I received the following:

Blair Courier, 30 September 1897, regarding the fire in Arlington:

"Before I could gather my scattered wits some store building occupied by Linn & Peterson was also on fire. The rear door of Linn & Peterson's store, where the fire was started, was covered with sheet iron which held the fire in check so that it was easily controlled".

Also in the same paper: "Monie Peterson, who is attending school in Lincoln, came over last week and is helping to arrange the goods in the new department store that Linn & Peterson are opening".

And so, it appears that Charles Linn and his partner named Peterson had opened a department store in Arlington. The articles above raise new questions, though.

1. The fire was started at their store? I understand that four fires were started in the town, but was Linn & Peterson a target?
2. Since we know that just 3 years later Charles and his family were living in Omaha, was the store not successful? Had there been more problems with fires or with vandalism that put them out of business? Did Peterson buy Charles Linn out?

Always something new to learn.

The Baby of the Family

Most of us know about Gus and Catharina (Lundblad) Linn’s son Andrew Linn as Andrew is also our direct ancestor. But what about their other children?

Gus and Catharina had 7 children, two of whom died very young. But their other children are worth a closer look; and who better to look at first but the baby of the family, Charles Henry Linn.

Charles was born on December 7, 1866, just 18 months after Gus’ return from his Civil War duties.

On December 23, 1891, Charles married Louise Lilyard in Dayton, Iowa, but moved to Nebraska right away as their first child Wallace was born there in 1892.

We know that Charles, Louise, and their two children lived for a time in Arlington, Nebraska, north of Omaha, from the following two articles located in the Dayton Review.

Dayton Review, 7 October 1897, page 5: "C. H. Linn sends us the Arlington Times, in which an account of the big blaze that came near wiping out the town is given. Fires were discovered in several places at the same time and there is no question about it being the work of fire bugs. The town had no facilities for putting out fires and there was little else to do but let it take its course. There were nine buildings burned up or scorched, but C. H. Linn and Company, although their building was fired, escaped as the fire was discovered before it got under way. The loss foots up $17,500 with only $4.00 insurance. They think the fire was the work of tramps."

Dayton Review, 15 March 1894, page 5: "Gust Linn started for Arlington, Neb., on a visit to his son C. H. last Tuesday morning. He expects to get home by Saturday."

In the 1900 US Federal Census for Omaha, Precinct 1, Douglas County, Nebraska, Charles Linn, age 33, married 9 years, born in Iowa, is a motor conductor; wife Louise, age 28, born in Iowa, gave birth to 3 children, 2 living; son Wallace, age 7, born in Nebraska, a student; and daughter Helen, age 5, born in Nebraska. Also in the household is a boarder who is a motorman.

In looking further at what Charles’ job as motor conductor would have entailed, I found that, from the 1890’s until the 1950’s, three street car companies operated in Omaha. The photo above shows a streetcar that operated in 1910 and would be similar to one that Charles served as motor conductor.

In the 1910 US Federal Census for Omaha, Ward 12, we find living on Ames Street Charles Linn, age 43, born in Iowa; wife Louise, age 38, born in Iowa; son Wallace, age 17, born in Nebraska; and daughter Helen, age 15, born in Nebraska. Charles is a proprietor of a pool hall. The 1910 Omaha City Directory confirms that Charles owned a pool hall at 1510 Harney.

Charles and Louise Lilyard Linn

Charles met with an unexpected and tragic death on August 16, 1913. He was just 46 years old when he died while on a business trip to Kansas City, leaving his wife and two young children. The details of his death are found in the following two news articles:

FROM THE DAYTON REVIEW 21 AUGUST 1913, PAGE 5:

The sad news reached here Sunday of the death of Chas. Linn, formerly of this place, but now of Omaha, who was killed by a stroke of lightning Saturday evening while talking on the telephone in Kansas City during an electric storm. His brothers, John Linn, south of town, W. P. Linn of Pilot Mound, and A. F. Linn near Stratford left Tuesday for Omaha to attend his funeral there yesterday. But little of the particulars have been received. 

FROM THE LEHIGH VALLEY ARGUS, 4 SEPTEMBER 1913,

A. F. Linn returned Thursday evening from Omaha, Nebraska, where he has been in attendance at the funeral of his brother, Chas Linn. Mr. Linn's death was caused in a rather peculiar manner. He was in Kansas City at the time taking baths and was assisting in a store on the evening of his death. Lightning is supposed to have struck somewhere near the building and extinguished the electric lights, when he went to the telephone to call up the plant and came in contact with an electric fan and was instantly killed. He leaves a wife and one son and one daughter. Mr. Linn of this place has the heartfelt sympathy of his many Stratford friends in his bereavement. (Stratford Courier)

Charles’ body was brought back to Omaha for burial. He was buried on August 20, 1913, at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Omaha.

Charles’ wife Louise lived the last years of her life in Denver with her daughter Helen. She died in 1933 and is buried next to her husband in Omaha.