52 Ancestors 2020 – 17 – Land – Charles Bond

Charles Bond did own land. His obituary in 1912 noted that he was living on the “old home place owned by his father a mile northeast of Halsey.” It was the same farm where he had been born in 1860. This photo taken about 1909, shared with me by my cousin Robert Bond, shows Charles' home.

Charles was the executor for his mother's will when she died in 1903. The inventory of her estate noted that she had 160 acres as her half of their Donation Land Claim, but they excluded 2 acres on the east side previously sold and also “18 acres where the buildings stand on said premises heretofore sold to C. S. Bond.”

Charles Seth Bond, my great-granduncle, was born on 23 April 1860 in Linn County, Oregon, the son of Solomon and Huldah (Hayes) Bond, my 2^nd great-grandparents. I wrote about his older sister Susan 3 weeks ago and explained that where the family lived was called Pine Precinct on the 1860 census and Peoria Precinct on the 1870 census. Charles just made it onto the 1860 census being marked as age 2/12, but was age 10 for the next census. The town of Halsey was formed after the Oregon and California Railroad was built on the western edge of the Bond property in 1871. I can think that Charles, at age 11, would have enjoyed watching the building of the railroad. When the 1880 census was taken Charles was 20 years old, single, and his occupation was farmer.

It was four years later, 21 Sep 1884, when Charles changed his marital status as he married Minnie Gourley. I find it interesting that about 10 years later, Minnie's sister Ada married Charles' nephew, Edwin Cummings. Can you imagine their children trying to figure out their relationship? For Minnie and Charles did have 2 children. Bessie was born in 1886 and Lela in 1894. So their family was enumerated on the 1900 census, living with Charles' mother Huldah. His father had died in 1899. Also in the household in 1900 was Minnie's younger brother George.

This family photo, also shared by Robert Bond, was probably taken about 1904.

The family was enumerated on the 1910 census, Bessie and Lela were now 23 and 16. The household again contained other relatives, this time Clarice Gourley, a niece, and Charles' widowed oldest sister, Lydia (Bond) Clark. This is the last time I find them all together as Charles died in 1912 and Minnie in 1913.

It was 23 Sep 1912 when Charles died. His cause of death is rather confusing. A family history stated that he was killed by a normally friendly bull in the pasture on his farm. His death certificate showed the cause of death as apoplexy. An obituary in an Albany newspaper stated that “his death was due to the rupture of a blood vessel produced from over-exertion while working on his farm.” A Eugene newspaper gave the following account: “Chas. Bond....died yesterday as the result of an injury sustained while working in his hog pen. While holding one of the porkers his left arm and hand were severely wrenched and a physician was called. Mr. Bond's injuries were not thought serious at first.….but a few minutes later he expired. It is supposed that a blood vessel was ruptured or else the shock may have caused heart failure.” For whatever reason, Charles died and was buried in the Halsey Pioneer Cemetery.

Although he died in 1912, he was listed in a 1913 Linn County, Oregon, directory on the tax list. It showed he owned property at Halsey valued at $5505. So again I say Charles did own land.