52 Ancestors 2020 – 19 – Service – Gideon Hockett

I found Gideon Hockett in the database at Ancestry.com: U.S., Register of Civil, Military, and Naval Service, 1863-1959. Since this included the word “Service” and his birthday was during this week, I decided that he would fit in this category.

His Civil Service took place in Sherman County, Kansas, as postmaster for LaBlanche. This 1897 map found on the Library of Congress website indicates where LaBlanche was located.

Gideon was my great-granduncle, an older brother of my great-grandmother, Mary Magdalene (Hockett) Albertson. Gideon was the son of Francis and Rebecca (Hartley) Hockett.

His parents moved from Randolph County, Indiana, in 1838 to Salem area in Henry County, Iowa Territory. It was there that Gideon was born on 6 May 1841. So he was a little boy when Iowa attained statehood in 1846, It was a few years later when the family moved to the neighboring county, Lee County, Iowa, and Gideon was included with them in the 1850 census as a 9 year old boy who had attended school within that year. I have searched, but been unable to find their family in the 1860 census, but he is on the 1856 Iowa State census, indexed by Ancestry as Gedicon Hocket, age 15.

It was in 1863 when Gideon moved with his family to Hardin County, Iowa. He and Mary Harris were married  in Hardin County and by the 1870 census the family was living in Liberty Township, Marshall County, Iowa, with their 4 children: Virgil, Mary, Gideon and Francis. Again Ancestry was creative in their indexing as he was listed as Gedeon. But on the 1880 census the family had moved back to Grant Township in Hardin County and by now there are 5 more children: James, Dorah, Tula, Julia and Anna, making a total of 9. The 1880 census included an agricultural schedule and Gideon was listed as owner of 80 acres tilled ground, 14 acres of permanent meadows or pasture and 41 acres unimproved ground. Some of his crops that year included 10 tons of hay, 800 bushels of Indian corn, 400 bushels oats, 275 bushels of wheat, 40 bushels of Irish potatoes and 150 gallons of molasses made from sorghum. He had 2 horses, 3 milch cows, 3 calves, 3 swine and 10 poultry plus a 1 acre apple orchard.

“Gidson Hockett” was enumerated on the 1885 Iowa state census, still in Grant Township in Hardin County. There is 1 more child, Charles, so it makes a total of 10 children in their family. Their oldest child and the 3 youngest were born in Hardin County and the others born in Marshall County. This census shows his location as Township 86, Range 21, Section 1, the Southwest ¼.

But the family chose to move again and Gideon and family went to Sherman County Kansas where he settled a homestead claim of 160 acres. His patent was issued on 20 Jul 1892 for the southeast ¼ of section 7, Township 10 South, Range 41 West.  This was about a mile west of his brother-in-law, my great-grandfather, Nathan E. Albertson.

Using the Library of Congress website for historic newspapers, I could read about Gideon in the Goodland Republic. Goodland was the county seat for Sherman County. Most of the items about Gideon were in the LaBlanche section. If you look for LaBlanche on a modern road map, you will be disappointed because it is no longer shown. There was a post office there from 1886 to 1901. It was in this last part of its existence that Gideon had his “civil service.” He was appointed in February of 1901 and the post office was discontinued in September of the same year so he served a little over 6 months. A newspaper article of 15 Mar 1901 gives the following information:

“It is understood that Gideon Hockett will be postmaster at LaBlache. In that case the postoffice will be located about six miles southwest of the present location, the present postmaster, Charles Olson, having sold the building and claim to Jake Horton, who will occupy the same as soon as vacated.”

I was able to find a copy of a 1887 atlas on the David Rumsey Map Collection which showed LaBlanche. It was in the northwest ¼ of the northwest ¼ of Section 35, Township 9 South, Range 41 West. Mapping it against Gideon's homestead you can see that they were about 6 miles apart.

I really enjoyed the notice in the newspaper on 11 Aug 1905 where they reported that Gideon was in Goodland with a wagon load of turnips, onions and other garden produce.

I was sad to read the obituary for Gideon's wife in May 1916. It stated that for 8 years she had been a patient, helpless invalid. But it also said that she had been carefully attended by her faithful husband. This is the kind of service we can admire. Gideon lived another 8 years and died 16 July 1924 at the county farm. Both Mary and Gideon were buried at Kanorado Cemetery in Sherman County.

Quaker Cousins - Minerva (Albertson) Malone

Another one of Nathan Elias Albertson's 1st cousins was Minerva Albertson, so she was my 1st cousin 3 times removed. She was the daughter of Aaron R and Elizabeth (Harris) Albertson. Aaron was one of Nathan's younger uncles, being just 6 years older than Nathan. Aaron came with his parents and the rest of the family from Indiana to Hardin County Iowa in 1855 when he was 12 years old.

Aaron married Elizabeth Harris in Hardin County 18 Feb 1864. Minerva was their oldest child, born 5 Jan 1865. Minerva can be found on many censuses, beginning in 1870. She was only 5 years old, but already had 3 younger siblings: Mary, Phineas and Jesse. The family had moved from Hardin County to Lincoln in Story County Kansas. But by 1880 they had returned to Hardin County and Minerva, who was listed as attending school, had 5 younger siblings. Apparently Phineas had died, but the family had added Nathan, Olos and Cora. Her father's occupation was stone mason.

Nebraska had a state census in 1885 and the Albertson family appeared there in Emmet, Holt county Nebraska and now Aaron was listed as a farmer. Minerva was still living at home as well as Jessie, Nathan, Cora and Earl. But that didn't last too long because Minerva was married to Eldridge Malone there in Holt County 17 Dec 1885.

It appears that Aaron had applied for a homestead there in Holt County as he was granted a patent 1 Jul 1890. But he didn't stay there and the family was back in Hardin County Iowa by 1900. However, Minerva and Eldridge didn't go with her family as by 1900 they are listed on the census in Lavaca, Cherry County Nebraska. In the 14 years they had been married they had 7 children, 4 boys and 3 girls. This is where Eldridge applied for a homestead. He got a patent for 160 acres on 19 May 1903. Cherry County is the largest county in Nebraska with just over 6000 square miles. making it larger that the state of Connecticut. Cherry County is in the north central part of the state, adjoining South Dakota. The largest population historically was in 1920 when there were almost 12,000 people. The 2010 census counted less than 6000 inhabitants.

I am not sure how he did it but Eldridge obtained another homestead there a few miles away from his first one. This time it was for 479.1 acres and the patent was dated 25 Sep 1911. The 1910 census lists their location as Merriman, Cherry County. By now Eldridge was 56 and Minerva was 45 and their 9 living children ages 22 to 7 were living in the household.

It appears they spent the rest of their lives in Cherry County. They are listed at Eli in the 1920 census and there are still 6 children at home and a married son was living next door. Minerva became a widow when Eldridge died in 1924. He was buried at Center Cemetery there in Cherry County. By 1930 Minerva was listed as the operator of a general farm, even if she was now 65 years old. One daughter, Lola, who was a 32 year old unmarried school teacher, was living with Minerva. The married son with his family still was living nearby. It was in 1936 when Minerva died and was buried in the same cemetery as her husband.

I believe that I will remember Minerva (Albertson) Malone as one of the pioneer women from the homesteading days in the sand hills of Nebraska.

  

Early Oregon Cousins - Mary (Davis) Miles

Mary Davis was a 1st cousin 3 times removed, who was born in Lane County Oregon, not far from where I live now. She was nearer the current town of Creswell, while I live in Cottage Grove. Her birth took place on 11 Jun 1858. She was the 5th child of Isaac S. and Rebecca (Bond) Davis. Her parents and the 3 older children had crossed the plains from Iowa to Oregon over the Oregon Trail in 1853. Her parents had settled their Donation Lane Claim of 320 acres in October 1854 west of present day Creswell.

Mary was included in the 1860 census at age 3 with her parents, 4 older siblings and 1 younger sister. It was December of 1860 when her youngest brother was born. It was also when an inventory of her father's property was taken because he had been declared insane and her uncle Nelson Davis, her father's brother, was appointed guardian. According to some family stories, Isaac had been kicked in the head by a horse and this caused his difficulty. The land had to be sold to settle the estate.

Laura, Mary's sister, died in 1867 and another sister Martha was married about 1868, so there were 5 children in Rebecca's household in 1870. They lived in Springfield township, Lane County Oregon, between Rebecca's sister Elizabeth and her husband Nelson Davis with their 10 children and Martha and her husband William Alkire and their baby girl. Mary had many cousins nearby, many of whom were near her age. These were Mary's double cousins, since their mothers were sisters and their fathers were brothers.

But after Mary's Aunt Elizabeth died in 1872, the family moved to Whitman County Washington Territory. In 1880, only 22 year old Mary and her 19 year old younger brother Isaac were still at home living with their mother in the village of Farmington in Whitman County. Her sister Sarah with her husband Thomas Harris and their 2 children lived next door. Mary's brother James had moved to Nez Perce County Idaho Territory by 1880 and it was there that Mary married William L. Miles the next year, 24 Nov 1881.

However, by 1900 Mary and William are back in Whitman County Washington in Farmington District where William was working as a carpenter. By this time they had 4 sons and 1 daughter in their household. Also living with them was Mary's widowed 75 year old mother, Rebecca (Bond) Davis. It is probable that Rebecca died later that year. A number of family researchers list William's death as 1905 in Idaho. It makes sense because Mary was listed as a widow in the 1910 census when she was living in Coeur d'Alene, Kootenai County, Idaho with her son Roy and 2 boarders as she was keeping a boarding house. She is found living alone in Coeur d'Alene in the 1920 and 1930 censuses. Her older sister Martha also lived there.

Some family researchers list her death date as 1955. I haven't yet found documents to support that, but have not found any other date either.