THEME: Sports – Roller skating in Ashland

 My challenge for 2021, I am writing 52 “stories” about my mother’s parents and their line instead of 52 ancestors.  I thought it would be a good way to get those stories onto the page for others to enjoy.

I am a bit behind so hopefully I can get some through more of the "themes" that were part of the Amy Crow challenge this year.

Since I am mostly writing stories around my Mother's parents, the theme "sports" is a challenge as I have not heard of any stories where they or their siblings were involved in a sporting event so I thought I would write a little about my sport as a kid at my Mother's parent's house in Ashland.

It was during the time when roller skates were the metal kind that would fit on the bottom of your shoe. It has a "key" to tighten or loosen the tabs that held the skate to the shoe. Here is a picture I found on the internet.

I remember we were allowed to skate along the sidewalk outside of the yard. The sidewalk was not smooth and not without uneven places between the cracks. We fell a lot. But I have great memories skating.  It's interesting how the skates have changed throughout the years.

My mother, Patricia, has told us stories how she was a great skater when she was in high school.  She would love traveling to Ontario Oregon to skate.  Roller Skating was a sport for Mom.

What memories do you have roller skating?

Theme: Music

 (challenge by Amy Johnson Crow)

 My challenge for 2021, I am writing 52 “stories” about my mother’s parents and their line instead of 52 ancestors.  I thought it would be a good way to get those stories onto the page for others to enjoy.

For the Theme MUSIC, I thought I would highlight Patricia Schoenewald (my mother) and her sister, Darlene.

 I didn’t recall any story about their parents, aunts, uncles or grandparents having any musical genes but when I made that statement to my Aunt Darlene, she told me a story.

“One day as she was walking up to the house from school (younger grade school years), she heard the piano playing. Her first thought was someone must be visiting. Once she entered the house, she realized it was her grandmother Lilly playing the piano. Darlene was so surprised as she did not know her grandmother knew how to play the piano.  And she never heard her play again.  Darlene remembers that she played very well.  Also, her mother, Emmeline, would play enough of the piano to help with the Sunday School Class choir however never for any length of time or just for pleasure.”

Those two stories tell us there were musical genes in the family.

Both Pat and Darlene played the piano at a young age.  I did take lessons in grade school but wasn’t able to continue since we moved away and the opportunity wasn’t available anymore. I do dabble every once in a while. My sister’s grandson took several years of lessons but decided it wasn’t for him. And one of my sisters is currently taking lessons.

Pat only played the piano for fun.  Her and a girlfriend used to play together since Pat’s parents had two pianos in the house at one time.  The piano wasn’t really something that Pat wanted to continue to play like her sister did.

Pat also played the accordion.  Here is a picture of her and one of her boyfriends. In fact, I still have an accordion that Pat had.  I did try playing but didn’t pursue any lessons or practiced enough to become good at it.

Pat Schoenewald with boyfriend in the early 1950s

Darlene had a passion for playing the piano.  She would play for events at the church even as a little girl.  The family piano was gifted to her. It is a big upright beautiful one that is still in the family with one of Darlene’s nieces.

Darlene Schoenewald in the early 1960s

Hopefully the music genes continue to be passed down and someone in the family will find their passion playing the beautiful family piano.

The Family Piano

 

Theme: Loss – Ashland Hotel

 

(challenge by Amy Johnson Crow)

 My challenge for 2021, I am writing 52 “stories” about my mother’s parents and their line instead of 52 ancestors.  I thought it would be a good way to get those stories onto the page for others to enjoy.

Today’s theme is about the loss - Loss of an icon:

John Schoenewald in his 80s with a picture of the Ashland Hotel

 

The Ashland Hotel opened its door in 1889 and razed in the early 1960s, according to the Table Rock Sentinel in May of 1981. Ashland Oregon

 

My Grandpa John was contracted to help tear down this old building, they needed more help so he hired my father, Bob.  This was in 1961. Our family was living in Central Oregon at the time and my mother a few months pregnant.  My father decided to take the job and moved us to Ashland, living close by my mother’s family, making Ashland my little sister’s birth place.

 The family has several pieces of furniture that came from the old hotel.  I personally have the little stand used to store the pot back when private bathrooms were not available in each room.

 My Grandparents moved to Ashland around 1936. Thirty years of seeing this beautiful building standing proud in the downtown area.  In it’s day, it was considered a grand hotel and so it was sad to see such an icon being torn down.

Here are a couple of articles I found on when researching about the hotel history and a newspaper article that is in the family’s possession along with a picture of my grandfather holding a picture of the Hotel.

Article:

First National Bank of Portland Building (Site 40.0), built following the demolition of the Ashland Hotel

 The original building on this site was the Ashland Hotel, a late-19th century three-story brick building built in anticipation of Ashland's connection to the main line of the Southern Pacific Railroad. Occupying the full block and visually dominating downtown for more than three-quarters of a century, the Ashland Hotel was razed in June 1961. Completed in 1962 after the demolition, the First National Bank of Oregon Building (long the site First Interstate Bank and now Wells Fargo Bank following a series of mergers), occupies the south half of the block with parking and drive up windows on the north. The "gala ribbon-cutting ceremony feather Martha Wyatt, the lovely 'Miss Oregon' from Jacksonville," was held on Friday October 12th 1962. (Tidings, I l-Oct-1962) Built with a flat roof, set back from the sidewalk and designed in a modern, non-ornamental style with non-historic materials, the First National Bank of Oregon Building is not visually compatible with or complimentary to the historic character of the Ashland downtown.

Source:

National Register of Historic Places Registration Form  https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/00036090-5184-49bf-9e86-e92eb0d5efa4

The Article:

By the late 1800s, the Ashland Hotel (a beautiful brick building that stood on Main Street between Oak and Pioneer Streets) was built.

 “Hotel Opens its Doors to the Public.”

While today such a headline would hardly be newsworthy, in January of 1889 it was just about the most exciting event to occur in Ashland, Oregon…maybe ever!

The Hotel Oregon, later named the Ashland Hotel, was opening its doors to the public for the first time. The hotel covered an entire city block and, as one report described it, “…was a blaze of light from the office to the attic.”

The beautiful hotel boasted electricity, hot and cold running water, and 46 rooms furnished with solid oak bedroom sets, Brussels floral carpets, and tapestries. Best yet, every room had a window and some even had a closet.

Within the hotel there were several parlors, a barbershop, bar, reading room, billiard room, and a washhouse. Outside, a stable was at the ready to meet the transportation needs of the guests. 

Among the more famous of the hotel’s guests were William Taft, Jack London, William Jennings Bryan, and Joaquin Miller. 

The hotel was razed in the early 1960s to make room for a Wells Fargo Bank that today still occupies the block where the original hotel stood.

Source:

Ashland Hotel Is Favorite For Travelers.”  Table Rock Sentinel, May 1981 Vol. 1 No. 5 pg. 4-5.

As It Was is a co-production of Jefferson Public Radio and the Southern Oregon Historical Society. As It Was stories are broadcast weekdays on Jefferson Public Radio and are available online at asitwas.org.

 

Taken before the 1929 roof fire

Theme: Fortune

 (challenge by Amy Johnson Crow)

 My challenge for 2021, I am writing 52 “stories” about my mother’s parents and their line instead of 52 ancestors.  I thought it would be a good way to get those stories onto the page for others to enjoy.

 A story about “Dr. Forrest” marrying a Moran child”

For this theme, I am highlighting Dr. Forrest Bird.  He isn’t a blood relative but married into the Moran Family.  My Grandfather’s sister, Mary Schoenewald, married Merton Moran.  Merton’s brother, Thomas, had a daughter named Mary Patricia.  Mary Patricia married Forrest Bird.

 I have attached Thomas Moran’s obituary showing he had a daughter, Mary Patricia Bird. Two different obituaries for Mary are attached showing she is the daughter of Tom Moran of Sandpoint, Idaho and showing she married Dr. Bird in 1949. Forrest Bird’s obituary is very interesting to read.  Based on all that he did in his life, there could be a “Fortune” there but even if not in the sense of money at least in living a very interesting life is a “Fortune” in itself.

Mary Patricia Moran Bird

BIRTH	24 May 1918Boise, Ada County, Idaho, USA
DEATH	30 Aug 1986 (aged 68)Spokane County, Washington, USA
BURIAL	Desert Memorial ParkCathedral City, Riverside County, California, USA

 Mary Patricia Moran was born to Thomas Orville Moran and Pearl Baxter. On 25 Dec 1937, she married Francis Elton Rickman in Sandpoint, Bonner County, Idaho. The marriage ended in divorce by 1947. The 1940 census shows them residing in Connell, Franklin Co., Washington.

Mary Patricia Bird 68, of Palm Springs and Sandpoint Idaho, died Saturday in Spokane WA. Born in Bosie Idaho Mis Bird was a resident here for 30 years She was a member of the Palm Springs Eastern Star and was active in the community. Mrs Bird is survived by her husband, Dr Forrest Bird of Palm Springs and Sandpoint, Idaho, one daughter Kathy Bird Naloni of San Diego, and two grandchildren Burial will be at Palm Springs Memorial Park In lieu of flowers, the family suggesls donations to Lend A-Paw in Palm Springs

 

Dr Forrest Morton Bird

BIRTH	9 Jun 1921Stoughton, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, USA
DEATH	2 Aug 2015 (aged 94)Sagle, Bonner County, Idaho, USA
BURIAL	Cremated, Other, Specifically: Location, Bird Aviation Museum
MEMORIAL ID	152089870 · View Source

  

Dr. Forrest Morton Bird (June 9, 1921 – August 2, 2015) was an American aviator, inventor, and biomedical engineer. He is best known for having created some of the first reliable mass-produced mechanical ventilators for acute and chronic cardiopulmonary care.

Bird was born in Stoughton, Massachusetts. Bird became a pilot at an early age due to the encouragement of his father, a World War I pilot, and from meeting Orville Wright at an early age. He performed his first solo flight at age 14. By age 16 he was working to obtain multiple major pilot certifications. Bird enlisted with the United States Army Air Corps, and entered active duty in 1941 as a technical air training officer due to his advanced qualifications. This rank, combined with the onset of World War II, gave him the opportunity to pilot almost every aircraft in service, including early jet aircraft and helicopters.

The newest models of aircraft were capable of exceeding altitudes at which humans can breathe, even with 100% oxygen supplementation, introducing the risk of hypoxia. Bird discovered that an oxygen regulator in a crashed German bomber he was ferrying back to the U.S. for study seemed to contain a pressure breathing circuit. He took the oxygen regulator home, studied it, and made it more functional. It became the standard design for high-altitude oxygen regulators for most military aircraft until recent time. Bird studied medicine " ... to understand the human body and its stress in flight". This led to him developing efficient respirators and ventilators.

In 1967, Bird developed the Bird Innovator, a conversion of the Consolidated PBY Catalina amphibian aircraft. His company was Bird Oxygen Breathing Equipment Inc, later renamed Bird Corporation, the aircraft being based at Palm Springs until 1976.

Bird resided in Sagle, Idaho, close to the U.S. / Canadian border which is where his home, production facilities, museum and ranch are located. Dr. Bird collected and restored old planes, old cars, and motorcycles.

Forrest and Pamela Bird opened the Bird Aviation Museum and Invention Center in July 2007, with aviator Patty Wagstaff cutting a ceremonial ribbon at the end of the runway while flying. The Bird's are the founders and owners of the museum, which showcases Bird's various aircraft and inventions. On December 10, 2008, Bird received the Presidential Citizens Medal from President George Bush. The United States honored him for his groundbreaking contributions and for his work to keep America at the forefront of discovery. On October 7, 2009, President Barack Obama awarded Bird the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, a recognition of his "outstanding contributions to the promotion of technology for the improvement of the economic, environmental or social well-being of the United States.

Bird died at the age of 94 of natural causes at his Sagle, Idaho home on August 2,2015.

. Forrest M. Bird receiving the National Medal of Technology and Innovation from President Obama in 2009. Credit Luke Sharrett for The New York Times

Dr. Bird's Invention - Bird Mark 7 Ventilator

 -----------------------------------------------

This is Forrest Bird’s wife after Mary Moran Bird passed away at the age of 68 in 1986.  Pamela was quite a bit younger than Forrest Bird.  Her Bio stated she was a founder along with Forrest Bird of the Bird Aviation Museum, that is way I included a part of it.

 

Dr Pamela Riddle Hudek Bird

BIRTH	19 Aug 1956
DEATH	8 Oct 2015 (aged 59)Hope, Bonner County, Idaho, USA
BURIAL	Cremated, Ashes given to family or friend

Pamela and her late husband, Dr. Forrest Bird, were the founders of the Bird Aviation Museum and Invention Center. This is the world’s only aeromedical and innovation museum featuring a collection of more than 21 aircraft, rare vintage cars and a unique display of inventions from some of the greatest inventors in history that have impacted the world forever. The museum’s motto is, “One person can change the world and it can be you!”

 

 Obituaries:

 

 

THEME: Multiples – Timeline of all their moves

(challenge by Amy Johnson Crow) My challenge for 2021, I am writing 52 “stories” about my mother’s parents and their line instead of 52 ancestors. I thought it would be a good way to get those stories onto the page for others to enjoy. 

 Using the theme “Multiples”, I am showing the timeline of the “Multiple” events for my Grandparents, John and Emmeline Scheonewald, from their birth to their death. This also includes their two girls at the time of their marriage and where they first lived. Bits and Pieces of their Life Story will be told.

Darlene, John, Emmeline, Patricia

Theme: Names the Same

 

(challenge by Amy Johnson Crow)

 My challenge for 2021, I am writing 52 “stories” about my mother’s parents and their line instead of 52 ancestors.  I thought it would be a good way to get those stories onto the page for others to enjoy.

For this theme, I thought I would share a few pictures of my sister and our grandmother.  My sister was named Claudia May (after both of our grandmothers).  Our grandmother was named Claudia Emmeline.  We do not know where the name Claudia came from but Emeline was our Great Grandmother’s name.  Our grandmother was always known as Emmeline. She did not like the name Claudia and was not happy when her granddaughter was given that name.  It would be interesting to know when she started using her middle name, Emmeline, instead of Claudia.  My sister says that she does not mind her name, Claudia.  She’s proud to be named after her Grandmothers.

 

Here are a few pictures of them:

Grandmother and Granddaughter

Week 8 – Theme: Power (of Friendship)

 2021 – 52 ancestors for 52 weeks

(challenge by Amy Johnson Crow)

 My challenge for 2021, I am writing 52 “stories” about my mother’s parents and their line instead of 52 ancestors.  I thought it would be a good way to get those stories onto the page for others to enjoy.

The story about the “Power" of Friendship is what I am writing about for this week’s theme.

 

My mother, Pat, lived down the road from a family with 4 children. Pat was in the eighth grade when she met this family – Elmer and Mona Cruson. Whenever Mona needed a babysitter, Pat was just the person for the job. She and Mona became really good friends. Even Pat’s little sister, Darlene, played with one of the Cruson’s daughter.

Pat’s parents and grandparents decided to make the move to Ashland Oregon after Pat graduated from High School but Pat wanted to stay in Vale to finish her dental work.  During that timeframe, Elmer and Mona, moved to Nyssa Oregon and offered Pat a place to stay.  Pat continued doing a lot of babysitting while deciding what her next phase of life would be. One of Mona’s friend needed Pat to stay with her two children while she was in the hospital having her third child.  While Pat was there, a man stopped by to see his brother.  This man’s name was Robert Kurtz (who went by Bob). After visiting with Pat, he finally asked Pat out on a date.  That was in June.  By the 18^th of August of that same year, they were married.  Guess Pat found what her next phase of life would be. 

Pat continued to visit Mona all the time, they even lived next door to each other during the first year of Pat’s married life.  The friendship continued even though Pat and Bob moved around quite a bit. Mona’s girls would babysit Pat’s children from time to time.

Pat’s children remember spending many evenings with the Cruson family while the adults would play pinochle, a card game. Cruson’s had a cool house.  There was a “secret” door into their boy’s bedroom. Anyway, that is what we thought but it really was a door through a cupboard that entered into a room converted from part of the garage.  The girl’s bedroom was upstairs in an attic type sitting with a play area in the crawl space. And the best part was Mona had a drawer full of fun toys that we could play with.

As Mona’s children began having their own children, Pat’s children would then babysit. That’s a three-generation babysitting progression.

The years flew by while Mona and Pat continued to remain the best of friends and visit each other no matter how far away they lived from each other.

The Power of Friendship is great!

While I was uploading Elmer’s obituary to the Familysearch.org family tree site, I discovered that one of other people entering information onto the site was related to us through the Hollingsworth/Patton line.

How interesting!  I must research this!  We had no idea that the two families could be related!  

Here are some pictures I found in our Treasure Box:

Cruson and Kurtz Families at McCall Idaho Hot Springs

Backrow: Dale and Donna Cruson - Frontrow: John, Bobbie, Claudia, Joan Kurtz

Dian, Dale, Debbie, Donna Cruson

Dian and Debbie

Mona and Elmer Cruson 1986 Arizona

T

Mona and Elmer Cruson

The Cruson Family

The Cruson Family

Week 7 – Unusual Source – Grain Solo “home”

 2021 – 52 ancestors for 52 weeks

(challenge by Amy Johnson Crow)

 My challenge for 2021, I am writing 52 “stories” about my mother’s parents and their line instead of 52 ancestors.  I thought it would be a good way to get those stories onto the page for others to enjoy.

An “unusual Source” can also mean an “unusual home” when you look in the Thesaurus. And that is just what my Great Grandparents (William and Eliza Hollingsworth) used for their bedroom – an unusual source/home. 

 

My Great Grandparents, William and Eliza Hollingsworth moved from Ashland Oregon, a pretty little town known for the Shakespearian Festival, to Vale Oregon located in the high desert of Eastern Oregon.  Definitely two different kinds of scenery. Since Ashland is located on the west side where they receive lots of rain, there are lots of trees. Very green looking. The high desert of Vale consists of more shrub brush and not much rain. Not long after William and Eliza had made the move, their daughter and son-in-law, John and Emmeline Schoenewald, joined them from Ashland to Vale. The house was located about 3 miles from Town. The little house was too small for a family of 4 adults and 2 children so the old granary was cleaned out and decorated as a bedroom.  Both my mother and aunt remember sleeping in the Grain Solo with their Grandparents, my Great Grandparents. What a cool idea to make the Solo into a bedroom.  The girls thought it was pretty special to sleep out there. They evidentially built a larger home for everyone to live in.

 

I wish I had a picture of the Grain Solo but here is what the house looked like.

Claudia Emmeline (Hollingsworth) Schoenewald, John Schoenewald, Eliza (Bentz) Hollingsworth, William Hollingsworth, Darlene Schoenewald.

This is a sample picture of what a Grain Solo looked like. The Solo were usually located out by the barn area.  It was a round metal building that held the grain after it was brought in from the fields.  The farmers either used it for themselves to feed the stock or sold it.  Some Solos can be very big, some small.  I do not know how big the one was located on the Schoenewald / Hollingsworth property.

Picture courtesy of unsplash: https://unsplash.com/s/photos/grain-silo

In future posts there will be additional stories told around this move to Vale.

Families Matter - Past and Present

Week 6 - Theme: Valentine - A Wedding on Valentine’s Day

 2021 – 52 ancestors for 52 weeks

(challenge by Amy Johnson Crow)

 My challenge for 2021, I am writing 52 “stories” about my mother’s parents and their line instead of 52 ancestors.  I thought it would be a good way to get those stories onto the page for others to enjoy.

Theme: Valentine

A Wedding on Valentine’s Day 

There are a lot of topics that could be written around this theme. I decided to write about my Great Great Great Grandparents – Benjamin Hall and Elizabeth Lemmon.  I included a family chart showing how they are related.

Family Chart

Benjamin and Elizabeth were married on Valentine’s Day, Feb 14, 1841 in Vermillion, Indiana by Isaac Bullington, Officiator. 

Benjamin Hall and Elizabeth Lemmon

Marriage Record - listed at the bottom 

Benjamin was 24 years old and Elizabeth was only 17 years old.  Though back in that timeframe, 17 was not considered young for the woman to get married.  I wonder how they met?  What was their wedding like? Was it a big celebration or a small one? Her Obituary stated that she was a member of the Christian Church all her life so maybe their wedding was in the Church?

They both were living in Vermillion Indiana when they got married and made Vermillion their home for the first few years of their marriage. Sometime between 1845 and 1947 they moved from Vermilion Indiana to Red Rock Iowa, about 390 miles, where they continued to farm until they moved to Jasper County Iowa only 30 miles away around 1870. Their first 3 children were born in Indiana, and the additional 11 children were all born in Iowa. While researching the Red Rock area, I found a few men with the last name Hall living in Marion County.  At some point I will do more research to see if these men are related to Benjamin Hall.  It might give some insight into why the family moved from Indiana to Iowa. 

Their eldest child, Emaline (my Great Great Grandmother), married a man from Red Rock Indiana and had moved to Ashland, Nebraska.  Benjamin and Elizabeth decided to make the journey to Nebraska and purchase a plot of land outside of the Ashland township about 3 miles on 11 September 1972 for $2,350.00 (today’s dollar is $50,172.50). This makes me think they probably sold some farm land in Iowa. Ashland Nebraska was about 200 miles from Red Rock Iowa.

Homestead at Ashland Nebraska

Benjamin’s Death

On the 2^nd of January, 1875 a team of horsed brought Benjamin home. Unfortunately, a tragic accident must have happened as he was dead when they found him. He is buried in the Old Clear Creek Cemetery in Nebraska. He only had the land for three years.

There is a probate document on file showing the land was now owned by Benjamin’s wife, Elizabeth. The 1880 Federal census is showing Elizabeth as the head of household with 5 children ages 20, 19, 16, 14 and 12.  All old enough to help Elizabeth with the farming. By 1885, the three eldest children had moved out, leaving only the two youngest still living at home, ages 19 and 17. Did Elizabeth give the land to one of her Children? Or did she sell the property for money to live on?

 

Probate Record for Benjamin Hall

Her daughter Hannah had moved to San Diego California. By 1890, Elizabeth was 67 and living with Hannah and her family in California.

Elizabeth’s Death

Elizabeth died the 23^rd of February, 1902 and buried in the Clear Creek cemetery along side her husband Benjamin in Nebraska.

 

Obituary for Elizabeth Lemmon Hall

After doing additional research, it appears that Elizabeth’s daughter whom she was living with at the time of her death per the attached Obituary was Josephine.  Josephine was married to John Willis Clark.  The A. W. Clark listed on the obituary may have been transcribed in error as the copy I have is not a copy of the original. Josephine and John Clark were living in Marble Prescient in Nebraska at the time of Elizabeth’s death. 

Head Stone in the Clear Creek Cemetery Nebraska

 They were married for 34 years with 14 Children.

Table listing children, born state and death state (they still need to be verified)

Name	Birth Date	Birth State	Death Date	Death State
Emaline	7 Dec 1841	Indiana	14 Feb 1923	Nebraska
Josephine	4 Feb 1844	Indiana	1 Oct 1865	Iowa
Albert Milo	1 Dec 1845	Indiana	20 Dec 1845
James Robert	2 Oct 1847	Iowa	13 April 1909	Iowa
Baby Hall	28 Dec 1850	Iowa	29 Dec 1850	Iowa
Elvira	23 April 1851	Iowa	7 June 1890	Nebraska
Francis M	28 July 1853	Iowa	23 March 1882
Oscar Simpson	10 Jan 1856	Iowa	4 Feb 1877	Nebraska
Martha Etta	1 Aug 1858	Iowa	19 Nov 1934	Oregon
Jasper T.	7 April 1860	Iowa	18 May 1937	Nebraska
Daniel Alvin	17 Oct 1861	Iowa	12 Feb 1941	Iowa
Hannah Clementine	Jan 1864	Iowa	22 Oct 1939	Neb
David T.	Dec 1866	Iowa	6 Oct 1921
Garnsey Benjamin	21 Feb 1868	Iowa	17 Apr 1954	Nebraska

 

History:

Indiana

Vermillion County lies in the western part of the U.S. state of Indiana between the Illinois border and the Wabash River. It was officially established in 1824 and was the fiftieth Indiana county to be formed. The first settlers in the area arrived in 1816, the same year that the state of Indiana was established. Vermillion Township is one of five townships in Vermillion County, Indiana, United States. 

Vermillion Indiana to Red Rock Iowa – about 390 miles

In the 1860 there were approximately sixteen to seventeen thousand people in Marion County Iowa.  During the War of the Rebellion, one thousand three hundred and seventy two men went to war.

 In a book about Marion County, it referenced a Claiborn Hall who was a treasurer for the County, a Henry Hall and a JC Hall who also had something to do with the County and a Garrett W Hall who was wounded at Shiloh on 30 January 1862 and discharged 13 June 1862.  These families may have been related to Benjamin F. Hall and could explain why Benjamin moved his family from Indiana to Marion County Iowa. More research needs to be done to confirm if this theory is true.

Red Rock Iowa to Ashland Nebraska – about 200 miles

Ashland is located at the site of a low-water limestone ledge along the bottom of Salt Creek, a mud-bottomed stream that was an obstacle for wagon trains on the great westward migrations of the late 1840s and 1850s. The limestone bottom of Salt Creek at Ashland made it an excellent fording site.

 

Fun Facts during the timeframe of Benjamin and Elizabeth:

Ashland was established in 1870 and named after Ashland, the estate of Henry Clay. The telegraph lines came to Saunders County in May 1869. The railroad in 1870. From 1867 thru 1870, a stage line ran from Plattsmouth to Lincoln. Ashland was an over night stop.  Ashland’s first newspaper, the Ashland Times, began its existence April 8, 1870.

 Families Matter - Past and Present

Happy Hunting