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The Westaby siblings pose c. 1910. Back row, left to right: Izma, Lynn, George Front row: Reuben, Guy, Charles |
AnceStories: The Stories of My Ancestors
Welcome to my blog about my genealogical research: my triumphs, my challenges, my research notes...plus some tips and links for you.
Monday, July 07, 2025
The Story of Lost Lynn: Part 2
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Friday, July 04, 2025
Notable July Fourth Events in Our Family History
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Free photo image by Kaboompics.com Found at Pexels.com |
Marriages
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Saturday, June 21, 2025
The Story of Lost Lynn: Part 1
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Lynn Walker Westaby, c. 1906, Forsyth, Rosebud County, Montana Original photo scanned in by author in 2014 from the collection of Troy W. Midkiff, Vancouver, Washington. |
He was taken to the doctor. His foot was so badly crushed there was no repairing it. The only way to save his leg and his life was to have the injured foot amputated.6,7 This must have been a horrible experience; both the traumatizing accident and the resulting amputation. However, there was a great deal of spunk in the little boy. Only a month later the local paper reported "Lynn Westaby, the little fellow who lost a foot by falling under the cars last month, is able to be out again with the aid of crutches."8
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Tuesday, February 04, 2025
Steve Goes to Reform School
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Untitled news item, Bonners Ferry Herald (Bonners Ferry, Idaho), 22 September 1916, p. 4, col. 4; digital image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : 30 October 2024). |
The continued hearing in the case of the state against Stephen Martin, charged with being a juvenile delinquent, was heard by Probate Judge O'Callaghan last Monday. Judge O'Callaghan took the case under advisement and will render a decision Monday.
The following week a Herald journalist wrote these paragraphs which appear to be not just reporting Stephen's sentencing, but an op-ed piece about the County Auditor:
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"County Business Plus Politics," Bonners Ferry Herald (Bonners Ferry, Idaho), 29 September 1916, p. 10, col. 1; digital image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : 12 November 2024). |
County Business Plus Politics
Stephen Martin, who on Monday in Judge O'Callaghan's court was held to be a juvenile delinquent and who was ordered committed to the Idaho State Industrial cshool [sic] at St. Anthony, left last evening for the state school in the custody of County Auditor Stanley.
Just at this time this comes as an interesting bit of news owing to the fact that recently the county auditor alleged the duties of his office required two deputies (at a total salary of $150 monthly) and that he could not get along with less help. Nevertheless the county auditor finds time to assume the role of state land appraiser upon occasions and to act as a guard when an opportunity presents itself to visit other towns of the state, presumably at the expense of the county, all of which needs but little explanation when it is remembered that Mr. Stanley is the democratic nominee for congressman. The trip to St. Anthony should give Auditor Stanley a good chance to look after his political fences.
The final article I found was a notice published also on 22 September 1916 by the Martins' neighbor, John V. Witt, who you may recall reported in the article "Ike Martin Freed By Jury" that "Sunday evening someone fired a bullet from a high-power rifle through the front door of his house, the bullet passing a little over the head of his sleeping baby. On Monday Mrs. Witt was badly frightened when the clothes she was hanging up to dry were peppered with shot from a shotgun." The insinuation was that it was the Martins doing the shooting.
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"Notice to Hunters in Katka District," Bonners Ferry Herald (Bonners Ferry, Idaho), 22 September 1916, p. 6, col. 1; digital image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : 30 October 2024). |
Notice to Hunters in Katka District
On and after this date there shall be no hunting upon the ground enclosed by my fence as I have taken notice that some people haven't sufficient brains to use a gun with safety to the general public. I have to take these precautions to protect the lives of my wife and baby. Any person or persons found hunting on my premises will be prosecuted.
September 15, 1916
(Signed) JOHN V. WITT. tf
I had not heard of the Idaho State Industrial School, so I did a Google search. Sometimes called the Idaho State Reform School, it was located in St. Anthony, Fremont County, Idaho. Founded in 1903, it housed wayward youth in conditions so bad that reportedly, some inmates chose to take their own lives. A Wikipedia article discusses the Women's Dormitory which is now on the National Register of Historic Places. A PDF document published by the Idaho Historical Society details the nomination of the dormitory to the National Register. The Men's Dormitory likely looked similar.
I wondered if Stephen was still an inmate when the 1920 Federal Census was taken four years later, but reviewing the census records for the school, line by line, did not yield his name. In fact, I could not find him at all on this census, any where in the United States, even in his parents' home. By 1920, the Martin family had moved to Kahlotus, Franklin County, Washington, over 200 miles southwest of their former home in Katka, Idaho.1 They had sold their home in 19192 and moved to Washington; whether it was because of the neighborhood tensions or because Frank's job as a "railroad boss", or perhaps both. It's likely that Stephen had served his time and had moved on.
P.S. Check out the link in the second source below to see a 1910 photo postcard of the Martin's home in Katka and a short article from the Bonner County Historical Society & Museum. Steve is likely the smallest boy on the left wearing overalls.
Sources:
1. 1920 U.S. census, Franklin County, Washington, population schedule, Kahlotus Precinct, p. 1B, dwelling 21, family 21, Frank J. Martin household; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 12 March 2014), image 2 of 9.
2. ---, "From the Archives," Bonners Ferry (Idaho) Herald, 16 September 1921; digital image, BonnersFerryHerald.com (https://bonnersferryherald.com/news/2021/sep/16/archives-sept-16-2021: accessed 4 February 2025).
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Tuesday, October 29, 2024
That Time Grandpa Martin Blew Up the Schoolhouse and Uncle Ike Shot a Bull
Recently, my children's father's cousin was in our local area and met up with their uncle, my former brother-in-law. The cousin and her husband had driven up to Sandpoint, Idaho, the county seat near where their ancestors had lived, and visited the museum. They talked to the museum staff about whether they were familiar with a story about a local schoolhouse being blown up in the early twentieth century. When the staff answered in the affirmative and said two young men had been arrested, the cousin shared the family story of how it was actually the father who had done the dirty deed.
After hearing all this from my children's uncle, I decided to see if I could find any newspaper articles about the incident to parse out family legend and facts. I hit the jackpot with Newspapers.com's collection of Bonners Ferry Herald issues. I found two articles referencing the incident and another one that hinted at it.
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“Katka School Wrecked,” Bonners Ferry Herald (Bonners Ferry, Idaho), 1 September 1916, p. 10, col. 3; digital image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : 29 September 2024). |
Katka School WreckedThe school house at Katka was wrecked by an explosion of dynamite shortly after noon Wednesday. The county officers will endeavor to apprehend the guilty parties.The Katka district recently let a contract for the building of a new modern school to Frank Clapp. The old building was to have been used until the new one was ready for occupancy. It is claimed that incident Wednesday is the result of dissatisfaction over the action of the school trustees in hiring a teacher.
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“Katka Folks in Trouble,” Bonners Ferry Herald (Bonners Ferry, Idaho), 8 September 1916, p. 1, col. 6; digital image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : 29 September 2024). |
KATKA FOLKS IN TROUBLE
Ike Martin Charged With Shooting Mayfield's Bull—Martins Threaten To Have Mayfield Arrested
YOUNGER MARTIN IS TAKEN TOO
Is Charged With Being a Juvenile Delinquent
Charged with maliciously shooting a bull belonging to A. C. Mayfield, Ike Martin, of Katka, was arrested last Saturday by Sheriff Worley. Steve Martin, a younger brother, was taken in charge by Worley and at the time of his brother's hearing, next Tuesday morning, will be arraigned as a juvenile delinquent before Probate Judge O'Callaghan.
The shooting is said to have happened Friday evening and it is understood that the state will produce witnesses to prove the charges made against the elder Martin.
The defendant in the case was unable to secure bonds and is in Sheriff Worley's charge. He claims that the bull shot is dangerous and that he shot it to protect himself.
The younger lad, it is claimed, will have to answer to several minor charges and the county authorities claim that he was heard to have made threats about blowing up the Katka school. It is claimed that the older Martin boy made similar threats and that damaging circumstantial evidence will be produced. Both the Martins deny having anything to do with the blowing up of the old Katka school house a week ago last Wednesday.
The Martin boys are sons of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Martin, who have lived in the district many years. Mr. Martin, Sr., was in the city yesterday and announced that he intended to swear to a complaint charging A. C. Mayfield with drawing a loaded revolver and threatening one of the Martin boys with it at the time of the recent school election at Katka.
After the Katka schoolhouse was blown up last week it developed that several of the patrons of the school were in arms over the action of the school board. It seems that the board first hired Mrs. Mary Dore to teach again this year and that for some reason or other the clerk, A. A. Jennings, took it upon himself to sign a contract with Miss Gertrude O'Neill, of Minnesota. Miss O'Neill arrived here last Saturday expecting to begin the school term Monday. It was told yesterday that the school board of the district had agreed to pay Miss O'Neill's expenses back to her home if she would relinquish her contract.
John Franklin "Frank" Martin and his wife Angelia Rebecca (Luke) Martin were my children's great-great-grandparents. They had 12 children; Isaac "Ike" Raymond Martin and Steven Charles Martin being their third and fifth sons and seventh and tenth children, respectively. Their sixth daughter and youngest child, Leona Mary Martin (married name Chaplin), was my children's great-grandmother. She does not appear in this story and would have been not quite 10 years old at the time.
While I have not yet found more information about charges regarding the schoolhouse incident, it does sound like there was basically a feud between the Martins and the Mayfields with gunshots fired on both sides. In addition, serious accusations were made against the young Steve Martin without any apparent evidence.
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“Ike Martin Freed by Jury,” Bonners Ferry Herald (Bonners Ferry, Idaho), 15 September 1916, p. 4, col. 4; digital image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : 29 September 2024). |
IKE MARTIN FREED BY JURY
Tried in Probate Court for Shooting Mayfield's Bull
The trial of Ike Martin on the charge of having shot a bull belonging to A. C. Mayfield, occupied attention of Probate Judge O'Callaghan Tuesday. The jury in the case brought in a verdict of "not guilty" and Martin was dismissed.
Nearly every resident of the Katka district attended the trial as a witness for the defendant or the state. Witnesses for the state claimed that the bull was shot from behind and Mrs. Mayfield swore to seeing Ike Martin shoot the bull. The Martin swore that he shot the bull from in front and that he was afraid of it as it was of a vicious disposition. Other witnesses swore that the bull was vicious. Bartlett Sinclair defended Martin.
On Wednesday Stephen Martin was given a hearing before Probate Judge O'Callaghan on the charge of being a juvenile delinquent. S. E. Henry conducted the defense. The case was continued until Monday when further evidence will be introduced.
In this case many Katka people were called in as witnesses. Mrs. Jennings and son were star witnesses for the state and swore that young Martin had attempted un-natural practices upon the baby Jennings girl. Witnesses for the Martin boy gave him a good character.
There is great bitterness in the Katka district over the recent happenings. The Martins and their friends claim they are being prosecuted, while many of their neighbors say they are living in dread of their lives and the lives of their wives and children.
J. V. Witt reports that Sunday evening someone fired a bullet from a high-power rifle through the front door of his house, the bullet passing a little over the head of his sleeping baby. On Monday Mrs. Witt was badly frightened when the clothes she was hanging up to dry were peppered with shot from a shotgun.
This all sounds very much like the Hatfields and the McCoys, doesn't it? I definitely need to search for more newspaper articles and plan to research court records, perhaps on site at the courthouse in nearby Sandpoint.
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Thursday, September 19, 2024
Precious Memories: Tying Shoes
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Miriam and Pixie on the front steps at our home on Bayview Boulevard, Klawock, Alaska, 1971. |
Then he showed me how to cross the ends of the shoelaces ("make an X"), take the bottom lace up and over the other, through the "hole" at the bottom of the X, and pull the ends tight. Finally, I made "bunny ears" with each of the laces and repeated the previous steps. I was so proud that I could tie my little blue Keds all by myself!
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Wednesday, September 11, 2024
Henry Jacobs: A War of 1812 Veteran Ancestor?
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View of the Camp of Col Laight's Regiment of Militia from the New York Public Library's Digital Collection |
I have looked at the pension records available for War of 1812 Veterans and their widows at Fold3. The only one for a man named Henry Jacobs was a soldier who died 29 June 1861 in Morristown, Pennsylvania.5 My Henry Jacobs lived until 11 November 18766 and died presumably in the Town of Candor, where he was last enumerated in the 1875 New York State Census with his daughter and son-in-law, Esther and James Cortwright.7 Pensions for veterans of this war were not offered until 1871,8 and if his daughter's family was able to support and care for him, there would have been no reason to apply for a pension.
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