Transcribed as originally written (including spelling errors) - 11 pp.
I have highlighted some particularly lovely passages that I feel give a taste of what it was like to grow up in Glencoe at the turn of the century. Things that will probably never be seen the same way again. Once upon a time a little boy was born in Elm Springs Ark., to Allen and Katie Butler Baggett on Nov. 30, 1872. The named him Edward - called him Eddy for a while, then Ed when he grew to be a tall and lanky boy. he was a handsome young man with a mustache. He grew up in the Cottage Grove district, going to school here. His folks moved to this community when he was a small child. When he was a young man he went one night to an entertainment at Maple Grove district near by. There was a dialogue given by some of the young folks and a lovely young lady had a prominent part in it. She had dark hair and brown eyes and some how Ed thought he'd like to get aquainted with her. So young men and young ladies were in those days like they have always been and still are these days. He did some thinking about it. Anyway he met her and they went together for more than a year. His folks decided to move out to the Okla. Territory to see if it was as wild as they heard it was. So they took Ed and his 3 sisters and 1 brother - Annie, Pearl & Earl and Winnie. By this time Ed and Mary Etta Beeman, born Oct. 31, 1875, the young lady he had been "keeping company" with had been doing some serious thinking. But Ed was ready for adventure in the "Wild West". He ran in the race in the Okla. Territory and "staked his claim" out toward Tulsa. But it wasn't very good looking farm land, so he sold it to some poor sucker. Years later he found they had struck oil on this "poor old rocky farm". We missed that boat, too! The older son Jim, and his family went along, too, and 3 little girls. Ed's folks built a little log house, fences, barns and drilled a well on a 160 acre school lease. Ed kept thinking of Mary and wrote letters to her and she kept thinking of him Ed and writing letters to him. Ed had a team of horses - Old Joe & Florry - and a covered wagon and so he went back to Kans. in Oct. 1897. They were married Oct. 12 at Mary's home. His brother and his wife Mary and their 3 daughters went in their covered wagon. Then in a few days they started back to Okla. If you haven't guessed it before, this was Mr. Edd and Mrs. Edd Baggett. Yeah, sure, Our MOM & POP! When they got to Okla. there was a lovely little Honeymoon Home waiting for Mary. Ed and his father and brother had dug a dugout hole in the ground 4 or 5 feet deep and about the size of a good sized room and built up the sides with logs and dobbin (a mixture of sand, lime and water). It had a fireplace at the north end and a door at the south end. He had it furnished and ready for Mary. Ed and Mary were very happy in their little home, a very cozy little home. It was cool in summer and warm in winter. It was down in the pasture about 2 good city blocks from Grandpa's home, down near the timber. A little crick stared up just back of the dugout a little way and there was a spring back there. They carried water for their use from this spring. The time went fast and they were very much in love. It came Spring in Olka. , but earlier than it does in Wis. The pasture was pretty and green; blue and white daisies all about and little wild flowers called Star of Bethlehem (dainty little white flowers with pink splatchs in and another one that was such a tiny blue flower about 1 in. high. There were buffalo wallows scattered over the pasture where buffalo used to roll and wallow and kick up dust to chase the flies. The little blue flowers always grew in these wallows and a fine grass grew in the bottom of the puddles. (When we kids grew bigger we used to run in the pasture after a rain and wade in the puddles.) AGNES Well time went by fast. It was Jan. 3, 1899, and the first of their 10 children arrived around 1 A.M. that Jan. day. Early in the A.M. and early in the New Year. Guess I've never been early much of the time since! but I guess they were like most new parents, that first little baby is just about all you can think of for a while ( and I guess I didn't let them forget either). They said they kept the lamp burning at night for a while then decided we could sleep in the dark, so put out the light. Well I woke up screaming and they got up and lit the lamp to see what was wrong. I stopped the music and was quiet. I like the light and I've never got used to sleeping in a real dark room - it scares me to death - ask Lola; but I grew and loved my home very much. Then in Oct. of that same year we moved up with Grandpa. Grandma had died before Mama and Papa were married. Aunt Pearl, Uncle Earl and Aunt Winnie had all married and Grandpa was alone in the house at home. We lived there together with Grandpa till he died in 1908, Dec. 14. He'd go and visit at the other homes for a while and Mama said he always was glad to be back with us. I guess he got used to us from babies up and we were more like his own family. I used to like to go to town with him or just for a walk. I remember when they built the railroad that went thru Lela and over past the Green farm where we lived later. We crossed the R.R. on the way to school, you older kids will remember. One day when they were working on the R. R. along just west of Jerry Campbell's place, Grandpa and Mama took Elsa and me in the old buggy and drove out there to see them at work. I remember there were colored men working and one was on the cow catcher. He was a big fat man and he was so black and his tongue was so red. It was something new for me, but as I grew older I used to them more. ELSA On a pretty sunny day in Okla. on Dec. 22, 1902, our Grandpa Baggett and I went out to take a walk around our farm home., so I remember our mother said, and after so long a time we drifted back home. There I first beheld my little pink faced sister; yes, it was Elsa. I thot that she was about the cutest little baby I'd ever seen in y whole 3 years. But little did I think what was in store for me! She could be the best, sweetest kid you could want to have around, and maybe for ah hour was gone she was up to a stunt to try out on me. Aunt Belle Rentfro was at our house that day to greet Elsa, as she had been 3 years before to greet me. No there were no Drs. very near the house in those days in Okla. I suppose there likely were some in Pawnee then, but that was 10 miles away and no telephone, and to go 10 miles to get a Dr. and then wait for him to come back 10 miles took a lot of time, so Mama had to depend on a near neighbor. Aunt Belle lived a mile north of us where the Farichilds lived when we were on the Green place. You older kids will remember. Mama said Grandpa and I got home in time so that I got to carry Elsa to Mama's bed. (with a little (?) help from Aunt Belle. But I know Elsa and I had more fun than I'm sure kids these days have with all of their fancy new-fangled gadgets. How we'd make our stick dolls and cut up any scraps Mama had for us and made some quite original styles - we thot - and play for hours. And we cut out paper dolls from the old catalogs and magazines. As we got older we'd think up new things to amuse or tantalize.each other. When we were tired of being peaceable and loving, one of us would say "Hey, let's mock each other!" Then we were off and on our way. the one who started out was usually the loser tho, for no matter what you did the other would keep mocking till O, I could about scream - but what good was there in doing that? She'd give out with a louder one than I did. There was never any relief till I'd go tell Mama "Make Elsa quick mocking me." O O O O what our poor old Mom went thru with us 2 or 3 older kids, I don't see how she had the courage to go on and have 10 of us. But as I remember, Mama had a lot of patience with us older kids, more than with the younger ones. Guess she was beginning to wonder if it even paid to be patient. I remember on the Green place when the kids used to come along with "HYL" (hit you last) and the race was on. Maybe a couple more added to the 1st couple. i can still see Elsa running across the corn field out west of the house, one side of her hair had worked loose and was flying tin the wind. O, love that Elsa, Yep, I sure did. Always! HARLEY One cold cloudy morning in March, the 15th to be exact, in 1904, I remember . I was up kinda early I guess, anyway it looked kinda dark and dreary. I was looking out of the window and I saw someone driving in our gate. Say it looked like our old buggy and our "Old Joe" pulling it and Mrs. Browning was driving him! Now whatever in the work was she coming to our house for, that time of day and driving our horse? When I asked her how it happened that she was driving Old Joes, she said he came into their yard that morning and she thot she better bring him back home. I can't remember what they did with Elsa and me that day , but some time or other there was our little baby brother. "Mama's little Harley Man". Then our joy was complete. You know, I had heard Mama telling someone sometime be fore that her brother Charlie (our Uncle) had wanted a little sister so badly and he prayed that God would send him a little sister and sure enough a short time later our mom was born. So I thot I'd try it too, and I remember I prayed for a little brother for a while and we did get our brother. Of course someone else must have thot of it before I ever got the idea, for as I remember it wasn't too long before he was born and I know time went much slower those days then it does now. I don't know for sure but I believe that Mama had Dr. Cash for our Dr. when Harley was born. I know for all the rest he was our Dr. until we came to Kans. Then Dr. Webb came for Roland. I guess the worst thing that happened in our family up to about now was in June 1906. When one day I had done something naughty and Mama told me to go out to the corncrib and go in and shut the door and stay till I could be a good girl (in June the corn was all gone) So after a while someone discovered that Harley was missing and "Whoopee" Agnes got out of jail and everyone went looking for Harley. Papa was working over at Mr. Brownings. He had rented some land from Mr. B and had planted corn. Neva was a baby, born in Mar. I don't know just what Mama did with her and Elsa, she would have been 4 and I was 7. Elsa couldn't run all over the farm with the rest of us. Papa had Fred and Bill Walton, they were cousins of Uncle Jim's and Aunt Mary's kids. They were likely about 11 & 12. These boys ere chopping cotton for Pop and Mama sent me to the field to have them look for Harley. I went with them and we hunted on our place and the farm west of Us. Mama called Mrs. Taulbee and she came. Anyway she found him down north of the orchard. Papa had planted a small patch of corn (likely sweet corn) and he was wandering in the corn. Mama said he must have been asleep for one side of his face was sunburned. We missed him around 11 A.M. and it was 12;30 or so I guess - think Mama said he was gone about 1 1/2 hours. Mama had called Brownings for Papa to come home, but I guess before he got home he'd been found. We were all a very happy family that day, I can tell you. I guess I didn't let him get out of my sight the rest of the summer. Mama told me if I didn't quit watching him so close he wouldn't answer me at all, but just seemed I couldn't keep my mind off him. I worried all summer because I was to start school in the fall and how could I trust anyone to watch him and not let him get away again. But to school I had to go and he didn't get lost again. NEVA Well, I didn't have any ideas about I should pray for another brother, but one night along about Mar. 7, 1906, Elsa and I woke up in the bed the folks had in the kitchen. Grandpa used to sleep in when he was with us (we had a trundle bed that papa had cut down from and old wooder bedstead and made a little low bed Mama rolled under their bed in the daytime and rolled out at nite,) Somehow they had got us out into this bed. We heard some unusual noises (anyway I did and guess I woke Elsa up) and here was Tade Akers our hired man. he'd gone to get Mrs. Hopp to be with Mama. He was sitting by the kitchen stove with the oven door open and he had his coat and cap on and there was a baby crying someplace. So guess what? Yeah, we had something! So we were talking like 2 little kids would; wondering what it was and hoping it was a brother so we'd each have a brother. All the jabbering we did, I've always wondered just what all we did say that might be interesting to a young man about 18 or 19! I guess he had been with us since the last fall, anyway one night shortly after he came to our shouse we were getting ready for bed and we always kissed Papa and Mama goodnite, so Elsa went over and stood beside Tade's char up close and just looking at him. Guess she must have said something, he was reading. Anyway he asked what she said and Mama said she guessed she wanted to kiss him goodnite, so he bent over and she kissed him. Elsa was the kissin'est girl I ever knew. She kissed this little girl in the depot in Winfield, Kans. who was sick, and in about 2 weeks she got the measles and gave 'em to all the rest of us. Another time we had stopped at Mr. Brownings one Sun. P.M. from church and Mr. B had colored man & his wife living in a little cabin in the pasture working for him. They had a little baby, likely 5 or 6 months old. The mother had blanket out in the yard and the baby laying on it. We kids had wandered out and were sitting out there visiting with the lady and Elsa god done on the blanket with the baby and kissed it. We asked her afterward why she did it. "Well, I was afraid the Mama might be mad at me if I didn't" she said. Hey, I'll be Elsa will be ready to "HYL" at me after all my blabbing about her. Well, I'm just getting a little even for some of the things she did to me Na-Ya-Na-Ya! But I love that gal m-m-m-m. Well, looks like I've got off my track haven't I? This is sposed to be for Neva. Well anyway Neva was a very sweet little sister & we were just as happy with her as if she'd have been a boy Sh was always a loving cuddly little girl. I guess the worst she ever did for us was the time I had put my paper dolls up on the dresser so the little kids couldn't tear them or lose them & here that little stinger pulled the chair up to the dresser & stood on it & I heard her talking and went to see. She was pulling their heads off and saying so "sweetly" to herself "hic loy pop" (hear they pop). I had the worst luck bringing up my sisters and bros.! But now I'm glad I did. I really don't get mad at them anymore. The are all so good to me. Neva had such a pretty little blue dress mad of flaxon, a kinda mercerized cotton, a sky blue with little white star-shaped figures. Mama made it cute with a long waist and little pleated skirt and trimmed with lace. She was a livin' doll with her goldie color hair and blue eyes, just the color of her dress. I always think of her when I hear the song "My Alice Blue Gown" But she thot she was pretty cute, too. When she was all ready for S. S. on morning. I can see her yet after we had her ready for S. S. and mama sat her on a chair to keep nice while Mama helped someone else and our sweet little brother Harley came along admiring her and she sat up so nice and prim and said "Aw, Harley, you go way, I'm nice and you ain't" Well, I'll let Neva rest a while now. We'll likely hear more of her along in some of the others' items. LOLA More things came a-happening along early in the A.M.! On Dec 18, 1907. We kids woke up and here was Mr.s Taulbee at our house getting breakfast ready and Mama was sitting around like a lady of leisure. Well, what could this mean? but looks like I'd got "smart" sometime after all three years of "experience" of odd thing happening every 2 years! The all kept hurring Elsa, Harley and me around to "eat your breakfast - Hurry up, you kids can go down and play at Dollarhides today with Birdie (that was their little girl, she was between Elsa and me I think). More queer doin's and so early in the A.M.! But the finially got us out and on our way and told us Papa would come and get us and to stay there. All of it was "different" but not so bad till it got later and way into the afternoon. We wanted to go home, but Mrs. D. said Papa would get us and we'd better wait. These folks lived down where the Hacks used to. Well, after so long here came papa to take us home and he said we had a new baby sister. Oh!! another sister. Well, long as she was here, guess she'll be O.K. We got home and Papa had got a hired girl, Minnie Enloo. They used to live down where we had just spent the day. She got us some supper, but it didn't taste like "Mother's uses to". She didn't cook it long enough, so if you haven't tried raw, burnt corn-meal much, you don't know what you've missed. The next day she tried something else new to us. She baked bread. Whatever else she could do, she sure was a real "fire-maker". Yep- she burnt the bread all over the top and the inside was doughy and she wasn't very clean about her work. So Papa said he thot he and Agnes could get the work done alone. so we were all on our own then. Papa did the cooking and I'm not too sure what I did. I spect I did dishes and hearded kids and the like. Lola was born one week before Christmas and Aunt Mary made a nice cake for our Christmas dinner. Papa was getting dinner for us on Christmas Day and it was a nice warm day and Papa had the kitchen door open and kids and kats coming and going. But the old mama kitty thot something smelled good somewhere. The bottom cupboard doors were open and she found our nice cake and she liked it. She sure made it look sick before we found her. So then no one wanted any of that cake. Papa asked Mama how to make pie dough. She told him and he goat a can of peaches out of the cellar and made a peach pie and it was really good. Then one day Papa decided he'd better comb my hair (likely soon after we were alone) and Mam always braided 2 braids in the front on each side and brought these 2 back, braided them in with the one braid down the back. Well, he got the on on the left side herded in O.K. till it was about half way down the braid and we discovered it and instead of taking it out and starting over again, he started the right braid in half way down and braided it from there. I wore it till Mama was up so she could comb my hair in the style I was accustomed to wearing it. It sure felt better! Well, our little Lolly was only a few weeks old and our folks made up their minds to have a public auction, sell out and go to Kansas. Papa always wanted to be a railroad breakman. His mother always opposed it, for she thot it was too dangerous. Then when he married our Mama, she felt the same as Grandma had, but she thot if he'd never be happy if he didn't try it, she'd tell him to go ahead. They had the auction around 22 or 23 of Jan. About that time Lola was little and fussy and Mama was very busy with all this extra work and a little baby to take care of. That eveningafter the sale we left our home and stayed at Uncle Jim and Aunt Mary's. Mama, Harley, Neva and Lola went to Glencoe and stayed at Uncle Newt and Aunt Sarah Baggett's, Uncle N. was our Grandpa Baggett's brother (Grandpa died Dec. 14, 1907 - just 4 days before Lola was born). While Papa, Elsa and I were at Uncle Jim's, I got pneumonia and Mama was having her hands full at Uncle Newts. Harley had a spell of croup, I guess, anyway he was sick and so was Lola - a bad cold. They had to stick around down that way till we all got able to travel, but we were finally on our way. Got to Grandpa and Grandma Beemans. Papa was trying to get into the railroad biz, but when he went looking into it he was too old. He'd been 35 in Nov. Then he had to do something else, so he got work at the brick plant. He was there for a while, then at the cement plant and later in the summer Dickersons were building the grain elevator down near the depot in Humbolt. Papa worked there I guess until they were done. Then he got homesick for Okla and he went back to see how they were doing with us all gone. He got a job as a night watchman at the cotton gin in Glencoe. I believe this was in Sept. Anyway, he boarded with Grandpa and Grandma Oliver's, Arch Olivers folks (the Jrs. were friends of the folks. Pop had to look for a house for us and it was Thanksgiving Day when we left Grandpa Beemans for Okla. We move into the house Dec. 1. Elsa and I went to school in Glencoe till the last of Feb. Then we moved back out to the hold home place after the renters had moved out. Oh, I remember how good it was to be back out to the old home again after such a lot of moving and changing about: from the home place in Jan. 1908 to Uncle Jim's, on to Kans. and Grandpa Beemans, and into Humbolt. then to the Olivers, the this house in Glencoe and out the the home place. We settled down here and stayed for quite a spell till Jan. 3, 1914, we we moved to the John Green farm. CLEO This old house wasn't very big now for 2 grown-ups and 5 growing kids, so Papa enlarged the old smoke house (don't know why they called it that - may they had used it for that at some time). They had a bed in there, too..... (illegible) ... part of the time to use for extra and a porch built out in front and on to the kitchen at one end. The took this porch and built it that much bigger. That was in the the fall of 1909. The put tow beds in here and put us kids out here to sleep. Guess it was Elsa, I, Harley and Neva. One evening after supper dishes were all done we were sitting around and Mama asked Elsa and me to braid her hair - she had it down. I should have tumbled, but no, I always needed a good shove before I fell. We all went to bed and along in the night I woke up and heard what I thot was cats fighting and yowling and noises, but of course it was farther away and doors closed, so I never thot. Guess I went to sleep, but when we woke in the A.M., here was Mrs. Taylor at our house and guess what else? Aw, I didn't think you'd guess it so quick! Yes sir, here was our No. 5 sister, Cleo, Feb. 5, 1910. She was a cute little blondie. A Mrs Lutz came and stayed with Mama and took care of us for about 2 weeks. Then Mama and we kids helped her with the work. There was a colored mand and his wife living in the neighborhood. The man helped Papa cutting and sawing wood and Mama had his wife come help her with the washing for a couple of weeks. They were Gilbert and Clarissama Sutton. One day when she was there, I guess she was getting uneasy, anyway she asked "Miz Baggett, do you dip snuff?" Mama said "No". Then, "Do you chew tobacco?" Mama said "NO" "Well, does Mr. Baggett chew tobacco?" Mama answered "Yes" "Well, could I have a piece?" So Mama gave her part of a plug. When they were thru eating at their table, she pulled out her plug of tobacco and took her chew. Gilbert said "Daughta (he always called her Daughta) where'd you get that tobacco?" She said, "Miz Baggett gave it to me." He said, "give me a chew." We used to have lots of laughs over these two folks, but they were happy. Cleo was a lovable little girl and always busy at something. Once while playing around the yard she found a forked stick about 5-6 inches long and she ad0poted it as her doll and called it Dorothy Newman. She'd cary this with her everywhere she went, but one night, she couldn't find it. I guess she had gone to bed without it and missed it thru the nite. Anyway she woke up and so did the rest of the house. She was crying - she couldn't find Dorothy Newman. Well, our pop got tired of the crying, so he got up and dressed and lit the old lantern and went out looking for D.M. till he found her. He brought it in to Cleo and she was happy and cuddled down with here precious dolly and the household got back to sleep again. One summer Aunt Winnie came to visit her brothers and Aunt Pearl. (Aunt W. lived in Kans.). She had been to Aunt Pearls and come over to our house one evening to stay over night. She drove Aunt Pearl's brown pony Dolly. It was after supper and Mama was getting the little ones bathed and ready for bed. She was about thru with Cleo and someone outside called, "Here comes Aunt Winnie!" Well, that was enough for that bath for Cleo. She and Aunt W. were real pals and Mama's back was turned, so Cleo popped out of the tub and outside as fast as here little feet could carry her, running to greet Aunt Winnie. I can see her yet; her little round, pink fanny - the original "Little Fat Rascal". She's still a cute kid. Cleo had lots of cute tricks. We always went to S.S. Sun. afternoons. We had to share the preachers with the Morrison Methodist Church. He lived in Morrison and preached Sun. A.M. there and at Lela school house at 3P.M. (S.S at 2P.M.). We always went and Cleo wasn't quite big enough for the primary class. Mrs. Shelledy was the teacher and too big (she thot) to sit in the seat with Mom & Pop. She'd wiggle loose and go up with the little kids a while and then back with the big-folks class. I guess Pop didn't want to make a disturbance , so the let her have her "fling". But woe be her yet! When we got home, Papasaid "Cleo come here". He took her on his lap and told her she was getting big enough, she must sit in the seat with Mom & Pop and not wiggle around or run around. "Now, do you understand what I mean, Cleo?" Oh yes, she know. So the next Sun. Papa told Cleo before we left "No you must keep still today and not wiggle around. If you do, I'm going to spank you when we get home." So everyone went to S.S. as usual. Yep, you guessed it; Cleo forgot all about her instructions, I guess, or maybe she just wondered if maybe Pop would forget or if she could flirt her way out of it with her flashing smile and baby blue eyes. (She was a doll), but she'd not lived in this home only about 2 years and didn't know that kids usually got what was comming to them. After the classes were underway, Cleo decided she'd start in where she left off last Sun. She had herself a merry time, without too much interferance. Whe we got home, Pop called her to him again and took her up on his lap and said, "Now Cleao, do you remember what I told you last Sun"? She stalled a bit and nodded her head. "Well," Papa said, "I'll have to spank you, like I told you." So he laid her across his lap and gave her a couple of whacks on her you-know-where. Then Papa said, " Now Cleo, do you know why I spanked you?" She turned those baby blue eyes up to him and said, "Isn't it my birthday?" So he gave her a couple more whacks and said, "Now do you know?" and she was whimpering then, but she said, "Cause I wiggled." So she had learned one lesson early in life. I never could see how pop could go thru that without laughing, be he saved that for when no one saw him, I guess. Well, she grew up and was ready for school. Mrs. Abbott was the teacher. She had this class of wee ones up in front and was giving them a lesson in Arithmetic and told them if they had 100 pennies that was worth $1. If you had 50 pennies, it was worth one-half dollar. Cleo was thinking fast, and all at once she said, "I think my papa has $5.00" Then everyone laughed and we big kids were embarrassed. I never did like folks to laugh at our kids, but they thot it was funny. These were what is called "The Good Old Days." EDITH Well I was getting to be a young lady by this time. I'd gathered a little information here and there and the signs gave me ideas I'd not had before. Sure enough, on Jan. 19, 1912, we woke up early and heard familiar sounds we'd not heard for about 2 years. Sure enough! Yes sir, here was another sister, well for goodnes sake! Well, after we saw her, we accepted her for ours. We thot she was a cute little kid, but it would have been nice if she'd been a little brother. We kids all stayed home from school and didn't have any outside help. Now, I'm not too sure if maybe Elsa and Harley went to school, but I stayed home and kept house, cooked and such. I don't remember the day of the weekshe was born, but the following Sun. Uncle Earl and family came over for the day and then Aunt Ada wanted to take Neva and Lola home and keep them that week. So they wen and they had the time of their young lives that week. As Neva and Lola were always chums, so were Cleo and Edith. As I remember, Edith was always a well-behaved little kid. I really can't think of any naughty things she did like some of the others did. OH, yes, now I think of one time. It was just a short time before Vick and I were married. We girls were in the kitchen getting ready to do dishes. I guess it was Cleo and Edith's turn to do them and there was some squabbling going on and Pop was tired of hearing it. Edie must have made the most noise and Pop said, "Edie, you go on to bed." Edie started off, mumbling to herself, "H m m you ain't spitin' me any. I wanted to go to bed anyhow!" Pop didn't hear her, but it tickled the rest of us so much. One time the little kids were playing out in the yard. Edie and Dot were fussing about something. Now I'm not too sure which one said it, but one was hitting and pinching the other. She said, "You are the hittiest and pinchiest thing I know - but you're not as hitty as you are pinchy." No I think this took place after I was married and it's hear-say to me. I didn't really hear it. DOROTHY Well, the days on our old home place where we were all born were swiftly passing. Edie was nearly 2 years old - on Jan. 3, 1914 - we moved closer to school. We had always had 2 3/4 miles to walk to school. Now we only had 1 1/2 miles. We moved onto the John Green farm on My 15th B.D. We liked our new home and lived there till Oct. 1916. In March I had a bad cold and it went into pneumonia. I was sick in bed for a week and had a terrible cough and pleurisy. The folks were quite worried about me for a while - took me to see Dr. Cash 2 or 3 times and he was out while I was in bed. They were afraid I was getting T.B. There was a girl in our school who had it and we played with her, as she stared to school the same year I did. Her name was Flora Dunn and she died later. Well, when the days got nice and warm, the sunshine cooked the old germs out and I've never had it since. when nice spring days came, we got a new little sister - yes, by this time we had a houseful of girls, but we still had room for 2 more sisters. This time our little Dottie was at home when we got home from school. Elsa was quite disgusted. She hunted up some of Harley's clothes - overalls, shirt and old felt hat. She was 2 years older than Harley, and he wasn't very big for his age then - so they fitted Elsa kinda "quick" if you know what I mean. She went out and cut some wood and helped do some chores around the barn. She was thoroughly disgusted. She said "Someone had to be a boy and help Papa and Harley, so she'd be a boy." Mabye it was because the clothes were too tight, maybe it was just that she decided it was too hard work to do mans' wokr, maybe it was just that she didn't like to work very well. She didn't know when she was a kid. That why when she grew up she is such a good little worker and just a sweet old sister, Yep, we sure love you, Sis. Well our Dottie grew up and was just as sweet as she could be, with her big brown eyes, brown hair and happy personality. That spring we all had the chickenpox. I believe Elsa got it from Virginia Fairchild. Mrs. F insisted on Elsa coming to the door to see if she thot Virginia had the chickenpox. Elsa said that she didn't know anything about them. Mrs. F kept talking and Elsa came home. Everyone of us had them, even our little Dottie, but as she was so small she only had 2 of them: one above each knee. Don't know if she ever had them again. As I said, she was a cute little trick. I remember one day at the dinner table she had done something cute and papa was looking at her so proud. Mama was too, and they looked at each other and smiled and Mama said which one does she take after?" Pop just grinned and threw back his shoulders and pointed to himself. WILMA In the fall of 1916, about Oct. or Nov. we moved from the Green farm to the Nichols farm. I uess nothing too eventfull happened during this time. April 2, 1917 Pres. Wilson declared war on Germany - the 1st World War. There were troubles we'd never seen before: food rationing, shortages and our first daylight savings time. Then along in July, Elsa and I wanted to have a party. We had been to lots of parties and had never had one. The folks said we could, so we had set the date for about Aug. 2nd or 3rd - not too sure of the date. Anyway we had written invitations to some who were out the near community and telephoned some - we were getting real "hepped" up about it. Then about 3 or 4 A.M. on Aug 1, Pop got up and called Dr. Cash to come out. I heard pop say "Yes, a confinement case." "Well, now, isn't this a nice kettle of fish?", says I to myself. What in the heck could we do in a situation like this - of all times to have such a thing going on!" I got up and dressed. I wanted to run away - if there had been anyway to go - or anywhere to go. I'm not just sure where Elsa was or if she had waked up, but I always woke up at any excuse. So here I was - up - But what to do now or where to go. So I went outside and Pop was up and came out I was out sitting on the old table at the corner of the kitchen where we used to set the separator tank, fixtures and milk pails thru the day. I was all humped up with my chin on my knees, crying. It was going to be so embarrassing. What had the folks said "Yes"? It was cryin' shame - so it was!! This was a real dirty trick for that little Brat to play on us. Papa came and put his arms around me and said over and over how sorry he was, but that that wasn't much comfort then! It was the 1st day of Aug. In Okla., so you can bet it was going to be a hot day. but it was a beautiful sunrise; I don think I ever see and early morning sunrise that this morning doesn't come back to me. Well Mrs. Wiles came over for the "party" (not the one Elsa and I had been planning) & Dr. Cash got there and we got the rest of the kids up and out. Maybe we had breakfast before - maybe after. I remember we peeled potatoes to fry and Mrs. Wiles helped slice them. She sliced them about 1/2in thick and whole slices. This memory too comes back when I'm slicing potatoes - specially the raw ones. Funny, huh? Neva and Lola took the little kids out in the pasture to play (at this time of the day?? O well, maybe someday we'll understand the things we dont now.) Neve and Lola tell of some funny things that happened, but it's only hear-say, I wasn't there, so I wouldn't repeat them - BEETS for instance!! Eventually things simmered down to sorta like normal again and everyone came drifting in. And "O come and see your new little sister". Heck, another girl. I wasn't even interested - after all she had done me a pretty dirty trick, but I finally gave her a little sneaky look - and "Say, she is kinda cute at that. Maybe I'll lover her someday." It didn't take long till we'd not part with her. Then afterward whenever she'd get a little sick, I'd worry for fear something would happen to her and we'd looseher, how could I ever stand it? Oh, I paid for all the mean things I thot about her before and I said I'd never be mad at another one! Well time drifted on; the war was over and everything was going as usual. One day in August, 1919, we got a letter from uncle Charley, He told of a farm in Kans. that was for rent - a good farm, 240 acres, 8 room house, a paradise, and Pop had gone up to the Ark. River. I don't know anymore why. We and Akers had been up there a week or so before. Anyway when we got the letter - somehow Uncle Charley wanted an answer soon - so Harley got on Cricket and went up to find him. It was 12 miles to where he'd be. It was getting late before they got home. Well, Papa made his plans and left the next day on the trainfor Humbolt. he finished up the business there and came home. We stared making plans to move - had an auction Oct. 7th. We sold everything but clothes and bedding and got ready the 9th and left on the train Oct. 9. We arrived in Humbolt in the rain about 6 P.M. Uncle Charlies' were there to meet the train. Papa stayed in Okla. to finish up all the business and came a few days later. We were always glad we made the change. We finally got all settled down in our new home. Had lots of happy get-to-gethers with Uncle Charlie's. They had about the same size family we did. We went to parties and got aqainted with people and neighbors. ROLAND Then finally, "O, Joy, here we were going to - O Dear - Have you guessed it yet? Yeah, I thought you likely would!" But I'm not going to be mad this time -- I Hope. Gee, it sure was getting monotonous, but you just behave yourself, now Agnes! So I talked me into it. Mama wasn't feeling very well these days for a month or so. One Sat. P.M. in May ( was to have been July) Papaand Lola went to Humbolt and Harley was working in the field. I'm not sure where all the kids were, but I was home sewing in the folks bedroom. Mama was sleeping and she woke up with a start - she wanted me to call Dr. Webb. I went to the kitchen to telephone. I tried and tried, but couldn't get Central or any neighbors - most of them always went to town Sat. P.M. anyway. Well, I tried and went back to see if I could do anything for Mama. She wanted to use the chamber. I got it for her and went back to the telephone. She called me again that it was over. I rushed in and here his feet were sticking out of the pot. Mama had to tell me to pull him out, I just didn't have any gumption anym9re. Well I did. I was really "Shook." Well, soon as I got him out and on the bed, Mama said, "Thank the Lord, it's a BOY!!" Elsa and I had been at home, I remember now. She had gone to the field to have Harley go to Hinkles to call the Dr. Well, she couldn't get anyone either, so Harley went on Cricket to find the Dr. He met Pop coming home. He stopped and Harley told him, "We've got a boy." Pop said "WHAT?" then he started the horses and guess he was sure pushing on the lines. Well, it was a happy night in the Baggett household that night! Roland wasn't a very healthy baby, tho. We had lots of worries before he was a healthy boy. But he grew up to be a big man - tall, but never fat. We lost many hours of sleep, but it's been worth it, Kid. We love you heaps. Maybe I've been kinda crabby at you kids sometimes and I've done things in past years that I'm sorry about, now I have time to remember, but I've always loved you and hope if you remember any of the meaness that you'll forget and forgive. If there is such a thing that people have a second "go around" at this old early and I get back here, I hope I'm sent to the same parents and the same brothers and sisters come along. I hope I can profit by my mistakes and try to be a better, more understanding Big Sister. We've been a Happy Family all these years - all very happily married to good, honest mates and all harmonize - they have been the best. Now, like Pop wrote once to Aunt Winnie, "I'll love you all "Harder than thunder can bump a stump" - and hope we can all meet our Dear Parents in the Next World. I love you all very much and thought I'd tell you so. Love, Agnes
0 Comments
Here are some notes that my great aunt Jesse Betchel wrote:
Jessie Leona Baggett, born Jan 18 1891 to James and Mary Baggett at grandmother’s home near Humbolt, KS in Allen County. The oldest of 8 children, moved to Oklahoma when I was five years old. At that time, there were just three girls Me – 5, Alta 3 and Ethel 6 weeks old. My dad and Grandpa Baggett (Allen Sherrill) had come to Oklahoma and bought farms. Later, mother and us 3 girls, grandma Baggett (Synthia Catherine) and aunt Pearl came on the train to Perry. I remember dad and grandpa met us there in a lumber wagon to take us to our new home, which was 25 miles out. It took almost all day. When we arrive our new neighbors were there to meet us. They had 2 little boys about my age. Our new home was a one room log house. Our neighbor lived just across the road a little ways in a little one room and a dug out. We all carried water from a spring across the road for a while, until we got a well dug. The country was new and everyone was hard up. They all began to try to get a school house built so got a place and build White Hall School about 1.5 miles from our place. I was not old enough yet for school. Aunt Pearl was just a young lady and she taught the first two years. I started the second year I started to school. The carried water from a spring for a while. There was a water bucket and dipper and everyone drank out of the same dipper and no one died. We never heard of germs, calories or diets in those days. All were hard up, no one had much, but we never did go hungry. As time went on everyone had large families. There were 50+60 went to White Hall one room school with one teacher. We had good times at our school house. We had S.S, literacy, pie suppers and box suppers. Christmas and the last day of school were big days there. That was the only school I ever went to. We had only been there a couple of years when Grandma B (Synthia) died. There was no cemetery anywhere but a neighbor’s baby had died and was buried in a corner of their farm. They decided to bury grandma there also. Mr Hopp gave an acre for a cemetery which was called Hopp Cemetery for a long time. Now it is called Union Cemetery. Grandma was the second one buried there. Now it is full and another acre has been added. The only railroad was the one at Perry. Dad would go one day and return the next to buy groceries. Most time one or two neighbors would go together but it was 25 miles in a wagon and they didn’t go very often. There was a little shack at Lela, about 6 miles from our place. The mail came out once a week. We sure thought things were getting good when we got a mail carrier. Then came the rail road and they staked off a town about 5 miles from our place. We sure thought things were booming. When we got the word that the RR was finished and the first train was coming, everyone for miles went to see the train come in. The engineer’s name was Glen Coe so they named our town Glencoe. People began coming in covered wagons, putting up tents and hauling in lumber to build with. Glencoe now has 5 or 6 hundred people. I sure can remember how we all loved to go to town on Sat. go down to see the train come in. Okla at that time was still not a state. It became a state in 1907. I remember the first phone that I ever saw and tried to get Dad to put one in. I was getting grown up and remember the fun us young kids had on the phone. Cars were just beginning to come. The first car that I saw was a little medicine show which came to town. They had a little red, one seat car. I have seen a lot of changes in my time. Electricity, washing machine, etc. I used to wash on a board and iron with and iron that I had to heat on the stove. Sure seen some hard times but I think in a way we appreciated what we had more than people do now. I don’t really remember the first time I met Eslie. We went to school together. They just lived a mile from us. We were married in 1908. We didn’t have anything but no one else did either so we didn’t mind it. Erman was born in 1910. We lived on a farm, worked hard. No one had any money. Every thing was so cheap. Some years we didn’t raise much and couldn’t sell what we did raise. Wayne was born in 1917. We began to do a little better and got our first car, a second hand model T Ford. Then we bought the farm 2 miles north of Glencoe where Norma Lee was born in 1927. We lived there 37 years then sold it and bought a nice little home in Glencoe, lived there 6 years when dad (Eslie) died of lung cancer in 1965. I lived lone 6 years and on my 80th birthday had a light stroke. The doctor said I couldn’t live alone; was in Rosewood rest home in Stillwater nearly 2 years and got better. My house was shut up for 9 months so sold it. Came out to Normas, was with her 1.5 years and found a nice place with a lady 75 years old who keeps 2 old ladies , so I came here, to near Norma’s and she comes to see me often. Just us 3 old ladies, Lillian Burns, Maud Martin and myself. We get along but I miss my own home. So here I am - 87 years old in Jan and this is Nove 28th. I feel like I have seen a lot – some good and some not so good. Lived through world wars 1 and 2, seen droughts, floods, airplanes and phones – good times and bad. I still get around with a cane, and still crochet – Just finished my 51st afghan – made all my children and grandchildren one and 12 great grandchildren. Have sold the rest. Don’t know if I will get any more done or not. Letter of Jesse Baggett 11/28/1979 Map from 1907, see the JN Baggett lot on the north end of town and more north the Duncan and Walton lots. The Matt Kuka farm was 80 acres. Peter Kuka and Anna Sonsalla had the barn built and then later the house. Part of the old house was used as the chicken coop. Grandpa (Peter Simon Kuka) called the oldest grandchild (Martha Agnes Murphy) Martushka (google search says this means lady). Every time mom (Helen Kuka) expected and delivered another baby, Martha was sent to live with grandparents (Peter and Anna Kuka).
Blanche Kuka went to take Clara's place to work for Mrs. Markham when she married Adolph. Mom (Helen Kuka) worked for Mrs. Markham before she married. Grandma asked Mrs. Markham to teach the girls how to be ladies. Aunt Lizzie Kuka didn't last long. She would stay out too late at night and Mrs. Markham didn't want to be responsible. Grandma (Anna) Kuka was very ambitious for her children and worked very hard. Imagine being able to give a dowery of $1000 to each daughter. This money was applied to a farm - she felt like her daughters would be co-owners. Clara Kuka lent her money to St. Peter & Pauls so she could afford to buy the farm from Helen Kuka after she married Ed Grutzik. Blanche claimed the house that she lived in as her dowery. Martha Skroch sometimes felt that grandma (Anna Kuka) had a right to get angry. Grandpa was such a gentle person and equally hard working but the rheumatic fever/heart held him down as well as Alphonse. Grandpa Peter Kuka loved to try something new every year. One year tobacco, another peanuts. Once he wrote a farmer's magazine for a pattern to make a boomerang. Allie (Alphonse Kuka) would take it into the pasture to throw it (it didn't always come back)... Martha Skroch trotted behind her grandpa in the furrow, barefoot, in the spring when he did the plowing. The Matt Skroch and Helen Kuka children named the cows, Daisy, Katie, Flora, Wishbone, Billie, Nellie and Rose. - written by Martha (my grandmother) to her brother Peter M. Skroch My Great-grandfather Denis Murphy was a partner at Gordon & Koppel Clothiers at 1005 Walnut from 1915 to 1925. According to an article written by McGilley chapel. Gordon was a Protestant, Koppel was Jewish so they invited my Catholic grandfather to round out the demographic. That is not the cool part, the cool part is BASEBALL. The founded the Gordon Koppel field where the KC Packers of the Federal League played.
There are several websites out there with interesting factoids about this project. Apparently the MU vs KU football games were also played there. It should also be noted that the field eventually failed because it was located in the flood plain by Brush Creek (Currently Thomas J. Keily Park around 47th and Tracy) so that explains why I am not currently the heiress to a baseball franchise, typical.
I got very confused about the Murphy and Foley families. There are literally 2 Bridgets, 7 Kates, 4 Johannas, a Mary Catherine and a Catherine in the same family, Maggies are everywhere with an occasional Mary Margaret (are they the same?), & a few Alices....and that is just the women.
About year ago, I started helping my father organize my grandmother's house as it was clear that she was never going home again at 94 years old. It quickly also became clear that this was no small task. The first time I tried to take a load of books for donation, I found that my grandfather's original CCC paperwork from 1933 had been stuffed into an old atlas and I barely caught this fact before the book was thrown onto a pile and would have been lost to our family forever. That was the moment that I got the bug to become our family archivist. Since then, I have scanned thousands of pictures and documents, Developed a pretty lengthy list of to do items on Ancestry.com and the Midwest Geneaology Library, given dna tests to anyone in my family that will spit into a cup, and started planning several road-trips and overseas trips with the sole intention of research.
Sadly, since then, the family historian on my mother's side has also passed away and my responsibility has doubled. However, if I am to take on this task, it will have no reward unless I can share it with the people that I hope will appreciate it. And, frankly, I am hopeful that I can find people out there who have pictures or information that is lost to my family already. I do not think I can post everything out here but my hope is to provide enough to paint a picture for my family, future generations and lost connections. I will continue the work that my grandmother and aunt started. in loving memory of Helen Louise (Dawson) and Kathleen (Murphy) Mallon. |
MeNewly self-appointed family historian for the Baggetts and Murphys of Kansas City. ArchivesCategories |