The Clothier Chronicles

Tony Clemente 27305 Fairfield Drive Warren,Michigan 48093

The migration of the Missouri Settlement to Kansas was not the final leg in the westward journey. of the Chauncy Clothier family. Fortyone years after homesteading in Reno County, a number of his grandchildren and their neighbors once again readied their wagons for one last migration. Their destination was Eastern Colorado and the free land that awaited those who could endure the rigors of life on the high plains.
 

Their motivation for going was simple. All the homesteads in the Peace Creek community had already been taken; there was no longer an opportunity for young families to get a start in farming. Some of Chauncy's younger children had already moved west where land was more readily available. Ulysses Marion located on a homestead in Woods County, Oklahoma, in the summer of 1894. He became a leading citizen of the community and served two terms as state representative in the Oklahoma legislature. In 1902, Wilford Ellsworth homesteaded in Gray County, about 18 miles north of Dodge City, in Western Kansas; and Albert Challon left Peace Creek in the winter of 1906 for California.
 

In 1909 a revised Homestead Act was passed by Congress, which allotted 320 acres to settlers in western dryland or partly dryland states. The time limit for occupancy of the claims was also changed from five to three
 

years. These changes, plus a booming economy and favorable weather conditions for several years in Eastern Colorado, meant moving to that area was an attractive option for land-starved Clothiers.
 

Some of the men went west to scout possible homestead sites. They decided on land in Prowers County, Colorado, about 30 miles west of the Kansas line. After staking claims, they returned and made plans to organize a wagon train for departure in 1915. The exact composition of the migrant group is not known. Charles Clothier, with his wife, Cora, and their six children seems to have been the leader. Hugh and Me!via Clothier Prior, with two children; Ulysses Viness, wife Clara and two children; Jim and Elbert Clothier; Harmon, Myrtle, and Al Duer, children of Harry and Sarah Agnes Clothier Duer, were apparently in the initial party. Other names, either appearing on land records or identified by those who made the trip, were Nora and Grover Jayne, cousins of the Clothiers; and George and Jessie Jones, neighbors and close friends. If Al Duer's memory is accurate, 16 families were in the wagon train. The above families made up above half the party. Others, who may have participated, have not been identified. Later, in 1917 or 1918, Delbert and Vera Clothier and their two children joined the venture, Ed and Ladd Haskins, Clothier in-laws, at some time appeared on the scene.
 

The exact date of their departure is also uncertain. Most immigrants set out in early spring, after the grass had begun to grow and provide forage for the horses and cattle. Since a number of school-age chiidren and their teacher made the trip, it seem~ April or

early May would be the likely date. Alta Spears remembers that just before the party left, Grandpa and Grandma Clothier held a big family reunion and had a photographer come to take a family picture.
 

We are indebted to Al Duer and Ada Clothier Christy, both of whom made the trip, for particulars about life on the trail and early days of the settlement. Although both have passed on, they left taped accounts of the exciting times in which they were both observers and participants. Their accounts, slightly edited to provide for better continuity, follows:

THE AL DILIER STORY
 

When I was about 12 years old (forgive me if my memory doesn't stick closely to the details because it was a long, long time since that journey; and many other things have happened to crowd out those memories). It was an entirely different life than young people have today; but 16 families from the Peace Creek area decided to homestead in Colorado because the government was giving out land if they would go and sign for it and after a year, the land would be theirs.
 

In order to get the land they had to build a house. Every one of them in that day built a sod cabin, made completely out of sod--the roof, the walls and everything was made of sod. Of course they had to have a store and they built a store that was owned and operated by my Uncle Charlie. They also had a post office. This was right out on the open prairie and covered about seven or eight square miles where these sixteen families homesteaded a quarter or halfsection of land.
 

The first thing they had to do was get the equipment ready for the time of leaving. It was about 350 miles. We were on the road about 12 or 14 days. We stopped on Sunday for worship. I had a brother and sister who were taking land out there and I got to ride along with the lady who was my teacher in
 

the country grade school in Peace Creek. We had to get the wagons ready, take enough food to supply us between towns, and get the horses and mules ready (most of them had at least four horses and mules on the covered wagons, and they also took extras). Of course there were no cars on the road at that time and we took the Santa Fe Trail where historically the people had gone from east to west across Kansas.
 

Many of them took dogs and other pets and some took cows, because in order to get milk in those days you had to take a cow along. We traveled about 25 miles a day on the average, and that took about 12 to 14 days. We took barrels and 10-gallon cans so we would have enough water to last all day. Also there were towns along the way and we would stop and replenish whatever we needed in those towns.
 

They built beds in the wagons and may have had screens between the beds, and a screen behind where they sat to drive--you've seen the motion pictures--that's what it was like. At least two would sit on the front seat and drive the horses and mules. They took emergency supplies for illness and injuries, and extra horses for when a horse got injured. If a wagon broke down, the whole group would stop until a blacksmith could fix the wagon.
 

Quite a few people were heading west on horses and in covered wagons seeking a place to live in the wide-open spaces. At night we would stop, build bonfires, eat together and bed down for the night. For me, a 12-year-old boy, it was a tremendous experience.
 

The sod houses they built had dirt floors. They would sweep them regularly to get the dust up and keep them hard. The only way thqy could decorate their homes was with blankets or some of the things they'd woven. Some of them put carpets on the floor, but most were just dirt. For fuel they burned cow chips. I don't remember them giving off any odor, but they were dried and almost like wood. They would take wagons to where their cattle herds were and just gather them up.
 

The post office was called Duer, Colorado. I don't think it was to honor me, but was probably named after my brother, Harmon, who was a member of the group.
 

There was no water close by, and we got all our water from a spring that came down out of the hills and went underground. One of my jobs was to haul water from the spring. There were no wells at that time, and I doubt there are too many now. It was open prairie. The only thing you saw on the prairie were prairie dogs and the horses, mules and cattle they had. There were no fences at all, the stock just roamed the open range until they built fences. They had cows for milk and we'd go to the store every two or three days to replenish our food supply. Some of the people took chickens with them. They carried them in cages hanging on the outside of the wagons, so we had plenty of eggs. we also ate lots of jackrabbits. They were all over the place and we hunted them. Jackrabbits are real choice food to a farmer.
 

The main animals we heard at night were the coyotes. They would how[ all night, and would come very close to where we lived. The other thing I remember were the many rattlesnakes. They would even get into the cabins and sometimes get into the beds. Also, the prairie dogs dug their holes all over the prairie.
 

Most of the recreation was on Saturday when the men would all gather together and play baseball and ride bucking horses. Uncle Elbert, who had lost his arm in a hunting accident was, incidentally, the best one of the whole group at riding bucking horses. He was kind of a hero to all the others. The baseball games were just between ourselves because there were no teams nearby to play against. Every Sunday we all went to church and had a basket dinner afterwards. It was a closely-knit group.
 

There were two large hills, not mountains, but just large hills off to the southwest. I've looked on the map and there are two dots that you might think are cities, but they were just two large hills that were a landmark to those people who lived there. It was about 20 miles to the town of Granada and about the same distance to Lamar. One time, during a snowstorm, one of the wives became ill and a man by the name of Ed Haskins from one of the farms walked those 20 miles in the snowstorm and back to get medicine for the woman. You didn't call the doctor and have him come, and you didn't go to the hospital because there was no hospital to go to. It was a treacherous way of living, especially in the wintertime, and it was so very lonely; but it was an experience I'll never forget.
 

Us and Uncle Hugh's went out together at first in our wagons. Mama had a coal-oil cook stove and they'd take it out and cook for everyone. She took eggs and other food along when we went. Sometimes we'd stop in a town and get some food. There were eight of us. Papa and Ralph slept outside every night on the ground with covers; and us women slept all piled up in the wagon somehow. It must have taken us a week or more to get there.
 

When we reached our claim, there we were. There was nothing there, no trees or anything. We slept outside until we got a cabin built. The first thing Papa did was go to Granada and get a driller to come and drill us a well. They put up a windmill and made a great big cement tank beside it. The windmill pumped constantly and the tank was full about all the time. People would come and get water.
 

After they built the tank, they started to dig a hole and dug the house. It was a dugout with a little front on it made of wood, and some steps down in the middle. It had four bedrooms, two rooms on each side of the big
room. One was Alpha and Lola's; and Mama and Pap&s; me and Leah, and Mildred had a room. After they built the house, we had a lot of our furniture shipped; and can you imagine, we even had a piano shipped. Lola played it.
 

After they built the house, Papa decided he wanted to build a store. He built it out of cement blocks, and went to Lamar to get supplies. He bought a Model T and hauled supplies in it. He made a place in the back of the store to put in a post office. Parcel post was on one side and letters on the other. My sister, Lola, was the postmistress. They wouldn't ship mail until the town had a name. He sent different names to the U. S. Postal Service, but they were all taken. So the last time he decided to name it after his sister, Sarah Duer, so that passed and it was Duer, Colorado. Mama would fix big meals nearly every day, it seemed like, and people would come in to the Post Office to pick up their mail and she'd fix them a bite to eat. Why, she fed more people out there than you could shake a stick at.
 

Saturday was a big day. Mama had a big meal and people would bring food, and we'd have rodeos. Elbert had just one arm, you know, and he was the best one. There were others that tried, but he beat them all. They built a sod building and they used it for a church house and a school, both. We'd go to church on Sunday and have a pot luck dinner afterwards. Papa had Brother Bunn come out and hold a meeting. There were a whole lot of people out in the country that came, and some of them were converted and they were baptized in a little creek.
 

At first, I went to school about three miles from home and I'd ride a horse to get there. There were about 10 kids there and we sat on benches, that's how modern it was. Then they built the sod house closer to where we lived and they used it for school, and for church on Sunday. Some of the children who were in school were Ness and Clara's children; Austin, Delbert's son; Alpha and me and Leah. Lola was too old, but Ralph went. Evan's was one family and the Ausmus family. I did have a picture of it, but it got destroyed when we moved from Hutchinson to Wichita.
 

One of my jobs was to pick up cow chips. I'd go out in the pasture and pick up a whole lot of dry cow chips to burn for fuel. When the 1" World War peace was signed, we were out there picking up chips and Mama came out waving the paper and yelled, "It's over, It's over". You see, Uncle Jim went and we were interested in him. Jim and Elbert were out there and had claims, too. Jim had to go to war and he never married Aunt Lillian until he came back.
 

Several babies were born while we were out there. George Jones were there and they had a baby, and Aunt Clara. Uncle Hugh and Aunt Melvia had a baby, and Mama. Clara helped Mama have her's. I woke up one morning and said "what's a goin' on"? "Well, your Mama's been sick tonight and we'Called Aunt Clara to come and help and she helped deliver a baby boy. We named him Clifford". We were all crazy about him, but he got real sick one day and died the next when he was six-months old. They fixed board seats in the house and had all the people come and had a funeral for him. They buried him out there.
 

We stayed there for five years, but one day Mama got a telegram that Grandma Windgrove was sick and dying and wanted her to come home. So we moved back and took over the home place. The others didn't come back when we did, but eventually they all came back because it got so dry. The ground was wonderful out there, but they didn't get enough rain. We had good crops when we got rain. We had beautiful gardens because we'd water them. Had plenty of wind and the windmill would go around, and around and around, just pumping a big old spout of water all the time. We'd drink out of the spout and take baths in the tank. We didn't come back in a covered wagon, we had a car by then.
 

The above accounts provide an intimate picture of the homesteader's experiences from the viewpoints of children who were participants. We are fortunate their stories have been preserved.
 

Drought, blizzards and other disasters from the beginning of their venture plagued the settlers. There seemed to be a cosmic conspiracy to thwart their dreams of prosperity on the high plains. The years of plenteous rain that made the region so attractive quickly ended and semi-arid conditions again prevailed. In reality, the few rainy years were exceptional, while hot, dry weather was normal for the region.
 

The winters also were harsh. Delbert's daughter, Betty Clothier Kinnamon, recalls a time one winter when her father rode horseback to Gove County in western Kansas to return a horse loaned him by his wife's parents. At the same time, Hugh Prior was fulfilling an appointment to hold a gospel meeting at a congregation somewhere in the same general area. The two wives with their six children moved in together to await the men's return. By chance, the men happened to take the same train returning to Granada. They arrived at the station after a blizzard had hit the area and, wanting to get back to their families as quickly as possible, started the 20mile trek back to their homes on foot. It proved an exhausting journey through three feet of snow lying on level ground. They took turns breaking a trail; finally reaching home and their anxious families who had no idea of their location or their welfare.
 

Ness was another victim of the bitter weather. He had begun to build his cattle herd when a raging snowstorm hit the region leaving dead animals spread across the prairie. His son, Walter, remembers his father going out after the storm and following after him, found him sitting in the snow amid the carcasses, weeping over the destruction of his herd. It was a scene indelibly imprinted in his memory.
 

Delbert also sought to establish a ranching operation, and with equally disastrous results. He borrowed heavily from the bank to finance the operation, only to have the herd come down with brucellosis, an infectious cattle disease, necessitating destruction of the entire herd.
 

My father's diary indicates Charles Clothier and his family came back to Peace Creek in April 1919, and that Grandma Windgrove's funeral was on 1 May 1919. After they left Colorado, the settlement seemed to lose much of its vitality. The Duer Post Office was closed in 1920. Although J. B. Clothier played an active role in trying to save the homesteaders, his efforts proved futile. Delbert sold him his claim and moved his family to Kinsley, Kansas, in 1921 where he became minister of the local church of Christ. J. B. also bought Elbert's land and, later, the claim of Hugh Prior. At his death, he still held two half-sections of Prowers County land. Harmon Duer sold half of his homestead in 1925 and the remainder in 1927. Some of the claims were abandoned and sold at sheriffs sales. Most of the families straggled back to Kansas in the early 1920's-, Jim and his family stayed in the Granada area for some time and were the last to return. Only Ness remained in Colorado, moving farther west.
 

Last fall, I traveled to Prowers County to check Courthouse records and other sources that might prove helpful. Late in the afternoon, I drove through the country to the homestead site. It was just as Ada remembered - -there was nothing. No trees, no fences, no cultivated fields. Just a gently rolling prairie stretching as far as I could see. A few weather-beaten houses, seemingly abandoned, still stood and a pair of car tracks led off across the hills. It was, as if Duer, Colorado never existed. Far to the southwest on 1he distant horizon, I could see Two Buttes, lonely sentinels keeping watch over the empty prairie.
 

SOME RECENTLY DISCOVERED
CLOTHIER FAMILY INFORMATION

By Tony Clemente
 

1. In the last issue of the Clothier Chronicles I mentioned discovery of Clothier Field which was a City Park in Delaware County, Pennsylvania near the Swarthmore College Campus. I have now discovered that the park is named in honor of Hannah Hallowell Clothier Hull, born 21 July 1872, died 1958. Hannah is a descendant of the branch of Clothiers commonly referred to as the Strawbridge-Clothier line. This branch of Clothiers descends from one Henry and Abigail (Ridgeway) Clothier. Henry was of Glastonbury, Somersetshire, England and immigrated to America about 1714. Henry and Abigail were married at Burlington, New Jersey on 5 November 1717. This branch of Clothiers, to date show no connection to our immigrant ancestor Jeremiah. It is possible that a connection may be made in England though, since Henry also came from the County of Somersetshire, where Jeremiah came from. Henry and most of his descendants were called Friends or Quakers. Hannah was the daughter of Isaac Hallowell and Mary Clapp (Jackson) Clothier and she was married on 27 December 1898 to William Isaac Hull. Her father Isaac was one of the founders and partners of Strawbridge & Clothier, a clothing store chain based in Pennsylvania. Hannah was an absolute pacifist and suffrage leader; she devoted nearly 50 years to these causes. She corresponded with a host of pacifists, feminists, and political figures, and her papers are a valuable resource to the scholars of the peace and women's movements. Hannah served in The Women's Peace Party from 1917 to 1920. She attended the International Conference or Women at The Hague in 1922. The papers of Hannah Clothier Hull include correspondence (1892-1956), speeches, articles, and notes (1925-1958), biographical materials, and pamphlets on women's suffrage, clippings and photographs. All of this material is part of the Swarthmore College Peace Collection.
 

II. New information has been discovered on Amy (Sweet) Clothier wife of Ira Clothier, who is considered the matriarch of the Mormon Clothier Family. It proves that she was still alive and well as late as the 10th of August 1860, when she appeared on the Federal Census taken at Sacramento, Sacramento County, California. She is shown living in the household of her daughter,
 

Alzina M. Easton, in the 4 th Ward of the City. Her age and birthplace are consistent with the known facts and she is listed as Alzina's mother. Originally it was suspected that Amx had died in Salt Lake City, Utah prior to the 10 of February 1860 when her son Andrew Jackson Clothier sold her property in that city. Obviously this was not the case and further research in California is now necessary. ANY VOLUNTEERS ? (For more information on this line see The Clothier Chronicles, Volume 6 Number 1).
 

III. Another branch of Clothiers has been discovered in California. This line descends from one James and Catherine M. (Montgomery) Clothier. James was born in England in 1812 and died after 1880 in California. He immigrated to Massachusetts prior to 1840. He and Catherine were married on Nantucket Island, Nantucket County, Massachusetts on 5 August 1841. She was born in Massachusetts in December 1824 and died in California after 1900. James and his family were part of the original 49ers. They left Massachusetts in 1848 on a sailing vessel and came to California via Cape Horn. He and his son Thomas were miners in Toulumne and Calaveras Counties, California in the 1860's. Many descendants of this Clothier branch still reside in California, Oregon and Washington. This line also does not have any direct connection to our immigrant ancestor, Jeremiah.
 

IV. Another branch of Clothiers not connected to our Jeremiah follows. William Herbert Clothier, born 1903 at Decatur, Macon County, Illinois and died the 7 January 1996 at Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, was a friend of John Wayne, and a famous cinematographer in Hollywood. He is connected to a branch of Clothiers generally referred to as the MarylandVirginia Clothiers. The earliest traced ancestor of this line is Lewis Clothier, born about 1640 in England and immigrated to America about 1665 and settled at Talbot County, Maryland. Lewis was married before November 1670 to Susanna Knapp. These Clothier families were also Quakers, and remained so until the fifth generation when Samuel Clothier was born in 1812 in Wimchester, Frederick County, Virginia. Samuel was born a Quaker but later became a Methodist, as did all of his descendants in Illinois. Samuel was the great grandfather of William H. Clothier the cinematographer. Much has been printed regarding the life and times of William H. Clothier including facts surrounding his service in both World War I and World War 11. William was the son of William Caldwell and Mamie (Eckert) Clothier. His mother had died when he was only 9 years old and he did not get along well with his stepmother. At age 15 he ran away and joined the army after lying about his age. A future article may be forthcoming on the life of William if any interest is shown regarding our unrelated Clothier relations.
 

PASSAGES

CELEBRATION: Ruby Clothier Witte, (Ben) is joining the "Over-Ninety Club" on June 3. Her family is hosting a birthday party at the Senior Citizens Center from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on May 23 after the Clothier Reunion. If you are unable to attend, you can send her a birthday card: P.O. Box 22, Sylvia, Kansas 67581.

BIRTHS:
 

John Lloyd, born 10 July 1997 to John and Melissa Clothier. Melissa is the granddaughter of Lloyd Clothier.
 

Jared Martin, born 7 January 1998 to Louis and Marijka Clothier. Louis is the son of Grant Clothier.
 

Spencer Elizabeth, born 12 January 1998 to Jeff and Lisa Mors. Lisa is the daughter of Ronald and Marlene Prior, and granddaughter of Gilbert and Melvia Prior.

DEATHS:
 

Anna Lillian Clothier on 5 February 1998. Aunt Lillian was the widow of Jim and the last surviving member of J. B. Clothier's immediate family.

MARRIAGES:
 

Julie Ann Dixon to Nathan Hunter Calvert, 12 December 1997 in Lubbock,

Texas. Julie i ' s the daughter of Harold and
Myrna Prior Dixon (Melvia Clothier Prior).
 

Jeffery Lynn Dixon to Cathy Camille Gates, 16 January 1998 in Dallas, Texas. Jeffery is the son of Harold and Myrna Dixon.

CONGRATULATIONS:
 

To Terry Clothier Thompson, who was guest speaker at the Prairie Quilt Guild at Wichita, Kansas on 10 March 1998. Terry is a quilt artist, quilt historian, teacher and served as a principal documentor for the Kansas Quilt Project.

****** SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS*******

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: A Call for Recipes
 

We would still like to print a Clothier Family Cookbook. Please send your favorite Clothier family recipes to: Jaime Clothier Oss - 440 West V' Street - Junction City, Kansas 66441 - or bring them to the Reunion. If you want, include a story that will help us all understand the recipe's importance to you.
 

Print the recipes clearly, use modern measurements if possible, and include a return address and/or phone number in case I need to clarify information.
 

We are also trying to publish a Clothier Songbook. Singing was an integral part of our ancestor's lives, and a significant part of our heritage. A Clothier quartet sang at innumerable funerals in Kansas and Oklahoma, Dad sang the old folk songs to his children and grandchildren. The old hymns were often sung both at church and family gatherings. We owe it to our descendants to preserve this aspect of our heritage. Pearl Clothier Campbell has agreed to head this project. You may send copies of songs you remember to: Pearl Campbell - 6625 Victoria Avenue - Fort Worth, Texas 76180.