Sears Modern Homes

“Our Trip to the Black Hills” by Addie Hoyt Fargo (1899)

Sears Homes — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 02:10:07 +0000

In one of Addie’s obituaries, she was described as “a gifted woman possessing…a fine literary ability.”

As a writer, I longed to hear Addie’s “voice.” The written word can provide so much insight into a writer’s soul. I yearned to know Addie better. I wanted to read her words, and have a keyhole peek into her soul.

And then in early February, while I was reading my way through 10 years of the Lake Mills Leader, I found an essay written by Addie Hoyt Fargo. In May of 1899, Addie and Enoch had taken a one-week train trip to the Black Hills of South Dakota. Below is her account of that trip, written in her own words.

* * *

Our Trip to the Black Hills

By Mrs. Enoch J. Fargo

Our excursion party comprising parties of the Wisconsin Press Association with their wives and daughters, numbering 70 in all, left Chicago Thursday at 6:00 pm, May 25^th over the North-Western, bound for the Black Hills.

We occupied two handsome Wagoneer sleepers and commenced to have a jolly good time from the very beginning.

M. P. Rindlaub, of Platteville, President and O. F. Roessler, of Jefferson, Secretary of the Wisconsin Press Association directed the excursion, while the genial James Gibson of Madison, district passenger agent of the N. W., assumed complete charge of our party from Chicago to Omaha. At Clinton, Iowa he invited us to step out upon the platform to see the largest railroad locomotive in the United States.

Some of us looked at the wrong locomotive, but the most of us saw a 122-ton affair, almost as big as a church.

Omaha was reached at 9:30 the next morning, where we found cars waiting for us, provided by Omaha’s Street Railway Co., which took us to the Millard Hotel for breakfast, and after breakfast, took us around the city and, and out to the Exposition grounds.

The entire forenoon was taken up with the trip through the grounds and buildings. Talk about a miniature World’s Fair! It is ever so much more than that, and anyone who goes there thinking he is to see something small, will be much disappointed.

The Greater American Exposition will open again in July and as nearly all of the open space has been taken, it promises to be as great a success as last year. There will be a Cuban village, 180 Cubans will arrive in Omaha this week, a Hawaiian village, and 20 families of the Philippines.

This will be a greater attraction than any seen at the Exposition last year.

After our return we were given a banquet at the Paxton Hotel by the officers of the Capital Exposition. The luncheon was preceded by the singing of “America.” Dr. Miller, president of the Greater American Exposition, welcomed the party to Omaha. He invited us to take note as we went like birds of passage through the city what Omaha is. The seat of empire, he declared, had been transferred from the East to Mississippi Valley. It was politically the dominant position of the country. He called our attention to the marvelous progress made by the West, of which we saw but the border, as exemplified last summer in the Trans-Mississippi Exposition.

Since that time, though we might regret the situation forced upon us, we could not help but look up on the situation as it is. An opportunity to know the new possessions in all the phases of their life is to be given. Editor Wilder, of Madison, was called upon to respond.

Representing the state, he said, which had given Vilas, Spooner, Fairchild and a long list of other statesmen, he acknowledged the cordial welcome. These were a band of the editors, their wives and children, and perhaps their sweethearts, seeking to learn the West, but the West was hard to find.

Here we found broad avenues, excelling the devious and narrow streets of eastern cities. We had found the spices of the exposition and realize the half had never been told.

Henceforth the word “Omaha,” would be a watchword with us and we would go to our homes with it fragrant in our memory.

The program was necessarily a brief one because of the early departure of our party for Hot Springs. Three o’clock found us saying good bye to Omaha and our Mr. Gibson, and passenger agent J. H. Gable of the F. E. & M. V., took charge of our party from Omaha to the Black Hills and back, and I assure you he looked after the comfort of us all in the usual hospitable style of the N. W. system.

From Omaha we came over the F. E. and MV, stopping at Rome Millers Eating House at Norfolk for supper, and it may be incidentally mentioned that G. H. Rodgers, the manager of that institution provided us with an excellent meal.

Northern Nebraska is all a rolling prairie; the fields are so green and the horses and cattle look well cared for, but when we got into Dakota, the scene changes. Just before reaching the hills we pass through some of the worst country imaginable, a rocky clay soil, here and there, a lump of pine trees, some buffalo grass, a muddy stream or two and that is all.

This part of Dakota is called the Bad Lands and it’s pretty bad too, though we were told we hadn’t seen the worst of it. From here we begin to go up higher and higher and we see the black hills in the distance and really black they look too. Mr. Gable tells us the reason for this is because the mountains are covered in pine trees, and approached from a distance, this black mass of pine trees rises up against the horizon giving it the appearance and name of Black Hills.

At a previous time they were the home of various Indian tribes and they also constituted the winter shelter of the winter buffalo herds.

We arrive at the foot of Battle Mountain and here we are at Hot Springs, ready for breakfast too, I assure you. We went to the Evans Hotel for breakfast, which is just across the street from the station. This is one of the finest hotels in the West, commodious and cheerful. After breakfast, carriages were waiting to take us to Wind Cave which is 12 miles from Hot Springs, over pine-clad hills and through valleys. Wind Cave in all probability represents an extinct geyser and outrivals the Mammoth Cave of Kentucky, in extent, has been explored in different directions to a distance of 91 miles and so far have found 2,100 chambers, with queer and beautiful formations in each.

There are numerous chambers uniquely named on account of some similarly or appropriate circumstance, Post Office, Theater, Cathedral, Garden of Eden, Fair Ground, etc. We explored six miles of this cave and came out after five hours, glad to stop and partake of the lunch the proprietor of the cave had waiting for us.

After we were driven back to Hot Springs, a few of us went to the Plunge, near the Evans Hotel. A handsome building enclosing the pool is, 75 x 25 feet complete in every appointment. The Plunge is the chief attraction of this popular resort and it is simply irresistible.

Myriads of tiny springs bubbling up from the pebbly bottom supply 100,000 gallons of water per hour. It is from five to nine feet in depth and so clear that the smallest object can be seen at the extreme depth. The water is highly charged with electric and magnetic properties which is highly beneficial for rheumatism.

The temperature of the water is 96 degrees years round, and one plunge almost repaid us for the long trip to Hot Springs. After the plunge we had supper, and then a dance at the “Evans” given us by the citizens of Hot Springs.

Sunday, some of our party went to church, some to the Plunge, and some to climb over the mountains; however, the day was too short and Monday found us upon our way to Deadwood, over the Elkhorn. We had breakfast at Buffalo Gap and got into Deadwood for dinner at the Ballock Hotel. The afternoon was occupied by an inspection of Deadwood until four o’clock when we left over the Elkhorn Narrow Gauge Road for a ride up Bald Mountain, visiting Terry and passing over the summit, which is 8,000 feet above sea level, and from which so fine a view is afforded of the outlying prairies. The atmosphere was favorable so the view could not have been better.

We returned to the Ballock for supper, and in the evening, a dance was given us at the Olympic parlors by the Olympic Club. Right here I might mention the fact that Harry Park, who is a commercial traveler in that section was at the hotel when we returned from Bald Mountain, so we took him with us to the Olympic Dance. Tuesday, Memorial Day, we visited Lead City, the highest city in the hills.

The forenoon was spent in seeing the Homestake Mining Plant, the largest gold mine in the world. We were unable to explore the mine, which is a privilege rarely granted because of danger of serious accident, but we inspected the stamp mills and learned how gold is extracted from quartz by the crushing and quicksilver processes. Rain kept us indoors in the afternoon, so we spent the time in the library building, recently given to Lead by Mrs. Hurst, of California.

At 5 o’clock we left Lead for Piedmont, through the most picturesque country I have ever seen, over hills and mountains through gulches and canyons, the scene changes every moment.

At Piedmont, we resumed our own cars and preceded homeward. We had breakfast at Long Pine, dinner at Norfolk, supper at Missouri Valley and a drive around the city. Arrived in Chicago, Thursday morning, June 1^st after having spent as jolly and delightful a week as one could possibly wish.

Mrs. Enoch J. Fargo

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Addie wrote the essay above in 1899. She was 28 years old at the time. She's shown here in her wedding gown, in 1896 (age 24).

Addie was a beautiful young woman, and talented too. I can't help but wonder how many unwritten books Addie had germinating in her soul. According to "A History of Lake Mills" (published 1983) Addie was murdered by her husband in 1901. She was 29 years old.

Another picture of Addie on her wedding day. Addie was no retiring wall flower. She was a strong, independent woman with a remarkable intellect and a keen mind. She was the granddaughter of the Hawleys and the Hoyts, two "first families" of Jefferson County.

In 1889, Addie wrote her high school essay on the inequality of work opportunities offered to young women. It was a bold piece for such a young woman to write.

While reading through the old Lake Mills Leader newspaper, I was thrilled to find this travelogue, detailing Addie's trip to the Black Hills. It was written in June 1899.

In 1993, when I interviewed for my first job as a newspaper reporter, the old ink-stained wretch of an editor asked me, "Why do you want to be a writer?" I answered, "Because I would love to see my name on the byline." He laughed out loud and said, "Yeah, I love that part, too." I got the job. I'm sure it was a thrill for Addie to see her name on the byline.

In this piece, she talks about The Evans Hotel and "The Plunge." This line drawing was shown with the article.

"The Plunge" was a hot springs that had been enclosed. It was believed that the hot springs had salutary benefits for all manner of afflictions.

Addie and E. J. stayed at the Evans Hotel.

To learn more about Addie, click here.

To read about Addie’s exhumation, click here.

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The Sears Houses That Pat Found (in Ohio)!

Sears Homes — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 13:39:22 +0000

Two years ago, when my last computer burped twice and fell over dead, I recovered 35,000 photos from the hard drive. That was two years ago. Since then, I’ve added many more photos, and I’ve received (via email) several hundred photos. Sometimes, it takes me a while to get those photos organized and posted here at the website.

Pat of Ohio sent me these wonderful photos of kit homes in Ohio almost a year ago. They’re wonderful pictures, but even better than the pictures is the note she sent along.

Without your books, we would never have found such excitement and joy! Every time we spot another kit house, whether it be a Sears or an Aladdin, we get so excited! Of course, if my son is with us he just cringes when he sees the camera come out, because he knows many photos will be taken and his trip home will be delayed!

He now has a standard question before we leave the house: “Are you guys going to be looking at more houses? Because if you are, I’m staying here. You guys are obsessed!”

Below are a few of the kit homes that Pat found in Ohio.

Here's the Sears Windsor, also known as the Sears Carlin (1919 catalog).

Sears Kilbourne, from the 1928 catalog.

Sears Americus, from the 1928 catalog.

Sears Conway, from 1921.

One of my favorites, the Dover, from 1928.

The Sears Rodessa, from the 1928 catalog.

Sears Westly, as seen in the 1916 catalog.

Apparently, Mentor Ohio has many Sears Homes, such as this Westly. And so many of these homes have their original siding and railings. This is a real beauty. Photo is copyright 2011 Pat Burton and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

Another favorite of mine, The Willard, a classic neo-tudor (1928 catalog).

Altered, but still identifiable. One of the classic features of the Willard are those three windows on the left (in this photo). This house is in Lyndhurst, Ohio. Photo is copyright 2011 Pat Burton and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

The Sears Barrington was also a popular house (1928 catalog).

Pat also found a house by Harris Brothers (a competitor of Sears). The J-181 was a very popular house for Harris Brothers.

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To keep reading about Sears Homes, click here.

To learn how to identify kit homes, click here.

To buy Rose’s books, click here.

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The Hawleys: One of the First Families of Jefferson County (Wisconsin)

Sears Homes — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 04:48:22 +0000

On Friday, I posted a detailed blog about Addie’s deep roots in the Lake Mills community.

Addie Hoyt (1872-1901) was the granddaughter of Kimball Hoyt and his wife, Sally Sanborn Hoyt. The Hoyts first came to Jefferson County in 1843. When Sally Sanborn Hoyt died in June 1894, her obituary described her and Kimball as “pioneers” of the area. Click here to read more about that side of Addie’s family.

After that blog appeared, one of Addie’s many friends in Lake Mills contacted me and said, “Rose, don’t forget about the Hawleys. They were also pioneers in this county.”

Captain Hezekiah Beach Hawley and his wife, Theresa Hawley were Addie’s maternal grandparents. They were originally from New York, and I’m not sure when they arrived in Jefferson County, but by August 1, 1844, the Captain and his wife were the proud owners of 40 acres of the prettiest piece of farmland you ever did see in Milford, Wisconsin, purchased directly from the United States Government.

John Tyler was the president at the time (as is noted on the deed). In 1843, one year earlier, some folks from Vermont had purchased some land not too far from the Hawleys. Their name was Mr. and Mrs. Kimball Hoyt.

The Hoyts had a little boy named Homer (born 1844), and the Hawleys had a little girl named Julia (also born 1844).

On October 16, 1861, Homer Hoyt married the Captain’s daughter, Julia Hawley. Oh, how I would love to know a little more about that courtship.

Captain Hezekiah Beach Hawley was an old sea captain, and I’m sure any landlubber who came calling for young Julia endured quite a grilling. Captain Hawley was 40 years old when Julia was born. By the time of her marriage, Hezekiah was 57 (and the newlyweds were 17!). Judging by look on his face in this old photo (below), it’d be safe to guess that the old captain didn’t soften with age.

Homer and Julia had three children, Anna (born 1866), Addie (born 1872) and Eugene (born 1875). In 1877, Captain Hawley died. At least he got to meet his three grandchildren. And maybe by then, he’d even forgiven Homer for marrying his beautiful daughter.

One can hope.

In the social mathematics of the era that defined a woman’s worth, young Addie Hoyt had great value. According to information gleaned from the Lake Mills Leader (newspaper), Addie’s life was full of promise and potential. She was intelligent, witty, articulate, talented, sophisticated and accomplished.

Addie Hoyt had deep roots in her community, which - in Small Town America - added greatly to her social standing. On both her father’s side (the Hoyts) and her mother’s side (the Hawleys), Addie came from a “good old Wisconsin family.”

And yet, thus far, despite some pretty strenuous searching, I’ve been unable to find a single piece of information about either the Hoyts or the Hawleys from local libraries or historical societies or museums.

Addie’s grandparents - the Hoyts and the Hawleys - both moved to the area in the early 1840s and purchased quite a bit of land (more than 100 acres) from the government, and in time, both families became prosperous and wealthy. I am baffled as to why no one in Jefferson County seems to have a letter or a journal or any correspondence or information about these two important families.

One of the main reasons I keep writing about Addie is in the hopes that someone somewhere will come forward with some information that tells us exactly happened to Addie.

There are so many questions. As I wrote on the prior blog, How did Addie end up with someone like Enoch? Was she out of her mind with grief at the time? She lost six of her favorite relatives in two years time. Or maybe it was a decision made in haste, when she realized that - at the ripe of age of 24 - it was time to get married or give up her dreams of a family?

But even then, how did she end up trapped in a marriage where - according to published accounts - she was murdered by her own husband? Why didn’t she escape from the hellish marriage? Did she not have the resources to get away in time? How did this beautiful, intelligent young woman end up in a shallow grave, murdered by her own husband?

How did Addie’s life story - which started off so rich with hope and promise - end so tragically?

The cemeteries of Jefferson County are well populated with Hoyts and Hawleys. These “pioneer families” worked hard to build something that the settlers and other followers would enjoy in the decades ahead.

Addie Hoyt was their shining star, and the Hoyts and Hawley deserve a proper resolution to this horrific crime.

And so does Addie.

* * *

Captain Hezekiah Beach Hawley looks like quite a character. He was the father of Julia Hawley Hoyt (Addie's mother). Captain Hawley and his wife Theresa moved into Jefferson County in the early 1840s, and they were two of the pioneers of that area.

He was born in 1804 and died in 1877, when Addie was five.

And the Captain's wife, Theresa Hathaway Hawley. She outlived the Captain by 21 years, dying in 1898 in Dayton, WI. In fact, she outlived her daughter (Julia), her son-in-law (Homer), her granddaughter (Addie) and even her great-grandson (Ernie).

Captain Hawley purchased 40 acres from the US Government in 1844.

Close up of the paperwork. The date was August 1, 1844.

A picture of young Homer Hoyt at the time of his marriage to Julia Hawley (in 1861). He was a dapper young fellow, wasn't he?

Homer Hoyt and Julia Hawley Hoyt had three children, Anna (1866), Addie (1872) and Eugene (1875). Homer and Julia died within a year of each other (1894 and 1895). This picture was taken in 1888.

Nine months after Julia Hoyt died, Addie married Enoch Fargo (shown here). Enoch was 22 years her senior. He was 46 on their wedding day in 1896. She was 24 years old. Five years later, she'd be dead. According to a published account written by Enoch's own granddaughter (Mary Wilson), Enoch murdered Addie.

What happened to Homer and Julia's little girl, "Addie"? How did someone with such a bright future get tangled up with someone like Enoch?

In November 2011, Addie's remains were exhumed from the cemetery in Lake Mills, WI for autopsy. Unfortunately, the autopsy was inconclusive, but based on what we've learned thus far, it appears that Mary Wilson's account was correct. Addie was murdered.

To learn more about Addie, click here.

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The Hoyts: One of the First Families of Jefferson County (Wisconsin)

Sears Homes — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 20:01:44 +0000

In the unspoken but ever-present caste system of Victorian America, 24-year-old Addie Hoyt was a socialite, and a woman of note. According to information gleaned from the Lake Mills Leader (newspaper), young Addie Hoyt possessed much promise and potential. She was intelligent, witty, articulate, talented, sophisticated, accomplished (as accomplished as polite society would permit) and she was beautiful.

And Addie Hoyt had deep roots in her community, which - in Small Town America - added greatly to her social standing. She was the granddaughter of one of the “pioneer families” of Jefferson County (Wisconsin). Addie’s paternal grandparents (Kimball Hoyt and his wife, Sally Sanborn Hoyt) moved from Vermont to Jefferson County (Wisconsin) in 1843, and Mr. and Mrs. Kimball Hoyt were among the first families to settle the area.

And I also discovered an interesting item in the Lake Mills Leader where Robert Fargo (from another “original family”) recounts his memories of the Fargo family’s move to Jefferson County.

In that piece he states,

In 1844, my brother Lyman, like one of the Hebrew spies made a tour of Wisconsin with a view of establishing himself in business and decided Lake Mills was the ideal place in the new Eldorado. Two years from this time found him with Brother Enoch [Enoch B. Fargo, father of Enoch James] located and trading on the ground now occupied by Reed and Coombe under the firm name of L. & E. B. Fargo.

In other words, Addie’s family settled in Jefferson County in 1843, one year before the Fargos.

And yet, thus far, I’ve been unable to find a single solitary piece of information about Addie’s family from local resources in the Lake Mills area, such as the libraries or historical societies or museums.

Addie’s family moved to the area in 1843, purchased more than 100 acres of land from the government, and in time, they became prosperous and wealthy. I am baffled as to why no one in the county seems to have a letter or a journal or any correspondence or information on the Hoyt family.

One of the main reasons I keep writing about Addie is in the hopes that someone somewhere will remember a story they heard from their great aunt, or that someone will discover a scrap of paper or a journal or a letter that gives some insight into what happened to Addie.

There are so many questions.

How did Addie end up married to someone like Enoch? Was it because of the deep grief occasioned by the passing of six of her closest family members in 24 months? How did she end up trapped in a marriage where - according to published accounts - she was murdered by her own husband? Why didn’t she escape from the hellish marriage? Did she not have the resources to get away in time? Or was it the lack of familial support that kept her tied to Enoch?

What happened to this poised young woman with so much promise? What happened to beautiful, elegant, cultured, sophisticated, talented Addie?

How did Addie’s life story - which started off so beautifully - end so tragically?

How did this debutante end up in a shallow grave - murdered by her husband and buried illegally - in the dark of night?

This multitude of loose ends can not be how this story ends. There must be more.There must be more.

The local cemeteries are well populated by members of the Hoyt family. The Hoyts and their kin sacrificed and sweated and toiled and worked to help settle that area.

Addie Hoyt was their shining star, and the Hoyt family deserves a proper resolution to this horrific crime. And so does Addie.

* * *

Addie's family was one of the first families to settle in Jefferson County. According to commentary found in the local newspaper, Addie Hoyt possessed much promise and potential. She was intelligent, witty, articulate, sophisticated and talented.

Addie's paternal grandmother, Sally Sanborn Hoyt, died June 1894. In a two-year period, six of Addie's closest family members died and her two siblings moved out of the area. The obit was an interesting read. It notes that the Hoyts were "pioneers" of Jefferson County.

About 1887, Addie's sister (Anna Hoyt) married Wilbur W. Whitmore, and the newlyweds moved away from Lake Mills, settling in Denver, Colorado. By 1894, they had three children, Ernie (six years old), Florence (age three) and Victor (age one).

In November 1894, the entire Whitmore family was stricken with Scarlet Fever. Julia Hawley Hoyt (Addie and Anna's mother) took a train to Denver to help the family and provide nursing duties. The day of her arrival into Denver, Ernie (shown above) died from the disease.

In February 1894, Addie's father (Homer Hoyt) had died suddenly in Washington State. In late 1894, Julia Hawley Hoyt traveled to Denver helping her daughter's family. Julia never returned to Lake Mills. She contracted Scarlet Fever and died six months later. Julia was 51 years old.

In May 1895, Eugene Beach Hoyt (Addie's brother) took a job with W. W. Ingram and moved to Chicago, about 125 miles southeast of Lake Mills. His timing wasn't good. Eugene departed for Chicago the same month that Julia (mother of Eugene, Addie and Anna) died from complications of Scarlet Fever. With Eugene's departure to the big city, Addie was now utterly alone in Lake Mills. She married Enoch James Fargo nine months later after her mother's death. Addie was 24 years old.

Five years later, she'd be dead, at the age of 29.

In January 1895, Robert Fargo (Enoch J. Fargo's uncle) wrote this reminiscence for the "Lake Mills Leader" newspaper. Text is below.

While you make your annual record of the improvements and growth of our village and with understandable pride, note her strides city-ward, allow me to indulge a few reminiscences of the little hamlet of Lake Tyranena translated into cold and cheerless Rock Lake (and let me here say in parenthesis Tyranena should be the name of our village today.

Judge Keyes in his late reminiscent history of this place from 1837 to 1847 has rendered us an invaluable service placing in endruing form the prominent men and events of that period.

It is not my purpose to follow or supplement his invaluable work but for the (??) to point out with some degree of exactness so your readers may compare the Lake Mills of today with that of 47 years ago.

In 1844, my brother Lyman, like one of the Hebrew spies made a tour of Wisconsin with a view of establishing himself in business and decided Lake Mills was the ideal place in the new Eldorado.

Two years from this time found him with Bro. Enoch [Enoch B. Fargo] located and trading on the ground now occupied by Reed and Coombe under the firm name of L. & E. B. Fargo. – Robert Fargo

Enoch J. Fargo married Addie in 1896. According to Enoch's granddaughter (Mary Wilson), he shot Addie and then bribed a local doctor to cover up the murder.

Addie's remains were exhumed on November 3, 2011, and that's when we discovered that she'd been buried in an extremely shallow grave - only 34" deep.

Addie's grandparents were one of the "first families" in Wisconsin. Please spread the word, and help us find that letter or journal or note that may help us understand what happened to Addie Hoyt.

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And Then Julia Contracted Scarlet Fever…

Sears Homes — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 03:10:34 +0000

Thursday evening, after some diligent searching, I found the obituary for Julia Hawley Hoyt, Addie’s mother. The microfilm was so badly faded that the text was barely legible, but I did find it.

As I expected, Julia Hawley Hoyt never made it back to Lake Mills after November 30, 1894. She left her home in Lake Mills, Wisconsin after Thanksgiving to rush out to Denver, Colorado. Her eldest daughter (Anna Hoyt Whitmore) was sick with Scarlet Fever, as was Anna’s whole family (husband and three children, ages six, three and one).

The trek from Chicago to Denver took 26 hours. Julia would have arrived into Denver on December 1st. That was the day that little Ernie, Anna’s eldest child, died from the Scarlet Fever.

According to the obituary I found in the Lake Mills Leader Julia Hoyt contracted Scarlet Fever while she was there in Denver, and died in May, almost six months later.

Obituary

Died, at San Mateo, California, May 9th (1895), Mrs. Julia Hoyt of Lake Mills, Wisconsin at the age of 51 years. Mrs. Hoyt was born in Milford, Jefferson County in 1844 where she grew to womanhood. She was married to Mr. Homer Hoyt on October 16, 1862 at Milford. She was the mother of three children, two daughters and one son, Mrs. Wilbur Whitmore, Denver Colorado, Eugene B. Hoyt, and Miss Addie Hoyt of Lake Mills, all of whom survive to mourn the loss of a gentle and loving mother.

The funeral took place at San Mateo, California May 12th and the deceased was buried beside her father and sister. Mrs. Hoyt was called to Denver about last Thanksgiving time to assist her daughter in the care of her children who were sick with Scarlet Fever and during these tender ministrations contracted the disease, which at last resulted in dropsy causing her death.

As a devoted wife, a kind and loving mother, and a true neighbor, Mrs. Hoyt will long be remember, and her numerous friends will be moved with tenderest sympathy for the mourning children, who must sustain through grief and sorrow their irreparable loss.

“No more to hear her voice of love,

Nor feel her touch so kind,

waiting until the shadows move,

Revealing the beyond.”

Addie last saw her mother around Thanksgiving 1894, when Julia Hoyt (shown here in 1888) went to Denver to help Anna's family deal with Scarlet Fever. Julia never returned to Lake Mills. While providing nursing duties to her family in Denver, she contracted Scarlet Fever which developed into "dropsy" or severe swelling, most likely occasioned by heart or kidney failure. This was a common cause of death from Scarlet Fever. Julia died May 1895, six months after her visit to Denver.

How did beautiful young Addie end up with a troll like Enoch? That's a good question. Losing her mother must have been tough, and in 1893, 94 and 95, there were a lot of losses for Addie. Perhaps she was so stricken with grief, she couldn't think clearly. Addie is shown here with her sister, Anna (right), who moved to Denver in 1887.

This notice appeared in the Lake Mills Leader (newspaper) on December 6, 1894.

Anna Hoyt Whitmore had three children, two of whom survived their bout with Scarlet Fever. "Ernie" did not, and he died on December 1, 1894.

Ernie's obit was published in both the "Denver Rock Mountain News" and the "Lake Mills Leader."

Florence Whitmore and her baby brother "Victor" both survived Scarlet Fever in 1894. They're shown here in 1895, one year after Ernie's death.

Between 1893 and 1895, Addie lost six of her closest family members to death, and her brother and sister moved out of the area. These eight losses left Addie isolated and alone and vulnerable. Nine months after the last death (her mother's passing in May 1895), Addie married Enoch. It was a mistake that would have fatal consequences. And Addie's "aloneness" in the world made it easier for Enoch to get away with murder - literally.

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To learn more about Addie, click here.

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Little Ernie Whitmore: The Story of a Very Short Life

Sears Homes — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 17:05:51 +0000

After my father passed on in June 2011, I was cleaning out his assisted living facility and that’s when I discovered two photo albums from the late 1800s, belonging to Addie Hoyt, my great, great Aunt. In that same old shoe box, I also found - laying loose in the box - a professionally done photograph of a young boy, about five years old. The back of the photo said the child’s name was Ernie Eugene Whitmore, 1888 - 1894.

Ernie was the eldest child of Anna Hoyt Whitmore and Wilbur W. Whitmore (my great-grandparents, and Addie’s sister and brother-in-law). Anna and Wilbur had three children, Ernie, Florence and Victor. Florence was my grandmother, and she was born in 1891. Her brother Victor was born in 1893.

Looking at these pictures of this little boy, I wondered, what happened to Ernie? He looks healthy and strong.

If you look closely at his folded hands, you’ll see the dirty fingernails of a young boy who loves to play outside and does not love to wash his hands! Ernie did not look like a frail little boy.

His small hands are clasped so tightly, it looks like he was struggling mightily to sit still on picture day! As a mother of three girls (one of whom was a real “wiggle worm”), it’s easy for me to imagine that day at the photographer’s studio in 1893.

“Mrs. Whitmore, I can not get a good picture if that boy does not stop his squirming!”

I can imagine Grandmother Whitmore leaning toward Ernie, and - for the umpteenth time - admonishing her little boy to be still.

“Ernie, you must do as you’re told and sit still. If you’re a good boy, we’ll stop by the confectionery on the way home and I’ll let you pick out a treat.”

Ernie clutches his hands tightly together, desperately yearning to keep the inner wiggle worm still for just a few…more…seconds.

Finally, after a few shutter clicks and blinding flashes of light, young Ernie is released from this torturous stillness.

Ernie was not quite five years old when that photo was taken in June 1893. It was to be his last photo.

What happened to Ernie? How did his life end so quickly?

On February 22, 2012, I learned the rest of the story.

While reading my way through ten years of the Lake Mills Leader (the newspaper of Lake Mills Wisconsin), I found a little snippet in the corner of the page for December 1894. It said that Julia Hoyt (of Lake Mills) had rushed off to Denver to be with her daughter’s family (Anna Hoyt Whitmore and her husband, Wilbur). Julia Hawley Hoyt was Ernie’s maternal grandmother.

The entire household had contracted Scarlet Fever, one of the most terrifying disease of that time.

Julia caught the express train from Chicago to Denver, rushing out to help her daughter’s young family. Julia left on November 31st, 1894 and arrived 26 hours later, on December 1st. That was to be the day that six-year-old Ernie died.

There’s no word that Julia ever returned to Lake Mills. Perhaps she did, but if she did, it was never recorded in the newspaper. Six months later, Julia Hoyt died in San Mateo, California (Alameda County). She was 51 years old.

UPDATED: Julia Hoyt contracted Scarlet Fever during her stay in Denver, and died six months later in San Mateo.

Learning about Addie’s life in Lake Mills has been fascinating, and learning more about the rest of the Hoyt Family has been an unexpected bonus.

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This photo of Ernie (June 1893) is enchanting.

Look at those dear little hands - and the lace on his cuffs and shirt!

And he had a very sweet expression.

Addie thought so, too. Written on the back of the photo is an inscription (written by Addie) where she called him, "Auntie's Sweetheart."

Ernie was 10 months old in this photo.

On December 6, 1894, the Lake Mills Leader reported that Julia Hoyt had left one week prior (November 31st) to be with Anna Hoyt Whitmore and her family, all of whom were afflicted with Scarlet Fever. The next day, Ernie would be gone.

December 1st 1894, Ernie died of Scarlet Fever. It's difficult for me to think of a child - a six year old - being described as "a brave, beautiful example of Christian fortitude," while he lays dying.

Despite a whole lot of searching, I have not been able to find an obit for Julia Hawley Hoyt, my great-great grandmother. She died less than six months after little Ernie. She was 51 years old. This photo was taken in 1888.

To learn more about Addie Hoyt, click here.

To learn more about the kit homes of Lake Mills, click here.

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A Whole Bunch of Sears Homes Near Philadelphia?

Sears Homes — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:17:33 +0000

Less than 30 miles from Philadelphia there’s an entire neighborhood of Sears Homes. According to the 1921 Sears Modern Homes catalog, they’re in Chester, PA.

The houses were built in the early 1920s by a company known as “Sun Ship Company.”

It’s possible that this entire neighborhood has long since been demolished, but if it’s still there, I’d love to find it. If you’re familiar with this area, please oh please leave a comment below!

To learn more about how identify Sears Homes, click here.

As seen in the 1921 Sears catalog, the houses in Chester, PA.

Close-up of the Sears Homes in Chester, PA built by Sun Ship Building Co.

The houses in Chester appear to be "The Arcardia."

And just on the other side of Philadelphia are these Sears Homes in Plymouth Meeting (Pennsylvania).

These homes were built by the American Magnesia Company.

Sears Homes in Plymouth Meeting, PA.

A close-up of the houses built by American Magnesia company in Plymouth Meeting, PA. The first house on the left is the Gladstone (see photo further down). The next house (one-story, with hip roof) is the Sears Kismet (see directly below).

Kismet

From right to left, you see the Somerset, Gladstone, Starlight, Winona and Marina.

The first house you see on the right in that photo above is the Somerset.

In these homes you see a Gladstone/Langston, which should be easy to find!

So, where are these houses now? I’d love to know!

To learn more about Sears Homes, click here.

To read about the exhumation of Addie Hoyt, click here.

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Oh My! So Many Kit Homes in Hampton, Virginia!

Sears Homes — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:17:28 +0000

Thus far, my friend Dale and I have found more than 50 kit homes in Hampton! It’s a real surprise to find so many houses from Aladdin and Sears in one city here in Southeastern Virginia and they’re all clustered together in one neighborhood!

Not surprisingly, there are almost as many Aladdin Kit homes in Hampton as there are Sears kit homes. Aladdin (like Sears), sold their kit homes through a mail-order catalog. These were true kits - shipped in 12,000-piece kits - and arrived at the train station “some assembly required.” Each kit came with a 75-page instruction book that told the neophyte home builder how all those pieces and parts went together.

Take a look at some of our favorite finds!

One of my favorites, the Aladdin Shadowlawn (1919 catalog).

What a beauty! A perfect Aladdin Shadowlawn! Just perfect.

The Aladdin Pasadena was another very popular house for Aladdin.

And there are several of these in Hampton. Here's one!

And here's another!

The Sears Fullerton is a big, bold and beautiful foursquare (1925).

This Sears Fullerton in Hampton is a perfect match to the catalog page! (Minus the red Ford truck, that is.)

One of the characteristic features of the Fullerton is that broad dormer with one tiny window. This house still retains its original siding and windows!

Another fun find was the Sears Hathaway (1925 catalog).

Perfect in every way! (Minus the red Ford truck - again.)

In addition to Sears and Aladdin, I also found a kit home sold by Lewis Manufacturing.

The Lewis Shelborne - looking just like the catalog image above!

The Sears Alhambra was a perennial favorite (1919 catalog).

And Hampton's Alhambra is dressed in brick!

Gordon Van Tine was another kit home company that sold mail-order homes in the early 20th Century. The model shown above was known as "The Roberts" (1921).

This one in Hampton faces the water - and it's been supersized!

Hampton has too many kit homes to fit into one blog. To read part II, come back tomorrow and click here!

To learn about the kit homes I found in Newport News (East End), click here.

To read about the kit homes of Norfolk, click here.

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In 1893, Lake Mills Was Closed Due to Diphtheria

Sears Homes — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 02:42:45 +0000

During the last few days, David Spriggs and I have spent more than 50 hours reading “The Lake Mills Leader” (newspaper) from 1892 - 1902. The following information comes from stories contained in those old papers.

In October 1893, an unusually mild strain of diphtheria hit Lake Mills. According to a report made by Dr. F. H. Gordon (County Health Officer and town physician), twelve families (which included many children) “had the diphtheria at their house.”

As is typical of diphtheria, more children than adults were afflicted, and yet there was only one death during this outbreak in 1893, and that was Frankie Hubbs, a 10-year-old boy. He died when the virus hit his heart. (In 1893, they would not have performed an autopsy on a child with diphtheria, but the diphtheria toxin may have damaged Frankie’s heart or kidneys.)

All cases were attended by Dr. F. H. Gordon.

In response to the diphtheria epidemic (even this mild form), local officials closed down the town of Lake Mills. School was suspended, and all public meeting places, lodges, churches, etc were CLOSED until further notice. All public events were canceled.

There was a raging debate about shutting down the Woman’s Club. The ladies entered their protest, and then conferred with the Health Officer, explaining to him, “We have no children here.”

In early December, the city enacted a strongly worded ordinance giving “Health Officers” a tremendous amount of power. In the event of typhoid, diphtheria, Asiatic cholera, small pox, and other communicable diseases, Health Officers were empowered to enforce quarantines, and require fumigation of infected places and close down public areas. Any case of contagious disease was to be reported immediately to the Health Officer, who’d then report to the State Board of Health.

When the quarantine was lifted, and the fumigation of public places was complete, there was great rejoicing throughout the town.

Dr. F. H. Gordon wrote an article for the paper explaining that in Lake Mills, the cause of the disease had been - as it usually was - “unsanitary conditions, filth and imperfect disinfection” practices. Dr. Thorne (of London, which had suffered terribly from diphtheria) was another doctor who was quoted the Lake Mills Leader. He said that diphtheria was caused by “poor children…crowded living conditions…overcrowded schools” and “damp dwellings.”

This all happened in 1893, eight years before Addie’s death, and this was Lake Mills’ response to a very mild strain of diphtheria. And yet, when stealth, ninja, fast-acting, super-deadly diphtheria hit Addie in June 1901, there was no response from the local heath officer, who happened to be Addie’s attending physician, Dr. William H. Oatway.

After Addie’s death, the strongly worded ordinance enacted in November 1893 was completely ignored on all fronts. There were no fumigations. No quarantines. No burning of personal items. No disinfecting of the Fargo Mansion.

As the Health Officer, Dr. Oatway knew that the State Board of Health used burial permits to track contagious disease, and he knew that as long as there was no burial permit, the odds were good that the state would never learn about Addie’s stealth, ninja diphtheria.

At best, Oatway purposefully falsified a legal document and violated health laws. At worst, he was complicit in covering up a murder.

In January 1902, about six months after Addie’s death, Frank B. Fargo’s little boy came down with Smallpox, another dreaded scourge of the time. Frank Fargo (born 1845) was five years older than his brother, Enoch James, and these two Fargo brothers lived side-by-side on Mulberry Street.

On January 9, 1902, Frank published a notice in the paper - at his own expense - to assure the Lake Mills Community that (unlike his brother, Enoch), his family was abiding by all health laws of the city and state and honoring the state-mandated quarantine.

On January 16, 1902, a blurb appeared in the Lake Mills Leader stating that the fumigation on the Fargo Home was complete (that’d be the Frank B. Fargo home), and that the quarantine had been lifted.

Frank’s decision to publish this notice in the paper might have been a response to the public outrage that ensued after Addie’s death from the stealth, ninja, super-virulent, fast-acting diphtheria. After Addie died, there had been no quarantine and no fumigation and no destroying of personal items. Life at the Enoch Fargo mansion just went on as usual.

Why were there no quarantines and no fumigations? Because there was no diphtheria in Lake Mills in 1901. When Dr. Oatway filed his report with the State Board of Health for the fiscal year that encompassed June 1901, his official report said that there was no diphtheria in Lake Mills in 1901.

The fact that there was no observation of the health laws after Addie’s death in June 1901 is just more confirmation that she did not die of diphtheria.

In 1901, in a small town like Lake Mills, I’m sure that many people still remembered the Diphtheria Epidemic of 1893. People must have figured out pretty quickly that young Addie Hoyt - the wide-eyed beauty who was such an accomplished dancer, writer, elocutionist, and historian - had not died from disease.

When the rich, powerful, arrogant Enoch completely ignored all health laws regarding quarantine and fumigation - the townsfolk probably figured out that the diphtheria story was just a sloppy attempt to cover up foul play. In a small town like Lake Mills, folks would have remembered what happened to Enoch’s daughter “Myrtie” in 1887. They would have remembered that the nine-year-old girl died from Typhoid when a neighbor did not follow health laws fast enough, and Myrtie was exposed to the dread disease after playing with a doll from a neighbor’s burn pile.

But Addie did not die from a contagious disease, so Enoch was not worried about his two daughters. He wasn’t worried about anything. After Addie was dead, he tossed her body into a shallow grave, that had been hurriedly dug in the dark of night, and at 10:00 am the same morning, Enoch held a fast funeral before Addie’s brother in Milwaukee could arrive at the grave site.

Enoch wasn’t worried about getting caught. His arrogance was truly stunning. If he was worried about getting caught, he would have followed the game book and fumigated the mansion and burned Addie’s personal things and quarantined the house. But that was way too much trouble for Enoch. Besides, no one dared question the Mighty Enoch.

If only someone had questioned him. If only someone had confronted him. If only someone had stood up for Addie.

If only.

To learn more about Addie, click here.

On January 9, 1902, Frank Fargo published this notice in the "Lake Mills Leader." Maybe Frank Fargo's comments were intended to assuage the community's fears that Frank might "pull an Enoch" and blatantly ignore all of the health laws of the city and state.

The next week, this notice appeared.

This item appeared in the Lake Mills Leader in January 1901. In Wisconsin, health laws empowered local health officers to appoint guards to enforce quarantine, and these guards were encouraged to use "espionage" to make sure that no one broke quarantine. The penalties for violating quarantine were severe, unless you were Enoch Fargo.

In December 1893, the city enacted new legislation to protect citizens against future outbreaks of contagious disease. This ordinance had 15 sections, most of which dealt with contagious disease (small pox, Asiatic cholera, diphtheria).

By November 23, 1893, the worst had passed.

As of November 30, 1893, the quarantine was lifted.

And by November 30, 1893, those with perfect hindsight had started complaining that more should have been done to stem the outbreak.

The 10-year-old boy who died from diphtheria (Frankie Hubbs) was the eldest child of C. Hubbs, who was the publisher of the "Lake Mills Leader" (newspaper). This notice appeared on November 2, 1893.

Dr. Gordon was the doctor who attended the diphtheria cases, and he was also the County Health Officer for the Lake Mills area. He took his duties very seriously, and made a report to the State Board of Health.

In Addie's s obituary (June 20, 1901), the doctor is quoted as saying that it was the most "desperately stubborn and rapidly developing case" he'd seen, and yet the Fargo mansion was neither quarantined nor fumigated.

Or, maybe the townsfolk knew that there was no need for fumigation because there was no way Addie could have died from diphtheria in 15 hours.

In Mary Wilson's book ("A History of Lake Mills") she states plainly, "Enoch shot Addie." One thing is for sure - Addie did not die of diphtheria. Perhaps what makes Mary's story even more compelling is that she was Enoch's granddaughter.

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“The Little House,” by David.

Sears Homes — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 01:48:58 +0000

I’m mighty happy to be in my new home, but one of the things I miss from the old place is my little 96-square-foot house.

David Strickland designed it and built it in September 2008, and it is a real beauty. It has more than 250 linear feet of crown molding, a floored attic (with a vertical staircase), and five wonderful windows. And it has 96 square feet of living area. And did I mention that it has a slate roof?

If you want a little house of your own, or if you need any type of contracting work, I highly recommend David. He is easily the finest contractor that I’ve ever worked with. In addition to his 30 years of experience, he’s incredibly talented. He’s more than just an experienced carpenter, he’s a true artisan, in every sense of the word.

If you’d like to see samples of his work, scroll on down. He’s done so much work for us, and I’ve never met another contractor who comes close to this level of quality.

His name is David Strickland and his number is 237-6492. I hope you’ll give him a call.

We always called it, The Little Mansion. This is a real beauty and it's a lovely testament to David's abilities.

This custom-built jewel has more than 250 feet of crown molding and a slate roof. And it was designed and built by David Strickland.

David also restored the bathroom for us. The work he did was first rate, and the end result was magazine-quality gorgeous!

And David built the picket fence, too.

Another view of the picket fence that David built for us.

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