Pieces of a Puzzle: M. Thomas Family

by Kristine Schmucker, HCHM Curator

In honor of Juneteenth, a day celebrated by many Black communities to commemorate the end of slavery, we are sharing the story of  an Old Settler Black family.

Introduction

Harvey County is made up of diverse cultures.  Many families can trace their history back to the early settlement period of the 1870s and 1880s.  Traditionally,  focus has been on the white settlers in celebrations like Old Settler’s Day. However, Black and other mixed race families,  like David Anderson & Mary Rickman Anderson Grant , were homesteading in 1871. In 1880, a group of at least 32 Black individuals, including Katie Vance, settled in Newton. Their stories are harder to find, often only brief mentions in the newspaper provide scattered clues. Many times the stories are not neat and pretty. This is the case with the family of M. Thomas as seen through the eyes of local newspapers.

Recently, a short blurb in 1888 about a 15 year old “colored girl”  in Police Court caught my attention. Curious to see if I could find out more, I did some digging.

Newton Daily Republican, 1 March 1888

The M. Thomas family came to Newton in about 1880 from Trenton, Todd, Kentucky.  The family consisted of Madison, his wife, Matilda, and three children, 13 year old William, 11 year old Mary, and 7 year old Ellen. In 1885, the family was living along north Main between 10th & 11th and Madison worked as a laborer.

The two of Thomas children experienced difficulties with the law in the late 1800s, all of which were reported in colorful detail by the local papers.

The Thomas Siblings

Ellen Thomas : “Frisky Colored Maiden”

In 1887,  14 year old Ellen Thomas must have fallen in with a rough crowd.  In September, she was arrested with four men for disturbing a meeting at the Second Baptist Church.  The men, George Morrow, C. Coleman, George Vance, and Bob Wylls, were each fined three dollars and court costs. The judge showed “mercy to the woman” and did not fine her.  Later, he reportedly regretted not being harder on her. (Newton Daily Republican, 9 September 1887)

At the end of September, Ellen was arrested along with Charles Coleman  for stealing a watch while at the county fair.  This time the judge was not so lenient and Ellen was fined two dollars and costs.

Justice’s Docket City of Newton Criminal Cases 1880-1889

In March 1888, Ellen  was arrested for drunk and disorderly. The Newton Kansan noted that “Ellen is an old offender and has figured quite conspicuously in the courts in this city on several former occasions, and the officers’ patience is about exhausted.” (1 March 1888) She plead guilty and paid the $5 fine plus costs.

In April, Ellen was again mentioned in the Evening Daily Republican under the heading “Too Hilarious”

“Ellen Thomas a colored woman, who has on more than one occasion figured romantically in police court circles, and Albert Lewis also colored, were taken before Police Judge Spooner . . . who fined them each $5 and the court trimmings for disorderly conduct on the streets Friday night.” (22 April 1888)

The reporter failed to describe what was “Too Hilarious” about the situation.

A more serious crime was committed in October when the Newton Daily Republican  reported that she was “Fined for Her Fun.” Ellen was described as the “frisky colored maiden, who assaulted the young white girl Miss Scott.” The trial was held in Judge Lupfer’s court and Ellen was fined $5 and costs which the editor felt would “no doubt cause her to have more respect for the law.” (22 October 1888)

She again caught the attention of the police and newspaper readers in October 1891. After serving time  in jail for an “affray” with Mrs. Weston (another Black woman), Ellen was released, but soon found herself back in jail for attempting to help a fellow prisoner escape. The Newton Daily Republican recounted:

“It seems that while in jail she lost her heart to one of her fellow-prisoners, a colored man giving his name as McCloskey, and ever since she received her freedom has been trying to devise a way for him to escape. Today Sheriff Pollard caught her giving him two saws made especially for cutting iron and promptly arrested her.” (22 October 1891)

This time she was sentenced to 15 months at Lansing for the attempt. She returned to Newton in 1893, “a rather notorious colored woman.” Ellen next appears in Police court with several others on charges of being operators, inmates or frequenters of questionable houses.” However, in this case she was found not guilty.

Ellen appears once more in the Newton paper in a strange story featuring “Female Footpads.”

Newton Kansan, 26 Jan 1900

The Newton Kansan on January 26, 1900 colorfully describes the hold up of “L. Titsworth of Lincoln. . . by three wenches” on West 4th near the Second Baptist Church in Newton.  Titsworth was walking around town to pass the time when,

“he was accosted by the dusky Amazons, one of whom flashed a pistol in his face. He surrendered at once and the woman went through his pockets, taking two $5 bills and a silver dollar.  This was about 8 o’clock; services were going on in the church at the time.  the audacity of the affair left Mr. Titsworth almost speechless and by the time he regained composure the females had flown.”

Warrants were quickly issued for Ellen Thomas, Mary and Gertie Doe. In a strange turn, the February 23 issue of the Newton Kansan noted that

 “The criminal docket was wiped up this morning owing to the fact that ‘Colonel’ Titsworth failed to leave his address and refuses to stay in one place long enough to allow said address to become known . . . the case dismissed.”

The editor noted, “The colonel is a smooth proposition and will no doubt be the defendant in a state case some time.”

Ellen Thomas also seemed to disappear from Newton and the record.

New Information: The Evening Kansan Republican, 25 January 1900 records that Ellen Thomas and Cynthia Stottamyer are the same woman. See also Evening Kansan Republican, 16 February 1900, 6 August 1909; and Wichita Beacon, 8 May 1905.  Cynthia Ellen Stottermeyer is buried in Greenwood Cemetery, Newton, Ks. She died Jan 27, 1923 at the age of 51. One could theorize that she got married at some point and changed her last name.

Bill Thomas: “Full of Lead”

William or Bill was born in Tennessee in approximately 1867. He was 13 when the family arrived in Newton.  By the mid-1890s, he was working as a porter at the Clark hotel in Newton.  He had scuffles with the law off and on.  The most serious event was in 1896 and also involved his sister Ellen.

Newton Kansan, 5 November 1896

During Republican rally with a large crowd, Thomas apparently took insult at “Red” Woodford slapping his sister Ellen. Thomas drew his 32 caliber revolver and fired, hitting Woodford at least twice. Woodford drew his own weapon and chased after Thomas.  Even though both men sustained possibly fatal wounds, the paper reported that they “showed great courage so far as the effects of the shots were concerned.” Woodford was carried to Harry Lum’s and Thomas to Dr. Roff’s, both too badly wounded to be arrested, neither expected to live.

In May 1897, the Newton Kansan reported Red” Woodford Captured. Apparently, both men were strong enough to escape Newton before they were arrested for the November 1896 shooting.  Woodford returned to the area in May 1897 and Sheriff Charles Judkin wasted no time in arresting him.  The paper reported that Bill Thomas was in Louisiana.

Madison & Mathilda Thomas

Madison and Matilda Thomas seemed to have lived a much quieter life than  their children.   One can only wonder what they thought.

Matilda Thomas: “A Colored Woman”

In 1892, sorrow struck the family when Matilda died of “a severe attack of asthma.” on December  10. Her obituary was a brief announcement in the paper. She was buried in Greenwood Cemetery, Newton, Ks.  Matilda was born in Kentucky in approximately 1842.  She possibly met Madison Thomas after the Civil War and they were married.  Their first child, William was born in 1867.

Newton Daily Republican, 10 December 1892.

Madison Thomas: “The Price Paid”

Born a slave in about 1829 in Virginia,  little can be pieced together about Madision Thomas’ life. A small notice in the Newton Kansan for July 18, 1907 notes:

“Thomas is at present time 86 years of age and is growing feeble but at one time he was evidently a good man as the price paid for him was 1200 dollars.” 

The article also describes Thomas’ bill of sale for a “negro slave . . .Madison Thomas . .  in Richmond, Va in the year 1858.” When the war broke out Madison enlisted in the Union army under General Thomas and “was given by his own master the bill of sale for his own body.”

Under the command of General Thomas, it is likely that Madison served with the USCT 1st Brigade (14,16,17,18,44) or USCT 2nd Brigade (12, 13,100) and which was raised in Tennessee. He was posted along railroads in 1864 and moved to Nashville with General Thomas to participate in the Battle of Nashville.

After 1911, Madison Thomas, former slave, Union soldier, laborer and Harvey County resident since 1880 disappears from the written record. While his wife, Matilda Thomas, is buried in Greenwood, there does not seem to be a record of his death or burial.

Sources & Notes

  • Thank you to HCHM Volunteer Damon Penner for his research on Madison Thomas’s Civil War record. (Any errors are mine.) Damon is a senior at WSU and is currently volunteering at HCHM working with the Civil War Pensions.
  • More on Juneteenth 
  • Newton Daily Republican: 1 July 1891, 7 January 1893
  • Newton City Directories: 1885, 1887, 1902, 1905, 1911.
  • U.S Census: 1880, 1900, 1910,
  • Kansas Census: 1895, 1905,

 

A Man Named Winne: from the HCHM Archives

by Kristine Schmucker, HCHM Curator

There are thousands of stories waiting to be discovered at the Harvey County Historical Museum & Archives. Since we have recently hosted several programs related to the Civil War, I did some exploring in the  John C. Johnston Collection of Civil War Pensions. This collection contains a wealth of information on Civil War veterans and their families that settled in Harvey County. Fox Winne was the name I picked for this blog post.

In late April 1863, 20 year old Fox Winne joined the 11th Kansas Cavalry, Co. G. which was involved in a number of skirmishes on the Kansas/Missouri border.  From August 20-28, the 11th Cavalry was involved in operations against Quantrill during his raid in Kansas under the command of Col Thomas Ewing,Jr.   Co. G also acted as body guard to General Samuel Curtis at Fort Leavenworth, Ks.

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Henry Barnes, Harry Boothe, Fox Winne, N.D. Horton, members of Co. G, 11th Kansas Volunteer Calvary, 1863. Photo courtesy Kansas Historical Society.

The 11th Kansas Cavalry mustered out of service at Fort Leavenworth, July 17, 1865.  The regiment lost 173 men in roughly 2 years; 63 killed during or as a result of battle, 110 died of disease.

Fox Winne had come to Kansas in 1855 at the age of 12 with his parents Jacob and Magdalena Fox Winne.  The family originally was from Minden, New York and had spent time in Illinois before settling in Riley County near Manhattan, Kansas.  After the Civil War, in 1866, Winne married Mary E. Haulenbeck.  By 1880, Fox and Mary with three children were living in Newton, Kansas.

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Fox & Mary Winne Home, 200 W. Broadway, Newton, Ks, 1886.

Thirty-six year old Winne was listed as ‘a lumber dealer.’  Between 1876 and 1880, Winne established the Newton Lumber Co at 113 E. 6th, Newton.  No doubt he was able to take advantage of the building boom of the mid-1880s.

Newton Lumber Co, 113 E. 6th, Newton, Ks. ca. 1885

Newton Lumber Co, 113 E. 6th, Newton, Ks. ca. 1885.  Owner Fox Winne.

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Newton Lumber Co., 113 E.6th, Newton, Ks, 1905.

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Interior, Newton Lumber Co., 113 E 6th, Newton, KS, 1919.

Eventually, a son-in-law, John B. Olinger, joined Winne in the business.

 

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Newton Lumber Parade float, ca. 1921.

The war left it’s mark. Winne experienced health problems throughout his later years, some related to his two years in the cavalry. In the 1890s, he worked with John C. Johnston to apply to the Department of Interior, Bureau of Pensions to file a claim.

pension-2

He received his pension with the diagnosis of “Disease of the Digestive Organs and Piles” and “Chronic Diarrhea.”

pension-3

According to other documents in the file, he “contracted  Chronic Diarrhea and piles which has resulted in fistula disease of rectum” at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, April 1, 1865.   At that time he was treated at the Ft Leavenworth hospital, but apparently continued to experience problems for the rest of his life.

These health difficulties did not stop Winne for seeking business opportunities, both in Newton and in Texas.

In 1894, the state of Texas opened the eastern section of Chambers County for settlement under a homestead grant.

The Santa Fe Railroad saw an opportunity and sent Newton businessman, Fox Winne as an engineer to review the prospects.  In 1895, the town of Winnie, Tx  was surveyed and named in honor of Newton contractor and investor, Fox Winne.

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Fox Winne, Newton businessman, ca. 1925.

Fox Winne died at the age of 84 on July 20, 1927.  He had been in poor health for two years. He was survived by his wife, Mary, sons John, Elmer and Grant and daughter Maud Winne Olinger.

Note on the name “Winne.” In most of the historical documents, the last name is spelled “Winne,” including  census’, pension records and tombstones.  For some reason, a change occurred with the naming of the town “Winnie” and on the marriage certificate of his daughter, Maude where it is “Winnie.”

 Sources:

  • Winne, Fox File. John C. Johnston Collection of Civil War Pensions, HCHM Archives, Newton, Ks.
  • U.S. Census, 1880
  • City Directories for  Newton, Ks 1885, 1887, 1902, 1905, 1911, 1913, 1917, HCHM Archives, Newton, Ks
  • Voters Registration List 1882-1902, HCHM Archives, Newton, Ks
  • Evening Republican Kansan 20 July 1927, 10 Dec. 1934.
  • http://www.civilwaronthewesternborder.org/content/henry-barnes-henry-boothe-fox-winne-and-nd-horton
  • http://www.pddoc.com/skedaddle/010/0078.htm
  • U.S. Civil War Soldiers Index, 1861-1865.
  • U.S. National Park Service, Battle Unit Details – The Civil War at www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-battle-units-detail.htm.
  • Winnie Area Chamber of Commerce – Winnie Early History at winnietexas.com/early-history/
  • County Markers at uncoveredtexas.com/texas-historical-markers-detail.php?city=Winnie&county.

A Most Tragic Death: Willis T. Green

by Kristine Schmucker, HCHM Curator

(Note: This is part two of a three part series on the Opera House Fire on January 1, 1915) Click here for Part 1.

On the evening of Dec 31,1914 around 7:30, W.T. Green, age 70,  walked with a friend, Albert Nichol, from the Arcade Hotel to his room on the third floor of the Knoepker Opera House.  At 2:30 in the morning on January 1, 1915 fire was reported at the Opera House.  Within an hour the entire structure was involved.  The next morning, people began to realize that no one had seen Mr. Green since 7:30 the night before, and the worst was feared.

“Several witnesses of the fire have stated that they saw a man at the window in the room which was occupied by Mr. Green.”  The man stood “at the window for a brief while.  He appeared there in an undershirt, then in a moment disappeared. . .. No one of the big  crowd that gathered around the ruins this morning had seen Mr. Green since last evening.”

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A group of about forty men worked  to move debris in the area where they believed Green’s rooms would have been. At about 2:00 in the afternoon, Phil Lagree, foreman of the Newton street department, “picked up something with his shovel that looked like flesh.”  The paper  noted that even though “his features were unrecognizable” the body of W.T. Green had been found. From the location of the body, it looked “as though he had made an effort to get out in the hallway when the floor caved in.”

Newton Kansan Republican, 2 January 1915

Newton Kansan Republican, 2 January 1915

Green, a Civil War veteran, was an early settler in Harvey County.  Born in Putman County, Ohio, in November 1846, Green served with the 194th Regiment Ohio Volunteers Infantry Company I in 1865.   He moved to Harvey County in 1872 with his wife, Mary Smith Green, and three children. Here, he homesteaded a hundred and sixty acre farm in Darlington Township, section 15.

Darlington Township, Sect 15, 14,22, 23. Edwards Plat Map, 1882

Darlington Township, Sect 15, 14,22, 23. Edwards Plat Map, 1882

After several years, he moved to Newton.  In 1898, he served as a clerk of the district court and for several years, worked as engineer at the city water works. His wife, Mary, died in February 1905.  For the last years of his life, Green, was not employed and lived on the third floor of the opera house where he felt “at home in his old room.”

On that night, Green was unable to escape the blazing building.

The Kansan reported;

“During the excitement of getting the people out of the rooming house . . . it was not known that he had not escaped . . . when several remembered having seen a man’s form at the window . .   the whole building was in flames and had it really been known for a certainty that a man was in the building, it would have been impossible for any one to attempt to rescue him.”

Willis T. Green, Marker Greenwood Cemetery, Newton, Ks, courtesy Jullian Wall

Willis T. Green, Marker Greenwood Cemetery, Newton, Ks, courtesy Jullian Wall

Green was survived by three children, Mrs. Joe Shuck, Mrs. L.C. Palmer and Frank C. Green and was buried in Greenwood Cemetery, Newton, Ks.

Sources:

  • Newton City Directories: 1885, 1887, 1902, 1905, 1911, 1913.
  • Evening Kansan Republican, 1 January 1915
  • Newton Kansan Republican 2 January 1915, “Willis T. Green Met Awful Death”, p. 1.
  • Evening Kansan Republican, 1 January 1915
  • Newton Journal 8 January 1915.
  • Newton Kansan Republican, 6 February 1905 “Mrs. Willis Green Dead”, p. 1
  • Edwards Atlas, Darlington Township, 1882.
  • 194th Regiment Ohio Volunteers Infantry Company I at http://www.civilwarindex.com/armyoh/rosters/194th.oh.inf
  • U.S. General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934, Wilson t. Greene, 1890.
  • U.S. Veterans Adminstration Pension Payment Cards, 1907-1933, Wilson T. Greene, 1907-1933.
  • Sgt W.T. Green, Find A Grave Memorial #43771804
  • Mary E. Greene, Find A Grave memorial #43771835
  • Burial Record for Willis T. Greene and Mary E Greene at http://newton.harvey.ks.govern.com/cmquery
  • Fent, Mary Jeanine. Ragsdale Opera House — Newton, Kansas, 1885-1915. MA Thesis, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1977. HCHM Archives.
  • HCHM Photo Archives

 

Next week, Part 3 will conclude the series with businesses affected by the fire.