The Zachary Taylor Song

Zachary Taylor was

The last elected Whig.

Known as "Old Rough and Ready"

His ego wasn't so big.

He didn't put on airs,

His sloppy clothes drew stares.

And if he hadn't died in office

The Civil Waaaaaaaaaaaaar

Would've started a decade earlier.

Theodore H. Hoss

The final entry in the Reeves Family Album is the funeral card for Jennie's father-in-law.

Theodor Hubert Hoss, my great-great grandfather was born in Ahrweiler, Germany Sept. 22, 1824 (he and Jennie shared birthdays!). Catholic Church records indicate the Hoss family had lived in that town for several generations.

The story is passed down that Theodore was the son of a vineyard master and came to the area of Cassville, Wisconsin in 1854 to avoid the Prussian military conscription. However he was drafted into the Union Army during the Civil War, where he mostly served guard duty in the South. His only military exploit, we are told, was that shot a pig while on sentry duty.

After the War the family tried making a living in Northeast Nebraska but after locusts destroyed their crops, they headed to Washington Territory in the mid-1870s.

Theodore attempted to grow a vineyard in the area of present day Vader, Washington but the climate was not grape friendly. By the 1880s he joined his sons in the booming new town of Centralia, Washington, where he made a living in woodworking, mostly as a cooper.

Those who knew him told me he was gentle soul who maintained a thick German accent throughout his life. The only time anyone saw him get excited or angry was when he discussed politics with another German relative, August Amler. The two would shout and yell, but since the conversation was in German, no one knew exactly what the topic was about!

He died in Centralia Jan. 28, 1908 and is buried in the Pioneer Cemetery.

This concludes the album. To see the entire collection, simply use the Reeves Family Album tag.

Frank Reeves

Pressed into lower right is the name of the photographer. Hard to read, but I'd guess it says: B. McArdle, Centralia, Wash.

Walter Francis "Frank" Reeves photo probably taken between 1910-1916. Those who remember him told me that at this point in his life, Frank was cranky and plain spoken, yet would cry at weddings. He was my great-great grandfather.

The old Union Army veteran lived with the family of his daughter, Jennie Hoss. He died suddenly at the breakfast table, Dec. 11, 1916. The former family home in Centralia served as a bed and breakfast under a few owners for a time and is now the local headquarters down there for Windermere Real Estate. It has been reported over the years that Frank, along with a child, are still hanging around the building in the form of ghosts.

The Ulysses S. Grant Song

My great great grandfather

Rode with Custer

In the Civil War

He was a Wolverine.

Cold Harbor, Wilderness

He was there at Appamattox

When the Rebs called out "No more!"

His name was Frank

Calvary private was his rank

And he never minced his words

Just to suit yer

He lived to 1916

And told everyone he could

That he considered Grant

"A Drunken Butcher."

 

 

Phone photo 2163

Isaac Stevens, Washington's first territorial governor, is pictured stealing land from the Natives of Grays Harbor in the 1850s at a site that is now the city of Cosmopolis. Yes, we actually have a city called Cosmopolis here. Locals call it "Causy." This scene is in the Grays Harbor County Courthouse, Montesano, Washington, which the locals call "Monte." Monte is a most pleasant city.

Stevens has a controversial place in Washington history generated in part by his shabby treatment of the Indian population. After he left our corner of the world, he was killed in action at the first Battle of Bull Run in the Civil War while serving in the Union Army.

William Henry Bush : The Civil War's Youngest Person in Uniform?

Last Oct. 20 I gave a presentation to the Washington State Historical Society on the life of Indiana-born Willie Bush, who is possibly the youngest person to wear a military uniform during the Civil War. Born in 1857, he served as a valet for his father, who was a guard at the CSA POW camp in Elmira, NY, also known as "Hellmira" by the unfortunate prisoners. Prior to that his father had served with distinction in many battles.

To make a long story short, Willie's journey led him to be part of the pioneer life out here in Oregon and SW Washington. He was a very active participant of building the Montesano, Washington community, including serving as Mayor. He became one of my heroes when I researched how, in his role as county Sheriff, he courageously defused the violent 1887 Grays Harbor Fishermen's War without firing a single shot.

I'm submitting my findings for publication, but in the meantime I prepared a handout for those folks who attended my presentation. I intended to produce just a one-sheet flier to accompany my talk, but I got carried away and it is 20 leaves with photos. PowerPoint turns me off. I want my audience to leave with something they can read later. I'm better at writing than speaking anyway.

Those of you who are Morty the Blog Patrons will be getting a copy of the handout. I know, it isn't comix, but this is where my creative energy went the last few months. I only printed 50 copies, and most of them are gone. But the Patrons can have this physical manifestation of my interests outside of comix.

This was a very wonderful and life-affirming project. Not only in admiring some of the choices made by my subject, but also with all the people I met in person or online who helped me along the way in gathering data.

The above image is courtesy of Mark Weldon.