Who is my granddaddy?

Dear Kinfolk,

We have covered the life of Albert J. Anderson and now lets learn more about his wife, Nancy Alveria Wilson.  She was born February 7, 1846, in Washington County, Arkansas. Her parents were James Reed Wilson and Elizabeth C. Pettigrew.  Her mother passed away when Nancy was 8 years old.  The 1860 census indicates that James had moved his family to Palo Pinto, Texas, and  James had a new wife, Nancy Hughes.

Prior to their moving to Texas, it was a very interesting period in Arkansas/Oklahoma outlaw days.   There were many stories of Belle Starr who was in the national limelight as a “Bandit Queen”, “Female Jesse James” and “The Petticoat  Terror of the Plains”.  

Belle Star

 She had several husbands, one being our relative Jim Reed.  Nancy’s father James Reed Wilson and her grandmother Martha Reed  were related to Belle Starr by her marriage to Jim Reed. 

James Reed

When you read Glen Shirley’s book, Belle Starr and Her Times,  you will find many references to the Reeds.  Our late cousin Archie Anderson Brewer,  granddaughter of John Henry Anderson,  related several stories told her by her grandfather John Henry about how “Grandma Reed took care of Belle’s children”.  Still need to do more research on the Belle Starr connection, so I will save that for a future blog.

We know that Nancy was living in Weatherford, Texas in 1865, when she met and married Albert.  In our earlier blogs we have followed their moves from Fort Davis, TX, to La Junta, CO, to Red Moon, OT, to Forsyth, Montana.  From letters written to Albert’s sister  Lucinda we know that they were living in Forsyth, Montana around 1905.  You will recall from a previous blog that Albert traveled back to Oklahoma for his Baptist burial.  No mention  made  of Nancy’s being in Red Moon, when Albert died.

Thanks to Elsie  Johnston’s book,  Laurel’s Story, A Montana Heritage and a newspaper clipping we learn a little more about Nancy’s life after Albert’s death.  Their daughter, Nancy Belle Anderson had married Burt Woodward and lived in Forsyth, Montana.  After Burt  died she and her two-year old son moved to Laurel to join her mother Nancy.  

Handwritting on the picture by granddad Black Bill ..." My sweet mother in her hotel in Laurel Montana"

Together they operated the Yellowstone Hotel, that was a frame building.  In the book they also “operated the Lennox Hotel for many years”.  They took over the Lenox from H.W. Higgins who left Laurel in 1909.

Lenox Hotel

Our great-grandmother lived with her daughter for her last ten years and according to the paper “died in the home of her daughter, Nancy Belle McFadden, on June 12, 1919, at the advanced age of 74 years, four months and five days.  She was an untiring and consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church”.

 Have a great weekend,

Jim Lee

Dear Kinfolk,

Let’s follow Albert and Nancy Anderson’s moves after their marriage in 1865.  Using the census and old family letters we can trace their moves from Fort Davis, Texas, to La Junta, Colorado to Mobeetie, Texas, to Red Moon and  Sayre, Oklahoma Territory to Laurel, Montana.

We know that after the Civil War the Anderson family made their living raising and selling cattle/horses on the open range.

The heyday on the open range lasted only a few decades (1865-1890).    The open range and cattle trails for huge herds fell victim to fences,  waterholes, established ranches, barbed wire, windmills,  farmers and growth of towns along the Goodnight/Loving and Chisholm trails.  These changes would have had a detrimental effect on the livelihood of Henry M. Anderson and his family.  That is probably why we find several of the family moving to the La Junta and Pueblo, Colorado area.   La Junta was a small village along the Santa Fe Trail.

Albert and Nancy  moved from Fort Davis to La Junta, CO, by 1874.   Their fifth child Minnie E. Anderson was born in La Junta in 1874.  Three more children Albert Calvin, May Emaline and Nancy Belle were also born in La Junta.

Around 1890 we find Albert & Nancy, his parents Henry M. and Sarah,  and several brothers and sisters living in Mobeetie, Texas.  His brother, John Henry lived three miles below his father’s ranch.  Brother William Walter lived in Spring Creek near Mobeetie.  His sister Elizabeth Anderson Smith  lived near the Washita, River close to Henry M. Anderson’s ranch.

Temple Lea Houston, son of the famous Sam Houston, was a young lawyer whose trial work achieved wide acclaim in the Mobeetie area where the Anderson clan lived.  He was appointed by the governor as attorney for the  thirty-fifth judicial district, a sprawling, twenty six county swath of the Texas panhandle.  Formerly home to Kiowa/Comanche Indians and the Goodnight cattle empire. He described the area as an assortment of buffalo hunters, cowboys, rustlers and horse thieves.  In a letter Houston wrote to  his wife, he described his Mobeetie, Texas, headquarters as a “bald-headed whiskey town with few virtuous women”.  OKLAHOMA TODAY MAGAZINE.

Perhaps this environment prompted Albert and Nancy to move east about 40 miles to Red Moon, Oklahoma Territory, around 1893.  Albert and Nancy’s son ,William H. “Black Bill” Anderson had already homesteaded 160 acres along Rush Creek near the Red Moon Indian Agency.  We know there was a school in Red Moon that William’s children Jack, Lillie, Virgil and Orren Anderson attended.

Red Moon School

In 1902, we find Albert and Nancy living in Sayre, Okla. Territory.    A letter said the had “rented a hotel and were working it and just making a living.”  In a letter to Albert’s sister, Lucinda Ratliff,  she said daughter’s Mattie (Melinda?), Belle (Nancy Belle) and son Cal (Albert Calvin ) were all with them in Sayre.  Nancy wrote “Albert has been in bad health all winter not able to do but very little, he stays here a while and then goes over to the place and stays with Will (brother William Walter) for a while.  Nancy wrote “Albert feels sure he will get his Indian money this next summer.”  This statement led many of us to assume she was speaking of  Cherokee headright money. However, in another letter she explains “now sister (Lucinda) about your Indian claim, we know Arch lost horses and cattle (Indian raids).  Now if you can remember dates when he lost stock, make out your claim.  We have never got anything out of our claim yet, but we still think we will.”   Evidently the government was reimbursing Texans who lost livestock by Indian raids.

Two of Albert and Nancy Anderson's daughters. To my cousins in Texas, Oregon and California - can you help with their names?

Albert’s granddaughter, Noma Anderson Powers,  said that Albert got his Indian money and moved to Montana.  She also said Nancy probably used that money to buy a hotel in Laurel.  However, their first move was to Forsyth, Montana.  Why Montana?  Well just like all their other moves, many of their family stayed together and now lived in Montana.   In 1910, the following siblings were living in Laurel and surrounding towns …..Melinda,   Martha, Cal,  Nancy Belle, and adopted daughter Ada.

While in Forsyth, Nancy wrote that Albert was in bad health.  Aunt Noma said “Albert knew he did not have much time to live.  He was a Baptist and Nancy was a Methodist and he wanted  a BAPTIST BURIAL!”  So he journeyed back to his son, William H. Anderson’s home in Red Moon, Okla. Ter..  He died at the age of 70.  He received a Baptist burial in Cheyenne, Oklahoma.

To my  cousins, did you ever wonder why we were all raised Southern Baptist?  Maybe Albert’s story will show the influence on our parents.  Another fact I find interesting is that our great-great grandfather, Henry M. Anderson’s clan seemed to all migrate together, Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma and Montana.  My daughter Debra said “my they had big families!”  Henry and Sarah Anderson had 11 children, Albert and Nancy had 9 children.  

Next week we’ll find out about Nancy Wilson Anderson.   Your comments and suggestions are always welcome!

Jim Lee