16th – We came on to Gate City. Got a letter here to come to Hoquiam, Wash. Stayed all night with Fred Ernest, A german, at the Mascot Hotel. Jesse does not say yet who sent him a letter. Sixty-five year-old Fredrick Ernst was listed in the 1900 federal census as born in Germany in 1835. He is a hotel…
Year: 2019
Friday, March 15, 1901
15th – We are not over the Rockies yet this morning. We saw Mt. Adams. We crossed the Cascades today. Got to Centralia at Midnight. Stayed all night at Jackson Hotel. According to the 1901 – 1902 Gazetteer and Business Directory, the Jackson Hotel was run by William R. Clarkson. In the 1900 federal census, William is a 49 year-old…
Thursday, March 14, 1901
14th – We came in sight of Elkhorn Mountain in Mont. Later we saw Crazy Mountain. They are capped with snow. We went through 5 or 6 tunnels while on our road out here. Our train is loaded with Missourians. We are crossing the Rockies this evening. There is not a single Elkhorn Mountain, but rather it is a mountain…
Wednesday, March 13, 1901
13th – We are now among the sand hills & the sod houses of Neb. At 3:00 PM a blizzard passed over our path. Stopped at Alliance, Neb for 15 Min. Got a gallon of coffee, cost 25ยข. Made out of tobacco, I believe. At 3:15 the Cedar & the Fir began to appear. At Ardmore, S.D., we saw some…
Tuesday, March 12, 1901
Mar.12-1901 – 5:25 AM. Today John & I start for California. Geo. DeLapp took us to Chilli. & we ate dinner at Jennie’s. At 3:50 we bought our tickets which was $25.00. We reached St. Joe & Lincoln. We had 16 coaches on till we reached Lincoln, then we made 2 trains out of it. We reached Ravenna at 6:30.…
Monday, March 11, 1901
11th – Mary & I drove Old Black Prince & went to Chilli. Ate dinner at her Aunt Mary Smith’s. In the afternoon we had our pictures taken. Roads muddy. Jesse’s and Mary’s granddaughter Carmen Dawkins Burgett recalled the fact that Mary went to a hair dresser to get her hair put up in the stylish Gibson Girl pompadour for…
Sunday, March 10, 1901
10th – Went to Church at Utica but there was no service of any kind, so went to Mary’s.
Saturday, March 9, 1901
9th – Rained. Ate dinner at home & went up to Mary’s. Got back home about 8:30. The darkest night I ever saw. Got a letter & a recommendation from Prof. Paul Price of Greenville Public School. Jesse still doesn’t tell us that he needs the letter of recommendation for his travels. This might be the same reason why he…
Friday, March 8, 1901
8th – I helped Mr. Frazier hook Bell with his Charley horse and we drove her about halfway to Chilli. Then back to his home. I stayed & ate dinner with Mary, then I went to Utica & visited the School. Ate supper with Prof. C. G. Pruitt at Lemon Hotel. After supper I went over to Arthurs & we…
Thursday, March 7, 1901
7th – My birthday. Ma, John & I went to Chilli. Pa gave me a check for $75.00 (for my horse). I bought a suit, hat, shoes, etc. Cost $17.50. Happy birthday Jesse! In 1901 he turned 21 years old. Today in 2019 he is 139. Jesse mentioned a couple of weeks ago that he was thinking of selling his…