• General Notes

  [pitts.FTW]
  
  [Br²derbund WFT Vol. 5, Ed. 1, Tree #0725, Date of Import: Apr 16, 2002]
  
  "Samuel Combest and His Descendants" book
  An excellent account of the life and move west 1879-1894 of Voluntine and
  Louisa Jane Poppawell Combest, as told by Louisa Jane to her
  granddaughter Ardith F. Lokken, follows,
  "Louisa Jane's parents moved from Kentucky to Missouri when Louisa Jane
  was about a year old--five or six weeks on road. Vol rented part of
  Louisa Jane's folks place and planted corn and boarded at folks home. Vol
  and L.J. married by Justice of Peace, August 17th, 1879 at Alanthus,
  Missouri. First went down to Stanbury, Missouri and Cy and Vol hauled
  logs to mill and got the lumber from logs and built a 2-story house - 6
  bedrooms above and 2 bedrooms below -- big sitting room, dining room and
  kitchen - among first houses in Stanbury - each Cy and Vol to have one
  acre - good ground, scrub brush. Cy was going to keep roomers and
  boarders. L.J. didn't like the way things were working out so went back
  to Alanthus and stayed on home place - Pap and Mam (John and delpha Judd
  Poppawell) old man Bess where Fred was born 1880, August 11th.
  "Fred was 18 months old when John was born, 1882, April 5th and lived
  only four days - he had double pneumonia. Buried at corner of home place
  in Alanthus. That July we started out and landed in Kansas September 1882
  in Sumner County, Rome, rented 40 acres cultivated land (a feller put up
  a one-story house) where Cyrenius was born September 5, 1883. In February
  1884 we moved to Barber County in Kansas - about 6 miles from Indian
  Territory line - 3 1/2 miles from Hazelton, Kansas. Took up a pre-emption
  claim (not homestead) of 100 acres - 60 acres of buffalo wallow - level
  as floor - paid $1.25 an acre. Water brine - no rock - could dig a well
  in a day. Dug 5 wells - salt - fertile soil - no good water. Winter time
  could use water that ran on the valley - hills better water. Built a
  cabin 14 X 16. Lived there nearly 3 years - Melissa born January 19,
  1886.
  "Moved when Melissa was about 2 months old. Traded 160 acres for a store
  up in the NE part of Kansas - Mayfield. Traded store to widow woman for
  40 acres of wind-swept, untillable land adjoining Mayfield, 21 head of
  cattle and 160 acres up on Oak Creek - 5 miles from Medicine River. Half
  of this belonged to Bill Lucas. Lived here one summer and Bill didn't
  like it - dissolved partnership - he took the 40 acres and rest of cows
  except 2. We kept 2 cows and 160 acres on Oak Creek - stayed a year. An
  old fella came to Irael's (neighbor). We sold out and I went home a
  little while - 17th December - in a week Vol came with "Wyoming fever."
  The old fella went to visit boy at Big Horn Basin - mines all around -
  surrounded by big high mountains - raise anything.
  "We stayed on Oak Creek a year - gave possession in March and went about
  50-60 miles on new railroad - not much work. Started across the plains -
  also John Granthem, Lem Watkins and two kids, Hi Watkins and one kid,
  George Walker and 3 kids, and Johnnie Combest, a bachelor (second cousin
  to Vol). Started with a covered common farm wagon with tent, stove, bed,
  leather trunk for grub box, big tin can for flour and sifter, dishpan,
  etc. The team we started with was a bay and brown (had traded the old big
  horses), also a little shepherd brown mixed color dog, Tige - good watch
  dog - let nobody come close to wagon.
  "Our team not heavy enough to work on railroad and scraper pulling (road
  grader) - Vol wanted span of old black horses - one bloated and one too
  old to eat - traded and $125.00 to boot (Charlie and Miggs) - when Miggs
  got too warm and drank, got sick - old Charlie was skeleton in a week.
  Too early (March) to start to Wyoming. From railroad to Soldier Creek -
  on west to Lem Watkins (George Walker wife a Combest). All hauled lumber
  on a job. At Lem's he got fever to go to Wyoming (stayed there at big sod
  house and plowed when horses could).
  "We started on a Sunday noon and drove ten miles that afternoon to old
  cowtown and camped that night - John Granthems there too - old Charlie
  all wore out - rested by morning so we moved on till old Charlie game
  out. A fella came along with 2 grey mules and we traded the black horses
  for Jack and Pete (good one). Out on prairie - long slant ahead - Pete
  ready to go - here came a team on a run - brown and sorrel mules. L.J.
  said stop him and trade mules (little Ginny mule only 3rd time hitched
  up) - got past and came back - said partner let's swap - I'll swap big
  mule for little mule - Vol said no - feller said I'll swap little -
  you've got big and little and me big and little - nope - swap and $10.00
  - driving along finally said just as well swap. Had to take up harness
  for little mule - Pete and Ginny gave us a merry ride (had switched
  sides). Kept the span of little mules clear across the country - traveled
  good. The mules walking could keep Granthums horses trottin'. Drove on to
  Hugo, Colorado - worked 2 weeks at sheep shed - others didn't catch up.
  "The 4th of July we was at Cheyenne and rest of them at Denver. Mag
  (Combest) Walker and baby died at Denver - quick consumption. At Greeley,
  Colorado we separated - Granthums went back to Kansas, rest went back to
  Missouri. We were all alone and never stayed all night with anybody till
  Billings, Montana (3 men going to Yellowstone).
  "In Kansas Indian Territory we had limbs to fill wagon bed - long slope -
  grass knee high - about a hundred cattle started milling around - long
  horned and climbing up on wagon - little Tige under front wheels - horses
  nervous - looked like they'd gut the horses with those old long horns -
  kept beating them in the face and breaking up the limbs - pretty near
  horn us standing in the middle of the wagon bed.
  "In Colorado were going up Platte River up the railroad track - all sick
  from alkali water. Me, Fred, Renius and Vol all walking - sand hub deep -
  traveled seemed a week that morning. Big section house came in sight - no
  ranches - sagebrush - way off on top of bluff old juniper. Said P.O. at
  section house - horse hitched - Platte River quicksand - some said one
  ford and some said another - didn't cross first ford. Vol went in and
  came out mad as hornet - fella said we couldn't go through fence - about
  7 miles yet to get out of pasture - said gate locked, would have to cross
  this ford - Val said wouldn't - fella said gate padlocked - Vol said he'd
  shoot it off. We went along a couple of miles - this fella overtook us -
  came to old shacky house - went on and came to gate - unlocked - drove
  off a little ways from gate - big herd of cattle had come down for water
  - filled with water and laying around chewing cud. Vol picket out the
  mules. I wanted him to tie to wheels but no, he had to put them on picket
  pin. One of the old cows raised up and snorted and the stampede was up -
  right up that wire fence and sagebrush and mules right along with the
  cattle - you'd think that rope would hook on that sagebrush but it
  didn't. I had a sick headache that day - hot broiling sun - the kids had
  drunk all the water so I found a trail down and told Fred to take a
  bucket and go down to the river - hot as dishwater. Stretched tent over
  the wagon and looked back up the hill and could just see the mules ears -
  a boy herding sheep way back up wondered what the cattle was running for
  and saw Vol running - the mules stopped to watch the boy and Vol got hold
  of the mules and walked back. This same fella came back down the river
  that same day - never said a word to anybody.
  "We came to little creek at noon and could see across - kinda timber -
  rich ground could raise good stuff but hailstorm beat everything to
  pieces. Vol went to folks (Indiana people) with good garden - eating raw
  turnips, bread on fireplace. They had a crippled boy - all came with
  garden stuff and ate with us, afraid of hailstorm - beat hay to pieces -
  Vol helped to get hay in, everything - corn, beans, potatoes, turnips and
  raw onions. They had no meat - we had bacon and meat. It was towards end
  of July. Had got on wrong road and missed Big Basin and wound up in
  Montana. Had traveled a day and half in Crow Reservation - a fella gave
  usa a chunk of fresh meat (had been warned not to give food to Indians).
  Weather clouded up and fine mist of rain - was afraid meat would sour so
  put on to cook. Indians lived in old cabin down off road, cottonwood
  trees around and several horses. Had seen no Indians - they don't camp
  except close to water. Vol went in brush and got wood - damp and didn't
  burn good. I put meat on - out came big old squaw and papoose - Renius 4,
  papoose about the same. Had one mess of spuds in corner of old gunny sack
  - she grunted and sat down on spring seat and held spuds in sack in lap -
  meat not boiling good yet - she put spuds down and ran into brush - kids
  playing (Renius and papoose) - she came back with wood and lifted pot off
  fire. Before she done this 6 buck Indians on horses came running - 3 on
  one side and 3 on other. Vol took mules down to water them. Squaw built a
  big fire - Indians kept rushing back and forth and finally went back down
  to the cabin. Old squaw just sit and "ugh" on spring seat. She showed me
  her spuds when meat cooking. We eat and put dishes in trunk for night.
  She got up and shook fist in Vol's face she told him to get fast - mules
  eat her grass - no feed her papoose. She talk good English. We hitched
  mules and left fast - just got through to Billings when Indians broke
  loose and killings.
  "We crossed Little Big Horn twice that night and dangerous even in
  daytime - treacherous ford sometimes slanted down and too high for wagon.
  Passed Indian camp that night - they whooped and hollered - expected to
  get murdered. Little Tige wouldn't let anyone close to camp. Next morning
  stopped between two cabins in cottonwoods and dead Indian above cabin -
  little old Indian came past fast as he could go but kept going. Indians
  wanted the little mules - people said watch our mules.
  "Got to Bozeman, Montana September 6, 1887 - stayed til next October and
  went to Weeksville - got there first of November. Somebody poisoned old
  Tige in Bozeman - got up one morning and found him lying up against the
  porch dead. He crossed the plains and never rode a step - his old feet
  never wore out. He didn't run like a rabbit track or anything - paced
  along with the wagon. We took him from Missouri with us.
  "Before we got to Billings and still in Crow Reservation we climbed the
  awfullest mountain - wagon had gone over ahead of us -dead horse down
  there and dead dog - wagon all busted. Those poor mules - shelly rock
  road - six inches up and six inches up all afternoon climbing - pitch
  dark and rough going down towards Billings. Had no water except keg from
  camp (abandoned) in Colorado. Took kids on ahead and left them - went
  back to scotch the wagon (block the wheel) to keep from going back down
  over the grade. Renius and Fred came running back and crying with Lissie
  between and Fred holding keg - thought we'd left them because we hadn't
  showed up.
  "There were two sawmills at Weeksville - stayed there til August after
  Hughie was born in January 4, 1889. Bill Combest had a ranch by Horse
  Plains about ten miles (got the wrong mail in P.O. was how we located
  Bill Combest). He came and wanted Vol to go mining - went to see the
  ledge - stayed til we starved ourselves out. He would give Vol third
  interest to dig 50 feet or til hit pay - no colors - sent rock off -
  Vol's was best $300,00 a ton. People at Horse Plains were just wild -
  McGowan wanted Vol's interest for $1,500.00 and black team. Just stayed
  there til we stayed ourselves out. He sold the little mules in Bozeman.
  At Bozeman worked around and got a bay and black horse - we had kept the
  wagon.
  "We went to Bill's the last of August - had spuds growing good - didn't
  take good care to put up for winter. I sewed for Marthy and girl and 2
  boys. Just before Christmas Vol was over in town and McGowan wanted to
  know if Vol wanted to cut logs - he said yes, so we left the mine - moved
  up there. Old Bill went too - had to feed them before spring (Bill was
  second cousin). The cabin was up on a bluff and the sawmill right under
  the bluff - only 1/2 mile and about 1-1/2 miles around the road. I washed
  for fellas at the mill. Bert and Al came to see old Bill and boarded too.
  "Ray was born on Lewis and Clark River close to Horse Plains September 5,
  1891. He lived 8 years and six months - he had typhoid fever - buried at
  Coburg, Oregon. Finally went back to the mine - then rented a place up a
  creek and stayed a year. Built a cabin up another creek and lived a year.
  Made ties for McGowan in St. Regis, Montana - was supposed to run tie
  camp for 3 years. The last of February got word no more ties - had 9,000
  on banks of river - railroad was way ahead on ties.
  "Left Montana July 27 and in September came to the Blue Mountains of
  Oregon. Tiney was born above Pilot Rock, Oregon on November 3, 1894."

Details of Voluntine's family with Louisa Jane Poppawell