Snow and More Snow

This week, the United States was hit hard by a large winter storm. Some 30 states were reported to be affected. Where I live, we first were hit with freezing rain and then sleet. Chicago was hit hard with snow.

This is a picture of Gretchen Taute taken in Lemmon, South Dakota during the winter of 1937. It may have been 1938 or 39.

There is mountain of snow and getting around could not have been easy.

Joseph H Leech - Land Patent

Land Patent for Joseph H. Leech



When I found this land patent on the Bureau of Land Management's website, I wanted to know if this was the same Joseph Leech, son of William R. Leech and Hannah Sewell, born in Maine>moved to Wisconsin with his mother>moved to Iowa with his brother-in-law, Jotham Viles>settled in Bon Homme County, South Dakota. Valuable information can be gleaned from the patent file. Here are some things that I found in the file:

No. 14335

CASH ENTRY

Land Office at Michell, D.T. [Dakota Territory]

Sec. 15, Town. 103, Range 67

Patented Apr 20 1888

Recored Vol. 21, Page 76

The land was purchased on 5 Dec 1885 by Joseph H Leech, residing in Brule County, Territory of Dakota, North East Quarter of Section 15 in Township 103 of Range No 67 of the 5 Principal Meridian containing 160 acres. He bought the land for $1.25 per acre totaling Two Hundred Dollars.

An Affiviavit dated 20 Apr  1888 by Joseph H Leech, was sworn and subscribed in Bon Homme County, Territory of Dakota.

Date of Residence,  May 7, 1883

Date of Entry, May 7, 1883

Date of Proof, Dec. 1, 1885

Date of Advertised, Dec. 1, 1885

Date of Certification, Dec. 5, 1885

Improvements, Frame house, shingle roof 12 x 20, 40 acres broken

Value of $600

Residence claimed, 2 y. 6 mos 24

Claimant's family, Wife & 5 children

Paid $14.00 on May 7, 1883 to the Register for a Homestead Application.

The house was built in 1882 and Joseph purchased the house from the entry man.

An Non-Mineral Affidavit signed in Davison County, Territory of Dakota by Joseph H Leech on 1 Dec 1885.

C M Gregory (acquainted with Joseph Leech for 30 years) and Clark A Edgecomb signed Homestead Proof - Testimony of Witness for Joseph.

On 1 Dec 1885, Joseph claimed to be 39 years old and native of the United States. He had a wife and 5 children. He had only been gone from the property for 3 days to harvest grain since May 7, 1883.

Joseph H. Leech was given a Homestead Certificate No. 14335.

What did I learn from this file? It is highly probable that this is the same Joseph Leech who was born in Maine and later lived in Bon Homme County, South Dakota based on age,affidavit taken in Bon Homme County, nativity, and consistent with arrival date to South Dakota reported on South Dakota 1905 Census by two daughters . Joseph and his family arrived in South Dakota on or before May 1883. Assuming that this is the correct Joseph, Joseph and his wife, Alice had a child who was most likely born between December 1882 and May 1883 and died before 1900. Alice mostly like died in South Dakota before 1900.

Now the question is who the heck is C M Gregory that had known Joseph for 30 years? This implies that C M Gregory lived in Wisconsin with Joseph.

Joseph Leech in Springfield Cemetery

Pouring rain and an hour off the highway did not detour us from visiting Springfield Cemetery in Springfield, Bon Homme, South Dakota. The landscape was lush green grass with rolling hills and few trees. It is just north of the Missouri River and an hour west of the I-29 off the Vermillion exit.

The target graves were Joseph H. Leech d. 15 May 1927 (South Dakota Death Index, 1905-1955 on ancestry.com) and his son, Frank Leech d. 1900. The cemetery records indicate that they are buried in Block 28, lot 4, graves 6 and 5. A cemetery trustee gave us directions to the site. We searched long and hard in the very wet grass but did not find the graves of Joseph and Frank. However, we did find one for Joseph's granddaughter, Martha Alice (Stark) Newman. It appears that Martha who was also known as Alice, was named after both of her grandmothers. Joseph Leech married Alice Bentley in Benton County, Iowa 14 September 1872. The Martha comes from her paternal grandmother, Martha C (Armstrong) Stark. Martha Alice Newman shares a headstone with her husband, Victor Newman and Martha and George Stark are buried in the adjoining graves. Dennis Clyde Stark and Mary A. Stark, children of George and Martha Stark have nearby graves as well.





On the "To Be Found" list are the death/burial records for Alice (Bentley) Leech, Mary A. (Leech) Grinwis d.1910, and Oscar and Clara (Leech) Stark. Mary and Clara Leech are both daughters of Joseph and Alice Leech. Oscar is the son of George and Martha Stark and father of Martha Alice (Stark) Newman.

Ina (Iona) Viles Houghton

Ina Viles was the daughter of Jotham S. Viles and his second wife, Sarah D. Frost. She was born about 1866 in Walworth, Wisconsin. Shortly after her birth, the family moved to Iowa and settled in Vinton, Benton, Iowa. Ina met her future husband in Vinton, Paul B. Houghton, who was born November 1865 in Iowa. He was the son of Marcus and Louisa Houghton. About 1883, the Houghton family moved to Rosedale, Clark County, South Dakota. Paul and Ina were married on January 4, 1887. According to my records, the marriage took place in Benton County, Iowa. This has not been confirmed. The couple made their residence in Clark County, South Dakota and had at least two sons, Marcus R. Houghton born September 8, 1892 and Albert Houghton born April 10, 1894. According to their birth records, both boys were born in Clark County, South Dakota. Apparently, Ina died prior to 1898 or 1899. Paul married Mina Derscheid in 1899 who had two sons of her own, Albert and Syndey Frederick Wasem. They are found living in Clark County, South Dakota in 1900. They were still there in the 1905 South Dakota census. But by 1910, they had moved to a neighboring county, Le Sueur, Kingbury, South Dakota. Paul was a grain elevator manager. DeSmet, South Dakota is in Kingsbury County and is the place featured in Laura Ingalls Wilder's book, "The Long Winter".

Wordless Wednesday Brookings High School 1931 Freshman Class