David Ives - Allen Ives: Further evidence

Having just spent considerable time composing the previous message, I couldn't get the story and its tragic circumstances out of my mind.

Further investigation turned up this article from the San Francisco Call newspaper of 21 February 1893.

Accessed via California Digital Newspaper Collection

The last known residence in Kansas for "my" David Ives was Burr Oak, Jewell Co., Kansas, where he was living next to his father, Allen Ives.  One newspaper account shows the letter being from Kansas, one from Iowa.  But the detail, "Burr Oak" is too specific to ignore.

I believe that this makes a solid case for the date and circumstances of David Ives' death being much different than what was believed.

David Ives, son of Allen Ives: Is This a Match?

As I approach the 37^th year of actively researching my ancestors, I recognize the need to reevaluate some of my old files. Often, I’ve learned new facts that can be used to fine-tune someone’s story.  Frequently, new records are available.  And, yes, sometimes what I’ve accepted as fact is just plain wrong, or in need of further study.

One such case is that of David Ives, oldest son of my ancestor Allen Ives and his wife Mary Deeter.  Years ago, when a large proportion of my efforts were dependent upon the U.S. Postal Service, I exchanged information with another researcher, and was sent a voluminous binder.  This consisted largely of printed, typewritten sketches about each individual.  The Ives family was part of the project.  David Ives’ biography stated, word for word, about his death:  “He died November 22, 1899. (?)  He died in a sandslide.  (It’s possible he may have died in CA.)”

 

However it got there, this date has found its way onto many online trees; the few I glanced at don’t have a source for the information.  Most state that David Ives died in Kansas, where he lived at the time of the 1880 census, working as a blacksmith in Jewell County.  What may not be known to many, is that there was a footnote to the biography.  It states that David Ives left Kansas in 1883 with his brother Levi (Lee) Ives, eventually settling in Washington Territory.  The location would eventually be called Pateros.  Records for the David Ives I’m related to show his birth to have occurred in Iowa, in 1853.

 

There begins the part of the story where we have to question the time and circumstances of David’s death.  The Washington Territorial census of 1887 shows a David Ives, age 33, blacksmith, living in Walla Walla.  No other family members are shown, although he had married, and was the father of two children.  His birth is recorded as having taken place in Pennsylvania.  After this point, this David doesn’t appear to be creating any more records in Washington.

Jumping ahead to 1888 and 1890, a David Ives, age 35 (in both entries), blacksmith, is living in Chico, Butte Co., California.  Birthplace is shown as Iowa.  This is from the Great Registers, which record voters, in all parts of the state.  The last entry in 1892 shows a David Ives, age 39, blacksmith, living in Santa Rosa, Sonoma Co., CA.  Birthplace is Pennsylvania.

The final piece of the puzzle was located in an online image of an article, which appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper of 21 February 1893.  It reports the death of a man presumed to be David Ives of Santa Rosa (located two counties away), because of the letter found on his person.  It’s from a niece in Kansas named “Lena.”  A snippet view of the same news from the San Francisco Call newspaper from February 22 states the victim was "David Ives, blacksmith, of Santa Rosa."

San Francisco Chronicle, 21 February 1893.  Accessed via GenealogyBank.com

Via Archive.org, I was also able to access these details from a yearly report of the San Francisco coroner's office:

We don’t really know enough to state, without doubt, that all of these David Ives are the same person.  The differing birthplaces don’t concern me terribly, given the number of other items that fit:  the age, occupation, the physical description, the reference to Kansas.  The voter registration describes him as “fair” with “gray hair.”  Whether someone else would describe him as a round-faced German with a heavy blonde mustache, I have no idea.  A quick search for potential, letter-writing nieces shows Irene Faidley, who would have been about 19 in 1893.

It would be of interest to hear what other descendants know of this story, and whether this is indeed the same person.   

No matter how experienced we think we are as genealogists, our ancestors will always find a way of surprising us.  

I Could Have Been Canadian (eh?): Charles A. Ives

Charles A Ives & Mary Catherine Myers, wedding portrait, 1888

One of the interesting stories I heard at my grandmother’s knee, was about the year her father, Charles A. Ives, became inspired to be a pioneer, one more time.  He decided to investigate re-settling in a whole new country:  Canada.  Many of his children were adults by this time, and perhaps he’d heard about new opportunities, or the area around him in rural Washington was becoming “too crowded.”  Whatever the reason, he actually pursued the idea, and off he went.  One of his daughters, Margarita “Dutch” Ives, who was an older teenager at the time, spent a few months with her father in Duchess, Alberta, Canada, keeping house for him.  Moving away from her family and friends to an unfamiliar location, probably wasn’t the adventure she’d pictured for herself after finishing high school!  I also get the impression that my 15-year-old grandmother enjoyed a much greater degree of freedom with her father away, driving herself around in the family's Ford, and getting up to who knows what!  The Church of the Brethren, of which she was a member, would not have approved.

The shifting array of online digitized records shines a light on Charley’s plan.  From the record set at Ancestry.com, called Border Crossings:  From U.S. to Canada, 1908-1935, we are lucky enough to see an actual image of Form 30, which is an individual entry form.  This has much more detail than a simple passenger list.  We learn that he entered Canada on the train at Kingsgate, on March 26, 1919.  He was a 52-year-old farmer from Centralia, Washington, born at Marshalltown, Iowa.  Although he lists his race as “Scotch,” that’s probably debatable.

Chas. A. Ives, Canadian Form 30, 1919

Charley Ives must have been resolute in his plan; he traveled with $5,000.  There is a column that asks, “if settler, value of effects.”  I’m not sure whether that meant land already purchased, livestock, equipment, or a combination, but it was worth $3175.  One of the first questions asked was, “Object in coming to Canada.”  His answer?  “To settle.”

However, Charley hadn’t planned on one thing, his wife, Mary Catherine, or “Katie” was equally resolved to stay right where she was.  They had a beautiful farm on Ford’s Prairie, in Centralia, Washington, and her circle of family and friends was close by.  As the story was told to me, this sweet, kind woman, who had six living children, had had enough.  She said, “Charley, I’ve followed you from Kansas to Pateros (Washington), from Washington to California, and from California back to Washington.  I AM NOT FOLLOWING YOU TO CANADA!”

Perhaps Charles Ives’ time in Canada wasn’t what he’d expected; most likely he decided not to test his wife.  In any case, he lived out a peaceful existence in Washington for the remainder of his life.  At the time of her death in 1952, they had been married for 64 years.  He died in 1954.

One Paragraph, 4 Surnames, 6 Locations, 100+ years: Ives Family

     Once again, FamilySearch.org has opened a window to a valuable set of records.  In some instances, it offers a tremendous amount of detail.
     During World War II, many people made an effort to prove their citizenship.  There were several reasons:  establishing age for the various draft registrations, proving eligibility for jobs which needed government security clearance, and making one eligible for ration books.  1942 saw a significant increase in applications for delayed birth certificates.  In many cases, the applications and supporting documents included information about home births, and explained circumstances and relationships.
     One such application, for Lester Joseph Ives, provides enough information to establish three generations of his family tree, including names and places.  It's from the record set made available online at FamilySearch.org May 31, 2016, titled Washington Birth Records, 1869-1950.  Currently, it only includes King Co. (Seattle) and delayed births.  The affidavit of Lester's mother, Carrie Smith Ives, is shown here:

Affidavit of Carrie A. Smith Ives, on behalf of her son, Lester Joseph Ives, 1942.  Viewed at FamilySearch.org

     Besides the birth date and location of the subject of the application, it shows all of those details and maiden names for both his parents, and all of his grandparents!  There's the added bonus of original signatures as well.
     Additionally, there was an affidavit from Lester's aunt, Rena Ives, who not only confirms his birth, but explains the relationship between herself and his mother.  It's shown here:

Rena Ives' 1942 affidavit stating her relationship to Lester Ives and his mother

     As one of the many descendants of Allen Ives, I am always surprised at what is available on the collateral lines of the family.  While not adding to "my" pedigree, this record adds texture, and fills in details about the circumstances which may have had an impact on the family as a whole.

     Once more, we are reminded of what difficulties we as genealogists place in our own way, when we fail to regularly seek out new records.  The same can be said for not looking at the more distant branches of the family.  One never knows what hiding in plain sight.

     

James Suit: Friend AND Foe

    

     Elizabeth Shown Mills, and other respected genealogists, have long emphasized the importance of studying our ancestor’s FAN club:  friends, associates, and neighbors.  While it’s taken me awhile to expand my tunnel vision, and to accept that my research needs to include a larger pool of subjects, I’m beginning to reap the benefits.

     My ancestor, Asa Oren Ives, will never be an easy subject to study.  Although there are strong clues which suggest his origins are in Vermont, I’m focusing now on digging as deeply as I can in Indiana, where known events of his life took place.  Since his paper trail is pretty meager, I've turned my attention to his associates, hoping to create a picture of his life through their experiences.

     At the time of Asa’s 1827 marriage to Mary “Polly” Largent in Lafayette, Tippecanoe County, the bondsman was James Suit.  I wondered what the connection was between this couple and their bondsman, so I began to collect information that might answer the question. 

     The following sketch appears in an historic county history, which has been digitized at http://www.ingenweb.org/intippecanoe/twp.html:  "The first white man to come to Wabash Township was probably James Suit, a trapper, who came in 1822. He employed a number of men to assist him in trapping beaver and collecting wild honey from the forests of Tippecanoe County. He would take these items down the river by flatboat to Vincennes where he would trade for salt, Mackinaw blankets, dry goods, whiskey and general merchandise."    This may conjure up the image of a loner on the move, with no fixed address.  My research proves otherwise.  While James Suit’s occupations required time away from home, he maintained strong personal ties to Lafayette.

  Examination of land records in Tippecanoe County reveals that James Suit and his wife were involved in a number of transactions, which name many other parties.  The name of James’ wife is variously listed as Amy, Bethama, and Bethamy.  In 1828, a marriage for Sarah Suit is recorded, with James Suit named as her father.  James Suit is also shown on a list of potential grand jurors in 1827.  In strong contrast, he was fined twice for assault and battery upon the body of:  Asa Oren Ives!  The two assaults bookended the wedding:  one taking place before, and one after.  They evidently endured a rather tempestuous relationship, to say the least.  They were hardly alone:  the court records are filled with accounts of neighbors settling their differences by less than peaceful means!

     Reaching back earlier in time, James Suit spent a short period as a sergeant in (Christopher) Wood’s 1^st Ohio Company of Spies during the War of 1812.  A John Suit served as a private in the same unit.  This company was formed in Champaign County, Ohio, where James Suit voted in an early Sheriff’s election.  It was also here that he married Amy Davis in 1806.

     The location of Champaign County, Ohio, makes me believe that the basis for James Suit serving as a bondsman, was due to a connection to Mary “Polly” Largent.  Her father and other relatives lived in the same township as James Suit, during the time they were all in Ohio.  Perhaps James Suit took a dim view of Asa Oren Ives as husband material?

     

Wabash River, Lafayette, Indiana.  Taken by the author.

     As I've discovered, when information about our own ancestors is lacking, including the FAN club in our research can be enlightening, fascinating, and highly entertaining!

Jen on Gen Gets Fresh

Vintage children's shoe collection, in possession of the author

     Today marks Jen on Gen's new look.  For some time, I've wanted to update the look of the blog from one of the standard templates offered by Google.  Without wanting to spend a lot of time learning the process to do it myself, I went looking for a template kit.  The nice folks over at www.designerblogs.com helped me over a technical glitch to get it up and running.  I've also ditched the "work in progress" as part of the description.  Since I've been at this for awhile now, it looks as though I'm sticking around.
     I thought I'd take the opportunity to celebrate the freshened look of the blog by sharing this photo of part of my ancestral kid's shoe collection.  I don't know all of the details, but I believe that the tan and black pair on the right belonged to Katie "Babe" Lois Ives, who was born in Centralia, Lewis Co., Washington in 1904.  The white ones on the left were made by hand out of felt.  There might be a Native American connection:  an ancestor either learned how to make them, or bought them from a local Native American woman, in perhaps rural Washington.  They have clearly never been worn, unless it was for two minutes to admire them.
     I look forward to rummaging in the corners of my memory and collection, and bringing some of both out into the light on the fresh new workspace.

Sisters? Not exactly...Rena M. Fuller Ives & Carrie Smith Ives

     Recently, I visited the updated Washington State Library, now located in Tumwater.  I had last used the collection at the old location in downtown Olympia, close to the capitol building.  The new facility makes for a productive experience, with easy parking, helpful staff, and free downloading of materials to your own thumb drive.
     One of the things I was able to clarify, was the relationship between two women who had married into my family, Rena M. Fuller and Carrie A. Smith.  While they aren't "my" ancestors, I thought the clues in their obituaries were worth sharing.  I sure wish this kind of detail would happen to me more often...
     Rena Mae Fuller was the wife of Levi "Lee" Ives, and lived from 1857-1944.  In an obituary of 6 April 1944, in the Herald-Reporter newspaper of Brewster and Pateros, Washington, she is described as "a real pioneer," and "the first white woman along the Columbia River at the place now called Pateros."  (The site was originally known as Ives Landing.)  Her survivors are listed as 3 brothers:  Frank, Arch and Scott Fuller, and one sister, Carrie A. Ives of Pateros.  Looking at my records, and the 1880 census, I knew that a Carrie A. Smith had married Joseph Daniel Ives, brother to Lee Ives.  So, did Rena's obituary really mean that Carrie was a sister-in-law, instead of sister?  Or did it mean something else?  Earlier census records were located for the Riley Fuller family, showing two young females named Rena and Carrie.  Where did the name Smith fit in?
     Luckily, I located an obituary for Mrs. Carrie Amanda Ives, in the Herald-Reporter of 5 September 1946, which brought clarity to the relationship.  "She was born in Gloverville (Gloversville?), N.Y. October 4, 1862.  Her father Edward Smith was killed during the Civil War.  Her mother Mary Haggert Smith married Riley Fuller, and they located first in Illinois, then in Kansas."  With regard to Carrie's marriage to Joseph D. Ives, it states, "They came to Washington state in the early 80's and homesteaded along the Okanogan river, near what is now the town of Monse.  They were the first white settlers in that particular section of the country."  (It's hard to imagine the loneliness these two women experienced.)  Carrie's obit also states that her survivors are two half brothers, Arch and Scott.   Information from Carrie Ives' death record can be accessed via the Washington State digital archives, at http://www.digitalarchives.wa.gov/ .  The names of her parents are listed as being Edward Smith and Mary Haggert.
     The relationships Rena Fuller Ives shared with those who appeared with her on the early census were varied:  father, step-mother, no blood ties, and half-siblings.  Blended families are certainly nothing new.  The census record, however, doesn't begin to explain this complexity.
     Another example of the drilling deeper for "the rest of the story."  

Frontier Indiana: hotbed of sin?

     Loosening the brick wall surrounding an ancestor can involve drilling pretty deeply.  A case in point is the study I've made of some records in Lafayette, Tippecanoe County, Indiana, for more clues on my ancestor Allen Ives.
     The Records of the First Presbyterian Church of Lafayette, IN, 1828-1914 are available on FHC film #877704. The only reason I viewed this film, is that it covered the early period of time I was interested in, and I wanted to see what might turn up with careful study.  This is often the case with any library materials, you generally have no idea exactly what to find within a book or microfilm until you devote some time to it.  And by that, I mean more than just flipping through the index at the back for ancestral surnames!
     In this instance, I found images of the original, handwritten records on the film.  While not indexed or easy to read, the source gave a wealth of information including names, locations, and what topics were important.  Here are some notes I made while reading:

First members, August, 1828:

James Cochran & wife Rachel, John McCormick & wife Elizabeth, Elizabeth Trimble, Elizabeth Miller, Margaret Carson (certificate from New Brunswick, NJ).  Minister:  James Crawford.  Names mentioned:  Mary Slone returned to Dayton, Hugh Cochran & wife Maria, Mrs. Hannah McGuire, Henry Miller (Senior), of Benson, KY, and James Cochran elected elders. 

Lengthy action taken against Hugh M. King, guilty of un-Christian conduct:  "irreverent and foul language, visiting the groceries and of using ardent spirits to excess, guilty of breach of the Sabbath by visiting the groceries and associating with loose company on this holy day, speaking disrespectfully of the church of which he is a member and of some of its members." 1831

1834  The case of Martha Cochran was taken up, being charged with fornication, and having herself confessed it and its becoming clearly evident by the birth of a child.

"...to be suspended from the privileges of the church...and she is hereby suspended.  But while she is thus suspended she is not to be regarded as cut off, but is to be watched over and admonished and prayed for that she may be led to true repentance and to the enjoyment of the favour of God."  (Reinstated in 1835.)

1835:  New members Asa Allen & Mary Ann Allen his wife, new members from Hampshire Co, VA.  Left shortly after to join church in Monticello.

I stopped studying the film after I knew my ancestors had left the community.  Did I ever find mention of the name Ives?  No.  However, I thoroughly enjoyed gaining a rich insight into how the people of the community felt about certain issues during that early period, who might have been related to whom, and where some of the residents had come from.   Perhaps these will be useful clues for further study down the road.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: spry for his age

From my earliest Christmas memories, I remember this snow globe featuring Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.  Every year, it would be brought out and carefully displayed, and never played with.  It didn't need to be said that it was something for adults to handle.  Family lore says that it was bought the year I was a baby.   Flash forward to the present, where Rudolph now lives in my house at Christmas.  For his late fifties, he's looking pretty spry!

Another of our holiday treasures was this Advent calendar, which was mailed to us by my great-aunt, Margarita "Dutch" Ives Patton.  She was born in 1901, the daughter of Charles A. Ives & Mary Catherine Myers.  Auntie Dutch lived for about a month past her 100th birthday, and was much loved by us all.  This calendar has also been carefully stored and displayed since the 1950's.  It was a Hallmark product, and cost $1.00, a pretty generous gift at the time.  We were thrilled to open a new door each day.  Various Biblical passages from the Christmas story were revealed.

Wishing you the best of Christmas memories, old and new.

Never make assumptions: wrong Ives

I descend from the Ives family of Centralia, Lewis County, WA, which included Allen Ives and his son Charles Abrastus Ives.  I assumed that it was a pretty safe bet that any hits for the surname Ives, made by Ancestry.com in a search of the local newspaper for 1907, would be for this family.  Wrong!  Instead, I got the story of the one-legged chicken belonging to a resident of Connecticut, which was used as a filler in the back pages.  Don't get me wrong, it was very entertaining.  Another example of the time-gobbling rabbit holes we all fall down in pursuit of our ancestors! 

Source:  Centralia (WA) Chronicle, 24 Oct. 1907

Joanna Ives Faidley: surrounded by her girls

     My grandmother had definite opinions about who she liked and disliked among her relatives. She wouldn't have hesitated to say that her father's sister, Joanna Ives Faidley, was one of her favorite aunts.  Apparently, this was helped by the fact that "Aunt Joie" could be counted upon to take my grandmother's side, when a question of appropriate fashion arose.  My grandmother grew up attending the Church of the Brethren, which her grandfather, Allen Ives (Joanna's father), had founded in Centralia, Washington.  The Church frowned upon extremes of dress.  When my grandmother would ask for her next dress to be sewn in whatever the new style was,  her own mother might frown and be ready to say no.  Aunt Joie could be counted on to come to the rescue, saying it wasn't too extreme, and that it was a fine idea.  Although a devoted member of the Church herself, Joanna Faidley seemed to be pretty whimsical.  She is frequently pictured with a huge grin, and this picture of her own daughters would seem to indicate that they were hardly restricted to severe clothing.  Giving her youngest daughter the name "Bluebelle" indicates that this lady was by no means conventional.  I know the size of the hair bow was envied by my grandmother!

     In this picture, Joanna Ives Faidley is seated in front of her five daughters.  From left to right are:  Mayme/Mamie, Rena, Ida, Lou, and Bluebelle.  My grandmother took a red felt pen many years later and added all the names.  While we might question her choice of tool and placement, I am really grateful to have the information.    Comparing the names to available census listings, the caption on the photograph is probably one of the few places where these women are all named at once.  There are, however, name variations to be aware of for clarification.  Mayme is Mary Elizabeth, born in 1883, Rena is Irene/Irena, born in 1873, Ida was born in 1885, Lou was Frances Louella, born about 1870, and Bluebelle was Kate Bluebelle, a happy surprise in 1892.  Sadly, she only lived to the age of 27, and is buried with her father, John Faidley,  in Kansas. 
     According to the known ages, and the book Family Chronicle's More Dating Old Photographs, 1840-1929, this picture appears to have been taken around 1910-1912.  Note:  on a PC, double-click to open larger.

More Than Meets the Eye,.....

     In my perpetual search for clues for the origins of my ancestor, Allen Ives, I often collect data on the family of his step-father, Benedict Singer, and for Allen's half-brothers, Benjamin F. and Francis Marion Singer.  I make a point to visit the FamilySearch.org website frequently, and browse through any records of interest.  They add new online materials regularly.
     Recently, I was reminded of the need to look further than how an item might be described in a title.  The example?  A record collection described with the following title:  United States, Records of Headstones of Deceased Union Veterans, 1879-1903.  In the paragraph below the title,  giving more detail, is the following qualifier, "Some cards may include War of 1812 veterans.  The gravestones were provided between 1879-1903."
     Sure enough, when the surname Singer was entered into the search box, the name Benedict Singer appeared among the results.  He was buried in Somerset, Indiana in 1870.  Further information indicates that he served as a private in the 1st Regiment of Pennsylvania Militia.  Cemetery:  Mount Vernon, Somerset (Wabash County).  Date of death is simply 1870.  At the bottom of the card is a stamp that says Lee Marble Works, and a hole has been punched in the rest of it, but there's clearly a date that says March 29, 1902.
    When I first looked in this resource, I was only expecting to find "Union Veterans" from the Civil War era, perhaps someone from the next generation down.  Instead, I was reminded of the old saying, "Don't judge a book by its cover."

      

Allen Ives and the Church of the Brethren, Centralia, WA

      My grandmother was born in 1904, and had vivid memories of her grandfather, Allen Ives, who was born in 1828.  She conveyed the impression that some wished that he'd paid as much attention to his own family as he did to his church flock, but I have no way of knowing if that was true.  I do know for certain that he eventually went blind, which began when a cinder from a pile of burning debris blew into his eye.  It was her job as a little girl to lead him by the hand  to the outhouse, and wait outside for him, which she detested.  
      The journey of Allen Ives took him from Indiana to Ohio, then Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas, and ended in rural Washington state with his death in 1911.  Embracing the Church of the Brethren as a young man,  he worked tirelessly throughout his life for the benefit of his fellow church members.  Books on early history of the various communities in which he lived indicate that the founding of a new church was the first order of business when he arrived.  Many of the names of people known to be church members appear to have traveled in the same general pattern, some being family connections.  Perhaps he was directed by church authorities to spread the growth of membership.
     A document in my collection relates the founding of one of the western outposts of the Church of the Brethren, in Centralia, Lewis County, Washington in 1897.  I've left the  punctuation (or lack) intact:

     "Centralia, Wash. - Jan. 2 1897     The Brethren of Centralia, Wash. assembled at the home of Elder Allen Ives for to organize a Church.  the meeting was opened by singing hymn No. 253.  Prayer by G.C. Carl, closed by Bro. Ives.  Allen Ives was chosen Moderator Stated the object of the meeting and the meeting was ordered open for business.  The meeting proceeded by reading all the Church letters that was presented, Namely Elder Allen Ives and Wife.  Sister Christlieb, Sister Benbow, Sister Miller, Sister Hildreth, and Bro. Holcomb.  The following five were received by Christian Baptism at this place, Bro. Weaver and wife, Bro. Armstrong and Wife, and Bro. Roundtree,  Elder Allen Ives."

Naming children for public figures

Among my ancestors are those who not only honored earlier generations by naming children after them, but also mined the names of public figures for inspiration.  A few samples:
     Benjamin Franklin Singer, 1840-1924
     Francis Marion Singer, 1841-1903
These were the half-siblings to my ancestor, Allen Ives.  Named for two American patriots of an earlier generation, the famous statesman and inventor, and "The Swamp Fox" of military fame during the Revolution.
     Thomas Jefferson Eckerson, born about 1827
     Andrew Jackson Eckerson, born about 1828
     William Henry Harrison Eckerson, born 8 Dec. 1841
These were brothers to my ancestor, Lambert Eckerson (probably named for his grandfather, Lambert Smith).  They were named for three U.S. Presidents, one a founding father, one a former military hero, and the last who died after only a month in office.  This occurred the same year his namesake was born. 
     Millard Ives, 1869-1874.  Son of my ancestor Allen Ives.
     Millard Fillmore Ives, born 1 February 1873.  Cousin to Millard Ives, above.  His father was Oren Ives.    U.S. President Millard Fillmore served between 1850-1853, and he didn't die until March of 1874.  I have no idea what fueled such admiration in this family.  
       


    
     

Asa O. Ives...not always popular

     For many years, I've been working to connect the dots between my Ives ancestors, working eastward from Washington state to Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, and Ohio, toward Vermont and the well-documented New England Ives family.  I have several pieces of documentation which suggest a connection to one of the individuals named Asa Oren Ives.  I'm always gathering anything that would expand my knowledge of the family.
     One piece that stands out is this item, which was published in The Rutland Herald, of Rutland, Vermont, on 20 February 1808:

     We are left without any doubt about how David Palmer of Castleton, VT feels about this particular Asa O. Ives of Wallingford.  Love how he "hints it to the public" by taking out an ad in the local paper.  Could you do that today?   

     This quote comes to mind, whether this turns out to be "my" Asa or not:  “You can choose your friends but you sho' can't choose your family, an' they're still kin to you no matter whether you acknowledge 'em or not, and it makes you look right silly when you don't.” 

― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird 

Charles A. Ives Property

View of the Charles Abrastus Ives property, Ford's Prairie, Lewis County, Washington.  July, 2011.