Indian Experiences, Love of Nature, More College, Idaho Jobs

Indian Experiences
My stay in Kamiah proved to be a most interesting experience. It is the headquarters of the historically prominent Nez Perce Indians.  Chief Joseph, during the period of Indian wars, made the longest fighting retreat recorded in the history of those wars. A goodly percentage of the Indians in the Kamiah area were well-educated and were successful farmers or businessmen.

Example of a Nez Perce girl in 1910.  Library of Congress

A nice looking young Indian girl named Josephine, who had spent several years in schools in the East preparing to become a school teacher in an English school, returned to Kamiah while I was there. A few (white) young people with whom I had become acquainted knew Josephine and would invite her to accompany us on a picnic or cook-out. She would tell us about the history of her people and point out interesting writings on rocks made by Indians many years ago.

Example of Anasazi petroglyphs, New Mexico.  Library of Congress

One day she told us she would be leaving in a few days to accept a teaching position in a college in Kansas. The next day one of my white friends said, ‘Did you hear what happened to Josephine?’ The tribal council had held a meeting to consider Josephine’s plans and concluded she was about to get entirely away from the tribe. They decided she should marry one of the middle-aged men of the tribe and so informed her. A few days later, I saw Josephine on the street wearing the typical Indian shawl over her head and with her eyes looking downward. She never again spoke to any of us and was clearly back into the tribe--undoubtedly with a broken spirit.

Love of Nature
Never having lived in a mountainous area, I was truly fascinated with the Kamiah setting. I got a pair of elk skin high top shoes that were waterproof and began hiking among the foothills. Father had a Brownie (camera) that took 5” x 7” pictures and had a splendid lens. He had converted it to a film pack from the original glass plates. I would strap that camera over a shoulder, take a lunch Mother had prepared, and spend most of the day hiking and enjoying the beautiful scenery.

Kenneth ready for a hike

Carrie Mae, Elzumer, and Roland; Kenneth in back

Carrie Mae in the center; Roland is on the far left and Kenneth on the far right.  Others?

Winter was an especially interesting time. All cars were put in storage as the road up the bill to nearby towns was too treacherous for winter travel so horse-drawn sleds were in common use. The snow storms were the most beautiful I have ever seen. Being located in a “pocket” among the hills, we never had winds of any consequence, so the snow would pile up six inches and more on fences and tree limbs and the large flakes would fall so thickly one could hardly see across the street.

Occasionally the sun would appear and settle the snow, then another big snow would pile it up again. I would join a few boys my age in shoveling off a frozen part of the river nearby for skating but by the time we had the snow pushed away, we would be too tired to do much skating. Often there would be another snow during that night— so it was a contest with the weather and so far as skating was concerned we usually lost out.

Example of ice skaters at Lake Forest, Chicago.  Chicago Daily News negatives collection. Courtesy of Chicago History Museum

First Employment in Idaho
Father was able to get an appointment for me as his assistant to help him with his duties as receiver for the three failed banks. When he went to Kooskia [Orofino], I would stay at the bank in Kamiah and occasionally I would spend a few days at the Orofino bank.


Christmas with Indians
The most unusual Christmas program I ever at tended was at an Indian church in Kamiah. They had a large Christmas tree that reached to the ceiling and was attractively decorated with home made ornaments.

There was a program in which the children took part and finally the chief of the tribe recited the experiences of the tribe when the government troops were pursuing them in what has been recorded in history as the longest military retreat [1,600 miles]. This was given in their native tongue while the congregation swayed back and forth with a monotone that reached a loud pitch at crucial points of the story. A member of the tribe sitting next to me interpreted the story for me--and it was an exciting story!  [Click on Retreat and Surrender and scroll down to section of the same title read the account.] 

More College
I decided to enroll with the Lasalle Extension University for a higher accountant degree. I completed the course about three years later and took the C.P.A [Certified Public Accountant] examination in Boise.  At that time I was living in Blackfoot, Idaho. The man who took the two day examination when I did wrote me about the outcome. He learned from the clerk in the Idaho State House that our papers were graded according to the standards of the American Institute of Accounting in New York City and both of us received passing grades.

One of the two members of the Idaho examining board signed the report. When the other board member came in the clerk said, ‘We have two more C.P.A’s” The board member marked through our grades on the report and reduced them about 30%. He said, “Now add up the grades and see how many new C.P.A’s we have.” Of course that failed both of us.

My companion took the examination again and was given a passing grade. I had become manager of the Livestock Credit Corporation at Blackfoot and never took the time to go through that two-day ordeal again. So that is how near I came to a C.P.A. degree.

Kenneth Leroy Scott

Car Accident
One day when my father had a business trip to a neighboring town up on the prairie for transportation he engaged a man who had a taxi business, and took Mother, Roland, and Marvin along. While coming back down the canyon road, the steering gear broke and the car went off the road, rolled over, throwing everyone out and landed in a ditch. Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt except Mother who had a ligament in one of her legs injured and she suffered from that the remaining years of her life. Roland must have been asleep and was pitched into some bushes and came crawling out shouting, “What is going on here?”

Experiences as Bank Receiver
In 1921, I was appointed receiver of the failed bank at Montpelier, Idaho not far from the Wyoming line. Later, I was receiver of the State Bank at Weiser, Idaho. My third assignment was at the Fruitland State Bank near the Oregon line. I rented a warehouse to store several big trucks that the former cashier of the bank bought with bank funds that I repossessed. Also I accumulated farm equipment and some livestock that borrowers turned in as payment on their debts. One day a borrower came in the bank and said, “I’m leaving town. The only thing I have left under the mortgage to the hank is a horse and saddle and I’ve tied him to the tree in front of the bank.” I occasionally would hold a public auction to sell those items.

My next and final receivership was of the D. W. Stanrod and Co. Bank at Blackfoot, Idaho. This had been one of the oldest and largest banks in southern Idaho. It was established by Mr. Stanrod who had a general store that supplied miners and truckers who hauled ore from the mines in the Salmon River Country to the smelters in Utah. The miners would ask him to store their gold nuggets in his safe and that led to his opening a bank.

Example of gold nuggets from a mine in Alaska, circa 1900.   Courtesy of Western History/Genealogy Department, Denver Public Library

At the time of the bank failure, Mr. Stanrod was quite old and he could never believe that his son, the cashier had committed many crimes of misappropriating bank funds and bonds left for safe keeping and had made many bad loans which caused the bank’s failure.

The State Bank Commissioner sent John Beaker, an able attorney and certified public accountant with much experience in investigating bank failure, to Blackfoot to make a thorough audit of the bank records. I was authorized to help him make the audit which proved to be an exciting experience. Presently, I was able to trace irregular transactions through the bank records and help assemble evidence for the criminal trial.

As receiver, I received many claims for preference over depositors. I would assemble facts from the bank records and prepare a formal presentation to the District Court. To save the expenses of an attorney presenting the cases, I was granted permission to present those cases to the District Judge for decision.

This period of bank failures when the depositors often lost practically all their deposits resulted in improved examination of banks and ultimately to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to guarantee deposits up to certain amounts.

In this period when I was a receiver, I saw many extremely tragic cases where persons lost their life savings. Sometimes well managed banks without any irregularities would be the victim of false rumors causing “a run” on the bank when depositors would form long lines into the bank to demand their deposit in cash.

Since no bank ever has more cash than a small percentage of its deposits, such a run would force the bank into receivership for no reason except the panic of depositors from false rumors. The difference now is that depositors have confidence in the government guarantee.

 

Kenneth Moves to Lamoni, Iowa, then Boise, Idaho

In this post, we return to Kenneth's account of his life in his own words:

After graduating from the Chillicothe Business College, I returned home and shortly afterwards obtained a job as office manager with Donaldson and Bill, a Ford agency at Lamoni, Iowa.

Kenneth Leroy Scott

Early Cars
This was in the days when the cars had to be started by the use of a crank at the front of the car. I often operated the gasoline pump, which was operated manually with a crank to dispense the gasoline. After making the gasoline sale the customer usually wanted me to start the car by cranking it. There was danger of the engine “kicking” if the spark lever was too far advanced which could break one’s arm.

Man cranking a Model T Ford.  Courtesy www.ncroots.com

It was customary for Ford dealerships to have a “closed territory”, often for an entire county, in which no one would be given another dealership. This was a very profitable business, but the Ford Motor Company sometimes took advantage of the dealer. There was such a demand for Fords that they couldn’t manufacture them fast enough to supply the demand. So we had to present signed orders to get a freight car load, which was the way they were shipped. So we would order for example: 3 coupes (which were new and very popular), 2 touring cars and one sedan. Maybe I would receive I coupe, 2 touring cars, and 3 solid-tired trucks (the latter being in oversupply). Without warning we would sometimes receive notice that there was a freight car load of Ford parts and tires at the railway station with sight bill-of-lading attached which we must accept or endanger our standing with Ford Motor Company.

Incidentally, my father purchased the first Ford Sedan in our area. In a weak moment, he let me take the Sedan, which he valued greatly. I called a neighbor girl and we started for a ride. Presently I heard a ‘bump, bump” under the car and by the smell realized I had hit a skunk. There was no way to remove that terrible odor except to let it wear off over a period of weeks. Needless to say, I didn’t drive the car again for many weeks.

Ford Model T Sedan.  Source:  http://picsdigger.com/domain/oldcarandtruckpictures.com/

My father, like many others his age, had trouble learning to drive after years of driving a team of horses. He practiced driving in our large barn yard. The Model T Ford had three foot pedals, one was the low gear when pushed down and also the driving range when released, the middle pedal was reverse, and the third pedal was the brake. On his first attempt at driving, Father started off slowly in low and when he saw the woven wire fence "approaching,” he began shouting “whoa, Whoa, WHOA” like he did for the team of horses and only stopped when the fence held the car.

The following is a quotation from a chain letter written by my cousin Geraldine Jordan, daughter of my uncle Charles Scott, in which she describes a typical experience with the very early automobiles:

"That old Overland was a source of pride and achievement to Mom and Dad.  We kids thought we had just about everything!  In fact, we were THE FIRST to own a car in the neighborhood.  I'm not stretching the truth--whenever we came to a steep hill, Papa would tell Mother to get out of the car with us kids and WALK up the incline, and he would make it alone.  He never was sure the top would be reached in safety!   Momma would be so concerned too, for fear the car wouldn't climb a hill.  The driver and rider in the front seat always had to get out each time gasoline was put in the tank.  (Note by Kenneth:  The first car Dad purchased was a Ford Sedan--the first in Harrison County--and it had this same arrangement for a gasoline tank.)

American-made 1914 Overland being pulled over a river in Queensland, Australia, courtesy John Oxley Library, via Wikimedia Commons

If a storm was possible, everyone had to get out and help with the top, and side curtains were installed all the way around.  Our Overland was SUPER.  It had a self-starter and the lights were battery operated.  When we reached a speed of 50 miles per hour, we were really flying and that was TOP speed."

Kenneth joins the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Back to my Lamoni experience. I engaged a room and meals at the home of a family living near the Ford agency. This was a nice clean place with good home cooking. Presently I learned they were members of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints and that the headquarters of that church was located in Lamoni. They persuaded me to go to their services and eventually to be baptized and receive membership. About a year later, I migrated to Idaho where I went to the services of the Reorganized Church in Boise a few times. That was the last time I attended any of their meetings.

Kenneth’s parents move to Boise, Idaho
Shortly after I moved to Lamoni, Father sold his bank interests and loaded the family belongings in a railway freight car and the family boarded the passenger train for Boise, Idaho where he purchased a 5 acre tract and large house a few miles west of town on the “Bench” toward Meridian. My Grandfather Scott had sold his farm and moved to Meridian [Ada County, Idaho) where he purchased a nice home and several acres of fruit trees. When my folks moved west, they left their Ford Sedan with me to be driven out later.

Typical farm in Ada County, May 1936  (Source:  Library of Congress)

Trip to Idaho; A Harrowing Experience
In the spring of ..., I started for Idaho in the Ford Sedan, never having been farther west than St. Joseph, Missouri. When I reached the Missouri River at Council Bluffs, Iowa, the highway went onto a planked rail road bridge to cross that rather wide river. The rail road track turned out of sight on the opposite side of the river and there being no watchman in sight, I had visions of meeting a train about half way across the river so I just waited. Presently a car came from behind me and went across so I got up my courage and nervously drove across.

Bridges over Missouri near Council Bluffs, circa 1952.  Courtesy of Douglas County Historical Society Archives

The next event I recall is when I came to the Platte River in Nebraska. It was a turbulent, rushing stream slapping the bottom of the wooden single lane bridge with a turn-out at midstream and with much of the guard rail missing. I pulled to the side of the road to appraise the situation.

Presently a car load of young people came along and went rapidly across with surface boards rattling. So I cautiously started out gripping the steering wheel and watching the roaring stream from the corners of my eyes until I reached the other side. Later I learned that the river is rather shallow and I was seeing it at the spring run-off time.

When I approached Cheyenne, Wyoming, I got my first glimpse of mountains. While I was eating lunch, I asked the mechanic at a nearby garage to tune up my motor. When I again started down the road, the car keep slowing down, requiring me to use the low gear to get up speed only to have it slow down quickly. I grumbled to myself about that mechanic getting my car out of order until I looked back and discovered I was going up a rather steep grade toward a mountain.

Garages were rather far apart and whenever I came upon one, I filled the gasoline tank and inquired about the direction toward Boise, Idaho. The answer invariably would be “keep to the main road”. When I would reach a fork in the road, each looked similarly traveled. It was just a case of guessing which was the right direction and stopping the first car I met (which was quite infrequent) and asking if I was on the right road. If not, I had some back tracking to do.

Once I came to a sharp incline in the road that was too steep for the gravity gasoline feed in my car. The road was too narrow to turn around and try to drive up in reverse which improved the gravity feed in such a situation. So I parked the car by the road side and walked over to a near-by hill to see if I could locate a ranch house. Fortunately, there was house about a quarter of a mile away. There I inquired about gasoline and the answer was “yes” in five gallon cans at 50 cents per gallon and $1.00 for the car — a terrific price in those days. The nearest I could come to that price was a $10.00 bill which was my salary for 2 days work.  The lady returned presently and said she had no change. I said, “Well, I’m rather tired traveling so I’ll just sit here on the porch until someone comes along with change.” After about a half hour a man showed up with my change and I walked back to the car, poured the gasoline into the tank under the drivers seat and was able to get up the grade.  For the remainder of the trip, I carried five gallons of extra gasoline.

Also I carried a water can as the car would get hot occasionally, when I would get water from a stream and fill the radiator. A few times I had to remove the floor boards to tighten the brake and gear drums.

About half way across Wyoming, I began seeing an occasional splotch of orange colored paint on rocks along the roadway and recognized them as the first highway signs that the Lake Music Company in Salt Lake City had made to mark the road to that city.

Typical highway scene in Idaho County, July 1941 (Library of Congress)

The road from Pocatello, Idaho to American Falls, Idaho I soon discovered had “chuck- holes” hidden by about six inches of dust, so to avoid breaking a spring by dropping into one of those hidden holes, I had to drive so slowly I was constantly in a dense cloud of my own dust for about ten miles of that road.

Late the next afternoon, I reached Boise and presently I saw two boys whom I recognized as my brothers Roland and Marvin waving me into the driveway of a nice large house and I realized that my seven day drive from Iowa was ended. What a joy it was to see my mother, father, and brothers again!

Elzumer with Marvin (born 1916) and Kenneth (born 1899)

 My father was working with the State Banking Department with an office in the State Capital in Boise.

State Capitol, Boise, Idaho.  Courtesy www.CardCow.com

My folks had a nice 5 acre irrigated place, most of which was planted to a variety of fruit trees.

Typical family garden, Ada County, Idaho,  May 1936 (Library of Congress)

 
Kenneth moves to to Kamiah, Idaho

In a few days I returned by train to my work in Lamoni.  Idaho looked so attractive to me that I kept thinking about moving out there--an idea that was encouraged by letters from my parents.

In the spring of...,  I left by train for Idaho. At that time my folks were living in Kamiah [Ada County] in the northern part of Idaho where father was the receiver of a chain of failed banks at Grofino, Kamiah, and Kooskia, Idaho. At Lewiston, Idaho, I changed trains to a two car train that travel up the Clearwater River to Kamiah and a few miles beyond. It was an interesting trip up the Clearwater River Canyon mostly through a forest of splendid timber.

Example of Idaho railroad (Library of Congress)

At the station stops usually there were no houses in sight and I assumed the houses were on the top of the canyon. Frequently I saw a train line with many--what appeared to be--seats hanging from the steel cable. I thought that was how I would have to travel with my suitcase up to the top of the canyon when I reached Kamiah--not a pleasant thought.

When the conductor announced our arrival at Kamiah, to my pleasant surprise, it was located on a flat opening about 4 or 5 miles square, surrounded by stately pine-covered mountains. Later I learned that the tramways were only for transferring the bagged grain from the fields of the prairie down to the railway stations for shipment to market.

The wedding of Carrie Mae Sallee and Elzumer Scott, September 16, 1897

For this post, I have merged two newspaper articles that Mary Whittle Scott hand-copied from a scrapbook kept by Elzumer Scott.  The newspapers [names unknown] report the wedding, on Sept. 16, 1897, of Carrie Mae Sallee and Elzumer Scott, Kenneth's parents.  The account is charming and very descriptive--if only we had photos!

Carrie Mae Sallee and Elzumer Scott

 A Most Pleasant Affair–Unique and Fashionable

The Baptist church was the scene Thursday night of one of the most pleasant and beautiful weddings that has ever been witnessed in Chillicothe (Missouri).  The contracting parties were from among our most highly esteemed citizens, and elaborate preparations were made that the event might be a happy one to the bridal couple as well as to friends and relatives.

The young couple are well known in Chillicothe, the bride being a resident of the city, and a highly accomplished young lady,  Miss Carrie Mae Sallee.  Miss Sallee is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Edward Sallee, and is a lovely young lady. 

Carrie Mae Sallee, 1877-1950

The groom is from Chicago, he being the stenographer of the General Superintendent of the Rock Island railroad, Mr. Elzumer Scott.  He is a graduate of the Chillicothe Normal, and during his three years in school he made scores of friends where delighted to do him honor on his wedding day.

Elzumer Scott, 1874-1961

The church had been decorated for the affair in a decidedly original but appropriate manner.  The rostrum was arranged to represent a rustic scene.  In the background was a cottage, and from the house through the grass ran a path to an old fashioned well–moss covered, and with the regulation old oaken bucket. Surrounding the well and house were arranged large palms and ferns giving the appearance of trees.  Immediately above the altar was a decorated arch hanging out above the couple with a monogram beautifully wrought forming the letter “S”.  Other decorations throughout the church were of evergreens and smilax.

The church was filled with invited guests.  Shortly before 8 o’clock, Mrs. J. M. Dunn sang a beautiful solo in her most happy and entertaining manner, Robyn’s lovely ballad, “You.”  The sentiment of the song accorded well with the occasion, and Mrs. Dunn sang it with surpassing sweetness.  At 8 o’clock, as the tone of the solo died away, the organ began Mendelssohn’s superb wedding march, played by Mrs. Sherman, and the violin by Miss Fannie Tinkham.

The ushers, James England and Wade Wright, led the way up either aisle, followed by the maid of honor, Miss Ethel Sallee, sister of the bride, and the best man Mr. Carl Wolf; the brides maids Miss Effie Hatcher and Miss Louise Pitts, and their attendants, Mr. Arthur Sallee and Mr. Charles Scott, brother of the groom.  Following the bridesmaids came two winsome little flower girls, Rita Dunn and Zelma Davis, like two little fairies in fairy-land, and then came the bride and groom.  At the altar the attendants arranged themselves on either side of the bride and groom and the officiating minister Rev. S. Y. Pitts, while the flower girls stationed themselves by the old well.

As the wedding march was hushed, Rev. Pitts began the ceremony, “You come in the roseate morning of life to where two ways meet, to drink of the empyrean fountain of happiness that has flown in the halcyon days of Eden.”

At this point little Retia Dunn took from the old oaken bucket a glass of water and handed it to the preacher.  He in turn handed it to the bride and groom.  Each drank of the water, and when it was returned to Rev. Pitts, he, holding a glass high above his head, poured part of its contents on the floor, and continued the ceremony with these words:


“For we must needs die and are as water spilt on the ground that cannot be gathered up again; yet doth God devise means that his banished be not expelled from Him.”  This water, emblematic of our dissolution, suggests with the promise, our immortality and God’s supernal blessing.

“Water is a thing of beauty, sustenance and joy, a force in nature most salutatory, an emblem of God’s unfailing grace.  You have seen two crystal drops pending on a vibrating stem, blending into one; the union is dissoluble; so with your radiant, palpitating lives.  This holy union is like that of Christ and His Church, therefore a man shall leave father and mother and cleave to his wife.

And now do each of you promise and vow, before God and these witnesses, that you will live together in the holy bonds of matrimony according to God’s ordinance, clinging to each other in the loving, dutiful, faithful relation of husband and wife, as long as you both shall live?  Then in the name of God and by the authority of the state I pronounce you lawfully married.”

To the lovely strains of the recessional the party marched out of the church, but received many congratulations at the door by friends who could not attend the reception The bridal party left the church, and were driven to the bride’s home on Trenton Street, where a reception was held.

Carrie Mae Sallee. This may have been her wedding picture.

Miss Sallee wore a dress of white organdie over blue silk and carried a bouquet of bride roses.
[Organdie is a stiff transparent fabric of cotton or silk.]
Miss Eythel Sallee wore a white organdie over Nile green silk and carried roses.
Miss Effie Holcher’s gown was white organdie over violet silk, and her bouquet was of carnations.
Miss Pitts wore white organdie over pink silk and her bouquet was of carnations.
The flower girls were daintily gowned in white.  They had been trained by Mrs. Fulton.

The bride and groom left Friday for Princeton, where his parents will give a reception.  Soon they will leave for Chicago, where they will make their future.

Elzumer and Carrie Mae Scott

KENNETH’S HUGUENOT ANCESTORS: SALLEE AND BONDURANT

The following material is taken from a variety of sources collected by Kenneth, Mary, and Jeanene. For ease of reading (and contrary to my academic training :)), I have removed the references and mingled the words of the original sources–but the original versions are available in the large collection of stories of Kenneth’s and Mary’s ancestors I have mentioned previously.

JEAN SALLE’(born about 1624) and MARIE MARTIN (born about 1635)
Kenneth’s 6th great grandfather was JEAN SALLE', direct ancestor of Kenneth’s mother, CARRIE MAE SALLEE.

He and his family were Huguenots. The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France from the sixteenth to the seventeenth centuries. Because of religious persecution, Jean Salle' left the village of Mougon, France for the security of the Protestant stronghold, La Rochelle, and settled in St. Martin on the Ile de Re', France.

Source:  Wikipedia.org.  Courtesy of  Réalisation Pline Category:Île de Ré Category:Maps of French Islands)

 

St. Martin harbor.  Source:  Wikimedia.org.  Courtesy of  Gilbert Bochenek

Jean Salle' became, like his father, a master shoemaker. He married Claude Martin, daughter of JACQUES MARTIN, master hat maker, of St. Martin, and his deceased wife JUDITH FORTIER, November 24, 1654. Claude Martin Salle' died sometime after 1654. Jean Salle', age 44, secondly married MARIE MARTIN, age 33, Claude's sister, April 11, 1668.


ABRAHAM SALLEE (SALLE’) (1674-1720) AND OLIVE PERRAULT (born about 1673)
Kenneth’s 5th great grandfather, ABRAHAM SALLEE, was born February 22, 1674 on the Isle of Re'.
At the time of the Revocation of the Edict_of_Nantes in1685, ABRAHAM SALLEE was 11 years old.  This event was the culmination of approximately150 years of religious persecution endured by the Huguenots, and many fled to England, including, ABRAHAM SALLEE.  The Huguenots were the educated middle class--producers, tradespeople, and artisans. 

Escape of a Huguenot family.  Source:  http://manakin.addr.com/engravings.htm

We know little of Abraham's youth. His parents, according to the Protestant Register of Isle de Re', appear to be illiterate, yet, Abraham was an educated man. His parents and two of his brothers abjured [swore to give up] their Protestant faith on June 5, 1686, the year after the Revocation, and yet Abraham seems to have stayed strong a Protestant. He could write fluently in French and English.

One source says that shortly after 1685, ABRAHAM SALLE' left France for England. In 1698, at age 24, he sought citizenship in London. In 1699 he married OLIVE PERRAULT in St. Catherine-by-the-Tower. His wife was probably daughter of sister of Daniel Perrault or Perreau, who was Commander of the ship “Peter and Anthony”, which brought 169 French Refugees to Virginia in 1700. Following their marriage, Abraham and Olive embarked for America, arriving in New York in 1700. Soon they joined about seven hundred Huguenot refugees who were given land in an abandoned Monacan Indian village called Manakintown, Virginia.

The Huguenots established the colony in Manakintown, founded on the principles of religious freedom, discipline, thrift, and industry, located on the Indian frontier, twenty-five miles from the nearest military outpost. They traveled sixty miles up the James River to The Falls where they traveled overland to the deserted Indian town. Ten thousand acres of land had been set aside for the Huguenots, each person receiving one hundred thirty-three.

By Nov. 10, 1701, ABRAHAM SALLEE had moved to Manakintown, as the list of French refugees on that date shows: “Merchant Suillee, below ye Creek, his wife and 2 children, and one negro woman.” Abraham Sallee was probably the most important member of the Huguenot colony at Manakintown. He was a merchant, Clerk of King William Parish, a member of the Vestry, a Captain of militia, and a Justice of the Peace.

There seems to have been a conflict between Abraham and the minister of the congregation, Claude Philippe De Richbourg. There had been various dissensions and outbreaks as early as 1704. Richbourg has been described as a “gentle” man. Abraham Salle', on the other hand, was described as “irreconcilable and the maker of such [sic] trouble and stirrer-up of strife.” The argument took place on March 27, 1707, when someone called out, “assassinate that damned fellow with the black beard!” “That 'bougre de chien' ought to be hanged up out of the way!” Yes, this was our ancestor. The minister only wanted the Register of Christenings delivered to him. Nevertheless, our ancestor proceeded to insult de Richbourgh while in the pulpit and even after he came out. Abraham was summoned to appear at the next Council to answer a petition. The Council found, after a full hearing of both parties, in their opinion, that the complaint of de Richbourg was groundless and ordered to be dismissed. Claude Philippe De Richbourg left Manakintown in 1711 or 1712, removing to South Carolina.

Evidently ABRAHAM SALLEE was not satisfied with his situation in Manakintown because he wrote to George I of England, requesting that he be granted land in some more fertile spot, possibly in Ireland. The letter was given to the Virginia Historical Society, and is assumed to have been written soon after the accession of George I of Great Britain to the throne of England in 1714.

King George I by Sir Godfrey Knelleraption, National Portrait Gallery, London.  Source:  Wikimedia

 To His Royal Majesty, Sire:

Since the address of Congratulations which we your humble, very faithful and very obedient French Protestant subjects in Virginia, have taken the liberty of sending to Your Majesty, we have seen in public print that Your Majesty has approved a project which has been presented to you to settle French Protestants in Ireland.

We take again the same liberty in presenting ourselves by this very humble petition at the feet of your Sacred Majesty, not being able to do otherwise, to beg with deep respect, to be kind as to permit us to have some part in this solid and advantageous establishment which Your Majesty intends to make in this country in favor of poor exiles.

It will be for us, Sire, a subject of eternal gratitude and great satisfaction, in as much as, your Majesty will procure us, in the celestial food and bread of life which is so precious to us and yet so rare in this country, that our souls thirst after it; our minister having died some months since. In the second place, our families, which are pretty numerous, and the place we occupy quite limited, we find ourselves in the impossibility of procuring any situation for our children, or even to have them instructed, or give them any education.

In the third place, what a joy it would be for us, Sire, to be brought nearer to Your Sacred Majesty, to sacrifice to your service all that remains to us of life, which undoubtedly would not fail to inspire, also, our children from their earliest youth, with the same sentiments of love and obedience for Your Majesty. We never will fail to imprint this sacred duty in their hearts in whatever place we may be.

Sire, we supplicate once more, Your Majesty, to grant us that grace and to withdraw us from a place where we suffer. For a long time we would have been out of it if we had been in a state to leave it of ourselves, and to pay our passage, but we are wanting in means for that purpose. There is quite a considerable number of families who wait only for the orders which it may please Your Majesty to give them thereupon. In the meantime, we continue, and will ever continue, during the course of our life, to offer thousands of prayers to Heaven for the preservation of your sacred person, for that of the Great Prince, your successor, of the Illustrious Princess, his wife, of all Royal posterity, and for the prosperity of your arms to the confussion [sic] and destruction of your enemies.

ABRAHAM SALLE'
in the year 1714

His petition was not granted and Abraham Sallee died at Manakintown in 1720. His will, dated Aug. 9, 1718, and probated in Henrico Co., in March, 1719/20, gives his nativity in France as cited above, requests to be buried with his wife, and leaves slaves, land, and considerable property to his sons Abraham, Jacob, Isaac, William and PETER, and to his daughter Olive Magdaleine.

SCOTT COUSINS EXPLORE MANIKINTOWN
Flash forward to September, 2005, when Debbie, Cindy, and Mary Lee decided to visit Manakintown, Virginia, after discovering the website for The Huguenot Society of the Founders of Manakin in the Colony of Virginia . (Kenneth was evidently a member of the Society as he received their newsletters.)  We made arrangements with the librarian to meet us at the headquarters. We looked at the exhibits in the research library and the librarian shared several records with us relating to our ancestors.  The gift shop offers several books containing records of the colony and a traditional Huguenot cross pendant. The white dove represents the Holy Ghost.

Traditional Huguenot cross pendant

The librarian also took us into the small church, built in 1895, that replaced the earlier church building of the Manikin Episcopal Church, founded in 1700.

Cousins Cindy Fisher, Debbie Barzee and Mary Lee Call, September 2005, Manakin, Virginia

Cindy and Debbie in front of the Manakin Huguenot Church, built in 1895.

As we approached the Huguenot society headquarters on the Huguenot Trail (Robius Road, 711) , we had noticed a county line sign, but thought little of it. Later, however, as the librarian showed us the location of ABRAHAM SALLEE'S property, we noticed that the county line passed through it. Because of that small detail, we were able to locate the land, now included in an estate named Keswick. We knocked on the door of the impressive 18th century home, and the owner, Mrs. Keck, answered.  When we told her that our ancestor was Abraham Sallee, she graciously showed us around her property, including the home that was built in 1713 for Abraham Sallee’s daughter, Marianne and her husband, Charles Clark, who also built the large manor. We were unable to enter the home because Mrs. Keck was restoring it for her daughter and son-in-law at the time. We hope to visit the estate again–perhaps during a future Scott family reunion!

Home built for Marianne Sallee in 1713, currently Keswick Estate, on land formerly owned by Abraham Sallee

PIERRE SALLEE (1714-1752) AND FRANCOISE (FRANCIS JANE) BONDURANT (1712-1777)
Back to the story of our Sallee ancestors. Based on the limited information we have, it appears that our Sallee family stayed in Virginia until the early 1800s. Kenneth’s 4th great-grandfather, PIERRE SALLEE, was only 6 years old when his father, ABRAHAM SALLEE, died. He married FRANCOISE BONDURANT in 1733 in Goochland County, Virginia.

Francoise’s father was JEAN PIERRE BONDURANT(1678-1734), also a Huguenot refugee. He was the son of DR. JOSEPH AND ELIZABETH ANN BONDURANT, who remained in France. JEAN PIERRE BONDURANT arrived at Manikintown 20 Sept. 1700 on the boat “Ye Peter and Anthony,” an English galley which sailed from London bound for the James River in Viriginia. The Captain of the boat was Daniel Perroin. (Recall that other sources name the Captain as DANIEL PERRAULT OR PERREAU, father of OLIVE PERRAULT, PIERRE SALLEE’S mother.) The Captain gave Jean Pierre Bondurant money for the passage. JEAN PIERRE (anglicized to JOHN PETER after he settled in Virginia) was born near Lyons, France, about 16778. To avoid the religious persecution, he left France and went first to Germany, then to England, and finally to Virginia. He died in Virginia in 1734. He was not married when he reached Virginia, but in 1708, he married ANN FAURE, born about 1699.

JACOB BONDURANT SALLEE (1743-1800) AND JUDITH TRUEMAN (born about 1761)
JACOB SALLEE, Kenneth’s 3rd great-grandfather, was 9 when his father, PIERRE SALLEE, died. He married JUDITH TRUMAN in 1785 in Henrico County, Virginia.

MOSES SALLEE (born about 1790) AND ELIZABETH WHITMORE (born about 1792)
MOSES SALLEE, Kenneth’s great-great grandfather, was a native of Virginia and a cooper [barrel maker] by trade. According to one account, he and his wife, ELIZABETH WHITMORE, moved to Montgomery County, Tennessee, in 1822, when their oldest child, JOSEPH MAXEY SALLEE, was eight years of age.

JOSEPH MAXEY SALLEE (1815-1897) AND MATILDA ANN DUNKERSON (1813-1856)
Kenneth’s great-grandfather, JOSEPH MAXEY SALLEE, was of French descent, born in Rockingham County, Virginia, in 1815. The year following his marriage to MATILDA ANN DUNKERSON in 1838, he emigrated to northern Missouri and located near Edenburg (now Grundy County), where he took up a claim. About a year later he sold out and came to Mercer County. There he settled upon a farm owned by Israel Smith, situated in Harrison Township. About two years later he moved to Lindley Township where he resided until 1878, at which time he moved to Mt. Moriah, Harrison County, where he lived and served as a postmaster. He also held that position in Burr Oak, Mercer County. He was an officer of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons [Free_Masons] lodge in Cainsville in 1868 when it was organized.

He was one of the oldest settlers of northern Missouri, which, when he came to it, abounded in Indians and wild animals. It was a vast unbroken prairie. He was a Democrat and was for one year assessor of half of Mercer County. His wife, MATILDA ANN DUNKERSON, was born in Kentucky in 1813. She died in 1856 and was the mother of nine children of whom THOMAS EDWARD SALLEE was the second.

THOMAS EDWARD SALLEE (1841-1817) AND ADELIA PUTNAM (1846-1904)
Kenneth’s grandfather, THOMAS EDWARD SALLEE, a farmer and stock raiser, was born in Mercer County, Missouri, March 20, 1841. He received a common school education during his years and made his home with his parents until of age. In 1861 he married Elizabeth Woodward who was born in Decatur County, Indiana, and was the daughter of Elder John Woodward. She was born in 1845 and died in 1862. In 1867 Thomas Edward married second ADELIA PUTNAM, daughter of LUTHER CHARLES AND LUCY ANN PUTNAM, a native of Huron County, Ohio. She was born October 5, 1846 and came to Mercer County at the age of eighteen years. CARRIE MAE SALLEE, Kenneth’s mother, was the fifth of nine children. She was 27 when her mother died in 1904.

Thomas Edward Sallee (1841-1917)

Adelia Putnam Sallee (1846-1904)

Thomas Edward and Adelia Putnam Sallee and family.  From the birth order of the children, I assume that Carrie Mae is on the far right in the back row, as she was the 5th child.

Mr. Thomas Edward Sallee was a strong Union man during the war and in March, 1862, he enlisted in Company E, Third Missouri Calvary for three years, participating in the battle of Springfield and numerous other skirmishes. In June, 1864, he veteranized and enlisted in Company M, Thirteenth Veterans Volunteer Calvary and was afterward promoted to Company C of the same regiment. In August 1865 he was made a Second Lieutenant which position he held until his discharge in May, 1866, at Ft. Levinworth, Kansas.

Thomas Edward Sallee, Captain in Union Cavalry

We have the following letter regarding his service in the “War of Rebellion” [Civil War]:

Maj. O. D. Green
Asst. Adjt. General St. Louis MO
June 15, 1864

Major,

I have the honor to report that on the evening of the 12 Instant a party of 20 guerrillas made a dash into Calhoun, burnt one church, 1 tavern, 2 dwelling houses and robbed 2 stores.

The leader, Dr. Beck, a notorious character, was killed by Lieut. Thomas Sallee, of the Citizens Gard; 3 of the Gard were wounded.

I am very truly your obedient servent,
E. B. Brown

About 1857, THOMAS SALLEE entered 100 acres of land in Section 3, Township 65, Range 22, where he located after his marriage and where he resided. He owned 100 acres of land and was one of Harrison Township's most respected, enterprising farmers. He was one of the original directors of the Agricultural and Mechanics Association of Mercer County, which purchased the site and organized the county fair. He was a Democrat and was elected in 1875 the county assessor and re-elected in 1877, thus serving 4 years. He was a member of the Missionary Baptist Church for 26 years. His wife was a member for 30 years.

Front row L to R: Adelia Putnam Sallee w/ baby, Lucy Ann Ewell, Kenneth, Carrie Mae Sallee Scott, Winnogene

.

[Note that in the photo above, the elderly lady, Lucy Ann Ewell Putnam (born 1822), is Kenneth's great grandmother!   The others on the back row are Evelyn Severe and her husband, Arthur Sallee, Kenneth's aunt and uncle.]

The following account is from a tape-recorded interview with Kenneth, found in the appendix of his and Mary’s autobiographies:

My Grandmother Sallee died when I was quite young so I don’t have any recollection of her, but Grandfather Sallee, Thomas Edward, he’d sell fuel, coal, and various kinds of feed because many of the people in the town had a horse or team. That was quite a business. He had a big substantial wagon...a fine big team of horses that would pull that around.


There were some of the streets in Chillicothe that were paved in those days and brick pavement and I could just see my grandfather’s assistant driving the team around delivering the feed to the customers. He was quiet an interesting fellow. It [the feed store] was a nice place to go.

Grandpa Sallee was a captain in the Civil War, a captain in the Calvary, on the Union side. He had a long, white beard. [Kenneth was a teenager--about 17 or 18--when he knew his grandfather and didn’t pay too much attention to his stories.]

Thomas Edward Sallee (1841-1917)

My grandfather Scott and my Grandfather Sallee were very good friends. Mother and Dad were the reason for them getting acquainted. They didn’t get together very often. Grandfather Scott lived in Ridgeway and Grandfather Sallee in Chillicothe.  It seemed to me a terribly long ways down there because they had to go on a train. We’d change trains a time or two...but it really wasn’t very far down there....

They had the Chillicothe Business College and Dad went down there to attend business college and Mother was a member of the Baptist Church. Father got acquainted with her in church. Grandfather Sallee was a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat and Grandfather Scott was a dyed-in-the-wool Republican, but they lived 25 or 30 miles apart.

I went to business college down there in Chillicothe and stayed with Grandfather Sallee and that was his second wife. He had three wives:  He had one who died before he got back out of the army. They were married only a very short time before the Civil War.  Adelia [Kenneth’s grandmother] was his second wife. Mary Williams I think was his third wife.

[Our records show that THOMAS SALLEE and his first wife, MARY ELIZABETH WOODWARD, were married on 7 April 1861.  She died in 1862, the same year their first child was born and died, so it may be that she died in childbirth, or that they were both stricken by an illness.  In any case, Thomas was a widower when he fought in the Civil War.]

HUGUENOT APPLE PECAN TORTE
Here’s a sweet dessert for those of you who made it to the end of the longest blog post so far! I found it in Better Homes and Gardens in November 1993 (p. 228). I have made it several times and it is delicious!

Huguenot Apple Pecan Torte, Better Homes and Gardens, Nov. 1993, p. 228

The seventeenth century French Huguenots, who settled in South Carolina [and Manakin, Virginia, where Grandpa Scott’s ancestors settled], were famed for their cooking. This French apple cake is still an American favorite.

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel
4 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 ½ cups pecans
1 cup water
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 cups sliced, peeled apple
1 cup whipping cream
2 Tbsp. sugar
Toasted pecan halves (optional)

Stir together flour, baking powder, and lemon peel; set aside.

In a blender container or food processor bowl place eggs, the 3/4 cup sugar, and vanilla. Cover and blend or process till smooth. Add the 2 ½ cups pecans. Blend or process about 1 minutes or till nearly smooth. Add the flour mixture and blend or process just till combined. Spread the batter evenly into 2 greased and floured 8x1/2-inch round baking pans.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes or till lightly browned. Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool thoroughly on racks.

Meanwhile, in a skillet heat water and lemon juice to boiling. Add apple slices. Reduce heat. Cover; simmer 2 to 3 minutes or just till tender. Drain apple slices. [I am experimenting with sauteeing the apples in a little oil and–next time--with a little sugar to cook and carmelize them, to give them a prettier appearance.]

In a medium bowl beat whipping cream and the 2 tablespoons sugar till soft peaks form. Place a torte layer on a cake plate. Spread about half of the whipped cream evenly over layer. Arrange apple slices in a single layer on whipped cream, using as many as needed to cover surface and reserving remaining for top. Top with second torte layer. Spread remaining whipped cream on top of second torte layer. Arrange remaining apple slices and, if desired, pecan halves on top. Chill 1 to 2 hours. Make 12 servings.

Nutrition facts per serving: 311 cal.. 26 g total fat (6 g sat. fat), 98 mg chol., 24 g carbo., 55mg sodium, 5 g pro.

Let me know if you try the recipe and think of a better way to cook the apples. Enjoy!