EMMA LANPHER’S FAMILY. ISADORA TRAVELS

On November 3, 1898 David brought his second bride to the Cartter farm. Emma Eliza Lanpher was not a stranger to the Cartter family of to the Disco community as she had taught school there when Irene was first in school and had boarded at the Cartter home. Her arrival came just one year after James Bruce had passed away and at a time when Isadora was to welcome a sharing of the household responsibilities.

Irene, David and Della’s only child, was now nine years old. Emma became her second mother and also relieved the pressure on grandmother Cartter. Thus it was possible at last for Isadora to consider some of the travel to which she had long looked forward. Emma too enjoyed the rural life and community activities which she shared with Isadora. On October 4, 1899 she presented David with his first son whom they named Bruce Lanpher. Bruce for the Cartters and Lanpher for his mother’s family.

At this point let us take a look at the Lanpher family background, first Emma’s own family.

Emma was the youngest child of William Duane and Elizabeth (Belcher) Lanpher. She was born at Martinsburg, Lewis County in N. Y. sate on December 13, 1873. This is the same county from which the father of James Bruce had come before settling in Rochester. Three years after her birth Emma’s father died as a result of a sunstroke suffered while working on his farm. Her mother was unable to carry on the farm operations and sold the farm. Other members of the Belcher family had moved, or were moving, west to Wisconsin so the decision was made to follow that course.

The Duane Lanpher family consisted of five children, three boys and two girls, ranging in age from Charles, 23 to Emma, 7, when they arrived at Black River Falls in 1880. The year 1881 proved to be a tragic year for the Lanpher family. All three sons, ages 24, 23, and 15, unmarried, died within a period of six months. Charles, a brakeman on the railroad, fell and was crushed between the cars; Clarence had brain fever, Foster went swimming too early in the season and contracted pneumonia. All three brothers were buried in the Riverside Cemetery at Black River Falls. It was at this point that the two brothers and four sisters of Mrs. Lanpher were great consolation to the remaining family. These relatives were – William Belcher, Rosa (Mrs. Dennis Fox), and Mary (Mrs. Horney) of Eau Claire; Celestia Jennie (Mrs. Henry Colon), and Louise (Mrs. G. J. Bonnell) of Black River Falls; and Charles of Wilton; all in Wisconsin.

Ida Lanpher the third oldest member of the Duane Lanpher family was a mainstay for her mother during those first years in Wisconsin. As a girl back in Lewis County she established quite a reputation as a speller in district spelling bees. She attended the Lowville Female Academy where she graduated and received her certificate to teach. While going to school there she lived with the family of Loren Lanpher, her uncle who was postmaster at Lowville. Another uncle A. Marcellus taught chemistry and mathematics at the Academy for a time. He later launched out upon a mercantile career in Lowville and served as county clerk for a number of years. He and his son Harry M., who lived in Minneapolis, both kept in touch with the Wisconsin family – Ida, the author’s aunt, found that she did not care for teaching and turning her attention to sewing, became an excellent seamstress. At that time a seamstress did her work in the customer’s home, usually spending a week or two at a time there. Her tiny even stitches were really a work of art.

On Nov. 28, 1887 Ida married John H. Knobloch of Tomah. He was a railroad man and they lived first at Black River Falls, then moved to Eau Claire where the Knobloch home still remains the residence of Ruth Knobloch, their their oldest child. Ruth, now retired, had a long career as an elementary school teacher in Haugen and Eau Claire, Wis., having graduated from the Eau Claire State Normal School.

John Knobloch died August 11, 1926. Aunt Ida who meant so much to the author during his pre-teen years following his mother’s death, lived to be 82, passing away April 16, 1946. Robert, their son, became an electrical engineer graduating from the Univ. of Wis. Most of his business life was spent with the Northern States Power Co. at Eau Claire, Wis. and Montevideo, Minn., where he died 9-8-1966. Robert’s wife, Evelyn Gulsvig, survives him with their two sons John b. 6-19-1932 and Robert b. 8-16-1934.

John above, married Carol Nomeland of Porter, Minn. 7- -1954. They have three children – Kimberly Ray b. 9-6-1955, Katherine b. 9-7-1966, and Kristy b. 12-5-1972.

Robert lives in California.

Emma Lanpher received most of her education in the Black River Falls schools graduating from the high school there in 1891. Receiving a teacher’s certificate she taught school in Jackson County for some time, later taking a business course at the Hoffman Business College in Black River Falls. She started her business career at Millston and later at Eau Claire where she was living with the Knoblochs when she married David Cartter on 11-3-1898.

THE LANPHER FAMILY

The background of the Lanpher family which precedes and follows has been secured from various sources and pieced together with information secured personally from visits in Lewis County, N. Y. with families living there, records in the County Court House and gravestone information found in the West Lowville Rural Cemetery.

Written sources include:

The Lanpher and Related Families Genealogy by Edward Lanphere 1970 edition.

Representative Men and Old Families of R. I. Genealogy and Biography Vol. III.

Genealogy of Northern New York Vol. I by William R. Cutter.

Genealogy Notes found in Mrs. Duane Lanpher’s diary with comments and additions made by Mrs. Ida Knobloch and her daughter, Ruth.

It was a real thrill to find in the West Lowville Rural Cemetery two long lines of gravestones bearing the Lanpher name, and to further find that these two rows are headed by the final resting places of Paul and Pardon, twin brothers who arrived in N. Y. state in 1800. They, of the 4th Generation, are followed in line by descendants in the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th Generation. Edward G. Lanphere, in the reference given above, starts off with this statement concerning the background of the Lanpher family as follows:

“Records of the Lanphere (several spellings of this name are found such as Lanphear, Landfear, Lampiere, Landpher and Lanpher) families go back to the middle ages when they lived in the then province of Languedoc and Provence on either side of the Rhone River and in which were situated the cities of Arles, St. Giles, Nimes, and Avignon.” His description of the Huguenot religious movement and the accompanying resettlement of people in Holland, England, and Ireland makes interesting reading.

First Generation (in America)

GEORGE LANPHEAR, born 1631 in Berkshire, England was a grandson of Thomas Lamphier who with many other French Huguenots fled from his homeland in 1572 to Wiltshire in England. On May 17, 1671 George took the oath of allegiance to Rhode Island. In 1699 he was married (the name of the wife is unknown) and bought land where the city of Westerly, Rhode Island is now located. It is recorded that in 1704 he owned 200 acres of land. George died 10-6-1731 leaving a family of nine children.

Second Generation

JOHN, 3rd son of George was b. 1683 m. Ruth _____ 3-31-1705 and lived in Westerly, R. I. They had ten children. He died in 1757.

Third Generation

NATHAN, 4th son of John and Ruth was b. 1701 in Westerly. m. (1st) Mary Langworthy 6-22-1739 (2nd) Amy Champlain 12-7-1758. He had six children by his first marriage and seven by his 2nd, a total of thirteen.

Fourth Generation

PAUL – b. 2-25-1762 was the 4th son of Nathan and Amy (Champlain) Lanpher. He had a twin brother Pardon. Paul married Elizabeth Berry 12-18-1789 and Pardon married her sister Polly 2-25-1790.

These two brothers with their families left Westerly, R.I., stopping for three years at Whitestone, R.I. And then moved on to locate permanently in Lowville, Lewis County, N.Y. in 1800 where both secured land and developed farms. The author has a copy of an Indenture setting forth the purchase by Paul Lanpher, from Silas Stow, of fifty acres of land lying in Stows Square, for the sum of $175.00 on the twelfth day of November, 1800. Pardon purchased a similar tract at the same time. The brothers located less than two miles apart each within a mile or so of what is now known as West Lowville Corners and about three miles west of Lowville proper.

Paul settled on what is now Highway 29 south form the Corners and Pardon on Highway 77 west from these Corners. A Lewis County map of 1857 shows the location of a Stage Coach Inn, a school and a blacksmith shop at this corner. It also spots farms owned by: P. Lanpher, P.B. Lanpher, C.C. Lanpher, Ch. Lanpher, C. Carter and Ez. Carter. Attached to Paul Lanpher’s Indenture mentioned above was found a copy of a treaty made by the government with the Indians in 1788 covering the lnad, part of which was purchased by Paul and Pardon.

Paul served in the War of 1812 though he was fifty years old at the time. Five children were born to Paul and Elizabeth. One son, Paul Berry, married Fanny Carter (his second wife). She was the daughter of Isaac who in turn was a brother of the first David Kellogg Cartter. Paul died 5-1-1836.

Fifth Generation

JONATHAN was the 4th son of Paul and Elizabeth b. 8-17-1806. He married (1st) Lucinda Stern 12-30-1829 by whom he had three children. He married (2nd) Elizabeth Brown Ellsworth 4-2-1839 and increased his family by seven, a total of twelve children. He remained on the home farm, taking care of his parents until 1838 when he removed to Champion in Jefferson County, N.Y. This property he later sold and a farm was purchased near Denmark in Lewis County where he lived out his remaining years. He died 2-17-1887 having a total of ten children.

This Jonathan Lanpher farm is still in the Lanpher family: it was first operated by Abner Franklin, youngest son of Jonathan and later by Orlo E., son of Abner. At this writing Anna B. (Sheldon) Lanpher, widow of Orlo, to whom she was married 8-20-1905and their two children Arthur Lanpher and Irene (Lanpher) Alexander are still living at Denmark, N.Y. Orlo died in 1958. The author has a picture of this homestead showing the three generations of operators, taken in 1885.

A. Marcellus, Loren Grove, and Abner Franklin mentioned previously in this writing were the sons of Jonathan by his second wife Elizabeth Brown. Wm. Duane Lanpher, oldest son of Jonathan and the author’s grandfather, was thus half bother, his mother being Lucinda Sterms, first wife of Jonathan.

Sixth Generation

WILLIAM DUANE was the oldest son of Jonathan and Lucinda. He was b. 12-20-1832 in Lowville, N.Y. He married Elizabeth Belcher 11-28-1854, owned an operated a farm near Martinsburg, but died as a relatively young man on 8-2-1876. His death left his wife with a family of five children ranging in age from nineteen to three years of age. It is this family which, as mentioned at the beginning of the chapter, came to Black River Falls, Wis. in 1880.

Due to the death of all three sons of William Duane, this Lanpher line is carried on through the descendants of the two daughters Ida and Emma, as mentioned earlier in this chapter.

Isadora begins her travels. It is in August of 1900 that we have our first evidence of an extended trip taken by Isadora. For some time she had been receiving letters from her friends at Wheatland, where she had first met James Bruce. These friends had urged her to make a visit to her old home. The following quotes are taken from one of the very few letters written by her which were saved. The letter is written from Wheatland and addressed to her family.

“Dear children at home, Mary and I took a ride over to our old home. Drive east through were the school section used to be, but now partly cleared of its timber, – – – Down on your fathers old lake farm no vestige of old times is left. By the lovely little Lake Mary a beautiful cottage, as large as a city home, is built on the hill back of the old house. – – – We drove on around the head of the lake, way up on the old Dr. McClellan place in the grove of oaks. Here there is cottage after cottage on the bank of the lake. Women and children were everywhere. We continued our journey toward the old home.

Well the old house where so much happiness was spent looks like an old age, weary and full of age, the kitchen has fallen into decay, the main part is pretty good. I went upstairs into our little rooms for Nettie and me. The chambers and in fact off the rooms seemed so small, but I could place in my mind mother’s furniture and pictures, its furnishings as in olden times when your father used to call so much and the rest of the loved ones used to meet. But the front yard is weedy and the orchard is almost gone.”

Forty-six years had passed since the Swifts had left Wheatland and Isadora had not been back till this trip. Before returning home she went to Chicago where she visited Frederic Oberlin and Mary Cartter. Frederic was a son of Phederus, James’ oldest brother. Earlier Frederic had spent some time with James and Isadora.

Isadora proved to be an enthusiastic traveler at age 67, so it took but little urging to see her off to Falmouth and Sandwich in Mass. with her older brother Charles. It was from Sandwich that she with others members of her family had started their westward migration in 1838. Sarah, the second wife of Charles Swift, had died in 1895 out in South Dakota. He had disposed of his property there and, with family grown, was also free to travel. Their first trip was made in 1901.

Many of their Swift, Nye, and Price family relatives still lived in this Cape Cod area and many had been the letters written back and forth. Some visits to Wisconsin had been made by relatives, in spite of their professed fear of Indians. We can imagine the reception that awaited Isadora and Charles. While at Sandwich they learned that a reunion of the Nye family was to be held in 1903. Consequently they decided to make another visit two years later.

The homecoming from each of these trips was saddened by a death in the Adams family. Three weeks after returning in 1901, Julia (Cartter) Adams, Isadora’s daughter, died October 7, 1901 of tuberculosis. On the morning of their return from the 1903 trip September 21st, Julia’s oldest daughter Ruth passed away. Ruth was Isadora’s oldest granddaughter and had been very close to her throughout the years.

Death striking twice in three years was a heavy blow to both the Adams and the Cartter families. Julia’s passing left Parker Adams with three children,. The youngest being Hawley who at the time was eighteen and developing a desire to explore the western states. His mother’s influence had kept him at home with the family after spending one winter attending the Farm Short Course at the College of Agriculture in Madison. Julia’s major interest had been her family and seeing that all three children were well prepared for life’s experiences. This is attested to in the obituary appearing in the Black River Falls paper, a quote from which follows:

“She (Julia Cartter Adams) was one of the most lovable of women; of bright and cheerful disposition, a fond wife and mother and a friendly and charitable neighbor who will long be missed in the neighborhood in which her influence was always for the good. Her pride was in her family, and her esteemed children give evidence of her motherly care and training.”

RUTH was Isadora’s oldest granddaughter and had been very close to her throughout the years. She had, after finishing high school, gone on to the Normal School at Winona, Minn., where she received a teacher’s certificate. She taught at Warren, Minn. before coming to Black River Falls where she was in her fifth year of teaching, when sickness forced her to resign her position. Her death, occurring six months later, was due to tuberculosis. The following excerpt from her obituary explains well the esteem in which she was held:

“Miss Adams was born October 6, 1878 and was 24 years, 11 months and 8 days old. She was young but was much in advance of her years in judgement and educational qualifications – – -. She had become one of the most spirited and successful teachers in the county. She was also a young lady of good general accomplishments, strong, personality and high character and gave promise for a brilliant future. She was much devoted to duty, and probably stayed in the school room much longer that she should have done for the sake of her health.”

CHLOE LOUISE, second child of Parker and Julia Adams, after graduating from high school attended Stevens Point Teachers College form which she graduated as a teacher. She taught one year at Curran Cooley and two years at Hixton when she gave up her teaching career to stay home and run the house for her father following her mother’s death. It was only a matter of time before her help was also needed to care for her older sister Ruth.

On 10-17-1907 Chloe Louise married John Curran, son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Curran of Sechlerville. They purchased the Adams home farm, put on several improvements and built up an excellent show herd of Red Poll cattle. Parker Adams made his home with the Currans until his death in 1916. Louise, like her mother and grandmother before her, became a strong community worker, giving much of her energies to the furtherance of church and library programs.

At 93 Louise is still very active and alert to all that is going on about her. She makes her home with her children as her husband died 3-24-1937. It is this Louise who has contributed much information used by the author concerning their grandparents in common, James Bruce and Isadora Cartter. Louise has three children, Ruth, Roger, and John whose families may be found listed in the Tenth Generation of the Cartter Genealogy in this book.

HAWLEY, the only son and the youngest child in the Adams family was at home when his mother died in 1901. Shortly after that he made a trip west, visiting the Swifts at Castlewood, Dakota; harvested corn in Nebraska; visited Arthur Swift at Santa Ana in Calif., and went on to Pendleton, Ore. to visit Adams relatives. With the serious illness of Ruth, Parker Adams asked him to return home to help on the farm, which he did.

The pioneering westward spirit had laid hold of Hawley, however, and 1904 found him farming and “batching” out in South Dakota. He soon sold there and purchased land near Oberon, N.D., which he later rented when he moved on to California. He bought “raw land” near Lindsay, California. It was here that he met and later married Cora Leona McKenney in 1915. Their first years were spent farming in both of the Dakotas and at Lindsey. A letter from Hawley to David dated 3-14-1920 tells of his start in tree crops.

“We are here on 43 acres – 15 acres of olives interest with apricot trees that should bear some this year. Olive trees grow so large that they set quick bearing trees in between and leave them there as long as there is room – Have five acres of oranges, 9 years old and 20 acres of olives set last spring.”

Hawley later became superintendent of a state cemetery at Lindsay, a position he held until nearly 80 years of age. Both Leona and Hawley died in 1969 being survived by four sons and one daughter; Lawrence Parker, Hugh Thomas, Cleva Louise, John Harvey, and Dan Hawley. A fifth son, Bruce Cartter (twin with Dan Hawley) died when one month old. The families of these children will be found in the Tenth Generation of the Cartter genealogy found in this book.