GEORGE EMORY POOL [1837-1913]
MARTHA SLATTERY [1841-1903]

Great grandfather, George Emory Pool, was born in Scioto County, Ohio on July 31, 1837, the oldest child of William Pool and Amy Abigail Dodge. He was raised near Harrisonville, Ohio in what was the family home near the present Minford High School. Caryn Shoemaker wrote; "The house (William's) was located on Bond Road, on a high place between Oberley's and Blackburn's. The house burned ca 1920, full of fine furniture. Emeline Bond had moved and it was unoccupied at time. The Well and flowers are still there." (Note 01)

Aunt Daisy wrote; "In 1889, when I was 6 years of age, my Grandmother Marcy Dodge Pool died and my father was called to come back to Ohio to administer the estate, being the oldest of the family. He took my mother and me along, much to my everlasting delight. My grandfather had passed on before but I do not know the date. Grandmother had been living in the old family home where all the family had been born, with a granddaughter to care for her. A huge old house with a fireplace to the ceiling. All so thrilling to me." (Note 02)

After their marriage in 1857 my parents lived on a small farm at Scioto, Ohio for about 6 years. Here 3 children were born, Alfred who died in infancy, Theodore and Calvin. In the fall of 1863 they moved to Hillsdale, Michigan where father attended Hillsdale Baptist College for one year. During that year a child was born in January and died in September. The schools present Historian wrote me a nice letter about it. Had his plan to finish school succeeded, it would have undoubtedly changed the direction of all our lives. Due to finances he could not continue and in 1865 they moved with their little family to Corydon, Iowa where they lived four years. Here George and Floyd were born. (Note 03)

In 1869 they moved back to Michigan and settled at Marshall, Michigan where all the rest of the family were born. Cora was the first to arrive and I'm sure was hilariously welcomed by her parents and all her brothers. Then came Vern, William, and finally 2 more girls, May and Daisy. I can remember during my childhood years, after we moved to South Dakota, of all the family forever extolling the beauties and wonders of Michigan. (Muriel Velton, daughter of Vern, went back to Michigan many years later and reported that the old house on the homestead was still there.) (Note 05)

In the early eighties, the broad prairies of South Dakota were opened up to the homesteaders and the temptation was too much for my roving father, so in 1883 my father made his first trip to South Dakota where he filed on land. He built his house and barns, then returned to Michigan to fetch his family and in 1885 we moved to South Dakota.

Ipswich was the end of steel at this time, so here the family and belongings including cattle and horses left the train to travel the remaining twenty miles by wagon or on foot. There were thirteen individuals in the party, my parents, nine children, Theodore's wife Mary and his daughter Dora. Women, children, household goods, and farm machinery were loaded onto the wagons to be hauled to the farm, but the livestock had to be driven by the younger boys. This task was assigned to Floyd, Vern, and part time to Will, although he was rather young to walk all the way. There were no riding ponies in those days, although in later years we had many of them. (The above information was told to Daisy by Floyd many years later.)

This time he knew there would be room for himself and his six sons. Here he took up land, also Calvin and Theodore were old enough to file. Later George and Floyd also took claims. John Whitesel who was a brother to Theodore's wife also arrived and took up a claim which cornered my fathers land. He soon married my sister Cora, so the land was still in the family holdings.

Here the family all lived for a few years breaking their land and tilling the soil. But one by one they tired of the eternal struggle against the drought and the harsh winters and when they had proved upon the land began selling out and moving to other states where condition seemed more attractive. Theodore was the first to leave going to Superior, Wisconsin in 1892. George was next to go, moving to Chicago in 1895. In 1896 Calvin and John Whitesel moved by covered wagon to Bottineau, North Dakota. In 1897 Vern and May went away to school at Wessington Springs, South Dakota, the same year William went to North Dakota to find work. Then father and mother sent me (Daisy) to Bowdle, South Dakota to go to school. This left them alone on the farm. Son Floyd with his family, still lived on his farm 2 miles north of our place and was their one great source of help and companionship.

In 1899 my father had to give up the struggle to run the farm by himself and he sold out and we moved to Bottineau, North Dakota. Here he rented a small farm on the shores of beautiful Lake Metagoshe, a few miles north of Bottineau. Here they lived about 3 years, during which time I was away at school, they then moved into a smaller place nearer town. Here they lived until my wonderful mother died in 1903. She was buried from the Baptist Church in Bottineau, in the Bottineau Cemetery. After her death my lonely father spent most of his life in the homes of his children. (Note 07)

My father was a wonderfully public spirited man and had much to do in getting our schools and churches started in our community. When other settlers soon came in and took up homesteads all around us, many of them were of European Countries and knew little of how to farm the prairies. Father was always ready to help them with the know how and to loan them machinery or even horses to help them out. He always had a magnificent garden and gave generously to any neighbors who came by. These early settlers were truly the builders of the west. Father raised a great deal of stock and as each son started out for himself he gave him a magnificent team of horses and a cow. Mother always had a fine lot of bedding all prepared. Hard work, the ability to make the best of every circumstance, fidelity, great love for family, neighbors, and all humanity. This then the priceless heritage handed down to us by my father and his stalwart generation.

I do want to say a few words about our beloved mother and grandmother. Mother was of medium height, slender, and of dark Irish type. Bore nine sons and three daughters within twenty five years. Always lived on a farm without any of the facilities which we enjoy today. Was cook, housekeeper, laundryman, seamstress, knitted our stockings and socks, made butter to sell, raised chickens, and canned copious amounts of fruits and vegetables. In all this she had very little help. Cora was married at the age of sixteen and May and Daisy did not come along until most of the hard work was over and then we were sent away to school from the age of twelve on.

I was nineteen when my mother passed on and looking back on the nineteen years I was privileged to know her, I never knew her to be upset or angry or even impatient. Her love for her family was so great that she gave herself unreservedly to the task of doing for them whatever she could to help them achieve their ambitions. She was dearly loved by all who knew her especially by the young people of the neighborhood, who were always welcome to our home.

As I try to fathom her life, for the source of her great strength of character, I can find only one answer, her deeply religious life. She was a very quiet Christian, not trying to flaunt her religion to impress others, but living it in her contacts with others, and in much secret prayer. She would always steal away after breakfast for her secret prayer and always came back fortified for the days responsibilities. She died at the early age of sixty-two of pernicious anemia. (Note 08)

William Alfred born August 3, 1858 died March 8, 1859, in Scioto County, Ohio. He is probably buried in Squires Cemetery where many of the Pool ancestors are, though no stone is found.

Theodore Pool was born the November 29, 1859 in Scioto County, Ohio. Theodore was probably named for his mother's uncle, Theodore Slattery, who had died two years previous. As a young man he first married Ella Mentor in Michigan. This marriage apparently ended and Theodore married a second time to Mary Whitesel of Nappenese, Indiana.

Theodore had lived continuous in Superior, Wisconsin where he was a member of the City Fire Department. In 1903 he came to Bottineau, North Dakota when our mother took ill that summer. Upon his return to Superior after mother's death he decided to move to North Dakota. He sold out and moved to Ward County where he filed on the land. After proving up he was divorced from Mary and migrated to Canada where he was married again.

Theodore spent most of his life far away from the rest of the family so little is known of his life or activities. His daughter notified the family of his death. Nothing is known about his children.

Calvin Slattery Pool was born January 9, 1862 in Scioto County, Ohio and was probably named for Martha's brother, Calvin Slattery. He married his cousin Carrie Mae Hubbard in South Dakota, though the marriage record has not been located. The family removed to North Dakota where they settled near the small town of Souris. Carrie Mae's father and siblings also settled in the area and some of the descendants are still in Souris and vicinity. Three sons of David Slattery also made the trip and settled in the town of Bottineau, North Dakota where they ran a store for a short time.

Calvin left North Dakota for Spokane, Washington around 1908 and settled near the college town of Cheney for a short period. He later moved north to Valley, Washington and farmed the remainder of his life. He passed away at his daughter home in Aberdeen, Washington.

Jonathon Pool was born January 12, 1864 near Hillsdale, Michigan and died some eight months later. Efforts to locate his grave were not successful.

George Andrew Pool was born October 25, 1865 in Corydon, Iowa.

One of my first memories of my brother George was when I was five years old. He was a bachelor living on his claim and he had gone to Ipswich and bought Christmas presents for all his younger brothers and sisters and on Christmas Eve he dressed up as Santa Claus and brought them over. Mother answered the knock on the door and in stepped this very real looking Santa Claus. He said, Merry Christmas and then looking at me from behind his false whiskers, said little girl why aren't you in bed. This in a real gruff voice. I was so frightened, I ran in mothers bedroom and crawled under the bed and refused to come out. Finally he returned his voice to normal and removed his false face and I came out feeling very embarrassed and ashamed. Then he opened his pack and gave me the loveliest little doll I had ever seen and the only one I had ever had or wanted. He also had gifts for our parents and May, Vern, and Will. He was always so generous and kind. A few years after this he married Alice Chittick who was teaching in the neighborhood school. She was so beautiful and gay and sang so beautifully and played the organ and brought much happiness into the lives of the whole family.

I would like here to relate an incident which I think many of the family may not know. One night when George was working, as a dispatcher, in the great Union Depot of Chicago, he was held up and robbed by a masked man. At this hour the trains were leaving at the rate of one every two minutes, so he was a very busy man and could not waste any time on a mere robber. He forked over some cash and the robber fled and he went on despatching his trains. My father always took the Minneapolis Tribune in those days and in a day or so he read where one, George Pool, had been held up and robbed. There was a lot of worrying done at our house for a couple of days, until we received a letter from George saying he was OK and the railroad would stand the loss.

After George sold his hotel in Souris, (North Dakota), he lived for a few months in Bottineau, North Dakota. While their he held the office of Justice of the Peace, and his wife Alice was a nurse for Dr. Mackay. They were both active in the Presbyterian Church.

In the spring of 1909 they moved with John and Cora Whitesel to Alberta and settled near Burdett where they took up land. The Whitesels going on to New Dayton to file.

Alberta was very sparsely settled at this time and there was much to be done. George spent all the time he could spare off his land in building. Beside putting up his own fine buildings, he built several public school houses. Alice did a great deal of nursing during this period. By 1916, he was elected to the Municipal Council, which office he held until his death. This required much of his time and many long cold rides. During the fall season he bought up the young beef throughout his district and shipped them to Toronto to sell, where the farmers realized much better prices than Alberta.

George lived a life of great integrity and established a name for honesty and reliability which drew the highest regard from neighbors and associates. He and Alice were very active in church work. He was Superintendent of the Sunday School and Alice and Mabel Alice were a great help with their wonderful musical talents. Mabel Alice studied voice under Madam Ellis Brown, Representative of the England Conservatory of Music, winning the Gold Medal in the intermediate Grade for the whole of Canada.

Floyd filed on a claim in Edmunds County, two miles north of my father's place when he became of age in 1889. Morva Evans, daughter of a neighbor in the Welsh Colony a few miles from us and Floyd's fiance, soon after filed on as adjoining claim. They married soon after proving upon their claims and lived continuously there until Marva's death in 1933. Here nine children were born and raised to adulthood.

When my father and mother and I moved to Bottineau, North Dakota in 1899, it left Floyd and his family as the sole representatives of the Poole family in South Dakota. They stayed on the farm engaging in raising wheat and other grains, also raising beef cattle and carrying on quite an extensive dairy business. They prospered and were able to add to their land holdings and to build a fine new home. As the family out grew the country schools, each was sent to better schools, where they were able to progress and achieve their life ambitions.

Floyd and Marva were very active Christians, not only in church work, but in their daily contacts with neighbors and friends. No need was ever made known to them that they did not do their utmost to supply it, and always with the Bible admonition, not hoping to receive again. They worked hard for their prosperity but always hoping and helping others to prosper.

After Marva's death Floyd found it very hard to adjust to life in his lonely home. Later that fall, he made a trip to Canada and the state of Washington to visit his brothers and sisters. Although normally of a very happy disposition, we found him at this time, to be very depressed and unhappy. Most of his family were either married, or away at school, or following occupations which demanded their presence elsewhere, and his chances for future happiness seemed dim.

That fall, he met a very wonderful lady from the Faulkton District not far away, and their mutual respect and admiration for each other ripened into a deeper attachment of love. They were married at Faulkton, South Dakota on 8 Dec 1934 and their home once again became a place of happiness and contentment, where all their family and friends loved to gather. Emma was a faithful and constant companion to Floyd throughout their twenty-six years together and always so solicitous of his welfare and happiness and graciously welcomed all his family, relatives, and friends who visited their home.

When I was 3 years and 3 Months old my mother told me that my sister Cora was going to be married to John Whitesel and that all the family and neighbors were coming to the wedding. I did not understand just what this meant but was sure it was going to be a lot of fun. Mother cooked and baked for many days after this making many wonderful goodies. When the day arrived she cleaned me up and put a new blue dress on me and told me to stand in the East window and watch for the quests as they came driving over the hill. I felt very important as I shouted out the arrival of each family and did not understand for several years that the reason I was given this job was so I wouldn't get my dress dirty. Anyway it was all very wonderful and exciting till the very end when the guests started leaving and John Whitesel started to take my sister Cora with him, that was something I hadn't counted on. Well I put on my act which was of course to cry and fight but this time it did not work and Cora went away to live with him. However, I soon got over my antagonism and it was so much fun to go to their place to visit. The folks often let me go alone and ride my pony and stay overnight.

John Whitesel, who was a brother of Theodore's wife Mary and came to South Dakota in 1886 where he filed on a claim which cornered with my father's land. He built a sod house, which many of the young men who filed on land did in those days. It was a long way to town and lumber was scarce and high in price.

A year later he married my sister Cora. Here they lived and farmed until my brother Calvin and wife Carrie decided to move on to North Dakota where from all reports farming conditions were much better. They sold their farms and departed in 1896, by covered wagon, taking their stock and household goods and farm machinery. Here they settled on rented farms for a few years, Calvin finally moving on to Souris where he was eligible to file on land and where he again farmed for a few years before going on to Washington. John Whitesel about the same time bought a livery stable in Bottineau, which he operated for a number of years until he move to Alberta in 1909. My brother George and family and John and Cora decided to move to Alberta where they were eligible to once more take up land. George filed near the small town of Burdett, Alberta, while John went farther west and filed near New Dayton.

John put up fine buildings on his place and farmed extensively for a number of years until Cora's health failed when they built a smaller home in New Dayton and retired. Here they lived for the remainder of their lives with most of their family living close around them.

Cora was very much like our mother in character and disposition, always calm under every circumstance always thinking of and doing for others while keeping herself and her desires in the background. She was greatly loved and admired by family and friends.

Vern was ten years old when the family moved to South Dakota. He, Will and Floyd were the ones to whom it fell the lot to walk and drive the cattle from Ipswich to the homestead about 20 miles to the Southwest. Father and the other boys all drove the wagons loaded with the household goods, farm machinery and the women and children.

Father had spent 2 years during the summer seasons getting the buildings prepared and readied for his family and stock. Once we arrived at the homestead Vern's responsibility seemed to be tending the cattle for a few years until Will grew into the job and Vern was promoted to helping with the horses and working on the land. However, we soon had a schoolhouse built by a neighbor, John Kreuger, one and a half miles southwest of us. Here Vern, Will, and May all started to school. The terms were short, the teachers mediocre, the attendance not too regular, but as time proves those teachers did lay a pretty good foundation. Mae and Vern attended school at Wessington Springs Seminary, Wessington, South Dakota in 1897-1898.

William was the youngest of my brothers and only five years older than I, so I remember quite vividly much about his small boy days. He was exceedingly active, never still and though he always performed the tasks assigned to him when they were completed he always found something else to do, just for fun. Calvin and George who lived on claims nearby wore old fur coats to do their chores in cold weather and when ever they came home they tore off small pieces and gave to Will. He would fashion mustache, whiskers, or sideburns of this fur and wear them when herding his cattle. One day he was going among the neighbors contracting to herd their cattle with his own and had a smaller boy who was staying with us along. He had his whiskers on and when they got home Henry said everyone thought he was a man, but I told them he was just a boy with whiskers stuck on. He had a mule which he often rode to tend the cattle. He had taught it a few tricks and could make it bray whenever he wanted and the noise was terrific. As a small boy at school he was very popular, as his fertile mind could always think up the most interesting things to do.

In 1897 William followed John Whitesel and Calvin to Bottineau, North Dakota and here he was able to find work which had been so very scarce in south Dakota. In 1899, he filed on a timber claim in the Turtle Mountains near Lake Metagoshe. He soon met and married a neighbor girl, Minnie Ovitt, and they built and lived on their claim proving up in 1902. They latter sold their place and, moved to Tacoma where Minnie had relatives. Here they spent the remainder of their lives. Lloyd and Vada were born in North Dakota and William and Esther were born in Tacoma. William worked for a number of years in Tacoma and then bought a nice farm just across the Bay from town.

Mae started going to school with Vern and Will in the fall 1886 in our new school house. The teacher was a middle aged man, a cripple by the name of Mr. Brown. He walked with two crutches and he lived at our house. He was a very kind person and nice to have around. He used to help Vern, Will, and Mae with their homework, evenings after dinner around the dining room table, where the only light was an old fashioned Kerosene lamp. Mr. Brown also taught the next year of 1887-1888 and in the spring, when I was five he induced mother to let me go to school. At this time Theodore's little daughter, Dora also started school. She was a year older than I.

When I think now of what my feelings toward Mae were in those days, they could only be described as pure adoration. She being 4 years older than I, was everything I wanted so much to be. I wanted my hair combed just like hers and my dresses made the same way. I wanted to go to all the birthday parties and help mother in the same ways. Mae taught me to sew and to crochet as mothers eye sight failed and she could no longer do these things. Mae took over the family sewing and when she was fifteen she went to Faulkton to school.

NOTES:

02-Daisy was the youngest child of George and Martha and was known by the author as "Aunt Daisy" although she was a great aunt. In the 1960's she put together a story on her parents and their family with the help of her brother Floyd. The story is related here in Italics followed by comments verified by the author's research.

03-According to the Archivist, Dr. Fallon; "George Emory Poole was enrolled in the Preparatory Department (high school level program). There were few academies and no high schools to speak of in that era."Registrar files were burned in 1874 and the preceding information was obtained from a 1863-64 catalogue. During a visit in May 1988 the author visited the campus, see photo.
Hillsdale College was founded in 1844 in Hillsdale, Michigan as a Baptist College, it has since become a Liberal Arts College. The school was nationally recognized for being the first college to reject student aid, refusing to accept the Government Regulations on desecration.

04-11 Feb 1865, James M.H. Addison and Julia his wife, of Hillsdale, Michigan to George E. Pool for $1500; SE1/4 NE1/4 of S1 & E1/2 SE1/4 of S12 T68N R21W, 120 acres, Wayne County, Iowa. On 26 May 1871, George E and Martha sold to S.J. Slattery (Samuel) for $1900 the above property. The author visited the property in June 1989 which is SE of Corydon, Iowa. Corydon was the site of a Bank robbery by Jesse James and gang in 1870.

05-Daisy may be in error with regard to the birthplace of Cory Alice. The 1880 Census gives her birthplace as Iowa as do subsequent Census.

06-In Calhoun County George bought for $600 SE1/4 SW1/4 S34 T1W R5W, 40 acres, entered 18 Mar 1884. On 1 Dec 1884, Martha to George for $1000 all parcels situated in the Township of Marengo as follows; undivided 1/2 of N1/2 NE1/4 S3 T2S R5W and the undivided 1/2 of N1/2 of NE1/4 S3 T2W R5W. Then on 16 Sep 1885, George to Chas. Noneman for $3450 N1/2 NE1/4 S3 T2W R5W, 80 acres.

07-The 1900 US Census has the following: George, Martha, May and Daisy in Hilton Twn., Bottineau, North Dakota; Theodore, wife Mary A. and son Albert in Superior, Douglas County, Wisconsin; Calvin, wife Carrie M, children Ruth, Ralph, Walter, and Ester in Amitty School Twn., Bottineau County, North Dakota; George A., wife Mary A, children Raymond D. and Oliver W. in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois; Floyd, wife Marva, children Curtis W, Alfred E, and Ivy M in Liberty Twn., Edmonds County, South Dakota; John Whitesel, wife Cora, children George A, Pearl, Dora, and John W., Bottineau School Twn, Bottineau County, North Dakota; Vern D. at Wessington Springs, Jerauld County, South Dakota; William, wife Minnie C in Amitty School Twn., Bottineau County, North Dakota.