A trip from Toad back to Bazil.
My father was Henry Morgan "Toad" Butt. He was born August 20, 1906 in the stone house on the Butt family farm in Brandon Township, Jackson County, Iowa. This farm was a couple of miles as the crow flies, West-Southwest of where I currently live. Dad was the 3rd oldest of seven brothers.
Dad's father was Squire George Butt. Squire was born January 5, 1880 in Moore's Hollow, Wyoming Township, Jones County, Iowa. Moore's Hollow is very near or, perhaps, borders the Jones/Jackson County line. It's ~4.5 miles as the crow flies, South - South West of where I currently live. The address there now is 49th street and 1st Avenue, Monmouth, Iowa. Here's a street sign that stands just South, within a couple hundred yards or so, of where Squire was born. The picture is taken from Jones County. Jackson County lies on the other side (to the right in the picture) of the "Jackson Co." sign at the top. The "Jackson Co" sign point to the North on the left and to the South on the right. 49th St. runs East and West. 1st Ave. dead ends at this point, it goes South from here down to highway 64. The old Chicago & Northwester-Midland Line railroad right-of-way run parallel to 49th St., and at this point, is no more than 30 yards or so from 49th street.
Here's Squire's wedding picture, pictures of the seven boys when they were young, along with some information about them all.
Here's what remained of the family in 1934.
Hattie's parents were Henry J. "Hank" Willman b. 1835 in Hession Darmstart, Germany, d. 1920 and wife Isabella Green "Bell" Stahl, aka Bell S. Stahl, b. 1847 in Ohio, d. 1931. Both are buried in Canton Cemetery, Canton, Jones County, Iowa. Bell's father was from Pennsylvania, her mother from Ohio. They lived in Canton. Hank was a cabinet maker there.
Here's a picture of Hank and Bell. They had a total of 10 children, Hattie being the seventh oldest. One of my favorites of Hattie's siblings was Reliefy Jane who married Victor Miller. They lived in Delhi, Iowa. Reliefy, "Leafy" as she was called, was about three years younger than Hattie.
Here's a photo of the headstone of Hank and Bell. They're in the Canton Cemetery, Canton, Jones County, Iowa. I tried to move the stone back on its foundation but couldn't budge it. This cemetery needs a lot of work.
My father, Henry Morgan Butt wrote a book of poems, one of which he titled, "Big Trip in `26".
The first stanza of that poem is:
In the late twenties when we were boys
Too young for marriage and too old for toys
We were restless and edgy, but very free
We decided to go West to a town called Laramie
He took the trip West in a `24 model T. He was 20 years old. Shortly after arriving in Laramie he started to work at the Empress theatre which dad said was on Front street. Front street is now 2nd Street or else, Dad was referring to the street behind the theatre. Later this theater became the Fox. I am told by Dr. Phil Roberts, Historian at the U. of Wyoming, that it was actually on the current 2nd Street across the alley from buildings fronting on the current 1st Street. This is consistent with the following.
Here are a couple of pictures of this theater. These photo's and commentaries came from the web site titled; "Wyoming Tales and Trails Featuring Photographs and History of Old Wyoming". Here's a link to that site. It's a really wonderful site!!!
http://www.wyomingtalesandtrails.com/index.html
Thanks to Geoff Dobson who answered the e-mail message I directed to that site.
This one is not dated, but Geoff says it's "from the 1920's" so this is what it looked like at about the same time dad was there. Here are the comments from this wonderful site. I have a picture of the inside of the Empress but the people who provided it won't let me post it without paying them $55.00!!!! The inside was absolutely beautiful, just like dad described it. Front Street was just behind the Theatre.
Empress Theatre, Second Street, undated. Located on Second Street, north of Ivenson Aveune was the Empress Theatre, Laramie's first movie palace. During the days of silent movies, the theatre featured its own orchestra to provide additional thrills to the action upon the screen. The theatre was constructed in 1912 and opened in 1913. In 1938, it temporarily closed for remodeling and reopened in 1939 as the Fox Theatre with the front facade redone in an art-deco style.
Here it is in 2005 along with more comments from the site.
Fox Theater, Second Street, 2005. Photo by Geoff Dobson. The Fox has fallen on hard times. It closed in 1975. Its roof is in a state of partial collapse and the building is occupied by only pigeons with the droppings so extensive that those going into the building are required to wear hazardous material suits
Here's Front Street (now 1st Street) in Laramie when dad was there. Somewhere along behind these buildings is where the Empress Theater was.
And here's Second Street during that same era. Thanks again to the people at the "Wyoming Tales and Trails Featuring Photographs and History of Old Wyoming" site for these pictures.
After working in this theatre for awhile, dad went to work as a ranch hand for a fellow named Holly Hunt whose place dad called "The Old Bar 11". There he lived in a bunk house with the other ranch hands. He made hay, dug potatoes, did chores and broke horses to ride and drive. He was a real Cowboy. He walked the walk and talked the talk. For the cowboys among you, here's one of my dad's poems.
OLD RANGER
He was a beautiful big bay horse, stood a full 16 hands high
I don't believe anyone ever rode that horse, here's some of the reasons why
He was shipped back here in a cattle car from the range somewhere out west
He only tried to protect himself in the ways that he knew best
He would strike you, bite you, kick you....and you always guessed him wrong
And if you did get up in that leather chair, you didn't stay there long
The first time I laid eyes on him he was standing by the manger
His ears laid back, hate in his eye
We named that big horse Ranger
Then one day my old pal Vern, said lets give that horse a try
The bruises that horse gave us that day we'll feel `til the day we die
We tied his head down to the manger with a great big heavy thong
Pulled a pole against his side, and finally got the saddle on
We flipped a coin to see who'd go first...I lost, it was my turn .
I knew if I stayed a minute or two the glory I'd damn well earn
Vern turned him loose from the manger
He went out of the barn like a squirt
He went up headed south come down headed north
The third time I hit the dirt
We throwed a rope on that devil horse
Coaxed him back in that old shed
I think I saw where you made your mistake old Vern jokingly said
Before Vern climbed to his throne up there, he buckled on his spurs
I'll rake him from his head to his tail....we'll see if that's a cure
Old Ranger took off like a tornado, Vern sitting mostly on air
I could tell he wasn't too sure of himself as he fought hard to stay up there
That bronk took about 3 big jumps, come done and started to run
When he cleared the gate to the orchard
I hurried as fast as I could, not to miss any of the fun
He grabbed the bit in his teeth and run fast thru the low hanging limbs
And by the look on old Vern's face, I think he thought he'd soon be hearin hymns
He tried rubbing Vern off on the fences, then headed out in the open
Then started bucking to beat all hell, just like I'd been a hopin
He done a couple a sunfishers then a sharp three quarter turn
And there in the sand and smart weeds laid my old pal Vern
We finally roped that horse again in the corner by a stack of hay
We decided we'd had enough rough riding to last a couple of days
Many times later, we tried to ride old Ranger, but always to no avail
Every time either one of us got on that guy, away thru the air we'd sail
He finally jumped all the fences, it was like he was back on the range
He jumped off the bank of the river, and the quick sand became his master,
We never saw that horse again
One day old Vern said to me, you know what I think Toad?
I think that horse choose the quick sand, rather than be rode.
Toad
I requested from the Wyoming State Archives what information they might have about Holly Hunt. Here's what I received from them via e-mail. How wonderful it is to have people around like Cindy Brown and whomever did this research. Here's a big hardy THANK YOU to them.
----- Original Message -----
From: Cindy Brown
To: Dennis Butt
Sent: Wednesday, November 21, 2007 11:59 AM
Subject: Re: Holly Hunt
Dear Dennis Butt:
Your message was forwarded to me. I assigned your e-mail to my Research Volunteer and have included his report below.
If you have any questions, please let me know.
Cindy L Brown
Reference Archivist
(307) 777-7036
Wyoming State Archives
Barrett Building
2301 Central Avenue
Cheyenne, WY 82002Cindy, here is a brief chronology regarding Holly Hunt's life based on www.ancestry.com census records, plus his mother's obituary.
Sep. 15, 1852: ALICE, "Holly"'s mother, is born in Lafayette County, Shullsburg, Wisconsin, to THOMAS and MARY [nee DOYLE HUNT. She would have at least two brothers - WALTER [b.: o/a 1856 in Wisconsin; d.: Dec. 3, 1913, in Albany County, Laramie, Wyoming] and NICHOLAS [b.: ?; d.: ?], plus three sisters: HELENA [b.: Dec. 31, 1963; d.: Feb. 17, 1939] and two whose first names are not known to the researcher. (U.S. Census, Albany County, Laramie City, Wyoming, page 25B, lines 58-62, Jun. 20, 1900; "Good Woman Was Called", Laramie Republican, Laramie, Wyoming, Monday, Oct. 7, 1912, p. 4[3]; Death Certificate for Alice Hunt, No. 1005, Oct. 6, 1912, on file at Wyoming State Archives, Cheyenne, WY; Death Certificate for Walter Hunt, No. 209, Dec. 3, 1913, on file at Wyoming State Archives, Cheyenne, WY; Death Certificate for Mrs. Helena Hartman, No. 206, Feb. 17, 1939, on file at Wyoming State Archives, Cheyenne, WY)
o/a 1865: GEORGE H. HUNT, Holly's father, is born in England. (Note: Nothing else was found about this gentleman. -- U.S. Census, Albany County, Laramie City, Wyoming, page 25B, lines 58-62, Un. 20, 1900)
o/a 1872: Alice moved to Cheyenne, where she met and married George H. Hunt. (Note: No marriage records, however, were found. - "Good Woman Was Called", Laramie Republican, Laramie, Wyoming, Monday, Oct. 7, 1912, p. 4[3])
_______: The Hunts moved to Laramie City (Albany County), Wyoming, where they would live until, at least, their children were young adults. ("Good Woman Was Called", Laramie Republican, Laramie, Wyoming, Monday, Oct. 7, 1912, p. 4[3])
1883-1884: George is working in Laramie a "butcher" at a shop on "Marsh & Cooper" streets. (Laramie City Directory, 1883-1884, p. 68)
o/a 1895: Holly - his first name is listed as GEORGE in 1900 and as HOLLIS [i.e., "Holly"] ten years later - is born in "Wyoming". (Note: This suggests that he probably was named after his father, but, to avoid confusion as an adult, he changed the order of his first and middle names, usually going by his nickname, "Holly". [See Jan. 3, 1920, and 1930 census entries.] He would have a sister and brother born in Wyoming: MAY [b.: o/a 1887; d.: ?] and JAMES [b.: o/a 1889; d.: ?] -- U.S. Census, Albany County, Laramie City, Wyoming, page 25B, lines 58-62, Un. 20, 1900; "Good Woman Was Called", Laramie Republican, Laramie, Wyoming, Monday, Oct. 7, 1912, p. 4[3]; Death Certificate for Alice Hunt, No. 1005, Oct. 6, 1912, on file at Wyoming State Archives, Cheyenne, WY)
Nov. 19, 1909: George Hunt sold his "Cash [meat] Market" to Mr. Carson Adams for $2,000. ("Cash market in Laramie is Sold", Laramie Boomerang, Laramie, WY, Mon, Nov. 15, 1909, p. 4[7])
Early 1912: After many months of illness, Miss May Hunt took her mother to California, ". . . in the hope that the change would prove beneficial but . . .
______: 1912: . . . they returned some weeks ago, the trip having left the unfortunate lady but little improved." ("Good Woman Was Called", Laramie Republican, Laramie, Wyoming, Monday, Oct. 7, 1912, p. 4[3])
Sep. 22, 1912: Soon thereafter, Dr. H.E. McCullem (sp?) diagnoses Mrs. Alice mother has having stomach cancer and begins treatment, which ends . . .
Oct. 6, 1912: . . . with her death near midnight at the Hunt family residence (506 South Seventh St.) in Laramie of stomach cancer.
Although no further information about her husband, George, can be found, Mrs. Hunt was survived by her daughter, May, who had made her home in California, and both sons. Holly ranched locally while James ". . . has been engaged in business in California for several months."
Other survivors, included a brother, WALTER HUNT, and two sisters, Mrs. HELENA (J. E.) HARTMAN and Mrs. CHRIS KLEIN, all who lives in Laramie, plus a brother, NICHOLAS HUNT, who lives in Shullsburg, Wisconsin, and a sister, Mrs. ANDREW CLARK, who lives in Pittsburg, Kansas. ("Good Woman Was Called", Laramie Republican, Laramie, Wyoming, Monday, Oct. 7, 1912, p. 4[3])
Oct. 8, 1912: Mrs. Alice Hunt is buried in the local cemetery, following 2 p.m. Catholic church services. ("Good Woman Was Called", Laramie Republican, Laramie, Wyoming, Monday, Oct. 7, 1912, p. 4[3])
Jan.3, 1920: Now shown as "Hunt, G. Holly, he is living in Laramie City while working as a "Ranch Laborer" [additional details of his work are not legible]. (U.S. Census, Albany County, Laramie City, Wyoming, page 2B, line 98, Jan. 3, 1920)
1930: He is now a cattle "Rancher" with assets valued at approximately $30,000 in the "Seven Mile" (Election District 28) vicinity of Albany County, supporting his wife, JULIE M. (b.: o/a 1898 in Colorado to Missouri born parents) and daughter, VIRGINIA M. (b.: o/a ? in Wyoming) Two lodgers - Claude Davis (age 40) and Joe McKay (age 20) - also share their residence. (Note: No Laramie County marriage records were found for "George Hollis", "Hollis G.", "Holly", "G.H." or "H.G." Hunt. Nor were any subsequent sources re either Julie or Virginia. -- U.S. Census, Albany County, Seven Mile, Wyoming, page 1A (143), lines 1-5, Apr. 4, 1930)
I called the Albany County Clerk of Courts (307-721-2508), who told me they do not have any probate records regarding Holly Hunt or his properties.
The only other information that I've found of Holly Hunt or his ranch(es) in our archived materials is contained in the Burns, Gillespie and Richardson, Wyoming's Pioneer Ranches (Laramie, WY: Top-of-the-World Press), 1955:
p. 179: ". . . Denny Fee . . . had a ranch near James Lake which is now owned by Holly Hunt."
p. 196: ". . . This ranch was known henceforth as the Hoge ranch and occasionally as the bar Eleven. the brand had formerly been run on the Sweetwater; my [Owen Hoge's] father [James M. Hoge] had it recorded in Albany county and used it until he sold out in 1909. it was purchased with the cattle by Ed Hartman--or the Pacific Market co. and is now the principal brand used by Holly Hunt in the James Lake area."
p. 391: ". . . "The Sam Phillips ranch was located on Section 16-18-76, a school section which is no part of the Holly Hunt ranch."
p. 392: ". . . Just above the Fee ranch was the William McKay Ranch located on Section 32-18-76, owned by a jolly Scotchman . . . The McKay ranch was sold to the present owner, Holly Hunt."
Here's the e-mail message I received from the above mentioned Geoff Dobson.
----- Original Message -----
From: bdobson@aug.com
To: Dennis Butt
Sent: Friday, November 23, 2007 7:59 AM
Subject: **Possible_Spam** Re: Request
Dear Dennis,
Thank your for your email. We have two pictures of the Empress Theatre on our
website, one from the 1920's and the other a modern picture of the Fox. To
download and print the pictures, place your cursor over the picture and "right
click." A popdown menu will appear permitting you to save the pictures or to
print.
The general location of the Fee Ranch as being on the Four Mile Creek which is a
tributary of the Little Laramie. As one proceeds west out of Laramie on I-80
it would be a little west and north of where the Interstate crosses the Little
Laramie, estimating about 5 or six miles from Laramie. I am attaching a link to
a topozone map showing the location.
http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=41.4756&lon=-105.858&datum=nad83I am also attaching a copy of the deeds to portions of the Fee and Phillips ranches,
which will give you the correct legal description of both. Using TopoZone you can
pull up maps showing the locations of both. On the Topozone home page, click
view maps. A menu will appear which permits you to enter the State, Section,
Township and Range of a location.
Samuel F. Phillips died in 1920, probably accounting for the sale of the property.
Geoff Dobson
Here are the deeds to the Dennis Fee and Sam Phillips property that give the exact locations of these properties.
Here are maps of these locations. There is a red "+" sign in the middle of each of these maps indicating the location as stated in the deeds. It was only about 5 miles or so from the Dennis Fee place which is on the map directly below and the Sam Phillips place which is the next map down.
I have not yet been able to determine from the information provided here, the exact location of the Old Bar 11 or the old Hoge Ranch. But here's a 1885 map of Albany County, Wyoming that includes James Lake, just to the Northwest of Laramie, and we know from the above, the Old Bar 11 was near there. All this is near the bottom of this map.
Here's a map of the area that shows James Lake, Sevenmile Creek, Fourmile Creek, the Little Laramie River and Highway 80. I've place a black dots on this map that point out the locations of the Dennis Fee and Sam Phillips Ranches. This is where dad worked and lived for the most part during his time in Wyoming.
Below is a map of the state of Wyoming and the Counties therein that will put this in a broader perspective. Note in the lower right hand part of the map below, the County of Albany and the Laramie River. I have placed a red dot on this map that approximates the location of where the the Holly Hunt Ranch would have been.
Here's a link to a Tree-in-the-rock between web site.
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tips/getAttraction.php?tip_AttractionNo==11660
Dad returned home in 1932 and ran the local produce station in Lost Nation, Iowa. He lived in an apartment above. Dad nailed pop and beer bottle caps to the ceiling of his bedroom to the extent that it was completely covered. I would love to have seen that. I'm in the process of covering some of the ceilings in my house in a similar manner. Here's a picture of Dad in front of that station. That's the Lost Nation, Iowa train depot on the left.
Here's a scan of a "newspaper" that was once published in Lost Nation. I do not know the date of this publication. This may be how Lost Nation, Iowa got it's name.....or it may not. Note the great Baking Powder Biscuit recipe as well. The current version of this "Newspaper" is called "The Scoop".
On August 21, 1935, the day after he turned 29, Dad married my mother, Lois Erma Guyer of Lost Nation. Ironically, Dad was the same age when he got married as was his gr grandfather, Bazil Butt, the subject of this sketch. Then in 1938 he was named Marshall of Lost Nation, Iowa. In another of his poems titled "Fuzz" he wrote:
Back in the `40's when I was the fuzz, on 24 hour call
I took care of the town and half the County, alone, I did it all
During this time, the Chicago Tribune did an article about Lost Nation, Iowa. In that article, Marshall Toad Butt was discussed. Part of that article can be found in this Lost Nation, Iowa web site.
http://lostnationiowa.com/LostNationHistory.html
This is a photo of my father and others in about 1952 after we had moved from town to my mother's father's farm outside Lost Nation, Iowa. The boys basketball team went to the state tournament that year. Al Mostaert was my fathers, brother-in-law.
My father revered his father and often said his father, Squire Butt, was far more than just "a tough act to follow". Squire could have been no more so than my father was for me. I stopped trying at about age 25 when I realized it would be impossible to be like my father. He was just too unique.
I did almost everything my father ever told me to do. First and foremost among those things were 1) visit the Wind River Canyon in Wyoming and 2) piss on that tree by the road between Cheyenne and Laramie. Doing so he said, is a family tradition. It makes me cry to read what I just wrote. He was dead before I got these two things done.
General G. S. Patton said he always wanted to piss in the Rhine. And so, when he crossed it during WWII, he did. Dogs mark off their territory that way too you know.
What I'm leading up to here is this; my father loved in particular, to remind everyone that his gr grandfather Bazil Butt, the subject of this sketch, said; "When I left Virginia for Ohio, all I had to do was piss on the fire and call the hounds." All this describes, as well as they can be described, the Butt men around whom I grew up. They were every bit as unique and special in their own ways as was Patton in his.
But this one favorite line of my fathers speaks volumes about Bazil Butt as well. We do not know where Bazil was born. But we do know from this line and other family information, that he lived in "Virginia" before removing to Ohio, where, after he was married, his history is well known. We know also that he had very few possessions when he left Virginia, and that his hounds were at least among the most prized. One could easily conclude from this line that Bazil didn't even live "in-doors".
All we know about Bazil Butt before he married Mahala Green are his birth date, that he may have been a "nephew" of and raised by a Richard Butt, his military service dates, approximately when he removed from VA to Ohio, and what this favorite line of my fathers tells us about him. The impression this line creates is one that must be as fully developed as possible and kept clearly in mind as one attempts to assemble the history of this man.
Below is my father's stone in the Lost Nation, Iowa Cemetery. My mother died August 6, 2008. I do not have a picture yet of this stone with my mothers death date on it. She had turned 96 in July, 2008. All my fathers brothers except one, his parents and paternal grand parents along with many other relatives are buried in the Monmouth, Iowa Cemetery. Some have wondered why my father is not there with them.
The stone to the right below is that of my younger brother who died shortly after birth. His name was Morgan. A close friend of my father gave my father Morgan's stone. Dad did the carving on the stone. The town doctor was a close friend of my father as well. He helped dad embalm the body. Dad also built the casket. My father was the Marshall in Lost Nation, Iowa at the time. Morgan was buried there and my father wanted to be there with him. These stones are side by side in the Lost Nation, Iowa Cemetery.
People dieing around me used to bother me, to the extent that I always felt guilty enjoying life with out them. Then I read what Joe Campbell, the Mythologist said about that. He said in essence, some people die but are never gone. They influence us always as if they were still by our side.
My little brother Morgan has never been gone. And in this case, I never even knew him. Since I can remember, though, he's always been with me. When ever there's been hard work to do, or something to do I didn't want to do, I thought to myself; Why are you complaining???...Morgan would be happy to do it. He'd trade places with you right now, even if it were only to clean the chicken house!!! So, it's always been easy for me to do all those things. I just do them for Morgan. I will be establishing another web site soon that will include an original mathematics equation I developed during my working years. It's called Morgan's Formula. I did that work which took about 25 years, for Morgan as well. The world missed out on something big here...Morgan would have been the best Butt boy of all.
My father's not gone either. He influences me yet today, every minute of every day, as much as he ever did. I still look over my shoulder regularly to see if he's watching. I still try to do what he wants me to do. I still try my best to carry on the family tradition.
My other paternal ancestors on back to my gr gr grandfather Bazil Butt influence me daily as well. But because the parents of Bazil are unknown, they are both dead and gone. This is the thesis of this sketch. In order to keep these people from being gone, I must know who they were. Again, you might not understand THAT...it's an "Indian Thing".
The Butt girls had a perspective too. My father's poems were in long hand in a spiral ring note book. After my mother gave her a copy, my cousin Gloria Lee, the daughter of my father's oldest brother, had the contents typed and put in a book. Here's the Prelude she wrote:
PRELUDE
My very first memories involve the old stone house, "Gangy" (my wonderful grandmother), and loving uncles. My father, "Hap", was the oldest of seven boys. He died when I was just over a year old.
The Butts were happy people. There was always laughter, music, company, and good food.
My Mother tells me the first time she visited there as my father's "girl friend" she was amazed when Gangy removed a delicious cake from the oven - baked in a frying pan.
There were fast horses, and later fast cars. I have a drawing of the "Velie" that was done by my father. It is in blue, my favorite color.
As evidenced in Toad's book, there was a great love of nature. I recall tales of names and places told to me as a child, and walks "down the hollow" to observe many of these places with Gangy. (She loved flowers and once we saw a wild cyclamen blooming on the face of a limestone bluff above the spring.)
There was a deer head in the old house, shot by Grandpa Squire on one of his Canadian hunting trips. It worried me a little. I thought it would move while I was sleeping. I can remember watching it while tucked into a featherbed, and under a bearskin. It was difficult to move, but one was never cold.
Uncle Toad and Aunt Lois were my favorite aunt and uncle, and related to me in two ways; Uncle Toad being my birth-father's brother, and Aunt Lois being my step-father's sister. I only regret that I didn't live closer to them during my adult years.
Uncle Toad was a handsome man who always welcomed you with a smile, a hug, and a kiss; no matter how long it had been, you knew you were loved.
The last time I saw him, the summer of '76, he gave me some family photographs and told me many things about my father and the family. He also mentioned writing his "thoughts" about the old days, and so I was very anxious to read his "book".
Thank you, Aunt Lois, for sharing this precious memory.
Gloria Butt Guyer Buse
Here's a picture of Squire Butt and passengers, Ulysses Grant "Kim" Cass, his long time hunting pal and Rowdy the Fox Terrier in that Velie car. I have the gloves Squire Butt is wearing.
Here's a poem my father wrote about his father Squire Butt.
He fiddled for us when I was a lad
About the only entertainment we ever had
He taught himself to play on a cigar box fiddle and a cornstalk bow
He bought his first real fiddle in 19 and o
Four bucks back then was a lot of dough
In just a little while he was playing pretty good
Kind of made a name in the neighborhood
He played “Old Joe Clark” and “The Devils Dream”
The men yelled “more” and the women screamed
He played country dances in the Winter and Fall
When he played square dances you could hear him call
“Grab your partner by the craw…swing her all over Arkansas”
He could harmonize on the high and low
And when he hit those strings with the fiddle bow
It would make you happy or give you chills
When that music echoed through the hills
He could play Breakdowns and Blue Grass too
And he took a back seat for a very few
He didn’t know a note from a knot on a tree
But if you heard him fiddle you’d darn soon see
He had some kind of talent I couldn’t explain
All those memories still remain
And now I guess you can kind of see
Why that old man is a legend to me.
Henry Morgan “Toad” Butt
c. 1975
Third of seven sons of Squire George Butt
I have that fiddle in it's original wooden box. The handle on the bow has a small circle engraved in it inside of which are the initials SGB.
From time to time when Squire Butt was a boy, his uncles and cousins from Ohio would come to visit. They were from "the city". Squire Butt had some sheep, one of which was a huge old Ram with gigantic full curl horns. Squire used to torment this old Ram. One way was to lay down on the ground pointing toward the Ram and pound his hands on the ground. This would almost always, ultimately, cause the Ram to charge him. When the Ram came close, Squire would put his head down on the ground causing the Ram to run over the top of Squire's prone body and the Ram's horns to miss it's intended target which was Squires forehead. This was great fun for the young Squire Butt.
On one occasion when Squire's cousins were visiting, he showed them how he played this game with the old Ram. The boy cousins of course wanted to give it a try. One of them laid down on the ground as described and starting pounding on the ground. As usual this attracted the attention of the old Ram. He started pawing the ground and soon started his charge. When the Ram closed in on his target, the boy went to put his head on the ground but when he did, he ran a stubble up his nose which caused him to jerk his head back up abruptly. When he did, the Ram's full curl horns hit the boy square on the forehead, just as the Ram intended. When describing the incident later, Squire said when that Ram's horns hit that kid in the forehead, it sounded just like the sound a pumpkin makes when it hits the ground after you drop it off the top of the barn.
Here's an obituary for Squire Butt.
Obituary from the Jackson County Sentinel, June 10, 1924
“After an illness of several weeks, Squire George Butt,
residing on his farm Northeast of Monmouth, passed
away this morning. Mr. Butt was well known in this
community and enjoyed the respect of all. He was born
in Ohio, January 5, 1880, and had spent the greater part
of his manhood here. The funeral will be held from the
church at Monmouth Thursday with internment in the
cemetery there.”
Squire Butt had a faulty heart value that was the cause of his death at age 44. This obituary may be incorrect in that all other information I have indicates that Squire Butt was born here in Iowa. However, when I look at family pictures, Squire Butt and his descendants stick out like sore thumbs. I can't help but wonder if this obituary is correct. Could it be that Morgan Butt had a mistress between the time he and Mary Isabel Sinkey were divorced and the time he married Katy here in Iowa????? Here are four documents that tell us something about Morgan.
Here, in 1860, we find Morgan living with some of his siblings and his mother Mahala along with a 7 year old boy Columbus who I do not know and a 2 year old girl named Emma who is also unknown to me. Here, Morgan was 19 years old and unmarried.
Here in 1870 we find Mary Butt and daughter Byra living alone in Delaware County. Morgan and Mary were married in Delaware County on 9/21/1862. Byra Ann was born 10/2/1866.
Here, again in 1870 we find Morgan living with his mother Mahala and sister Abi Adelia. So, it appears that Morgan and Mary were divorced sometime between 1866 when Byra Ann was born and 1870.
Then here, in 1885 we find Morgan and Katy living in Jones County, Iowa alone with their three kids and the three kids of Katy and Elijah Gould.
My father, Henry Morgan "Toad" Butt, wrote the following:
"Squire George Butt, born Jan 5, 1880 on a farm in Moore's Hollow West of Monmouth, in Jackson County, Iowa". "...my Grandfather Butt migrated to Illinois thence to Iowa from Ohio to help build the rail road from Clinton, Iowa to Anamosa, Iowa for the Chicago Northwestern, then called the Midland Branch of the C&NW, and my dad was born within a couple or three hundred yards of the rail road West of Monmouth, Iowa."
More time and effort is required in order for me to be sure which of the information I have is correct. As of May, 2009, we do know that I have allele's of Eastern and Piqua Shawnee. It seems probable I guess I'd say, that my father and Squire Butt did too. Again, because Squire Butt does not look at all like any of his ancestors, nor his sisters; nor do any of Squires children look like any of the children of his sisters, I can't help but wonder if Squire was really the son of Catherine Clarissa (Green) (Gould) Butt.
Here's the stone of Squire and Hattie in the Monmouth Cemetery.
It's not possible to describe my youth better than Gloria Lee did in her Prelude to dad's poems. I too slept under those bear skins in that stone house. I walked down that hollow to the spring with Hattie too, and saw all the wild flowers in bloom. I have Squire's mounted deer head. I have his fiddle. I have his rifle, snow shoes and traps along with a few other miscellaneous items of his and Grandma Hattie's.
My earliest memory is of one particular occasion while visiting Hattie in that stone house. All my father's brothers were there along with all my cousins and the women folk. In the afternoon after we'd eaten lunch, my uncle Ben had to go down the hollow past the spring to get hay for the livestock. We harnessed the team and hitched them to the wagon. I got to go with Ben to get the hay. On the way back to the barn we had to pass the stone house. Everyone was out on the porch and could see us as we came up the hollow. Ben and I were sitting on top of the load of hay. Ben was driving the team. I was sitting right beside him. As we approached the house, just when everyone could see us, Ben gave me the reins and hollered for everyone to look. Everyone cheered and clapped as we went by the house. I drove that team right on up to the barn. I was about 3 years old at the time. It was a right of passage that was every bit as significant to me as was the day when, at 17 years old, I graduated Marine Corps Boot Camp.
Here's a picture that includes me when I was about that age.
From left to right: The boy with the shot gun is Harvey "Diz" Frandsen. Then comes my mother Lois (Guyer) Butt, in front of her are my brother Ken in the bib's and then me; to my mother's left is Minnie (Becker) (Butt) Guyer. Minnie Becker, "Min" as she was called was first married to my father's oldest brother "Hap" with whom she had a daughter Gloria Lee. Gloria Lee is the one whose mentioned above. Then after Hap died, Min married my mother's oldest brother Lloyd Guyer who adopted and raised Gloria Lee. Next to the left is H. Lucille (Orr) Butt, the wife of my father's brother Ben. In her arms is their daughter Marlene. The boy shading his eyes is their son Maurice. Peeking over Lucille's shoulder is Hattie Eva Nettie (Wilman) Butt, Squire Butt's wife, my grandmother, the one Gloria Lee called "Gangy" above. Then comes Gloria Lee herself who is among the most beautiful and attractive woman, if not the most, I've ever seen/known. The three people on the right side of the picture are unknown to me at this time. I am working hard though to identify them. I think the dog was King, Gloria Lee's St. Bernard and I think the horse was Dewey who also belonged to Gloria Lee.
This log cabin was located on the Mineral Creek, North of where my father was born and raised and where Gangy lived at the time this picture was taken. It was upstream from the low water bridge and Eldad's Hole, just to the East of the Shirk family farm. In his poem about Ranger, dad talks about "My Old Pal Vern". "Shirk" was Vern's last name. The Shirk place bordered on the North, the Butt place where dad grew up. We were at this cabin to visit and have lunch. It was one of my favorite places. My father mentions it in one of his poems called "The Big Coon Hunt" which is included below.
The guy who lived in this cabin was "Cornmeal" Preston, a recluse who frequently walked thru the Butt farm on his way to Canton to get drunk.
I am the luckiest man who ever lived. No one ever grew up around better people, nor in a better environment. No one has a better family tradition to carry on.
The father of Squire George Butt was Morgan Green Butt.
"Morg" as he was called, was born January 19, 1842 in Monroe Township, Licking County, Ohio, near Johnstown. Morg married, had a family and was divorced in Ohio. His wife there was Mary Isabelle Sinkey. Morgan and Mary had two daughters: Ida June, born in 1864, who died shortly after birth, and Byra Ann, born October 2 1866, who married David Grubb and with him, settled in Chicago. Here's the marriage license of Morg and Mary.
Here are court documents regarding Morg's divorce. It was strange indeed. As mentioned, Byra Ann, the daughter of Morg and Mary (nee Sinkey) Butt was born October 2 1866. Here you will see that Mary sued for divorce in May, 1866!!!!...when she was 5 months pregnant!!!!!!!! AND...for some reason, Mary sued her brother John Sinkey at the same time!!!!!!!!!
It appears as though the matter was settled out of court...it seems that these are the only documents that exist regarding this matter.
Here is an 1860 census form showing Morgan age 18, living with his mother Mahala, some siblings and others who are unknown to me.
This is an 1870 Harlem township cencus showing Mary Butt, age 23 living with her daughter Byra age 5.
This is an 1870 Monroe twsp census showing Morgan, age 27, living with his mother Mahala and sister Abi.
THis is an 1885 Jones County, Iowa census showing Morgan living with his new wife Catherine Clarrisa (Nee Green) (Gould) Butt, her three children by Elijah Gould and three children of Morg and Katy; Squire, Delia and Lutie.
Morgan Green Butt came to Iowa, a single man with two draft horses, in the 1870's. I don't know the correct date, I've seen several. One is included hereafter. With the draft horses though, he helped build the Midland Line of the Chicago & NorthWestern Railroad - a spur line - that ran the 74 miles from Lyons, Iowa where the main C & NW railroad crossed the Mississippi River, to Anamosa, Iowa. This was discussed frequently by my father and others. Construction on this railroad began August 13, 1870. I don't know when it was completed.
Some members of Mary Isabelle Sinkey's family came to, and settled in East-Central Iowa as well. I've known, and known of and about the Sinkey's all my life. I'm related to this Sinkey clan in other ways. A couple of my favorite Sinkey's were Ode (we pronounced it Odie) who ran the pool hall in Canton, Iowa and Ode's uncle Eldad, a well-known "Indian" after whom my favorite fishing hole called "Eldad's Hole" on the Mineral Creek was named. Others will be discussed later. Here's Eldad, his wife Mary Mason Sinkey with their kids Orrin, Harry, Jim Q, Alberta, Etta, Lee and Ross.
On March 10, 1879, in Jackson County, Iowa, Morg married for the second time. This time to Clarissa Catherine (Green) Gould. "Katy", as she was called, was, as implied, also a divorcee. She had been married (December 5, 1870 in Jackson County, Iowa - some say Maquoketa) to Elijah Ishiah Gould who was born November 9, 1848 in Delaware County, Ohio. His parents were Benjamin Gould and Matilda Place. Katy and Elijah had three children.
Elijah Gould married again as well, this time to Emma Eaton. Elijah and Emma had three children. Here's a photo of Elijah and his children from his second marriage. Elijah died August 26, 1917 in Anna Becker Hospital, Maquoketa, Jackson County, Iowa.
Here are the marriage licenses of Katy and Elijah, and Morg and Katy. Note that Katy and Elijah were married in the home of "Roley Green" in Jackson County, Iowa. Rolla "Roley" Green was Katy's father.
Morg and Katy first lived with Katy's three children, Amby, John and Adella in this place called Moore's Hollow which was very near, and near the end of, the railroad Morg helped build. The railroad tracks are gone now but the right-of-way can still be clearly seen. And, as mentioned, it was there also where Squire George Butt, the first of their new family of six was born.
Jackson Sentinel, Maquoketa, Iowa, Thursday, May 28, 1903
Neighborhood News.
Struck by Lightning.-Tuesday evening about 6:00 o’clock lightning struck the barn of Morgan Butts of the northeast portion of Wyoming township, Jones county, and set the barn on fire. The barn and most of the contest, including ten tons of hay, a new reaper and other agricultural implements were destroyed, says the Journal. Mr. Butts says the lightning seemed to run on the hay carrier in the top of the barn and fired the hay at both ends of the barn instantly. They had considerable difficulty in getting the horses out. The total loss is around $1000, and only $400 insurance.
Later, Morgan Green Butt purchased property ~2 miles North of Moore's Hollow. His property there was separated by a road that ran approximately North and South and approximately on the Jones/Jackson County line. This property - both sides of the County line - become known as "The Butt Family Farm".
Here's an obituary for Morgan Butt that provides some further information. Note the following; 1) this obituary says Morgan came to Iowa in 1878. I wonder if that's correct. It seems to me that it was earlier than that. 2) Morg and Katy had six children, three of whom died shortly after birth. 3) Morg's brother "Reese" would be Reason Marlay, I think the brother "Bazle" would be Hazel Rignal and I think the brother "William" would be Henry Stansbury Wilson. Morg's sisters Charlotte Goodrich and Caroline Sofiiah married brothers named Royal and Orrin Kasson respectively.
Jackson Sentinel, Maquoketa, Iowa, Thursday, May 13, 1909
Died.
BUTT.---Morgan Green Butt, son of Bazle and Mahala Green Butt, was born in Licon county, Ohio, Jan. 19, 1842, and died at the home of his son in Brandon township Jackson county, Iowa May 8, 1909, aged 67 years, 3 months and 20 days. His mother, Mahala Green, was the first white child born in Licon county, Ohio.
He came to Iowa in 1878, settling west of Monmouth. On March 10, 1879, he was united in marriage with Mrs. Clarissa Gould, who died on Mar. 7, 1909. To this union were born three children, all of whom, Squire Butt, Mrs. Adelia Nowchek and Mrs. Lutie Ripperton, together with a daughter by his first marriage, Mrs. Byra Grubb, survive to mourn the loss of a father. Three of Mrs. Butt's children---Amby and John Gould and Mrs. Della Marriner---also survive.
In 1888, Mr. and Mrs. Butt moved onto a farm northwest of Monmouth which was their home for 21 years. In February, 1909, they retired from active farm life and moved to town. Mrs. Butt lived but a few days after removing to town and in less than nine weeks the companion of 30 years followed her in death. Since the death of his wife, Mr. Butt made his home with his son Squire, and soon after going there was taken sick with a complication of diseases. He lingered for several weeks continually growing weaker, until on the afternoon of May 8th he passed away. Besides his children and step-children, to whom he was as a father, Mr. Butt leaves to mourn his loss three brothers Reese, Bazle and William, two sisters, Mrs. Charlotte Casson and Mrs. Caroline Casson, all of Licon county, Ohio, and a large circle of friends.
The funeral services, conducted by the Rev. Thos. P. Potter, were held at the M. E. church in Monmouth at 2 p. m., Monday, May 10. All the children, with the exception of Mrs. Byra Grubb of Chicago, were present at the last sad rites. A large company of friends and neighbors gathered to pay their last respects to the one who was departed. The body was laid to rest in the Monmouth cemetery by the side of his wife who had died but two months before.
The property on the Jackson County side of the County line included a stone house. This property was purchased from a lady named Minerva Ryan, who had panned a small fortune in gold from the Mineral Creek that runs just North of this property.
This stone house is where Squire George Butt was raised, and as best I can determine, it is also where the other five children of Morgan's Iowa family were born. As mentioned, three of the siblings of Squire George Butt died very young. The other two, both girls, were raised in this stone house.
In 1899 when Squire Butt and Hattie Willman decided to get married, Morg built for them, a two room house on the property across the road in Jones County. It was there where Harry Lee "Hap" Butt, the first child of Squire and Hattie was born.
Here's Squire, Hattie and Hap in about 1902. I have a buggy just exactly like that one...`may even be the same one.
This stone house is also where my father and his other five brothers were born and raised. Squire Butt died in this stone house, as did his father, Morgan Green Butt.
Here's a picture of Squire Butt and one of his fine friends. In the right rear, built into the South side of a hill stands the stone house. My guess is, this picture was taken in about 1915.
Here's a page from Morg's will.
Here are the death records from the Jackson County Court House, for Morg and Katy.
Here's the stone in the Monmouth, Iowa Cemetery of Morg and Katy. Obviously, I need to get a better picture of this stone.
Here's a close-up.
Morgan Green Butt was a hunter and story teller too. On one coon hunt with some friends, Morgan took along a young hound he was training to hunt. He had this hound on a leash while the others were loose. Soon the other hounds found a coon and had him surrounded on the ground. When Morg got to the scene, he held the young hound back for a while so the hound could see what the others were up to. When Morg was satisfied he knew the young hound would join in with the older hounds, he turned the young guy loose and shouted "siceem". Well Morg had a full beard and instead of going after the furry creature on the ground, the young hound grabbed a mouth full of Morg's beard!!! Morg's pals said later that before they could get that young hound to turn loose, he'd torn out about half of Morg's beard.
Morg was a relatively tall man. On one occasion when he was in a store in Monmouth, Iowa, a lady approached him and said, "You're a very tall man. Just how tall are you?" Morg reportedly replied: "Well if you think I'm tall, you oughta see my sister." "Really!", said the lady, "Well how tall is she?" Morg pointed at a box on the floor and said: "`see that box over there?" "Yes" said the lady, "I do". "Well", said ole Morg, "if'n you were to stand on that box over there, you'd be just about tall enough to kiss her ass."
Morgan Green Butt was the eighth oldest of the eleven children of Bazil Butt and wife Mahala Green. The ancestors of Mahala (Green) Butt are well known and documented. See the 800 page, landmark book titled; "A Branch from The Green Tree; 1978; Gateway Press, Inc. 111 Water Street, Baltimore 21202" by R. M. Green for starters. This book can be acquired from the Newark Genealogical Library in Newark, Ohio where R. M. Green contributed all his genealogical material. A link to their web site is included at the end of this document.
As a side note, I was amazed to find that there are two Mahala Green's buried here in Iowa. One in Ottumwa Cemetery in Wapello, Iowa and the other in the Streets Cemetery in Farmers Twsp, Jackson County, Iowa. There are a lot of my relatives in the Streets Cemetery. I have provided a link to that cemetery at the end of this document.
There are four pages of corrections to this book that I know of. I have pages 1, 2 & 4 and would be happy to provide copies. If any one has page 3, or any other pages of which I am not aware, I'd very much like to have a copy or copies.
R. M. Green, after 75 years of research, still went to his grave though, searching for Bazil's parents. In a letter to me he once wrote: "There are so many problems in the Butt family, no one man will ever answer them."
I will include here what I know about Bazil Butt. Perhaps some of what follows is simply what I think I know. And alas, I am also fully aware of the vast cleavage between knowledge and understanding.
I've included much information here that does not go directly to Bazil. This in an effort to surround him with information that might provide some one with some clue about who either of his parents might have been, or where one might look to find them. One thing we know for certain....he did have parents!!!!
Please contact me at the e-mail address below if you have any information about who either of the parents of this Bazil Butt were or might have been, and/or if you can correct, add to, or in any way improve any of the information that follows. I have no pride in authorship. I am concerned only with getting it right.
At the end of this document, I have included some links to sites that may be of interest.
It has been my intention so far, to "paint a picture" in the mind of the reader, of the Iowa descendants of Bazil Butt. I suspect that to know Morgan Butt, Squire Butt and Toad is in large part, to know Bazil. I will attempt to expand to our ancestors and enhance that picture as I move on back in time.
Here are a couple of poems my father wrote that will help set the stage for this adventure. Bazil Butt was coon hunting when he was killed.
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