The Migration of The William M. Hogue Family by Michael L. Hogue
I – Introduction
My grandparents, Irene Idell Depriest, Roy Lee Murray, Crystal Faye Larner, and Henry Jackson Hogue were born in Oklahoma. At that time, Oklahoma was a new addition to our nation, having gained statehood in 1907. In fact, none of my great grandparents were born there; they had all immigrated from other places in the country. This new state grew quickly; many people came there in pursuit of their version of the American dream. They hoped to take advantage of the cheap and fertile farm land provided by this new frontier.
My Grandparents
L to R: Henry Jackson Hogue (1914-2009), Crystal Faye Larner (1919-2007), Irene Idell Depriest (1912-2006), and Roy Lee Murray (1911-1956)
As it turned out, Oklahoma became a crucial stepping stone for the greater migration west. My family ended up in California, for reasons to come later, in the late 1920’s and early 1930’s. In fact, many Hogue cousins followed suit and moved there as well. And it wasn’t just Hogues; many Californians have Oklahoma as part of their family heritage. In the Thirties, Oklahoma suffered a net loss in population of 440,000 people, with about 250,000 moving to California. The peak of this migration occurred between 1937 and 1938.
My dad, Charles William Hogue was born in San Jose, California on March 18, 1937. His parents, Henry and Crystal Faye, named their first-born child after each of their fathers. They soon went home to their rented apartment in San Martin, CA. Henry had a job working as a general laborer on a ranch, just down the road in Gilroy, CA. The family would remain in this area until moving the short distance north to San Jose in the mid-sixties.
Faye Larner was still living with her parents on April 1, 1935, in Dill City, Oklahoma. She married Henry on January 27, 1936 in nearby Cordell at the age of 16. Faye told the person issuing the license that she was 18. Henry and his family moved to that area from his birthplace, Rubottom, Love County, Oklahoma around 1929. What events, or conditions, led Faye to the decision to make this enormous change in her life? Her father, according to my Grandpa, was not easily convinced to let her go. She gave up the rest of her childhood to run off to California. I know this kind of thing happened often during this era in America’s history. The Depression took a toll on many families. Some parts of Oklahoma were suffering under an extended drought. Poverty was running rampant.
So, we can see that California seemed like a promised land to so many people. In fact, Faye’s parents would follow many of their children west to California in the early 50’s. It was not a wonderful experience for many. “Okies”, were shunned and called bums and hobos, especially in the Los Angeles area. Those who had skills got jobs, but some had to go on relief before they could settle in. Many migrants ended up in Arizona. Others made it to the San Joaquin Valley. Most followed the fruit harvest which provided the necessary work to survive.
As difficult as it may have been, the move west was obviously important to our family. It was a key event that furthered the existence of it. It was also not the first time a migration of this magnitude occurred in the history of our Hogue clan. In this project, I will examine all of the important moves in our history.
I will build this story on the life of William M. Hogue (1823-1886), his ancestors, and descendants from his two marriages. I hope to clarify many things and pose questions about others. We are still learning here; perhaps more clues will evolve that can further a deeper knowledge of our family’s history. William M., participated in one documented event that was very important to our history. This event has become the cornerstone of my research. It has provided a solid base for the facts I have gathered thus far.
William’s father, William G. Hogue (1790-1866), my great, great, great grandfather, stayed in a very localized area for most of his life. William M. was the first to make a major move out of that area, and did it late in life. Some of the same questions arise; why was this migration necessary and what events led to the decision to move? The very nature of the study of genealogy invites speculation. I believe the facts and family lore I have assembled will paint a clear picture of our history.
When I was young, I thought Hogue was a rare name. There were no other Hogue’s at any school I attended growing up, until my younger brothers attended my elementary school. Now I find that there are thousands of Hogue’s across the country that are direct descendants of William G. Hogue. One webpage I’m familiar with, in fact, is not complete, but lists over 1200 descendants from William G. alone. Hopefully there are many more Hogue relatives out there getting ready to start their own search for their ancestors. Hopefully they have better records than our branch of the family did. I also hope they are willing to share and compare notes. I am still motivated to find out the true story of our heritage.
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II – The Earliest Hogues
John Hogg (1732-1795)
I don’t have any information about his parents or siblings. However, my Y-DNA markers closely match John Hogg’s established lineage. This conclusion comes from other ancestors who joined the Hogg DNA Project or from existing family histories. Unfortunately, little evidence exists about John’s origins before he appeared in North Carolina sometime before the Revolutionary War. He may have been born along a known migratory route, possibly in colonial Virginia or Pennsylvania. He also could have been born in Great Britain and migrated across the Atlantic to join relatives. No concrete facts confirm any of these possibilities.
For now, I will explore the idea that John was born in colonial Virginia around 1732. Though unproven, this theory fits migration patterns from that time. He and his wife, Mary, eventually settled in Bute County, North Carolina. This county was formed in 1764, and they likely arrived in the 1760s or 1770s. In 1779, the county split into Franklin and Warren Counties, and Bute County ceased to exist.
On 15 March 1780, John Hogg received a land grant for 334 acres in Franklin County. The land was bordered by the Great Crooked Creek. Older Bute County records show his involvement in court matters related to road construction in the area. Other land records indicate that he sold his acreage in two parcels. He sold 175 acres to John Martin in 1782 and 159 acres to John Crowley on 17 September 1795. In his will, dated 23 October 1795 and filed in Franklin County, he listed most of his children. One of them, John Hogge, became the next ancestor in our line.
John Hogge (1767-1837)
We know very little about our next ancestor. However, DNA evidence from the Hogg study and timing suggest he is the best fit. Census data shows that John played a key role in our family’s gradual move west. He likely married his wife, Elizabeth, around 1775. The 1810 census places him in Randolph County, NC. By 1820, he appeared in Rowan County, NC, and by 1830, in Davidson County, NC. These three counties border each other in central North Carolina near present-day Winston-Salem.
After 1830, John and his second wife, Elizabeth, followed his two youngest sons to York District, SC. Other Hoggs lived in the area, so I believe our family added an “e” to their surname to distinguish themselves. On 26 March 1836, John Hogge filed his final will and testament. He passed away on 2 January 1837. His probated will confirms the surname spelling as “Hogge” for him and his children.
His will listed few possessions and no real estate. However, it mentioned debtors who needed to settle accounts after his death. His wife, Elizabeth, received most of his property and livestock. He left only fifty cents to our next ancestor, my third great-grandfather, William G. Hogge, who was living in Burke County, NC at the time.
William G. Hogue (1790-1866)
William G. Hogue was most likely born in Franklin County, NC, based on his father’s residences. He lived there in his early years before moving west to Burke County after 1820. Around 1815, he married his wife, Hollin, in Rowan County, NC, but no official marriage record has been found. When Rowan County was established in 1753, it had no western boundary. Over time, it shrank, with Burke County forming in 1777, Iredell County in 1788, and Davidson County in 1822.
We have little information about Hollin. A North Carolina contact once heard that their oldest daughter, Piercy, was half Cherokee. Since the Hogue male lineage shows no Cherokee ancestry, this suggests Hollin may have been full-blooded Cherokee. No proof of this has surfaced. In 1830, William G. appeared in Burke County as “Wm G. Hogg” on the census. By 1840, he was recorded as “Wm G. Hogue,” and the surname remained Hogue from then on, apart from occasional government misspellings.
Between 1840 and 1843, William G. moved his family to Cherokee County, NC. By 1844, they had relocated to Murray County, GA. His oldest daughter, Piercy, had already moved to Cherokee after marrying John L. Crisp in 1835. Eventually, all of William’s children followed their parents to Georgia. His oldest son, John, returned to NC in 1844 and was recorded in Cherokee County as “John Hoag.” His son Asbury was born in Georgia that same year. On 7 May 1844, John appeared in a bill of sale in Cherokee County. Later he shows up on a deed for 100 acres on Turkey Creek on 7 June 1853.
William G. and his son William M. lived near each other in Murray County. Daniel Washington, the next youngest son, settled in Chattanooga Valley, Walker County, GA. He lived near his brother-in-law Carey Jackson. The 1850 census recorded them in their respective locations. William M. had unknown reasons to leave Murray County in 1859. William G. soon moved again, too, returning to Cherokee County before 1 June 1853. This date comes from his land grant request with North Carolina.
For many years, our ancestors worked as farmers but struggled financially. Few owned land and mostly worked as tenant farmers, growing cotton and paying rent with their limited earnings. Tenant farmers rented land and paid cash to landowners, built their own homes, and provided their own tools and livestock. Sharecroppers, worked on existing farms and received living quarters and farming equipment from landowners. The land owners then took most of the crops in return.
The 1850 Murray County Agricultural Schedule listed William G. as renting a 25-acre farm valued at $100. His farm tools were worth $11, and his livestock was valued at $100. This included one horse, two milk cows, six other cattle, two sheep, and nine pigs. He also harvested 250 bushels of Indian corn and produced 50 pounds of butter. Compared to commercial farms today, these small farms simply kept families alive. His neighbor, Jackson Strawn, owned a much larger 320-acre farm valued at $1,400.
North Carolina’s land grant system existed before statehood, making the exact process unclear. People could claim land amounts of any size. They were required to file a warrant, and pay a small fee, usually a few cents per acre. The Homestead Act of 1862 required settlers to live on their land. North Carolina grants, however, had a waiting period to ensure no prior claims existed.
Genealogical research can be difficult due to lost records. The Cherokee County Courthouse burned down three times; in 1865, 1895, and 1926. Many documents were destroyed and lost forever. Fortunately, some records, including land grants, were kept at the state level in Raleigh and are now available online.
On 1 June 1853, William G. Hogue entered a land grant warrant for 50 acres on Stecoah Creek. This spot was one mile southwest of the Little Tennessee River in Cherokee County. He did not live there immediately and instead moved west to Blount County, TN. The 1860 census recorded him with the extended family of his youngest son, James Lynn (Leonard). William likely lacked the funds to finalize the grant in 1853, as the deed wasn’t issued until 2 February 1863.
William G. may have returned to Cherokee County in late 1862, anticipating his land grant. His son, James Leonard, enlisted in the Confederate Army on 23 July 1862 at Fort Montgomery, NC, near present-day Robbinsville. However, his war records reveal unusual family events. Though listed as active on 31 December 1862, James went AWOL from 1 January to 21 March 1863. He then deserted to Sevier County, TN, on 26 March 1863. He later volunteered for the Union Army, alongside two brothers and a nephew.
On 23 October 1863, after paying $5.38, William G. recorded his land deed. However, on 12 August 1863, before the deed was finalized, he entered a bond agreement with Rufus Pendley. William received $100 from Pendley and agreed to sell “100 acres where Hogue now lives” for $500. If William repaid the $100, the bond would be void; otherwise, Pendley would claim the land. Available records suggest the grant was only for 50 acres, not 100.
Based on these events, I believe William G. Hogue died in June or July 1866 on his Stecoah Creek property. The bond was verified and registered on 25 July 1866, suggesting William failed to repay Pendley, who then took ownership. The 1870 census recorded Hollin as a blind widow living with her daughter Piercy Crisp in Stecoah, NC.
Despite searching over 7,500 graves in Graham County, I could not locate William G. or Hollin’s burial sites. They may have been buried in unmarked or weathered graves. However, new discoveries offer potential clues.
In 1942, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) planned to dam the Little Tennessee River near Fontana, NC, to generate hydroelectric power for WWII. Completed in 1944, the Fontana Dam created Fontana Lake, flooding many cemeteries and displacing 1,311 families. A survey identified 1,047 graves needing relocation.
On 13 February 1943, surveyors found two graves on William G.’s former land grant. They named it “Hogue Cemetery (Private)” and described it as 0.2 miles from Stecoah Creek and 0.8 miles from the Little Tennessee River. The graves, at 1,687 feet elevation, were marked but had no monuments. Since no relatives could be contacted, the graves were left undisturbed.
These graves, labeled “Infant Hogue” #1 and #2, remain about eight feet underwater during most summers. We may never know if they belonged to William G. and Hollin. However, after visiting Panther Creek Cemetery in August 2023 and connecting with a cousin on FindAGrave, I now believe William G. and Hollin are buried there. Their graves were likely marked with field stones, which have since disappeared.
Although William G. acquired land, his ownership was short-lived. His sons William M. and Leonard later bought land in Graham County. In 1886, Leonard secured a 320-acre land grant on Panther Creek but died on 5 March 1893 without a will. His widow, Lucinda, settled his debts in court, leaving an estate worth less than $400 with no land. To this day, I have found no evidence that the Hogue family still owns property in the area.
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III – The Early Life of William M. Hogue
William M. Hogue was born about 10 June 1823, probably in Burke County, NC to William G. Hogue and his wife Hollin. He was the third oldest of seven children. Sometime in the early 1840’s, he volunteered to fight in the Second Seminole War (1842) in Florida. This war was part of the grim history behind the forced migration of thousands of Native Americans. This “Trail of Tears” led to the Indian Territory, which would later become the state of Oklahoma.
There are no records of his service, but he returned in time to follow his parents and three of his siblings to Murray County, GA, around 1844. On 3 May 1846, he married his first wife, Sarah Strawn and quickly started a family, raising five children, the youngest born in 1853. Sarah and his oldest son, Jackson M. Hogue (b. 8 May 1847), as we will see later, would turn out to be huge influences on the Hogue’s move west.
William M’s brother, Daniel Washington, had married Sarah G. W. Jackson Bates on 16 Apr 1845 in Murray County. This is important for a couple of reasons. Sarah’s first husband, Andrew Jackson Bates, died of an unknown disease in late 1843 at the young age of 31. His estate going into probate in January of 1844. Andrew was the son of Julius and Temperance Bates, important land owners in Murray County. Julius (my third great grandfather), originally from South Carolina, had come to Murray County in around 1834, just after the Cherokee Land Lottery of 1832 and had acquired several thousand acres of land in the area. Also, significantly, Andrew and Sarah had three daughters, Martha Elizabeth, Mary Jane, and Sarah Ann.
As previously noted, Daniel was listed on the 1850 census of Walker County, GA, with his wife Sarah, 8 years his senior, and a mixed family of their children, Carey (named after Sarah’s father who lived next door), James, and Martha and Mary Jane Bates, her daughters from her previous marriage. Sarah Ann was recorded living next door with her grandfather, Carey Jackson.
Things began to unravel in Murray County for the new family of William M. Hogue and Sarah Strawn. Sometime before the 1860 census, William M. flat out disappeared, leaving Sarah and the children behind to live near her mother and younger siblings. Her father, Jackson M. Strawn, had passed away in 1852, which left her mother, Elizabeth, alone to raise the rest of the Strawn children. Daniel Washington and family, were in Chattooga Co, GA, southwest of Murray County, on the Alabama border in 1860. Future incidents indicate that William M was not too far away from Daniel at this point, but nowhere near Sarah and the rest of the Strawns.
The particulars of exactly what happened in Georgia in the late 1850’s is unknown. Mary Jane Bates was recorded living with her mother Sarah and stepfather Daniel in Chattooga Valley, GA on 4 Aug 1860. Sometime between this date and November, William M. Hogue came in and spirited the much younger Mary Jane Bates (15 years his junior) away, moving across state lines, traveling about 75 miles, to somewhere near Ducktown, Polk County, TN. It was here their first child was born, Amanda Josephine (Josie) Hogue, on 5 July 1861.
Although this information did not come out until after his death, William and Mary Jane were married in Cleveland, Bradley County, TN on 31 Dec 1861. I believe William and family moved to the Chilwohee area of Blount County just before William G. returned to Cherokee Co., NC in 1863. Daniel and his family relocated here about this time as well. They continued to increase the size of their household; William Andrew (b. 1862) and Cordelia (b. 1863) were born in this farmstead. In the spring of 1864, Mary Jane became pregnant with her fourth child. It was a crazy time for our country as the Civil War was in full swing, and both sides were looking for recruits.
William enrolled for service in the Union Army on 26 July 1864 and was mustered in 5 Aug in Loudon, TN. He was assigned to the Mounted Tennessee Volunteers, Company C, 3rd Regiment. It was unusual to have Union Army troops in TN at that time, and they really didn’t see much action. There is more to the story, but we will go into that later. William served alongside his brothers, Daniel and James L., and nephew Carey in the same regiment. William mustered out 22 Dec 1864 in Maryville, TN, and returned to Brick Mill, TN just before the birth of my great grandfather, Charles Sherman Hogue on 15 Jan 1865.
The William M. Hogue family, his second one, shuttled back and forth between Blount County and Stecoah for the next few years. The next child in line, Nellie was born in Stecoah; and the last child, John Calvin Hogue, born 4 Dec 1874. In Blount County. In 1875, they moved back to be near the Hogue family that remained in Stecoah, Graham Co., NC. William’s brother Daniel remained in Blount County and farmed in the Maryville area until his death on 28 Sep 1878, aged 50.
Evidence shows that William M and family returned to Graham County in a bit of a shaky financial situation. William entered into a chattel mortgage deal (a loan secured by “moveable” property) with neighbor D.F. Johnson on 25 May 1878. In this agreement, William received a $6.00 loan secured by one red cow, a yearling, and a calf. There are no other documents relating to this transaction, so the debt was either repaid or the livestock was sold.
Next, on 29 Jul 1878, William entered into an agreement with county commissioner and Justice of the Peace, David E. Hyde, to purchase 50 acres of land, part of Tract #410, District #11, in the Stecoah Township, not too far from his father’s former property. While this property was valued by Hyde at $400, he agreed to sell it to William for $200 and carried a note back for it. David Hyde also officiated the marriage of William and Mary’s oldest child, Amanda Josephine (Josie), to John Harvey Jenkins (1858-1945) on 2 Aug 1878, at William Hogue’s new home in Stecoah, according to Graham County marriage records.
Once again, things became undone. On 3 Oct 1879, barely 15 months after he signed the deal on his property, William agreed to sell his interest in the title of the 50 acres over to S.M. Edwards, for $150 cash. I believe it was after this transaction, that William and Mary Jane, based on information to come later in this story, left the Triangle with their family (except newlywed Josie), and headed to the Red River area of Indian Territory and North Texas sometime within the next year or so, probably in 1880.
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IV – The Life of Sarah Strawn Hogue Anderson
The next big move by our branch of the Hogue family depended a great deal on the actions of William M. Hogue’s first wife, Sarah. Sarah Strawn was born in Murray County, GA on 25 July 1828 to Jackson M. Strawn (1803-1852) and his wife Elizabeth. At the age of 17, she married William M. Hogue on 3 May 1846. Sarah and William had five children together, all born in Murray County: Jackson M., b. 8 May 1847, James Jesse, b. 14 Oct 1849, Mary Adeline, B. 1851, Louis, b. 1852, and Martha, b. 1853. When William left her and the children in late 1859, she was forced to move back home with her mother, as recorded in the 1860 census of Murray County.
Similarly, other strange events were occurring at the same time in this county. Maybe it was in the water. I have not seen the backup on this story, but, I found a query on the internet that related to information about James M. Strawn of Murray County, born around 1830. Sarah’s brother, James Strawn, aged 22, was recorded with his family (including wife Lucinda) on the 1850 Murray County Census living in between the two Williams.
The person inquiring about James had the following facts, based on previous research and family legend. He married Lucinda Cross on 6 Dec 1847 in Murray County and had five children with her. The youngest, George Washington Strawn, was born around 1857. Right after this, James left Lucinda and the state of Georgia, ending up in Titus Co, TX, recorded there in the 1860 census. He remarried a Celia Ann Spencer and had at least four children by her, including the oldest John, born around 1858. Celia divorced James in Montague County, TX, and the next day James married Martha P. Carlton and had a couple more kids by her. The last known whereabouts of James is in 1895 in the Indian Territory, trying to sell some land that he allegedly owned near St. Jo, Montague County.
I feel the strong family connection between Sarah and James, is one of the reasons she left Georgia, once again thinking things would be better out west in the new promised land. Sometime before 1 Aug 1869, Sarah moved to Montague County, settling about 2 ½ miles from St. Jo. She is recorded in the 1870 census living with a Dr. Alan Gordon and his family. No occupation was listed for her, which seems strange.
At this time, she also begins homesteading a piece of property, 160 acres, probably near Dr. Gordon’s, on the waters of Farmer’s Creek. The Federal Homestead Act of 1862 allowed free citizens to obtain tracts of land by living on it, and making improvements to it for five consecutive years; the state of Texas, in a move to encourage settlement, only required three years of occupied development. She may have been living on the property and improving it, but was tallied by the enumerator as living with Dr. Gordon.
On 3 Aug 1872, she appeared before the county clerk with two witnesses testifying to the fact that she did indeed homestead this piece of property and became what is known as a “bona fide settler” of it. On 6 Jan 1874, Sarah marries her second husband, Hugh Anderson in St. Jo., and the deed to her property was finally recorded on 6 Aug 1875.
The 1870 census of Murray County shows Sarah’s daughter and third oldest child, Mary, living with her mother Elizabeth, not too far from Sarah’s brother, Jackson M. Strawn, Jr. Mary and Elizabeth soon head to Texas; Mary marries Albert A. Hammond there on 23 Feb 1873 in Montague County.
Meanwhile, Sarah’s oldest son, Jackson M. Hogue, is raising a growing family. He married Jane Brakebill on 5 May 1868, and lived near Jane’s family in Whitfield County, GA. In 1872, Jane gave birth to their third child, Mollie, a sister to Willie and Hattie. In around 1874 or early 1875, Jackson and Jane, with three young children in tow (ages 5,4, and 2) decide to move to Texas to live on Sarah’s ranch. While son James Jesse would follow soon after, her other two children by William M, Louis and Martha fall out of the picture entirely; no other mentions of them occur again.
Once again, life in the new promised land proved to be short lived. Jane Brakebill Hogue passed away in April of 1876. Family legend says her body was taken back to Georgia and buried there, but this seems cumbersome and unlikely. Her grave site has yet to be found. About 4 months later, on 20 Aug 1876, Jackson marries his second wife, Elizabeth E. Hancock, and moved with her across the Red River into the Indian Territory, leaving his three children with Sarah. Hugh Anderson died on 27 Jan 1879. Sarah is found on the 1880 census of St. Jo, Montague County, TX, living with her grandchildren, the oldest, Willie, now 11 years old., and next door to her son James Jesse.
Family legend notes say that Jackson became a Deputy U.S. Marshall in St. Jo for a time. This may be a possibility, but I’m not sure he would have kept that job on the north side of the river. Jackson and Elizabeth lived near what was to become Courtney, I.T., and raised 9 children. Her parents, Reverend and Mrs. Hancock lived here. Jackson M. Hogue developed dropsy, or what is now known as edema, and passed away 13 Sep 1892 in Courtney, not owning any land, but having about 80 head of cattle. He is buried in the Boggess Cemetery in St. Jo, Montague County, Texas.
The farming life turned out to be not so easy for Sarah, so, with the assistance of her children, she decided to sell the land and move into the Indian Territory. By now, Mary Adeline’s husband, A.A. Hammond, former blacksmith, had become a prominent member of the Montague County government, and could help Sarah locate a buyer. S.L. Davenport agreed to purchase all 160 acres for the price of $1200. While Sarah received payments on the property until December of 1886, she signed over the deed on 25 Dec 1883.
Sarah Strawn Hogue Anderson then moved north of the Red River near Marlow, Indian Territory, and lived with family members, including Jackson’s oldest son William, until she passed away there 22 June 1893, aged 65. She is buried in Bear Creek Cemetery just east of Marlow.
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V – The Final Years of William M. Hogue
We can see now that William and family had plenty of reasons to move west; a chance to perhaps own land for the first time, some family had already settled in the area, and, there was the possibility of making a clean start and possibly improving their life. Leaving Stecoah would be difficult, but if Sarah and Jackson, could do it, why couldn’t they? The Indian situation had calmed down quite a bit, although there were still plenty of bad outlaws out there. The Civil War had been over for fifteen years, and many war-torn areas had been repaired during the Reconstruction, which ended in 1877.
Now 57 years old, William may have felt like it was now or never. His youngest child, John Calvin, was almost six and old enough to not be too much of a hindrance. Their possessions, and their money were slight, at best, but once they made the journey, they thought, riches would come along soon enough. I believe Jackson sent along many stories up to his cousins still in the Triangle, possibly even visiting them on occasion. We are not sure how the information got back to them, but, William and Mary Jane analyzed their options and decided to make the move, probably in the spring or early summer of 1880. So, they loaded up and headed west; William, Mary Jane, age 40, William Andrew, age 18, Cordelia, aged 17, Charles Sherman, aged 15, Nellie, age 6, and John Calvin, age 5, seemingly well prepared for their long journey.
What were the logistics involved in making a move like this? In the 1850’s, a stagecoach line was established that ran from St. Louis, MO to San Francisco, CA, but this was costly ($200 per person) and a rough ride, lasting over three weeks. Soon, train travel became a big deal in America with the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1862, and had a huge impact on the American transportation system. There were almost 15,000 miles of railways in the South by 1880. Family legend says that William’s nephew, Daniel Washington (known as Sherman Hogue, son of Leonard) moved his family from Graham County, NC to Sulphur Springs, TX by train in 1890, before buying wagons and cattle, and moving into the Indian Territory.
I don’t see our Hogue’s taking the train, though. Since they were moving seven people and whatever their household goods amounted to, they probably used some sort of horse or oxen drawn covered wagon. Although this mode of travel was not as prevalent as it was in the days of the Gold Rush and Oregon Trail, it was still common to observe people using wagons and wagon trains to move west up into the early part of the 1900’s.
Maps showing established roads in 1880 are difficult to research, but it is known that many trails and wagon roads were becoming well used and developed by rapid western expansion. Moving west to Chattanooga, TN from Stecoah, NC was not much of a challenge, and from there, old roads existed that created a direct route west. The old Bell Route from the Trail of Tears days ran from Chattanooga to Memphis. The Overland Stage Route bridged Arkansas between Memphis and Fort Smith.
Some miles west of Fort Smith, you could hook into the Texas Road, which was part of the Shawnee Trail used to move cattle from Dallas, TX to Baxter Springs, KS. This would eventually get you to Colbert Station, IT, where you could either ferry across the Red River or move about 100 miles west along the river to the Courtney area, part of the Chickasaw Nation. This was a trip of about 1000 miles and, at 20 or 25 miles a day, forty or fifty days of travel to the promise of a new life in the west.
We have no family history or records that describe the trip William and his family made in 1880, so, much of it is left to our speculation. Luckily, William filed a Declaration for Original Invalid Pension in 1882, which not only pinpointed his location, but gives us a great deal of information pertaining to not only his Civil War service, but to the last few years of his life. These declarations were filed by some of the Hogue’s and Hogue widows and provide us a great deal of knowledge relating to important times in their lives.
The Office of Pensions was established in 1833 to handle claims related to the War Of 1812. Pensions were only considered for Union Army veterans and their widows and paid out about $8-10 a month, increasing to $12 a month in 1907. Confederate veterans were finally allowed to apply in 1959, which was probably a little late for most of them. The counties of residence in each state handled the paperwork involved with these declarations.
Location of residence is an important thing to keep in mind here. In 1880, the Indian Territory was self-governed in that it was not part of an existing state, but would eventually be folded into Oklahoma when it was granted statehood in 1907. Although most of William’s paperwork involved in his invalid pension was completed in Montague County, he most likely lived in the Indian Territory, near what was to become Courtney, Love County, at statehood. I believe this for two reasons; first that his son Jackson moved to Courtney in 1876, and secondly, it is highly unlikely that he would have anything to do with his first wife Sarah, and I’m sure she felt the same way about him.
At this point, I’d like to proceed by presenting the information learned from William’s declaration, realizing that it will take us back in time to 1864, but the story is an important part of his struggles in his new home. Also, remember, too, that William was far from an invalid in 1880; he had just moved his family 1000 miles in a wagon. Let’s assume that the William Hogue family arrived in Courtney, Indian Territory in the fall of 1880, and settled in next to his son Jackson and his second wife Elizabeth. The J.M. Hogues have two kids by now, and one on the way, the first of William’s grandchildren known to him.
William’s declaration was originally filed on 11 Mar 1882, in St. Jo, Montague County, TX, personally appearing before W.A. Williams in the County Court there. He told the clerk he was a resident of “six miles from Spanish Fort” (easily near Courtney). He said he was 58 years old and was described as 6 feet 1 inches in height, with a dark complexion, dark hair, and blue eyes.
William claimed he was “in a skirmish in Macon Co., NC, on or about 12 Nov 1864, and that “the sight in his right eye was destroyed by a gun shot fired by the enemy”. He went on to testify that he was not treated in a hospital, but was treated by a Dr. Ross Laine in Brick Mill, Blount Co., TN upon his return home. He also stated his occupation at that time to be a farmer. Witnesses to this testimony were Reuben Burge of Spanish Fort and his daughter Mary Adeline’s husband, Albert Hammond of St. Jo.
Many documents are attached to the original declaration. The next document is a letter from the Adjutant General’s Office of the War Department, dated 3 July 1883. It took 17 months to get the first government response to William’s original declaration. This letter, from a Deputy Adjutant General, verified William’s dates of service as noted in a previous section. It went on to say, unfortunately, that records fail to show that Company in action on that date, that there was no evidence of the “alleged” wound, and that the Books of Organization of this volunteer regiment were not on file. Quite a blow to the cause, I’d say.
Meanwhile, of course, William and family continued to farm and eke out a subsistence level living, probably raising cotton, corn, and wheat. We already know that Jackson was in the cattle business, so they were probably raising feed crops as well. Local pioneer Henry D. Courtney had moved into the area and established it as Courtney Flats in 1882, renaming the existing town of Watkins after himself. A post office wasn’t established there in 1886, however.
The news from the letter of response from the feds forced William to return to County Court on 21 Aug 1883 and respond in front of the Justice of Peace, John Rowan. He didn’t add much more to his story at this point; only to say that most of the witnesses he attempted to contact were dead, and that his injury was not visible for normal treatment. He claimed the injury was caused by bark flying from a tree he was standing next to that was hit by a bullet, resulting in only a blemish, but causing enough damage to make him lose sight in the eye. This document was listed as additional evidence.
William returned to Montague County Court one more time on 10 Sep 1883, for what would be his last stand in obtaining a pension for him and his family. The event was recorded as additional evidence once again via a claimant’s affidavit. What follows is a direct quote from that affidavit, spelling and grammar uncorrected: “that I was engaged in a fight with the enemy on Tululy Creek in Macon Co., NC (Franklin is the county seat of said county) on or about the last of December, 1864. I was in the command of Col. Kirk and of Col. Devine’s Regiment. We were ordered from Knoxville, TN to go to NC to break up a camp of Indians and Rebels forted in Cheoah.
“In the skirmish with the enemy in the mountains and while firing from a small tree a minie ball struck the side of a tree knocking bark into my eyes, causing me to completely lose the sight of my right eye and injuring the other at the time. We were not at that time in what is called a general engagement or a general battle and history may not give any record of said fight. I cannot recollect dates at this time but give the time as near as I can under oath.”
William did not have many things quoted to him in his life, at least that were recorded, anyway. I thought I would take these statements directly off the document in question so we could get an inside look at his thoughts and recollections of his time in the Civil War. Unfortunately, it was to no avail. William returned home to Courtney and never heard from the federal government again in regards to his Declaration for Original Invalid Pension. Mary Jane would make a few attempts after his death to collect, but also ran into a dead end.
William M. Hogue lived he rest of his life in southern Indian Territory, along the Red River, hopefully enjoying farming life and being around more of his and Jackson’s children. We really don’t know what brought him happiness and joy at the end of his life, but I hope it was being with family and peaceful living. He passed away March 6, 1886 at the age of 63, in Courtney, Indian Territory. He is buried in the Bourland-Bellevue Cemetery.
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VI – The Early Life of Charles Sherman Hogue
Charles Sherman Hogue, known as Charley, was my great-grandfather. He lived in what became Love County, Oklahoma, from 1880 to 1917. In the 1980s, I interviewed people who knew him and will share their stories later.
Charley was born on 15 Jan 1865 near Brick Mill, Blount County, TN. He lived there until 1875, then in Graham County, NC, before moving to Indian Territory in 1880. As a teenager, he stayed busy with farm work under his father and half-brother, Jackson. Schools didn’t exist in Indian Territory until his own children could attend.
Charley’s first sign of independence came with his marriage to Malinda Jane Williams on 6 May 1885. Indian Territory kept no marriage records before 1895, but Malinda confirmed the date in a document I’ll reference later. The 1900 Burney Township census also lists it. Charley appears as “C.S. Hoag” with his wife Linda J. and two children, Johnnie and Caldonia (Mary Caroline).
They had been married for fourteen years. However, the census contains errors. It lists Johnnie as a daughter when John William was actually Charley’s eldest son. It also records Malinda’s birthdate as Jan 1865, like Charley’s, but she claimed 5 Jan 1869 as her birthdate. This means she married Charley at 16, raising further questions.
Most genealogies list Malinda’s parents as Morton Wisdom Williams and Matilda C. Polk of Lick Mountain, AR. They reportedly died in Arkansas in 1888. The 1880 census places 10-year-old Malinda with them. How did a teenage girl end up in Indian Territory without her parents? Even for that era, it seems unlikely. Morton received a 160-acre homestead near Lick Mountain on 10 Sep 1883, suggesting they stayed in Arkansas. However, they may have moved to Indian Territory and returned between 1880 and 1887.
Another theory is that the Hogues stopped in Conway County, AR, on their way west. I’ve found no evidence they were there between 1880 and 1882, but it’s near major routes. So far, I haven’t found other Hogues in that area, but I will keep looking.
The 1900 Burney census shows other Williams families nearby. I also found a Williams family in Montague Co., TX, in 1870. The head, Wisdom, was from Illinois and had several children born in Arkansas. Charley and Malinda’s son, John William, spent most of his life in north Texas. He fathered six children and died in 1976. Malinda lived until 1936 and married at least twice more. If family trees listing her ancestry come from actual records, I still have doubts. More research is needed.
Charley farmed cotton and corn for years. Population growth led to new cotton gins and expanding towns. Life was tough but prosperous. In 1893, Masonic Lodge No. 16 was founded in Leon. Peter Byron Arthur, a Missouri native who arrived in 1876, helped establish it. Charley joined on 12 Jan 1893, became a Master Mason on 17 Nov 1894, and remained active for two decades. I own his Masonic apron, which records these dates.
As often happened in our branch of the Hogues, life went haywire in late summer 1901. Court records, including Malinda’s deposition in the Southern District U.S. Court in Ardmore, detail what followed. On 1 September, she testified that Charley beat her with a stick and threw her and the children out. She claimed he had been cruel for five years, called her vile names, and had an “ungovernable” temper. She filed a complaint on 6 September. Deputy Sheriff Martin arrested Charley in Courtney and jailed him in Ardmore for assault and battery. Malinda alleged he tried to shoot her, as reported in a local newspaper.
Family lore says Malinda once threw a pot of burning lye on Charley’s crotch, which likely worsened tensions. The Daily Ardmoreite of 10 September quoted Charley denying the shooting but admitting they had separated. He claimed he had once taken a pistol from her. This was Charley’s only recorded statement during the ordeal. He posted a $200 bond and was released, with a court date set for 24 Sep 1901. Malinda was unknowingly pregnant with their third child.
On his court date, Charley appeared before Commissioner Bradshaw without an attorney. He pled guilty, paid a $24.80 fine, and was released. If he spent time in jail, it was brief. Malinda, left penniless, stayed with neighbors and pursued a divorce. Charley had thrown her out with only the clothes on her back and allowed no household goods. She convinced the prestigious Ardmore law firm Cruce and Cruce to represent her pro bono after taking the pauper’s oath. She filed for divorce on 30 Sep 1901.
On 22 Oct 1901, Leon City Marshal William Fletcher Thompson served Charley with a summons for Malinda’s divorce complaint. Thompson would play a major role in Malinda’s life. She and four neighbors gave depositions on 1 November at First National Bank in Ardmore. The witnesses, J.P. Eubanks, M.B. Williams, E.T. Stewart, and J.F. Kinsey, all long-time acquaintances, testified. They called Malinda a responsible woman who deserved custody and claimed Charley had a violent reputation. Oddly none of these neighbors said they witnessed abuse firsthand. Their testimony also assessed Charley’s assets for the divorce settlement.
Charley had ample cash, posting bond and paying fines easily. His estate included:
- 3 horses ($112.50)
- 2 cows and 2 calves ($40.00)
- 13 hogs ($50.00)
- 200 bushels of corn ($150.00)
- 10 bales of cotton ($400.00)
- Farm and household goods, including a wagon, sewing machine, and furniture ($300.00)
- Total estate value: $1,000.00
On 31 Dec 1901, Master in Chancery John Hinkle filed a report recommending Malinda receive $250 in alimony. She also retained custody of the children, and restoration of her rights as an unmarried woman. Judge Hosea Townsend approved it on 13 Jan 1902. Charley had to pay by May 1902. There’s no receipt proving payment, but no record of non-payment either. On 24 Oct 1902, U.S. Marshal Ben H. Colbert, a former Rough Rider, delivered Charley his court documents. The ordeal was over. Surprisingly, Charley never gave an official deposition or defense.
Their son, Edward Bell Hogue, was born on 17 April 1902. Around then, Malinda left Courtney for Leon. She soon married City Marshal W.F. Thompson, who had divorced his first wife, Dollie. The 1910 Marietta census lists Malinda, her children, and three new ones from her second marriage. Thompson, now an M.D., worked as a physician. Malinda told the enumerator she had given birth to eight children, with five surviving. Mary Caroline had died before 1910, and two more may have passed between 1886 and 1894.
In 1912, Malinda’s life fell apart again when W.F. Thompson divorced her and kept their children. She followed her son John north to Jefferson, Love County. Around 1918, she married her third husband, Henry Gamel, a railroad worker in Dalhart, TX. Edward moved with her, while John, thinking she had stability, relocated to Wichita, TX.
The 1920 Dalhart census lists Malinda and Edward alone in a house she owned, while Henry lived nearby. Edward worked as a carman, and Malinda, listed as a widow, did not work. The 1930 census shows the family reunited. Henry, retired from the railroad, worked as a janitor. Edward, divorced, worked at an auto salvage yard.
Edward died on 7 March 1932 at age 29 from influenza, worsened by intoxication. Malinda died on 18 Aug 1936 of uterine cancer. She is buried in Dalhart’s Memorial Park Cemetery. Henry lived to 93, passing in 1966. His obituary listed stepchildren, including Annie Hailey, Malinda’s daughter by W.F. Thompson. Annie married Floyd Hailey, a railroad worker, in Dalhart in 1926 at age 16.
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VII – The Final Years of Charles Sherman Hogue
On 22 Feb 1903, Charley married his second wife, Lenora Gatlin Noble, in United States Court, Southern District, Ardmore, Indian Territory. Nora had married W.J. Noble on 04 Aug 1897 in Clay County, TX, but soon returned to her family in Rubottom, located in between Courtney to the west and Burneyville to the east, pregnant with her son Andrew Frank (Frankie, b. March 1, 1900).
Our line of Gatlins had immigrated from England in the early part of the 1600’s and settled in the area of Craven County, North Carolina. The family of Gatlins kept moving west as well, moving first to Davidson County, TN, near Nashville, and then on to Tippah Co., MS. Nora’s parents, first cousins Mark and Analiza, finally ended up in the Indian Territory, near Rubottom. Nora was one of thirteen children, but most of them followed their parents, so there were Gatlins a plenty in the neighborhood.
Charley and Nora set up a household in Rubottom now as well, and started raising a family of their own with the birth of Leonard Richard on 15 Dec 1904. Many other Hogues had come to the Indian Territory, too, including cousins from Georgia and North Carolina. Charley’s brother John and his family lived nearby with their mother, Mary Jane. His sisters Cordie and Nellie, as well as his older brother, Billy, settled a bit farther north, near Seminole, IT.
Charley had established a reputation as one tough customer by now, as well as being known as a respected citizen and strong family man, although his first wife might have had a different opinion on that issue. Stories about Charley became family legend, and I’d like to relate some of those now, gleaning them from people who knew the man. As a side note, you may find these stories out there on the world-wide web somewhere; these recollections are taken from a previous paper I did on Charley in the 1980’s.
Lonnie Williams, born in the IT in 1897, remembered Charley well. In 1987, when I visited Rubottom for the first time, one of the folks associated with the Love County Genealogical Society gave me Lonnie’s number and told me to give him a call. Lonnie lived in Rubottom his entire life, except for the time he spent in Europe serving in WW I. The visit went very well. Lonnie was very accommodating and had his wife rustle up some ice tea for us. He did mention a concern he had about strangers visiting, though. “It’s a good thing you called first before comin’ up the driveway or I might’ve shot ya!”
He remembered Charley (“Old Man Charley Hogue” he called him) as a big strong man who worked very hard to raise a good family. He recalled one instance, around 1910, where Charley became the mediator in a near gunfight between his brother John, and an irate neighbor. Apparently, this neighbor had beaten his wife and thrown her out of their house (perhaps a familiar scene?). John wouldn’t stand for this and confronted the man in a field near Charley’s place.
Both men squared off with rifles and threatened to kill each other at point blank range, each with a rifle muzzle in his face. Charley saw what was going on and ran to the scene, getting between the angry men, grabbing the rifle barrels and pushing them skyward. Charley calmly told the two that no one was shooting anybody and that they could continue their fight elsewhere. Both relinquished and the confrontation ended peacefully.
Jodie Lawson (my grandfather, Henry always referred to him as “Joda” Lawson), a Hogue cousin in the area, lived with John and family in 1910, and in the Rubottom area until his death in 1973. Not only was Jodie’s mother a Hogue, but his wife was one as well! He told Henry that he remembered Charley as a man that wouldn’t think twice about hurting a man if he had to, but was the gentlest person he had ever seen when it came to dealing with his horses. Since his father, William M. was in the mounted infantry in the Civil War, I’m sure Charley’s skills as a horseman went way back to his childhood. I doubt if Charley ever owned an automobile; traveling by horseback was still the main mode of transportation then.
Grandpa also told me a story about his father that sounds more legendary that factual, but is worth repeating. Someone told Henry that one time Charley beat a man to death with his bare hands, holding the man down and ripping his eyes out and filling the bloody sockets with dirt before finishing him off. That story might make you think twice about eating all the food on your plate at the dinner table at least.
Henry’s older brother Clarence told me a story about his father that also stretches the believability scale a bit. Occasionally, Charley would work part time for a blacksmith in Courtney by the name of Sam Roberts. One day, Sam had just pulled some hot metal from the forge and called Charley over to help. He placed the white-hot iron on the anvil and gave his instructions, “Take that hammer and whack it as hard as you can!” Charley did exactly as he was told, breaking the piece of iron, and the anvil, in half on impact.
I had the opportunity to interview Henry’s cousin, Bessie Heywood, daughter of Charley’s brother John C. Hogue, at her house in San Jose, CA. She had many stories to tell, and allowed me to use my 35mm camera to take pictures of some of the old photographs she had around, including the one of her grandfather, William M. Hogue. I know that Bessie spent a great deal of time around the Charley Hogue family. She was born in 1904 in Rubottom and was known to be a little cantankerous as a young woman. As Grandpa used to say, “Bessie Mae Hogue, meaner than an old junkyard dog.” Despite this reputation, I must say that Bessie was nothing but nice to me, a provided a great deal of family history and folklore.
Bessie related a memorable story about a Charley Hogue family dinner she attended around 1915. Both families may have eaten together often, since they usually lived near each other, once John and family moved back from Seminole County, OK after the death of mother Mary Jane Hogue in 1908. The family was just settling down for supper when Charley noticed his reading glasses were missing.
Past history dictates that Charley could easily be a little edgy and short of temper, so he quickly reached out for the closest child, this time Clarence, and began to interrogate him as to the whereabouts of his glasses, thinking the kids were up to some kind of prank. He wailed on the screaming youngster for a few seconds until Nora managed to get his attention, informing Charley that his glasses were on top of his head, where he usually kept them when not in use. He reached up and felt them there before returning Clarence to his chair and commencing with his meal, without even offering an apology. Bessie always thought her father John was strict, but he couldn’t compare to Uncle Charley.
It was around this time that Charley picked up a couple of side jobs, in addition to his job as a farmer and a father raising a family. He went to work as a contractor for the U.S. Postal Service, running the mail on horseback between Rubottom and Grady, a distance of about 15 miles, and also helped the newly formed Love County government by overseeing the road conditions in that area. Again, records about anything like this are scarce, but, these facts have grown out of related family history. On a side note, Rubottom’s post office was established on 29 Aug 1902, and its first postmaster was William A. Gatlin, Nora’s oldest brother.
As noted earlier, the Masonic Lodge was a very important organization in the life of Charles Sherman Hogue, and would play a huge role in the survival of our family long after his passing. At this point, Peter Byron Arthur, the man responsible for the establishment of the Lodge and much of Leon, re-enters the story. We know that Peter held many different jobs as a community leader, including secretary of the Lodge and enumerator of the federal census. The Lodge probably had about forty members in its heyday; Charley rode into meetings on horseback, even at night, and was a member in good standing for over 20 years, until December of 1914, when he was demitted from the Lodge for the nonpayment of dues ($1 per year).
Unfortunately, years of hard work from living the life of an immigrant farmer began to catch up with Charley, and the final weeks of his life can be well told through the recollecting eyes of Bessie Heywood, and through family lore passed to my grandfather, Henry and his brother, Clarence. Charley’s decline most likely began to accelerate in the fall of 1916, before his 52nd birthday in January of 1917, and continued into that summer.
Nora became pregnant with her and Charley’s seventh child around November of 1916. They lived in what Grandpa called the “Big House” in central Rubottom, the place of Henry’s birth on 3 Aug 1914. After a cold winter of bad weather and too many road inspections, Charley developed what was thought to be a kidney infection sometime in the early summer of 1917. Nora was also having problems with her pregnancy, and was soon forced into bed, for fear of harming herself or her unborn child. Things went downhill quickly for our family from here.
The bad winter was followed by an equally difficult summer; hot, humid, and with large populations of annoying insects of every type. Charley was quite ill now, and because of the kidney infection, or possibly heart issues, had developed what was known in those days as dropsy, or edema. His body was retaining water and began to swell to almost twice its original size. Remember that dropsy was also the cause of Charley’s half-brother Jackson’s death in 1892. He lay alone in a room on one side of the house, waiting for the inevitable outcome.
Nora could not care for him, as she lay bedridden as well in room on the other side of the house. She was afraid to even move for fear of losing her child or endangering her own health, even at this, the end of her pregnancy. One evening, many of the local women came by the Big House to visit and offer what help they could, knowing that new life, or death, lay just around the corner. Bessie, now about 13, was there as well, visiting with her mother.
Bessie always like to primp whenever possible; she wore a nice dress and always had her hair neatly braided. She stood at the foot of the bed, staring with concern at her Aunt Nora, hoping the best for her. Unfortunately, she also provided a likely target for a woman under a great deal of stress. Nora raised up out of bed the best she could and snapped at Bessie, saying “You just think you’re somethin’ special, don’t you?!” Bessie was not expecting that outburst and quickly left the room.
Charley passed away in his home in Rubottom on 24 Jul 1917, his skin splitting open like a broken blister in spots, and his internal organs finally giving out from dealing with the strain of the extra fluids in his body. The local men came by then, many of them cousins, friends, and brothers, to pay their last respects and prepare him for burial. His body was left on the deathbed, face covered with a white cloth.
The men constructed a coffin for it, in the form of a simple casket customized to fit his oversized form. They buried him up on the hill in the Rubottom Cemetery, in the same plot as his daughter Mary Ann, who died at birth in 1905. Nora was unable to attend the funeral, still ill and weak after giving birth to another son, on 16 July 1917. She named him Charles Sherman Hogue, in honor of her departed husband.
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VIII – The Hogue’s Survival in Oklahoma
Times were tough for Nora Hogue and her family for the rest of the year after Charlie’s passing. They had to move from the Big House into a smaller two room house close to the main road into Marietta. Leonard, her oldest son was only 13 at the time, hardly old enough to take charge of the familial responsibilities. Frankie Noble probably handled much of the chores by now, being a bit older at 17. It was at this time that Peter Arthur decided to intervene on behalf of Nora and her family.
On 26 Jan 1918, Peter interviewed Nora and asked if she would consider giving her children up for adoption. The children, Leonard, 13, Fannie May, 10, Clarence, 8, Buford, 6, Henry, 3, and Charles, 6 months, would be moved to the Grand Masonic Lodge in Guthrie, OK, 150 miles away, north of Oklahoma City, and well taken care of there. Nora could not fathom the idea of being without her family, and politely refused, asking if there was any other help available.
Remember that Charley was dropped from the Masonic rolls for nonpayment of dues three years earlier. Records show his membership was reinstated on 7 July 1917, just two and a half weeks before his death. It is apparent to me that Peter did not want to see anything happen to Charley’s family and somehow arranged for this reinstatement to occur. He may have approached Charley’s fellow Masons at the Leon Lodge to ask for help, but it is not clear what exactly happened.
I believe Peter Byron Arthur used his influence, pulled some strings, and arranged for Nora and her family to receive outside assistance from the Grand Lodge of $20.00 per month. He wrote several letters to the Grand Lodge describing our family’s bleak existence and managed to keep these payments coming for many years, until just before Nora eventually moved to California. Peter Byron Arthur passed away in 1949 at the age of 94 and is buried in the Leon Cemetery, which he helped establish in 1883.
Tracking down the residences of Nora Gatlin Noble Hogue and her family gets a bit confusing after Charley’s death. With young children, and a teenage Frankie in tow, they had to move several times within the next 15 years or so just to survive. Back in 1987, I was able to spend some time with Grandpa drawing up a crude map of the Courtney/Rubottom area. The map wasn’t to scale, but with it, we could mark the approximate locations of most of their homes, at least up until they were all in California. Henry was 73 years old then, and had a good memory. Linking that with the census reports gives a decent picture of their remaining time in Oklahoma.
After Nora declined putting her children up for adoption, the family moved about 25 miles to the west, near Ringling, Jefferson County, to the Wright Township. They followed John Hogue and his family, and brought along Nora’s mother, Ana E. Gatlin. Ana was in her late 60’s now and had been widowed since 1908; she probably felt past her prime as a lone farmer, and possibly thought she could help her daughter and the kids by living with them. They pitched a one room canvas tent on the same property as John’s, added a wood stove and crude fence, and called it home. They were recorded here on the 1920 census.
Sometime in 1923, the two families split up, with John and company moving north, returning to Seminole County, and Nora, Ana and the kids moving back to Courtney. They lived the same tent here for a while, probably until 1925, when they could rent a small two room house near the road that ran between Belleville and Leon. It was around this time when the family dynamic began to change dramatically.
The lone sister in this outfit, Fannie Mae, married James Robeson in Rubottom in 1923. In 1926, Leonard married Alice Doughty, and in 1928, Clarence married Cleavie Boales. Ana Gatlin moved up to Pittsburg County to live with her oldest daughter, Nancy Jane “Jennie” Stipe with her third husband and a couple of her kids from her second marriage. Frankie stayed in the Love County area somewhere; he cannot be found listed on any census after 1920. He married Gladys Boswell in Love County after 1930, and moved back up to the Cordell area, living there until sometime after 1935.
The 1930 Census of Cordell Township, Washita County, shows Leonard as the head of household, farming, and living with his wife Alice, new son Kennith, his mother, Nora and brothers Buford, Henry and Charles. Here they lived in another two-room house. Alice had family in this area, which was about 175 miles to the northwest of Rubottom, the same county where my grandmother, Crystal Faye Larner was growing up with her family. Clarence was the first of our Hogue’s to make the move to California, and is listed in the 1930 Census living with his wife Cleavie and her parents in El Nido, Merced County, California. They also have had their first son, Gayther, born in there in 1929. For Leonard and family, the pull to California was strong, and they headed west by the end of 1931.
By now, it’s worth mentioning, all of this travel was by car; the days of William M.’s covered wagon had long since gone by the wayside. Roads had improved to the point that although travel was still cumbersome and slow compared to travel in the 21st century, the idea of being a “pioneer” was not as crucial to westward expansion. Highways were two lane asphalt with very little shoulder, and there were two routes, including a southern route that could be used in winter months.
You could travel to California’s Central Valley, yet another Hogue promised land, a distance of about 1500 miles, in three or four days if you pushed it. I remember Grandpa talking about a Model A Ford and a Hupmobile as the first vehicles he became acquainted with. I don’t recall him mentioning the exact car used in this next migration; another thing I should have written down.
So, Nora, Buford, Henry, and Charles move back to Love County, into another two-room house near their last home in Courtney. They continued to farm on rented land here, mainly growing cotton. Although it seems like cotton was everywhere in the southern part of our country, raising it could be a challenge at times. The lands along the Red River were fertile, for the most part, but certain varieties of cotton were temperamental here. In addition, insects could invade the ripening bolls and cause seed rot, which would ultimately discolor the fibers and make them less than desirable for sale. Buford was now the man in charge and had a lot to learn.
My first cousin, once removed, the late Willis M. Hogue, the only child of Charles Sherman Hogue II, answered a letter I sent him in the late 80’s, asking for help on family tree info. He turned out to be a veritable gold mine, sending me a few of the personal items he was left when his dad died in 1985. These items included the original hand painted portrait of Charley (in a wood frame, with rounded glass), his Masonic apron, his family bible (with an unknown lock of hair, but no family data entered), and Nora’s watch and pigskin clutch.
Amazingly enough, the items in Nora’s small purse help document her last months in Love County, and give us a bit of perspective of life in Oklahoma during The Great Depression. First, the purse also contained a receipt for a note, drawn on Love County National Bank of Marietta, for fifteen dollars. The Note was drawn by J.A. Eakins on 11 April 1932, due and payable on 1 Nov 1932.
Second, the purse contained Nora’s voter’s registration certificate for Precinct No. 22, County of Love, State of Oklahoma, dated 23 Jun 1932. In it, she is described as follows: Farmer, Age 52, Race, AM (American, I guess), Color, White, Politics, Dem, Color of hair, black, Height, 5ft, 3in, Weight 105, Color of Eyes, Dark. Witnesses were J.A. Eakins and Dan Chitwood, who I believe were married to a couple of Nora’s sisters.
Third, she signed an agreement with the Love County Burial Association in Marietta on 11 Feb 1933. She paid a one dollar deposit and regular assessments of 50 cents (I have receipts for assessment numbers 48, 40, 50, and 52) to guarantee her a $100 funeral paid by the association. Beneficiaries were Buford, Henry, Charles, and her mother, Mrs. A.E. Gatlin. I hope this is what paid for Ana’s funeral when she passed away on 5 Feb 1934.
Fourth, contents of the purse also included two receipts from the B. C. Newton Cotton Gin of Marietta. Both receipts were made out to Buford Hogue. The first, probably from a crop of November of 1932, was for 180 pounds of cotton @ 3 cents per pound, a total of $5.40. The second receipt, dated 18 Nov 1933, was for a net 180 pounds, out of 2180 pounds, of seed rot cotton @ 3 cents a pound, also a total of $5.40. I can only hope these weren’t the only receipts for their crops of those years.
The other items in Nora’s clutch were a small brass fountain pen, a receipt from Roy Knight’s Grocery store in Dill City, OK, a woven hair cover, probably used for Sunday church, and a small, mysterious bundle. Wrapped in a quilting square of cloth, and tied with another smaller piece used as a string, is a 1907 Indian head one cent piece. I wish I knew the significance of that penny. We know that Nora was into quilting; she gave my parents a quilt top for a wedding present that my wife Jane finished into a beautiful quilt some years later.
We now know that Nora and family persevered turbulent times in Rubottom, Love County, Oklahoma up until the final bits of their sharecropped cotton was turned into the gin in November of 1933. Even though they were to leave behind kin, namely Frankie, Fannie Mae, and many cousins, it was time to make another crucial move in family history. According to my grandpa, Henry, this is when they made the journey to yet another promised land, the Golden State of California.
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IX – Heading West – The Hogue’s Move to California
Ana Gatlin’s obituary was published in the newspaper in February of 1934. By then, Nora, Buford, Henry, and Charles were in Porterville, Tulare County, CA. I recall Henry saying that there were Gatlin cousins here, but I don’t have specific information about that. He also said they lived farther north, near Brentwood, Contra Costa County after their arrival. The 1940 census had added a new section, designed to track migratory habits of Americans. It asked people to declare where they lived on 1 Apr 1935. They reported as follows:
Nora and Buford – Rural Alameda County (not far from Brentwood)
Leonard and family – Rural Santa Clara County
Henry – Gilroy, Santa Clara County (his wife, Faye, was still in Oklahoma)
Charles has yet to be found on a 1940 census. He married his wife, Alta Faye Teafatiller back in Love County in 1939, before coming back out to California. Their son Willis was born in Gilroy in 1942. Again, tracking the moves of our family remains difficult. Henry’s story about this time in our history is what I will go by, from here on out.
Nora, Buford, Henry, and Charles decided to go back to Oklahoma for the Christmas of 1935. They visited both Fannie Mae in Love County and Frankie in Washita County. Henry met Faye on this trip, fell in love, and talked her into getting married. Charles probably stayed with Fannie Mae and met his future bride, staying in the area for a while until they got married. Henry and Faye marry in January, then return to California shortly thereafter, ending up in Santa Clara County.
In a postcard written to Peter Arthur on 29 Sep 1936, Nora tries to extend her assistance from the Masonic Lodge. The card reads as follows, not corrected for spelling or punctuation:
Gilroy Calif sep 29, 1936
Mr P.B. Arthur I will drop you a card to let you no
we are goin to Porterville this week so you can rite
me at Porterville Gen Del I have been looking for a
letter from you letten me no what they did nothin
I guess but hope they do somethin for I fell as thogh
I had lost all the frend I had but hopen for the better
these few lines leaves us all well but me I have
rumitise pretty bad. hope you are well and injoyin
life from a frend Nora Hogue
I copied this card from Charley Hogue’s file at the Grand Lodge in Guthrie, OK. It was addressed to Mr. P.B. Arthur, Leon Okla. Someone had written in ink, on the front of the postcard, a finger pointing at No 5 (probably the fifth note from Nora) and the word “Finis?!”. This communication was an interesting, but sad, end to the relationship between the Masons, Peter Arthur and Nora Hogue.
Nora, and probably Buford, did not stay in Porterville long. The 1940 census finds three Hogue households living in the Burnett township, Santa Clara County, CA. Burnett was in what is known now as the area of Coyote, Santa Teresa, and Morgan Hill, about 13 miles north of Gilroy, 20 miles south of San Jose. They were listed right in a row, Leonard and family, Nora and Buford, and then Clarence and family. Henry lived a bit farther south in San Martin, an unincorporated part of the Gilroy township, with Faye and Charles William Hogue (my dad), then 3 years old.
From 1880 to 1940, a period of 60 years, our Hogue’s worked hard to survive some turbulent times and make the moves necessary to secure the future of many generations of ancestors. Of course, they didn’t think about it that way. They were just getting by; always trying to figure out how to make things better for themselves and their children. Their lives, at least after World War II, would soon move into their glory days, finally, reaping rewards of a good life after a long, perilous journey.
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X – Epilogue
By 1950, most of the Charley Hogue family were settled down in the Gilroy area, with good jobs, and set about raising their own children. Nora Gatlin Noble Hogue lived in San Martin for nearly 20 years, well taken care of by her boys that stayed near her. She passed away 24 Dec 1959 in Gilroy, after suffering a stroke, at age 79.
Frank and Gladys moved south into the Central Valley and lived in Tranquility, CA. He passed away there from emphysema in 1972. I got to visit with him and his wife in 1971 when Henry and Faye brought them by our house one afternoon. He was sick then, but still a pretty lively little man. He always celebrated his birthday every four years, believing he was a leap year baby, born on 29 Feb 1900. I found out later that we don’t observe leap year on the turn of a century; we didn’t in 2000, for example. I have his birthday recorded as 1 Mar 1900 for that very reason. Poor guy missed out on about 48 birthdays.
Leonard and family eventually settled in the Central Valley as well, outside of Fresno in the small town of Caruthers. He passed away there at the age of 63 in 1968. Fannie Mae and family eventually moved to San Martin, CA, along with her in-laws in 1941. She passed away here in 1980, at the age of 72. Clarence and his family remained in the Gilroy area for many years; he died just before his 90th birthday in 1999. I got to spend an afternoon with Henry and Clarence around 1991 and enjoyed it a lot.
Buford lived with his mother until her death, and then alone, in San Martin, until his death in 1966 at the age of 52. He was a heavy drinker, and that is what eventually killed him, dying of cirrhosis of the liver. He attempted one or two relationships, but no marriages were ever recorded. Charles Sherman Hogue II, who also took on the nickname Charlie, retired from his job as Fire Chief and moved his family out to the central valley to Atwater, CA. He lived there for a few years until brain cancer took his life in 1985, aged 68.
My grandparents, Henry and Faye, moved north to San Jose around 1962 or 1963, purchasing a mobile home there. They lived in a couple of different parks, but remained there for most of their life. Grandpa was a union mechanic for many years, until a work injury forced him into retirement around 1979. After a heart attack and bypass surgery sidelined him for a bit in the mid-eighties, Henry and Faye cruised around in their mini motorhome until they felt like they got too old for the road. Grandma’s deteriorating health, mainly due to osteoporosis, resulted in their move from San Jose to the Sacramento area to be near my uncle. Faye passed away 10 Nov 2007, aged 88, in Folsom, CA. Henry also died in Folsom, on 4 Apr 2009, aged 94.
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