When I was born and up through my early years I was blessed to have five of my eight great-grandparents still with us - three on my dad's side and two on my mom's - and regularly saw four of them until their eventual deaths. But one, my mother's dad's dad, died way back in 1915 in his early 30s. Not only did I never know him, but my own grandfather, born in 1910, would not have known his dad either as he would have died when he was just four. And I knew nothing about him too, that is until I started digging a bit.
His name was Albert Clayton Smith. I had long forgotten that but during a fit of cleaning and organization a few weeks ago I discovered among my possessions a small white cardboard box with a masking tape label in the writing of my late grandfather, Clair Smith, that said:
Clair’s Dad’s Things Albert Clayton Smith
1881 – 1915 Age 33+
As I pawed through the box I found some very curious things indeed - chicken bones, newspaper clippings, ribbons, a school graduation booklet from 1898, pamphlets, cards, a slingshot and several tiny hand-carved baskets made from walnuts. Also in there were three photos which I can only assume are of him: One tiny portrait of a toddler and two studio photos, one of he as a teen and the other as an adult.
Included is what must have been his prized possession - a well-worn pocket watch, made by the
Illinois Watch Company of Springfield. If you look closely at the second photo above you can see a watch chain dangling across his chest - I'm guessing the watch I have was at the other end.
There were about 40 items in all, the last possessions of our dear departed, all stuffed in this old cardboard box measuring 6 x 7 inches and 4 inches deep. Since I have these items I also feel that it is my duty to discover and share what I have been able to learn about the man, even though at this stage it isn't all that much.
I've been able to cobble together some information from the
great web site that our Secretary of State's office keeps containing marriage and death records. I've learned where he is entombed from
Find-A-Grave.com, with further information from the
cemetery itself. And with my biggest question being how did he die at such a young age I ordered a copy of his death certificate from the
State Department of Health.
Putting it all together, here's what I know so far about my great-grandfather, Albert C. Smith:
He was born November 20, either in 1881 or 1882 in Michigan. The reason the year is not certain is that while my grandfather's tape on the box says 1881, his handwritten death certificate states 1882. But his death certificate also lists his age as 33 years, 8 months which would mean that as he died on August 1, 1915 his birth year was in fact 1881, just like my grandpop said. I think someone made a boo-boo.
His parents were Frank S. Smith and Lucy Watterson. On the Secretary of State's digital archives site his mother's maiden name is listed as Ann Watuson and I can see why -- the handwriting on the death certificate could easily be read that way. The writing is far more legible on the marriage certificate though, the actual image of which can be found on the same site, and with the finer detail likely completed when those named were present, I tend to believe what is written there over what is on the death certificate. No tellin' why there is a discrepancy with his mother's first name though. I'd go with Lucy for sure but my mother's name is Ann, which makes me wonder if she was named for her paternal great-grandmother. Maybe she was Ann Lucy.
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Sometime after Albert graduated from Cascade Public School in Michigan on May 20, 1898 he made the trip out west to Washington state. (The township of Cascade is in Kent County, Michigan, about 10 miles from Grand Rapids). He was also an officer - the treasurer in fact - of the Young People's Society of Christian Endeavor at the Church of Christ in Cascade.
At this point I do not know why he ventured out to Washington, or if he came solo or with his parents or siblings (if he had any). We do know that he became a postal carrier, but not what drew him into the trade.
A curious thing - among his belongings is a sash with the word "Conductor" sewn in. That could mean that he was a band conductor, a railroad conductor or, most likely, given the job as a mail carrier of accompanying the mail on a train. I did see a reference to such a historical job in a brief internet search but couldn't find much about it. There is nothing in the box indicating an interest in music but his son, my grandpa Clair, was a lifelong clarinet player who played for many years in the Seattle's Nile Temple Shriner Band. Had he been inspired by his dad?
Among the items in the box are two banquet programs from the Eighth Annual Convention of the Washington State Association of Letter Carriers at the Baker Hotel in Tacoma in 1908. And what a feast it was, with Ox Tongue and
Chow-Chow (not the dog, the relish!) among the tasty menu choices. Albert C. is on the back of the dinner program as being a member of the Arrangement Committee, which may be why he kept two copies.
He also attended the 13th Annual Convention in Tacoma in 1913, which featured a parade and a tour to the new Eleventh Street Bridge there to see the vertical lift. They also took a trip to South Tacoma on the
Pacific Traction Line and made their way to the scenic Stadium High School too.
There's a strange item that I can't quite figure out what it does but likely has to do with his job as a postman. Could be a letter opener of some kind. It has a leather strap to fit in the hand and was made by the Hall's Co. Any ideas?
Albert most likely lived in the town of Whatcom, one of four that would merge to become greater Bellingham. Among his possessions is a metal business card from the L.L. Berens, Jeweler and Optician. I suspect he kept that card because it's where he bought the ring for his betrothed, or it could be just where he had his pocket watch watch fixed.
He married in Bellingham on June 17, 1908 to Ida May Duxbury. He was 26, she 28. I do have memories of Ida May (she went by May), who died when I was six and spent her final years living in an apartment my grandpa Clair had for her in the back of his real estate office in West Seattle. I still have the sled she gave us (or at least that grandpa gave us in her name, come to think of it). I have a poster of a Duxbury embroidery from the mid 1800s - a cat named Smut - hanging on our wall at home. The Duxbury name is common in Hixton, Wisconsin, where she was born. Unfortunately their marriage certificate does not state precisely where they were married but my supposition is that it was at the First Baptist Church, one of the oldest churches in town. I do have the pastor's name (F.A. Guile) so perhaps church records could verify.
Let's see, what else does the box reveal?
Not much, really. Here are more photos of bird beak and bones, nut baskets and the little sling shot he must have had as a toy when a kid.
A hunting license from 1909 (cost: $1) tells us that he might have been an outdoorsman. Oh, and he was witness to what must have been a very exciting thing to happen in 1908 - the
visitation of the Atlantic Fleet (a.k.a. Great White fleet) to Bellingham Bay! An elaborate program in the box describes the history and sites of Bellingham and includes pictures of the eight Navy battle ships that steamed in. Judging from the program, it looks like it was quite a spectacle. That would have been the year before the big Seattle-Yukon Exposition too.
There's a very ornate small tin cup, and a tiny pill box from a local pharmacy.
There is a velvet heart, and a delicate lace card that he kept.
What I really wanted to know though, above all things, is how my great grandfather died and why so young. Unfortunately it was a cruel death, one from which he no doubt suffered for more than a year before the disease finally got him. He died from pulmonary tuberculosis, also called consumption at the time and by other names too. It's a disease that slowly attacks the lungs, eventually sucking all of the air out of you. You catch it from others so perhaps it was something he picked up in his rounds as a postal worker. Again that's just conjecture on my part. Albert's death certificate says he was treated for it between February 4, 1914 through his death on August 1, 1915. It must have been awful for him, and I feel badly for my great-grandmother too as well as my grandpa Clair who had to watch it all though young eyes then grow without the care or guidance of a dad. TB was sweeping the country back then - vaccines were not yet fully developed and it was killing thousands a year.
Many who had TB were placed in sanitariums for treatment. I do not know if that was an option for Albert. His death certificate states he died at 208 Alabama Street in Bellingham, a home built in 1910 that still stands! I even found a photo of it and checked records to make sure it was the same place. There are three sanitariums for Bellingham listed in the
1910 Polk Medical Register and Directory of North America. I suppose it's possible that the house on Alabama was built for that reason and not the actual home of Albert and Ida May - again more research is needed.
Albert is entombed at the mausoleum at the Bayview Cemetery in Bellingham. His wife Ida May's ashes are scattered there with him. Now that I know that I will make a trip soon to pay my respects.
So that's the story, at least what I know to date, of my late great-grandfather, Albert Clayton Smith. Sadly my mom recalls nothing of her grandfather. I'll give my uncle Stuart who lives in Oregon a call to see if he knows anything more. I'm sure he must based on things his dad likely told him, but I wanted to get this out in honor of Albert's 135th birthday, which I just discovered today upon the arrival of his death certificate in the mail. Call it mail carrier Karma, if you will.
So Happy Birthday, Grandpa Albert! I wish life had not been so short for you, but it's because of you that I'm around so am glad some of the clues you left behind revealed a little about who you were. It also raises the question for me - and perhaps those of you reading this - what will you leave behind for your descendants? And will it all fit in a small white box?
Sunday update: I had that conversation with my uncle Stuart today. He confirmed there is a railroad connection - in fact he has a second watch that Albert used on the railroad. He wasn't sure what his job was, so when I discussed the mail angle above he agreed that's probably correct. Stu also noted that he had two siblings, a brother named
Archie (wife Clara) who lived in Bellingham and a sister named Carol (wife of
Lloyd Dexter), and they lived in Manchester (on the Kitsap Peninsula near Bremerton). I remember Carol visiting but was not sure of the family connection. In fact we still have some of Uncle Lloyd's tools. Stu remembers visiting Archie and Clara in Bellingham because they lived two doors away from his maternal grandmother. He said that's where he was at age five when they received word that President Roosevelt had died. Archie is listed as a witness on the marriage certificate. Stu also recalls that Albert's widow, Ida May, remarried briefly to a fellow named Cal but the marriage didn't last very long. He remembers visiting the cemetery with his parents from time to time when he was growing up. He has a family photo with Albert and others at his home in Gresham.
