Day 4 (August 25 2008):
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Early to rise, early to surprise... we woke up "late" and decided to try out the local cuisine. Mary Jo's was the preferred and recommended local feeding stop, so Dad and Brian headed over there. Mom was going to get ready and skip breakfast (the most important meal of the day).
The main focus for today was to locate the Wood and Smalley family lines. We were going to start with the local county Historical Society. Brian had planned to meet up with Marciel Milton, the Treasurer at the Frontier County Historical Society after breakfast and go through all the available records. Marciel currently resided in Curtis, but actually was born in the area of Stockville, Nebraska Frontier county. She was very helpful and we collected numerous items. Brian also signed up to be a member of the Historical Society. As you may know, these societies really are important to the community and invaluable for persons researching their family... it is always a good idea to provide any monetary support as they operate on donations and volunteer support.
After researching at the historical society, we drove the 30+ minutes south toward the capital of Frontier county - Stockville. We visited the court house and researched many of the deeds and records, finding little information relevant to direct family... although we did find details on the Wood family. This along with the stop at the Historical society turned up some good connective details on the Smalley/Harper/Wood side, but nothing that could be singularly identified for direct family (yet). Further research would be needed.
After this we headed over to Arbor Cemetery where many of the Wood family members had been laid to rest. In addition, we found Grandpa Shriver in a larger burial plot. Many pictures were taken and should be followed up with local records.
Then we made a short trip NE of Stockville to where Grandma Mabel Smalley's school was. This area was an open field with not noticeable remnants of the school. It had long ago returned to the earth and/or been removed. Still it was wonderful to see the place that she taught in the early 1910's. This is also where Grandpa Wood and Uncle Wayne may have gone to grade school.
What is certain, based on census records is that this is where Grandma Smalley met Charles Wood and marriage soon followed. Charles Wood lived "next door" to the Grandma and Grandpa Shriver (Mabel's mother and stepfather). And this is where Grandpa Wood spent the greater part of his young life growing up.
We were getting hungry at this point and drove back up into Curtis for a meal at the Ag Valley Coop. Good pizza and cold soft drink, gave us back some energy for continuing the research further down the road... We stopped by the Curtis library for a quick look at whatever records they may have and found a few books, but nothing much further and it was at that point that we decided to execute the plan B... fast track east that afternoon, rather than wait until the next day.
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So, we bundled up and headed out east. By 5:30pm that night, we were in North Platte and decided to stop and have some dinner at a regular chain restaurant. From here we made great time into Assumption Cemetery, Adams county, Nebraska for our first visit with several of the Weber/Faber/Konen relatives. The church and cemetery was beautiful and fortunately we had plenty of sun to capture some nice pics of headstones.
From here we headed on into town to stay at the Comfort Inn in Hastings, Nebraska. After that long day, which was nearly 200 miles traveled, we hit the sack early with bigger plans expected tomorrow.
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See day 5 for the continuing saga.
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