Conrad Ickes' daughter, Eliza Virginia, married George A. Wilt in January of 1875. He was about 21 years old and she was 17. Their son, Harry Conrad Wilt (partly named after grandfather Ickes) was born 3 years later. I would speculate that Eliza had at least one miscarriage, probably more, during that time. Only 3 months after Harry's birth, Eliza died. She was buried in the Pleasantville Cemetery near where her father, step mother, and uncle would later be buried.
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| Eliza Virginia Ickes Wilt buried in Pleasantville Cemetery |
Within two years of Eliza's death (probably sooner than later), George remarried a widow, Marietta Stufft Gordon, who had a daughter from her previous marriage 4 years older than Harry. When Harry was 2 yrs. old (1880), he was living with his father George, step mother Marietta, and step sister Clara Gordon in Bedford County. It appears, though, (from Conrad's will) that sometime before Harry turned 7 he left his father's home and began living with grandfather Conrad and step grandmother Mary (Eliza's mother had died in 1868 when Eliza was just 10 years old). Conrad's will states, "[My son,] Richard is to pay my grandson Harry C. Wilt one thousand dollars when he becomes twenty one years of age. . . .And further I desire my son Richard W to take charge of my grandson Harry Wilt and care for him after my decease until he becomes sixteen years or old enough to go to a trade, also give him a free school education." In 1887, when Harry was 9 years old, Conrad died.
I think it's important to note and consider that Harry probably never had a blood-related mother figure in his life. I say "probably" because we don't know anything about George's parents, and because we don't, and because they're not easy to find in historical records, it's likely they weren't alive or at least not involved in George's life past his childhood. I shudder to think that Harry could have openly been accused of the cause of his mother's death, but, having known of other very good families who have assigned blame to a newborn infant in the same way and openly verbalized it for years after the fact, I would certainly not discount the idea. When you really consider the implications of all this your sympathies can't help but be turned to young Harry.
According to Conrad's will, Uncle Richard was only obligated to care for Harry until he turned 16. We really don't know what life was like for Harry or exactly how long he lived with Uncle Richard, but I think it's safe to assume a loving, nuclear family was not Harry's experience during his most impressionable years.
Fast forward 10 years to 1897. Harry is age 19. He is living in Westmoreland County, PA in the mining town of Luxor and working as a "Charger". Westmoreland County is in western Pennsylvania where coal mining abounds. The Luxor mining complex was a town created by Robert S. Jamison, owner and developer of the Jamison Coal and Coke Company, to provide housing and basic services for his employees. By 1897 the Luxor Mine (Jamison No. 1 Mine) employed 179 miners, many of whom lived in the company-built houses in the coal patch town of Luxor, which contained the company-built houses, a [ridiculously overpriced] company store, the Jamison Supply company, and the slope-entry mine and coke works. In the year 1897 the Luxor Mine produced over 83,000 tons of coal and its coke works, containing 120 bee-hive coke ovens, produced 35,000 tone of coke.
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Remains of the Luxor Mine Coke Works ca. 1993
(photo by Ken Rose, ca. 1993, courtesy of HABS/HAER & National Archives,
Photo Division, Washington D C)
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Luxor Mine Tipple (left), coal washing plant (right) ca. 1993
(photo by Ken Rose, ca. 1993, courtesy of HABS/HAER & National Archives,
Photo Division, Washington D C)
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Wooden Coal Buggys, Luxor Mine
(photo by Ken Rose, ca. 1993, courtesy of HABS/HAER & National Archives,
Photo Division, Washington D C)
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The remains of the coal washing plant, Luxor Mine ca. 2003
(photo by Chris DelaMea, coalcampusa.com)
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Company-built homes in Luxor which are still inhabited ca. 2003
(photo by Chris DelaMea, coalcampusa.com)
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The portal to the Luxor Mine ca. 2003
(photo by Sam Baker, coalcampususa.com)
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Coal mining at Lexor ended in 1972 ca. 2003
(photo by Chris DelaMea, coalcampusa.com)
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Also living in Luxor and working at the Jamison No. 1 Mine in 1897 was Harry's father, George. Exactly when Harry left Uncle Richard in Bedford County and reunited with his father in Westmoreland County is a mystery I'll probably never solve. Various family trees on ancestry.com indicate that George's 2nd wife, Marietta, had died in 1893. She probably did, but I don't have any documentation to prove it.
1897 was an important year for Harry as that was the year he married Catherine "Katie" Fallen (or Fallon). Her parents were Irish immigrants who came to America in 1865. Katie's mother, Annie, a widow, had been raising Katie and her younger brother, Thomas, on her own. (More than likely Katie's father was also a miner and was killed in a mining accident.) Harry and Katie were married on 15 December 1897. He was 19 and she was barely 17 years old.
Their first child, Richard Theodore, was born 5 January, 1898, less than a month after Harry and Katie were married. 5 1/2 months later, on 18 June 1898 in Pittsburgh, Harry enlisted in the US Military. By the end of July, 1898 he found himself in Puerto Rico deeply entrenched in the Spanish-American War. An armistice was declared on the 12th of August and Harry was honorably discharged on 27 November 1898 in Pittsburgh.
In January of 1899 Harry turned 21. If you remember, He was left $1000 on his 21st birthday as stipulated in Conrad's will. But it's actually a little more complicated than that. Apparently Conrad had loaned George and Eliza, Harry's parents (Eliza being Conrad's daughter), some money. Eliza died and George must have moved away before Conrad was paid back. So Conrad had added an addendum to his will which stated, "P.S. June 27, 1885. Now I sold Richard W. Ickes my son a note against Geo. A. Wilt and Liza V. Wilt given June 27th 1877 and Richard gave me one hundred dollars for it Feb. 21st 1885. Now if Geo. A. Wilt don’t pay this note before Harry C. Wilt becomes 21 years of age Harry C. Wilt must pay Richard W. Ickes or his heirs one hundred dollars with interest from Feb. 21, 1885 for this note. signed Conrad Ickes" Even though this was money loaned to George and Eliza before Harry was even born, Harry was being held liable to pay it back. Un-be-lievable.
On his 21st birthday, 26 January 1899, Harry was in Pleasantville, Bedford County, PA to collect his inheritance. Did he get the $1000 promised him from Uncle Richard? Well, sort of. Richard gave him $816.41 in cash. The loan which was made to his parents, and which accrued 5% interest from the time Uncle Richard took it over, was turned over to Harry and was worth the remaining $182.59. If Harry ever wanted to see that money he would have to try to collect it from his dad himself.
Harry and Katie had wasted no time expanding their family as their second child, Blanche Ethel, was born 18 September 1899, 9 1/2 months after his return from war . Two years and one month following Blanche's birth came Harry Kermit, born on 21 October 1901. 10 months later, on 1 September 1902, Blanche Ethel died just shy of her 2nd birthday. Two and a half months after Blanche's death, on 18 November 1902, son Mignon F. was born. He also died in infancy.
Baby #5, Eugene Quentin, was born 11 November 1904; #6, Evelyn Eleanor, born 13 June 1907; #7, Thomas Stayman, 31 December 1909; #8, Florence Catherine, 16 April 1913; #9, Alma Pearl, 26 January 1915; and finally, #10, Robert Raymond was born 30 November 1918. During their first 21 years of marriage, while Katie gave birth to ten babies, eight of whom were living, Harry continued to work in the mining business, moving his family around Westmoreland County to accommodate better work and better pay.
Not only was 1918 the year their last child was born, it was also the year Harry was required to register for the WWI draft. Harry was not called up. However, their oldest son, Richard, enlisted in the Marines on 7 July 1918. From what I can tell he never left stateside and was honorably released on 11 February 1919.
The 1920 census shows the Wilt family living in Latrobe, Westmoreland, PA with all 8 children still at home. Harry had worked his way up to Mine Foreman. Oldest son, Richard, was the only other wage earner in the household. It appears that Harry's hard work had paid off as he was no longer a renter and was probably looking forward to the economic boom of the 1920s.
And then it happened. 29 October 1929. The crash heard 'round the world. Pennsylvania's mining industry was one of the hardest hit. The 1930 census, which was enumerated in April, shows half of the Wilt children having left home. Harry still declared himself to be a Mine Foreman and son, Thomas, age 20, was working as a Caseman in the coal industry. It appears that, at least for the time being, they had dodged the bullet of complete economic ruin. But that was to be short lived. Whatever was to come, life for Harry, Katie, and their children was about to take a drastic turn.
Fast forward again a few years. An article printed in the DuBois Morning Courier (DuBois, Clearfield County, PA) on Saturday, November 4, 1933 reporting on an incident which had happened in Latrobe refers to Harry C. Wilt, 55, as a "one-time mine foreman". Although we don't know when his unemployed status began, clearly by 1933 Harry was out of work and his economic status had taken a significant downturn. But there was a lot more to it than that. The article further states that Harry had abandoned his wife and children in 1930 and had gone to "room" at the home of 37 year old Catherine Graff. Catherine had two children living with her from a previous marriage. According to Catherine's children, Harry had lived with them up until 6 months previous when he "disappeared and was not seen again until a few days ago." Despondent because he was unable to find work, it was believed that he had planned to go to Sewickley [PA] (about 60 miles away) to live with a married daughter. (That would be daughter Evelyn who had married Edgar Muir. Edgar was a policeman in Sewickley. They had a 5 year old son named Thomas.) Harry had returned to Catherine Graff's home to convince her to go with him.
Did Harry live his entire life in a constant state of depression and despondency, having been led to believe that he had killed his mother and was not a welcome, wanted addition to any family? And when he finally "had it all" - the wife, the children, the economic stability - and began to see it crumble before his eyes, did he abandon everything good in his life so that the life he "deserved", as an unwanted, unloved menace and problem, would finally be fulfilled? Or, simply, did Harry's relative affluence and accomplishments create such pride in himself that his roving eye toward a younger woman would wreak havoc in his family and break up his marriage of nearly 33 years? In the midst of the Great Depression, did "home wrecker" Catherine find herself destitute of help to support herself and her children as she set her sights on Mine Foreman Harry 3 years previous? Or was Harry a lousy or alcoholic/abusive husband and, upon losing his job, was thrown out by Katie, knowing her life would vastly improve with him gone as her grown sons would not let their mother and younger siblings starve to death? Perhaps Harry and Catherine truly were in love. But when Harry left his wife and children and gave up everything he held dear to be with her, did Catherine ultimately turn on him, leaving Harry feeling completely alone and abandoned once again? Unfortunately, we will never know. And, no matter how hard we try to figure it all out, I don't think anyone could have predicted the uncontrollable level of turmoil, hopelessness, and rage growing inside of Harry.
On Thursday, November 2, 1933 Harry Conrad Wilt entered the home of Catherine Graff, as was reported, to convince her to move with him to Sewickley PA, the home of his married daughter. Upon Catherine's final refusal to comply with his request, Harry fired one bullet in the back of her head, killing her instantly. He then turned the gun on himself firing a bullet into his own head. Harry died at Latrobe Hospital a few hours later.
From the DuBois Morning Courier, 4 November 1933:
Harry was buried in an unmarked grave in the St. James Lutheran Cemetery, Youngstown, PA.
The consequences of his actions that day, no doubt, forever changed the lives of his wife and children and well as the children of Catherine Graff.
In February of 1934, 3 months after Harry's death, Katie applied for Veteran's Compensation. She was to receive $10 a month for 5 months. Later, on 17 March 1941, Katie applied for a veteran's grave marker. An upright marble headstone provided by the US government was placed to mark Harry's grave.
And what happened to Harry and Katie's children?
1. Richard Theodore served in WWI (as previously discussed). He married Margaret S. Tarr. They had at least 3 children, Richard, David, and Barbara. He stayed close to home and died somewhere near Latrobe PA on 23 September 1991.
2. Blanche Ethel died in infancy.
3. Harry Kermit enlisted in the Army during WWII and served from 6 February 1941 to 14 September 1945.
He married Blanche E. Haman and had at least one child, Mary Ann. Harry also stayed close to home and died in Somerset, PA 15 Oct 1969.
4. Mignon F. died in infancy.
5. Eugene Quentin died in Suffolk County, New York October 1977.
6. Evelyn Eleanor married Edgar Muir in 1926. They lived in Swickley, Allegheny County, PA and then in Midland, Beaver County PA. Edgar died in 1974 in Mentor on the Lake, Ohio. Evelyn lived to be 85 years old and died in Sun City Center, Florida on 3 Dec 1999.
7. Thomas Stayman remained in Latrobe. His wife's name was Marian. Thomas died 22 Oct 1992 at the age of 83.
8. Florence Catherine married George William Kirk in 1934. She died 26 May 1997 in Beaver, PA.
9. Alma Pearl died 27 August 1972 in Westmoreland County, PA at the age of 57. There is no record available showing that she ever married.
10. Robert Raymond was a Sergeant in the US Army during WWII. He was with the 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division and was killed in action against enemy forces on 10 Jan 1943 in Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. He is buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the Bronze Star, and the Purple Heart. He had not married.
And Katie? Let's review. She married at 17. Gave birth 10 times in 21 years. Lost 2 infant children. Her husband left her after 33 years of marriage. 3 years later he shot a woman (probably his lover) in cold blood and committed suicide. 10 years after that her youngest son, the one who was with her during some of the hardest days of her life, was killed in action in Guadalcanal. I don't have exact information about when and where she died, although someone with the last name of Blackburn put on familysearch.org that she died in Connecticut in 1962. If that's correct, she probably had a child living there and spent the remainder of her days spoiling her grandchildren. And if that's true, there's no greater joy to be found. For now, I'll go with that.
All original content, images, commentary, etc. copyright © by Joy Denison 2015-2016. All rights reserved. All writings, poems, speeches, essays, images, scans, likenesses, etc. by Adam Ickes (b 1845) as well as personal histories, images, and all other content by all persons referenced and discussed within the pages and posts in this blog may not be copied, shared, or reproduced in any way without expressed permission by the owner unless included here from other referenced sources or are historical records already considered to be in the public domain.
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