Gamble Family Reunion

My Grandpa Neill "Bo" Gamble gave me this photo of the William Neill Gamble farmhouse where he grew up near St. Vincent, Minnesota. His mother, Lillie Maud Griffith Gamble has written on the back: "According to size Kathleen & Frances in the back row. Kathleen has her hands on Wilhelmina's shoulders. May below Frances and Neill in front of Wilhelmina. Taken when Jean was a few days old." (My Grandpa Bo added FALL 1914.) - Posted by Lori Kohut Bianco

As many long-time readers know, I serialized an important part of local history on this blog - the Gamble Family Letters. It's rare such documents survive, and being able to share them here with the public was an incredible honor.

The descendants of that family will once again be gathering for a family reunion this summer in Hallock, MN. They have roots in our area that they deeply appreciate, and I will be attending the reunion to meet more of the family. It's exciting to be reaching back through the sharing of our common heritage while at the same time realizing and appreciating where it's taken us!

While local history has a very special place in my heart, so does genealogy. Lori wrote this week to say they had exciting family history news, and it was tied directly to an early St. Vincent settler:

Exciting news on the genealogy front to report...Alice Edkins Jablonski - a cousin descended from Elizabeth Gamble Griffith, sister of William Neill Gamble (who will be attending the reunion) - has made contact with a distant cousin in Scotland, via some Internet genealogy message boards! His name is William (Billy) Irvine, & his ancestor, Samuel Gamble, was the chief police inspector in the city of Dundee and the brother of our ancestor, Alexander Gamble. He has promised to dig up some information to send us.

...we e-mailed him a copy of one of the photos...from Dorothy Griffith - the one from the photography studio in Dundee - & he has confirmed that it is of Samuel Gamble & his family.

Gamble Letter: 'New' One Found

Another 'Gamble Letter' has been found! Lori Bianco, Great Granddaughter of the writer, recently found it among her familiy's papers; it had been given to her by her grandfather Neill Alexander Gamble, Lillie's son...

Lillie Maude Griffith Gamble, wife of William Neill Gamble wrote this letter to Margaret Neill.

St. Vincent, Minn.
Oct. 28th, 1917


Miss Margaret Neill
Beaverton, Ont.


Dear Aunt Maggie,

It is a long time since I have written to you. But although I don’t write often. I think of you just the same. We are having an early winter here this year we had snow now for two weeks & guess it is going to stay. Sammie has sold his farm & personal property & has gone to Wyoming to locate. Mrs. Forster has come to St. Vincent to live & Grandpa stays with her. Her husband is a traveler & don’t be home very much. Grandpa comes out to the farm every other day. It seems he cant stay away from the place any length of time.

Allan & Lewis are both going to High School. They are getting to be big boys now. I have a little boy 4 months old. William Leslie he is not very big but is commencing to grow now I think. I have no girl & it keeps me busy with eleven of ourselves & two hired men. Well since I heard from you we are all in the Big War. We had a second call for Liberty Bonds last week & St. Vincent was supposed to give $5,000, & they made $6,000. That wasn’t bad the Gambles, Lapps & Griffith girls put in $13.00. Thirteen boys have enlisted from St. Vincent & about six were drafted.

We had a good crop this year although we didn’t have much in as he has a lot of summer fallow. We do quite a bit of Red Cross work here. We have completed 14 sets of sweater, wristlets pair of socks and a muffler, and have started on 14 more. Besides making hospital shirts & pajamas.

How are you getting along I suppose the weather is fine down there. I think I will quit writing as you will be tired reading this scribble. I hope you are well as we are all well here. With love from all I will say Goodby. Write sometime.

I remain
Yours lovingly
Lillie M. Gamble

NOTES:

"Sammie" = Samuel Moses Gamble, youngest son of Alexander & Mary Ann, and brother to William
"Mrs. Forster" = Alice Gamble, daughter of Alexander & Mary Ann, and sister to William
"Grandpa" = Alexander Gamble -- would have been in his 80s by then
"Allan & Lewis" = the two oldest sons, would have been teenagers
"William Leslie" = youngest son

How the Gamble Letters were Found

Today I received an email from a decendent of Mary Ann Gamble, the woman who wrote these letters; the email was from her great, great granddaughter, Lori(Kohut)Bianco.

Lori has this to say, including how the original letters were found...

My uncle forwarded your blog link to me a few weeks ago when you published the photo of the St. Vincent school children. I checked back today & was thrilled to see you have found the Gamble family letters. I'm Neill "Bo" Gamble's granddaughter (William Gamble's great-granddaughter & Mary Ann Neill Gamble's great-great granddaughter...)

Beaverton [one of the towns mentioned in the letters that the Gambles had moved from...] is only about an hour from where I now live & we've been there a few times. Margaret Neill, the "Maggie" referred to in the letters, lived alone there after the death of her parents until she died in 1949 & is buried in the cemetery in the yard of "the Old Stone Church" (St. Andrew's). When we first visited Beaverton in 1984, people still remembered Maggie Neill & the house she lived in had only been torn down a few years previously. She died a spinster, & as we understand it, my grandfather's cousin, Warren Griffith (son of Jane/Jenny), went there after her death & rescued the letters from the trash heap. Unfortunately, we do not have much contact with the Griffith side of the family (it's possible you know them better than we do!), so we do not know whether they are still in possession of the originals.

Your theory that the Gambles were of "Irish stock, if not native, then one generation removed at most" is correct -- both Mary Ann & Alexander Gamble were born in Ireland, but (from what little we know), they emigrated to Scotland (exactly when, we do not know). There are references in the letters to "Dundee" & one of my mother's cousins found Mary Ann & Alexander's marriage certificate from there. From Canadian census records, I've determined that Elizabeth, the oldest daughter, was apparently born in Scotland, but Alex Jr., the oldest son, was born in New York State. The rest of the children (including my great-grandfather) were born in Beaverton, except for Sammy, the youngest, born in St. Vincent. There are various family stories/theories about how the family came to be in New York, one being that Alex (and possibly his brothers -- there is a reference in one of the letters to "sister Ellen in Philadelphia") came to America at the time of the civil war to weave cloth for uniforms for Union soldiers.

The links you've added to explain the various references are fascinating. The one about Hamilton House, in particular -- I had no idea it was in England. Re: the Orange Lodge, my mother has Alexander Gamble's Orange Lodge songbook (!) from the 1860s, it's quite a read!! My grandfather told me he used to have his sash too, but unfortunately it has disappeared.

Your blog is a treasure in itself. I'll continue to read it with interest.

I thank Lori for the kind compliments. I feel privileged to be learning from this project, and am thankful to be able to share it with others, especially those that have roots from our area...

The Maggie Neill Letters

The Gamble family will forever fascinate me. They are second only to my own families - the Clow, the Fitzpatrick, the Fitzgerald, and the Short families - in the comprehensiveness of what I know about them as people. Due to the letters, we've been priviledged to entered into a real slice of 19th and early 20th century life of those individuals. Thank goodness for packrats...!

I have recently received correspondence from yet another Gamble/Griffith descendent. Her family saved letters from Maggie Neill. Maggie was a member of the Gamble family through adoption (details of the adoption are not known to me at this time...) While most members of the Gamble family moved on and settled farther west and south, leaving their original Ontario home after initial migration, Maggie stayed at the old place alone, growing into old age. Her connection with those who left was through her letters to them, of which is an example below.

I will let the letters speak mostly for themselves, but from time to time will include comments from the family of what is known about them or the writer...

June 1, 1928

To Mrs. P. Edkins

My Dear Alice,

I received a card from you at Christmas time, but as you spoke of writing one a letter later on I waited for it, but of course it never came; so I decided to write you one instead. I did not hear from little Jean for months, but I owe her one now. Kathleen still writes to me. I was sorry to hear from her that Willie had left his farm.

I hope this Spring was more favorable for seeding than last Spring was out there. We had a cold dry Spring here. The leaves on the trees were a week late coming out, and the ice on the lake was late in breaking up. We can stand fires in our stoves most of the time yet. Indeed I might say we need them most of the time.

Seeding here was quite late, and a nice warm rain would do the crops good. But there were frosts lately instead. My garden looks rather nice now. There are Lily of the Valley and Narcissus and Bleeding Heart and Forget-Me-Not and Columbines etc. etc. blooming now. It looks too nice for some people, for they would like to get it away from one if they could. Of course, the buildings are old now, but it is the site they covet of course.

The street is paved like the City streets now. There is only a strip of grass on each side - where the maples grow and it is near the schools and R.R. stations and stores etc. The Council said if I would will the place to them they would not bother me for taxes - the taxes are very high here now - but I sent them word I would pay what I could and the rest could run on. I was sixty-eight last January and far from strong, and don’t expect to live many more years. There is a young couple in the other house the last two years with three little children.

I hope you and your little ones are quite well. I must now say goodbye,

from yours affectionately,
Margaret Neill

From Gamble descendent Lori Bianco come these comments on this Neill letter:

"Little Jean" would be Barb's mother, Jean (Gamble) Maloney, and "Kathleen" would be her (& my grandfather's) older sister, Kathleen Gamble Jaynes Weber. "Willie" is my great-grandfather, Alexander & Mary Ann's son -- he lost his farm during the Depression.

Gambles...AFTER the Letters

Descendents of the original Gambles that settled St. Vincent have been in touch, and shared this with me about the "story after the story", i.e., what happened after the letters stopped...

I do know a little about what happened to everyone, thanks mainly to my late grandfather, Neill (Bo) Gamble (Willie's son), who sat down one day & went through the entire family tree with me, including the names of almost all of his Gamble cousins.

Mary Ann Neill Gamble was born in Ireland in 1841 and passed away in 1903 (as you know from one of the later letters). (The letter is dated 1902, but the headstone at the cemetery says 1903 -- perhaps a transcription error?). She would have been 61 or 62.

Alexander Gamble was born August 20, 1834, in Coot’s Hill, County Cavan, Ireland, and passed away September 8, 1925, at the home of his daughter, Ellen Gamble Lapp, in St. Vincent at age 91. They are buried in St. Vincent Cemetery; there is a large headstone erected in their memory.

She and Alexander Gamble were married in Dundee, Scotland, on November 5, 1861.

Their children, in order of age:

Elizabeth (Lizzie) was born February 13, 1863, in Dundee, Scotland. She married Hugh Griffith and had five children. Hugh died August 2, 1909 at age 58 -- killed instantly when struck by lightning while atop a haystack. Lizzie died of pneumonia on March 19, 1916 at age 53. They are buried in St. Vincent Cemetery, as is their son, Hugh Jr. & his wife Agnes.

Alexander Jr. (Young Alick) was born May 26, 1865, in Albany, New York. After the death of his first wife, Maggie, he remarried. His second wife's name was Martha, and Barbara Kennedy believed she was the sister of his first wife, from Emerson. He wound up in Idaho, where he worked as a contractor and carpenter. He died in Idaho Falls, Idaho, of complications due to asthma on November 28, 1943, at age 78. I am not sure how many children he had; the letters mention three.

In 1990, I was contacted by a woman with the last name of Gamble from Idaho, who had gotten my name through the Ontario Genealogy Society. She was married to one of young Alex Jr.'s descendants & interested in the family history. I was thrilled to hear from her and sent her a copy of all my research notes to that time, but unfortunately never heard a thing back from her.

Ellen was born in 1868 in Ontario (likely Beaverton), married Richard Lapp and lived in St. Vincent. She died in 1960 and would have been about 92 at the time. They are buried in St. Vincent Cemetery. They had five children, most of whom lived in the St. Vincent area, & some of their descendants are still in the area.

Jane (Jenny) was born in 1870 in Ontario (likely Beaverton). She married John (Jack) Griffith, Jr. on October 19, 1893 (we believe he was a cousin to Lizzie's husband Hugh, not exactly sure of the relationship) and lived in St Vincent until her death in 1950 at around the age 80. They are also buried in St. Vincent Cemetery. They had five children, some of whom lived in the St. Vincent area, & some descendants still live in the vicinity.

William (Willie, also later known as Bill) was born March 17, 1871, in Beaverton, Ontario. He married Lillie Maud Griffith of Winnipeg (another cousin of Hugh's & Jack's, again, not entirely clear on the relationship) in 1901. They had nine children. After her death in 1928 (at the age of 44), he and the younger children lived in Hallock, and he later lived in Crookston, where he passed away in 1952 at the age of 81. He & Lillie are also buried in St. Vincent Cemetery.

Alice was born in the early 1870s in Ontario (Beaverton), married Alec Forrester, and lived in Memphis, Tennessee, where she died sometime in the mid-1960s. She would have been around 90. They had two children.

Samuel (Sammy) was born in 1879 in St. Vincent, and wound up in Golden, Colorado, where he died on May 23, 1964 at age 84. His death certificate listed his occupation as "custodian, Colorado School of Mines," but my grandfather told me he ran a pool hall for awhile and also worked with the police department. He & his wife Thea (who was a schoolteacher at St. Vincent) had no children.

Margaret (Maggie) Neill, to whom all the letters were written, never married and lived by herself after the deaths of her parents. She died in Beaverton, Ontario, on November 29, 1949 at age 89, and is buried in the cemetery of St. Andrew's, also known as "The Old Stone Church," on the outskirts of town.

William & Lillie were my great-grandparents. The only descendants from this part of the family still living in Kittson County (in Hallock) are their grandchildren (my mother's cousins) Dorothy Berard Swan, Kaye Walters Cederholm, and Kenny Walters.

I feel sad to see the letters coming to an end -- even though I've read them before, it's almost been like reading them all over again for the first time. I appreciate your sharing them with the world through the Internet, & especially all the explanatory little links you've added that really add colour & context to the story.

...and thus ends the story of the Gambles, early settlers of St. Vincent, as told through their own words.

Gamble Letter #13

Alexander Gamble land patent (1885)

On your left is an image of the actual land claim for Alexander Gamble, recently found at the BLM Archives. 

Ellen Gamble alludes in her letter below, to "dreadful fires"; they were because of the effects of the horrific forest fires in Ontario, Canada, in September 1881.

Also mentioned in the letter below is a Confirmation service at Christ Church that happened in August 1881; note the image of the Confirmation card found in the 200 year old Gamble family Bible from that very service...

St. Vincent Minn Sep 14, 1881

My dear Maggie We received your letter and was glad to hear that yous Were all Well as this leaves us at present I would have rote before but I was waiting to the show would come of it was Monday the 5, We had a good time I saw a boy in the show Weighing over 540 lbs and a Wild bush girl she was found running Wild on the sandy Plains of Austrilia, and a horse with 8 feet There was a hotel burnt down in Emerson and a man burnt to death We had confirmation every Tuesday Lizzie and Jane and I got confirmed the bishop was from St. Paul his name is Bishop Whipple.

Confirmation Card, found in 200 year old Gamble family Bible.

There is no sunday school for a few sundays. We have not been to school for a Week or two. I was put in history I like it very well. Alice is getting on Pretty Well and so is Willie Alick thinks himself quite a man he bought a mare and two colts. he bought a Pair of duck. the book mark was very nice we see by the newspapers there is dreadful fires in Canada it was Very cold this morning. Pa got a paper from Dundee - Sammy is drawing an old pair of shoes across the floor Willie is hurding the cattle Alick is Pumping We have three Pigs Lizzie is going to St. Vincent this morning. I will send you some flour seeds I dont know the name of them I will Write a longer letter the next time so good by for the present Ellen Gamble Write soon dont forget

The Faces of the Gamble Family

Long time readers of this blog will know the Gamble family well. Have you wondered what they looked like? Well, wonder no longer.

NOTE: A key to who's who, is at the bottom of this post...







1) December 1890 - Ellen, Jane, Alice, William, and Samuel Gamble

2) "This is and awful bad taken photo will send you a better one of myself later. That is me with the Badge on Coat" - James Gamble

3) Alex Gamble, 1878

4) Sam, Grandma, Winnie, Grandpa, and Willie

School Days

This is a snapshot taken during the school year 1925/26, of the 7th & 8th grade classes, on the steps of the St. Vincent School.


Names of students in photograph are:

Jean Gamble (far left, front row), Jean Fleming, Vera Rustad, and Alberta Fitzpatrick *(far right, front row)
Jane Scott, Eileen Twamley, Fred Stranger
Clarence Dorian, Warren Griffith, Dan Hutchins, Raymond Scrimshaw
Neill "Bo" Gamble (Jean's brother), Allen Smith
Merlin Twamley, Norton DeFrance, James Bernath, Brooks Perry, Manuel Gooselaw
Cecil & John Smith

The photo was shared with me by Barbara (Maloney) Sitar. Her mother was Margaret "Jean" (Gamble) Maloney; Jean's parents were William Gamble and Lillie Maud (Griffith) Gamble. Through her grandmother, Barbara is therefore also related to the Griffith family. Both the Gambles and Griffiths were early settlers to the town.

Barbara shared this with me...

My mother was born in 1914, attended school and church [in St. Vincent.] Her mother, Lillie Maud Griffith Gamble died when my mom was around 14 years old. At some point after that, my grandfather moved from the farm in St. Vincent to Hallock where they lived. I think he lost the farm and took a job with the railroad.

* Alberta, otherwise known as Pat, is my mother Harriet's older sister, and my aunt...

Gamble Reunion Report

I had an wonderful time at the Gamble Family Reunion.

Bill and I spent most of Friday on our own around the area, exploring and taking photos. On the way there, we stopped at Northcote, then went on to St. Vincent.

Photo by Bill Reynolds

In between I visited an old classmate and friend, and her husband in Hallock, who put me in touch with a member of St. John's Church there. St. John's was always linked with Christ Church in St. Vincent, both being Episcopal churches who often shared ministers among other things. I learned from a woman associated with the church - which is now down to just a literal handful of congregants - that St. John's has many of the items that used to be in Christ Church. All the pews in St. John's sanctuary are from Christ Church, for instance. Also two ornately carved large wooden chairs on the rise by the altar are from St. Vincent. A cabinet with a glass front containing several silver offertory and communion articles were also from St. Vincent. Downstairs in the basement kitchen was a memorial china plate with a hand-painted image of Christ Church commemorating its 50th Anniversary in the 1930s. The member then showed us a few of Christ Church's books they had possession of. I looked through them and found some fascinating bits of church and town history in them. For example, Rev. Smiythe once made a note about the attendance one Sunday that it was "deer season" - that made me smile!

Photo by Bill Reynolds

In another part of a book, I found my Dad's name listed as one of the 'vestry men' in 1953. Sometime between then and 1959 they began attending Valley Community Church, which eventually became the Evangelical Free Church (now in Pembina). I recently found out that the building that housed that church (my childhood church) in St. Vincent - which was moved to Hallock and is still there not far from St. John's - was once Green's Store in St. Vincent. What a tangled web do buildings and towns have when you dig into their histories!

On Friday, my parents' home was still open, but by Saturday it was not; some time Friday afternoon or Saturday morning, HUD had been there boarding up the two-car garage door (which was open for some reason, no door on it) as well as put padlocks on all the house doors. A good thing, really, because sooner or later someone would be more tempted to vandalize it otherwise. Lucky for me, I was able to get photos and visit one last time, in the nick of time. As Bill and I walked up the sidewalk towards the front door Friday, I said to Bill, it's like it was yesterday I was here on a visit and Mom and Dad should be coming to the door, and I broke down and cried hard for a few moments. My stomach twisted and my heart was breaking...it was very hard deep inside me to continue but I did it.

Photo by Bill Reynolds

When touring St. Vincent, I finally had the opportunity to visit inside the jail building. It was always a mystery to me and I had often wanted to see inside of it when I was growing up. It has amazing bars of iron on the window of a sort I have never seen before, while the door has the classic old-fashioned flat iron bars. The door is also hung with impressive handmade iron hardware - long, large hinges and a two-piece locking mechanism, part in the door frame and part in the door itself. Bill was very impressed with the workmanship. I'm guessing they very well could have been made by a local blacksmith. The original tin panel ceiling tiles in the two interior rooms of the jail were still in-place. I'd love to get one of them someday when the building comes down.

We also visited the St. Vincent cemetery, and located my parents' graves. I finally saw both their tombstones, side-by-side, Dad's on the north, Mom's on the south - "You are my Sunshine" (Dad), "My Only Sunshine" (Mom)

Friday evening was a meet-and-greet. I had met only Alice before - the cousin who discovered her family through this blog - but never met in person anyone other Gamble member. That all changed quickly!

Saturday, we toured the old Alexander Gamble farm house and homestead, which when I was growing up we knew as the Rodney Webster farm, never knowing it's true origins at the time! Gary Webster, Rodney's son, saw all of us visiting en masse and came out to see what it was all about. We reassured him it was harmless, and we ended up having a good visit with him and he with us. We learned a lot about the land and who owned what and when.

Photo by Bill Reynolds

Later, we tried getting into Christ Church in St. Vincent, having been told the current owner would leave it open, but it was padlocked. After visiting the cemetery, the Gamble family went in caravan to Lancaster and we all ate a late lunch at Dean's Diner. From there we went on to the Kittson County Museum in Lake Bronson. The Museum was having a big fund-raising event, an auction which proceeds all go to benefits the museum. It was just ending when we arrived, and the Gambles asked to see the Gamble Family letters which are now housed there. Cindy Adams, the director, has done an amazing job encapsulating them in Mylar plastic (the tried and true method of preservation where you leave openings on side for air to get in and out) and then presenting them in a binder in plastic archival sleeves. It was amazing to see in-person the original letters. We even saw the one where Alex shares about a baby that was recently lost, a very sad time in the family.

While at the library, Bill and I toured it and saw many fascinating exhibits - it was especially illuminating to see the interior of a trapper's cabin, very small indeed, but logically it made sense that no more room was needed for a single working man under those conditions. We found out the Gamble letters have not been scanned yet, but the family expressed their hope they would be. Cindy said it was a good idea, but it was only a matter of finding the time - I'm sure she is a very busy person! I wish I lived closer - I'd be happy to volunteer. At least I am happy to say, I finally joined the Kittson County Historical Society on Saturday!

Christ Church Revisited

At this point, Christ Church was still considered a Mission...

In 1971, attempts were made to preserve Christ Church, the Episcopal church in St. Vincent. 

QUESTION:  If Christ Church was bought, restored, and donated to the St. Vincent Historical Society, how did it get back into private hands, the situation it is in today?  Some possible answers follow the article below, which documents the 1971 preservation efforts...

Past Resident Comes Home to Rest

Winnie Lapp, 104, of Elk Grove, Calif., died April 23, 2008. Graveside services are scheduled for May 7, 2008, 2 p.m. at the St. Vincent Cemetery, St. Vincent.

I ran across the above obituary online last Friday. I immediately passed it on to the Gamble family descendents since I knew that some of the family had intermarried with the Lapp family. It turns out they had lost track of that family line and had no idea that one of the older generation was still alive. They were blown away, as was I!

From Alice:

I found the connection on my tree. Who would have thought there would be 2 Winnie Lapps in the same generation? This Winnie Lapp who just passed on was married to Sam Lapp, the son of Ellen Gamble and Richard H. Lapp. The Winnie Lapp that I thought she was was the actual daughter of Ellen Gamble and Richard H. Lapp...Thank you, again, for sending me this obit. It has opened up a conversation with a nephew of Winnie's and I have asked him to pass along my e-mail address to two others that he keeps in touch with - one a Gamble and one a Griffith! I just love making these connections, not only to meet new and alive people I'm related to, but also with the hopes that someone out there has the answer to my brick walls!

From Lori, comes this:

Conclusion seems to be the same, that this Winnie Lapp was married to Samuel Lapp, son of Ellen Gamble Lapp & Richard Lapp -- who also had a sister named Winnie (I think that's the Winnie in the photo with Mary Ann, Alexander, Willy & Sam that you sent to me, Alice). Yep, Winnies, Sams & Richards seem to abound in the Lapp family, just as Alices, Alexanders, Leslies, Williams, etc., abound in ours! lol

I have to say, it is one of the best moments when I can help family make connections...and all because of a little town named St. Vincent that we all have in common.

Town Play

School play performed in Reid Hall [St. Vincent, MN - Early 1900s]

This image was found during a Gamble family reunion that took place in Hallock and St. Vincent in 2002. As outlined in a Kittson County Enterprise article about the reunion, it was found at Christ Church in St. Vincent during the reunion while family members were on a tour of past family homes and other meaningful places in St. Vincent. A cousin took a digital photo of the original photograph, and that's what we see here...

It captures a moment in early St. Vincent history,the cast of a local play. We don't know the play performed, nor the context. We can only speculate at this point. Perhaps it was a community hall play, or maybe even a high school production. I have later learned that the location was Reid Hall in St. Vincent.

Here are the cast members we know, from handwriting left on the print itself:

Back Row: William Ahles (3), Harry Davis (4) and Rube Smith (7)
Front Row: Montague Clinton (1), William Gamble (2), Samuel Gamble (3), William Gamble (5 - is this ANOTHER William Gamble, or...?), Chris Theodorf (6)

Out of the 16 cast members, we only know half of their names, and of those 8, we're not sure if we have the positions right since the writing is not consistent. Anyone that can help us name individuals, or make corrections on placement, please leave a comment here, or contact me directly...

Gamble Letters #32, #33, and #34

grippe also grip (grĭp)[French, from Old French, claw, quarrel, from gripper, to seize, grasp, from Frankish *grīpan.] An acute febrile highly contagious viral disease.
Synonyms: influenza

Time marches on, and the younger Gambles, grown up now, have little ones that are coming along.

I give you three letters from the Gamble collection in this post, as they are short in the main, so why not. Their letters are little windows into the everyday life of our forebearers over a century ago...

St. Vincent, Minn.
August 1894

Dear Maggie

I received your welcome letter and was glad to hear you were well. Harvest will soon be over here, they say it is very early this year, we will soon have done cutting. Sammie was big enough to run a binder this year. We will not know how the grain will turn out until we thresh.

We have not used any new potatoes yet so I do not know whether they are good or not.

The fruit has been very scarce around here but there will be any amount of cranberries & plums. I will be glad when winter comes again there is not so much work then.

There is a new Presbyterian Church starting in St. Vincent. I like it much better than the English. Lizzie's baby is getting along well, she is beginning to try to talk. I can hardly wait untill she can talk, and walk.

I think Ellen is going to teach the same school she had before. We have finished cutting all our grain but some oats.

Since beginning this letter I have dug some potatoes and they are quite good. I think I will have to close for this time.

I remain with love to all yours friendly, Alice Gamble

St. Vincent, Minn.
December 2, 1894

Dear Maggie

I received your letter a long while ago but I kept putting it of answering it, and I was sick with tooth ache all last week so I could not write then. It has been very cold already going as far as 25 below zero but it is warmer today. I will send you the prize list so you can see how many prizes we took.

The two babies are getting along fine Lizzie's can stand alone now. I think they are going to morrow to have her picture taken. She can say quite a lot of words too. Sammie has started to school now he is quite a good scholar. Ellen has finished her term but she is going back the 1st of January. We are going to have a Christmas tree for the Presbyterian Sunday School. I have a piece to recite and I have to be dressed up like an old woman. Sammie is going to play a piece on the violin, at least I think he is.

I think I will have to stop writing for I cannot think of any thing more to say so hoping this will find you well, I remain as ever yours,

Sincerely Alice Gamble
Write Soon X X X X

St. Vincent, Minn.
April 21, 1895

Dear Maggie

I received your letter some time ago but I am so busy that I never had time until to day. I am trying to houseclean a little, but I have so much other work to do that I do not get on very fast. I have four cows to milk all myself, and I have to do most of my own sewing, so you see I am kept busy nearly all the time. Ma has not been very well lately, she has a very bad cold. The Grippe is going around again we hear. Aleck has a little boy nearly a month old. They are going to call him William Harold. Baby Maggie can talk quite plain now of course she can only say some words yet. The seeding is all over here now. We have been very short of water all spring but lately there has been a lot of rain. I was to church this morning, Sammie has gone to Lizzie's. I am so glad spring has come. I do not like the winter very well. I always think in the winter I will have lots of time for fancy work but when winter comes we are busier than ever. I cannot cook very well yet so that makes it so much harder for me.

I think I will have to stop writing this time so good by

Yours as Ever
Alice Gamble

I will send you some dress pieces next tme. Write soon. I have a suspicion that Ellen is going to get married pretty soon, but never mention anything about it in any of your letters.

Gamble Letter #41-44

The winter of 1896/1897...it was a portentious winter, with heavy snowfall. It would lead to one of the worst floods on record. Read about that winter, and more, in these Gamble letters...

St. Vincent, Minn.
Nov. 25, [18]96

Dear Maggie,

I received your letter some time ago I was waiting untill my school closed before answering it, it was so cold the last three weeks, I had to stay at Lizzie's I finished teaching my first three months, last friday.

The like of the fall of snow and cold weather has not been known for many years, it is almost impossible to go any place the roads are so badly drifted. 31 is the coldest is has been so far. Aleck has gone to Colorado Springs, he went with a boy George Ford, who has asthma too, we have had only two letters from him, he says he has not had the slightest touch of asthma, since he has been there. I think he will stay till spring. Maggie had a little girl a few days before he went away, she named it Mary Mildred, Jennie & Jack are living with Maggie helping take care of the place for the winter. They moved their house out of town unto their farm, but it was to cold to fix it up till spring. I think I have told you pretty near all the news this time is is still snowing and stormy. I think this all for this time.

Good by from Yours as ever,
Alice Gamble

- - - - -

St. Vincent, Minn.
Jan 25 [18]97

Dear Maggie,

I received your letter alright I have been waiting to see if something new would turn up before writing, but since nothing turned up only colder weather I decided to write.

It has been dreadfully cold lately Pa says it is the coldest winter since the year he came up 42 degrees [below?] is the coldest it has been yet, we have a snowbank as high as the house on the wash side, it is quite a protection from the north winds. There has been a blizzard almost every day

[1 page missing]

would like to go away with Aleck if they would let me. But I do not think I would be pleased no matter where I went for I am a dreadful crank.

Write soon, Good by from your loving niece,
Alice Gamble

- - - - -

St. Vincent, Minn.
Feb. 6, [18]97

Dear Maggie,

I received your letter today. Aleck is better now he has been sitting up now for two days, we think he will soon be all right again. The doctors did not have much hope for him, "...it was pleurisy he had." He is still very weak. I only seen him once since he was sick and then when he was sitting up. I would not have known him. He was so thin he is going back to Colorado a week from Monday. He has sold quite a lot of his things, but not sold

[1 page missing]

May has been staying with us since Aleck is sick, she likes her Grandpa and Grandma better than her father and mother.

[1 page missing]

- - - - -

St. Vincent, Minn.
March 7, [18]97

Dear Maggie,

I received your letter alright. Aleck has gone to Colorado Springs. He sold his farm, horses, and everything he had on auction sale. The things did not go very high, he sold the farm to man the name of Sandy Blair a scotchman who has been working on the Reid Farm he got $3700, I think and he sold $1000 worth with out the farm, horses and machinery they left here last Tuesday the 2nd he felt bad about going away, he will not be able to work for a while, his address is Colorado Springs Colorado, we have all had somthing like the Gripp. Ma is quite sick yet.

I pretty nearly came forgetting the best news. Lizzie has another little girl. I can scarecely keep track to the Babies there are so many this baby is just as pretty as the other two. I think Maggie & Alice, are the two sweetest little girls in the world. I wish you would see them. Lizzie says she don't know where they got their good looks. Maggie is dark and Alice fair. There is no sign of spring yet. The snow gets deeper and deeper. The natives prophesy a flood. In some places the snow banks are so high that a person walking can touch the telegraph wires. I think I have told you pretty near all the news this time do you know some pretty names for girls Lizzie can't get a name nice enough for her baby. I think you told us some nice names in one letter but I lost it, they were names of our cousins I think or some relation. Good by for this time, I remain as ever

Alice Gamble

Only a month or so after the last letter here, the flood would hit the Red River Valley.

July 4th Parade

July 4, 1890 Parade down main street in Pembina, ND (courtesy of State Archives of North Dakota collection)

I have written about the Pembina July 4th celebrations of old here before. But I never knew St. Vincent also at one time had its own Independence Day festivities.¹

Below is a recounting of the 4th of July celebrations in St. Vincent in 1909, as recounted by one J. A. Noyes², Deputy Collector of Customs, for the St. Vincent New Era...

Where the parade began...

The Parade
(Kindly reported by Deputy Collector Noyes)

The Fourth of July parade as a part of St. Vincent's big celebration was a pronounced success. It was composed of various beautiful floats, several bands of calithumpians³, a number of beautifully decorated carriages and exhibits of farm machinery.

The procession formed at the school house and was led by Mr. President of the day W.J. Mason accompanied by Hon. Mr. Blethen, the Orator. These were followed by the Pembina band which dispensed patriotic music during the entire parade.

The Goddess of Liberty appeared next in the person of Miss Laura Billes being drawn by her Shetland pony hitched to the pony trap. This feature deserves special notice, as the pony harness, trap and the Goddess were all draped in white, the emblem of purity and presented a beautiful appearance.

The Columbia float came next. This contained Columbia, represented by Miss Margurette Cowan, who was surrounded by forty-nine young ladies and girls, dressed in white, each carrying a flag representing the states and territories. The flat was draped in white and drawn by four white horses, driven by Mr. A. Darrach.

Yes, this is a photo of the actual St. Vincent

Bank; written on the windows are the words,

"Farm Loans, Insurance, Real Estate..."

- Photo courtesy of the Gamble Family

Immediately following this came the float of the St. Vincent Bank, this consisted of a raised platform on a wagon beautifully draped with the colors of the day, carrying fifteen little girls dressed in white and laden with wreaths of wild roses; this was one of the beauty spots of the parade.

One feature of the calithumpians that attracted a great deal of attention was a dark complexioned couple, Frankie Buekly and Irvine Hanson, being drawn by a pony hitched to an outlandish low wheeled cart elaborately draped with wisps of hay and appropriate material. Frankie is deserving of much credit as we are informed the idea was his as well as the work of building and decorating the cart.

Mr.  was represented by Charles Kimberly, appearing in clown's costume, pushing a cart appropriately trimmed in green, and containing his little brother suitably dressed for the occasion.

Another pretty feature was six little boys, Harold Taylor, Jay Benuett, Sammy Lapp, Allen Gamble, Harvey Hanson, and Omen Dean, hitched to a finely decorated cart and driven by little Innis Taylor, followed by George Gillespie, Leo and Elmer Arnes, and Dicky Lapp as a body guard.

The colored band⁴ was another very laughable feature. This band consisting of Gordie Edkins, Dan and George Gooselaw and Roy Russell, under the able leadership of Percy Edkins will no doubt be heard from again.

Other featured of the celebration will be given next week.

Alas, I do not have access to the rest of the story; to my knowledge editions of the St. Vincent New Era for 1909 are not available, even on microfilm. But I'm thankful we could at least hear about this much; it opens a window into another time, a different way of life, and even some different ways of thinking (not all of them positive...) Thank you, Maggie!
___________________

¹ - Recently, I attended the Gamble Family Reunion, where one of the family gave me a copy of the "Maggie Book". I had seen it once before a couple of years ago when I met this Gamble descendant, Alice Jablonski; Alice had the book with her and let me take a quick peek. I could tell even from a glance that it was a treasure trove of information, consisting of clippings, mainly newspapers such as early St. Vincent New Era articles, concerning stories about family members but also area events. During the reunion Alice handed me a manila envelope of various items she wanted me to have, including a high-quality photocopy (many pages in color) of the Maggie Book. I was thrilled! This post came as a result of one of those newsclippings.

² - J. A. Noyes, the first Deputy Collector of Customs at the U. S./Canadian port of entry at Noyes, MN (named for him)

NOTE: The officers of the Custom House worked for the Collector of Customs. The Collector was assisted by the Deputy Collector, who was mainly responsible for the record keeping in the port.

³ - Calathumpian: Huge, spectacular event or performance. (Canadian archaic) Example: That was one calathumpian parade!

⁴ - "Colored Band", aka a marching band (often in black-face) performing minstrel type songs, now a relic of a time when racial stereotyping was acceptable entertainment.

Gamble Boys

From Lori Kohut Bianco, Gamble descendant: Alexander Gamble Jr & William Neill Gamble. My guess is this was one of the photos mentioned in the letters, which they had taken after they arrived in Emerson/St. Vincent & sent back to Beaverton in the late 1870s -- the ages appear to be about right.

I will be attending this year's reunion at the end of next month, and visiting many local sites including my family's old homestead, the cemetery, and if time permits, some friends including Hetty Walker, Chuck's wife...

1927-28 Girls Basketball Team

Front: Eileen Twamley, Mamie Cleem (Captain), Mae Gamble
Back: Isabelle Fitzpatrick, Verlie Cameron, Fidessa Wilkie, 
Dick Lapp (coach), Leila Davis, Violet Cleem, Fern Fitzpatrick.
ARE THE NAMES in the RIGHT ORDER?
[Photo Courtesy:  Kittson County Historical Society via Perm Diamond]

When growing up in St. Vincent, I regularly heard stories told by my mother, father, and grandmother (not to mention other village and county residents) about our hometown.  They ranged from tales of what the town looked like in the past, its businesses, the railroad, the churches, the roads and sidewalks (or lack thereof), to the lives of the residents themselves - their dreams, their families, and yes - their trials and woes.  More often than not, it was the tragedies and disappointments that were remembered.

However, there were also many happy memories shared.

Among them, was a passing reference to my Uncle John being an athlete in high school.  Not a lot to go on, and nothing about the fact that around the same time as John was participating in sports, the entire school had blossomed.  Except for the first years following incorporation and the initial surge of immigration, the time period we're talking about had the highest population.  There was a wide variety of extra curricular activities being offered for a small school, including sports.  I found all of this out many years later.  Even still later, I began finding out details to put on the skeleton of the bare-bone facts.

Recently, I was sent an image of the 1928 Girls Basketball Team from the St. Vincent School.  You can make a fairly safe conclusion, with the inconsistency of design, that the girls are wearing homemade uniforms. But bless them, they did their best.  My guess is that the girls made their own uniforms, at least the appliques - they show an immaturity that their mothers would have overcome had they created them.  It's sweet to see their efforts, though - the students and their community may have been humble, but they had school spirit!

NOTE:  Thanks to Kent Myrick (whose mother is in the above photograph, and who owns a complete, original copy of the 1928 Borderlines school annual), Lori Kohut Bianco (Gamble family descendant and whose great aunt is in the photo), and myself (who has two cousins in the photo), we know exactly WHO is in the photo, but we're still not entirely sure of the ORDER.  The ones we know for sure are the two Fitzpatricks girls (my cousins, one on each end of the back row), Leila Davis (Kent's mother, to the right of the coach), and the coach himself, Richard Lapp.  The other names are not conclusively matched to faces.  Personally, I think the girl second from the left in the back looks like a Twamley, but I could be wrong.  Also, Lori had heard oral family history about her great aunt having round glasses like the one girl does in the photo, at this time, but Kent says other photos showing a Mae Gamble with others doesn't show a girl with glasses.  VERY confusing.  Anyone reading this that can help clarify, I would love to hear from you!

A year later:  College Girl ID photo

St. Vincent Trivia:  My Aunt Pat (Alberta Fitzpatrick)  - who played on the St. Vincent Girls Basketball Team in high school - was in the final graduating class of the St. Vincent school, the Class of 1930.  Although the official consolidation bringing about District 352 didn't happen until the 1950's, evidently in the school year of 1929-30, the majority of the higher grade students began going to Humboldt.  My cousin (Aunt Pat's daughter) said her mother told her that she and three other boys were the only 4 to graduate from the St. Vincent High school in the 'last class' - Alberta, Fred Stranger, a Smith boy, and one other.  All others transferred to Humboldt.  The ones that transferred had to pay a tuition to do so.  The parents of the four students didn't have the money for it. So Alberta wasn't going to finish school. 

One morning she came downstairs and found my grandma (her mother) crying and when Alberta asked Grandma why she was crying Grandma said because I only had a 3rd grade education and you have a chance to graduate and aren't going to be able to do it. So my mother called the boys and asked them if they would be willing to go back to school and they agreed so they showed up in Prof. Good's class. Mom said he was so happy to see them he got tears in his eyes. From what I understand, the Professor made sure these four students graduated that final year...

Gamble Letter #37

In this edition of the Gamble Letters, Alice is writing to Maggie about how it is to spend a long winter in Minnesota near the turn of the century, the 20th century, that is. What is pleasant to discover, is that while she makes clear she has a lot of work to catch up on that summer prevented her from doing, she was still making time to learn new pastimes...to enjoy herself.

January 25, 1896
St. Vincent, Minn.

Dear Maggie:

I received your letter some time ago but of course I put of answering it as usual, it is a very bad habit I have, putting things off. We are having a beautiful winter. The days are just like spring. But I expect February will make up for it. There is not much going on around here of course small events would not interest you; since you do not know the people. I wish it was summer again I am tired of winter already, there is so much work. I always think in summer that I will not have much to do when winter comes but I always get left. I am learning to play the banjo. I can play pretty well now I am just learning myself, there is not anyone around here to give lessons. I am learning to paint, and crayon too, but it is hard work without a teacher. I am going to do you a small crayon picture. I can send it in a paper I am just beginning you know, but I thought perhaps you would like to see some of my crazy workings. Did I ever tell you that Samuel plays the violin very well? The babies are all well. I thing now that Lizzie's youngest baby is going to be the prettiest of them all. Little Maggie calls her dear wee Allie. I like her the best of them all now she has light brown hair and blue eyes and a beautiful complexion she will soon be walking. I think Sammie is going to school he is getting on very fast. Ellen is at home yet. It is getting late so I must stop writing please excuse this crazy letter talk, hoping to hear from you soon I remain as ever

Your affectionate niece,

Alice Gamble

I suppose you will think I am quite giddy by my letters - but I have not patience to write much or very nice.

Gamble Family News

What a wonderful surprise...

I got another missive from a reader, and this reader is from the Gamble family...

Please, how do I get in touch with you?! This is my family that I am researching! I have letters, too, from the Spinster Neill in Canada to my grandmother. I have Griffith information and can fill you in on more Gamble info. Alexander was born in Cootehill, Co. Cavan, Ireland and, yes, went to Dundee, Scotland as a boy. His brother, Samuel, become a police chief there. Would love to see copies of whatever printed info (letters, that marriage cert. you mentioned) you have and am happy to share mine.

Well, of course I responded immediately saying yes, I'd love to share.

Stay tuned!

Who was Maggie?

From a Gamble descendent living in Canada in the general area the family emigrated from, comes the following insights into some of the family who wrote the letters from St. Vincent that we have been reading; in particular, about Maggie Neill, who we find out was a foster sister to Mary Ann Gamble...

I always wondered about the relationship between Maggie & Mary Ann. At first glance, they would appear to be sisters (some of the letters from the children are addressed to "Aunt Maggie" or "My Dear Aunt" etc.) -- but there are a few things that make me wonder -- such as the odd wording of the letter, as you noted. Mary Ann was born in 1840 or 1841 in Ireland (my family history stuff is in a box in the closet, so I'm pulling these dates from my memory), & Maggie in 1860 in Scotland, so if they were sisters, there was quite an age gap between them -- she would have been closer in age to Mary Ann & Alex's oldest daughter Elizabeth (Lizzie), who was born in Scotland in 1863.

I obtained Maggie's birth certificate information from Scotland some years ago, & William Neill was listed as her father. Her mother's name was Margaret Irwin. However -- William Neill's wife, who died in Beaverton in the early 1880s (& whom Mary Ann writes about in the letters as "my mother"), was named Elizabeth (unless the registrar got the name wrong, which is certainly possible.)

So far as we know, she never did come west. She died in Beaverton in 1949 at age 89, and is buried in the cemetery of "the old stone church" just outside Beaverton, St. Andrews. We have been there several times, as it is only about an hour's drive from where I live now (it would be about 1.5 hours from Toronto). There is a headstone there for her, & little corner markers that say "Neill." The plot, as marked by the corners, is big enough for two other graves, and although there are no markers & the cemetery has no records, I would presume that William & Elizabeth Neill are buried there beside her. I believe William's obituary in the newspaper refers to burial in the cemetery there.

When my parents & I visited Beaverton for the first time in 1984 -- 35 years after her death -- there was still instant recognition from the older residents when we'd mention Maggie's name. People remembered her as wearing long black skirts down to her ankles. She lived by herself in an old house that had hard dirt floors (the house was later torn down, but I have a photo of it from the historical society.) We don't know what happened to the loom -- I would imagine that if she still had it when she died, someone bought it or threw it out...I later wrote to the local historical society for some information about the family, & the lady who responded told me she'd received rag rugs woven by Maggie as a wedding present, so she did have it for many years after William Neill's death, and perhaps that's how she supported herself. She also told me that Maggie was credited as being a major source behind a history book about Beaverton that was written in the 1950s -- the title is "A Township on the Lake" by Mary Houston Ritchie.

After we went to Beaverton, I sent an account of our trip to some of the relatives, including Grandpa's brothers & sisters, & my Great-Uncle Allan (Grandpa Bo's oldest brother) sent me a letter back with anecdotes & tidbits that he could remember from the family history. I have just dug the letter out & this is what he wrote:

"About Maggie Neill she was Grandma Gamble's [Mary Ann's] foster sister. No more said or talked about. You see by letter Grandma told if she come, she be treat like the rest."

Unfortunately, he passed away not long after that rather cryptic comment & we never did learn anything more from him...