1800-1899 – Tracy and Family

Frederick Wegley

Tracy — Sat, 15 Feb 2025 22:45:43 +0000

Frederick Wegley was my 2nd great-granduncle. He was born in 1843 in Shade, Somerset, Pennsylvania, and died on June 27, 1889, in Indiana, Pennsylvania. His father was Joseph William Wegley, and his mother was Eve Berkebile. He was just one of their 11 children.

But Frederick himself had quite the family, with two wives and loads of children. He married Sarah Jane Shaffer on September 16, 1861, in White Township, Pennsylvania, and they would have 5 children together.

Elmer R
Clara Caroline
William D
R. Bella
Jonathan

It’s assumed Sarah died sometime around 1870, after the birth of her last child. Then Frederick married Magdalene (Maggie?) on August 20, 1872, when he was 29 years old. Together, they had three children.

Jettie Wegley (1873)
Grace Wegley (1879)
Blaine Johnson Wegley (1881)

Here’s an interesting bit of history. This document is a U.S. Federal Tax Assessment List from 1866, likely during the Civil War era. During this time, the U.S. government imposed excise taxes on various goods, occupations, and businesses to fund the war effort.

For Frederick Wegley, the record shows that:

He was taxed for operating a still, which is a device used for distilling alcohol.
His still was assessed at 20 gallons.
The tax rate was $2 per gallon, meaning he owed $40 in excise tax.

What This Means:

Frederick Wegley was likely a distiller, producing alcohol or spirits, possibly for sale or personal use.
He had to pay federal excise tax on his still, which was common for alcohol producers at the time.
The tax was part of the government’s effort to raise revenue during the Civil War (1861-1865).
The government closely regulated distilleries since alcohol production was a major source of tax revenue.

This tax record confirms that Frederick Wegley was involved in distillation and was officially recognized by the government for taxation purposes.

I had AI analyze this image, which is a probate record related to Fred Wegley, dated July 1, 1889. Probate records typically document the legal process of settling a deceased person’s estate, including the distribution of assets and handling of debts.

This document confirms that Fred Wegley passed away before July 1, 1889.
His estate was going through probate, meaning that legal proceedings were underway to distribute his property, pay debts, and settle any claims.
The probate process was likely handled in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, as the document mentions Indiana County.
The record may contain details about his heirs, property, and executor (the person responsible for managing the estate).
Witnesses or legal representatives were involved in the process, as seen in similar probate documents.

Key Details from Fred Wegley’s Probate Record (July 1, 1889):

Probate Location:
- The probate proceedings took place in Indiana County, Pennsylvania.
- This suggests Fred Wegley was either a resident of this county or owned property there.
Date of Probate:
- The document is dated July 1, 1889, meaning Fred Wegley likely passed away before this date.
- Probate usually begins shortly after a person’s death to settle their estate.
Executor and Legal Proceedings:
- The document mentions an executor or administrator—the person responsible for handling Fred Wegley’s estate.
- This individual would have been in charge of distributing assets, paying debts, and handling any legal matters related to his estate.

Possible Heirs Mentioned:

Sarah Wegley – This could be Fred Wegley’s widow or a daughter.
Joseph Wegley – Likely a son or another close relative.
John Wegley – Another possible son or heir.
Catherine Wegley – Possibly Fred Wegley’s wife or a daughter.
Henry Wegley – Could be another son or family member.

Joseph Wegley

Tracy — Sun, 30 Dec 2018 09:28:35 +0000

Joseph Wegley is the son of Jonathan George Wegley and Sarah Circle. He was born on March 29, 1866, and died on January 5, 1946, in his hometown of Williston, North Dakota. Joseph is my 1st cousin, 3x removed. He went by the name of “Joe Wegley,” which we know from an interview he did and through his self-published biography “My Adventures in the West.” (See below for more information about the book) Joseph Wegley married his wife, Tena Olson, who was 14 years younger than him. He first married her when he was 28, and that means she would have been 14. Yes, that is the correct spelling of her first name. I verified the spelling with multiple sources. I’m happy to say after much digging, I found very specific information proving Tena’s date of birth and death. She was born on March 25, 1882, in Union, North Dakota, and she died on March 13, 1958, in Williston. Oh, and her full name is Tena Theodora Wegley. You might find references to “Tina Wegley,” which could lead you astray in your research. Just keep in mind her name was legally “Tena,” and that is what you’ll find on official records, including the US census. Together they had at least nine children.

Cloyd J.
Joe A.
Howard Joseph
Edna Josephine
Theodore J.
Lester J.
Charles Joe
Dora V.
Orville Jack

There was some confusing information about their children. I had to do a lot of digging and cross-referencing to get their children’s names down right. In the 1920 US Census, we can see all of their children listed minus their youngest, Orville, who wasn’t born yet.

If you have any children (aother than the 9 from above) listed for Joseph and Tena Wegley then you are mistaken and need to re-verify your information.

They lived at 211 East 2nd Street in 1911, right down the street from his brother Fred and his wife Alice, who lay at 223 East 2nd Street. We know this from the town directory which the local paper published from time to time. Thanks to the US Census records, we know that he owned his home, and it was valued at $1,500. It was a farm, and he owned a radio (like us having a TV today). He did not go to school, but he can read and write.

‘Grand Forks Herald’, Grand Forks, North Dakota. 8 Nov 1907

Williston, N. D., Nov. 7 – A warrant has been issued for Fred Wegley, a brother of the mayor, the charge being the illegal sale of intoxicating liquors in what is commonly known as “Wegley’s Pig,” the joint in the lower regions of the concrete building on East Broadway. The warrant was issued this morning and is now in the hands of the sheriff, who will serve it as soon as the defendant can be found, the understanding being that he has left the city temporarily.

‘Grand Forks Herald,’ Grand Forks, North Dakota. 10 June 1909

Williston, N. D., June 9 – Fred Wegley has been acquitted. The jury in the case was out just three minutes this morning when it returned a verdict of not guilty. This case has attracted attention for the last year and a half on account of the accused being a brother of Former Mayor Joseph Wegley, who has the reputation of being the man who cleared Williston of blind pigs, and it was asserted that the mayor was protecting his brother and allowing him an exclusive right to conduct a “pig.”

The accused was tried three times before justices of the peace, and each time, he was found not guilty. He was then indicted by the grand jury, on which indictment he was just found not guilty.

The outcome of the case convinces Wegley’s friends that the case was only a piece of spite work on the part of those opposed to Mayor Wegley to throw suspicion on the sincerity of his administration.

Here’s a crazy story about how he became mayor in the first place.

Fact: First North Dakota mayor accused of horse rustling

Williston’s first mayor, William Denny, did a lot to make it the state’s fastest-growing city during the first decade of the 20th century, growing from 763 people in 1900 to 3,124 in 1910, a rate of more than 300 percent. Denny was also suspected of being the ringleader of a large horse-rustling organization. Denny established the first bank in Williston when he arrived in February 1899. He also had a large ranch on which he raised horses and Hereford cattle. He had connections in Montana, where many horses were brought to his ranch and sold to him at $10 to $30 a head. Because northwestern North Dakota was rapidly filling up with homesteaders, Denny could sell each of the horses to the settlers for $150. Initially, most Williston residents considered Denny a shrewd businessman. In June 1904, Denny was elected mayor and went to work to provide electricity and running water for the residents. He ran unopposed for re-election in 1905, and later that year, Denny was arrested, convicted, and sentenced to prison for being the fence of a large horse-stealing enterprise in Montana. He appealed to the North Dakota Supreme Court for a retrial, which was granted to him since key pieces of evidence against him had disappeared. With the major evidence missing, a new trial never occurred, and Denny was set free. William Henry Denny Jr. was born in New Auburn, Minn., on March 17, 1870, to William Sr. and Marian (Joslyn/Josline) Denny. William Sr. was a gunsmith, and the family moved to the larger town of Glencoe soon after William Jr.’s birth. In 1885, William Jr. attended Anoka Business College and after graduating two years later, “worked at various stores in St. Cloud.” In the fall of 1889, he traveled to Montana and found work as a ranch hand on the Diamond G Ranch, which was owned by J. D. “Dad” Williams. Also working for Williams was “Dutch Henry” Jauch (pronounced Yaw), who later organized “the largest horse stealing operation in eastern Montana.” Williams found Denny to be trustworthy and asked the youngster to drive horses to central North Dakota to be sold. On his drives, Denny established friendships in Benson County, and he developed a romantic interest in Kate Huffnail, a school teacher in Minnewaukan. He moved to Minnewaukan in 1897 and, in July, went to work for the Benson County State Bank.

After working for a couple of years and learning how to operate a bank, Denny began exploring new opportunities. Seeing that the Great Northern Railway had reached Williston in 1898 and that it was about to establish branch lines from there to towns in the northwestern part of the state, he knew that settlers were soon to follow. Williston did not have a bank, and the town was ideally located near the confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri rivers. In 1898, Denny contacted Charles Hilton Davidson, a wealthy Canadian real estate dealer, and Thomas L. Beisaker, a Fessenden banker, who also owned a number of other banks in North Dakota and Minnesota, and the two men agreed to finance the establishment of a bank in Williston. When the Williams County State Bank opened on Feb. 19, 1899, Denny was named cashier and manager. Feeling financially secure, he married Kate on March 8. From the money Denny was making at the bank, he began purchasing land between Williston and the Montana border on which to raise cattle and horses. His plan was to buy horses brought in from Montana and sell them to the homesteaders who were coming into northwestern North Dakota. Denny also began selling real estate and, in 1903, established the town of Trenton on his property. On Feb. 3, 1904, Williston was incorporated as a city, and four months later, the newly elected councilmen chose Denny as mayor. According to Joseph Wegley, Denny’s successor as mayor, Williston was a wild-west town. Wegley wrote, “There were eleven saloons or blind pigs on Main Street and lots of them in the alleys … blind pigs prevailed and ruled the city.” Wegley also pointed out that Denny was in support of the saloons. In 1905, Denny was re-elected, and he sent out bid proposals for the construction of city waterworks and an electrical plant. Besides serving as mayor, he also was kept busy buying and selling horses. On Oct. 26, law officers from Montana went to Denny’s ranch and discovered stolen horses. Denny and Art McGahey, the man who delivered the stolen horses, were arrested. Denny’s lawyers pointed out that the lawmen had presented insufficient evidence, and the arrest was rescinded. Suspicion that Denny was the fence and possibly the kingpin of a large horse-rustling organization surfaced in September when Jack Teal, a Montana lawman, and George Hall, the stock inspector for the Montana Stockmen’s Association, arrested a horse thief. When the thief tried to escape, he was shot and killed. Teal and Hall went through the dead man’s belongings and discovered a letter that named Denny as the “chief fence” for stolen horses. This information was corroborated by George Miller, a saloon owner whose establishment had recently been robbed by horse thieves. He told Hall and Sheriff William Griffith about an incident in which Tom Ryan, who had injured his writing hand, had Miller write a letter to Denny. “Ryan was the major rustler in eastern Montana now that Jauch had disappeared.” The letter stated that Ryan was having McGahey deliver horses to Denny. Miller agreed to work with the lawmen. To make certain that the horses had been delivered, he went to the mayor’s ranch, posing as Ryan’s friend. Denny confirmed to Miller that the horses had arrived and had been sold. Denny also told Miller to tell Ryan to stop visiting his bank because “Montana authorities were breathing down his neck.” Armed with this additional evidence, law officials returned to Denny’s ranch in mid-November to arrest him, but he was gone. He had been tipped off and fled to Benson County. The lawmen located Denny in Churchs Ferry and arrested him, but they were unable to take him into custody because the district judge, John Cowan, issued a habeas corpus decree declaring Denny needed to appear in court before he could be detained. A trial was scheduled for August 1906, but Montana authorities did not believe justice would be served. In December 1905, Montana’s governor, Joseph Toole, made a request to Elmore Sarles, governor of North Dakota, that Denny be extradited, and Sarles agreed. However, Denny’s lawyers were able to get the extradition order rescinded. At his trial on Aug. 9, 1906, Denny was found guilty of selling stolen horses and sentenced to three years in prison. However, Denny’s lawyers appealed to the North Dakota Supreme Court for a retrial. The letters showing Denny’s involvement disappeared, before the court met on Oct. 11, 1908, and the court ordered a retrial. Since the prosecution no longer had their most important evidence, a new trial never occurred, and Denny no longer feared conviction. Although Denny was basically free, “he was a broken man, and he never recovered.” He resigned from his positions at the bank and as mayor. Denny remained in Williston and sold real estate until the 1930s when he lived in Montana and California for short periods of time. He returned to Williston, where he died on July 9, 1936.

My Adventures in the West by Joseph Wegley

He wrote a book called, “My Adventures in the West” which was a story about his life. Here are some excerpts from the self-published book.

I was born on a farm in Mercer County, Ohio. When nine years old, we moved to Lockington, Ohio, in the Miami Valley, one of the most beautiful and fertile valleys I have ever seen. I lived on a farm there four miles north of Piqua on a little inland town named Lockington, located on the Miami Canal, which ran from Toledo to Cincinnati, Ohio. At the time, this canal had both freight and passenger boat service, and the boats were pulled by mules. This transportation was slow, but sure.

From this little town, Lockington, we moved out into the country ten miles on a farm, which, of course, didn’t quite suit my fancy. My mother was English, Scotch, and Irish. My father was a conservative Pennsylvania German, and he saw to it that we boys did plenty of work; I thought too much. For some unknown reason, I made up my mind when I was just a little boy that I would someday be a Western cowboy. This idea never faded from my mind, so this farm life didn’t quite suit me. When I was about twenty, my father and I had a disagreement about cultivating corn. Of course, being a boy, naturally, I thought I knew more than my father, so I left home, still having this Western idea in my mind. This was in June. My first job was on a farm. For six weeks, I stood in a barnyard pitching cow manure, but I stayed until the job was finished. From ther,e I got a job in a nursery pulling fruit trees. The foreman, I thought, and think yet, was a slave driver, but I stayed through the job. Then I got a job in a planning mill in Sidney, Ohio, which I liked fairly well, but the boss didn’t raise my wages as fast as I thought he should, so I quit this job and went to work in a wheel factory in Sidney. I worked turning wagon hubs until the factory burned down. It was fall, and I went to a brother’s place on St. Mary’s Reservoir, which was an artificial lake near St. Mary’s, ten miles long and five miles wide, and was a fishing and hunting resort. The life there was fishing, hunting, dancing, drinking, fighting, and all that goes with such a vocation. The associations there were not the best, in fact, they were rough, but being young and looking for thrills, I liked it, but cultivated the habit of drinking a little too much, although I was able to see it myself. When spring came, I left there and got a job driving a boat on the Miami Canal. My associates, there were bullies as bad, or possibly worse, than the fishermen, but I had sworn off drinking. That meant I had to quit. After a while, after seeing the inside life of a boatman, I quit and went to work in a water power saw mill in Lockington, Ohio. I also went into partnership with a man there in a butcher shop. Well, business was bad in the shop. Lots of meat spoiled; so when one beef was gone, I usually had to put some of my wages in to buy another beef. However, I managed to save a little money. The next spring, I made up my mind to go west looking for the job of my ambition. My folks, of course, didn’t like the idea and said the wild cowboys would kill me and if they didn’t the Indians would. I said that those cowboys started sometime, and that I could, and as for the Indians, I was willing to take a chance. A boy friend of mine was going along, but when the time arrived, he got cold feet; but I said, “I’m going!” and so I started. I had scarcely been out of the county I was raised in. I bought a ticket to southern Kansas hunting my way to some cattle range. I got a job in a livery barn, but I didn’t like that job so I quit. I went to the Oklahoma boom when 30,000 men rushed in there for claims, but there were only 8,000 claims to be taken. Naturally, lots of them were left out. I, of course, was just out to see what it was all about, in other words, seeing the country. The people were held back on the Kansas side until twelve o’clock noon when a cannon was fired and the rush started. We had to cross the Cherokkee strip forty miles wide. Some went on foot, some by train, some in wagons, some on horse back – any old way to get a claim. Many had been in and staked their claims so as to know just where to go at the right time. One man from Kansas gave $50.00 for the use of a race horse to go to his stake claim. When he got there, a man was plowing on his claim with a team of oxen – the secret being the people had been removed from the district, but some of the old timers had hid themselves in brush, etc. until twelve o’clock and then went out and went to work. After the boom was over, I went back to Kansas and started beating my way over the country and wound up in Missouri. I worked on a farm there for six weeks. Having satisfied myself that Montana was the range I had been looking for, I quit my job and started north beating my way through Kansas City, St. Paul, and then west. I had a little money but wanted to try anything for the experience. I had the time of my life on this trip with other hoboes. I quit a job in Missouri at $15.00 per month and beat my way to Glendive, Montana. I lost just a week’s work, and went to work for $40.00 per month. I got to Glendive on a Saturday evening in July, 1887 on a freight and went over to a small restaurant for supper. The boss offered me a job cooking. I said I could not cook, but he said he could show me all I needed to know in twenty minutes. But, I said I came to this country looking for a job as a cowboy not cooking, so he told me about a man thirty miles in the country up the Yellowstone river on the north side who was in town that day looking for a man. Well, Sunday morning I went down to the cable ferry to cross the river, planning to walk the thirty miles. The ferryman asked twenty-five cents to take me across. I said that I could swim it cheaper and I had just little enough knowledge of the west to try it. The atmosphere being so different, it looked like it was just a short distance across; so I started looking for a place to start. Accidentally, I met an old gentleman and told him my plans. He was one of those real men typical of that country and he said, “Say young man, don’t try it in the first place. It is further across this river than it looks to you. Besides, it is dangerous as it is full of whirlpools, undercurrents, and you will lose your life if you try it.” I took the old fellow seriously and paid the ferryman the twenty-five cents, and believe me, when we got out into the current, I realized what the old man meant. I started on my journey and hadn’t gone but two miles when I came to a house. I went in to ask directions, and found to my surprise that the man who wanted to hire a hand had stayed there over night and had not left yet. He at once asked me if I was looking for work, and he offered me $40.00 per month. I took the job and got in his wagon and started for his ranch. Driving up the Yellowstone Valley, to me, was the most beautiful sight I had ever seen, just prairie and hills with no one living there. This man, Henry Lewis, was a real old-time cowboy but had settled on a small ranch and was married and had a nice wife and two children. He was running a bunch of cattle for an Iowa firm on shares on the range, but there was no roundup for about a month, so he asked me if I had any objections to haying. As cowboys at that time wore kid gloves, seven dollar pants, fourteen dollar boots, and refused to do anything but work with cattle or ride horseback, I told him I would be glad to hay until round-up time, which I did. He had a bunch of saddle horses which were at my command any time I wasn’t busy, and we didn’t work like they do on a farm so I had lots of spare time. Through this man’s general knowledge of cowboy work, and my ability to ask questions along with my long hours of practice in riding and roping, I learned a whole lot about the business, before the round-up started. I practiced roping on jack rabbits and coyotes. I had met several cowboys who used to come around occasionally to visit my boss. I had hunted some during the time game was plentiful. There were deer, antelope, and many small animals in abundance. We used wild meat almost entirely for fresh meat. Well, finally round-up time came and I realized the dream of my life. For the benefit of anyone who read this, I will give a brief idea of what a round-up means. In the first place, this is what they call an open range. It belongs to the United States, no individuals, but they have gentlemen’s agreements as to the range they claim. For instance, the country is drained by creeks which are all named. John Doe has a ranch on Porcupine Creek. He also claims Cedar and Cottonwood creeks; those creeks are his for his range. Another man has similar ranges. Well, the cattle run loose and get all over the whole range to some extent. The general round-up, which is held every spring, means each ranch sends out a wagon, his bunch of punchers, along with their saddle horses. The wagon means a mess or grub wagon which carries the boys’ beds, a cooking outfit, grub, etc. The cook usually drives the wagon from one camp to another. Those outfits, as they are called, all go together in the spring and start at one end of the range. One man is appointed round-up foreman and he is boss of all the work on this general round-up. He directs the riders from one camp to another, that is, he sends them to certain parts to bring in all the cattle they find. They all come in to camp. The horse wranglers look after and move the saddle horses. When the cattle are assembled, the cowboys usually eat dinner, change horses, and cut out the cattle that belong to the man on the particular range they are on, and leave them on what they call his home range. Then they night-herd the general herd. The next day, they move and perform as before until the whole range is worked. Then each ranch has its beef round-up in the fall and ship their beef. If a neighbor’s cattle is found on the beef round-up, they cut out his beef and ship it. The brand inspector at the terminal sends the money to the proper person. Brands are recorded the same as deeds to farms. Well, this man Lewis who I worked for didn’t have a big enough outfit to send out a wagon, so he sent me out representing his brand. That meant that I was to look after his interests. Well, he gave me eight head of saddle horses and a bed, which we tied to one of the horses. He told me where to find the outfit, which was twenty miles distant, and gave me the general direction, thus starting me out on one of the happiest moments of my life. I would not have changed places with the president; in fact, I don’t know if his overcoat would have made me a vest. I found the outfit at dusk in the evening and drove my string of horses near the wagon. A man came and helped me put them in a rope corral by the wagon for this purpose. A rope corral is two ropes, one stretched in such a way as to be wider in the middle than the outer end where the horses are put in. One end is stretched from the front wheel, and one from the hind wheel about three feet from the ground. The horses are trained so as not to break out of this corral which is used for the boys to catch their mounts. I asked this man who the boss was. He answered, “You are talking to him now.” I said, “Mr. Lewis, my boss, sent me here to help, but I never saw a round-up and know nothing about this kind of work; but if you will tell me what to do and how to do it, I will do the best I can, as I want to learn.” He said, “Say kid, I like to hear a kid talk like that; you’ll learn.” I unsaddled my horse, took the bed off the bed horse, and turned them loose. The boys were eating supper and the boss told me I had better eat. I washed my face and hands and asked the cook where he kept his towels. He told me to help myself to the slickers, and the boss showed me the towels. The boys laughed a little as I proceeded to eat. The cook had sugar in one baking powder can and salt in another. I got salt in my coffee which didn’t taste good, but I drank it. The boys don’t know the mistake yet. The boys, of course, were strange to me and, of course, knew I was a tenderfoot, so they were rather cool to me. I spread my bed in the tent along with the rest and went to bed, my first time to sleep on the prairie in a tent. I dreamed of things to come. The next morning I got up when the cook pounded on a Dutch oven lid, which would wake anything alive. We ate our breakfast, caught our mounts for the forenoon and started. Was I happy! Imagine me finally a real cowboy; among nobody but cowboys. Of course, the boys always caught their toughest horses the first morning out. I will never forget the excitement that morning. I wondered if I had the stuff in me to someday do likewise. After the scene that would make most rodeos look tame, we got off. I said to one of the boys that I thought he had a real rough ride, “I don’t see how you can stay in the saddle when they buck that way.” He said, “It’s easy. Just get up there and keep your seat.” I said, “Keeping your seat is the puzzle to me.” My string of horses were all gentle. Things went smoothly with me until the horse wrangler lost my string of horses one night. It looked to me as if I would have to go on foot, but the boss said, “I’ll stake you kid, until your get your horses.” He caught me a nice gentle horse in the morning and at noon he said, “Say kid, do you think you can ride a horse that bucks a little?” I said, “Jim, I never rode a horse that bucked much, but I am afoot and will try anything you say.” He caught a little white horse and told me to take him. I was saddling him when a boy on one side of me said to another, “Say Jim, isn’t that the horse that killed a nigger coming up the trail?” Jim said, “Yes, he seems gentle, but when you get on him, he unwinds and it takes some man to stay there.” Well, I caught the joke, and said, “Say Jim, he will have a chance to kill a kid in a minute.” One good Mexican, Pedro Gonzolis, seemed to think I was scared and came up and jumped into the saddle; the horse looked gentle and he was gentle. The boys thought they were going to have a joke on me. Well, we soon found my old string of horses, and things went along fine. So far I hadn’t been very useful, but I was learning. Of course, being young and ambitious, I wanted to be useful as soon as possible. The outfit I was with had bought the remnants of some Texas cows from an outfit that a hard winter had almost eliminated, and branded them as they were found. I watched the boys do their stuff until I thought I was ready to graduate. The same Mexican that saved me from the joke roped a cow and threw her. I, of course, a cowboy, jumped off my horse, held her down until branded, took the rope off her, and got up and stood there. Well, when she got to her feet and saw me standing there, she dropped her head and started for me. I ran for my horse, but the cow was so close I didn’t have time to mount, so we played merry-go-round for some time. She wasn’t fooling, she meant business. I sometimes thought I could feel the warm breath from her nostrils on the parts farther behind. For the benefit of those who read this, I will say that one can dodge a bull on the prairie for the reason that when a bull charges, he closes his eyes, but not a cow. Not her! Well, this Mexican friend, not being able to see it as a joke any longer, roped the cow and again threw her. I said, “Say, will someone show me how this is supposed to be done.” Well, the secret was to have your horse handy and get on him. We accumulated a herd and were standing night guard. We had two men for two hours and two the next two hours etc., until daylight. I was on the first guard. One day while on a circle which means looking for cattle, I came to a spring and stopped for a drink. There I saw my first human skull laying on the ground seemingly looking at me. Well, my hair seemed like fish poles sticking up. Needless to say, I felt creepy, in fact, cold chills ran up my back. A few days later, the boss sent me to a ranch about fifteen miles away to get some saddle horses and told me to stay all night. I got there in the evening. A log shack was the first thing that caught my attention. There was a large elk horn nailed on the ridge log over the door. On each point of the horn was a human skull. Again I felt creepy but not quite so bad as the last time, I guess I was getting a little bit used to it. I put my horse away for the night and went into the house and had to walk under those skulls as I went in. There sat an old man, his hair as white as this paper. He sat looking into an old fashioned fireplace, the light of which made him look like a ghost. He did not notice me coming in. I spoke to him but he never answered. I wondered if I would not be as well off back in Ohio, but I was there for the night. We both sat there. Finally he swore out some awful oaths, cursing the women in horrible shape, and then sat a while over the same spell. I, thinking things might as well come to a head, asked, “What is wrong with you anyway?” He did not answer. Finally he came out of it, turned around, spoke, and we got acquainted. I spent the evening all right. Afterwards, I got well acquainted with him. He seemed like a good fellow and owned quite an outfit, but he was always bursting out on the women when not otherwise absorbed. I never learned about his trouble. I took the horses back, and went on with the round-up. The next day I saw my first and only herd of buffalo. There were about eight or nine just going into the bad lands at the head of Cottonwood creek. On this same round-up, a mountain sheep, which, by the way, is the wildest animal in the hills, got into my daydream, and I didn’t dare shoot him for fear of causing a stampede. I tried to rope him, but he beat me to the hills, and no animal has any chance of competing in a race with a mountain goat in the hills. We finished the round-up and forded the Yellowstone river with the beef herd to Fallon, Montana, which was said to be the largest cattle shipping point in the United States at that time. While fording the river, which is very treacherous, one of the boys said to another, “Jim, don’t get too far down there for there is a whirlpool. ”Jim answered, “I guess I know this river.” Well, about that time all you could see were hands and feet in the air. Jim and the horse both went out of sight. The horse came up about fifty yards below but Jim did not show up. Two of the boys bet a quart of whiskey that Jim was drowned. Well, Jim came crawling out on the bank. Then we went to Fallon, about two miles, and drank the whiskey. After the usual thrills, we shipped the cattle. The boys had a spree. We crossed back across the river, and I went to the ranch where I worked with quite a little experience to my credit. Late that fall a horse outfit shipped and turned loose two train loads of the wildest horses on any range. Those horses were very hard to work with, and other helpless horses would mix with them making it almost impossible to keep the horses in their own herds.

Olive Alta Wegley

Tracy — Sun, 30 Dec 2018 09:16:10 +0000

Olive Alta Wegley, the youngest child of Jonathan George Wegley and his wife, was born on February 2, 1884, in Washington, Ohio. She passed away on August 25, 1960, leaving behind a life marked by family, hard work, and resilience.

Name and Early Life

While her gravestone bears the name “Olive A.,” the Ohio Births and Christenings Index (1774–1973) lists her name as “Alta Olive Wegley.” This discrepancy is likely a transcription error, but it reminds us of the occasional inconsistencies in historical records.

Marriage and Family

At just 17 years old, Olive married Pearl Cloyd Rasor on December 25, 1901. Together, they built a family and had at least two children:

Herman James Rasor (March 21, 1905 – December 13, 1985)
Dorothy Miriam Rasor (February 25, 1908 – September 8, 1996)

The 1930 U.S. Census provides a glimpse into their daily lives. Pearl operated a grocery store, and Olive worked alongside him as a saleswoman, listed as an unpaid family member. This partnership reflected their teamwork and dedication to supporting their family through hard work.

Later Life and Second Marriage

After Pearl’s passing, Olive remarried at the age of 66. On November 9, 1951, she wed Charles Trushel, marking a new chapter in her life. Despite her later years of loss and transition, Olive displayed resilience and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances.

Legacy

Olive Alta Wegley’s life was one of devotion—to her family, her work, and her enduring strength through the challenges of life. Her story exemplifies the values of hard work, adaptability, and family loyalty. She is remembered fondly as a cornerstone of her family’s history and a reflection of the era in which she lived.

Lewis Weighley

Tracy — Fri, 30 Mar 2018 21:59:10 +0000

Lewis Weigley is the child of John Weigley and Elizabeth W. Croft. He is my first cousin, 5x removed. You may ask why I would care about someone not in my direct line well quite honestly, because sometimes we find documents in side branches of our family tree that help us prove the identity or dates of those family members in our direct line. Such is the case with Lewis or Louis Weighley.

He married Eve Beeghly (Weighley?) on October 2, 1831.

B:16 Feb 1810 in Brothers Valley, Somerset, Pennsylvania, United States
D:25 Dec 1885 in Milford, Somerset, Pennsylvania, United States

He is buried in the Pleasant Hill Brethren Cemetery in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.

He and his wife had quite a few children.

Elizabeth Weighley (1831-1909)
John S. Weighley (1835-1918)
Mary Ann Weighley (1838-1918)
Joseph Weighley (1840-1844)
Sara Weighley (1844-??)
Ezra J. Weighley (EJ) (1846-1913)
William Lewis Weighley (1849-1928)

In the 1850 US census, we get a confirmation of this. We know that Lewis was 39 at the time. He lived with his wife Eve, who was 38, and then 6 of his children, the youngest of which was only 1 year old.

The one child not there was Joseph, who died when he was only 4 years old (1840-1844).

Lewis Weigley	39
Eve Weigley	38
Elisabeth Weigley	17
John Weigley	14
Mary A Weigley	12
Sarah Weigley	6
Ezra Weigley	3
William Weigley	1

Here is the death certificate for his youngest child, Ezra, who was also known as EJ.

Here is the marriage application for John Wegley (son of Lewis). John married Emma when he was 62, and she was 60.

So, speaking of documents, what is his name? Lewis or Louis? It looks like it is, in fact, Lewis. Here, in fact, is his wife’s death certificate to clear up the matter.

What we learn from Lewis is that his children went from using the “Weigley” spelling of the name to Wegley. Although he himself, was buried with the “Weigley” spelling on his gravestone.

John Henry Richardson

Tracy — Sat, 12 Mar 2016 09:22:55 +0000

John Henry Richardson is the brother of my 2nd great-grandfather, William Alexander Richardson. He is the son of John Durk Richardson.

We know that during the 1880 US Census he was 2 years old, so that means he was about about 1878. This makes him 4 years younger than William Alexander.

This record also says that he was born in Texas, not Tennessee like so many others list.

When I corrected that information on my bio is where I was able to find all my information about him.

John Henry Richardson was born on January 12, 1878 in Wise, Texas. We were able to get this information from his World War 1 Draft Registration Card.

John Henry Richardson married Lou Ella Fortner on May 4, 1897 in Smith, Texas.

He and his wife, Ella Lou (aka Lou Ella) Fortner, had quite a few number of children. During the 1920 census we see that both he and his wife are 43. At the time they list off 7 children, however that’s not even half the story ….

Claude
Lizzie
Hazel
Lela
Dora
Fannie
JD
Dewie

In all they had at least 16 (maybe 17) children, several of which died young.

Claude T (1896)
Infant Son (possibly twins – Died – 1898)
Anna Richardson (1899)
Kendrick (1901)
James Clifton (1903)
Lizzie (1906)
Jessie Lena (1907)
Elsie (1908)
Hazel Martha (1908)
Infant Daughter (Died – 1910)
Lela Gertrude (1910)
Dora Carolina (1913)
Frances Mae (1915)
Fannie (1916)
Jake D (1918)
Dewie W (1919)

John Henry died at the age of 26 on January 17, 1924, in what today is Waurika, Oklahoma.

Minerva Pearl Wegley

Tracy — Fri, 11 Mar 2016 11:02:26 +0000

Minerva Pearl Wegley, aka Minnie Pearl was born on March 20, 1887 and died on July 22, 1938.

She was the eldest child of John Wesley Wegley and Helen Elizabeth Swanson.

She was born in Kane Pennsylvania and lived in Pennsylvania her entire life. She died on July 22, 1938 in Kitanning.

She had high blood pressure and died suddenly at her home, which caused her to have a stroke. She was only 50 years old. The incidence took place at 10:30 in the morning.

This was the exact same thing that her father died of.

When she died, they lived at 127 Hazel Street in Kittanning, PA. This house is still around to this day. It’s a 4 bedroom, 1 bath home with about 2,154 square feet. The home was originally built in 1912 and has a full basement with a detached garage.

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Valentin Assel

Tracy — Sun, 21 Feb 2016 07:35:32 +0000

My mother’s grandmother was a lady named Emma Marie, who she loved dearly. It is for this reason I began to look into the maternal side of my family tree.

This led me to Valentin Assel, the first member of his family line to come to America from Germany.

Valentin Assel was born on March 1, 1860 in Essen, Germany. Today it’s a huge city with a population of more than 500,000; making it the 9th largest city in Germany.

Valentin Assel came to America in 1887.

A few years after coming to America, at the age of 30, he met and married Arnstena Wilhelmina Good (Gote?). Together they had at least 7 children.

William Paul
Michael John
Pauline
Anna
Hilda
Emma Marie
Emil

On October 01, 1910 Valentin Assel official became a US citizen.

Valentin Assel died on April 05, 1923 in Monessen, Pennsylvania. He was buried at Saint Paul’s Cemetery in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (find a grave).

William Alexander Richardson

Tracy — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 13:30:46 +0000

William Alexander Richardson, my 2nd great-grandfather was born in Tennessee on January 12, 1874. He’s the son of John Durk Richardson.

His father, originally from North Carolina, had moved to Tennesse during his time in the American Civil War. He was in Unit 9 Tennessee Cavalry Company E.

After the war was often he married William’s mother and they began having babies, 6 in all, which is nothing compared to William who would eventually have 10 of his own children.

A few years after William Alexander was born the entire family picked up and moved to Wise, Texas which is where William would spend the rest of his life.

William Alexander Richardson married Ada Mae Sheppard on October 11, 1896, in Wise County, Texas. Together they had at least 10 children who lived.

Rubin Nemon Richardson 1898–1960
Roy Lee Richardson 1900–1977
Bertha Mae Richardson 1902–1991
Henry E Richardson 1904–
Etta Lorene Richardson 1904–1954
Evelyn Nancy Richardson 1906–1954
George Elton Richardson 1908–1976
Sue Odett Richardson 1911–1987
William Dalton Richardson 1913–1971
Lawrence Durk Richardson 1916–1995

In 1918 he was 44 years old and he registered for the draft for WWI. That seemed rather old for me so I decided to do some research on why someone of his age would be required to register for the draft.

The US entered WWI on April 6, 1917. On May 18, 1917, Congress passed the Selective Service Act authorizing the draft. At first, it was just males from 21 to 30 that were required to register for military service. However later at the request of the War Department, Congress amended the law in August of 1918 to expand the age range to include all men from 18 to 45.

So basically that meant William Alexander fell within the age range for the draft of WWI, albeit just barely.

I don’t seem to find any records to show that he was actually drafted to fight in the war though.

William Alexander Richardson, a retired farmer, passed away on October 25, 1971. His death certificate from that time indicates that he was a retired farmer, and it was during this process that mortuary fridge installation took place.

You might also notice that on his death certificate it lists his name as William Alex instead of his full name of William Alexander. During his life, he has been known as William Richardson, William Alexander, William Alex, W.A. Richardson, William A. Richardson, Alexander Richardson, Williams A. Richardson, and A.R. Richardson.

His WW1 voter registration card lists him as William Alexander Richardson, while his death certificate lists him as William Alex. The social security administration lists him as William A. (460-86-8458)

Obituary for William Alexander Richardson

Final rites were held Wednesday, Oct. 27, at 4 p.m. in the Chapel at Hawkins Funeral home for Mr. W.A. Richardson. Mr. Richardson was born Jan. 12, 1874, died Oct 25, 1971. Mr. Joe Dukin, Church of Christ Minister from Allison, Texas, officiated. Mr. Richardson is survived by four sons and two daughters. L. D. Richardson, Paradise, Texas, Pete Richardson, Paradise Texas, George Richardson, Bridgeport, W. D. Richardson, Waurika, Okla., Sue Bollinger, Burbank, California, Bertha Davidson, Brownsville, Texas, and a host of grandchildren and great-grandchildren are the survivors. Interment was in West Side Cemetery, Bridgeport.

Frederick Wegley

Tracy — Sat, 31 Jan 2015 17:12:35 +0000

Frederick Wegley is my great-grandfather. He was born on August 20, 1887, in Kane, Pennsylvania, and died on November 28, 1950, in Okmulgee, Oklahoma. His father was John Wesley Wegley (1858-1927), and his mother was Bessie (1865-1923).

Frederick Wegley married Tillie Blanch Edwards on February 4, 1920, when he was 32 years old. They married in Huntington, West Virginia.

Together, they had at least six children, including my grandfather, Raymond Wegley.

John Wesley (1923-1982)
Betty Ann (1924-2010)
Raymond Edward (1925-1992)
Ruth Minerva (1928-?)
Dora Mae (1930-1970)
Gretta Laura (1935-?)

Frederick Wegley, along with his sons John Wesley and Raymond Edward, served in World War I and World War II.

Here is a blurry copy of his WW1 draft registration card, which tells us that he is of medium height, slender build, with light brown hair and light grey eyes.

It also says he was employed as a laborer doing woodworking for a manufacturing company. It also reveals he was in the national guard in the infantry division for 1 year prior to this form being filled out (June 5, 1917), at which time he was 29 years old.

At 54 years old, he filled out another draft card to join the fight during WWII. Notice on the document, he lied and said he was 52, born in 1889, not his actual year of birth of 1887.

These two documents tell us a little more about the man. He was 5 feet 7 1/2. Again, we learn that he has brown hair and grey eyes, and his complexion is described as “ruddy,” as opposed to “shallow,” “light,” “dark,” “light brown,” etc.

This was signed on April 27, 1942. Fred’s eldest son, John Wesley, would join the war on February 19, 1943, almost a year later. Then his youngest son, Raymond, would join on November 29, 1943, at 17.

So the father lied and said he was younger so he could join the war and fight for his country, and his son lied and said he was older to do the same.

Fred died in 1950 and was buried in a grave in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, where his youngest son was living at the time.

His wife, Tillie, would die in 1984 and would be buried nearby.

Now here is something interesting … notice his gravestone said his year of birth was 1889. But we know from countless census records that he was actually born two years earlier. Well, actually, now that I examine the records more closely, I don’t know for sure.

The 1900 census shows he was 12 years old at the time, born in August of 1887. 1900-12 actually puts him born in about 1888
In the 1910 census, he was 21 and listed as born “about 1889”.
The 1920 census shows he was 30 at the time, which means he was born about 1890. During this census he was still living with his parents and was a box maker and a window and glass factory.
In the 1930 census, it tells us he was 39 years old and that he was born in about 1881.
The 1940 census shows he was 50 years old and born in 1890.

I am told that it wasn’t uncommon to estimate things back then when you knew for sure. But every time, it is different, so I’m not sure what to say about it.

The 1900 census and the WW1 draft registration card says August 1887. So for now we’ll keep it at that.

John Wesley Wegley

Tracy — Sat, 31 Jan 2015 17:01:18 +0000

June 29, 1858 – December 15, 1927

John Wesley Wegley was born on June 29, 1858, in Indiana, Pennsylvania, and passed away on December 15, 1927, in Shade, Somerset County, Pennsylvania, at the age of 69. His father was Joseph William Wegley (1802-1880), and his mother was Eve Berkebile (1811-1888).

His death certificate confirms that he succumbed to a cerebral hemorrhage caused by high blood pressure—a stroke. The document also identifies his parents as Joseph Wegley and Eva Berkible, offering vital details for genealogical distinction, as another man named John W. Wegley lived during the same period but was married to a Sarah Wegley.

John married Helen Elizabeth “Bessie” Swanson, originally from Sweden, and together they had six children:

Minerva Pearl (1887)
Frederick (1890)
Ruth Leona Victoria (1893)
Clarence John Leroy
Raymond Walter (1900)
Howard

By 1910, the family lived at 507 Biddle Street in Kane, Pennsylvania, a residence that would remain their home through the 1920 census. In 1910, John was listed as a pumper for oil wells, while in 1920, he was recorded as a grocer. Despite inconsistencies in his reported age—50 in the 1910 census and 62 in 1920—his wife Bessie aged more consistently, from 44 in 1910 to 54 in 1920. Their children also appeared in the records, although there are occasional transcription errors, such as their daughter Ruth being listed as “Rush” in the 1920 census.

The home at 507 Biddle Street, built in 1890, remains standing today. It is a two-story, 2,258-square-foot single-family home, notable for its six bedrooms and history as a converted two-apartment property. In recent history, it was sold at a public auction in 2013 for $19,000, despite an average home value in the area of approximately $150,000. The house retains its historic charm but reflects the challenges of maintaining older properties.

John Wesley’s life and work reflected the industrious spirit of his time. He was literate, owned his home, and worked various roles to support his family. After his death in 1927, he was laid to rest in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Kane, Pennsylvania, where his legacy endures through the descendants and stories of his family.

Jonathan George Wegley

Tracy — Sat, 31 Jan 2015 16:50:43 +0000

Jonathan George Wegley was born on September 3, 1836, in Somerset Pennsylvania. He died on March 1, 1892, in Lockington, Shelby County, Ohio. We know this date of death from his gravestone.

Jonathan George Wegley is my 2nd great grand uncle

Jonathan George Wegley married Sarah Circle in Mercer County, Ohio on November 21, 1857, when he was 21 years old. Together they had at least 11 children.

George Wegley (1859 – 1862)
James E Wegley (1860 – 1937)
Mary C. Wegley (1863 – 1932)
Emanuel Wegley (1864 – 1936)
Fredrick Wegley (1866 – 1951)
Joseph Wegley (1867 – 1946)
Eva Jane Wegley (1869 – 1939)
infant Wegley (1870 – 1870)
Adeline (Sarah) Wegley (1871 – 1948)
Daisy May Wegley (1876 – 1940)
Olive Alta Wegley (1884 – 1960)

Here is a marriage record for Jonathan Wegley and Sarah Circle, dated November 1857, in Muskingum County, Ohio. Sarah Circle’s father, James Circle, appeared before the authorities to provide his explicit consent for the marriage, as was required when the bride was under a certain age. The marriage ceremony was performed on November 12, 1857, by Zephaniah Shinpuff, and the marriage was officially filed on December 24, 1857.

Right Side: Issued Nov 11, 1857. “The State of Ohio, Muskingum County. On the 12th day of November, 1857, I solemnized the marriage of Mr. Jonathan Megley and Miss Sarah Circle. Given under my hand this 24th day of December, 1857.” (Signed by:) Zephaniah Shinpuff Filed Dec 24, 1857

Here is the death certificate for his son, Fredrick Wegley. This shows us that we have the right family – Jonathan Wegley and Sarah Circle.

Jonathan George would have one son (Joseph) that would go on to be mayor of Williston, North Dakota and another son who ran a local watering hole or gathering place. Only problem was that it seems the area was “dry” and he was caught or at least accused of selling liquor. He would later be acquitted. Here is the text from the local paper at the time about the incident.

‘Grand Forks Herald’, Grand Forks, North Dakota. 8 Nov 1907

‘Grand Forks Herald’, Grand Forks, North Dakota. 10 June 1909

The accused was tried three times before justices of the peace and each time found not guilty, and then was indicted by the grand jury, on which indictment he was just found not guilty.

Here’s a crazy story about how he became mayor in the first place.

Fact: First North Dakota mayor accused of horse rustling

Denny established the first bank in Williston when he arrived in February 1899. He also had a large ranch on which he raised horses and Hereford cattle. He had connections in Montana where large numbers of horses were brought to his ranch and sold to him at $10 to $30 a head. Because northwestern North Dakota was rapidly filling up with homesteaders, Denny was able to sell each of the horses to the settlers for $150. Initially, most Williston residents considered Denny a shrewd businessman.

In June 1904, Denny was elected mayor and went to work to provide electricity and running water for the residents. He ran unopposed for re-election in 1905, and later that year, Denny was arrested, convicted and sentenced to prison for being the fence of a large horse-stealing enterprise in Montana. He appealed to the North Dakota Supreme Court for a retrial, which was granted to him since key pieces of evidence against him had disappeared. With the major evidence missing, a new trial never occurred, and Denny was set free.

William Henry Denny Jr. was born in New Auburn, Minn., on March 17, 1870, to William Sr. and Marian (Joslyn/Josline) Denny. William Sr. was a gunsmith, and the family moved to the larger town of Glencoe soon after William Jr.’s birth. In 1885, William Jr. attended Anoka Business College and after graduating two years later, “worked at various stores in St. Cloud.” In the fall of 1889, he traveled to Montana and found work as a ranch hand on the Diamond G Ranch, which was owned by J. D. “Dad” Williams. Also working for Williams was “Dutch Henry” Jauch (pronounced Yaw), who later organized “the largest horse stealing operation in eastern Montana.” He also traveled to a lot of places and this made him knowledgeable about various cultures. You can visit sites like https://drifttravel.com/10-spanish-cities-for-a-new-life-culture-jobs-and-amenities/ to learn about different cultures.

Williams found Denny to be trustworthy and asked the youngster to drive horses to central North Dakota to be sold. On his drives, Denny established friendships in Benson County, and he developed a romantic interest in Kate Huffnail, a school teacher in Minnewaukan. He moved to Minnewaukan in 1897 and, in July, went to work for the Benson County State Bank. After working for a couple of years, learning how to operate a bank, Denny began exploring new opportunities. Seeing that the Great Northern Railway had reached Williston in 1898 and that it was about to establish branch lines from there to towns in the northwestern part of the state, he knew that settlers were soon to follow. Williston did not have a bank, and the town was ideally located, near the confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri rivers. In 1898, Denny contacted Charles Hilton Davidson, a wealthy Canadian real estate dealer, and Thomas L. Beisaker, a Fessenden banker, who also owned a number of other banks in North Dakota and Minnesota, and the two men agreed to finance the establishment of a bank in Williston. When the Williams County State Bank opened on Feb. 19, 1899, Denny was named cashier and manager. Feeling financially secure, he married Kate on March 8. From the money Denny was making at the bank, he began purchasing land, between Williston and the Montana border, on which to raise cattle and horses for races as he also like to gamble a little bit and that’s why visiting the slotvibe casino is a good choice for him too. His plan was to buy horses brought in from Montana and sell them to the homesteaders who were coming into northwestern North Dakota. Denny also began selling real estate and, in 1903, established the town of Trenton on his property. On Feb. 3, 1904, Williston was incorporated as a city, and four months later, the newly elected councilmen chose Denny as mayor. According to Joseph Wegley, Denny’s successor as mayor, Williston was a wild-west town. Wegley wrote, “There were eleven saloons or blind pigs on Main Street and lots of them in the alleys … blind pigs prevailed and ruled the city.” Wegley also pointed out that Denny was in support of the saloons. In 1905, Denny was re-elected, and he sent out bid proposals for the construction of city waterworks and an electrical plant. Besides serving as mayor, he also was kept busy buying and selling horses. On Oct. 26, law officers from Montana went to Denny’s ranch and discovered stolen horses. Denny and Art McGahey, the man who delivered the stolen horses, were arrested. Denny’s lawyers pointed out that the lawmen had presented insufficient evidence, and the arrest was rescinded. Suspicion that Denny was the fence and possibly the kingpin of a large horse-rustling organization surfaced in September when Jack Teal, a Montana lawman, and George Hall, the stock inspector for the Montana Stockmen’s Association, arrested a horse thief. When the thief tried to escape, he was shot and killed. Teal and Hall went through the dead man’s belongings and discovered a letter that named Denny as the “chief fence” for stolen horses. This information was corroborated by George Miller, a saloon owner whose establishment had recently been robbed by horse thieves. He told Hall and Sheriff William Griffith about an incident in which Tom Ryan, who had injured his writing hand, had Miller write a letter to Denny. “Ryan was the major rustler in eastern Montana now that Jauch had disappeared.” The letter stated that Ryan was having McGahey deliver horses to Denny. Miller agreed to work with the lawmen. To make certain that the horses had been delivered, he went to the mayor’s ranch, posing as Ryan’s friend. Denny confirmed to Miller that the horses had arrived and had been sold. Denny also told Miller to tell Ryan to stop visiting his bank because “Montana authorities were breathing down his neck.” Armed with this additional evidence, law officials returned to Denny’s ranch in mid-November to arrest him, but he was gone. He had been tipped off and fled to Benson County. The lawmen located Denny in Churchs Ferry and arrested him, but they were unable to take him into custody because the district judge, John Cowan, issued a habeas corpus decree declaring Denny needed to appear in court before he could be detained. A trial was scheduled for August 1906, but Montana authorities did not believe justice would be served. In December 1905, Montana’s governor, Joseph Toole, made a request to Elmore Sarles, governor of North Dakota, that Denny be extradited, and Sarles agreed. However, Denny’s lawyers were able to get the extradition order rescinded. At his trial on Aug. 9, 1906, Denny was found guilty of selling stolen horses and sentenced to three years in prison. However, Denny’s lawyers appealed to the North Dakota Supreme Court for a retrial. The letters showing Denny’s involvement disappeared, before the court met on Oct. 11, 1908, and the court ordered a retrial. Since the prosecution no longer had their most important evidence, a new trial never occurred, and Denny no longer feared conviction. Although Denny was basically free, “he was a broken man and he never recovered.” He resigned his positions at the bank and as mayor. Denny remained in Williston and sold real estate until the 1930s, when he lived in Montana and California for short periods of time. He returned to Williston where he died on July 9, 1936.

Joseph William Wegley

Tracy — Sat, 31 Jan 2015 16:18:10 +0000

October 14, 1802 – June 1880

Joseph William Wegley was born on October 14, 1802, in Brothersvalley, Pennsylvania, and passed away in June of 1880 in McKean, Pennsylvania. He holds a unique place in family history as the first recorded use of the “Wegley” spelling of the family name, making him the patriarch of this lineage.

Marriage and Family
Joseph married Eve Berkebile around 1831 or 1832 when he was approximately 30 years old. Together, they built a large family, raising at least 11 children:

Theresa (1831)
Jonathan S (1835-1918)
Jonathan George (1836)
Josiah (1837-1930)
Jonathan (1837-1907)
Susanna (1841-1920)
Frederick (1843-1889)
Adeline (1845-1893)
Mary Amanda (1847-1926)
Austin (1851-1916)
John Wesley (1858-1927)

Eve’s name frequently appears in historical documents, and their children provide critical information that helps piece together the story of Joseph’s life. For example, their daughter Mary Amanda’s death certificate confirms her birthdate (July 30, 1847, in Somerset, Pennsylvania) and her parentage.

The 1850 Census: A Growing Family
By 1850, Joseph and Eve were living in Shade, Somerset, Pennsylvania, with seven of their children and Eve’s mother, Elizabeth Berkebile, aged 61. Joseph was 48 years old at the time, and his occupation was not specified in the census.

The household composition was as follows:

Joseph Wegley (48)
Eve Wegley (39)
Theresa Wegley (19)
Jonathan Wegley (14)
Josiah Wegley (11)
Susanna Wegley (10)
Frederick Wegley (6)
Adeline Wegley (5)
Amanda Wegley (2)
Elizabeth Berkebile (61)

Life in the 1860s
By 1860, the family remained in Shade, Somerset County, though many of the older children had moved on to start their own lives. Joseph, now 58, worked as a day laborer. The household then consisted of:

Joseph Weagley (58)
Eve Weagley (49)
Adaline Weagley (14)
Amanda Weagley (12)
Austin Weagley (10)
John W. Weagley (2)

Later Years
In 1870, Joseph and Eve had moved to Wetmore, McKean, Pennsylvania. At this point, only their youngest child, John Wesley (then 11), lived with them. Joseph, nearing 70 years old, worked as a wood chopper—a physically demanding job, especially for someone of his age. This speaks to his resilience and work ethic even in the later stages of his life.

Legacy
Joseph’s passing in June 1880 marked the end of a life spanning nearly eight decades. He was a pioneer in his family’s history, establishing not only the Wegley name but also a legacy of hard work and family strength. His descendants continued to contribute to the family narrative, each generation adding new chapters to the Wegley story.

Joseph’s life, from raising a large family to his tenacity in his elder years, remains a cornerstone of the Wegley family heritage.