Modoc County Record
Centennial Edition
1874 ~ 1974
The Pioneer Pope Family Memoirs
By Frances Thompson
(Picture)
The Wedding of Bertie Pope and “Doc” E. F. Auble
James W. Pope and Eliza Jane Stephenson Pope were born in Highland County,
Ohio. They met and married in Henry County, Iowa in 1860. They started for
California by the overland route in the spring of 1864. Fred L. was almost
three, and Lizzie Delia about six months old. They took the Applegate Trail
through Nevada and then the Yreka trail to Hawkinsville in Siskiyou County.
Edgar B. was born here as well as the twins, Maggie May and Fanny Belle.
Maggie May weighed two and a hald pounds; she was wrapped in cotton, given
some whiskey, put in a shoe box and put on the oven door of the wood burning
stove. She became a very healthy child.
In the summer of 1870 Mr. Miller, Mr. Renner and Mr. Pope returned to the
Stone Coal-Hot Spring Valley area to select sites for homes. Mr. Miller and
Mr. Pope selected sites in Stone Coal Valley and Mr. Renner on Pit River.
The first winter was a very hard winter. Mr. Pope and Mr. Renner exchanged
sites.
All supplies and lumber had to be brought from Yreka. This trip took about
three weeks. The lumber brought on one trip was used for coffins. Mr. Pope
often recalled his trips to Yreka during the Modoc Indian War. The Ticher
road went around the southend of the Lava Beds to join the road that ran
from Linkville (Klamath Falls) to the Pit River settlements. From this road
the campfires of both he soldiers and Indians could be seen. The ranch home
was started in 1872 and parts of the original house are still in use. It is
now the home of Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Carpenter. Mrs. Carpenter is a
granddaughter of Mr. Pope.
Two more children were born to the Popes, Bertie A. and Walter James who
died when three months old.
The ranch was a stopping place for travelers. Mrs. Pope had a teaching
certificate issued on March 7, 1873 by Siskiyou County. Two of the
daughters, Maggie May Thompson and Bertie A. Tudle were also teachers. Mrs.
Pope was also the midwife for the community.
Mrs. Pope died in the spring of 1887 from what was probably Rocky Mountain
Spotted Fever. The pioneer cemetery where the early residents were buried
has been bulldozed to make a small reservoir. Mr. Pope died in 1926. He
was ninety one years old.
The children, Fred L., Edgar B. and Lizzie D. Mrs. Fanny Kane, Mrs. Maggie
Thompson, and Mrs. Bertie Auble are deceased. The grand children, great
grandchildren and great-great grandchildren are scattered here and there in
California and Oregon, but all with an appreciation and interest in our
Modoc heritage.
~~~~~~
Billie C. & Anita 'Jean' Reynolds
(Our Family Genealogy)
http://www.rh2o.com
---
Our outgoing mail is checked by Norton AntiVirus.