Living With History
Posted 3 weeks, 4 days ago at 4:44 am. 0 comments
I have been spending some time on researching the history of my historic home. My house is a 1910 American Four-Square. Since I am a member of ancestry.com I was able to start my researching rather quickly when I decided to do it. Since moving to town when asked what house I bought they say “The Lillian Stark house”. Several locals have told me they have been in my house as kids.
The first thing I did was go to the 1910 Census. I see the original owner was William Edward Abbott and Laura Patrene Abbott. In 1910 they were listed as the owners and had one child Lillian Esther Abbott who was 14yrs old at the time. This was a good start.
Further research I found that William was born in WI and his father and mother was Edward Abbott and Hester Ann Norton. Edward was born in England and ended up in WI. They relocated to Canton, SD and he was here by the age of 18yrs old. They were farmers.
At the age of 30 he married Laura Patrene Tobiasan (born in Norway) who was only 18yrs old. They married on August 6th, 1892. They had a daughter Lillian in 1895. They farmed until 1906 when they moved into town. They lived on 2nd street before they moved (assume built) this house over on 3rd street.
According to the census William’s jobs went from farmer, to odd labor to house mover. Laura was a homemaker. Lillian was their only child that I can find. This is where the research has been very difficult. I am assuming there are a lot of things I don’t know that would explain the oddities that I have ran into.
There is a history book of the area and there is no mention of the Abbotts. They were obviously a wealthy family. My house for the time was a nice house. The house was not just built plain and simple. There is a lot of wood work and a carved wood staircase. These are still in the house.
Lillian. I am not sure where she went. She is not in the 1930 census but her parents are still here and have other people in the house. A few times they had “roomers” or “lodgers” here at the house. Lillian resurfaces at the age of 35yrs old when she was back in the house with her parents.
Lillian married Floyd Vernon Stark at the age of 39 (he was 40) (Sept 1934) and they lived on a farm near Beresford, SD. They never had children. Lillian found her husband slumped over the wheel of his car on the farm just 4yrs after marriage. The story was in the paper and said he died of “gas” stating he was draining his car. Many people that have read the article get the feeling it was suicide.
It is unclear where Lillian was after this or when she found herself back in this house. William (her father) passed away in 1941 so this was within 2yrs from the death of her husband. Laura her mother passed away in 1963.
Lillian lived in this home until she passed away. She died in April of 1976 at the age of 80. Lillian never remarried and was known as a “widow”.
I am still researching who has the house from 1976 on and would like more information on the Abbotts. I would like to find where Lillian was all that time and also find photographs someday. I will update more as I find more information.
