Frank Edward Southmayd

The second born son of Charles and Ella Southmayd, Frank Edward (my great-grandfather) was born May 1, 1881 in Ferndale, Calif. (Left: Irving and Frank - in the dress!).

Frank married Leslie Dovie Llewellyn on Oct. 7, 1903. Dovie was the daughter of John Timothy Llewellyn and Arrilda Belle Graham.

After their marriage, the couple rented the ranch from Charles and Ella and carried on as dairy farmers.

From the Myrtle Point Enterprise: Mr. and Mrs. C.H. Southmayd gave a dinner in honor of their son and his bride, Mr. and Mrs. F. E. Southmayd, Christmas Day. Among their guests were the Misses VanDecar, B.T. VanDecar and Dr. Stemmler. Perhaps the prettiest table in town was set by Mrs. Southmayd. For a centerpiece a small Christmas tree beautifully decorated ocupied the center of the table. A bon bon box of mica, tied at the corners with bright colored ribbon, for each guest, and dozens of candles all ablaze furnished the light for the table, as daylight was excluded. On each napkin a mica card decorated wtih a spray of holly and berries and the name of the person to occupy the place painted on it, added brightness to the scene and made us forget for a time we were in the land of sunshine and flowers and recalled the wintery weather of Eastern homes. (Above: Dovie & Frank at Twin Springs Farm, aka Echo Valley).

To Frank and Dovie were born six children:
Edna Adele, born April 11, 1904
Leslie Edward, born May 27, 1905
John Llewellyn, born Jan. 27, 1907
Charles Augustus Irving, born Jan. 29, 1909
Opal Arrilda, born Oct. 1, 1911
Frank Ellis, born Feb. 18, 1916

(Right: Dovie, Frank and a squirming Edna)

Charles Irving Southmayd

Not much is known about Charles Irving, the first born son of Charles and Ella Southmayd. We know he was born Jan. 27, 1879, on Eel River Island near Ferndale, Calif. And we know he died Nov. 10, 1897, in Grizzly Bluff, Calif., at the age of 18.

It's clearly visible in the photos of Irving that he had some type of deformity. The story passed down through the family is that his deformity was the result of a fall from a horse when he was quite young, but it's unclear if that's true.

We do know Irving was a good student. We have copies of his report cards which exhibit his academic skill. We also know he was a talented artist and enjoyed writing.

Ella Bowerman Southmayd

Ella Augusta Bowerman was born July 26, 1850 in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan. She was the daughter of Emerson Bowerman and Fanny Chope. Ella was the
second child of three. Her sister, Orilla, was born Oct. 28, 1848, and died Dec. 18, 1848. Her brother, William, was born Oct. 21, 1854, and died Aug. 15, 1855. Their father, Emerson, died three days before William on Aug. 12, 1855.

Ella was baptized into the Swedenbergean Church in Detroit in 1852 and joined the church in 1864. She was educated in Detroit and later finished her education in Chicago. Ella began giving piano lessons in 1866 and continued with it most of her life. She moved to Chicago, Illinois, in 1862, to Omaha, Neb, in 1868, and then back to Chicago in 1872, where she remained until 1875.

Ella was a skilled writer and, under the pen name Nellie Wildwood, contributed articles to the West Coast Signal in 1876 and 1877. (Note: Ella kept several scrapbooks of newspaper clippings that were of interest to her. Amongst those articles were columns and letters to the editor she had written. We have scanned those articles and can provide PDF documents to anyone interested in seeing them).

On June 18, 1876, Ella traveled with the prominent Russ family of Humboldt County, for whom she was a governess, to attend the Centennial Exposition in Chicago. Her detailed account of the journey is an interesting read. (Note: I have transcribed Ella's account of the journey and it is available as a PDF document to anyone interested - just post a comment and request it).

As were many women during the Victorian era, Ella was a successful taxidermist and had over 25 specimens. After her marriage to Charles Henry Southmayd on August 27, 1876, the couple lived in several towns in Humboldt County, California. They were known for having one of the most complete and best selected libraries in the county. Also an accomplished artist, Ella taught oil painting to ladies from Grizzly Bluff. The extended family possesses many pieces of her art, including portraits she painted of herself, Charles and her sons.

Ella and Charles had two sons, Charles Irving, who was born on Jan. 27, 1879, on Eel River Island near Ferndale, Calif., and Frank Edward (my father's grandfather) who was born on May 1, 1881, in Ferndale.

In 1880 Charles went back to his childhood home, New Hampshire, for six months to look for a home. Finding nothing better than what they had in Humboldt County, he returned to California. He then took up dairying on a larger scale than ever before, milking 127 cows on Bear River. In 1885 the family purchased a home five miles east of Ferndale at Grizzly Bluff. In 1890 they joined the Grizzly Bluff Presbyterian Church. In 1897 Charles Irving died in Grizzly Bluff, and in 1900 the family moved to a ranch in Echo Valley near Myrtle Point, Coos County, Oregon.

Their homestead near Ferndale still bears the title of Southmayd Ranch. My family visited there many years ago and toured the very home which Ella and her family lived in. What an amazing experience to walk the same worn floorboards and touch the rough plaster walls that Ella herself had lovingly maintained for her family over 100 years ago!

Left to right: Frank, Irving, Ella and Charles Southmayd.

Charles Henry Southmayd

Charles Henry Southmayd was born Oct. 15, 1845 in Mitton, Mass. He was the second child of seven born to Henry Harrison Southmayd and Ellen C. Cassidy.

His family moved to New Hampshire while he was still an infant [family home shown at right].

In 1865 he moved to Ferndale, Humboldt County, Calif., and was registered to vote there in 1868. In 1870 Charles was in Calaveras County, Calif., and in 1874 he moved to Eureka, Calif., where he joined the Oddfellows. On Aug. 27, 1876 he married Ella Augusta Bowerman.

Charles and Ella's first child, Charles Irving, was born on Eel River Island near Ferndale, Calif., on Jan. 27, 1879 [shown in picture at left with Ella and Charles]. In 1880 Charles went back to New Hampshire for six months to look for a home. Finding nothing better than Humboldt County, he returned to California. On May 1, 1881, Frank Edward was born in Ferndale.

From a Humboldt County newspaper clipping: The mail route between Alton and Grizzly Bluff was discontinued on Sept 1st. Charley Southmayd was released from service and Grizzly Bluff only gets two mails a day now. We expected this change some time ago, but the government officials had just so much red tape to unwind before they arrived to this conclusion. Mr. Southmayd carried the mail for many months and proved himself a faithful employee. Rain, mud or high water never prevented him from being promptly on time and he never missed a trip during his term of office.

In 1885 Charles bought a place near Ferndale and then moved to Grizzly Bluff. In 1890 Charles and Ella joined the Grizzly Bluff Presbyterian Church. Charles Irving died in Grizzly Bluff.

The Coquille Herald says: Chas Southmayd, another of Humboldt's good citizens who has decided to make Coos County his home, arrived by the last Del Norte, coming over by yesterday's train with his family. He brought up with him about 30 head of fine dairy cattle belonging to himself and Mr. Davenport, who came up a short time since. Mr. Southmayd has purchased the Lewellen place, a short distance from the forks of the river, being located on the North Fork. We welcome these good citizens, being fully assured that they will, as many others from the same section have proved to be, most valuable accessions to our community, and do a great deal to advance the dairy interests of this section.

In the Myrtle Point Enterprise, Nov. 2, 1900, it mentions that Charles purchased the farm of H. Lewellen, at Echo Valley outside of Myrtle Point, for $3,000. [H. Lewellen was Harvey Lewellen, father of Charles' future daughter-in-law, Dovie].

On Dec. 14, 1914, Charles died at the home of his son Frank. He is buried in the Norway Cemetery outside of Myrtle Point, Oregon.