FISHER, Alwitche

Eugene married SPANG, Kittie Belle 21 Jun 1912. Kittie (daughter of SPANG, Alban Dumont and CAHILL, Lucy) was born 14 Apr 1891, Trabing, Johnson County, Wyoming; died 02 May 1961, Lame Deer, Rosebud County, Montana; was buried Lame Deer Cemetery, Lame Deer, Rosebud County, Montana. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Possibly called Albert in 1880 Wyoming census - location - La Porele Creek.

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Lame Deer, Mont. January 4, 1929.

Mrs. Josephine Merrity, 1275 Chapel St., New Haven, Conn.

My dear Cousin Josephine:

Your letter was indeed a surprise and a mighty pleasant one.

My recollections of you are very faint, however, I do remember you as a very small child. The information in regard to your immediate family, also regarding our respective relatives was most interesting. I shall gladly give you all the in- formation that I know. Below is a copy of my father, Peter Spang, Obituary, which will perhaps enlighten you on several things you wished to know in regard to the family tree. [see Peter Spang]

I am also sending you a copy of my mother's obituary, which, I believe, contains information in connection with the family tree. [see Harriet Marie Hubbard]

You may be interested in knowing that my father's naturalization papers were in Buffalo, Wyoming, with Mary the last I saw of them. You perhaps could get a lot of information from them.

I was married to Lucy Harris December 25, 1885, at Canyon Ranch, Crazy Woman, Johnson County, Wyoming. We lived in that country the first eight or nine years of our marriage, then moving to Lame Deer, Montana, where I have been engaged in farming and stock raising ever since. We have a family of thirteen, all living, and they tail as follows:

Alfonso L. Deyo . January 21, 1887
Kitty Belle December 14, 1889
Julia Agnes April 14, 1891
Alban D. September 14, 1893
Jr. Roy F September 14, 1895
Nellie Pearl October 6, 1897
James P. July 2, 1899
Wilfred F, May 3, 1901
Sarah Jane August 22, 1903
Harriet October 23, 1905
Edith C. December 19, 1908
John Kash October 20, 1911

All of the above are married except the four youngest.

I am sorry to say I do not know Bernadine's family's address. I only know they are somewhere in the state of Washington. My brother Bernadine's grandson and his young bride passed thru a town here where one of my sons was living, however, much information was not gathered from him only that his people lived in Washington. Perhaps Mary could enlighten you on this.

I trust the above information will be of help to you, and if at any time other information comes to my mind, I?ll gladly submit it.

Wishing you a prosperous and most Happy New Year, I remain most Sincerely,

Your cousin,

Alban Spang

Alban married CAHILL, Lucy 25 Dec 1885, Crazy Woman, now Buffalo, Johnson County, Wyoming. Lucy (daughter of CAHILL, James and SHELL, Sally) was born 25 May 1868, Ft. Laramie, Wyoming; died 01 Apr 1934, Lame Deer, Rosebud County, Montana; was buried Lame Deer Cemetery, Lame Deer, Rosebud County, Montana. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

There is some uncertainty over whether James Cahill was Lucy's father. See the Native American section for more detail

Notes:

Columbian Register -- March 7, 1868
The following sales of Real Estate have been made by the Messrs. J.F. & L.F. Comstock, viz: -- The house and lot owned by Peter Spang, No 106 Orchard street, to James Rawson, for $1630; ...

++++++++
Peter (Pierre) came to the great California gold rush around the horn by way of merchant ship. Harriet followed him 2 years later by the Isthmus of Panama with two small children. She contracted Panama fever and was shipwrecked. She cooked and washed clothes for miners while Peter mined. They returned to Connecticut after 8 yrs, richer and wiser.

They came to Johnson Co, Wyoming in 1882 where he engaged in farming and raising stock with considerable success. The citizens of this community held Mr. Spang in the highest esteem, although he was outspoken in his principles of "Free Thought" and The "Truth Seekers". Buffalo, Wyo
Thomas Miller
May 1, 1896
The Bulletin
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Land Grant issued May 19, 1892 - Johnson County, Wyoming. (1section-SW/ township-47-N Range-82-W Fraction?-No Meridian-6th PM)
http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/PatentSearch/Detail.asp?Accession=WYWYAA+013298&Index=2&QryID=42402.44&DetailTab=1
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OBITUARY

Peter Spang died at Buffalo, Wyoming, on Thursday, April 30 at the advanced age of seventy. He was a good citizen, a staunch Freethinker, and an honest man. His was the first funeral in the history of our town at which the sweet sad memory of custom was set aside for the beautiful funeral service of the Freethought ritual. The funeral took place May 1, and the service was conducted by Mr. E.D. Metcalf, one of our most conscientious business men and a warm personal friend of the deceased, who shared in his views. Friends of the departed who had never been in sympathy with his iconoclasm listened intently to the Free- thought service, and were surprised to find their feelings voiced in language so lofty in sentiment, that touched all hearts by its naturalness and simplicity.

Peter Spang was born at Rimeling, on the Rhine, Nov, 6 l926 --and claimed to be--a Frenchman although his birthplace now belongs to Germany. He came to the United States at an early age and was apprenticed to a pious shoemaker in a community where he suffered much on account of his religion, having been brought up a Roman Catholic. He was not well treated: by his "Unco guid" master, but was afterwards lucky in finding a home and employment with a man of no religion who did not care if his apprentice was a Catholic or a Buddhist, if he behaved himself otherwise. This man was upright in all his dealings. He was known in the community as an Infidel. Mr. Spang was so impressed with the sturdy virtue of the man of no religion that in after years when

He found himself out of sympathy with his mother church, he naturally adopted the principles of Freethought. For twenty-five years he was an aggressive Freethinker, and The Truth Seeker's weekly visit helped to brighten the last nineteen years of his life. After having lived in California and other parts of the United States, he brought his wife and family to Johnson County, Wyoming, in 1882, where he engaged in farming and stock raising with considerable success. His life had been an active one, and suddenly finding himself with nothing to do he began to worry. He feared that the accumulation of a life of toil would melt away and leave his loving wife in want. He feared that the cause of Freethought would be injured if he ever got in debt. He died hoping that no act of his life had brought discredit on the cause. He demonstrated that the horrors with which superstition has surrounded the Freethinker's deathbed have no existence in fact. I never met with a more upright and conscientious man, I never knew a more devoted husband or a move indulgent father. It pained him to be the cause of injury to a fellow being. The wife he leaves behind him was in sympathy with his views, and during his closing years, when his eyesight had begun to fail, she read to him for The Truth Seeker and his favorite books. Notwithstanding his worry, he left his wife in good circumstances, and his family of sons and daughters are all married. The citizens of this community held Mr.Spang in the highest esteem, although he was outspoken in his beliefs. There is a Western freedom of thought and action here which is bringing about an evolutionary reform, but which does not do much to develop the aggressive Freethinker. Mr. Spang almost stood alone. He lived bravely and died peacefully. Among these who knew him only the kindliest memories of his life remain.
__________

From the Historical Department of the Fort McKinney Chapter, DAR.

History - Mr. and Mrs. Peter Spang

Mr. Spang was born in Alsace Lorraine, France in Rheimlingen on Nov. 6, 1826 and moved with his parents to New Haven, Conn., in 1835. He there grew to manhood and was a shoemaker by trade.

Harriet Hubbard was born on Feb. 12, 1824 in what was then called South Farmes, now called Middletown, Conn. She lived there until the age of 15 and then moved to New Haven, Conn.

They both attended the public schools of the different vicinities. They were married on Jan. 9, 1847 and made a home in New Haven. Mr. Spang worked at his trade.

One of Mrs. Spang?s brothers went to California in 1849, returning in 1852 and had such wonderful stories to tell that Mr. Spang decided to leave his family and return to California with him to see the wonderful "golden west." Mr. Spang was so infatuated with it that he sent for his family to come. They went by ship to Aspinwall, the railroad being built only part way across the Isthmus of Panama. From the terminus of the railroad they had to be transported on the back of a burro the rest of the way to the City of Panama. Having two children, she had to carry her baby in her lap. There a ship was waiting to take them to San Francisco. From there they went 150 miles east to the gold fields, going as far as Stockton by train and then on horseback. Again she had to carry her baby in her lap. At times the roads were so steep she was afraid to stay on the horse and would get off and carry the baby in her arms. Therefore, it was a very hard, strenuous trip for Mrs. Spang.

Mr. Spang operated a little store and used gold dust for money. Mrs. Spang used gold dust for money also. She baked bread and washed for the miners and received gold dust as pay.

At that time there were no orchards or vineyards in the country, -- not even any kind of wild fruit or berries. A neighbor sent east and had apple seeds and peach pits sent to him which he planted and in that way started the first fruit orchard she knew anything about. The peaches came into bearing in the second year from planting. Others followed their example and soon had fruit orchards, the land there being very fertile.

They both sluiced and panned for gold at different times. Once after Mr. Spang had worked all day at the mines, Mrs. Spang went out to where he was working in the late afternoon and picked up a nugget that was worth $40.00. That was her best find. They acquired some land and set out an orchard, planted a garden and flowers. Mrs. Spang was a great flower lover all her life.

Mrs. Spang fell heir to some money in the East, but could not collect if from where she was, so had to give her husband power of attorney to get it, and he returned to Connecticut, procured the money and returned to California. But before he returned, he wrote his wife to sell out and come back to Connecticut. She wrote back, "No." If he wanted her to come back there, he would have to come and get her. So they remained in California for 11 years, their family having increased to 6 children. Mr. Spang felt that the children could have so many more advantages in the east that they returned to New Haven.

They had lived in the west too long and could not be satisfied in an eastern city, so they remained there only 3 years and came west, this time to Iowa. (1) The older children being grown, two of them remained in New Haven. It was so cold and bleak that Mrs. Spang did not like Iowa but stayed there 11 years. She then prevailed on her husband to go to Florida.(2) They went and stayed one winter and were thoroughly disgusted with this country and returned by boat to New Haven. He visited his children and other relatives and sent for his wife and two children to come. So Mrs. Spang and two children went, leaving three grown children in Iowa.

They stayed in New Haven for 5 years. One son, Bernadine Spang (3), had gone from Iowa to Wyoming, so Mr. Spang and another son left New Haven (This son must have been Alban. SSB .) and came to join their son who was living at Buffalo, Wyoming in 1882 and had established a restaurant in the building next to that occupied by Ed Chappell. In the spring of 1883. he and his wife and daughter, Mrs. Mary Mead, who was then 17 years old, came to Buffalo. They came to Custer Station, that being the nearest railroad, 250 miles distant, where Mr. Spang and son (Alban) met them with wagon and teams. They were two weeks on the road down to Buffalo, camping out at night with muddy roads and cold weather. They arrived in Buffalo on May 10, 1883. They lived in Buffalo three years, then moved to Beaver Creek, 30 miles south, and lived there between 10 and 11 years, then sold the ranch and again moved to Buffalo where Mr. Spang died in 1896. Mrs. Spang remained a resident of Buffalo until her death on July 31, 1913.

Mr. and Mrs. Spang were the, parents of eight children, the eldest, Nicholas, dying in infancy. The remainder living to manhood and womanhood.

Grandma Spang was truly a beautiful character, a good neighbor, and friend and loving mother. One of whom her children could rise up and call blessed.

(Author's Note: Mr. Peter Spang seemed to be blessed with a true pioneer spirit and a wanderlust to go with it. He was also blessed with an understanding wife.)

Peter married HUBBARD, Harriet Marie 09 Jan 1847, Christs Church, New Haven, Conneticut. Harriet (daughter of HUBBARD, Abijah and BROWN, Hannah) was born 12 Feb 1824, Middletown, Conneticut; died 30 Jul 1913, Buffalo, WY; was buried Willow Grove Cemetary, Buffalo, wy. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

He sailed around the horn to California on a merchant ship between 1851/1855 , settled in Sonora Ca to mine for gold. Then, in 1852 he sent for her and their children and they crossed the Isthmus of Panama, when it was a journey on mule-back, where she contracted panama fever, and was shipwrecked before finally meeting him in Sonora.
She opened a boarding house and they lived there and made more money on the boarding house than the mining. They had 4 more children in California.

In 62/63 went back to New Haven, Conn richer and wiser, where they had one more child. From there, they lived in Iowa for five years before coming to Wyoming.

The Bulletin, Buffalo, Wyo, July 30, 1913 or August 7,1913:

DEATH OF MRS. HARRIET M. SPANG

In the event of the death of the above named lady, mention of which was made in last week's paper, Buffalo loses its oldest and best known inhabitant, as the passing of Grandma Spang marks an epoch in the history of this country from the standpoint of one who has been a citizen of this community for nearly thirty years, during which time she has administered to the wants of those whose services required her attention and counsel, and they were many. Harriet Maria Hubbard was born in Middletown, Conn., on the 12th day of February 1824, and was united to Peter Spang at New Haven in the same state on the 9th day of January 1847. Of this union eight children were born, six of whom are now living, viz., Wilfred Spang and Mrs. Chas. Dogue, of New Haven, Conn.; Alvin Spang of Lame Deer, Mont; Harriet Spang Spencer of Bemidji, Minn.; Mrs. O.H. Flagg, of Lander and Mrs. Mary J. Mead of Buffalo. She has one sister, Mrs. Hannah E. Stillson of New Haven, who is over ninety-three years of age, besides over one hundred grandchildren and great grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. Mr. and Mrs. Spang crossed the Isthmus of Panama in 1852 when it was a journey on mule back, with two children, going to California, and returned thirteen years later with seven children, going to New Haven, where they lived for quite a long time, coming to Iowa and living there for five years, moving to Johnson county in 1883, living here ever since. Her husband died in Buffalo April 30, 1896 and since that time she had lived with her daughter Mrs. Mead, where she has passed her declining years in peace. She had a kindly feeling for all, and the children delighted to tell of their fondness for Grandma Spang as she was known to the majority of Buffalo and Johnson county citizens. Her spiritual belief was of the spiritualistic faith, and the services were conducted, according to her wishes and those of her relatives, in the ritual of that religion. Many beautiful floral offerings were placed upon the casket of the deceased in commemoration of the numerous acts of kindness which she had performed in smoothing out the roughness of life for those she loved. The body was borne to its last resting place. Willow Grove cemetery, from her residence Friday afternoon, followed by her many friends and relatives in this part of the country, all of whom mourn her demise.

SPANG HISTORY- Memories from friends and relatives.

"Listen my children and you will hear, the story of a courageous little
lady pioneer." This little lady was born in a town in Connecticut called
Middleton, She was born on February 12, 1824, and was named Harriet Mariah
Hubbard. Her father was Abijah Hubbard, the son of Captain Caleb Hubbard,
Jr. Caleb Hubbard, Sr. founded the town of Middleton through a land grant
from England. Captain CalebJr. served in the American Revolution to free
America frorn England's rule.
Harriet grew up in Middleton and New Haven, Connecticut. She was an only
child, and led a rather sheltered life. She had a good education and was a
modest, quiet, religious person. Like all New Englanders, she was a very
staunch and hardy person. She learned to sew and make all her own clothes,
and she learned to be self-sufficient. She could churn butter, bake bread and
do all the domestic things that a woman did i n those days. She only grew to
be five feet tall , but after she had married a man who was six feet tall , he
soon found out that'when it came to courage and fortitude, she was ten feet
tall.
When Harriet was twenty-three ymrs old, she met a Frenchman and the
following year she married him. His name was Pierre (Peter) Spang. Peter was
two years younger than Harriet, but because of his size he seemed older. He
was born and raised in Moselle (now Remeling), France. He was ral'sed to be a
farmer:aid .r;iigrateb to Canada and then eventually to New Haven','.-Cqpnecticut
where .hG'-wdnted to find a farm. Pierre found Harriet Instead and went Lo work
i n _ tng shipyards. After they were married they decided to go to the Florida
Everglades d i t h a group of Acadians from Canada. This group became known as
Cajuns when they rmrried the Indian natives of Florida. This venture did not
work out too well since they found the land they had expected to homestedd to
be nothing but s i m p land. Somehow, they managed to get back to New Haven,
but Peter could not find work and the dream of having a farm i n New England
seemed to fdde away. He went back to work at the shipyards.
Meanwhile gold had been discovered i n California. A t Harriet's urging,
Peter decided to seek h i s fortune i n California. He got a job on a' sailing
skip that was going to California, and sailed down around the Horn of South
knerica finally landing i n San Francisco. From there he went to Sonora where
the gold [nines were. He soon found out he was no miner, but he did stake a
clainl on a couple acres of Idnd. He decided he had better do what he knew how
t o do, so he started a l i t t l e farm on this land and sold his produce t m
miners.
idhen Peter left dew Haven, he and his wife had had two children, but one
of them had died when he was a year old. Also, when Peter left, they d i d n ' t
kriow that Harriet was pregnant. ' In 1851 they had a baby girl. The other.
child was a three year old boy.
Sy 1832 Peter had rnade enough money to send back to dew Haven for his wife
and cnildren to book passage on a ship for California. So Harriet boarded ti12
ship w i t h her two cnildren, but the s h i p only sailed to the Istimus of
Pandna. There was no canal on the Isthmus at that time, so the passengers had
to cross the Istnmus on a rtiule, Harriet carrying the baby, who was about a
year old by then. I t was a hot journey, and the area was infested with
mosquitoes. But Harriet was strong, and she and the children made it to the
West Coast i n pretty good shape. There she boarded another ship and sailed on
to San Francisco.
~l though she was of s ~ a l lst ature, and had led a rather she1 tered
childhood, she survived this ordeal and sailed into San Francisco Bay as happy
and excited as any hardy 01 d go1 d miner. Can you imagine how difficult that
would have been t o come all the bay from New Haven, alone w i t h her children.
San Francisco was a city of tents and not many houses. There MS one
hotel where they stayed overnight. The next day they got on a wagon and drove
on t o Sonora. Peter had built a small house for them. You would have thougilt
he hdd b u i l t a mansion for her, because when they arrived, Harriet stood up
and sirrveyed the nouse and farm dnd the countryside. She sdid, " ~ n , Pster,
t h i s is glorious! Do you know what I am going to do? I am going to start a
bodrdi ng house for t h e n~iners. You can take care of tne garden and the cow,
and we will get some chickens and 1'11 take care of thm. I' 11 cnurn our own
butter dnd bake bread."
I t a l l turned out to be a good venture for thew. k o i t a l l tlley hdd to
buy was flour for her to make bread and grain for the dni~nals and chickens.
They learned how to rob the nives of the wild bees for honey so they d i d n ' t
have to buy sugar. The miners didn't care too much for fancy desserts--they
would rati~erg o to the saloon and drink their dessert.
Harriet became a real pioneer. There were no schools so she began to
teach her children how to read and b i t e a t a very early age. By 18151 they
had six children, so you see they had been very busy!
14y grand~iother,~ ariah~moyenSep ang, was born i n Sonora, t h e 28th of
February i n 1858. When sne was born she was so tiny that Peter took one look
a t her and said, "Oh, look a t my l i t t l e fairy." So a l l her l i f e she was
called "Fairy." So this was my "Fairy grandmother."
Peter wis a tall', handsome, healthy wan. BuC he did not have the stamina
and driving ambition of tlarriet. In 1862 he told Harriet that he was tired of
this 1 ife and wanted t o go back East. He had hetird that h i s father had died
i n France, and he hoped that his father had left him the fam. When he got
there, he learned that his mother had sold the farm and remarried, so he lost
his inheritance. If it had been up t o Harriet, they would have lived i n
Cal ifornia for the rest of their 1i ves. But she urged -him to yo, saying she
was not ready yet. Besides, they did not have enough money for passage on the
ship for the entire family. She urged him to go and get a job on tne ship and
work his way back home. She safd she would stay and sell the farm and
boarding house, and sdve up unti 1 they could dl 1 afford to go back East.
How could he have gone and l e f t that sweet l i t t l e courageous wonan with
six children? The oldest was a boy of 13, and the youngest was a one-ymr-old
boy. But go he did!
Again, Harriet survived. I t took two years for iier to get everything
settled and enough money t o get them all back East. I t never occurred to her
to yet a divorce. She was a devout Cathol ic, and no r~latter what happened, you .
endured. In 1864 she and the children boarded a ship and sailed around South
America for dew Haven. .There was an epidemic of yellow fever on the ship, and
poor HarPiet got the fever. People were being buried a t sea all around her.
t4y yrancbiiother, Fairy, was six years old a t the tine. She told ue how
frightened she and all the other children were.. They thought they would lose
their mother. But again, Harriet was not ready to go yet, so she survived
this ordeal, too. She was determined to get her family all back together once
again. I am sure that God was watcning over her and her family.
I don't remember how long it took for thsis trip, but they must have
arrived before the yedr ms over, because in November of 1865 Harr-iet had
another child, a girl named Mary Jane Spang, born i n New Haven, Connecticut.
T h i s was her l a s t child.
Jennie Lee Gibby (Granddaughter) (about 1985)

Aug 25. 1979 - I remember Grandma Spang (Harriet Maria Hubbard Spang) very well, a dear kind person. She always raised a beautiful garden and no weeds. She always wore her little black lace cap. She pieced many quilts and I have one of them. Never threw away anything an inch square.

Helena Cash McMeese (granddaughter)

May 2, 1981 - I have the correct history of great grandfather Peter Spangs gold rush trip, It was give to me by great-grandma Spang personally and I wrote it down as she related the story. He came to California by way of the Horn and had a very rough voyage, then later grandma followed him with three children, Nicholas, Winslow, and Regina. She took grandpas advice and came by way of the Panama, first half of trip by train and second half by mule back. She contracted Panama fever and was very ill when she boarded the ship to come to San Francisco. The ship she was on became wrecked and all passengers were transferred to another ship. In spite of all the hazards she and all her children arrived safely. There lives were not easy, grandpa worked all the daylight hours panning for gold. She cooked and washed clothes for miners. He mined at China Town in Sonara, Calif. And other areas where gold was being discovered. You will note from your record that Wilford, Nicholas and Regina all born before 1852, where grandpa came to California and grandma followed in 1853. You will see the vacacharnt dates between 1951 and 1955 when Alban was born. (Editor Note: Should be 1851 and 1855.)

I do have a copy of great grandma with a cat on her shoulder taken within the year she passed away. I adored her, she was my friend, counciled and talked to me whenever I visited her. I was heart broken when she passed away. I cried even more when my mother died as I was ill with pneumonia at the time and on the verge of death mhself so all the grief hit me after I recovered. That December was one of the coldest in history in Wyoming.

Mamie Allen (Pope) Udnas (great grandaughter)

Notes:

January 20, 1847 - The Constitution

MARRIAGES
In New Haven on the 9th inst. Mr. Peter Spang to Miss Harriet Hubbard.

Notes:

James Cahill served at Fort D.A. Russell

James — SHELL, Sally. Sally (daughter of ??? and WOMAN, Shell) was born Abt 1840. [Group Sheet]