The Wonderful Hamilton Family

Iola Hamilton Bailey 

Iola married Larkin A Bailey in 1903 and they are the parents of 12 children. 

Flora, Lark, Edd, Pauline, Lydetta and Iola Bailey 

Before moving to Colorado about 1909

Lark and Iola Bailey and family at their home in Keota in 1922. 

The Bailey Family  

James, Ellis, Lydetta, Weldon, Helen, Bert and Russell

Edd, Delmore, Iola, Gene, Lark, Pauline, Flora

 Iola and Lark Bailey and Family in 1934

 Bert, Pauline, Ellis, Lydetta, Edd, Flora, Weldon, Helen, Russell, James

  Iola, Eugene, Delmore, Lark

Iola Bailey and her Grandchildren

My Memories of 600 East 17th Street,

Home of Larkin and Iola Bailey

By Laura Mae Bailey

I was one of the many to experience Iola and Larkinʼs shelter during

various length of stays - from dropping in for lunch or dinner or, on two

occasions, to actually live with them.

I was made to feel special because of being their oldest

granddaughter. After several grandsons (my brother Hugh, cousins Richard

and Bill Sinclair), I was the first and only girl. But, then, happily, Diane

Oswald arrived to join our group of cousins. That group grew much larger

as the years went on.

My parents were Edd Hamilton Bailey and Mabel Parker Bailey. From

when I was a baby in 1931 until I graduated from Cheyenne High School in

1949, we moved to towns all along the Union Pacific right away from

Omaha to Green River and Salt Lake to Denver. Some places we lived

twice, so our homes changed often. But, the one thing we could always

count on, was the feeling of being at home at Grandma and Grandpa

Baileyʼs house when we could be in Cheyenne.

We especially tried to be there at Christmas time for Christmas eve.

There was nothing else like it! It was so much fun being with cousins to

share the anticipation of Santaʼs arrival. All of the cousins would wait and

play on the staircase in the front hallway. Part of the joy of the evening, was

gathering the around the piano to sing together.

I think the first time I lived there was when I was in junior high.

Mother and I stayed in the upstairs back bedroom at Grandmaʼs house so

that I could finish out the year of school before we joined Dad in the new

location.

The second time was in 1948, and my senior year in high school. Dad

had been transferred to Denver. He and Mother knew how important it was

to me to graduate with my class, so, with grandmaʼs consent, it was

agreed that I could stay with her. I was then in the upstairs side bedroom.

Staying there was so much fun. The dates run together in memory,

but the same beloved people are present; Aunt Helen and Uncles Genes,

and Delmore, Cousins Bill and Richard, Aunts Flora and Lydetta and,

of course, Grandma and Grandpa.

It was a bee hive of activity. I so well remember the laughter between

Helen, Flora and Lydetta as they worked at Grandmaʼs sewing machine in the

 dining room. Said room was located in the center of the house and one

would walk through it from the front hallway to the downstairs bathroom,

the kitchen and the side living room. Uncle Gene taught me the Lindy in that

room and Grandpa took his after-work naps there.

Grandma and Grandpa set the tone for table conversations. Often

there would be many of their sons, daughters, grandchildren and in- laws

around the large dining room table in various combinations. The arguments

would range from politcs to which car was best...the Ford or Chevy.

Opinions abounded! But the underlying constant was the abiding good

humor and love within the walls at 600 East 17th St.

Edd Bailey with his daughter Laura when she was Miss Frontier in 1952 

Edd Bailey and family at the Zoo in Omaha in 1969

Pamela Richardson, Charmaine Bailey, Laurie Jo Richardson, Tim Bailey, Ann Bailey, Mabel Bailey, Bridget Bailey, Wade Bailey, Hugh Bailey, Laura Bailey Richardson and Edd Bailey

Hugh and Bridget Bailey Yarbrough at the 2001 Hamilton Reunion. 

Hugh Bailey is Edd's son and Bridget is Hugh's daughter.

Mabel and Edd Bailey in 1950

Edd Bailey loved horses and to be on his ranch. 

Iola and Lark Bailey's son, Edd Bailey began working for the Union Pacific Railroad in 1922 on a temporary basis for $8.82 a day as a car man helper. In 1965 he became President of the Union Pacific Railroad.

Read the page "Our Family and the Union Pacific"  

Memoirs from Edd Bailey

I arrived on September 13, 1904, on the farm of my Hamilton grandparents about 2 miles from Elmo, Mo. The first that I can recall, we were living on a farm about ¾ mile from the Hamilton farm. Needless to say we made many trips over to see them and my aunts and uncles. I enjoyed them very much then and over these many years. I remember grandmother better than grandfather, suppose that was because she was always there and he was gone a lot. The uncles were old enough to do the farm work, and he was quite a trader as I understand it. He had the children from his first marriage to keep in touch with. I remember when he came to visit the Scotts and us in Colorado.

Grandmother Hamilton was a small person, very prim and polite. She always sat erect and on the edge of the chair. She was not the gussy type, most sincere, and very kind and gentle. Seemed to me that she was always busy cooking or sewing.

By the time we left Missouri in the spring of 1910, Pauline and I were regular customers at our Hamilton grandparents. There was always something exciting to do, like going hunting for squirrels or pigeons and rabbits. Before we left for Colorado I was sure Uncle Fowler, Ed or Frank could out shoot anyone. They could spot a rabbit or a squirrel who thought they were hidden. And more that, they would usually hit them. Uncle Art, Aunt Thale and Aunt Edith were not too much older than I. As I recall, their job was to see that I didn’t get into trouble while playing outside.

I was about 4 years old when good old Santa brought us a shinning red wagon, sister Pauline was about two. We spent much of our time going to see our grandparents, uncles and aunts. The road I well remember was most of the time very rough. It was cut up by wagon wheels after a rain. It was so bad that Pauline preferred walking. Many an occasion grandmother would say, you must stay for dinner. We will have squirrel or pigeon pie. I don't how she knew our staying would be OK with mother. I am not sure they had a phone or advance understanding.

I think this pretty much covers what I can recall before leaving for Colorado. We were very excited when Dad and Uncle Ernest returned from their trip out west and said we were moving to Colorado. I remember the getting ready to load the immigrant cars, which contained farm machinery, household goods, live stock. Our car had a large team of mules and four or five red short horn milk cows. In one end there was a large bin of yellow shelled corn. Taking this corn was a great idea, as it was several years before we were able to grow crops on the new fields and build fence to protect it from range cattle.

Dad and Uncle Ernest left Elmo ahead of us in order to have our belongings moved into the place that grandfather had bought. It was located about 4 miles east of Sligo. The house was fair sized, small barn. It had the best hand dug well. There was no pump, water was brought up with a bucket on a rope, powered by a windless. I was always afraid Pauline or Esther would fall in. The well was covered with a plank, but necessary to lay some of them aside for the bucket to pass through. They wanted to see.

When the families arrived in Sligo, it was early spring of 1910. Dad and Uncle Ernest met us driving our team of mules hitched to a lumber wagon. We were glad to see them and anxious to see where we would live while our homes were being built. As I remember the construction gang was Dad, Uncle Ernest and Uncle Ed.

The old Dryland as it was referred to over the years, looks very much today as it did when we arrived. Most of the homesteaders buildings are gone. A large amount of the land in our part was bought up as a large sheep ranch. There is no farming and Buffalo grass etc. has taken over.

The only fence between our place and Sligo was around a school section that joined our place on the north. This would be eight miles from Sligo. This fence had old railroad ties as posts and was used by cattlemen to rest their cattle. It also had a small lake and springs. The cattle were still being driven in large herds from Texas. Some of the herds were steers and others were cows ready to calf. The latter would use this spot to have their calves. From here the cattle were driven northwest to summer range which was located near Pine Bluff, WY. This station is on the N.P.R.R. and was used as shipping point to markets. It took a while for the homesteaders Bailey & Scott to convince the cattlemen that we had come there to stay. The cattle drives were discontinued after 2 or 3 years as so much of the land was taken up and fenced by the newcomers.

I can not recall how long it took to finish the homes, but am quite sure we moved into them in early fall. They were both the same size, 18’ x 24’, two stories high (and a good thing for us it was as the family grew) There were two rooms upstairs, and down. The chimney was about two feet square in the center of the house, a range with hot water reservoir on the side. This unit was the only heat in the house. It did quite well, burning coal as fuel when we had money, but cow chips were plentiful and was the main fuel. One year I recall we burned snapped corn as it was cheap, only 10 cents a bushel. During the summer and fall we soon found it wise to use a pitchfork to gather the chips as there were many rattlesnakes.

Each fall and early winter Dad would be gone several months working in a sugar beet factory, Loveland, Greeley, Berthod or Ft. Morgan, Co. About the only income we had was from the four milk cows we brought from Missouri. Dad did barber work in Keota two or three days a week, on good days he would make $5-7.00. He would empty his pocketbook on the table and count it out. It was mostly nickels, dimes and quarters. It was after dark by the time he would arrive home. We were eight miles from Keota and glad to see him.

When Dad was away working in the factory, mother and I worked as a team taking care of the livestock. Dad had built a barn out of rocks taken from an outcrop about 1 mile from our home. It was white and came out in layers of good size, 2" to 3" thick. He would shape them by using a heavy hammer. The barn was large enough to hold the cattle and mules and a good space for storage of hay. This barn was located in a 4 or 5 acre lot and it was a must that we had the cattle and mules in the lot before dark. Of course they needed to be inside the barn when winter storms showed up.

Mother was so remarkable and fun to work with. While we were outside working, Pauline was watching out for Flora and Lydetta. We called them the little girls and then later on there were the little boys. That was Weldon & Ellis. Then later on there was James & Bert. We just used their regular names.

While on the family farm I think I should point out some of the conditions that confronted the early settlers. There were few doctors and no hospitals short of Greeley or Cheyenne. Brother Weldon was the first addition to our family after moving to Colorado. You can imagine my coming downstairs that morning, May 3, 1912, and being advised of his arrival. Also I was at a loss to know why our neighbor lady, who lived about 4 miles north of us, was present. Dad had gone after her during the night, no doubt at mother’s request. Mrs. More was on steady from then on as midwife for Ellis, James, Bert and Russell. Starting with Ellis it was my job to go after her, always at night. We used horse and buggy for Ellis and James, a model T Ford for Bert and Russell. I was surprised how well a horse could follow the trail in the dark. The lights on the Ford were not much better than they were on the horse and buggy arrangement. I was 10 years old when I started this job. Sister Helen, brothers Delmore and Gene were born in Cheyenne. The rest of us referred to them as the city kids.

Grandmother and her family were always sending boxes of clothing, mostly hand-me-downs and things they had made. Sometimes there were high top button ladies shoes. I think some of the clothing and perhaps the shoes came from one or two aunts, who lived and worked in either New Jersey or New York.

I wasn’t too many years after we left Missouri that the Hamilton grandparents moved to Cheyenne and took in boarders. At that time they lived on Maxwell between 17th & 16th Streets. Grandfather I think on two occasions came to see the Scotts and us, drove from Cheyenne in a horse and buggy. He did it in one day. I must have been 8 or 9 at that time. I recall his showing me how to handle the reins and saying never hold the loose or too tight, just taunt. That’s the way the horse can tell what you want. I am sure he was right, he was a good horseman, so were his sons.

I am not sure what year it was that I took three dressed hogs to Cheyenne. One was for grandmother and family and the other two were delivered to the Olsen Market, which was located south across from Memorial Hospital. I stayed there a couple of days. Grandmother gave me $5.00 and said spend it and have a good time.

I don’t remember that Grandmother Hamilton ever complained and mother said if she couldn’t say something good about anyone, she said nothing. Mother was the same way.

It wasn’t long after the Hamilton’s moved to Cheyenne that they became owners of a Rambler Auto. I’m not sure granddad didn’t trade for it. Anyway they came to see us quite often. They always seemed to have a good load of passengers. Sometimes there were relatives from Missouri, who couldn’t wait to see what the Dryland or Prairie Country looked like.

We seem to know about what time they would arrive. They would first come in sight over what we called the big hill, about 1 ½ miles from our place. It was necessary that they cross a dry creek bed called Wild Horse Jerry (one of the early day bad guys). This auto was unable to pull itself out of the creek bed and I think we had to have a team of horses pull them out on both the arrival and departure. It seemed to have no trouble getting around to see the Scotts and also to go see the Pawnee Buttes. Dad would say "we must have a team handy", whenever he heard they were coming.

Getting an education didn’t come easy on the Dryland. The girls in our family did much better at it than the boys. The first two years I walked about 2 ½ miles to the northwest of our place. Later years I have always said through the cactus and soap weeds, bare footed. The truth is the road, just a faint wagon trail, wasn’t very much better and in the winter I did have shoes. About the 3rd year we were there our district built a school house (The Sunny Ridge) about 1 ¼ miles across country from our place.

I cannot say that I really enjoyed school. Pauline loved it. She caught up with me before we were out of grade school. We finished high school together. I don’t remember starting at the beginning of the term after about 5th grade. Too much farm work to do and I didn’t really care. Pauline would just say "well I should either start on time or quit". She was always very good at defending me both at home and at school. One time when I had to stay after school 30 minutes, she talked back and was sassy to the teacher and we both had to stay in. Pauline always felt free to talk up to Dad. I found I couldn’t get by with it.

Early in the fall of the years of 1921 and 1922 Dad took me to the wheat harvest with him to Kellcy, Co., 20 miles south of Sterling, giving me a chance to pick up some money for school.

The first part of August 1922, the car men went on strike on western railroads. Uncle Ernest had left the Dryland a year or maybe 3 ahead of that and was head of the Car Department in Cheyenne. He called us suggesting we come to Cheyenne to work. I think Dad thought me too young. He left me in the harvest field, went to Cheyenne. He called me in several days and said come on up and hire out on the railroad you can make $8.82 per day (12 hours). I left the harvest and started with U.P.R.R. August 22, 1922. I worked there until October 1, went back to Keota High School. I recall that when we worked two 12 hour shifts (double over they termed it) you made over $30.00. I had over $400.00 and needless to say I was in "the upper bracket". I have always felt that Dad and Uncle Ernest were responsible for my becoming a RR man.

I should add that after Pauline and I started to high school in Keota, we would return over the weekend to help out. During the week Flora, Lydetta, Weldon, Ellis & James were mother’s helpers. Dad stayed with the railroad and in 1922 moved the family to Cheyenne. He felt we had farmed the Dryland long enough. City life was some change.

Bill Bailey, Rachel Bailey Boyer, Dan Bailey

Jeannine and Gene Bailey, Barbara Bailey Marton and Becky Bailey Sabado

2009

The Bailey Family at the 2001 Hamilton Family Reunion 

Back - Joyce Sinclair Maes, Dan Bailey, Becky Bailey Sabado, Burnill and Diane Oswald Bailey, Donny Bailey, Shirley Sinclair, Matt, Bridget Bailey Yarbrough, Maria Bailey

Front- Gene and Jeannine Bailey, Hugh Bailey, Barbara Bailey, Richard Sinclair

Marie and Donny Bailey

were great supporters of the Hamilton Family Reunions