William Joseph Durette FIELD

                   The Thompson's (Sarah Jane Field Thompson) children were born in Holt Co. Mo., but in the summer of 1883 they moved to Myers Valley, Pottowatomie, Co., KS near Westmorland.   They bought the south half of Section 2-9-8, on July 17, 1883 from H. J> Crippin.  More land was obtained from John lieking, the northeast of Sec. Book 11, page 597 at the Westmorland Court House.
Eliza Thompson, Sarah Jane's fifth child, died at only 21 years. She is probably buried in Myers Valley.
June of 1888, the pioneer sprit took them to No Man's Land in Beaver Co. OK.  This Indian Territory known as the Oklahoma Strip: was not opened for homesteaading until sometime near 1892.  The Thompsons settled on the extreme west edge of the Strip on Beaver Creek.  This was the watering stopover for Cattle Dirves between Abilene and places in Texas.
This was later named GTrand Valley--the school and Fulton postoffice were near.  Ref.: Taken from an old letter written 1898.  This landin 1972 was a huge cattle ranch with several gas wells.
Three of Sara Jane and Jonathan's children, Robert Waddy, Dollie, Howard and Charles Edward homesteaded land near their parents.  The Fulton Creek flowed through Dollies homestead.  Sada Thompson Munkres has the letter dated 1898, Fulton, OK. written by Dollie to her brother samuel L. Thompson of Gove Co. KS telling of this.
Jonothan J. Thompson and his older brother William came to Holt Co., MO in 1849 by horseback from Barrer Co. KY.  When Jonathan was a baby, the negro mamy placed him too near the fireplace and a hot ember burned his foot so badly he was crippled for life.  He wore a shoe with higher heel and sole.  Since Jonathan rode and William trudged alongside. Brother William settled in California in 1852.
It is thought that Jonathan and Sarah Jane were buried at Liberal, KS.  Because their daughter San Tippia Viola Thompson Hill lived there.
                  

                   Robert was a member of the Masonic Lodge.  His daughter , Bertha married a Todd and Loma lived and died in Portland, OR.  Robert had two sons, one died and the other is living in Oregon state.  Loma visited MO several times.
                  

                   Martin Field came to Libby placers in 1887, and has remained here since. He was  a member of the Christian Church and a Mason.  His wife and four daughters survive him.  The daughters are Mrs. D. E. Sears, of Crestwell Oregon, Mrs. J. F. Beezly of Mission Washington, and Mrs. G. R. Blackwell of Libby.  The two latter attended the funeral as did his son-in-law George R. Blackwell, his wife and his grandson G. M. Blackwell.  Remarks delivered by Mr. Samuel B. Pratt at the church convey the general impression of the esteem in which the deceased was held by his fellow man who knew him.
Mr. Field, who was the oldest son of William Durrett Field and Eliza Schmahorn, moved to Libby, Montana in 1887.  It is thought he had a stroke, heart attack or fell into the irrigation water and drowned, while irrigating potatoes at the age of 90 years.  He was given a Masonic Burial.
The story of how Martin Field, G.R. Blackwell, Sr. and others made their way to Libby Creek.
Martin Field and G. R. Blackwell, Sr., Mr Field's son-in-law started for Libby Creek, Montana on March 15, 1887.  They went from Murray, Idaho to Tompson Falls with a freight team.  Stayed there two days before continuing to Noxon by train.   It was raining when they arrived and they stayed six days at a place owned by Dock Smith.  Hank had a good canoe and they went down Clark's Fork River three miles to the mouth of Bull River.  Bull River was bank full and they camped on the other side of the river.  They walked to the mouth of the river even though the snow was 3 feet deep in places.  They did find a man's tracks who had been walking down River.
Later, a tent was found where the man whose tracks were going down river,
was camped.  There was some bedding, a Winchester rifle and buttons where there had been a fire on the outside of the tent.  It looked as though a man had been burned in the fire.  A member of the party named the creek Dead Man Creek but in later years A. C. and John Ross found some quartz crystal along the river and named it Lightning Creek, which it is still called.
After four days the weather cleared and the snow had frozen enough so snow shoes were not necessary and the group started for the foot of the range.  Those present were Jim Rouse, Hank Letterman, Jim Freeman, Ben Henninger and myself (G. R. Blackwell, Sr.)  It started to rain before they reached the summit and the snow softened.  They camped under some spruce.  The weather cleared that night and the next day they started for the summit.  They arrived about 11 but the snow had drifted and they found the decent perilous.   The weather became cloudy and it started to rain, causing the group to camp by the main Granite Creek for two days. After going down through some foot hills they came across an unknown creek.  They found a tree they could climb and they could see a glacier which they called Blackwell's Glacier and they were able to see Kootenai river and the mouth of Libby Creek.  They were way north of were they wanted to go, about 30 miles north.
On there way back to the camp on Bull Lake where Mr. Field was to wait they discovered that Mr. Field had left camp.  A note from Martin Field was nailed to a tree and it said  You were to be gone 10 days and it has been 19 days.  We fear that something has happened.  We will go to the out side and if we can't hear anything about you we will return with a posse and hunt for you.  That was dated the morning of the day they arrived in back in camp.  They got to there canoe that they had cached from the Indians in the brush about 200 yards from the creek.  The group hurried as fast a possible to try to overtake Mr. Field's before they left Noxon for Thompson Falls.  They telegraphed ahead and ask the hotel manager to ask every stranger his name and he did find Martin Field and relayed the message that the group was alright.  Two days later they returned to Murray, ID.
                  

                   In 1927 Landon Field, a brother of John said that he was only 21 years old when the Civil War broke out.  He fought with General Price in most of the principal battles for the Confederate Army.
                  

                   EXTRACT SEND FROM HATTIE SCHRAM
The following is copied from Genealogy of the Field - Schmahorn Families In early days when the fire was out in the fireplace or stove, early mornings, pioneers borrowed fire from a neighbor.  William Joseph, with two barrel staves, rode the oxen Old Blue for new embers.  On the way home a hot ember or 'coal' dropped, burning the oxens hair on his back. He tossed William to the ground losing the embers. During the Civil War, Bush Whackers (said to be Quantrill's raiders) caught 16 year old William J. and threatened to hang him  -- they wanted money his mother had hidden. The noose was placed, thrown over a tree limb, William would not talk. Apparently they could not hang a child so departed.  Stories verified by Louis Field and Ina Field Ferguson. Two rows of hedge one fourth mile long was cut and sold for posts from the farm of William J. -- they sold for a great amount of money.  William raised and fed cattle, was the Holt County Veterinarian and belonged to the First Christian Church.
From A Short History of the Families of: Greenhalgh, Field and Merrill He was a rather small man but wirey, and I imagine when he was younger, he was very powerful physically.  I expect he had to be, as in those days there was not much in the way of mechanical equipment on the farms and the work had to be done by main strength. A story as told by Annie E. Field with added background from Funk and Wagnall's Encyclopedia:  As a boy in his teen's while riding his horse in 1861, near his father's farm West of Benton School in the year 1861 or 2, he was accosted by Quantrill's Raider's and they wanted his horse and the whereabouts of his father's farm.  As he slipped off of his horse he slapped him and sent him running and would not answer their questions. He probably didn't know that William Clarke Quantrill (1837-65) was a Confederate guerrilla commander. Quantrill was born in Canal, Ohio and after teaching school for a brief period, went to Kansas in 1861.  He filed a land claim, but his restlessness caused him to leave his land and wander through the Kansas region, living under assumed names as a gambler and. occasionally, a teacher. Warrants for his arrest were issued several times on charges of murder, theft, and horse-stealing.  When the American Civil War began in 1861, QuantriIl headed a band of@ Confederate guerrillas in Missouri and Kansas, raiding farms and communities sympathetic to the Union. He was declared an outlaw in 1862 by the Union and was mustered into regular Confederate service. On Aug. 23, 1863, he led his guerrillas on their most infamous exploit when they burned and pillaged the town of Lawrence, Kans. killing over 150 men, women, and Children. In October, the band defeated a small Union cavalry unit at Baxter Springs, Kansas, and put 17 captured noncombatants to death. In 1865 the guerrillas entered Kentucky, where they robbed and looted until May, when a small Union force surprised them and fatally wounded Quantrill.  The Raiders decided to punish/torture William for his actions and refusal to tell them where the horses were so the strung him up to hang him but finally let him go free. The following is a copy by Robert Greenhalgh of a letter written by Lucy Field Pebley. It is an account of Wm J. Field's last days. September 3, 1913 Papa took bad sick Thursday August 25. He sat in the dining room by the window where mama fed him his last hearty meal. In the afternoon he became tired and mama and Uncle Landon brought him in the sitting room and put him in bed where he had a hard chill.  Dr. J. W. Miller was called.  He found that his temperature was up to 104 degrees. Friday morning found him but very little better - although a little more rational than he was the previous evening. Saturday pap seemed very bright and better.  He recognized his children when they came that day. Dr. Miller also came everyday.  Mama, cousin Gerrissie, Mr. Kinney and Mr. Swain sat up Saturday night with him.  I fed him his supper (Chicken broth) Saturday night. Sunday morning came and found him weaker. Mama fed him his dinner (squirrel broth), he said it tasted good to him. Mama sat by his bed side and gave his medicine. He took the last dose about 1 o'clock. Soon Mama noticed a change in him and she called to us to come when, we saw that he was going.  He having died Sunday August 31st, 1913 at 1:39 P,M. aged 70 yrs. 5 mos. 27 days. Birthday March 4th 1843. Funeral Monday, September 1st at 3 P.M.  W. H. Hardman preacher. Songs: Nearer my God to Thee was sung at the house. Asleep in Jesus My Faith looks up to Thee Going down the Valley Pall bearers:  Mr. Frazer.  Mr. Paxton. Mr. Cason.   Mr. Kinney. Mr. Quick. Mr. Staley. According to a conversation between RF Greenhalgh and Clara C Field Greenhalgh:  Willian Joseph Field bought out is brother's shares in the original homesteaders section of land (gotten from the government). His brothers were: Landon, Tom, Jim,Robert, Marshall.  This was the source of some jealousy or feeling between them. There was the feeling that Landon and the rest had not any money and they were
not able to keep up their part of the farm, and son.  William J. Field was a competent farmer and had some property and all that.
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In the early days when the fire was out in the fireplace or stove, early mornings, pioneers borrowed fire from a neighbor.  William Joseph, with two barrel staves, rode the Oxen Old Blue for new embers.  On the way home, a hot ember dropped, burning the Oxens hair on his back.  He tossed William to the ground losing the embers.
During the Civil War, Bush Whackers caught 16 year old William J. and threatened to hang him - they wanted money his mother had hidden. The noose was placed, thrown over a tree limb and pulled tight until William could not talk.
Apparently they could not hang a child so they departed.  Stories verified by Louis Field and Ina Field Ferguson.
Two rows of hedge one-fourth mile long were cut and sold for posts from the farm of William J.   They sold for a considerable sum of money. William raised and fed cattle, was the Holt County Veterinarian and belonged to the First Christian Church.
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In addition to owning more than 400 acres of land in Holt County, William J. Field was known for his veterinary skills and traveled the county assisting with animal care.  The following cures for animals and possibly lice on humans were found in an envelope with W.J. Fields written on the outside.  Some of the treatments were written on various papers of different texture and age includes the following:
Fistula Cure
A fistula is and area of inflammation where the animal had been scrapped, cut or otherwise had an abscess.
Alcohol             1 Qt
Corrosive sublimate 1oz
Red precipitate          1oz
Camphor gum         1 oz
Opideldoc      1 oz
Pulverized copperas 1 oz
Oil Cedar           4 oz
Oil Spike           4 oz
Turpentine          1 pt
Directions:  Apply twice a day for 5 days and skip 5 and there after 5 days again
Spavin and Ringlone
Quick Silver        2 oz
Nitric Acid         2 oz
Sulphuric Acid      2 oz
Tinctatre Canthardies    1 dr.
Directions:  Clip the hair off close then apply.  Leave on three hours.  Then grease with Neats     Foot Oil.
Lice Killer
Zenolium            4 oz to a half gallon of water
Linament for wire cut
Aqua Ammonium       6 oz
Carbolic Acid       1 oz
Spirits of Turpentine    3 oz
Corrosive sublimate 1/2 oz
Linseed Oil         1 pt
Glycerine           4 oz
Swinney Linament
Oil Organism        2 oz
Oil Spike           2 oz
Oil Las             1 oz
Gum Camphor         1 oz
Alcohol             4 oz
Spirits Turpentine       3 oz
Whiskey             5 oz
Aqua Ammonia        2 oz
                  

                   EXTRACT FROM HATTIE SCHRAM ITEM MR THOMAS C FIELD OF FOREST CITY MO HAS BEEN
GRANTED A PATENT ON A BUCKLE [THE ADVOCATE JAN 14 1888]
THEY HAD 9 CHILDREN
INFANT CHILD BUR IN THE FIELD FAMILY CEM DNA CL INFO
                  

                   EXTRACT FROM HATTIE SCHRAM
                  

                   EXTRACT FROM HATTIE SCHRAM
William D Field, the father of James Y, spent a considerable part of his later life with James although he
was married for the second time to Virginia Eliza Jones in December 1883 a few years before his death in 1888.
                  

                   EXTRACT FROM HATTIE SCHRAM
Golson was born and raised in Holt County MO.  He traveled and lived in Oregon, MO for a while.  Golson never married and in later years came back to Oregon where he lived at his death.
                  

                   EXTRACT FROM HATTIE SCHRAM
ANNIE IS BURIED IN THE FIELD FAMILY BURIAL GROUND ON THE OLD FIELD FARM IN
BENTON TOWNSHIP HOLT CO MO ALONG WITH THEIR INFANT DAUGHTER WHO DIED WITH HER
MOTHER AT BIRTH. THERE WAS A MARKER AT THE SITE IN 1976
Annie was only 17 years old, died in childbirth and the baby was also dead.  Buried on the home place (William Joseph Fields home in Holt Co. MO) in a fence section on section line on the hilltop north east of the house.  There was a hedge tree near the grave and there are two babie graves here also, one belonging to Charles C. and one belonging to R. Landon Field.  The land is north of Oregon and Forest City and South of Mound City about nine miles.  These graves are located north and east of the former home of George Field and William J. and Annie E. Field.