History Detectives Take 2

I previously submitted the story about Worth Tucker in Yellowstone to the History Detectives show and received no response. I am still convinced that it would be a wonderful story, so I have submitted it again. Here is the new submission:

Near the Bridge on the Firehole River

Here is a story that Gwen Wright would probably enjoy.

In 1927, my great-grandfather, Worth Tucker, left his family and failed farm in Salt Lake City, Utah to do construction work on Old Faithful Lodge in Yellowstone National Park. His work finished on November 5, 1927. While riding in the back of a Graham truck from Old Faithful to the train station in West Yellowstone an accident occurred. Near the bridge on the Firehole River, the body of the truck fell off the chassis causing some of the truck’s contents to fall on Worth. This caused a broken back and internal injuries. Worth died later while in transit to the hospital in Livingston, Montana.

I would like to find out more about the architecture of Old Faithful Lodge and how the concept of lodges started. It would be very interesting to know which parts of the lodge were constructed during the time my great grandfather was there, if these parts are still around in the current structure, and if there is a way to find out what work he did. I also, have an old hand saw that I think was part of his tools and want to know if it was really his.

I have the following documentation to get you started:
1) Death Certificate
2) Newspaper articles about the accident
3) The accident report from Yellowstone National Park
4) Various family accounts of the accident

I think this would be a wonderful story for History Detectives as it showcases the beauty and uniqueness of Yellowstone. Established in 1872, Yellowstone National Park is America's first national park. Preserved within Yellowstone National Park are Old Faithful and a collection of the world's most extraordinary geysers and hot springs, and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

Our family loves History Detectives including our sons (ages 9, 7, and 4). Together we have done some of the research on Worth Tucker and took a family vacation to Yellowstone National Park the summer of 2005.

Please consider this story for an upcoming episode of History Detectives. I am excited to share more information with you.

Thank you,

The Mark Tucker Family

Upper New River Valley (North Carolina and Virginia) Website

Here is a link to the New River Notes website that deals with the Upper New River Valley and includes information about the following counties:

North Carolina

• Ashe
• Alleghany
• Wilkes
• Watugua

Virginia

• Carroll
• Grayson

This site contains many links specific to this area and surrounding counties.

Worth Tucker Family in 1920 US Federal Census

Here is a transcription from the 1920 US Federal Census for Elmo Precinct, Emery, Utah.

Listed in the household are:

• Worth Tucker (head of household)
• Florence A. Tucker
• Kirtley E. Tucker
• Julia E. Tucker
• Dora J. Tucker
• Andrew C. Tucker
• Jesse L. Tucker
• Wesley Tucker
• Cleon D. Tucker
• Isabelle A. Oviatt
• Iva Oviatt
• Lewis W. Oviatt
• Guy Oviatt

More Information From Ivan Tucker

This seems to be a continuation of the previous post. It was contained in the same computer document as that first post, so I am guessing that it was written to Kirtley Tucker from Ivan. It also includes some clarifications contained in parenthesis, but I am not sure who added them.

Here is a transcription.

This talks about moving from Mexico to Cleveland, Emery, Utah and then homesteading Elmo. It indicates that Worth Tucker learned his carpentry skills from his father, Moses Tucker. He also knew farming and had some blacksmith skills.

Worth was a trusting man which sometime others took advantage of. Also, he took good care of the his fields and horses.

Some Information Received From Brother Ivan Tucker

This appears to be a letter from Clarence Ivan Tucker to his brother Kirtley sent 28 November 1972 from Oakland, California. It discusses some memories that Ivan had while living in Mexico with his parents (Worth Tucker and Florence Abby Pulsipher). It appears that some clarifications (using parenthesis) were added to the document when it was transcribed. There is no indication who transcribed the letter or when.

In the letter, Ivan relates traveling to Colonia Dublin, Chihuahua, Mexico with his parents. This was about 1903/1904 as Kirtley was born 30 Oct 1903 and he was a baby in the story that Ivan recalls. Ivan would have been 3-4 years old at the time. Worth Tucker operated a grist mill at the time and Ivan describes it as well as some stories that he recalls. One story is about his mother Florence and how she beat out men by hitting a target bullseye dead center with Worth's 38 Iver Johnson pistol.

Here is a link to the transcription.

Three Newspaper Accounts of Worth Tucker's Death

After I received a copy of Worth Tucker's death certificate, I started wondering if there were any newspaper articles that talked about the accident. I found on the internet a volunteer that lived in Montana and was willing to check the newspaper archives at the library. He found 3 newspaper articles that discussed Worth's death.

Worthy Tucker Called Beyond

Worthy Tucker, aged 60 years, died yesterday in Gardiner and his body was brought to Livingston last night. The body has been taken in charge by the Selby funeral home.

Details of the Gardiner man's death were lacking, it was stated last night, but efforts are being made to locate his relatives. Funeral arrangements will be announced later.

Source Citation
The Livingston Enterprise, "Worthy Tucker Called Beyond", (Livingston, Park, Montana), November 6, 1927,Livingston Public Library, 228 West Callender, Livingston, MT 59047. Article on microfilm.

Salt Lake Man Killed as Car Throws Him Out

Worth Tucker, 60, Salt Lake City resident, planned to return to his family at Salt Lake City Saturday when he entered a truck at Old Faithful expecting to go to West Yellowstone to take the train for home, but as it developed, he entered a death car and his trip was cut short with his life the forfeit.

Tucker had been employed as a laborer at Old Faithful where he had worked a goodly part of the summer. Work in his line having been completed Saturday morning he was riding in a truck with his baggage in the rear and was en route to the railroad terminal at West Yellowstone. When the bridge at Firehole river was reached, for some reason as yet unaccounted for, the 60 year-old man left the seat which he occupied next to the driver, when a sudden lurching motion of the car, it is said, unbalanced him, or caught him off guard and he fell from the machine on the roadside.

It was immediately realized that the injured man was seriously hurt and he was placed in the truck and taken to Mammoth where he was placed in another car and started for the hospital at Livingston. Death came to relieve his suffering as the ambulance car sped through Emigrant.

A post mortem examination showed the unfortunate victim to have suffered a broken back and internal injuries. A paralyzed condition resulted immediately below the injury, it is said.

The body was taken to the Selby Funeral Home and prepared for shipment to Salt Lake City where the family resides. Deceased is survived by his son, Kirtly Tucker, of Salt Lake City.

The remains were shipped to Salt Lake City for interment. Kirtley Tucker, son of the deceased, accompanied the body to Salt Lake.

Source Citation
The Livingston Enterprise, "Salt Lake Man Killed as Car Throws Him Out", (Livingston, Park, Montana), November 8, 1927, Livingston Public Library, 228 West Callender, Livingston, MT 59047. Article on microfilm.

Salt Lake Man Dies in Fall from Truck

Worth Tucker, aged 55 years, a resident of Salt Lake City, died Saturday of a broken back and internal injuries while being brought to Livingston for treatment. The remains were taken Tuesday to Salt Lake City by his son, Kirtley Tucker.

Mr. Tucker had been working for several months as a laborer at Old Faithful, and was en route to West Yellowstone in a truck to return to Salt Lake City. Near the bridge on the Firehole river a sudden lurch of the truck caused him to fall from his seat beside the driver. He was placed in the truck and taken to Mammoth, from where a car started to Livingston with him. He died on the way here.

An examination revealed a broken back and internal injuries.

Source Citation
The Park County News, "Salt Lake Man Dies in Fall from Truck", (Livingston, Park, Montana), November 11, 1927,Livingston Public Library, 228 West Callender, Livingston, MT 59047. Article on microfilm.

I am very grateful for the volunteer that found these articles.

Book: "A History of Emery County"

A few years before my grandfather Andrew Charles Tucker passed away, I visited him at his home in Murry, Utah. He had a book called "A History of Emery County" by Edward A. Geary. The book talks about the various towns and communities that make up Emery County. On pages 179-180 it talks about the community of Elmo. At the time I hand copied the contents of the pages and tucked them away with my genealogy stuff.

A few weeks ago I came across the paper which included the ISBN. I decided to check Amazon and see if they had the book. Sure enough they did, and the book arrived today. It will be very interesting to gain an in-depth knowledge of the area.

Here is an excerpt:

Elmo. In 1904 several residents of Cleveland, including Bouther H. Erickson, Samuel Richards, James A. Oviatt, Adolph Axelson, and William J. Atwood, filed on homesteads some four miles northeast of that community and constructed the Eagle Extension of the Cleveland Canal to bring water to the land. In 1907 George T. Oviatt, Lars P. Larsen, H. H. Oviatt, Sr., Hans F. Mortensen, Henry Rasmussen, and others filed on land farther out on the Washboard Flat and built another extension of the Cleveland Canal. The Emery County Progress reported, "The land is amongst the best in the county and it is expected quite a prosperous community will soon spring up there." These second-generation pioneers reenacted in large part the colonizing experience of their parents a generation earlier, living in tents or log shacks on their homesteads while they labored to bring their desert land into production. In 1908 Eliza Oviatt filed on eighty acres and Worth Tucker purchased eighty acres of an adjacent school section. These properties became the Elmo townsite, platted into lots that were sold to prospective residents for $10. By July 1908 the Progress reported the town "already has several small houses and is
rapidly acquiring a population." 26

26. Emery County Progress, 9 November 1907; 18 July 1908.

Here is a link for any that are interested in obtaining this book:



You may also be able to find the book at the Western Mining and Railroad Museum.

Second Opinion on Scanning and Posting Documents

Last week I also contacted the Director, Office of Vital Records and Statistics for Utah about posting scanned documents online. Here is the contents of our e-mail conversation.

Mark:

I have a copy of a 1927 death certificate for my great-grandfather that I would like to scan and post on my website that tracks my genealogy research. Is that legal? If it is not legal, can I post a complete transcription? Or can I just post an abstract with source information of where they can get a copy? I would like to do the same thing with birth and marriage records.

Director:

You are legally entitled to do whatever you want with the certificate, including posting it on the website. If it were a current death I would advise against it, but since it's from 1927 I think you'll have no problems. Same with marriage and divorce. Let me know if you have any more questions.

Mark:

Thank you very much for your reply. Are there any guidelines for when records shouldn't be published? The census records are available for 1930. In your opinion would any records - birth, marriage, divorce, and death that occurred before 1930 be "safe" to post online? Also, are you aware if there are laws in other states that might go against the advice you have given. I understand that you might not know about other states, but am wondering if there is any "buzz" about what is happening elsewhere.

Director:

I'm not aware of any guidelines. The big fear here would be releasing information that someone could use, perhaps to steal an identity. If the subjects of the records are deceased and have been for some years, then you should be okay. Legally, I think if you own the record you are entitled to release its contents. Laws vary from state to state, but most laws protect your record from me (government) releasing your record to someone who shouldn't have it. Once you have the record, you can do whatever you want with it. Some states even consider vital records to be public information--anyone can go get a copy of anyone else's certificate. That is scary in this day and age. The bottom line is, if you aren't publishing information about living persons then you should be okay.

I am glad that this and the DearMYRTLE answer agree. I can now proceed with confidence and caution to documenting my research online.

DearMYRTLE Answers Questions About Scanned Images of Original Documents

Last week I posted a question to the DearMYRTLE forum trying to figure out guidelines for scanning copies of original documents and posting them to my blog.

You can find her answer here.

Basically, vital records (birth, marriage, death) are not copyrighted and can be posted, but caution should be used. Definitely don't post information about anyone living. Census records can also be posted if they were not obtained from a site that charges for access to them. An ancestor's journal may be copyrighted, so check into that first.

ThanksMYRTLE!