A One-Name Study for the BARNUM/BARNHAM Surname
The 1880 and 1900 Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska census states that his home is rented and that he is a machinist for the Union Pacific Railroad. The census also states that he was born in Canada and came to Douglas County in 1878. Louis O. Barnum received two land grants in Alberta Canada, located near the town of Acme. SE Sec 5 Township 29 Range 25 Meridian W4, recorded 12th day of July 1913. Liber: 561 Folio: 92 File reel number: C-6383. Name: Louis O. Barnum, Also SW Sec 4 Township 29 Range 25 Meridian W4. N latitude 51.4481 W longitude 13.4609. Applied for February 21, 1908. Recorded April 15, 1908. Liber: 314 Folio:422 File Reel Number: C-6184 Name: Louis Octave Barnum. 160 acres for both grants, mineral rights excluded. Although he did not homestead the land, he bought the SW part of Sec 16, Township 29, Range 25, Meridian W4 from Mr. Paul Crourath, date unknown. The property he homesteaded was later sold to Mrs. A Stewall and the property in Sec 16 was sold to G. Herman. The town of Acme was previously known as Tapscott and was near the village of Kneehill. From the Hendersons, Alberta, Gazetteer and Directory for the year 1911. Barnum L. O. Living in Acme, Province of Alberta - Comments - Farmer. United Grain Growers of Acme Local No. 46. The first entry in the present minute book is November 19, 1917, the date of formation is not recorded. They were organized with a chairman, secretary and four or five directors. L. O. Barnum was secretary in 1917. (Taken from Acme Memories, page 36). Mr. Barnum rented and farmed Mr. and Mrs. Rutledge's land on the NE 1/4 Sec 6, Township 29, Range 25, Meridian W4. (taken from Acme memories page 427). In 1920, Washington, Pierce County, Tacoma Township, Louis and family living at 5011 I St. Mother-in-law Mary Jane (Gard) Ludlow living with them. Louis states he was born in Canada, father in VT, Mother in Quèbec (In the 1880 Douglas County, NB census his father Jehiel is listed as born in Canada)
Louis Octave Barnum Obituary: Retired N. P. Employee Dies in California. Louis Octave Barnum, a resident of Tacoma from 1917 and who had railroaded in almost every state in the Union and in Canada, died Saturday on his 75th birthday and anniversary at Port Hueneme, Calif, where he and his wife had gone three months ago to be with a son Joseph R. He had been in ill health. Mr. Barnum was a native of Vermont and leaves his wife, Mrs. May Ludlow Barnum of Tacoma, sons Louis O. Jr. and Joseph, daughters, Mrs. Alma Kulpepper, Mrs. Dorothy Dunlop, Mrs Mary Welsday of California, Mrs. Adelaide Busselle and Mrs. Maude Smith of Tacoma: a sister Mrs. Maude Bartlett, of Chicago; 12 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Mr. and Mrs. Barnum were married in Omaha and observed their golden wedding anniversary in August of 1942 in Tacoma. He was a member of Clover Lodge, F. & A. M. He worked in the South Tacoma shops of the Northern Pacific railroad in the air brake department, retiring when he was 69. He began railroading in 1884. During the first World was he was with the Seaborn ship yard. He had homesteaded in Canada and had a farm at Ashland, Ore. He had been ill for two years and in Tacoma had lived at 5011 South I Street and 6240 1/2 South Warner. Funeral services were held Monday at Oxnard, Calif.
Burial: August 02, 1943, Ivy Lawn Cemetery, Ventura, Ventura county, California. Cause of Death: Bronchial Asthma, cardiac Heart condition, pneumonia. Medical Information: Funeral home Oliver L. Reardon & Sons, Oxnard, California. Occupation: Machinist No. Pacific Railroad Tacoma, WA.
Descendant Dien Kienholz provided the following additional information: My grandma's birth certificate states that L. O. was born in Québec, Canada. "Taze" was his nickname. Great Grandpa Barnum was real fun for Mom as she was growing up. He knew all about farming. They had a farm in Canada when Grandma was a child. I have pictures of her with lots of chickens. My Mom said that her mother got 7 chickens during the war for eggs. Grandpa Barnum built them a "palace" for a chicken coop. Their hens laid 8 eggs a day. One day they were getting the old chickens ready for stewing and my mom and grandma were crying as they plucked out the feathers of their pet chickens. Grandpa walked up and laughed so hard at the sight. My Mom was told while young that she was related to P. T. Barnum, of Barnum and Bailey from the famous Circus that travels around.
(Headline from a Tacoma, WA newspaper article) Retired N. P. Employee, his Wife and Daughter Start Trip. They were starting out on a trip to retrace his route through 50 years of railroading. He first went to work in Tacoma Sep. 1, 1898. He worked building ships in the tideflats during WWI. Daughter Alma went with them on the trip. Louis was an executive of the Seaborn Shipyards during the war. On his marriage certificate it listed his mother and father's names. We did not have those names yet, so it was special to receive the certificate. Mary A. Barnum was a witness and also Alice Slenfield, both of Omaha, Nebraska. On his death certificate it says that he is buried at Ivy Lawn Cemetery, Port Hueneme, California. He died of a heart condition. Great Aunt Maude B. Smith gave me some info on L. O. Barnum. He was raised Catholic but left the church as a young man, he always saw to it to make sure his children went to a protestant church. He graduated from Creighton University in Omaha Nebraska. [N.B., the first graduating class of Creighton was in 1891, by which time Louis Octave Barnum was working full time for the Union Pacific Railroad. Since there were no night classes at Creighton, he must not have graduated from the four-year advanced college course].
When they lived in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Taze was digging for water and found black stuff, and covered it up. They lost a set of twins in a miscarriage, or they died of diphtheria.
On 2 Aug 1924 he filed a "Declaration of Intent" to become a US citizen. Filed in the US District Court for the Western District of Washington, in Tacoma, it reads as follows:
I, Louis Octave Barnum, aged 56 years, occupation machinist, do declare on oath that my personal description is: Color white, complexion dark, height 5 feet 5 inches, weight 190 pounds, color of hair grey, color of eyes brown, other visible distinctive marks cut on right cheek. I was born St. Johnsburg, Quebec, Can. on the 30th day of July, anno Domini 1868; I now reside at 5011 So. I St., Tacoma, Wash. I emigrated to the United States of America from Calgary, Canada on the vessel C. P. Ry; my last foreign residence was Acme, Alta., Canada; I am married; the name of my wife is May; she was born at Omaha, Neb. and now resides at ________. It is my bona fide intention to renounce forever all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, and particularly to George V, King of Great Britain and Ireland, of whom I am now a subject; I arrived at the port of Sumas, in the State of Wash., on or about the 16th day of Marr [sic], anno Domini 1917; I am not an anarchist; I am not a polygamist nor a believer in the practice of polygamy; and it is my intention on good faith to become a citizen of the United States of America and to permanently reside therein: So help me God.
The birthplace of Canada comes from several different Census records. His death certificate gives his birth place as Saint Johnsbury, Caledonia, Vermont. He was baptized in Richmond County, Shipton Twp., Village of Danville.
A Research Guide to the Genealogy of the Barnum/Barnam/Barnham Family Worldwide
AncientFaces - Family History Photos
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