Albert Herman Chritton (March 8, 1860 - March 28, 1938)

Albert Herman Chritton

Born March 8, 1860 in Clarksville, Tennessee, USA.
Married Dicey Louisa "Lou" Hogue, Circa 1892.
Died March 29, 1938 in Pomona, Howell, Missouri, USA.
Buried in Mt. Zion Church, Howell, Missouri, USA.

Father: Joseph Washburn Chritton
Mother: Nancy Derrickson

Biography

Albert Herman Chritton was born on Thursday, March 8, 1860 in Clarksville, Tennessee. His parents were 40-year-old Joseph Washburn Chritton, a carpenter and tanner, and 38-year-old Nancy Derrickson.

Al was the second youngest of Joseph and Nancy’s large family. When he was born, he already had eight older siblings, Mary (18), James Monroe (16), William F. (14), Christopher C. (12), Rachel A. (11), Isaiah Derrickson “I.D.” (8), Josiah J. (5), and Alexander Adkin “Ad” (2).

He was born in a southern state just before the beginning of the U.S. Civil War, but the Chrittons seemed to be union supporters. We don’t know exactly when or under what circumstances, but the family appears to have moved north to Illinois during the early period of the war. Al’s older brother James joined the union army in August 1862 and listed Reading, Illinois, as home. It seems likely that Joseph and Nancy brought the whole family to this area, which was close to several other members of the Chritton family, including Al’s grandmother, Eura Eaton (Drake) Chritton.

Al’s big brother James’ military service was distinguished. He was mustered in on September 8, 1862, for a three-year period serving as a private in Company A of the 129^th Illinois Infantry. His war detail report shows him as 20 years old, 5’6” tall, with brown hair, blue eyes, and fair complexion from Reading, Livingston County, Illinois. He is listed as single with an occupation of farmer. James served for the full duration of the 129^th Regiment of the Illinois Volunteer Infantry. The regiment was engaged in the Battle of Resaca, Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, Siege of Atlanta, March to the Sea, and the Battle of Bentonville. He was mustered out in Washington, D.C. on June 8, 1865. He had attained the rank of Corporal. The December 15, 1910, issue of The National Tribune includes a letter from James detailing his first person account of the taking the guns of Resaca, Georgia on Sunday, May 14, 1865.  He reports in part that, “I was a Corporal of Co. A., and, as the charge was made with the right in front, was on the extreme right of the regiment. I went over the breastworks and into the fort not three feet to the left of the cannon farthest to our right. I went entirely around that gun, and assisted in forcing a gunner away from it, and we took him prisoner… In my trip as orderly to the rear I passed Gen. Ward, then wounded, within 200 feet of where the colors of the 129^th Ill. were then standing on the works. The color-bearer had been killed.”

Al’s sister Mary married Calvin Quackenbush in Reading, Illinois sometime before 1865. Then on the first of February 1865, Al’s sister Mary gave birth to Richard M. Quackenbush, making Al an uncle at age four.

In 1865, Al’s grandmother Eura Chritton died at the age of 67 in Reading Township, Illinois.

The last of Al’s siblings, George W. Chritton, was born on September 17, 1866.

Al’s older brother James Monroe Chritton married Mary “May” Hollowell in Iowa City, Iowa, on January 7, 1870.

Albert Herman Chritton
and his wife,
Dicey Louisa "Lou"
(Hogue) Chritton with
Jack Huscher.

In the 1870 census, Al and his family were living in Jefferson County, Illinois, in the southern part of the state. It was a house full of boys with Isaiah, Josiah, Ad, Al, and George all still at home.

Al’s brother William and sister Mary Quackenbush were living close by, along with Mary’s husband Calvin. They’re shown in the next census listing. William apparently didn’t live in his sister’s house much longer, though. He married Lovicey Burton in Jefferson County, Illinois, later that same year on December 20, 1870,

Al’s mother apparently died some time between 1870 and 1875. Al’s father remarried in 1875 to Elizabeth Jane Black Ringler, a widow who was about 51 years old. As of this marriage, 15-year-old Al acquired three stepsiblings, including two younger stepbrothers named William H. Ringler and Rueben W. Ringler.

According to the 1880 census, Al and his 14-year-old brother George were no longer living with their father. Joseph and his second wife were living near her extended family in Marengo County, Iowa. Elizabeth's sons William and Reuben are in the house, along with Elizabeth's blind mother, Fanny Black. It’s not clear where Al and George were living at this time.

Albert Herman Chritton

The next period of Al’s life was the most dramatic in terms of American history, but is not strongly documented. Al headed west, where family stories tell of his days as a cowboy and gold prospector. His son Bill wrote the following account, although the timeline of the events may be questionable:

“…after the Civil War was over they all moved to Concordia, Kansas, where Dad grew until his was 16 years old. Then he went to Cheyenne, Wyoming, and punched cattle for eight years. In that time, he saw lots of action…. He danced with Calamity Jane, she took her bandanna off and tied it around Dad’s neck. He knew Buffalo Bill well and he was to Custer’s battleground, there were lots of skeletons on the ground.

After he spent eight years punching cattle he went to Iowa and went there to college, graduated, was a bookkeeper for a while, then he taught school a short while. Then, in a short time, he was married to my mother. They had nine children, four boys, five girls. I am the fourth. 

One of A.H. Chritton's adult children (possibly Bill)
standing at the entrance of Al's gold mine near
the East Spanish Peak in Colorado.

Family accounts also state that during this period Al was a customer of the original store of J.C. Penney, doing transactions with Mr. Penney himself. It should be noted, though, that Penney opened his first store in Wyoming in 1902, when the Chritton family was living in Aguilar, Colorado.

Around 1892, Al married Dicey Louisa "Lou" Hogue in Cloud County, Kansas. Al was about 32 years old and Lou was about 18 years old. The Hogue family was apparently well known to the Chrittons as Lou's brother Henry Albert Hogue was married to Al's niece, Amy Blanche Chritton.

By 1893, when their first child was born, Al and Lou were living in Aguilar, Colorado, a small railroad town at the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains, just below the East Spanish Peak. Ethel Chritton was born on April 5, 1893 in Aguilar.

In Colorado, Al had staked a claim on a gold mine, but he didn’t get rich. The mine was still accessible in later years as one of his adult sons [possibly Bill] was photographed at its entrance. Bill wrote:

“He had a gold mine on the East Spanish Peak, found some gold and silver, but gold then was only $35, too far to transport, and [the] only way was by burros. I have been to the mine.”

“He always told me I should work in his gold mine. He sure thought gold was there, but all miners can’t wait for the next day. They think for sure they will find gold.”

In 1897, Al and Lou’s first son, Earl Chritton, was born in Kansas. Another son, Lynn Chritton, was born in Aguilar on June 20, 1899. William "Bill" Chritton was born in Aguilar on July 26, 1902.

Tragedy struck in 1903 when their six-year-old son Earl died in Aguilar.

In November 20, 1906, Al’s father Joseph Washburn Chritton died at age 87 in his home near Denison, Texas. His obituary was published in the Dennison Daily Herald.

Two more daughters were born in Aguilar. Nellie Chritton was born on March 16, 1904 and Ora "Mae" Chritton was born on December 20, 1907.

Al and Lou returned to Concordia Kansas by the time the rest of their children were born. Their next daughter, Ruby Ellen Chritton, was born on April 5, 1911, followed by Gladys Chritton on September 11, 1913, and Charles Henry "Charley" Chritton on June 21, 1916.

Between the birth of Charley and Al's death, the family moved to a farmhouse near Olden and Pomona in Howell County, Missouri.

Al’s many skills included blacksmithing and carpentry. His son Bill wrote:

The children of Albert Herman Chritton and
Dicey Louisa "Lou" Chritton. Al is standing
at the right rear. The baby in the front row is
Charles Henry "Charley" Chritton. This photo
was probably taken in the summer of 1917.

“Dad was one of the best carpenters I ever saw. He could find out how wide the building [was] and take his old square and cut rafters to fit any house or barn. Was a real cabinet carpenter. He made a box out of the first apple tree that grew in Denver. The box was for a whetstone made in 1911. My son has the box.”

Al died on March 29, 1938 at the age of 78. He collapsed in the yard while chopping wood. The corner noted the cause of death as "Natural Causes - Heart Attack probably (Fell dead in own yard)" His son Bill is listed as the informant on the death certificate. Bill wrote about Al’s later years:

“Dad died in 1938. He was just 78 years, but was old at 65…. He never had $500 to my knowing, had nine kids…. It was one of the best things when Roosevelt started Social Security. They could not save enough money to retire on.

Albert Herman Chritton is buried in Mt. Zion Cemetery at the Mt. Zion Baptist Church just up the road from the Chritton home. His wife, Lou, who lived until 1950, is buried beside him.