Notes for John Ripley: [Brøderbund WFT Vol. 13, Ed. 1, Tree #2752, Date of Import: Jul 29, 2001]
Information taken from Civil War pension papers:
John Ripley - Private, Co. F., 1st Illinois Light Artillery Born: May 22, 1846 (Bible record gives May 22, 1847) Died: July 16, 1925 Los Angeles, CA (Residence: Bakersfield, CA) Married: Sept. 10, 1872 Vernon Co., MO to Clara May Albright Children's names and birthdates: 1. Hattie A., b. Nov. 9, 1873 (married a Mr. Colton) 2. Ella B., b. Sept. 24, 1875 (married W. A. Rankin) 3. William, b. 1877--probably died young 4. Maude A., b. Mar. 13, 1879 (married K. B. Walton) 5. Edmund C., b. Jan. 26, 1882 6. Mabel, b. 1884--probably died young 7. John Clayton, b. Sept. 14, 1890
Enlistment papers list him as 5 ft. 7 in., grey eyes, light hair, fair complexion.
Places of residence after leaving army service were listed as follows: In Wisconsin 3 years; in Missouri 12 years; in New Mexico and Colorado 3 years; in South Dakota seven years; in California 21 years.)
OBITUARY from "The Bakersfield Californian, Bakersfield, CA; July 17, 1925:
John Ripley, postmaster, freighter, farmer, and hotel owner, a pioneer of Kern county since 1891 and a resident of Bakersfield for 12 years, died in Los Angeles yesterday at the home of his daughter, Mrs. K. B. Walton. He was 78 years of age.
Mr. Ripley was born at Sun Prairie, Wisconsin in 1847; his mother dying when he was but 2 years old. At the age of 17, he left school to enlist in the Union army and fought at the battle of Nashville under General Thomas in Battery F of the First Illinois Light Artillery. In 1866, he was honorable discharged from the army and returned to school in Wisconsin for one term.
Two years later, he went into the wilds of Missouri and engaged in farming on the frontier. While in Missouri, he married Miss Clara Albright of New York, and she was a constant helpmate until she died in 1913.
In 1880, Mr. Ripley moved to Glorietta, NM, where he was employed hauling and freighting for the Santa Fe railroad. After 18 months, he moved and resided in Colorado and South Dakota, finally coming to California and settling at Caliente in 1891, where he purchased a six-horse outfit and began freighting to the Piute, Amalia, Havilah and Bodfish mining districts.
Gradually his enterprise grew until he was working two eight-horse teams and had built four barns, a livery stable and a blacksmith shop. In the great fire of 1909, which razed Caliente, Mr. Ripley lost his entire outfit; so he discontinued the freighting business and built the Ripley House, the largest hotel in Caliente, which included a post office and telephone station.
Mr. Ripley was appointed postmaster of Caliente in 1898 and discharged his official duries until 1913, when he resigned and moved to Bakersfield.
The deceased was a member of the Masonic order, Tehachapi Lodge No. 313 F. and A.M., and affiliated with the Hurlburt Post, G.A.R. He is survived by five children: Mrs. W. A. Rankin of Bakersfield (Ella); Mrs. Hattie Colton of Palo Alto; Mrs. K. B. Walton (Maude) of Los Angeles; Edward Ripley of Los Angeles; and Clayton Ripley or South Fork. The body will be taken to Payne and Son mortuary upon arrival from Los Angeles, and funeral services will be held tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock.
More About John Ripley: Baptism (LDS): SUBMITTED. Date born 2: 22 May 1847507, 508 Date born 3: 22 May 1847, Sun Prairie, Dane Co., WI.509 Died 2: 16 Jul 1925, Los Angeles, CA.509 Endowment (LDS): SUBMITTED. Fact 1: Civil War--Co. F; 1st Illinois Light Artillery.509 Sealed to parents (LDS): SUBMITTED.
More About John Ripley and Clara May Albright: Marriage: 10 Sep 1872, Vernon Co., MO.509
Children of John Ripley and Clara May Albright are:
John Ripley (b. 22 May 1847, d. WFT Est. 1848-1937)
Notes for John Ripley: