Recently a library patron brought an interesting document to
the reference desk. He had found it
among some of his own World War II military papers that had been mailed to him
by an office in Nebraska—but it was not his, and it was not from World War II, and
it was not from Nebraska. It was the somewhat tattered World War I military
discharge for Thomas R. Ricketts, who had served from Montana. Very mysterious,
and my patron wondered if perhaps Thomas was some relation to the current
governor of Nebraska, Pete Ricketts.
A research project!
Just what I like! It was fairly
easy to establish that Thomas was no close relative of Pete. A search at the
fabulous Montana Memory Project digital library quickly
produced a World War I enlistment card for our mystery man, issued by the Montana
Adjutant General’s Office. It showed that Thomas had been born in South
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and lived in Helena, Montana; the Nebraska Ricketts
family (whose family tree has been traced by numerous researchers) apparently hails
from Iowa, and from Ohio before that.
So not one of the Nebraska Ricketts. Who was he, and how did his discharge paper end up in Nebraska? He enlisted in Miles City, Montana, which is in Custer County, but resided in Helena, Lewis and Clark County (other side of the state). Digging a little more at Montana Memory, I found ANOTHER enlistment card, this one specifically for the 2nd Montana Infantry Regiment. It included an exact date of birth (always useful) and a nice description. Thomas was not a large man! Five foot four, dark with brown eyes.
Now I tried googling (yes, I know, not serious research, but never overlook the obvious). I was rewarded with further insight into Thomas's military career, discovered on Google Books in a book called Yellowstone County, Montana in the World War 1917-1918-1919, edited and published by William W. Gail. (This sort of book, meant to honor the county's patriotic contributions, was not uncommon--I found other examples from other states and counties.) Even better than the handy little summary of Thomas's war years, which includes further information about where he served and what he did, was the portrait of him on the previous page. Unfortunately, as befits a man of mystery, his hat shades his features so all we can really see is the end of his nose and a nicely sculpted mouth and chin.
This also introduced yet another confusing detail about his origins. This book gives Thomas's residence as Billings, Yellowstone County, and his inclusion in a book about the Yellowstone County patriotic effort suggests he was a Yellowstone County boy; but his enlistment card shows his residence as Helena.
Let's review what we know about him. He started out in the Montana National Guard, probably with no idea that he was going to end up in France. He was obviously comfortable with horses; he started as a corporal in Troop A of the First Montana Cavalry and would later serve as both a stable sergeant and a saddler. An article in the Butte Daily Post dated 10 Feb. 1917 indicates he and the rest of Troop A spent time in federal service guarding the southern border in Douglas, Arizona; from there he and 32 comrades were sent to Fort Harrison (near Helena, so perhaps that is where the Helena residence comes from) to be mustered out of government service. However, he was obviously not done with government service, since almost exactly one year later he was on his way to France.
What became of him after the war? We have one possible sighting of him, in the 1920 census--and it's not in Yellowstone County, but in Prickly Pear, Lewis and Clark County. This Thomas Ricketts is three years younger, but otherwise a reasonably good fit--born in Pennsylvania, and working as a farm laborer in the household of Hugh and Ellen Rogan. Ellen was also born in Pennsylvania, and I got very excited, thinking she might be related to Thomas, but having followed that rabbit trail, I discovered that her maiden name was Lavery and she was from Philadelphia, not South Bethlehem. I have found no sign of this Thomas Ricketts (whether or not he is our man) in the 1930 census. Or the 1910, for that matter.
These single male farm laborers with no apparent ties are terrible to trace...But I'm not giving up.
 |
| World War I enlistment card, Montana Adjutant General's Office. Digital image from Montana Memory Project. |
So not one of the Nebraska Ricketts. Who was he, and how did his discharge paper end up in Nebraska? He enlisted in Miles City, Montana, which is in Custer County, but resided in Helena, Lewis and Clark County (other side of the state). Digging a little more at Montana Memory, I found ANOTHER enlistment card, this one specifically for the 2nd Montana Infantry Regiment. It included an exact date of birth (always useful) and a nice description. Thomas was not a large man! Five foot four, dark with brown eyes.
Now I tried googling (yes, I know, not serious research, but never overlook the obvious). I was rewarded with further insight into Thomas's military career, discovered on Google Books in a book called Yellowstone County, Montana in the World War 1917-1918-1919, edited and published by William W. Gail. (This sort of book, meant to honor the county's patriotic contributions, was not uncommon--I found other examples from other states and counties.) Even better than the handy little summary of Thomas's war years, which includes further information about where he served and what he did, was the portrait of him on the previous page. Unfortunately, as befits a man of mystery, his hat shades his features so all we can really see is the end of his nose and a nicely sculpted mouth and chin.
 |
| William W. Gail, Yellowstone County, Montana, in the World War, 1917-1918-1919 (Billings, 1919). |
| Thomas Ricketts |
This also introduced yet another confusing detail about his origins. This book gives Thomas's residence as Billings, Yellowstone County, and his inclusion in a book about the Yellowstone County patriotic effort suggests he was a Yellowstone County boy; but his enlistment card shows his residence as Helena.
Let's review what we know about him. He started out in the Montana National Guard, probably with no idea that he was going to end up in France. He was obviously comfortable with horses; he started as a corporal in Troop A of the First Montana Cavalry and would later serve as both a stable sergeant and a saddler. An article in the Butte Daily Post dated 10 Feb. 1917 indicates he and the rest of Troop A spent time in federal service guarding the southern border in Douglas, Arizona; from there he and 32 comrades were sent to Fort Harrison (near Helena, so perhaps that is where the Helena residence comes from) to be mustered out of government service. However, he was obviously not done with government service, since almost exactly one year later he was on his way to France.
What became of him after the war? We have one possible sighting of him, in the 1920 census--and it's not in Yellowstone County, but in Prickly Pear, Lewis and Clark County. This Thomas Ricketts is three years younger, but otherwise a reasonably good fit--born in Pennsylvania, and working as a farm laborer in the household of Hugh and Ellen Rogan. Ellen was also born in Pennsylvania, and I got very excited, thinking she might be related to Thomas, but having followed that rabbit trail, I discovered that her maiden name was Lavery and she was from Philadelphia, not South Bethlehem. I have found no sign of this Thomas Ricketts (whether or not he is our man) in the 1930 census. Or the 1910, for that matter.
 |
| 1920 Federal Census, Lewis & Clark Co., MT, Enumeration District 0093, p. 86A. Digital image, Ancestry.com. |
These single male farm laborers with no apparent ties are terrible to trace...But I'm not giving up.
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