Wells Family - Person Sheet
Wells Family - Person Sheet
NamePatience Ethel Smith
Birth16 Oct 1860, nr Hinckley, DeKalb Co, IL
Census1880, Amherst, Cherokee Co, IA
Memoroll#332, pg 19
Death16 Apr 1937, San Jose, Santa Clara Co, CA
BurialOak Hill Memorial Park, San Jose, Santa Clara Co, CA
FatherMatthias Smith Jr (1820-1900)
MotherRuth Christy (1826-1904)
Misc. Notes
Living with her family and teaching school in Amherst, IA in 1880. After the death of her husband she bought and remodelled a house on Schiele Ave in San Jose. They also owned the farm west of Gilroy where Will Colt lived in 1941. Patience Ethel Caswell was at 1073 Warren Ave, San Jose in 1930.
Spouses
Birth1 May 1848, Gulf of St Lawrence River, Quebec, Canada
Memoborn at sea
Death27 Sep 1925, San Jose, Santa Clara Co, CA
BurialOak Hill Memorial Park, San Jose, Santa Clara Co, CA
FatherAndrew Caswell (1798-1877)
MotherMary Jane Dickson (~1814-1887)
Misc. Notes
He lived at Granton, Ontario 1849-1873 (or possibly 1874). During last five years or so of this period worked in the Michigan "pineries" in the winters. Farmed in Cherokee, IA until 1877, then lived in California 1877-1882 - during this period worked on farms for a time, was fireman on Southern Pacific trains from Sacramento to Willows, and for the greater part of the period was a carpenter for S.P. building bridges from California to El Paso, TX, including a bridge over the Rio Grande at El Paso and over the Colorado at Tucson, AZ. Dropped his watch from the El Paso bridge 90 ft. into the mud of the river. The watch never stopped running and was given to John Edwards Caswell at his death. Finally worked in S.P. car shops at Sacramento until the time of his marriage.
[NOTE: This senario is in question, as he is listed with his mother and brothers in the 1881 Canadian census for Palmerston, Ontario, Canada; and has not been found in the 1880 US census.]
Immediately upon their marriage he and his wife emigrated to Winnipeg, Man. where for two years
(1882-84) he worked in the C.P.R. car shops. About June 21,1884, when son Albert was four weeks old, they left Winnipeg to join his brothers Joseph and Robert who were located at Clark's Crossing on the South Saskatchewan River 18 mi. north of where the city of Saskatoon is located.
Saskatoon was a village of fifteen or twenty houses in a "Temperance Colony", promoted by George Granton, son of the founder of Granton, Ontario, where the Caswells were located after arrival from Ireland. The following year the "Crossing" became headquarters for General Middleton in the suppression of the second Riel rebellion. In 1898 they moved to Saskatoon and bought a farm now a part of the city. The CPR station and yards are on the property.
In 1905 they moved to San Jose, CA buying the Thompson home at 9 So. Lincoln Ave. Afterwards moved to the Settle place at 2 So. Lincoln. He is listed in 1910 as an orchardist on a fruit farm. Next they moved to Hamilton-Johnson, then to the village of Campbell, thence to a house across the Los Gatos-Campbell road from the reservoir, and finally to home where he died on west side of said road a mile or so SW of reservoir.
Afterward Mother bought and remodelled a house on Schiele Ave in San Jose. They also owned the farm west of Gilroy where Will Colt now (1941) lives.
Marriage28 May 1882, Marcus, Cherokee Co, IA
Marr Memoat her parent’s home
ChildrenAlbert Edward (1884-1954)
 Oliver John (1886-1966)
 Annie Erella (1888-1966)
 Cora May (1893-1973)
Last Modified 4 Jan 2003Created 5 Aug 2023 using Reunion on a Mac