Charles Henry Ladd was born July 25, 1846 in Racine, Wisconsin. According to information from family members his real name was Cachapaw. He was adopted by the Ladds at an early age. Very little can be found about his early childhood. According to the 1900 U.S. Census his father was born in Wisconsin; it was unknown where his mother was born.

In 1930 a man from Oklahoma City visited the Elno Ladd family and said he was Charles's brother. Aunt Mamie said he did look like Charles but no one ever followed up on this. Most of the family members contacted had heard that Charles was an adopted son of the Ladds but no one knew at what age or why.

We do know that according to his military record, he was inducted into the Army, Company G, the 6th Regiment of Wisconsin on January 16, 1864 at the, age of eighteen. He gave his residence as Boscobel, Wisconsin, Grant County.

He was mustered out of the Army after one year and seven months on July 14, 1865 at Jeffersonvillep Indiana. Supposedly on his way home he went by Warren, Illinois where he married Henrietta Marie Richmond on December 10, 1865. They must have gone on to Wisconsin after their marriage for the 1880 Census shows that their first child Louella Fidella was born a year later December 10, 1866 and their second child Ina Mildred was born June 12, 1868 in Wisconsin.

Sometime, soon after, they moved to Dickinson County, Iowa for according to the Bible record and 1880 and 1900 Census, one year and eight months after the birth of Ina, Nellie Elmina was born February 17, 1871 and one year and eight months later Leona May was born on October 30, 1872, their first son Charles Dwight was born two years later on October 1, 1874, in Dickinson County, Iowa. They moved to Neodesha Kansas, for three years and five month after the birth of Dwight, Elno Boyd Dick) was born March 18, 1878, Raymond Wilbur March 4, 1880, Irvie Earl July 11, 1883, Essie Pearl January 25, 1886 and James Ernest September 23, 1889 all in Neodesha, Kansas.

In 1891 they moved to Clayton Township, Oklahoma. This was Indian Land which they leased. They moved their household goods and some of their farming equipment down by train. Henrietta and some of the children came by train. Irvie (our Father and Grandfather) was eight years old at this time and he came with the wagon. They drove a team of oxen named Old Baldy and Spot. Irvie told of getting tired of riding and would walk along beside the wagon. They also drove their livestock along with them.

Nellie had married Frank Davidson on March 19, 1891. The letter that is inserted was written by Grandmother Henrietta (or Ettie, as she was called) to Nellie, Frank and their daughter Rose, which she refers to as Rose Bud who remained in Kansas.

This was written July 20, 1892 about a year after their arrival at Clayton. In the fall of 1892 they moved to a 160 acre farm, which was a homestead relinquishment, near Stillwater, Oklahoma. They traded a team of mules and wagon for it. About a year later the last child Ruth Etta was born April 3, 1893 in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Henrietta Marie Richmond was born September 4, 1850 in Ashtabula, Ohio. We do not know how she met Charles Ladd. We only know of one sister Dora Orlena Richmond who later lived in California. Ruth Ladd visited her at one time. The Elno Ladd (Dick) Family has a picture of Orlena taken April 9, 1899.

The 1900 U.S. Census lists that her Father was born in Pennsylvania and her Mother in Ohio. She was a loving Mother and Wife, some of the Grandchildren can remember helping her bake cookies.

In our research we could find nothing concerning her or Charles Family.

The Ladds prospered on the farm near Stillwater they raised some grain, a large garden but their cash crop was cotton. They had many Black laborers which the called Servants. About 1904 they bought a large modern, wooden framed house in Ripley, Oklahoma. They lived their the rest of their lives. Henrietta passed away January 16, 1918 at age 67.

I can remember Grandpa Charles visiting us driving a new car with brass head lamps and leather straps from the fenders, up to each side of the windshield. It was of Touring Design and he locked it by padlocking a large chain through the wheels.

His last few yearswere very painful, he had Dropsy which is excess water in the body, His legs swelled to enormous size, my Mother Hannah and other relatives took turns caring for him. He died February 29, 1924 at age 77.

Henrietta and Charles are laid to rest in the Parkland Cemetery, Parkland, Oklahoma.

From this union there were eleven children born, six girls and five boys. The following pages will resume their life and the names of their children.

May we give tribute to Charles and Henrietta, sturdy pioneers, with courage enough to help settle one of the wild mid-western states, OKLAHOMA.

From "The Past to Remember" by Earl Ladd, Annalee Ladd, Pat Ladd Grade, and Barbara Ladd Haun, 1982, pages 4-5.

Letter from Ettie to Her Daughter Nellie Davidson

Clayton Oklahoma, July 20th, 1892

Dear Children & little one I will try and pen you a few lines in reply to you vary welcome letter, we recieved the pictures, I give Evah one I think they are such good pictures the dear little dumplin she looks so life like I just want to catch her off from that chair and give her a good huging you don't know how I want to see you all, I can hardly wait till fall comes, Pa says if you are coming to Okla to live that he will come up and help you moove down, He has engaged a house and some 80 acres of flow land for you and he wants you to write just as soon as you get this and let him know for sure if you are coming so he can close the bargin with Mr. McFetters [or McFelters] before he rents it to some one else, The house is an 80 south of McFetters [or Felters] joins with his north 80 and thare is some broke on it I don't know how much but enough for a nice truck pach, and thare is planty of water for house use and stock, The fruit trees are black jacks, and hickorys and post okes, the house is a box house one story 14 by 16 Mrs. Toles say you can fix it up a little and be real comfortable it is about 1 1/2 miles south east of us, the children say they can run over and see you real often, Oh it is such joyful news to us that you are comeing to Okla so we can enjoy each others society, and then surley this will be a rich farming country I never saw nicer birres of all kinds nor larger cain and corn than will grow here on first sod, and so when people get their farms well improved thare will be no end to the produce that will be raised, Evry one thinks it will be a rich fruit country, I dont think any one ever hated to come here worse than I did and I like it here better than I did in Kansas of corse I miss the fruit real bad but that is all, Thare is no alkalye water here, it is nearly all real fast, and good tasting, the well averge from 10 feet in debth to 100, Lord it is so much nicer to burn wood than coal, Pa filed and burnt wood enough on the ground he cleared last spring to lasted one family to years we all wished so meny times you had it, Frank I wish you had that farm that corners with Alo but if you can't get that thar will be some other place you can get, a good meny think the strip will come in next spring, But I like the lay of the country in the Sac & Fox lands better than in the strip We went over in that country some 18 miles South east of us on little beaver to meeting, the meeting was at Mr Toles house thar was about 100 presant they held meeting in the groove, had a splended meeting we went Saturday and came home monday. I think it is a beautiful country from the river clear to Mr Toles, it is part prairie and part timber land with streams of clear running water on about evry section, fed by springs, Mr Toles has a rich claim and he says the one joining him on the north is for sale and he says it is a number one farm, They are in hopes you may buy it, Mrs Toles said how proud I would be to have Nellie & Frank for neighbors, well I must close hopeing this will find you all well, it is vary hot weather here now, we are going to get a Thermometar so we can see how meny deg hotter it is here than in the State, I wish you would keep account of the extreme hot days for the next three weeks The 18' was a terriable hot day we herd it was 90 deg but it must of been more I thought of Dwight so meny times that day I am afraid he will get a sun stroke I am anxious to hear from him Als folks are all well and like their new home better all the time and cant hardly wait for the time to come to start for the state I am glad to hear your small grain was good. Frank dont work to hard, you take good care of your health so as to live to a good old age, for you know Nell could not live with out you is Ladys colt growing fast, take good care of my little Rose bud tell her Grand ma has got two of the sweetest little girls in the world Ruth Cleavland cant beat them, good by may God bless and keep you all till we meet again from your loveing Mother.
Ettie Ladd
excuse my meny mistakes

From "The Past to Remember" by Earl Ladd, Annalee Ladd, Pat Ladd Grade, and Barbara Ladd Haun, 1982, pages 9-10.

[NOTE: We have tried to preserve the format and spelling of her letter as much as possible. I have followed the transcription made by Roger Davidson. --Forrest Ladd]