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Charles Henry Ladd

CHARLES HENRY LADD, according to his military record, volunteered and was inducted into the Army, Company G, 6th Regiment of WI, at Madison, WI on Jan. 16, 1864 at the age of eighteen years. He gave his residence as Boscobel, Grant Co., WI. His rank was Pvt. In the following year, on July 14, 1865, he mustered out at Jeffersonville, IN. The military muster shows blue eyes, dark hair, dark complexion, 5'7" tall, and his occupation as a farmer.

Note that he also is reported, at one time during his military service, to be in Co. C, 2nd Wisc. Infantry. Also that he and his cousin Emerson Richmond served in the same military units. Charles and Emerson had two sets of the same great-grandparents, Elkanah and Polly (Stevens) Richmond on their fathers' side, and Emerson and Sarah (Ware) Ware on their mothers' side. Their grandfathers were brothers (Charles W. Richmond for Charles Ladd and Thomas Richmond for Emerson Richmond) and their grandmothers were sisters (Fidelia Ware for Charles and Carolyn Ware for Emerson).

On Dec. 10, 1865 Charles Henry Ladd married Henrietta Marie Richmond in Warren, Jo Daviess Co., IL. Apparently they settled in WI after their marriage.

The 1880 Census, page 353, shows that their first and second children were born in Wisconsin, and shows him living in West Cherry Township, Montgomery Co., KS, listing him as a farmer. The census record is this:
Name Race Sex Age CivilStatus Occupation Birth FtrBirth MtrBirth
Ladd, C. H. W M 33 Married Farmer    Wis Pa NY
-----, H. M. W M 29 Wife KeepsHouse Ohio NY NY
-----, Luella W F  13 Dtr    At Home       Wis Wis Ohio
-----, Ina     W F  11 Dtr    At Home       Wis Wis Ohio
-----, Nella W F   9   Dtr    At Home       Iowa Wis Ohio
-----, Dwight W M 5 Son   At Home       Iowa Wis Ohio
-----, Boid   W M  2 Son    At Home      Kansas Wis Ohio
-----, Raymond W M 2/12 Son AtHome Kansas Wis Ohio
(Source: In possession of a photocopy of the census record.)

Information in the Cherryvale, KS library states: 1881 Platt West Cherry Township Owners: C. H. Ladd; PO Brooks; b IA; to County 1877; "Farmer and dealer of thoroughbreed cattle".

The 1885 KS State Census lists his family as living in the West Cherry Township, Montgomery Co., KS.

The 1900 Federal Census he indicates that Charles was born in July 1846, b Wisc., father b Wisc., mother b unknown.
His wife, Henrietta, is shown as born in Sept. of 1850, born in Ohio, father born in PA and mother born in Ohio.
It records the presence of all of their children, through Ruth, who was the last child, born in Oklahoma.
(Source: In possession of a photocopy of the census record.)

The 1910 Federal Census for Cimarron Township, Payne Co. (E.D. 55-185-16), OK, showed this:
Ladd, Charles H., age 65, b. in WI, ftr b NY, mtr b NY, a farmer of a general farm
Ladd, Henryetta M., age 59, b. OH, ftr b PA, mtr b OH
Ladd, Ruth, dtr, age 17, b OK, ftr b WI mtr b OH
11 children, 9 living.
(Source: In possession of a photocopy of the census record.)

His death certificate gives his name as Charles Franklin Ladd and his father's name as John Ladd. (The middle name almost certainly is an error.)

(Henrietta's sister, Dora Orlena Richmond, later lived in California.)

According to the family Bible records, and the the 1880 and 1890 census, they had moved to Dickinson Co. in IA where two children were born and then on to Neodesha, KS where they lived until 1891. By this time their family had increased to 5 daughters and 5 sons.

In the year 1891, Charles and Henrietta moved to Clayton Township, Payne Co., OK where they leased land to farm in Indian Territory. Their household goods and some of their farming equipment were moved by train. Some of the children and Henrietta also travelled by train. However, some of the children, including Irvie [age 8] came with their father to help drive the team, Old Baldy and Spot, and herd the livestock over the long trail.

In the fall of 1892, the family moved to a 160-acre farm near Stillwater. They acquired this homestead by trading a team of mules and a wagon for it. About a year later, the last child, Ruth Etta, was born in April of 1893.

The Ladd family prospered on the farm near Stillwater. They raised grain and a large garden. Their cash crop, however, was cotton. Many black laborers, called servants, were used.

About 1904, Charles Henry and Henrietta bought a large modern, wooden frame house in Ripley, OK. The rest of their lives were spent there. Henrietta passed away on January 16, 1918 at the age of 67, and Henry died on February 29, 1924 at the age of 77.

One of the memories of the grandchildren was of their grandfather Charles Henry visiting them driving a new car with brass head lamps. It was a touring design car with leather straps running from the fenders up each side to the windshield. He locked it with a pad lock latched to a large chain run through the wheels.

Charles and Henrietta were sturdy pioneers and courageous enough to help settle one of the wild mid-western states, OKLAHOMA.

Information from Gary Gooch on 27 Aug 1997 and on 3 Feb 2000

1880 census showed him living in Cherryvale (Montgomery Co., West Cherry Twp.) KS, occupation as farmer.

Cherryvale Library has, as of 1881: "1881 Platt West Cherry Township Owners: C. H. Ladd; PO Brooks; B IA; to County 1877; 'Farmer and dealer of thoroughbreed cattle.'"

1885 KS State census lists the family in W. Cherry Twp.; the 1890 census does not show them there.

1900 Fed. census reports his ftr as born in WI; 1910 census reports ftr b in NY

1910 Fed. census reports the family in Payne Co., OK, Cimmaron Twp.

Death certificate gives his father's name as John Ladd.

Gary includes this short account: "Nila (Ladd) Haskin & Ruby (Ladd) Gooch (granddaughters) say that a man who showed a striking resemblance to Charles Henry's picture showed up one day and said that he was Charles Henry Ladd's brother. This man said that Charles Henry's real name was Catchapaw (Catchabaugh?), and that he was adopted by the Ladds at an early age. Nila said that he (the visitor) said that he always gave a magnolia tree to the youngest child of the family, and that she was really looking forward to the magnolia tree, but that they never heard any more from him. Ruby said that he told them that he owned a nursery in Oklahoma City, and that he always gave . . . etc. He spent the night with Everett Ladd."

No definite proof has been made of the story this man told, nor of other stories that have been heard by other cousin lines of the family with different versions of this type of story, saying his last name may have been Cachapaw. This is still not a documented fact and no proof has been found. Another has suggested, perhaps tongue-in-cheek, that perhaps as the census taker was going through the neighborhood, Charles Henry was playing ball in the yard at age 4 or 5, and simply said to the census taker as he tossed the ball to him, "Catch a Ball!" and it was recorded on the 1850 Census like the census taker heard it--thinking that was his name!

Another possibility could be that Rachel had a previous marriage, and that Charles Henry was from that marriage, and came to live with John Ladd through the marriage to Rachel but, as for the other accounts, no proof of this.