Samuel Wyatt Huff (1872 - 1960)

Born 5 Jul 1872 in Twin Groves Township, Jasper, Missouri, United States

Ancestors

Died 8 Jan 1960 at age 87 in Napa County, California, USA

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Biography

Samuel Huff was born in Waco, Jasper County, Missouri on 5 July 1872 (by family tradition and inscription on gravestone). His parents were William Jones Huff (1828 Pennsylvania - 1899 Missouri) and Almira Walker (1838 Ohio - 1921 Missouri). Little is known about his early life. After leaving home, he changed his name to “Dick” Huff and all public records after 1880 refer to him as either Richard or Dick Huff. The story behind why he changed his name is associated with his enlistment in the Army.

Dick Huff answered President McKinley’s call for 125,000 volunteers by enlisting in the Kansas Volunteers, 22nd Infantry Regiment, Company G^[1]. He resided in Galena, Kansas at the time of his enlistment.

The Twenty-second Kansas Infantry Volunteers was organized and mustered in for the war with Spain at Topeka, Kansas on May 17, 1898, and was ordered to Camp Alger, Virginia arriving on May 28th. After two months drill and instructions the regiment marched from Cap Alger to Thoroughfare, Virginia arriving at Thoroughfare August 9. On August 27, the regiment was transferred to Camp Meade near Middleton, Pennsylvania and on September 9 and from there to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas where the regiment was mustered out on November 3, 1898.

As shown above, the Twenty-second Kansas Infantry Volunteers remained in the continental United States during the war with Spain. Casualties during the campaign: Deaths - 1 officer and 13 men. Other volunteer units were sent to and fought in Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines. The official end of the war was not until December 10, 1898, with the signing of the Treaty of Paris.

By 1900, he moved to Colorado. His two uncles James H Walker and William Henry Walker had previously settled there. James Walker first went to Colorado with his brother Jasper in 1884 spending two summers and one winter at Del Norte, Summitville and at the Bond mining camp near Chromo Colorado. In the fall of 1886 they went back to Missouri, returning the next spring to Chama, New Mexico with their brother William Henry Walker and family. Since that time he spent most of his time in Archuleta county, where he took up a homestead and made a home for his daughter and son. In the 1900 census, James Walker and his son John E Walker were living in West Pagosa, Archuleta, Colorado. William H Walker was also living in West Pagosa with his wife Alice Brown Walker and sons Herbert and George.

Dick Huff married Ida Low about 1904/5. This was estimated based on census information. The exact date and location for their marriage is unknown. Per the California Death Index record, Ida was born on 19 Oct 1869 in the state of Texas (city unknown). The death record states that her father’s surname was Cook, born in Texas, and her mother’s maiden name was Prichard, born in Missouri. The 1910 census indicates that she had one child who was no longer living. It was deduced from census data that she was previously married to a Mr. Low about 1893 at age 24 and may have had a child by this marriage but no record has been found.

Death^[2]: 8 Jan 1960, Napa, California. Birth date - 5 July 1870,

Arrangements made to burial in Mount Hope Cemetery, San Diego, beside his wife. They had bought their cemetery plots in 1946, three years before her death.

The gravestone inscription reads, “Bennington Camp No 20 - Spanish War Veteran”. Homer Knab provided information on this organization. The Bennington Camp was part of the United Spanish War Veterans Membership in this organization was limited to veterans of the Spanish-American War veterans. Bennington Camp No. 20 was located in San Diego. In 1940, there were 322 members on the roster. The story about his name change was also contributed by Homer Knab as follows: Samuel Wyatt was standing in line to enlist in the Army for the Spanish War. When it was his turn, the enlistment officer asked, “What is your name?” Samuel replied, “Dick Huff”. From that day onward, he was known as Dick Huff.

Ida's gravestone confirms her birth date as 19 October 1869 and date of death as 24 Feb 1949. She is buried at Mount Hope Cemetery, San Diego, CA. There are two inscriptions on her grave stone, “Bennington Aux U.S.V.W” and Heintzelman Corp G.A.R.”

Notes:

• 1880^[3]: Twin Groves Township, Jasper, Missouri, United States. Samuel Huff age 7 at home with parents, three brothers and two sisters

• 1900^[4]: Precincts 1-6 East Pagosa Springs, Edith, Chromo, San Juan River, West Pagosa Springs, Piedra, Archuleta, Colorado, United States. Dick Huff age 28, birthplace: Missouri. He was living alone and his occupation was listed as “Fireman Locomotive”.

• 14 April 1903 - Filed for 160 acres of land in Archuleta, Colorado as shown in BLM records. This was later assigned to his cousin Flora Abbe in 1906 and then to his cousin John E Walker in 1915. Flora Abbe was the daughter of his Aunt Cynthia Walker and her husband Gus Abbe who lived in Iowa. In the 1910 census, Flora was living on the property with her uncle Jasper Walker. It is unknown what happened to Flora Abbe after 1910. Jasper Walker left Colorado for California. In the 1930 census, he was living in Los Angles with his daughter Blanche and son-in-law Minos Petrakis.

• 1905 - Marriage to Ida Cook Low. This was derived from the 1910 census where it was shown that they had been married for 5 years. Location and exact date of marriage have not been found.

• 1908 San Diego City Directory - Address: N 3 E of 32d. Occupation listed as “eng”.

• 1909 San Diego City Directory - Emp of Benson Lumber Co, home N 3 E f 32d

• 1910^[5]: 2741 M Street, San Diego, California. Dick Huff age 37 (Missouri), occupation: Power House Foreman, with wife Ida Huff age 39 (Texas), Ida is shown as having given birth to one child but zero living. It is unknown whether the child was from the present or previous marriage. Also living in San Diego at this time was the his cousin Elma Ellen Walker and her husband Lewis Beemer Rhodimer and children. They had previously lived in Pagosa Springs, Archuleta, Colorado as shown in the 1900 census.

• 1912 San Diego City Directory - Occupation: lab, address: 4127 N.

• 1920^[6]: 3221 N. Street; San Diego, San Diego, California, United States. Dick Huff age 48 (Missouri) with wife Ida Huff age 50 (Texas) plus mother-in-law Clara Hawkins age 70 (Missouri).

• 1921-26 San Diego City Directory - Occupation: cement worker.

• 1930^[7]: - Living at 3221Commercial St., San Diego, San Diego, California, United States. Dick Huff age 57 with spouse Ida age 60. His Occupation: Foreman, Steam Shovel. Age at first marriage: Dick - 32, Ida - 24.

• 1940^[8]: Councilmanic District 5, San Diego, San Diego Judicial Township, San Diego, California, United States. Dick Huff age 67 with wife Ida Huff age 70.

• 1950 Census: California, San Diego, San Diego, ED 72-405, pg 73. Address: 3221 .Conmer? Dick Huff age 77, birth Missouri, widowed, with brother Wm. H. Huff age 67.

• Jan 1957 - Niece Marjorie Taylor and husband Roy moved Dick Huff to their home in Monte Vista (now Cupertino), CA. He remained there until a vacancy was available in the Holderman Veterans Home about October, 1957.

Sources

• Family history from Billy M. Huff, Homer Knab and other family members

• U.S., Spanish American War Volunteers Index to Compiled Military Service Records, 1898

• BLM Records

• U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995

1. ↑ U.S., Spanish American War Volunteers, 1898
2. ↑ California, Death Index, 1940-1997
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6X8-14R : 7 September 2017), Samuel Huff in household of William J Huff, Twin Groves, Jasper, Missouri, United States; citing enumeration district ED 58, sheet 342D, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0694; FHL microfilm 1,254,694.
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQMQ-MRW : accessed 21 August 2018), Dick Huff, Precincts 1-6 East Pagosa Springs, Edith, Chromo, San Juan River, West Pagosa Springs, Piedra, Archuleta, Colorado, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 1, sheet 19B, family 374, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,121.
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MVLB-SDL : accessed 21 August 2018), Dick Huff, San Diego Ward 9, San Diego, California, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 163, sheet 10B, family 284, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 95; FHL microfilm 1,374,108.
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHWX-1SN : accessed 21 August 2018), Dick Huff, San Diego, San Diego, California, United States; citing ED 349, sheet 4A, line 15, family 89, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 132; FHL microfilm 1,820,132.
7. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XC6V-X9K : accessed 21 August 2018), Dick Huff, San Diego, San Diego, California, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 197, sheet 3A, line 44, family 78, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 193; FHL microfilm 2,339,928.
8. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K9H6-Z8W : accessed 21 August 2018), Dick Huff, Councilmanic District 5, San Diego, San Diego Judicial Township, San Diego, California, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 62-110, sheet 1B, line 46, family 14, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 453.

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