THE WAUPACA COUNTY POST

February 11, 1993

 

WHEN THEN WAS NOW

By Wayne A. Guyant

 

            This well-known and highly respected family were descendents from one Thomas Pope of Plymouth and Dartmouth, Mass., whose descendants went on to become pioneers in Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Nebraska.

            I will skip over several generations and begin with the Nathaniel Pope Jr. line, who left their home in Erie, Pa., and came to the wilds of the Town of Lind in Waupaca County in 1853.

            Nathaniel Pope Jr. was the ninth child in line of 12 born to Nathaniel Pope Sr. and Ida Strong Mattocks (some places Ida was spelled “Idea”).  His other brothers and sisters were George Mitchell, Ansel Winship, Sarah Ann, Pline Platt, Alexander, Alvin, Alfred, Mary, Albert, Mary Ida and Andrew Florimond.

            Nathaniel Pope Jr. was born in Erie on June 3, 1829; there he spent his early school days. When Nathaniel Jr. was about 14, he began to follow the life of a sailor. He sailed the Great Lakes for six years before working on river boats on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. He again turned to the sea in 1849, whether it was the gold fever or for adventure, and being only 20 years of age he made a voyage that ended up in San Francisco, Calif., by the way around Cape Horn on the schooner “Kate,” that was shipwrecked.  He lost all of his belongings, but finally found his way to California.  He spent 18 months in the gold fields with some success, having accumulated $4,000 in gold coin.

            Leaving California, he returned to his home at Erie, Pa., the home of his parents, where he remained for a short time before he came to the Town of Lind, where a couple of his older brothers had purchased land.

            According to Warranty Deed, volume 2, page 155, dated July 5, 1853, Nathaniel Pope Jr. purchased the East one-half of the South West one-quarter and the West one-half of the South East one-quarter, all in Section 28, T.21N.-Range 12E from George M. Pope for $1,000.

            Another land purchase found in Warranty Deed, volume 2, page 437, dated April 13, 1855, indicates Nathaniel Pope Jr. purchased land from Alvin Pope. The deed shows five-eights of the West one-half of the South East one-quarter and five-eights of the East one-half of the South West one-quarter, all in Section 16, T.21 N-R.12E.  Paid $200.  This included the land known as the Chapman place. This was the beginning of the Pope homestead.

            Within a few weeks time his parents, Nathaniel Sr. Pope and his wife Ida (Idea) Strong Mattocks Pope, along with the remainder of their children, came to the Town of Lind, where they lived in a log cabin at what was known as Chapman Corner.  Here he plied his trade as a shoemaker and reared his large family.     

            On September 1, 1855 Nathaniel Pope Jr. was united in marriage to Eliza Jane Loomis in Cleveland, Ohio.  Eliza Jane was born August 19, 1840.  To this union 14 children were born, as follows:  Mary Ellen, Pline Eugene, Charles Lincoln, Rush Loomis, Ida Viola, Gale Nathaniel, Alice May, Guy Walter, Albert Platt, Bertha Lutina, Lyle Clement, Ethel Clare and two infants who died.

            When Nathaniel Sr. and his wife Ida (Idea) Pope became unable to care for themselves, they moved into the south wing of their son’s home, which was adjoining the senior Pope’s place.  Here they lived out the last days of their lives.

            Nathaniel Pope Sr. had been born on a farm near South Woodstock, Vt., on January 7, 1790. He was married at Litchfield, Conn., in 1813 to Idea Strongs Mattaocks; she had been born April 2, 1793.  They both are buried in the Lind Center Cemetery.

            I would like to stop here for a moment and go back one more generation, to Mitchell and Ruth Hammond Pope, who were the parents of Nathaniel Pope Sr. who was born on their farm near South Woodstock, Vt., in Windsor County.  This old homestead has been abandoned for many years, and now is covered with brush and large trees, but contain the unmarked graves of Mitchell Pope, who died January 23, 1849, age 81 years, and seven of their children.

            After the death of Mitchell Pope in 1849, his widow, Ruth Hamond Pope, lived with their son, Thomas, until in March of 1856 when she came with them to Waupaca County.  She died May 9, 1857 and has one of the oldest markers in the Pleasant Valley Cemetery, Town of Dayton.

            I will now come back to the Pope line in the Town of Lind to Rush Loomis Pope, the fourth child of the family of 14.  He was born on the Pope homestead September 21, 1862.  He was named in honor of his mother’s brother, Rush Loomis.  It seems as if he was a beautiful baby, so his mother called him “Robin,” but as he grew up he was always called “Rob” by his family and friends.

            Rush (Rob) Loomis Pope attended the district school at Lind Center.  As a young man he worked on his father’s farm and assisted his father in buying stock and selling meat.  He hauled beef with a team of horses to the Moran Galloway lumber camps in the north.

            On July 8, 1881, Rush Loomis Pope was married in Minneapolis, Minn., to Claribel Charlotte Nordeen, who was born June 20, 1859, a daughter of Peter John and Amelia Price Nordeen.

            In October of 1881 they started keeping house on the farm that was formerly occupied by Rush and Alice Pope Loomis, which later was known as the Harry Testin farm north of the Post Corner School.  This farm now belongs to Roger Green.  In February of 1882 the house burned, and they rebuilt the following spring.

            Rob farmed and worked by the day for the neighbors, and lived on the place until 1892, when he purchased the Columbus Caldwell farm in the Town of Lind. They lived here for the next 12 years, and it was here that he developed the first purebred herd of Guernseys in Waupaca County.  He still remained active in buying stock, and for 10 years he furnished meat to the Wisconsin Veterans Home.

            By 1900, Rush Loomis and Gale Pope had entered into the meat market business with John Gordon, under the firm name of Gordon and Pope.  This building is located at 214 S. Main St., Waupaca, the present business site of the “Team Outfitters.”

            In 1904 Mr. Pope sold out his share to Mr. Gordon and with his brother, Gale, purchased the H.W. Williams Hardware business and became the Pope Hardware Company. Later Fred Parish, who was a cousin, joined the firm. IT was sometime later, due to ill health, that the business was sold to Fred Parish.  This building is at 217 S. Main St. today the business site of United Service Agency, Inc.

            In 1913 Mr. R.L. Pope purchased the Albert P. Pope farm and started another Guernsey heard. His son, Paul N. Pope, took over the farm, and it was here that his father, Rob Pope, remained interested in farming and dairying while spending his last year.

            During their married years, Rush Loomis Pope and Claribel Charlotte Nordeen Pope became the parents of three children:  Amelia Eliza, Beatrice and Paul Nordeen.

            Paul N. Pope was born September 13, 1897 in the Town of Lind and was married December 11, 1919 to Miss Lois Elizabeth Sheard at Randolph. The marriage was performed by the bride’s father, the Rev. S.A. Sheard.  Lois E. Sheard was born May 24, 1899 at Brandon. Paul N. Pope passed away July 5, 1975, and Lois E. Pope passed away May 20, 1979. They are buried in the Lind Center Cemetery.  They were the parents of three children:  Mary Ann, Paul E. and Allen.

            Paul E. Pope was married September 15, 1945, to my sister, Phyllis June Guyant, who was adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Dale Sawyer when she was an infant.  To Paul (Pep) and Phyllis Pope were born five children:  Susan Jean, Willis Rush, Connie Elizabeth, and twin daughters, Kay Frances and Gay Cynthia.

            Susan Jean married Lee Halverson, and they have two sons:  Paul Eric and Keith Michael.  Willis Rush married Patricia Lynn Duer, and they have two children:  Holly Jean and Howard Anthony.  Connie Elizabeth married Robert Andraschko, and they have two children:  Mark John and Christopher Robert.  Kay Frances married Daniel Lee Stocker, and they have two children:  Amy June and Joshua Daniel.  Gay Cynthia married Kent Romeis, and they have no children.

            Christopher Robert Andraschko married Donna Mae Handrich.  They are practically newlyweds.