Why Logansport, Indiana?

You might be thinking….. why the picture of Logansport 1890s on the Rice Kids blog?  Has Norm become confused in his old age and started throwing around old pictures that are of little interest to anyone?  Doesn’t Norm have something better to do than to feed us with unnecessary information?  I suppose one could easily think that way, especially those who know me.  But, alas, this time there is system in my madness!

Logansport, Indiana. About 20 000 residents living in northern Indiana, 130 miles south of Chicago, 80 miles north of Indianapolis. 1161 miles or twenty hours from Cousin Connie. 2190 miles east of Cousin Lori.  One day and eleven hours from Cousin Josette in sunny California.

Logansport is one of the towns, probably the only town, where the different ancestral branches of the Leslie F. Rice family come together and join into one, albeit some 50 years before Leslie’s birth in Arkansas. Between 1835 and 1855 the families of Rice, Howe, Turner, and Potter joined together in Logansport, lived for a while as one, and then moved on as family Rice, although in different directions. Our Great-great grandfather Gilbert Rice moved to St. Paul, Minnesota and our Great-great grandmother Julia [Potter] Rice moved to Oskaloosa, Kansas.

Today, graves of members from each of these four families can be found in Logansport, and very likely, also living relatives unknown to us, and us unknown to them… probably.

Buried in the Ninth Street Cemetery is Lucretia [Howe] Rice, our Great-great-great grandmother (3x-great). Beside her lies her son Gilbert Jay Rice, our 2x-Great grandfather. In a lot close by, same cemetery, can be found the gravestone for another 3x-Great grandfather Anselm Potter.

In the Mt. Hope Cemetery, same town, can be found the graves of Elihu Rice and his family of several generations.  And further on is Minerva Hart [Rice] Stuart and her family. Elihu was Gilbert’s brother.  Minerva was a sister to our 2x-Great grandmother Julia [Potter] Rice, and thus sister-in-law to Gilbert. 

Who are these persons? How did they get to Logansport and to their respective graves?  Gilbert died in poverty, Elihu gained riches and fame. Lucretia died as her family went to pieces. Anselm was insane. Minerva Hart shared close ties with Julia, but died a young women. Benjamin Spencer, Gilbert’s half-brother, remains missing.

Maybe these few paragraphs will help to explain the picture placed in a place of honor on the blog, or at least may arouse the appetite to learn more.  But don’t fret. This serial will continue and the mystery will be solved before your very eyes, but first I want to continue on my investigative work as concerns Rose Rice.


(The picture of Logansport was from http://galery.me.com/kevinwburkett. Accessed 5 June 2012)