Snippets of American History

I know that everyone here is a bit of a history buff, so I thought I'd post something a little different today. I hope you enjoy the narrative and the old photographs!

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John Bloom was the son of Ira Bloom and Esther Dunn. He was born in Adams County, Ohio in 1827. He married Lucy, and the family began their trek west sometime before the Civil War, and settled for a time in Xenia, Illinois. His oldest child Emma Inozelle Bloom married Franklin Holman in 1872, and the couple had six children.  A terrible tuberculosis epidemic swept through the area, first claiming Emma in 1885, then Franklin in 1886. The grandparents gathered up the six children and continued westward by covered wagon, joining their son Mortimer on the Oregon frontier. Things did not get easier for this family:

At about 9 oclock am on the morning of the 15th (one of our extremely cold mornings), the residence of Mr. John Bloom caught fire from the stove pipe in an upper room and was soon wrapped in flames and consumed--with almost all their household furniture. Mr. Bloom and wife are in the decline of life and have a number of orphan grandchildren dependent upon them which makes their misfortune still heavier. At present the family are scattered among kindly neighbors who are already taking steps toward lightening their misfortune. The people of Pine have proved their kind and sympathetic natures on several instances of the kind in the last two years.     

---Oregon Scout Newspaper, Union, Oregon, Jan 27 1888

When this devastating fire occurred, the Bloom grandchildren were still kids; the oldest, Elmer was 14. Ethyl was 13. The twins, Lorenzil and Ora, were 8. Lucy was 7, and the baby of the family, Clarence, was only 4.

The orphans grew into adulthood, married, and had children of their own.  The strength and resilience of the early American pioneers never ceases to amaze me.

Mortimer and Isudora Bloom with family

Brothers Clarence and Elmer (in hats), with family