Kenton Ghost Hunt

I’m sure that everyone is aware of the multiple spellings of many surnames.  While researching the surname Langston I came across a gentleman named Langton, in the Oregonian newspaper out of Portland, Oregon dated Sunday, January 5, 1913. The title of the article sparked my curiosity and just to verify if this was another spelling of Langston I had to check it out.  I got excited thinking that Langton could be a ghost hunter. Turns out he saw a ghost and decided to change his direction of travel and went the other direction. It might not be the correct surname but it’s still an interesting article for this time of year. 

‘KENTON GHOST’ HUNTED

PHANTOM-LIKE VISITOR DIS-

TURBS PENINSULA.

Mysterious Creation Lurks Along

Patton Road by Night and Van-

ishes by day, Is Report. 

  The “Kenton ghost,” if there is one

in that section of the city, had better

take to the cemetery if he wants to

enjoy life, for last night W. M. Kil-

ingsworth, Percy Conger and Dalles

M. Simonsen inaugurated the first of

a series of “ghost hunts” in hopes that

they may catch it, or lay it.

  William Adams and Jack Langton,

of the Peninsula district, say they saw

a ghost, or a mysterious person.

Wednesday evening as they drove

along Patton Road near Lombard

Street. The “ghost” was seated on a

stump, and Adams, to make sure he

was there, spoke to “the ghost,”

who is a smooth personage, glided

away. Adams and Langton took the

opposite course.

  “The ghost” was seen by Thomas

O’Rourke, of Derby and Kilpatrick

streets, a week ago. Mr. O’Rourke de-

scribes it as six feet high, so thin that

his bones show through his skin, and

pale as whitewash.

  “I came along the other evening,”

said Mr. O’Rourke, “and right before

me, near a tree, was this peculiar ob-

ject. I would have spoken to it, but

didn’t care to get into an argument

so said nothing.

  “Just then he vanished. I didn’t have

a gun with me, but I spoke to Police-

man Dick Stewart, whom I met 13

blocks away, a minute later. Stewart

said that he’d get him, and hurried

off.”

  Mrs. W. A. Willis, wife of Secretary

Willis, of the Portland Cattle Loan

Company, who lives in Kenton, told

her husband that she had seen a tall,

fat man three months ago. His actions

were such that she now knows that he

was a ghost, and thinks perhaps the

Kenton ghost is the same one, starving.

  Neil O’Hare, proprietor of the Ken-

ton salon, when asked for information

said: “Divil a bit do I know about any

ghost. Men came to my place and tell

 me about things they have seen the

 night before and they are such a va-

riety of everything that seeing ghosts

is tame in comparison.”

  J. H. Nolta, a member of the Inter-

state Bridge Commission, is said to

have seen the ghost. Mr. Nolta told

a friend that he had seen a most pe-

culiar being in a shanty some time ago,

and he is not over sorry that he did

not investigate.

  People in Kenton, now keep their

doors tightly locked at night, and or-

ders are said to be issued calling for

the capture of the intruder, dead or

alive. To see a ghost is one thing,

but to capture a ghost is another; per-

haps that is why those who have seen

Kenton’s mysterious visitor have been

unable to bring about his capture.

Matrilineal Monday–Lena Katherine Elizabeth HOPPER

   
     I decided since the last two blogs on Matrilineal Monday were my great grandmothers on my dad’s side I would continue with the Langston ladies. I hope that’s okay with everyone. Now where do I begin there are so many wonderful things that I’ve learned about my dad mother, both from him and some additional research. I guess the best place to start is at the beginning, as with any introduction. So with that being said I’m happy to introduce to you Lena Katherine Elizabeth HOPPER Langston.

     Lena Katherine Elizabeth HOPPER was born 6 December 1913 in Cape Girardeau, Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Her parents were Robert Nathaniel Elmer HOPPER and Emma Josephine HARENBERG both born in Missouri. She had one brother, Robert E. HOPPER. She married James Raymond LANGSTON on 18 December 1938 at the Evangelical United Church of Christ in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Together they had five children, four girls, Carolyn LANGSTON, Phyliss LANGSTON, Patricia LANGSTON, Sally LANGSTON and one boy, Raymond LANGSTON. She died 26 October 1963 of cancer, leaving behind all of her children, husband and her mother. Thankfully there are many memories that all of her children have. I focused on my dad and the memories he had of his mother, who left him at a young age of 17.

(This is a photo of Lena Katherine Elizabeth Langston and James Raymond Langston)

     He remembers her of course being a loving and wonderful mother who did many things for her family. She could cook anything and it would taste great, he remembers knowing that whenever his uncle, from St. Louis, would come to visit coffee cakes were to be made. Mind you not just the regular coffee cakes but she would also make cinnamon cakes and coconut cakes, drizzled with icing. Not many of us get to experience homemade donuts drizzled with icing that taste better then Krispy Kreme's but my dad, even his sisters would help. When it came to the kitchen she was also pro with canning, everything from beans, tomatoes and even the fall pepper relish, she had help from my dad and his sisters with it came to the canning, I'm sure the eating also. I can't forget that she would can 40 to 50 quarts of peaches.

(This is a photo of Lena Katherine Elizabeth Langston and my dad, Raymond H. Langston.)

      There were times of course that he tested her patience as I'm sure many of us have done with our own parents a time or two. He recalled a time he did that and ended up with sore fingers and hands. One day she asked him to go outside and pull the weeds in that were in her Iris flower bed, well he had a different idea on how to pull the weeds. Can you see where I’m going with this? Dad decided the quickest way to get rid of the weeds was to use the mower. That’s right he pulled out the lawn mower and mowed over the weeds and his moms Iris’s. If I remember correctly his punishment was to then weed with yard, so yeah his hands and fingers were sore.
     There are many wonderful things he learned from her and remembers about his mother. Just one of those memories that he shared with me seemed strange at first but then again I can picture him sitting and watching her. I know he watched her because he can recite each step till the day. You start with the collar then move to the yoke, sleeves and then the body. He could sit and watch his mom iron the clothes and enjoyed every second of it he would even help her hang the laundry outside. During the time I was talking with my dad about his mom, we were on the phone so I couldn't actually see his face. But you know when someone is smiling and I know he was as he remembered so many things about his childhood and his mom. He even chuckled as he remembered both his mom and dad watching him and his sisters' roller skating in the basement.
     I'm sure there is more that I can say about Lena Katherine Elizabeth HOPPER, basically I know there is more I can say but this is a blog not a book. So I will leave you with this,

 

(This is a photo of Lena Katherine Elizabeth Hoppers Confirmation)

Matrilinel Monday - Aline Marie SMITH

     Now I would like to introduce you to my great grandmother on my dad’s side Aline [Alene] Marie SMITH. She was born on 8 July 1896 in Cape Girardeau, Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Her parents were John N. SMITH of Missouri and Sara CLARK from Pennsylvania.  On 12 July 1916 she married Roscoe Henderson LANGSTON in Cape Girardeau, MO.  She had five children, 2 boys, James Raymond LANGSTON, my grandfather, Gerald L LANGSTON, 3 girls, Virginia L LANGSTON, Glonda L. LANGSTON and Gertrude R LANGSTON. She died on 14 December 1942 in Cape Girardeau, Cape Girardeau, Missouri. She is laid to rest at New Lorimer Cemetery, Cape Girardeau Missouri.   

     Unfortunately there isn't a lot of information that I have about Aline [Alene] Langston, she passed away before my dad was born. So needless to say there aren't any family stories. I can however tell you that she must have been an amazing mother to have raised man like my grandfather, he had the determination to succeed, and that he did. 

                                      

(photo from Find a Grave)