Henry Reed Rathbone the Lincoln Connection
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The Lincoln Connection Henry Reed Rathbone 1837-1911 October 1981 The Rathbun-Rathbone-Rathburn Family Historian Volume One • Number Four· October 1981 Letter From the Editor With this issue-and our first dividual thanks to each "cousin" issue will begin the fourth genera year-completed, we look forward who has sent us newspaper clip tion. These are our ancestors-your to 1982, when our annual subscrip pings, family data and pictures, cen ancestors-and your Family Histo tion rate will be reduced by 20 per sus readings, cemetery records and rian is the medium through which cent (from $25 to $20). A renewal similar materials, as well as com we can record their lives and deeds. notice is enclosed. ments, corrections, praise and sug While we are researching and Your response will determine the gestions for the Historian. writing the past history of our fam future of the Historian, and tell us To all these valued corre ily, we also want to record the whether it should be continued. spondents, we give our collective achievements of today's Rathbuns, With nearly 250 subscribers, we thanks. To all of you, we ask that Rathbones and Rathburns, which are hoping that enough of you will you send us any material relating in are the makings of history. re-subscribe to enable us to main any way to members of our wide If you or a member of your family tain the quality of our magazine spread family-past and present. is honored in any way, let us know, your magazine-for the coming In particular, to those of you who so we can record it today for tomor year. have not done so, please send in row's historians. When we first started publication, your family records of births, deaths Again, our thanks to all of you one of our subscribers questioned and marriages, along with any other who have supported the Historian whether we could find enough information you may have, such as and made it a success in this crucial material to fill four issues a year. We places of residence, interesting oc first year. Please send your renewal are finding quite the opposite. We cupations, military service or checks now, before you forget. We have far too much material to political offices held. will continue to do our best to make squeeze into each 16-page issue. With this issue, we complete our the Historian an interesting, infor The Rathbuns, Rathbones and genealogical coverage of the third mative and accurate record of our Rathburns are a fascinating family, generation in America. The January family history. and their lives and achievements are an almost endless source of story material. On this page you will find a list of a few stories we plan to use in future issues, and there are Looking Ahead----- many more. Many of you have sug Among the subjects of the many cluding one who was beheaded for gested articles and we encourage articles we are planning for future attempting to overthrow the mon you to keep sending your ideas in. issues are the following: archy, and another who wrote one It has been impossible to send in- • Benjamin Rathbun, the fabu of the earliest books on surveying. lous financier and builder of early • The Rathbuns of Springfield, Published quarterly by the Buffalo, who served five years in N.Y., who have lived in the same Rathbun Family Associa prison for alleged financial mani town for nearly two centuries. tion at 11308 Popes Head pulations. • The Rathbones of Albany, N.Y., Road, Fairfax, Va. 22030. • Captain John Peck Rathbun, who produced industrialists, finan Telephone: (703) 278-8512. "forgotten hero of the American ciers, politicians, a general and a Revolution," who was John Paul member of a presidential cabinet. Jones' second-in-command and • Alfred and Laura (Brown) Rath Frank H. Rathbun was credited with most of Jones' bun, early western pioneers, over Editor & Publisher success. looked by Cooley, whose descen Robert Rathbun • Justus Hen ry Rathbone, dants have spread throughout the Research Director founder of the Knights of Pythias, American West. Hazel J. Rathbun one of our nation's earliest and • Rathbuns, Rathbones and Assistant Editor most successful fraternal orders. Rathburns in American wars, in the Frank H. Rathbun III • Block Island, home of our im California Gold Rush of 1849, and in Production Manager migrant ancestors for many years, Congress. Janice A. Rathbun and a veritable storehouse of our • American towns named for Business Manager family's history. Rathbuns and Rathbones, and • Early English Rathbones, in- many, many others. 50 New Library Named For Bryce Rathbun When Bryce C. Rathbun retired in state school unification, believing 1979 after 28 years as superinten strongly that local control of dent of the Standard School District schools is in the best interest of near Bakersfield, Calif., a grateful students, parents and the commu community broke precedent and nity. changed the rules to name the Over the years, he has won nu county's newest library in his merous awards and citations for his honor. countless hours of service to The Kern County Board of Super various civic organizations. visors, with several of Rathbun's Dr. Claude W. Richardson, super former students now members of intendent of the Kern County Bryce Rathbun the Board, voted unanimously to set School System, said of Bryce: aside a policy of not naming "Bryce Rathbun is one of the out libraries for individuals. standing school superintendents in most difficult for me to make the The new library was completed Kern County history. He brings to decision to retire. However, after a this year and was dedicated during the job the old-fashioned qualities career of 44 years, I am now rather the summer as Bryce C. Rathbun of leadership, sincerity, integrity, looking forward to having more Library. strength and understanding ...." leisure time to spend enjoying my Bryce is a son of the late John On his retirement, Bryce com home, the companionship of Edgar" Rathbun (VirgilB Giles1 mented: Marilyn-my wife-my mother, and JamesB Thomas'" Ebenezer3 "I have been very proud to serve my friends, and to playing some William 2 Johnl) and Laura (Nelson) as superintendent of this superior golf, fishing at our mountain cabin, Rathbun, who is still living at the district, and the schools have be and doing a bit of traveling." age of 91. come a happy and meaningful part The Rathbuns have been married Born 66 years ago in South of my life. Therefore, it has been for more than 43 years. Dakota, Bryce moved to California in 1923 and was educated there. He began his career as a teacher in 1935 and joined the Standard Dis trict in 1937. He was named a 'Brownie Mary' Rathbun counselor in 1941 , but joined the Navy later that year. In nearly five Now Baking for Charity years of service, he was an officer aboard the destroyer USS Twiggs, The following is based on news juana, along with a price list show won the Silver Star and Purple Heart paper clippings sent in by several of ing that they sold for $2 to $4 each, medals, and received a Presidential our subscribers who noticed the or $20 to $40 a dozen. promotion to lieutenant com "Rathbun Connection." Mrs. Rathbun, who pleaded guilty mander from President Truman for A San Francisco grandmother to nine counts of selling and pos gallantry in action at Okinawa. known as "Brownie Mary" because sessing narcotics, was quoted as During the battle, he was severely of the marijuana brownies she re saying: wounded and spent two years recu portedly sold from her kitchen "I gambled ... I took my chances. perating in Naval hospitals. bakery has been ordered to use her Life is a roulette wheel. I played Returning to the Standard School baking skills for charity. by the rules for 59 years; then I District after the war, he was named Mary Jane Rathbun, 64, was sen gambled and lost." Junior High principal, and five years tenced by a superior court judge to A divorcee, she worked as a wait later, in 1951, became superinten spend 500 hours cooking at one of ress to put her only daughter dent, a position he held for 28 years. three institutions specified by the through college, but the girl was In addition to his educational judge. killed in a 1974 auto accident. She achievements, Bryce has been an Police who raided her flat last said she started the home "bakery active community worker. For 20 January said they confiscated 600 business" after a back injury forced years he has been a leader in the brownies baked with a liberal her to leave her job as a night wait California fight against forced measure of superior quality mari- ress in a pancake house. 51 Present at Birth & Assassination Rathbone Family Connected With Lincoln's Life & Death Four members of our family had a 1809, in a one-room, dirt-floored moved to another farm 10 miles dis direct role in the life-and death cabin near Elizabethtown, Ky .-the tant, and it is unlikely that Mrs. of Abraham Lincoln, including the home of Lincoln's parents, Thomas Enlow ever saw Abraham again. Her midwife who brought Lincoln into and Nancy (Hanks) Lincoln. husband died in 1816, leaving her a the world and an Army major who When Nancy informed her hus widow for the second time, and was at the President's side when he band that the birth of their second three years later she married was assassinated 56 years later.