Journeying with Jacque

A Presidential Connection – Part 1

It’s the presidential season in the United States. Regardless of politics, are you a descendant or relative of the current or a former United States President? According to research done by 12-year-old BridgeAnne d’Avignon in 2010, if your ancestry traces back to the British Isles, it’s entirely possible. BridgeAnne worked long and hard on her research with the help of her grandfather who spent 60 years tracing his ancestry. According to her, she “discovered that all presidents except Martin Van Buren are related to King John of England who was depicted as the villain in the Robin Hood tales. King John also signed the Magna Carta in 1215 which helped form the British Parliament (Greene).”

Through my research, I have ascertained that I am related to Richard Nixon, the 37^th president of the United States. Fifty years ago today on August 8, 1974, Richard Nixon gave a 15 minute speech explaining his intent to resign as President of the United States because of the fallout of the Watergate scandal. He officially resigned on August 9, 1974.

Richard Nixon and my grandfather, Donald Watkins, shared 4^th great grandparents, Anthony Smith and Lydia Willets. This made them 5^th cousins; therefore, Richard Nixon and I are 5^th cousins twice removed. Nixon’s line connects with us through his mother, Hannah Milhous.

Richard Nixon was born in Yorba Linda, California into a Quaker family (his mother was a devout Quaker and his father who originally was a Methodist, converted). We come from a long line of Quakers. So far, I have traced our lineage to Henry Howland (1566-1635) and Anne Aires (1567-1629). They had five sons; the most famous of their sons was John (my 9^th great grand-uncle) who is famous for having fallen off the Mayflower. Richard and I were both descended from Henry Howland and Mary Newland. Quakers believe in non-violence and traditionally abstain from war. I wrote about an ancestor of mine, Timothy Smith (brother of Judith Smith who was a direct ancestor of Richard’s) in my blog, titled What’s a Pacifist to Do? https://journeyingwithjacque.com/conflict-month-6-of-12-ancestors-in-12-months/  I talked about the conflict Timothy had during the Revolutionary War between being a pacifist and a patriot. I’m guessing that Richard Nixon struggled with some of these same issues since he joined the Navy in 1942 even though he was a Quaker and of course, he spent his life in service to his country.

Richard Nixon had humble beginnings. His dad owned a service station, was a grocer, and owned a small lemon grove even though he wasn’t very successful. Richard was the 2nd of five children. One brother was named after their father and the other brothers were named after kings. Richard was named for King Richard the Lionheart.

Richard Nixon loved music (he played several instruments), was an avid bowler, and was a huge football fan. He met his wife, Thelma Ryan, better known as “Pat” when they were both in a community theater play. (Klein)

Cousin Richard Nixon had many accomplishments as president such as ending the Vietnam War and the draft, making important reforms in welfare policy, civil rights, law enforcement, and the environment, supporting Apollo 11, and improving relations with China and the U.S.S.R. Despite all this, he is still best known for his resignation. (Richard Nixon)

So…are you part of the presidential descendant’s club?

Sources

Coble, Jacquelyn. “What’s a Pacifist to Do?” Journeying with Jacque, 3 June 2022, journeyingwithjacque.com/conflict-month-6-of-12-ancestors-in-12-months/.

Greene, Jessica. “All the Presidents’ Cousins.” NBC Bay Area, NBC Bay Area, 16 Feb. 2010, www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/all-the-presidents-cousins/1883245/.

Hulbert, Emma. “Quaker Pacifism in the Context of War.” Friends Committee on National Legislation, 8 Mar. 2022, www.fcnl.org/updates/2022-03/quaker-pacifism-context-war.

Klein, Christopher. “10 Things You May Not Know about Richard Nixon.” History.Com, A&E Television Networks, www.history.com/news/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-richard-nixon. Accessed 30 July 2024.

“Richard Nixon.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 21 July 2024, www.britannica.com/biography/Richard-Nixon.

Inspiring a 6^th Grader

A side trip to the Grand Canyon to visit my grandparents when we moved from California to Oklahoma combined with 6^th grade experiences that included a train trip and an excursion to a Chinese restaurant encouraged my inclination to travel and enjoy new experiences.

My family moved from Beaumont, California to Bartlesville, Oklahoma in 1966. That fall I started 6^th grade and enrolled in Washington Elementary School which is the school my uncles had also attended. (Washington Elementary School was originally built in 1907; it burned down and was rebuilt in 1930.) I had a good teacher who wanted to expose us to new things.

One of the most memorable events was a train trip from Bartlesville to Independence, Kansas culminating in an outing at the zoo.

According to the schedule, we left Bartlesville at 8:10 and arrived in Independence at 9:00 with a stop in Caney.

The train was a regional train for the Santa Fe Railroad called the Tulsan. The Tulsan’s route was from Tulsa to Kansas City and was known for consistently being on time (Burns). The Tulsan ran from 1939 until the start of Amtrak in 1971.

After arriving in Independence, we walked to the zoo and park and enjoyed exploring both. Riverside Park was founded in 1914 and the Ralph Mitchell Zoo was added to the park in 1925. The highlight of the zoo was Monkey Island. In the 1930s, the WPA (Works Progress Administration) created Monkey Islands at various zoos across the country. However, the Monkey Island in Independence was particularly detailed and elaborate “with a castle, a main street with storefronts, a jail, a windmill, and even a miniature Liberty Bell (Monkey Island).”

While Monkey Island was a great place to observe the monkeys, it also had a significant historical impact. “Kansas has been home to several astronauts: Ron Evans, Joe Engle, and Steven Hawley, for example. But before these astronauts took flight, there was another native Kansan who ventured to outer space: Well, not an astronaut but an astromonkey (Wilson).”

Miss Able was born on Monkey Island in Independence in 1957 and became the first American monkey to travel into outer space on May 28, 1959 as a result of U.S. competition with the Soviet Union who launched Sputnik in 1957. Miss Able was a rhesus monkey and endured extensive training. She traveled with another monkey, Miss Baker.

Traveling by train for the first time, I was able to not only have an amazing experience, but it was an opportunity to learn some remarkable history. May the travels continue.

Sources

Burns, Adam. “The ‘Tulsan’: Chicago – Kansas City – Tulsa, OK.” America-Rails, www.american-rails.com/tulsan.html. Accessed 3 July 2024.

“Lost Bartlesville: Sean Hockens Remembers Local Tracks and Trains …” Enterprise-Enterprise, Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise, 29 Dec. 2013, www.examiner-enterprise.com/story/news/2013/12/29/lost-bartlesville-sean-hockens-remembers/27390230007/.

“Monkey Island, Home of America’s First Space Monkey, Independence, Kansas.” RoadsideAmerica.Com, www.roadsideamerica.com/story/11873. Accessed 4 July 2024.

Wilson, Ron. “K-State Research and Extension.” Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Miss Able, Astromonkey, 25 Oct. 2023, www.ksre.k-state.edu/news/stories/2023/10/kansas-profile-astromonkey-miss-able.html.