Hattie was the eldest of two children born to Charlotte F. Gilbert and Truman S. King. Many families have a black sheep, and Hattie was that epitome in her's. Official records, including civil war pension files and censuses, provide that Hattie had a troubled childhood after her father left for war in 1862. Following her parent's divorce in 1866, she accompanied her mother to western Illinois in the latter 1860s. She was on her own in the 1870s and was found as a prostitute in the 1880 Chicago census.
Using an assumed or married name of Patterson, Hattie returned to Vermillion County, Indiana, in the latter 1880s. On August 25, 1888, she married Jasper H. Lake (brother to Clara O. Lake who was the spouse of Hattie's half brother Edwin R. Oxford).
After the death of Jasper in 1893, Hattie moved to the "Red Light District" of Terre Haute, Indiana. She married a barkeeper named Oscar Coleman on April 26, 1895, and lived as a Madam in that district until after Oscar's death in 1930. Hattie was institutionalized in the County Home by court order soon after Oscar's death.
Various documents reflect that she provided varying years of birth, always having later dates as she grew older. The year on her stone corresponds with early pension files of her father, and with the 1860 census.
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A PERSONAL NOTE: I was told by one of my sisters that our father had periodic contact with his Aunt Hattie for many years. Our Mother forbad my older siblings to ever speak to or about her. Hattie is buried in the Pauper Section of the cemetery.
Although it may have violated the wishes of my Mother, I had a marker placed upon Hattie's grave. May she rest in peace.
Using an assumed or married name of Patterson, Hattie returned to Vermillion County, Indiana, in the latter 1880s. On August 25, 1888, she married Jasper H. Lake (brother to Clara O. Lake who was the spouse of Hattie's half brother Edwin R. Oxford).
After the death of Jasper in 1893, Hattie moved to the "Red Light District" of Terre Haute, Indiana. She married a barkeeper named Oscar Coleman on April 26, 1895, and lived as a Madam in that district until after Oscar's death in 1930. Hattie was institutionalized in the County Home by court order soon after Oscar's death.
Various documents reflect that she provided varying years of birth, always having later dates as she grew older. The year on her stone corresponds with early pension files of her father, and with the 1860 census.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A PERSONAL NOTE: I was told by one of my sisters that our father had periodic contact with his Aunt Hattie for many years. Our Mother forbad my older siblings to ever speak to or about her. Hattie is buried in the Pauper Section of the cemetery.
Although it may have violated the wishes of my Mother, I had a marker placed upon Hattie's grave. May she rest in peace.
Hattie was the eldest of two children born to Charlotte F. Gilbert and Truman S. King. Many families have a black sheep, and Hattie was that epitome in her's. Official records, including civil war pension files and censuses, provide that Hattie had a troubled childhood after her father left for war in 1862. Following her parent's divorce in 1866, she accompanied her mother to western Illinois in the latter 1860s. She was on her own in the 1870s and was found as a prostitute in the 1880 Chicago census.
Using an assumed or married name of Patterson, Hattie returned to Vermillion County, Indiana, in the latter 1880s. On August 25, 1888, she married Jasper H. Lake (brother to Clara O. Lake who was the spouse of Hattie's half brother Edwin R. Oxford).
After the death of Jasper in 1893, Hattie moved to the "Red Light District" of Terre Haute, Indiana. She married a barkeeper named Oscar Coleman on April 26, 1895, and lived as a Madam in that district until after Oscar's death in 1930. Hattie was institutionalized in the County Home by court order soon after Oscar's death.
Various documents reflect that she provided varying years of birth, always having later dates as she grew older. The year on her stone corresponds with early pension files of her father, and with the 1860 census.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A PERSONAL NOTE: I was told by one of my sisters that our father had periodic contact with his Aunt Hattie for many years. Our Mother forbad my older siblings to ever speak to or about her. Hattie is buried in the Pauper Section of the cemetery.
Although it may have violated the wishes of my Mother, I had a marker placed upon Hattie's grave. May she rest in peace.
Using an assumed or married name of Patterson, Hattie returned to Vermillion County, Indiana, in the latter 1880s. On August 25, 1888, she married Jasper H. Lake (brother to Clara O. Lake who was the spouse of Hattie's half brother Edwin R. Oxford).
After the death of Jasper in 1893, Hattie moved to the "Red Light District" of Terre Haute, Indiana. She married a barkeeper named Oscar Coleman on April 26, 1895, and lived as a Madam in that district until after Oscar's death in 1930. Hattie was institutionalized in the County Home by court order soon after Oscar's death.
Various documents reflect that she provided varying years of birth, always having later dates as she grew older. The year on her stone corresponds with early pension files of her father, and with the 1860 census.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A PERSONAL NOTE: I was told by one of my sisters that our father had periodic contact with his Aunt Hattie for many years. Our Mother forbad my older siblings to ever speak to or about her. Hattie is buried in the Pauper Section of the cemetery.
Although it may have violated the wishes of my Mother, I had a marker placed upon Hattie's grave. May she rest in peace.
Family Members
Half Siblings
