Life of Thomas Watson Houston
Posted 18 jul 2012 by hpbs1
Thomas Watson Houston was born at his grandparents' home in Cove, PA on December 15, 1862 where his father had taken his wife and two children when he enlisted in the Union Union Army during the Civil War. He was the son of David Watson and Mary Agnes Johnston Houston, who were early Kansas pioneers. He was educated in the Garnett and Leavenworth, Kansas public schools and took his college work at Westminster College in PA and at Kansas University (Class of 1886). His father "read" him out of the Presbyterian church for joining a fraternity while at Kansas. After graduation he worked for a while on the Leavenworth Times. In 1888, he married Zula Leora Suydam. They had nine children, two of whom, David Edward and Mary H. Allis, died in 1924.
The years in China
Thomas studied for three years at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago. In 1891, he was ordained a minister of the Presbyterian Church, and went immediately to China, where he served as a missionary for nine years. His reception was not always pleasant. Sometimes rocks were thrown at him and he often wore Chinese clothes to better blend in when he left the gated mission compound. One victory of which he was very proud was the fact that he convinced an entire village not to bind their daughters' feet.
Chaplain at the Kansas State Penitentiary
Due to ill health he returned to America, where he held pastorates in California and Kansas, and for four years was chaplain of the Kansas State Penitentiary at Leavenworth. While a chaplain at Leavenworth, his novel, Mey Wing, A Romance of Cathay, was published.
World War 1
In 1918, Thomas was asked to go to France as an interpreter for the Chinese who were employed as laborers by the allied nations. He had such a command of the language that even after an absence of more than seventeen years, he was able to give a talk in Chinese the evening of his arrival in Tours, France. Upon his return from France in late 1919, he did pastorial work in Kansas.
The Colorado Years
In 1921 Thomas came to Colorado and lived in Hot Sulphur Springs where he "proved up" on a homestead, taught two terms of school and for six years owned The Middle Park Times newspaper. In 1924, tragedy struck his family twice. His daughter Mary was killed in a car accident and his son David died in a hunting accident. Thomas' wife, Zula, died in 1927.
Chicken Farming in Oregon
In 1928 he married Ida May Linder. In 1934 they moved to Clackamas, Oregon, where they owed a chicken ranch. In 1937, He died instantly as a result of a car-train collision and was buried August 31, at Mountain View Cemetery in Oregon City. (Grave sections are poorly marked)
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Family links:
Children:
Faith Agnes Houston Sipe (1895 - 1965)*
Posted 18 jul 2012 by hpbs1
Thomas Watson Houston was born at his grandparents' home in Cove, PA on December 15, 1862 where his father had taken his wife and two children when he enlisted in the Union Union Army during the Civil War. He was the son of David Watson and Mary Agnes Johnston Houston, who were early Kansas pioneers. He was educated in the Garnett and Leavenworth, Kansas public schools and took his college work at Westminster College in PA and at Kansas University (Class of 1886). His father "read" him out of the Presbyterian church for joining a fraternity while at Kansas. After graduation he worked for a while on the Leavenworth Times. In 1888, he married Zula Leora Suydam. They had nine children, two of whom, David Edward and Mary H. Allis, died in 1924.
The years in China
Thomas studied for three years at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago. In 1891, he was ordained a minister of the Presbyterian Church, and went immediately to China, where he served as a missionary for nine years. His reception was not always pleasant. Sometimes rocks were thrown at him and he often wore Chinese clothes to better blend in when he left the gated mission compound. One victory of which he was very proud was the fact that he convinced an entire village not to bind their daughters' feet.
Chaplain at the Kansas State Penitentiary
Due to ill health he returned to America, where he held pastorates in California and Kansas, and for four years was chaplain of the Kansas State Penitentiary at Leavenworth. While a chaplain at Leavenworth, his novel, Mey Wing, A Romance of Cathay, was published.
World War 1
In 1918, Thomas was asked to go to France as an interpreter for the Chinese who were employed as laborers by the allied nations. He had such a command of the language that even after an absence of more than seventeen years, he was able to give a talk in Chinese the evening of his arrival in Tours, France. Upon his return from France in late 1919, he did pastorial work in Kansas.
The Colorado Years
In 1921 Thomas came to Colorado and lived in Hot Sulphur Springs where he "proved up" on a homestead, taught two terms of school and for six years owned The Middle Park Times newspaper. In 1924, tragedy struck his family twice. His daughter Mary was killed in a car accident and his son David died in a hunting accident. Thomas' wife, Zula, died in 1927.
Chicken Farming in Oregon
In 1928 he married Ida May Linder. In 1934 they moved to Clackamas, Oregon, where they owed a chicken ranch. In 1937, He died instantly as a result of a car-train collision and was buried August 31, at Mountain View Cemetery in Oregon City. (Grave sections are poorly marked)
[Edit Bio]
Family links:
Children:
Faith Agnes Houston Sipe (1895 - 1965)*
Life of Thomas Watson Houston
Posted 18 jul 2012 by hpbs1
Thomas Watson Houston was born at his grandparents' home in Cove, PA on December 15, 1862 where his father had taken his wife and two children when he enlisted in the Union Union Army during the Civil War. He was the son of David Watson and Mary Agnes Johnston Houston, who were early Kansas pioneers. He was educated in the Garnett and Leavenworth, Kansas public schools and took his college work at Westminster College in PA and at Kansas University (Class of 1886). His father "read" him out of the Presbyterian church for joining a fraternity while at Kansas. After graduation he worked for a while on the Leavenworth Times. In 1888, he married Zula Leora Suydam. They had nine children, two of whom, David Edward and Mary H. Allis, died in 1924.
The years in China
Thomas studied for three years at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago. In 1891, he was ordained a minister of the Presbyterian Church, and went immediately to China, where he served as a missionary for nine years. His reception was not always pleasant. Sometimes rocks were thrown at him and he often wore Chinese clothes to better blend in when he left the gated mission compound. One victory of which he was very proud was the fact that he convinced an entire village not to bind their daughters' feet.
Chaplain at the Kansas State Penitentiary
Due to ill health he returned to America, where he held pastorates in California and Kansas, and for four years was chaplain of the Kansas State Penitentiary at Leavenworth. While a chaplain at Leavenworth, his novel, Mey Wing, A Romance of Cathay, was published.
World War 1
In 1918, Thomas was asked to go to France as an interpreter for the Chinese who were employed as laborers by the allied nations. He had such a command of the language that even after an absence of more than seventeen years, he was able to give a talk in Chinese the evening of his arrival in Tours, France. Upon his return from France in late 1919, he did pastorial work in Kansas.
The Colorado Years
In 1921 Thomas came to Colorado and lived in Hot Sulphur Springs where he "proved up" on a homestead, taught two terms of school and for six years owned The Middle Park Times newspaper. In 1924, tragedy struck his family twice. His daughter Mary was killed in a car accident and his son David died in a hunting accident. Thomas' wife, Zula, died in 1927.
Chicken Farming in Oregon
In 1928 he married Ida May Linder. In 1934 they moved to Clackamas, Oregon, where they owed a chicken ranch. In 1937, He died instantly as a result of a car-train collision and was buried August 31, at Mountain View Cemetery in Oregon City. (Grave sections are poorly marked)
[Edit Bio]
Family links:
Children:
Faith Agnes Houston Sipe (1895 - 1965)*
Posted 18 jul 2012 by hpbs1
Thomas Watson Houston was born at his grandparents' home in Cove, PA on December 15, 1862 where his father had taken his wife and two children when he enlisted in the Union Union Army during the Civil War. He was the son of David Watson and Mary Agnes Johnston Houston, who were early Kansas pioneers. He was educated in the Garnett and Leavenworth, Kansas public schools and took his college work at Westminster College in PA and at Kansas University (Class of 1886). His father "read" him out of the Presbyterian church for joining a fraternity while at Kansas. After graduation he worked for a while on the Leavenworth Times. In 1888, he married Zula Leora Suydam. They had nine children, two of whom, David Edward and Mary H. Allis, died in 1924.
The years in China
Thomas studied for three years at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago. In 1891, he was ordained a minister of the Presbyterian Church, and went immediately to China, where he served as a missionary for nine years. His reception was not always pleasant. Sometimes rocks were thrown at him and he often wore Chinese clothes to better blend in when he left the gated mission compound. One victory of which he was very proud was the fact that he convinced an entire village not to bind their daughters' feet.
Chaplain at the Kansas State Penitentiary
Due to ill health he returned to America, where he held pastorates in California and Kansas, and for four years was chaplain of the Kansas State Penitentiary at Leavenworth. While a chaplain at Leavenworth, his novel, Mey Wing, A Romance of Cathay, was published.
World War 1
In 1918, Thomas was asked to go to France as an interpreter for the Chinese who were employed as laborers by the allied nations. He had such a command of the language that even after an absence of more than seventeen years, he was able to give a talk in Chinese the evening of his arrival in Tours, France. Upon his return from France in late 1919, he did pastorial work in Kansas.
The Colorado Years
In 1921 Thomas came to Colorado and lived in Hot Sulphur Springs where he "proved up" on a homestead, taught two terms of school and for six years owned The Middle Park Times newspaper. In 1924, tragedy struck his family twice. His daughter Mary was killed in a car accident and his son David died in a hunting accident. Thomas' wife, Zula, died in 1927.
Chicken Farming in Oregon
In 1928 he married Ida May Linder. In 1934 they moved to Clackamas, Oregon, where they owed a chicken ranch. In 1937, He died instantly as a result of a car-train collision and was buried August 31, at Mountain View Cemetery in Oregon City. (Grave sections are poorly marked)
[Edit Bio]
Family links:
Children:
Faith Agnes Houston Sipe (1895 - 1965)*
