Old West history... (with some parts about the Black Hills).

Grammar corrected by Nita, a granddaughter... (after receiving the letter upon the death of Angela).

Written by Angela Theiers Hafner, (born 1921)... at age 80!

(Mostly about stories told by her grandmother Emma, daughter of Charles Augustus Eves).

     Early day history of the family going to the Black Hills!

!850's... From family records: 

     My great-grandfather Charles Augustus Eves, his wife Adeline, son Charles, and daughter Emma lived in Colorarious?? County, California when Emma was born... (Son Charles was thought to be born in a gold camp near there). C.A. Eves was a professional gambler... as long as Emma could remember it being talked about. He liked to travel around where there was easy money, (usually near gold strikes). He always took the family with him wherever there were new gold discoveries. 

Later on... From Emma's memory, told to Granddaughter:

     Sometimes Grandmother Emma told us they would own hotels, livery stables, or other properties for a while when her dad "won big" only to lose it all while on a drinking spree! His wife knew him so well that when he made big money she would salt some away until he sobered up again... Then she would give it to him for a new start! (Although the writing noted he was always good to his family and they never went without food or clothing). Emma and Charles were very well educated... to the point both children had private tutors for schooling and music lessons when they were "in the money"...

1860's... (And memories told of other times during later years):

     An Aunt of Emma's, (named Sara), lived nearby at different times and places throughout their travels. Being a wonderful seamstress she and Emma would do custom dress making for wealthy ladies in various towns... After California they lived in Salt Lake City, just a few houses down from Brigham Young! Emma told stories about how they could hear the wives of Brigham arguing when he was not at home... Once they heard Brigham say while preaching "If it was the style to wear piss-pots on their heads they would do it"... Many times she helped make dresses for major celebrations, once even the Governors Ball. The family was all there when they drove the golden spike in the railroad. (May of 1869).

1870's... Family records, memories told:

     C.A. Eves decided it was time to start for the Black Hills during the spring of 1876, as there would be lots of gambling going on there! They traveled by train to Cheyenne, bought some horses, a wagon, and supplies... joining a wagon train going to the Hills. There were scouts to watch for Indians, but she remembers very well that they did not see any... It took the wagon train three week to get to Deadwood and the first night after arriving they camped right where the Court House now stands. Emma said she actually saw Calamity Jane and was even spoken to in "rough" language when Jane ask "what would you take for that pony"... She was wearing men's clothes and Emma said she was frightened by the incident! Her father, along with others in the wagon train filed claims, ending uphill, far away from Deadwood, about where Central City is now located. C.A. Eves decided to build on his claim and put up the first two story Gambling Hall and hotel in that area. She remembered her brother was often sent to Deadwood for supplies, and he had gone for nails the day Wild Bill was killed, coming back with a good story. He said the story he heard around town was that Calamity Jane had kissed his body and said "that is one kiss you will not wipe off, Bill"...

Again, later on, from Emma's memory, in defense of Calamity Jane:

     Once there was a Small Pox epidemic and Calamity Jane helped care for a lot of the people who were ill. Also brother Charles drove a stagecoach from Deadwood to Spearfish about that time... My other great uncle, (Father Peter Rosea), was the first Catholic Priest in the Black Hills area. During his time there he often took food to people, as well as holy communion. He had a little black horse and buggy! He also wrote a book entitled Pa Ha Sa Pa... meaning Black Hills in Indian language. We had a good copy of it until my father lent it to someone who lent it to someone, who lost it... I remember reading it when I was eight years old. It had information in it that was very authentic, as many old-timers had told stories about things that happened just like they happened...

1890's... and later:

     Father Rosea was instrumental in getting the sister to come to Sturgis. The house where the Sisters lived and started a school was still there, (on Junction Avenue about 1 block off main street), the last time I visited. A few years later St. Martins Academy was built near the St. Aloiaus Church. (Father Rosea was then sent to Minnesota where he passed away when my dad was a young man).

1920's... actual memory of Granddaughter Angela:

     When I was a little girl our family lived in Sturgis. My father Peter Theiers knew the famous Poker Alice for many years. She had lived in Deadwood, but later moved to Sturgis and mostly bootlegged whiskey. At the time the 4th Cavalry was stationed where the V. A. Hospital at Fort Meade is now. Poker Alice held poker parties and sold whiskey to the soldiers. Of course they could not take their bottles to their troop house so they would drink it on their way back to the fort, throwing the bottles out along the creek. In the summertime we kids would go along the creek and take them back to Poker Alice... she paid us five cents apiece for them! 

1930:

     When I was nine years old Poker Alice died and my father thought he should go to the funeral. (He was the Chief of Police in Sturgis at the time). My mother was ill and could not go. None of the older kids wanted to go so I ask my father if I could go with him. It was my first funeral and I remembered it well...

NOTE FROM WEB PAGE COPIER: Nothing more was stated in this final letter about Poker Alice, this funeral, or any other event or person from the past... (Other than a passage about "later on" understanding why they had not encountered any Indians while on the way to the Black Hills... Mentioning they must have all been on their way to the Little Big Horn). This information was written in 2001 and Angela passed on before anymore information could be gathered.

A few other paragraphs were place at the end, with some question marks after several of them:

     As near as I can ascertain my father Peter Theiers parents homesteaded in Pleasant Valley near Tilford S.D. His two older sisters Kate and Susan also homesteaded there a little later on. (I think between them they had about 240 acres, mostly farmland). The barn that Peter helped build was still standing on the old homestead in 1990.

     My mother Hettie Theiers told us that Peter and his sisters bought lots of war bonds in World War 1. At the time it was donating money to the war effort and you got no returns for your money except that it helped win the war. (My father's folks came from Germany so they felt they should do their part as American citizens). My father's mother's maiden name was Rosea, her brother was the Priest that wrote the book about early times in the Pa Ha Sa Pa.

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