This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: geandrot Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.california.counties.sierra/149.151.4.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: I was delighted to get your reply on ancestry.com! I'm not sure if I told you how I'm related to the Harris-Howes. Lena, whose full name is Eva Lena, is my great grandmother. I was also very close to Eva Lena's daughter, my great aunt Viola. Viola and her husband Clifford lived in Watsonville, Ca. I remember visiting Aunt Iola when I was growing up; we lived in Sacramento and I think she did too. She was quite elderly at the time. I'll tell you what I know about Catherine Howe after their divorce in 1883: The 1880 census shows them together with the 9 children in Sierra County, CA. The 1900 census in Santa Clara County, CA shows Catherine Harris, mother of 9 children; 8 living. Lola (Iola) married daughter, 22, School teacher and Abe Harris, son, 20, both born in California. >From the 1850 census in Sauk County, Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin, there is a Bartholamien Howe, born in Ireland, age 34 and his wife Catherine, age 35, born in Ohio. Their children are listed as: Mary, age 8, born in Wisconsin, Catherine, age 5, born in Wisconsin, Elizabeth, age 3, born in Wisconsin. (our Catherine?) You may have already contacted Carolyn (osborne) via the message boards. She wrote this to me: "My parents bought a house in Our House in 1974. It was built I believe in the 1960's. Our House is from what information I can get was the Harris family ranch and a stage coach stop, blacksmith shop and possibly an inn or boarding house. There are 2 stories on how it got its name. The first one I have heard and what I believe to be true is that when travelers including the stages would stop the Harris' children would run out and say "come stay at our house!" This came from an old timer named Reader that lived in the area all his life. I believe he would have been close to 100 years old now. We are friends with his descendants who still live in the North San Juan area. The other is that it was said that it took an hour to ride the stage from Freeman's Crossing, (which is the area of the bridge on hwy 49 that crosses the Middle Fork of the Yuba river and Oregon Creek, thus Hour House. There is an old wooden covered bridge there. Any way I like the first story better! Pike City is what the area is called today. Pike City is approx 2 miles from Our House. We moved there in 1974 and I lived there until I graduated from high school in 1980. My parents still live there and we have always wanted to know more about this place. The property is a meadow approx 20 ac and is at the top of a hill right on the road. There is a large pond in the meadow. There also is a small dam down the hill from there on the Middle Fork of the Yuba River named Our House Dam. I am trying to get pictures of Our House so that I can make up a book for my parents. I am intrigued by the history in that area and would like to know more. A web site that tells the stories of the naming of Our House is camptonville.com It is a small town approx 8 miles from Pike." She says she now lives in New York but still considers Our House as her home. So I guess I really don't know much about Catherine after the divorce but I thought you might be interested in the history of Our House. Please let me know if you get any more information. You can use my e-mail address if you'd rather: [email protected] Nancy Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.