I would once again like to thank Dr. Roy Baker and the Baker Family for their generosity in providing me some very early pictures of our family and information pertaining to the relationship between the "Baker" family and the "Harrington" family. They have most recently sent me a collection of pictures dating back to the days of my fathers youth. I will be posting the remaining pictures in days to come.
MY GRANDFATHERHenry Philo "Ten" Harrington
Birth: April 24, 1874 ~ Benedict, Nebraska
Married: Ella Belle Baker ~ February 8, 1911
Death: June 16, 1944 ~ Central City, Nebraska
Buried: Benedict, Nebraska
The "Baker" family just sent this picture to me. I have seen very few pictures of my Grandfather Harrington. He passed away just short of a year prior to my birth. As were a lot of pictures in this era, the picture can actually be used as a postcard. Although, it is not dated, I am assuming this picture was taken in the early 1900's as Grandfather Harrington was thirty seven years old when he married Ella Belle Baker. Grandmother Baker-Harrington was born in 1885.
To put the time in proper format, although he was my Grandfather he was born a short nine years following the conclusion of the Civil War. His father, Henry Harrington served honorably throughout the Civil War. "Ten" Harrington grew up during the time that the west was being settled. He was born two years prior to the "Battle of the Little Bighorn" and "Custer's Last Stand." He grew up in the era of the outlaw, Jesse James (1847 - 1882) and the Younger Gang, "Billy the Kid" (1859 - 1881) and "Buffalo Bill" (1846-1917).
I mention this because of my Grandfathers nickname, "Ten". He grew up in the era that the west was still not settled. He was born, Henry Philo Harrington, and had four brothers and seven sisters. Henry Philo was the fourth oldest child in the family. In later documents in his life the nickname "Ten" started to appear as part of his name. The "Baker" family always referred to him as "Ten". The history of the nickname remained a mystery to me until 2007. While visiting Benedict, Nebraska I met the granddaughter of a man that knew "Ten" Harrington. The nickname "Ten" was given to him because he always carried a Parker Brothers, Double Barrel "10" Gauge, exposed hammer shotgun with him.
Upon his passing, Henry Philo gave his oldest son, Henry Laverne Harrington (my father) this same shotgun with the understanding that it would remain in the Harrington family. In 1977, my father would pass the gun down to myself. Grandfather "Ten" Harrington would be happy to know that his gun is safe today and remains in the family. If this old "Parker Shotgun" could talk, I can imagine the stories that it would have to tell.
PARKER BROTHERS ~ MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT
10 Gauge ~ Exposed Hammers ~ Double Damascus Barrels
Serial Number: 4x,xxx
Happy 135th Birthday, Grandpa "Ten".
Your Gun Is Clean And Safe.
2 comments:
I imagine that gun running round in the same era as Billy the Kid or Jesse James... wow! It could have fought Injuns' one in its life.
Uncle Don had the same twinkle in his eyes. A man who likes to play a few jokes.
Is that a bottle of Whiskey he is holding? and look his tie is back in style!
One can only assume, but I think he was most likely a man that enjoyed practical jokes as well as being a "free spirit". The few pictures that I now have, shows him in a variety of hats with most of them being comical in nature. Who does that remind you of? When Terry first saw the picture, she focused on his eyes and think that he and I share that in common. If you enlarge the picture (click)you will see indeed that is a bottle of whiskey, whether it was staged to show his sense of humor or an actual bottle, we will never know.
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