A Red Flannel Petticoat

By the Grace of God and a Red Flannel Petticoat

It has been said that truth is stranger than fiction. I might add that truth is not always so kind. In fiction we expected a happy ending, and if things don’t turn out to suit us we console ourselves with the thought that it was only the product of someone’s imagination. The following incident has been handed down by word of mouth and printed record.

By 1876 George Avery the first, who was my mother’s grandfather, and 6 of his 8 living children had emigrated from Vermont to Kansas, in the Wakefield vicinity. Those who were there at that time were: Lucas Streeter and Mary, George Avery the second, Riley Elkins and Lucia, Albert Avery, Henry Avery and Asahel P. Lawrence and Juliaette.

July 9, 1876, Delilah, the mother of the 6 children mentioned above, died here in Kansas. That fall, her husband George went back to Vermont for several months’ visit. He took with him his daughter, Lucia Elkins, and her infant son, Clouden. Sarah Richardson*, another daughter of Mr. Avery’s along with her son, Berton, 15 years, and her daughter Elsie, 7 years, decided to come to Kansas with her father and sister on their return trip in January 1877.

At this point the petticoat comes into the story. Webster says “a petticoat is a woman’s loose underskirt”. In pioneer days, a flannel petticoat was prized as wonderful protection and comfort in winter. Red was the favorite color as it was thought to be warmer. Mrs. Elkins had two of these precious garments. One she wore and the other she used to wrap Clouden in for sleeping. In those days hotel rooms were not heated. People had to govern themselves accordingly.

In the excitement of getting off to catch the morning train, Aunt Lucia forgot the petticoat that Clouden had slept in. When they arrived at the station it suddenly dawned on her what she had done. She knew exactly what she had to do. She handed Clouden to her sister, Sarah, and said, “Keep him while I run back to the hotel for his red flannel petticoat.”

At this particular time the Ohio River was at flood stage. The train did not wait for Mrs. Elkins’ return. It started on its way across the river. The Averys, of course, never once thought of going on without Clouden’s mother, so they were waiting when she arrived with the petticoat.

When the engine of the train had crossed the middle span of the bridge, it collapsed, taking the entire train into the flood, and everyone was lost.** The Averys were still safe on the bank. In the spring of 1878 William Richardson joined his family in Kansas, and Jan 4, 1879, my mother, Florence Richardson, was born.

God chooses strange ways his wonders to perform.

*Sarah was my grandmother’s grandmother.

** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashtabula_River_railroad_disaster

Note: Family lore is not always precise but the railroad bridge collapse over the Ashtabula River occurred just 1 year prior to the train wreck as described, the time of year and related information is close enough that it appears to be the accident related in the family account.