Daniel Busby (my mother would call him "Uncle Dan" although he was actually a first-cousin-once-removed) was mentioned fairly often when my mother's family reminisced. From these mentions, I knew that Dan was the father of Howard Busby, who was not only a relative but a family friend. Howard was the District Superintendent of the Kansas District of the Pilgrim Holiness Church (now The Wesleyan Church). We were members of that denomination and my father was an ordained minister in it, so in effect Howard was my father's 'boss' to some degree for a number of years. As the District Superintendent Howard traveled at least once a year to each church and so we saw him on a regular basis and at other times as well. I remember Howard as a kind and well-spoken man. He told stories and seemed to have an inexhaustible supply of poems which he would quote from memory. They seemed to flow effortlessly in and out of his conversations and his sermons. I also remember him as a man who always had a quip or response for every occasion. He was never left speechless, and a bit of a practical joker at times.
But getting back to the subject of this sketch, I knew that Dan Busby's life in Kansas raising Howard and his sister Zoe, had been preceded by a somewhat wilder life in California where he was married and had daughters named for flowers (Zinnia, Rose and Violet) and a son named Forest. His time there wasn't really a subject that was not spoken of, but little detail was given. Since it was not a 'family secret' and Dan was not a particularly close relative, I had never tried to unravel the whole story. Over the past few years, as old newspapers have been accessible online, it has become easier to paint a picture of some of the activities that made this such a 'colorful' part of Dan's past.
Dan's Family Before 1884
Daniel Busby was born 7 Jan 1861 in Shelby Co. Illinois to Abram C. and Susannah (Leach) Busby. Abram had been born in Kentucky, moved to Indiana with his family and then with much of the entire Busby clan he moved to Illinois. The 1880 Census shows the family still living in Shelby County, IL, but by 1885 the family had moved. The 1885 Kansas Census shows that Abram and Susannah had moved to the Elk County, Kansas area and much of the family had disbursed. The following clip shows that the move was made at least by 1884.
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| Image 01: The Citizen (Howard, KS), 7 May 1884, pg 4, col 4. |
Dan moves to California - 1884
Dan Busby must have lived in Kansas for perhaps a year or so, but then moved on to California to seek his fortune there as is documented in the following clip.
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| Image 02: Tulare Advance-Register (Tulare, CA), 5 Dec 1884, pg3, col 4. |
Dan shoots George Cahoon - 1887
We first start to see trouble for Dan in the following article (which incorrectly renders his name "Busley"). Dan shoots and kills a man named George W. Cahoon
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| Image 03: The San Francisco (CA) Examiner, 17 Sep 1887, pg 4, col 7 |
A second article gives a similar story. This one gets Dan's name completely wrong calling him "George Bushnell."
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| Image 04: Tulare Advance-Register (Tulare, CA), 15 Sep 1887, pg3, col 2 |
As mentioned in the article, the victim George Cahoon had married the daughter (actually step-daughter) of Ira Blossom. The Tulare County, CA marriage record index refers to the couple as G. W. Calhoun and Evelyn Clough being married on 4 Nov 1876 (Book B, pg 77). Evelyn (a.k.a. Eva) is said to be the daughter of Orson and Julia (Marsh) Clough. Julia had remarried Ira Blossom sometime around Eva's birth. Clips from the 1870 and 1880 US Census are corroborative and illustrative showing Evelyn (a.k.a. Eva) at age 9 and 19.
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| Image 05: 1870 U.S. Census, Farmersville, Tulare Co., California |
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| Image 06: 1880 U.S. Census, ED 96, Kaweah and Mineral King, Tulare Co., California |
As can be seen, George W Cahoon was about 22 years older than Eva. in 1885 George and Eva moved to a homestead at the NE 1/4 of the SE 1/4 of sec. 3, twp 19, range 30 in Tulare Co., CA. (See Visalia Times-Delta, 23 Aug 1905, pg 1, col 2.) At least some of the Cahoon family claimed this property as home for the next 20 years, but apparently the price was never fully paid. They had several children including George Jr. (perhaps born Jan 1880 although he is not shown in the 1880 Census entry above), Daisy M. (b. 2 May 1881), James Mark (a.k.a. J.M. born about 1884) and Pansy (b. Nov 1886). Pansy sometimes went by Cahoon and sometimes by Busby. Note she was less than a year old when her father was killed.
Getting back to the case of the shooting, the next three clips have Dan's name corrected and bring an end to this episode.
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| Image 07: Tulare Advance-Register (Tulare, CA), 12 Dec 1887, pg 3, col 2 |
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Image 08: The San Francisco Examiner, 21 Dec 1887, pg 2, col 5
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| Image 09: The Los Angeles (CA) Times, 23 Dec 1887, pg 4, col 7 |
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Although the above clips are conflicting on some points and the only eyewitness to the shooting was the shooter, we can summarize the following from what we are told. On 14 Sep 1887, Daniel Busby shot George Cahoon because George threatened Dan with a shotgun accusing Dan of "robbing" him. The initial story seems to claim self-defense on Dan's part, but the trial seems to have been claiming it was an accidental shooting. At any rate, Dan is acquitted but this leaves the wife, Eva, with several young children without a husband and father.
Dan Gets Married - 1888
The next turn of events virtually cries out for speculation. Less than one month after being acquitted of murdering George Cahoon, Dan marries the widow Eva Cahoon. The index for Tulare Co., CA marriages shows that on 16 Jan 1888 Daniel Busby married "E. K. Cahoon" (Book D, pg 430). Eva's full name was Evelyn Kathleen. I don't want to besmirch the reputation of an old pioneer, but marrying the wife of a man you just shot and killed seems highly irregular.
Dan's California Family - 1888-1898
From a rocky start, Dan and Eva started a family adding to the ones she already had. According to the SSDI, a daughter Zinnia was born on 4 Feb 1889. Then Rose was born 9 Jul 1890 according to the California Death Index. Then on 14 Feb 1893, Violet was born as is corroborated by the following announcement.
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| Image 10: Daily Delta (Visalia, CA), 23 Feb 1893, pg 1, col 2 |
I don't know if he was really smiling, but given the size of the baby, Eva was probably relieved. However, the smile faded when later that year more trouble spilled out onto the newspaper pages. Daisy Cahoon, mentioned in the articles below, is Dan's step-daughter who is about 12 years old at this point.
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| Image 11: Tulare Advance-Register, 4 May 1893, pg 3, col 3 |
Dan's rebuttal of the charges came a few days later.
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| Image 12: Visalia Times-Delta (Visalia, CA), 9 May 1893, pg 4, col 2 |
I have not found any evidence that any further action was taken regarding this altercation, although I am sure there was plenty of 'expostulating' being done around their home for some time.
It was rough times in rough country with all sorts of adversaries both man and beast.
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| Image 13: Daily Delta (Visalia, CA), 24 Nov 1893, pg 3, col 2 |
At about this time the Tulare Advance-Register of 18 Nov 1893 reports that "Mr. Dan Busby and family of Three Rivers, has moved to Tulare." I am told that the problem with moving to get away from your troubles doesn't work well because in the end, it is you who show up at the new location. Several mentions of the Busby family in 1895 newspaper articles seem to indicate that they returned to live near Three Rivers by then. According to his WW1 Draft Registration, Forest Wiles Busby was born to the family on 22 Apr 1896 at Three Rivers.
In August 1896 there was some sort of civil matter brought by the State of California against Dan. It was dismissed. Also the following sad note about Daisy Cahoon was published.
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| Image 14: Visalia Times-Delta, 10 Nov 1896, pg4, col 3 |
The following clip mentions a hunting trip including a "Mr. Busby" which probably was Dan.
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| Image 15: Tulare Advance-Register, 18 Sep 1897, pg 3, col 1 |
Dan's life in California Wraps Up
Early in 1898 the marriage disintegrated and a divorce was granted
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| Image 16: Tulare Advance-Register, 28 Jan 1898, pg 2, col 3 |
The Daily Delta (Visalia, CA) of 20 Jan 1898 says, "Evelyn K. Busby vs. Daniel Busby -- Ordered that default of defendant be entered." A default judgment is generally given when a party fails to answer a summons or fails to appear in court, so Dan just didn't show up. A land claim occurred shortly.
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| Image 17: Daily Delta (Visalia, CA), 6 Mar 1898, pg 2, col 3 |
Dan's life in California was finally concluded in Apr 1898 when he shows up in Kansas in the "New Albany News" column.
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| Image 18: The Alliance Herald (Fredonia, KS) 22 Apr 1898, pg 3, col 8 |
The "visit" lasted the rest of his life.
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