12 April 2017

J is for John L. Lincecum. He Violated Quarantine Law. (A to Z)

Individual Report - JLLincecumDr. John Louis Lincecum was born 28 November 1855 in Washington County, Texas to Dr. Lucullus Garland Lincecum (d. 1900) and Edna Caroline "Kate" Lauderdale.

After 1870, John made his way deeper into southeast Texas to Victoria County.  An 1887 city directory shows he spent some time in Louisville, Kentucky as a student and later graduate of the state's University, after which he returned to Victoria.  He would stay there, practicing medicine, for the rest of his life.

According to the 1910 Victoria County, Texas Federal census, John was (at that time) on his second marriage.  The Texas County Marriage Index via FamilySearch.org shows Jno. L. Lincecum married Emma P. Phillips 20 March 1890 at Refugio County, a neighbor of Victoria.  I think Emma is his first wife.  She was with him during his trouble with the board of health:

Galveston Daily News (Texas)
1 March 1891

The Victoria Review remarks:
...Dr. J. L. Lincecum, who has been a practicing physician in Victoria a short while, was some time since confined to his rooms at the Rupley building and isolated, quarantined and guarded there by order of the health officer because he was adjudged by him to have smallpox.  One night, soon after, Dr. Lincecum with his wife eluded the guard around the building and made his escape to Goliad, where it is stated,  [?]  Lincecum became sick with smallpox.  On last Sunday Dr. Lincecum returned to Victoria, and was arrested on Monday by the authority of the health officer and board of health for violation of quarantine regulations.  Brought that day before acting Mayor Hexter, Dr. Lincecum was fined for his offense $100 and costs.  Failing to pay this fine imposed he was consigned to the city calaboose where he now lies.

Galveston Daily News (Texas)
6 December 1891

...A Doctor Charged With Perjury.
VICTORIA, Tex., Dec. 5. -- ...Dr. J. L. Lincecum, who was quarantined here during the smallpox excitement last winter and escaped from confinement, was indicted by the grand jury yesterday for perjury.  He was tried for violation of the quarantine law and acquitted, and the alleged perjury is in his testimony at the trial.  He was released on $1000 bond...

Unfortunately, I don't know the specifics on how that turned out.  The 1900 U.S. Federal census places J. L. Lincecum in the S. C. Phillips household at Victoria.  The relationship between the two is a word I cannot read that is struck through.  I can see, however, J. L. is listed as divorced.

About this time, John marries his second wife.  She was Ida Pauline Luter, born 1877 to French parents Marks Luter and Pauline Arnold.  It does not appear this couple had any children (more on that later).

I discovered another tidbit about John with another Texas newspaper item (from the Victoria Advocate) – he was apparently a bad driver:

JANUARY 12, 1911
Dr. J. L. Lincecum has ordered a $1400 E.M.F. roadster through L. G. Kreisle, and will receive it in a few days.  Dr. Lincecum has the reputation of being a reckless driver of horses, and the fact of him owning an automobile will doubtless cause considerable apprehension among pedestrians.  The doctor is fully aware of this, and said jokingly this morning that he would have his car equipped with a fender and employ a Red Cross nurse to ride with him.

drjllincecumdcFrom at least 1910 until his death, John and Ida resided at 403 East Forest Street in Victoria, Texas.  A news item regarding John's granddaughter – the well-known Texas artist Mrs. Willie Reed Rowe – states he practiced medicine in Victoria for 52 years.  John died in the city 14 October 1936, and was laid to rest the next day at Evergreen Cemetery.

Lucille Lincecum, Daughter of John

We know from Lois Burkhalter's 1965 book titled Gideon Lincecum, 1793-1874: A Biography (and the aforementioned news item) that John had a daughter named Lucille.  Some online family trees list her, also, as the daughter of Ida Pauline Luter.  I don't think that's so.  Born 25 July 1892, Lucille is more likely the daughter of Emma P. Phillips.

What is a little annoying is I cannot find Lucille in census records prior to her marriage to William Austin Reed.  I'm guessing she was with her mother, since she is never listed with John and Ida.  I did find in the Texas County Marriage Index mentioned previously, that Emma P. Lincecum married S. J. Stratton 16 January 1900 at Travis County.  Even with this information, I have yet to locate Emma or Lucille.


Are you wondering what's up with all the "letter" posts? I am participating in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge (links to official page). This challenge lasts through the month of April, with Sundays off.  Each day follows a different letter prompt, in order, from A to Z.  Click here to see all my letter posts on one page (in reverse order).  Though this is my second year in the challenge, it's my first with two blogs.  My theme here is "kinfolk direct." Versus any name from the one name study, these genealogy and history posts all involve someone to which I am related.  You may follow along with me by RSS feed and other social media platforms listed at the top of the sidebar.  I and other bloggers in the challenge on Twitter will also be using #atozchallenge.

I'm also participating with Southern Graves.  This blog as a whole is one of my themes – telling the tales of tombstones, primarily from those found in the Southern United States and usually the State of Georgia.

Are you participating in the challenge, too? Please leave a link to your blog in the comments, I'd love to pay you a visit.  Good luck to all involved!

2 comments:

Molly of Molly's Canopy said...

Doctor John sounds like quite a character. Escaped quarantine, survived smallpox and went on to buy a roadster after being a reckless horseman -- definitely someone I would have liked to meet! Good luck finding more about Lucille.

S. Lincecum said...

Thanks, Molly!

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