52 Ancestors: #4 Clifford Franklin Blackmore (1890-1970)

What type of black spider would reside in Hemet, California in 1912?  I’m guessing that it was a black widow.

 

According to a 1912 newspaper clipping Clifford Blackmore, who was born in 1890 in McCool, Nebraska, suffered from a bite of a black spider in Hemet, California and was recovering well.  At this time, it appears that Clifford's parents and siblings were still living in Colorado (newspaper clippings and city directories).  So Clifford must have been either visiting or living with cousins in the Hemet, California, area.  Since the article didn't say anything about him visiting, I am guessing that he was living there. 

 

Clifford married Bertha Jane Bryan in 1914 in Riverside County, California.  The wedding announcement stated that his parents were in California at this time. 


Clifford and Bertha had 4 children; the three boys were born in California and their daughter was born in Arizona.  They had land patents in the Casa Grande area of Arizona and spent some time there.  According to one of their sons, their “house” was four poles with canvas sides.  Because of the heat during the summer, Bertha and the children returned to California while Clifford improved the land.

 

Clifford’s occupation was listed as stationery engineer for Indian Irrigation Services in the World War I draft registration card.   I would really like to know what a stationery engineer did.  Clifford worked in the oil fields according to the 1930 and 1940 census records and the family lived in Brea, California.  This area, near the California coast, had many oil fields and wells even in the 1950s.  In fact, you can still see pumps working and some huge oil tanks are still being used. 

 

Bertha died in 1943 and Clifford married Anna.  I believe her name was Anna Beatrice LaValley and she may have been married before.  Clifford built a house in Yucaipa, and Clifford and Anna lived in the house until Clifford died in 1970.