The Lakey family migrated from Missouri to Walla Walla, Washington, in the summer of 1861, and in 1881 to Council. They settled on Hornet Creek. There were three brothers and their families: John, Andy, and Lewis.

Andy was wagonmaster for the forty-wagon train.

John Lakey married Sarah Foster in Missouri, and their first child was born on the plains. The fathers of both of them were dead, but their mothers came west with them and so did Sarah's sister, Pheby.

Lewis Lakey married Pheby Foster in July 1861 at a camp meeting in the forks of Big and Little Piney rivers on Lander's Cutoff. Pheby had a twin sister who died at age four. She was told to hurry and do an errand. She ran and fell, breaking her back, which caused her death.

The trip took some months, traveling by oxen-drawn covered wagons. No furniture was brought along. They made what they needed when they settled. A few pieces of this early hand-made furniture are still in the possession of descendants and are cherished. Only bare necessities were in the wagon, mostly food, bedding, and a few farm items.

Most foods were dried or salted. Dry beans, "shuck" beans, corn meal, flour, sugar, coffee, dried corn, hominy, and salt pork were the basics. Various greens, fish, and game were secured along the way whenever possible. Wild fruits may have added to the menu at times. A cow was driven with them and provided milk and butter.

There were several incidents with Indians during the westward trek. The family had a small black dog, called Coalie, which they loved very much. When they arrived at the Platte River in Nebraska the Indians refused to let them cross. The river was half a mile wide and not very deep, but the bottom was quicksand, making the crossing dangerous at best. After some time the Indians finally agreed to let the wagons cross if the Lakeys would give them the dog. Since there was no choice, they agreed. Next day they passed the Indians' camp site. There lay Coalie's head. The Indians had eaten him.[1]

There was a young smart aleck with the train. He had no family. He boasted that he would kill the first Indian he saw. The wagonmaster told him to save his powder and lead because he might need it and killing an Indian would cause trouble. However, he did not listen. The first Indian he saw was a young squaw, sitting on a log, nursing her baby. He shot her. The next morning the wagon party woke to discover they were surrounded by hostile Indians. Their demands were simple--surrender the one who killed the squaw or all would die. There was no choice. Reluctantly they turned the young man over to the Indians for punishment. His death was terrible. The Indians skinned him alive, removing every inch of skin, They kept their promise and caused no more trouble for the others. No one in the wagon train ever forgot the incident.[2]

At Vale, Oregon, the train divided, some wagons going to California and the rest of the train taking the road to Walla Walla, Washington. They crossed the Blue Mountains on the old Louton road.

Lewis Lakey had several yoke of oxen and three wagons. By March 1864 he had only one ox and his saddle horse, so he put the harness on the ox and plowed the first ground on his farm.

Lakeys left Walla Walla in the fall of 1878 and went to John Day, Oregon. There tragedy struck. Five small children died of diphtheria. Two were children of Lewis and Pheby and three were of John and Sarah.

The surviving children of John and Sarah were Dora, Andy, Charles, and Jake, Lewis and Pheby had nine who grew to maturity: Andrew, Jacob, Rebecca, John, David, Keithley, Thomas, Lydia, and Charles,

The family left the John Day area in May 1881 and settled on Hornet Creek September 14, 1881. Here Lewis built a one-room log cabin with a dirt floor. Bunks were built along the walls for the nine children and parents. There were no stores and no money to buy clothes. Mrs. Lakey made the boys Pants by hand from seamless sacks. They had no shoes and they went barefooted on the snow. The crust cut their feet and they often left bloody tracks.

The men helped build the road up Hornet Creek.[3]

It was quite a trip from Hornet Creek to Weiser. With four horses and a freight wagon twenty miles a day was good. It usually took ten days to make the round trip.

The children attended Upper Dale School, walking two and a half miles each morning and night. John Lakey, Jr., got a third-grade education. His teacher was Dora Black, wife of William.

John Lakey, son of Lewis and Pheby, married Ella Graham. Her father, William Graham, was a Civil War veteran who came from Missouri in the late 1880s to prospect.[4] He settled on Crooked River. The Lakey children were: Alta, Edith, Irene, Harry, Fred, Jesse, Juanita, Dale, and Everett.[5]

Pheby Lakey died November 26, 1904; Lewis, June 19, 1911; and Sarah, November 3, 1916. All are buried in Hornet Creek Cemetery.

1 Mrs. Vollie Zink, Mountain Home, Idaho, oral interview, 1974.
2 Andy Lakey, manuscript, in possession of Mrs, Vollie Zink, Mountain Home, Idaho.
3 Zink, oral interview.
4 Ruby Fuller, Payette, Idaho, 1974.
5 Cemetery records of Hornet Creek Cemetery, Idaho Genealogical Library, Boise, Idaho.
________________________________

LAPPIN

Charles Franklin Lappin was born September 16, 1872. His family moved from Illinois to La Grande, Oregon.[1]

Charles married Catherine Kloostra December 26, 1900, at Union, Oregon. They lived at La Grande for a while then moved to Hatton, Washington, and in 1904 to Council. A year later they bought a ranch northeast of town. They had a large apple orchard.

Their children were Fred, Charles, Ruth, Alice, and John.

Catherine Kloostra was born in Velsen, Holland, June 11, 1880, and came to America with her parents about 1895. They settled in Pennsylvania and in 1886 moved to Oregon.[2]

Mrs.  Lappin died August 25, 1945 , and her husband died June 30, 1959. They are buried in Winkler Cemetery.[3]

1. Charles Lappin, Council, Idaho, oral interview, 1972
2. Obituary of Catherine Kloostra Lappin, Adams County Leader, August 31, 1945.
3. Winkler Cemetery records, Council, Idaho, in Idaho Genealogical Library, Boise, Idaho.
__________________________________________

LAUZON, FRANK
Text with Forest Service photo in album: Frank Luzon went into
Rankin's camp about 1905, from Ottawa, Canada.  He was a
wonderful candidate for the liar's Club because of his gift for
expanding a most mediocre episode into a hilarious comedy or
record-breaking conflict.  Frank donated his pictures (plates) to
Winiford Lindsay who in turn donated the glass photo plates to
the Idaho Historical society in Boise.

LOVELACE / LOVELESS

Zadock Lovelace and his son, William, were among Council Valley's first permanent settlers. Zadock Lovelace was a widower, and his son, William, was single. Zadock was born in Pennsylvania and William in Illinois.[1]

The Lovelaces came to Council from Wyandotte County, Kansas, in 1877.[2] They settled along the Weiser River, on land later owned by Arthur G. Hallett. The early fort was built on their property.[3]

Very little is known about these early settlers, including where they are buried.

Zadock Lovelace was the father of Martha, who married-William Reil Harrington in Illinois.[4] They named one son Robert Zadock Harrington.[5]

Mrs. John (Mary E.) Draper was another daughter who came to Council.

Zadock Lovelace died January 18, 1884,[6] leaving a sizeable tract of land to be divided among his heirs. Among old records of the First Bank of Council is the record of the distribution of his estate.[7]

1 1880 census of Council Valley, Washington County, Idaho, June 19, 1880
2 1870 census of Wyandotte, Wyandotte County, Kansas, July 12, 1870, Family #364.
3. Mary E. Hallett, Council, Idaho, oral interview, 1973.
4 1870 census, Wyandotte, Kansas, Family #365.
5 Obituary of Robert Zadock Harrington, Adams County Leader, August 6,1943.
6 Records of First Bank of Council, Council, Idaho, Idaho Historical Society , Boise, Idaho.
7 Ibid.