“Burl Herschel Short” Timeline

1850: Reuben Short (Burl’s father) born in Indiana. There are a couple different ways to spell “Reuben.” For example, I have found an online birth record for “Gracie Short”. She was born in Clifton, Kansas (Vining’s sister community) in 1878. Her father is listed as Ruben Short (born in Indiana), and her mother is listed as born in Missouri. This supports the locations uncle Lynn mentions in his letter listed after the timeline.

1861-1865: Civil War

1870 June 8: Reuben Short, a resident of Cloud County Kansas, reports in the 1870 Census that his occupation is Carpenter & Joiner and his birth place is Indiana.

1877: Vining, Kansas is situated on the line between Washington and Clay counties, was laid out in the fall of 1877, by W. Haynes and Oliver Cooper, acting for the Junction City & Fort Kearney Railroad, which located a depot here.

1880 August 19: Last Wednesday a trio of ladies, (God bless `em) consisting of Mrs. Ed. Short, Mrs. Reuben Short, and Miss Sadie Graham, called at the REVIEW office to witness the modus operandi of printing. They stayed with us an hour or more, and during that brief period, our labors were materially lightened.  Come again, ladies, you are welcome. (from The Clifton Review)

1881: In the spring of 1881 the old Riverdale post-office is moved and its name changed to Vining in honor of E. P. Vining, general freight agent of the Union Pacific road.

1882: Burl Herschel Short was born in Vining, Kansas. He was 38 years old when the 1920 Census was taken—which states he was born in 1882 in Vining, Kansas. This birth-year can also be verified by his age list on his son Murl’s birth certificate.

1898 April 25: United States declared war on Spain following the sinking of the Battleship Maine in Havana Harbor on February 15, 1898. In response over 1,200 men from Washington volunteered for military service, thinking they would fight the Spanish armed forces and free Cuba of colonial rule. They were, however, shipped in the opposite direction, and the Washington volunteers ultimately found themselves in the Philippine Islands.

1906 July 25: Burl married Irene Preston. Family stories say that Burl was obsessed with the prospect of joining the battle to liberate Cuba. Although the Spanish-American War ended after about a year, Burl carried this infatuation with the military into his married years, and this ultimately led to his separation from Irene.

1907 Jun 4: Lyle Everett Short born.

1910 Mar 18: Murl Edward Short born.

1910: Burl listed his occupation as barber on his son Murl’s birth certificate, and he was 29-years-old the year the child was born.  Burl’s wife Irene was 21-years-old and this was their second child.

1912 April 14: Titanic sinks

1912 Mar 24: Fayne Irene Short born.

1913 Dec 29: Lynn Orel Short born.

1915 Jan 21: Gene Preston Short born.

1916 Mar 9: At 2:30 a.m., about 500 soldiers of General Francisco “Pancho Villa” (also known as “Villistas”) decimated the small border town of Columbus, New Mexico and attacked the 13th U.S. Cavalry at Camp Furlong nearby.  This was the first armed invasion of the continental United States since the War of 1812.  In response, President Wilson called to “active duty” 15,000 reservists and stationed them along the United States — Mexico border.  Burl was the First Sergeant for Company “G” which was deployed along the California border.

General John Pershing, who would later command the Allied forces of World War I, pursued Pancho Villa into Mexico.  This 11-month hunt led 10,000 American soldiers 400 miles into Mexico, but ended without the capture of Pancho Villa.

This photo appeared on the front page of the Grays Harbor Post, Saturday, June 24, 1916.

Burl served many years in the National Guard.

• 2 years in Kansas, Company F—3^rd Regiment
• 3 years in Kansas, Company K—Regular
• 8 years in Washington, Company G

1917 April 6: The United States declared war on Germany. Company “G” was part of a division deployed in France as the first American unit to fight alongside the Allies. However, Burl remained at home to raise his sons.

1917 May 13: Following his deployment in California, Burl was honorably discharged by “reason of dependent relatives.” Special Order #96 by Headquarters of the Western Division. He was a U.S. Pistol Expert and U.S. Rifle Expert, and had many medals for competition.

1917 July 3: The entire National Guard of the United States was mobilized for World War I.

1914-1928: World War I.

1915-18: Burl taught military drilling to the Aberdeen High School Cadets.

Burl led the drum and bugle corps for the Aberdeen Eagles. Although Burl’s “my way or the highway” attitude was the source discontent within the local organization, he’s leadership won a state award for the group.

1920: At some point here Irene left Burl, and moved to San Francisco with their daughter Fayne and their son Gene — that left 3 boys for Burl raise.

Irene’s move was disastrous for her two children who ultimately contracted tuberculosis. Tuberculosis was the leading killer disease in the early 1900s; and people in crowded cities like San Francisco were more likely to catch it. (The violent coughing of tuberculosis sufferers spread the bacteria through the air and into the lungs of people nearby.)

1938: Fayne Irene Short died at age 26 of tuberculosis.

1940 Apr 20: Gene Preston Short died at age 25 of tuberculosis.

1950-1960: Burl spent is final years living in a trailer and traveling the country with

Lee E. Lawton (a.k.a. Sarge) his traveling companion and cousin.

1960 May 5: Burl H Short died in Orange County Florida.

–Florida Death Index 1877-1998, Volume 2155, Certificate 21224

Excerpt from a letter Lynn Short wrote to Murl and Pat Short, November 10, 1968:

Oh yes, I almost forgot Grandma Short—her maiden name was “Rachel Shaw.” They came from Kentucky to Missouri around St. Joseph.  I think that’s where she met Granddad Short (Reuben Short) who decided to leave Indiana for some reason or another.  From there they went to Concordia, Kansas where there was nothing but prairie. Aunt Della was born in a “sod-dug out” before they had a house.

Grandma Short had a sister Nancy who lived up around Tacoma somewhere. Nancy Brown.  If you know any one named Brown up there—watch out—they might be a distant relative.  So back to the story—the Shaw’s were about as Irish as you can get. It is a pity people don’t keep records of their heritage to pass along to their heirs.  At least there may be some information here that could tell your grand kids.

Excerpt from E.F. Hollibaugh's Biographical history of Cloud County, Kansas:

The birthplace of Thomas Jefferson Jackson was Indianapolis, Indiana. He was born in 1829. His mother died when he was a boy and he was reared in the home of an uncle in Logansport, Indiana, until the age of eleven years, when he began life for himself. Mr. Jackson has a brother, Noah M., living at Afton, Union county, Iowa, and a sister, Mrs. Martha A. Bully, near Eaton, Ohio.

Jackson was married in 1848, to Mary E. Short, who was born in Delaware, in 1831. She is a daughter of Joe and Nancy (Benson) Short. Her father was born in 1812, and her mother in 1810.

Aaron, William and Reuben Short, well known citizens of Concordia are her brothers. Another brother, Jacob Short, is a resident of Florida. The youngest brother lost his eyesight from fever at two years of age and died when eleven in Indianapolis.

Last updated August 2004 by Larry R. Short

email Larry_Short@msn.com

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