 | THE STEVENSON'S EVA 
James P.McBeth and Eva Stevenson came west about 1898.Ada and Katherine were just little girls.Ada was about six. James had his law degree and had brothers who were lawyers but he felt that he could not defend someone he did not believe to be innocent so he came west and taught school and was active in political things. Ada taught too.
 In front of Shoshone Falls around 1910This picture is taken in front of Shoshone Falls. In looking at it, you can see that he looks like his father. William J Douglas is built a lot like he was and his mind works a lot like his. He also has had a temper to learn to control that was definitly from his grandfather. Bill was very, very young when he passed away. Ada had gone to Gooding where they lived to help her mother take care of him and taken Bill with her as he was too young to leave with his Dad to care for and at the same time try to do chores and farm work. Somehow Bill and Grandpa really clicked. Think they recognized kindred souls. Eva was the one who was more practicle and down to earth. The stoves for cooking on used to be ones you had to build a fire in. You also had to build a fire to keep warm. The story is told that Grandpa could never get the fire to burn. Don't think he realized you had to put the paper first then some little sticks or kindling that would catch fire fast, then the heavier wood. Years later my bro your dad is about 13.and was going to Yellowstone to camp with th FFA boys (translates to Future Farmers of America}. They were camping in tents and cooking over an open fire. Bill couldn't get his fire to burn because he didn't know how to lay it. It is something everyone else knew, but not anything he had been interested in. He mind was off trying to make windchargers or some other invention rather than noting the practicalities of everyday life. He and Grandpa not only were built alike they thought alike. |