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From the files of Frank Clyburn Clyburn Family News Vol. 08, August, 1999 |
Tom was the 5th child born to Stephen Franklin and Narcy Hulda Clyburn. He was known as "Tom" or "Doc". He was born at Wilderville, Oregon October 31, 1908. Tom was raised in Hilt, CA, Miller Gulch on the Klamath River and in 1917 moved to Lime Gulch with the family.
Tom attended school at Humbug and Honolulu Schools. Both schools were on the Klamath River. Tom was the only one of the children that ever "ran away" from home. When about 13 or 14 years old he took off one day. He told our mother that he was going to dig Ick-nish (a wild plant of the parsley family that grows in the Klamath River area.) (Ick-nish tastes a little like a wild celery (we called it Indian Celery) and is used as seasoning for soups, stews, salads, etc.)
He obtained a bag from mom and took off. He didn't arrive back that day so every-one hunted for him. Sometime later someone told a family member that he had been seen walking south from Yreka on the highway. Tom hitched rides to Sacramento and managed to get on a boat for San Francisco. After arriving on the docks at San Francisco and seeing policemen there, he decided to return to Sacramento. I don't know just how long he was gone but I do remember the day he returned. He arrived home and as far as I know never ran away again. I wish I had asked him more about his adventure.
Tom worked with our dad and brothers at Tulelake in the early 1920's. They had grain fields there at that time. They planted the grain and harvested it with a harvester. My other brother Woodrow and I used to use the sack slide to play on when they were not working. We had a good place to climb up and slide down.
I don't remember much about Tom's work when he was young. I think he worked for the Forest Service and I remember that he worked for a water drill outfit in Scott Valley for awhile.
In 1942 he enlisted in the Navy Sea Bee's and came home in late 1945. Most of his Navy time was spent in the new Caledonia area of the South Pacific.
After that he worked on dredgers and in other mines on the Klamath River. Tom also had several mines up in the hills somewhere. He was a respected prospector around the Klamath River area.
On July 3, 1929 he married Gladys Clair McMaster in Yreka, CA. Gladys and Tom became the parents of six children and also adopted two granddaughters. The children were: Robert Lee (Bud) Clyburn 11/29/99 to 10/15/88, Thoma Gladys (Arnburg) Clyburn, 1/20/34 to 12/22/96, Dan E. Clyburn, 2/24/40 - (Currently in Alaska), Patsy Clair (McCanna) Clyburn, 12/6/40 - (Currently in Keno, OR), Dave Clyburn, 3/30/49 - (Currently in North Bend, OR), and Paul Robin Clyburn 12/11/50 - (Currently in Jeromesville, OH). The adopted grandchildren are Jeanette - (Currently in Medford, OR) and Dorothey - Currently in Eureka, NV). Both of these children were born to his oldest son Bud.
After Gladys died (Feb. 16, 1972) Tom moved to Nevada and spent most of the rest of his life there.
Tom loved to hunt, fish and prospect for Gold. He and his wife Gladys belonged to a local square dance club and taught square dancing for many years.
Most of Tom's married life with Gladys was spent living at their home on Ash Creek, Klamath River. All their children were raised there.
By Frank R. Clyburn (Robert L. Clyburn's Son)
The surname Clyburn is of locative origin, belonging to that category of surnames derived from the place where the original bearer once lived or held land. In this instance, the surname Cleburn can be traced to the place name Cliburn located six miles from Penrith in Westmoreland. It is derived from the Old English "cliff " meaning "cliff, slope" and the Middle English "burn " meaning "astream." The earliest written reference to the sur-name Cleburn and its variant Cliburn, Clibburn, Claborn, Clibborn, Clabburn and Clabon dates back to the fourteenth century and includes one Robert de Cleburne who is
recorded in the Register for the Freemen of the City of York in 1364.
Thomas Clabeyn, bailiff of Yarmouth is listed in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1412 and William Clayborne is mentioned in the same records
for Nortolk during the reign of Edward VI. Oliver Clibburn is also listed in the Register for the Freemen of the City of York in 1475. It must also be noted that there was a personal name for records include one Clibern Bishop who appears in the Charters of the Honour of Mawbray c. 1150-69 and one Clibernbus is listed int the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1202. It is interesting to note that the surname Cleburn and its variants Clibborn, Clayburn and Clebburn can be found in Ireland. The main family settled in Moate Co. Westmeath during the Cromwellian period of the seventeenth century although the name was in Ireland before that as one William Clyburn was the Dean of Kildare in 1642. The arms described below are those of the above mentioned Clibborn
Family of Moate Castle, Co. Westmeath.
BLAZEN OF ARMES : Argent, a chevron voided between three wolves' heads
sable, on a chief of the lasst an escallop between two round buckles of the field.
CREST: Out of the ducal coronet a wolf's head sable.
MOTTO: Virtus vincit invidiam. Translation: Virtue overcomes envy
ORIGIN: IRELAND
(As told by Blanche [Doggett] [Knight] Heflin)
I am Blanche Lelia (Doggett) Knight, former wife of Charles Luther Knight, now deceased. I was the daughter-in-law of Mary Eliza (Cadwell or Kadwell) Knight. After the death of James Howard Knight (buried Oak Bar Cemetary, Klamath River, CA) (date unknown), Mary Eliza married Byrd Britt Van Fossen and continued to live on the Klamath River, Siskiyou County, California.
Mother Knight told me that James Howard Knight came to America, from England, by boat as he was a seaman from about 12 years of age (apparently he had made several voyages prior to staying in America).
Mary Eliza Cadwell was born in Canada Nov 12, 1853 or 54. It seems like they came from Ontario, Canada. Her father according to the death certificate was George Cadwell and she told me her mothers maiden name was Leavitt (not sure of spelling). Her parents were born in England, and moved to Canada. They later moved to Saginaw, Michigan. She died Oct 31, 1932 in Yreka, CA.
Mary was about 15 years old at the time they moved to Michigan. She helped James Howard Knight's wife with her child, a boy, Thomas, close to her own age. I think this was their only child. After his wife passed away, she married James Howard Knight 37 years old against her mothers wishes, she was about 16 at the time. The marriage license gives the date of March 27th, 1875 for the marriage (Balwin, Lake Co. Michigan). Her father thought the marriage was alright, as the age difference was common in marriages of that time.
Mary and James Knight adopted a boy, Jess Petit, born on May 6, 1880 in Michigan (died 1945 Yreka, CA)(Buried in Knight Family Plot, Evergreen Cemetery, Yreka, CA). They seemed to be unable to have children of their own. Immediately after the adoption she became pregnant with their daughter Alice Daisy Knight in 1883, died Mar 1, 1968, and they went on to have about 14 children altogether.
Violet Rose Knight, born Nov 4, 188?, in Michigan, died Jan 2, 1936, a baby girl died crossing the plains in a wagon, of sunstroke, George Lester Knight April 26, 1889 at Felton, CA, died Mar 1960, Yreka, CA, (buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Yreka, CA), Earl Guyles Knight born at Oak Bar, Klamath River, CA Dec 8, 1891, died in Yreka, CA, Apr 7, 1958,(buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Yreka, CA), Charles Luther Knight, born May 7, 1899 at Oak Bar, Klamath River, CA, died Oct 19, 1963 in Sonoma Co. CA,(buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Yreka, CA), Albert Oscar Knight, born June 28, 1902 at Oak Bar, Klamath River, CA. Died Feb 13, 1957 in Oakridge, Oregon.(buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Yreka, CA).
Baby Myrtle died 11 Dec. 1896 at 2 years old on the Klamath, and baby Grace died of eating poison toadstools at age 11 mo. Ion 4 June, 1900, also on the Klamath River. They are both buried at the Oak Bar Cemetery.
Mary (Cadwell) Van Fossen mentioned the names of some brothers and sisters of hers - Henry, Luther, Monte, William, Clara and Malinda.
James worked in the Redwoods near Felton, CA when they first arrived in California.
They finally reached the Klamath River and after a period of time, leased some railroad land on Dona Creek, where they raised their family. A wonderful orchard was grown and they also kept bees. James was a talented man who could do many things. They raised cattle, pigs and kept a team of horses. They built barns and lived in a log house for many years. Finally they built a frame house of two stories.
Mary loved flowers and she had they climbing up the porches to the roof. Their fruit was noted all over the country.
They bought one of the first phonographs and many years later I saw huge stacks of records, as the whole family loved music. James was very good with an adz and was in demand to build houses.
I remember their son George Knight who was on a trip with his brother Charles, (my husband), when passing through Felton, CA telling Charley "This is where I was born."
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