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| Family of Marie (Devaux) Revaz ca. 1920 Front: John, Charles, Louis, Willard, Eddie, and Ray Revaz Back: John Thomas Revaz, and Marie Devaux Revaz |
This one is labeled "This is a diary that Mother Revaz (Marie) kept on the train ride to California. It is from the set of remembrances I have in my file of things that I believe I got from my father with other remembrances. It is a typed account, and includes a photograph and also a page at the end in my Aunt Julia's handwriting that I will transcribe. If I have this straight, Marie Revas is Marie Devaux, who would have been Grandma Healey's Aunt. So that makes her my great great Aunt! That's pretty great. This one is fun for me because she mentions places that are very close to where I currently live in Litchfield County, CT. Based on the picture that says it was taken around 1920, I would guess this trip took place some time around the turn of the century. "Johhny"is the only child she makes reference to by name and he is surely very small at the time of the trip and looks to be late teens early 20s in the photograph.
It was a sad night in Torrington the 20th September when Jules Millot and family and us started for California. ABout 25 men and women were at the station, all in tears. Then the train came and we had to leave all of our dear ones.
We changed trains in Winsted, where Mary Revaz, Pa's sister, bid us goodbye. We go as far as Norfolk, Conn. and have to wait 1 1/2 hours for there is a train across the track and we get acquainted with some of the people, 32 in all, that are with us. In Lakeville, there are 3 nice girls, Amelia Goux, Caroline Chneral, and Mary Matley, who get on the train to the next station to be with us a few minutes and gave us delicious eatables, very nice of them.
At Poughkeepsie, N.Y. we meet another friend, Jay Goux, that is the last. O yes, we have the brakeman who is talking to John a great deal, named Jimmy Coon.
It is quite a treat to go over the bridge at Poughkeepsie which is a mile long. We arrive at Goshen, N.Y. at 6 p.m. and our train is gone and we have to wait till 11 p.m. but we can not have berths and we spend the night sleeping across the seats. The children slept well enough, but we laughed more than slept.
Thursday we are in the State of Pennsylvania. It is very poor, no fruit trees. Ohio is better, but it is dark and can't see much. We slept better the 2nd night and Friday at 7 a.m. we are in Chicago. We get on different cars and we part with our friends for we are all going different ways, and we go to another depot. We enjoy the day in Chicago. It is a big city but not very pretty. Every building is black with smoke and the streets are crowded with wagons and trolleys. We start to see Lincoln Park, the STatue of President Lincoln and Grant, and others. We have a look at Lake Michigan. Then we visit the Zoo---flowers, fish, and animals of all kinds.
I a tired. John has to help me walk. We go back and have a dinner at French Restaurant at 3 p.m. Then we take a train at 11 p.m. for Omaha. We go in to our tourist car at 9 p.m. The children are tired and I am asleep when the train starts. The beds are nice and we sleep just fine. The next morning we are in the State of Iowa. (Saturday) . Nice country- acres of corn and cattle but no woods. The Railroads are so straight that is just grand. We have the train all to ourselves with the Millot family. The porter shines our shoes and dusts our clothes and the kids are running and singing. All day the same cattle and corn. WE go like the devil and arrive at Dumont, the 185th station.
We arrive at Omaha at 4 p.m. and part with the Millots, and take another train for Ogden. Sunday we do not see anything but prairie for 516 miles. Once in a while lots of cattle and prairie dogs. We finally get to a place called Cheyenne and stop for 1/2 hour. John walks around. One man was killed here last night. They kill them easy around here. Lewis makes people laugh and is treated with peaches and candy and ice cream. We start for 514 miles more. I am tired but not sick. Here is Ogden, but it is 4 p.m. but can not see the place.
We change trains again and start once more now for Sacramento. Wyoming, Nevada and Utah are just desert. For 2 days we see small mountains and desert. Our eatables are almost gone and I don't see when we will come to a place to get something. Monday we are in the sea and still on the train. We are crossing Salt Lake which is 13 miles across. We can see all the salt on the stones or where the water strikes. Monday afternoon we see a few houses - I mean shanties. At 2 o'clock they light the lamps for we are going through 3 big tunnels. I almost get scared.
Hello, here is a place to get something to eat. They sell pies for 35 cents and 25 cents, and 10 cents for half a loaf of bread. They are robbers.
We are to go through the snow sheds and it will be at night. I slept good the first part of the night but at 4 a.m. they cut the train in two and used two big engines for we will be way up in the air. the sheds are 30 miles long. The lady next to me keeps awake for she has crossed them before. Only the week before there was a wreck with people killed. She was in the wreck the year before and many of her friends were killed. I say it just makes me shiver. John is fast asleep. I wish I could see but we just go round and round the mountains. First the moon is on one side and the next minute it's on the other. We get thru safely and are glad to see daylight again. We can see our own engine up ahead, such curves.
We are on the back platform and arrive in California and get pears and grapes.
Everyone seems to rejoice when we see fruit trees, grapes, vines, and flowers. At 8 a.m. we arrive at Sacrament. We change clothes in the lady's dressing room and send cards to our many friends. We have breakfast at a restaurant and at 3 p.m. shall start for Placerville, a little depot something like Lime Rock depot. Johnny gives a yell on the train when he sees Grandpa, Chub, and Alexis with a team. I feel lonely but keep up courage. We ride thru Main St. which is nice at night I revive with a glass of wine. Let me tell you we do not set up long and it was like heaven to sleep in a bed that does not move.
Next morning we take a trip around the farm and have all the peaches we want.
The children are happy to be able to run around once more.
At night we play cards for we're a family of 13 and we do no get lonesome.
Thank God the climate is beautiful.
This is the end of our trip.
Who can tell us who Grandpa, Chub and Alexis were? What is the California connection....the Revaz side or the Devaux side? I'm stumped. Use the comments folks, that's what we're here for. Thank you!
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