I had to look up Loogootee to know exactly where it’s located, even though it sounded familiar. It turns out that I’d seen a story in the Indianapolis Star last summer about Bill Larkin, a man who has thousands of colorfully painted birdhouses and rocks on his property, which has become a roadside attraction known as the Birdhouse Paradise of Bill Larkin. In any event, Loogootee is located in Martin County, in south-central Indiana, and the exact origins of the community’s unusual name are unknown, which is too bad, because I was hoping for a good tale there as well.

The Loogootee Times, the paper in which the article about Crook Love’s injured child appeared, was a community weekly, published from 1875 to 1879. [2] That same issue was just four pages long and like many newspapers of the time contained some creative, serial fiction and jokes in addition to actual news. [3]

Since the newspaper article was published in 1877, I start the search for Crook Love and his family with the 1870 Federal Census.

In 1870, the family was living on a farm in Martin County’s Center Township, in an area that was served by the Dover Hill Post Office. Notably, Crook Love owned his farm and it was worth $12,000, a significant sum in 1877. Crook’s wife’s name was Abigail and there were three children living in the household: James Love and Lafayette and John Franklin. At this time, the reason for the surname difference with the children is unknown, but the eldest was born in Tennessee and the younger in Kentucky. [4]

Modern day Dover Hill is about 10 miles from Loogootee, but the family likely lived in the rural stretch between these two communities. Still undoubtedly a long ride when seeking emergency medical attention.

In the 1850 and 1860 censuses, we find Crook living in the home of his parents, James and Elizabeth Love, in Perry Township, Martin County. [5] [6] Marriage index records confirm that Crook Love and Abigail B. Elmore married on January 31, 1861 in Martin County, Indiana. [7] [8] Their first child, James, was born in 1862. [9] That same year, Crook enlisted in the Union Army, commencing his service for the duration of the U.S. Civil War. [10]

Though I’ve been unable to locate a death record for Abigail (Elmore) Love, she likely died between 1872, after her daughter Abigail’s birth, and 1874, when Crook Love married his second wife, Nancy (Davis) Perry. [14][15] Nancy and Crook’s first child, Crook W., was born in 1876. [16]

In 1880, Crook and Nancy, along with their children, were living in Doniphan in Ripley County, Missouri [17], but by 1900, they were back in Martin County, Indiana, this time in the community of West Shoals in Center Township. [18] It appears that Crook sold his farm in rural Martin County before the move to Missouri, and upon returning to Indiana, the family rented a home in West Shoals.

Sources:

[1] “Take Notice” entry, The Loogootee Times (Loogootee, Indiana), Thursday, Dec. 20, 1877, page 3. Newspapers.com, digital image, retrieved 22 Apr 2021.

[2] The LOOGOOTEE Times. Chronicling America, index entry, retrieved 22 Apr 2021 from https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84037915/

[3] “Take Notice” entry, The Loogootee Times (Loogootee, Indiana), Thursday, Dec. 20, 1877, page 1 - 4. Newspapers.com, digital images, retrieved 22 Apr 2021.

[4] Crook Love household. Year: 1870; Census Place: Center, Martin, Indiana; Roll: M593_342; Page: 299A, Ancestry, digital image, accessed 22 Apr 2021.

[5] James M Love household. Year: 1850; Census Place: Perry, Martin, Indiana; Roll: 160; Page: 44a. Ancestry, digital image, accessed 22 Apr 2021.

[6] James M Love household. Year: 1860; Census Place: Perry, Martin, Indiana; Page: 762; Family History Library Film: 803278. Ancestry, digital image, accessed 22 Apr 2021.

[7] Crook Love. Indiana, U.S., Marriages, 1810-2001 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Ancestry, index entry, accessed 22 Apr 2021.

[8] Crook Love. Martin County, Indiana; Index to Marriage Record 1850-1920 Inclusive Lette, W. P. A. Original Record Located: County Clerk's O; Book: 2; Page: 74. Ancestry, index entry, accessed 22 Apr 2021.

[9] Crook Love household. Year: 1870; Census Place: Center, Martin, Indiana; Roll: M593_342; Page: 299A, Ancestry, digital image, accessed 22 Apr 2021.

[10] Crook Love. Historical Data Systems, Inc.; Duxbury, MA 02331; American Civil War Research Database. Ancestry, index entry, accessed 22 Apr 2021.

[11] Cook Love. Ancestry.com. Web: Indiana, U.S., Civil War Soldier Database Index, 1861-1865 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Ancestry, index entry, accessed 23 Apr 2021.

[12] Ibid.

[13] Crook Love. The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; NAI Title: U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934; NAI Number: T288; Record Group Title: Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, 1773-2007; Record Group Number: 15; Series Title: U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934; Series Number: T288; Roll: 289. Ancestry, digital image, accessed 23 Apr 2021.

[14] Crook Love. Ancestry.com. Indiana, U.S., Marriages, 1810-2001 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Ancestry, index entry, accessed 23 Apr 2021.

[15] Thomas Love. Ancestry.com. Indiana, U.S., Marriages, 1810-2001 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Ancestry, index entry, accessed 23 Apr 2021.

[16] Crook Love household. Year: 1880; Census Place: Doniphan, Ripley, Missouri; Roll: 713; Page: 575A; Enumeration District: 115. Ancestry, digital image, accessed 23 Apr 2021.

[17] Ibid.

[18] Crook Love household. Year: 1900; Census Place: Center, Martin, Indiana; Page: 1; Enumeration District: 0082; FHL microfilm: 1240392. Ancestry, digital image, accessed 23 Apr 2021.

[19] Crook Love. U.S., Appointments of U. S. Postmasters, 1832-1971 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Ancestry, digital image, accessed 23 Apr 2021.

[20] “New Rural Mail Routes: Free Delivery Service Extended in Eight Indiana Counties” The Indianapolis Journal (Indianapolis, Indiana), Thursday, June 12, 1902, page 6.

[21] “Trouble Arose Over Location of the Postoffice.” The Daily Mail (Bedford, Indiana), Monday, September 7, 1903, page 4.

[22] Nancy Perry in Ezekiel Davis household. Year: 1870; Census Place: Center, Martin, Indiana; Roll: M593_342; Page: 291A. Ancestry, digital image, accessed 23 Apr 2021.

[23] Crook Love. Find a Grave Memorial. Retrieved 23 Apr 2021 from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/144597102/crook-love

[24] James L. Love. Indiana Archives and Records Administration; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Death Certificates; Year: 1938; Roll: 03. Ancestry, digital image, accessed 24 Apr 2021.

[25] Jane Love Deilkes. Find a Grave Memorial. Retrieved 24 Apr 2021 from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/27082937/jane-deilkes

[26] William Crook Love. Indiana Archives and Records Administration; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Death Certificates; Year: 1947; Roll: 07. Ancestry, digital image, accessed 24 Apr 2021.

[27] Joshua Perry. Indiana Archives and Records Administration; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Death Certificates; Year: 1939; Roll: 04. Ancestry, digital image, accessed 24 Apr 2021.