Ethan Thomas Anderson (1886 - 1958)

Born 13 Sep 1886 in Scotts Valley, Lake, California, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Clara Mae (Smith) Anderson — married 23 Jan 1915 in Lake, California, United States

Died 11 Dec 1958 at age 72 in Upper Lake, Lake, California, United States

Biography

Ethan was Pomo.

Ethan was born around 1886. His birth day is known, the year of his birth is recorded in different places as 1884, 1886 or 1888. He attended St. Turibius Mission School in Big Valley, and later the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania for 3 years. He afterwards returned to Lake county, CA. In the 1910 census, he is listed as widowed, and is living in Upper Lake, in the household of his maternal grandparents. He was working as a wood chopper. He was listed as full-blooded Pomo, living in a "civilized" dwelling.

In the 1913 & 1914, (and a year they forgot to fill in, perhaps 1911 or 1912?) Indian Census, he is listed on the Upper Lake Rancheria, living with maternal grandparents, with his daughter, Verdelyn.

He married Clara Smith, daughter of Bill Smith and Bosa Boris, Jan. 23, 1915, in Lake county. The marriage data lists his father as Ed Anderson and his mother as Susie Boggs.

In the 1916 Indian Census, they are living on the Robinson Rancheria, in the household of his maternal grandparents, with his "step-daughter" Verdelia, (step) son Elva, and baby son (Irvin). They are also in this census for 1917 and 1918, next to the household of his maternal grandparents.

In his draft registration for WWI, he claimed exemption from service, as he was the sole provider for his wife and four children. It described him as medium height, stout build, dark brown eyes, and black hair. At the time he was working as a farm hand for Carl Simons in Lakeport, CA. He eventually had a total of 10 children, as recorded on Find a Grave.

He is on the Robinson Rancheria census with wife and children in 1919.

In the 1920 census, they were living with their 3 young children (Irvin, Curtis and Baily) in a rented home with his wife's family (along with step-son Elvy Thompson), and he worked as a farm laborer. However, he was also censused on the Robinson Rancheria as living with his wife Clara and one step-daughter, Verdelia, step-son Elve, and 3 sons of his own, Irvin, Curtis and "Unknown" (Varges or Baily). In the 1921 census on Robinson Rancheria, he is living with "step-daughter" Verdelia (his wife Clara would have been 14 the year Verdalia was born, perhaps it is more likely that she is Clara's step-daughter, daughter of Ethan's previous wife who died), step-son "Slva" (Elve), and children Irvin, Curtis, Varges and "Unknown" (Robert). In the 1923 Indian Census, he is on the Robinson Rancheria in his own household, with wife and children.

Ethan Anderson, in 1924, won Native Americans the right to vote in California. On Oct. 31, 1916, he and a friend, George Vicente attempted to register to vote in Lake county. The California state constitution, from 1850, forbid Native Americans the right to vote, and they were denied. At this time, the Burke Act of 1906 allowed U. S. citizenship including voting rights to Native Americans who did not live on a reservation, and could prove themselves "assimilated and competent". Although at that time, Ethan lived on the Upper Lake Rancheria, it was a part of the Rancheria that had long been privately owned. He sued the state, and the case went as far as the state supreme court. In 1924, he won the case, and became the first Native American to be registered to vote in the state of California. This opened the door for others to follow suit.

In the 1930 census, Ethan is working as a farm laborer, and living with his wife and children.

In the 1940 census, Ethan is divorced, unemployed and living next door to someone of his mother's maiden name.

He passed away in 1958, and is buried in the Robinson Rancheria Cemetery.

Sources

• Lake County News https://www.lakeconews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=51050:-this-week-in-history-ethan-anderson-paves-way-for-american-indian-voting-rights&catid=1:latest&Itemid=197
• Cambridge University https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-gilded-age-and-progressive-era/article/abs/square-deal-in-lake-county-anderson-v-mathews-1917-california-indian-communities-and-indian-citizenship/F98E607ACF7996F1916B507B94E032B8
• National Park Service https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/5views/5views1h43.htm
• https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/burke-act

• "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZV6-W3N : 23 February 2021), Ethan Anderson, 1917-1918.

• "California, County Marriages, 1850-1952," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZ32-QJM : 9 March 2021), Ethan Anderson and Clara Smith, 23 Jan 1915; citing Lake County, California, United States, county courthouses, California; FHL microfilm 1,295,686.
• "California, County Marriages, 1850-1952," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZ3K-GVP : 9 March 2021), Ethan Anderson and Clara Smith, 23 Jan 1915; citing Lake County, California, United States, county courthouses, California; FHL microfilm 1,295,686.
• "California Marriages, 1850-1945", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:416H-WMN2 : 24 March 2020), Ethan Anderson, 1915.
• "California, County Marriages, 1850-1952," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V4MX-N2R : 9 March 2021), Ethan Anderson in entry for Curtis Frank Anderson and Rosita Albino, 03 Feb 1943; citing Lake County, California, United States, county courthouses, California; FHL microfilm 1,295,687.

• "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MVK1-MXL : accessed 22 November 2021), Ethan Anderson in household of Joe Boggs, Upper Lake, Lake, California, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 38, sheet 27A, family 18, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 78; FHL microfilm 1,374,091.
• "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGKV-GWQF : 15 April 2021), Ethan Anderson, California, United States; citing Census, NARA microfilm publication M595. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1967.
• "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP5G-ST7R : 16 April 2021), Ethan Anderson, California, United States; citing Census, NARA microfilm publication M595. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1967.
• "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:7DHY-C52M : 16 April 2021), Ethan Anderson, California, United States; citing Census, NARA microfilm publication M595. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1967.
• "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:7DDZ-MN2M : 16 April 2021), Ethan Anderson, California, United States; citing Census, NARA microfilm publication M595. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1967.
• "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:7D4Y-7DT2 : 16 April 2021), Ethan Anderson, California, United States; citing Census, NARA microfilm publication M595. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1967.
• "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG5V-54Y1 : 15 April 2021), Ethan Anderson, California, United States; citing Census, NARA microfilm publication M595. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1967.
• "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHQ3-RXG : 31 January 2021), Ethan Anderson in entry for Bill Smith, 1920.
• "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:7FCX-PK3Z : 16 April 2021), Ethan Anderson, California, United States; citing Census, NARA microfilm publication M595. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1967.
• "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP3B-FR36 : 15 April 2021), Ethan Anderson, California, United States; citing Census, NARA microfilm publication M595. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1967.
• "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XCF4-XMH : accessed 26 November 2021), Clara Anderson in household of Eathen Anderson, Township 4, Lake, California, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 6, sheet 2A, line 3, family 37, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 120; FHL microfilm 2,339,855.
• "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K97W-NCB : 5 January 2021), Ethan Anderson, Judicial Township 3, Lake, California, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 17-5, sheet 9B, line 62, family 226, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 218.

• "California Deaths and Burials, 1776-2000", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:HK3S-15ZM : 4 February 2020), Clara Anderson in entry for Rorert Anderson, 1940.
• Family Search Tree (clearly has errors) [1]
• "California Death Index, 1940-1997," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VPWD-TVJ : 26 November 2014), Ethan T Anderson, 11 Dec 1958; Department of Public Health Services, Sacramento.
• Find a Grave [2]