Wilbert went on his own as far as I was ever told, found a bag with $300 in it, (about a years salary at that time), at least that is the story I was told
the census (dont remember year) had him listed with his own household, even older siblings were still listed with there fathers household, so he had some money from somewhere,(and he kept roight on going!!!)
the name , Eureka, was very popular at the time, so I guess it was both appropriate and common
Hooey & Howie FamilyTree
I would agree that it was both an appropriate word and common for the time. I hazard a guess though from what we're learning about Wilbert, that he was an extremely meticulous individual. The word 'Eureka' clearly denotes a discovery of some kind. Perhaps not of gold but of his knowledge of refrigeration.
ReplyDeleteThis excerpt from Wikipedia is interesting too as it explains perhaps why the word was so common back then:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eureka_%28word%29
"...
Names and mottoes
The expression is also quoted as the state motto of California, referring to the momentous discovery of gold near Sutter's Mill in 1848. The California State Seal has included the word "eureka" since its original design by Robert S. Garnett in 1849; the official text from that time describing the seal states that this word's meaning applies "either to the principle involved in the admission of the State or the success of the miner at work". In 1957, the state legislature attempted to make "In God We Trust" the state motto, but this attempt did not succeed, and "Eureka" became the official motto in 1963.[5]
The city of Eureka, California, founded in 1850, uses the California State Seal as its official seal. Eureka is a considerable distance from Sutter's Mill, but was the jumping off point of a smaller gold rush in Trinity County, California in 1850. It is the largest of at least eleven remaining US cities and towns named for the exclamation, "eureka!". As a result of the extensive use of the exclamation dating from 1849, there were nearly 40 locales so named by the 1880s in a nation that had none in the 1840s.[6] Many places, works of culture, and other objects have since been named "Eureka"; see Eureka for a list.
"Eureka" was also associated with a gold rush in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. The Eureka Stockade was a revolt in 1854 by gold miners against unjust mining license fees and a brutal administration supervising the miners. The rebellion demonstrated the refusal of the workers to be dominated by unfair government and laws. The Eureka Stockade has often been referred to as the 'birth of democracy' in Australia."
December 21, 2010 11:20 PM