Babcock Bio - Part 1

Vearne Clifton Babcock

Born c. 1892 - Feb 15, 1972

Vearne C. Babcock, Stow Field, Ohio, 1928

While I have been unable to locate Vearne C. Babcock’s birth certificate to date, this is known; Vearne was born to William H. Babcock and Minnie D. Lee sometime in 1892. William Babcock was born on 7 March 1870 to Charles Boughton Babcock and Amy Ann Hogmire. Minnie D. Lee was born on 10 March 1874 to James F. Lee and Emily Willis [1][2][3]

William and Minnie married on 20 May 1891, at the age of 21 and 17 respectively. Records show one William Babcock, occupation Pile-Driver, as living in or near Benton Harbor, Michigan in 1892. An 1896 shows a William Babcock, occupation, carpenter, living in Benton Harbor with his wife (no name given). [4][5][6]

In 1897, William was involved in a shady land dealing that left him homeless with only an undeveloped piece of land to his name. It is likely that this incident caused a separation between William and Minnie. [7]

Vearne C. Babcock first shows up in the 1910 Federal Census, which lists his birth year as 1892 and his occupation as an Airship Mechanic. The 1910 Seattle, Washington directory lists him as living at the Latona Hotel, 418 Northlake Ave with his aunt Kattie LeBaugh, the older sister of Minnie. In the directory Babcock’s profession is listed as Painter. [8][9]

The first airplane company that Babcock formed, Babcock-Breininger Aero Supply Company, seems to have been established in late 1910 or early 1911. Officers for the company are listed as Vearne C. Babcock – President; Martin H. Breininger – Secretary/Treasurer and F. T. Hall as Manager. The company built the Babcock Monoplane, aviation supplies and touted a specialty in Rotary Engines. The company was located at 347 Arcade, Seattle. [10][11]

It is known that Babcock built his first Monoplane, a Nieuport-Deperdussin style ship and he did fly in the air meets that were beginning to gain popularity in Seattle at that time. It was also in 15 September 1912, that Babcock married his first wife, Sigrid Jorgene Hoen, with whom he had one son, Le Boyd Babcock. [11][12][13][14]

The 1913 Seattle Directory places Babcock at 1913 Howard Plaza with wife Jorgene and his occupation as Aviator. No mention of the Babcock-Breininger company could be found in this directory and it is likely that it had gone out of business. [15]

While Babcock is listed as having served overseas with one of the French Escadrilles from Sept 1914 to Nov 1915, no mention of him in contemporary records has been found. To the contrary, an article published in the Spokesman Review, Spokane, Washington, lists him as moving to Spokane, Washington in November of 1914 where he planned to build a new tractor biplane aircraft. [3][16][17]

Another interesting note to this effect is Vearne C. Babcock’s draft registration card in 1917, which stated he had served with the U.S. Military for one month in Mexico. In 1916, General Pershing launched the Punitive Expedition in order to apprehend Pancho Villa and bring him to justice for his attack on Columbus, New Mexico. This was also the first military action in which the United States employed heavier-than-air aviation with the pilots and JN-2’s of the 1^st Aero Squadron. It is possible that Babcock served as a Civilian Mechanic with the 1^st Aero Squadron sometime during their operation from March 15, 1916 to February 7, 1917, as he is not listed among the Squadron’s aviators. [18][19]

As to Vearne Babcock’s early flights, no contemporary record has been found to date concerning his aviation activities prior to 1910. If he had, indeed, flown on March 4, 1905 as stated he would have been 13 years old given a birth year of 1892. Likewise, no contemporary record of his flight in 1909 has been discovered either. [16]

In final regards to Vearne Babcock’s parents, while no record of a divorce has been found to date, they did separate between 1896 and 1900, possible over the loss of William Babcock’s property as earlier mentioned. An article written in 1900 shows Minnie, now going by the name Della M. Lee as living in Bangor, Michigan, her home town and going by her maiden name. In 1903, she married one Alvin C. Dunn and after this seems to have dropped off the radar. William Babcock is listed as a boarder in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1900, interestingly his status is listed as widowed, though his wife was still clearly alive in 1903, speculation suggests it was not a pleasant separation. [7][20][21][22]

William would also remarry in 1913 and have a daughter, Fern Babcock, with his new wife, Bertha Cushman. He died on August 30, 1930 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. [23][24]

REFERENCES:

1.       Van Buren County, Michigan, Birth Record for William H. Babcock

2.       Van Buren County, Michigan, Birth Record for Minnie D. Lee

3.       Who’s Who in American Aviation-1928 edition – Bio on Vearne C. Babcock

4.       Van Buren County, Michigan, Marriage Records for William H. Babcock and Minnie D. Lee

5.       Berrien County, Michigan, Directory – Wm Babcock, Occupation: Pile Driver - 1892

6.       Benton Harbor, Michigan, Directory – Wm Babcock, Occupation: Carpenter – 1896

7.       “How he Lost His Home” - The News-Palladium, Benton Harbor, Michigan – 23-Mar-1897, Pg 1, Col. 4

8.       1910 Federal Census

9.       1910 Seattle, Washington – City Directory

10.    1912 Seattle, Washington – City Directory

11.    Aero: America’s Aviation Weekly – Vol. 2, 1911 – Pg 101, 181 and 264.

12.    Aero and Hydro: America’s Aviation Weekly – Vol. 6, 1913 – Pg 15

13.    King County, Washington, Marriage Records for Vearne C. Babcock and Sigrid Jorgene Hoen

14.    King County, Washington, Birth Record for Le Boyd Babcock

15.    1913 Seattle, Washington – City Directory

16.    “My Dad: Vearne C. Babcock” – American Airman Magazine – Vol. 4, No. 2, Feb 1961 – Pg 15

17.    “Aviator Here, Would Fly” – The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Washington - 15-Nov-1914, Pg 8

18.    Draft Registration – 1917 – Vearne C. Babcock

19.    “A Preliminary to War: The 1^st Aero Squadron and the Mexican Punitive Expedition of 1916” – by Roger G. Miller

20.    “Poisoned by Ice Cream” – The News-Palladium, Benton Harbor, Michigan – 14-May-1900, Pg 3, Col. 3

21.    Pottawattamie County, Iowa, Marriage Record for Alvin C. Dunn and Della Lee

22.    1900 Federal Census

23.    Kalamazoo County, Michigan, Marriage Record for William H Babcock and Bertha Cushman

24.    “William Babcock Dies at Hospital” – Kalamazoo Gazette, Kalamazoo, Michigan – 31-Aug-1930