The Millers of Lusk visit Whitney - ca. 1944

Mildred and Alex Miller and family -- Jeanette, Connie and Bruce -- in about 1944. 

Every now and then we come across a photograph that effectively captures the activities of our Miller ancestors.  Sometimes it's just a standard pose, and occasionally it's a creative bit of 20th century photo journalism at work!

This photograph shows the Alex Miller family while visiting Alex's parents, Pete and Dora Miller, in Whitney -- probably around 1944 or 1945.  A frequent backdrop is shown -- the Whitney elevator building that was adjacent to the Chicago & Northwestern Railway tracks.  At left you can see the wooden bench that sat outside the house, which was actually owned by the Whitney Irrigation District.  For many years, Grandpa Pete Miller was the "ditch rider," keeping tabs on irrigation gates that regulated water flowing from Whitney Lake.

Although Alex and family had lived in Crawford, it was in Lusk, Wyoming, that they finally chose to settle, building and living in a basement home for many years before adding on an upstairs.

We understand that dwelling in Lusk is still in the family, occupied by a grandson of Alex and Mildred Miller.

Surviving the Titanic

More than 10 years before the White Star Steamship Line launched the SS Titanic in 1912 for its destiny with an iceberg in the North Pacific, White Star built another vessel that was the biggest steamship at the time.

Like the Titanic, the SS Celtic was built in the Harland & Wolf shipyards in Belfast. With twin screws, it was twice as long as a football field and her displacement was more than 20,900 tons – more than any other steamship. Celtic was launched in 1901 and would provide long and significant service to her owners.

Our interest in knowing more about the SS Celtic emerged some years ago when I learned that my grandfather, Peter Miller, voyaged to the new world aboard the Celtic – likely in steerage, but aboard her, nonethess.

The year was 1906, and Pete Miller was traveling with his older sister, Eva Behm, and her family from Liverpool to New York City. They’d likely already endured a long train ride from Saratov, Russia to a port on the Baltic – then probably gaining passage on a ship to England. They all had made the collective decision to leave their homes in Unterdorf, Russia, not far from the Volga River, to find new lives in America.

They arrived at Ellis Island on September 30, 1906 and would make their way to Longmont, Colorado. Eventually, the Behms would settle in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. Pete Miller met Dora Eckerdt in Longmont, where they were wed in 1909, later moving to Chicago, then Watertown, South Dakota, before settling in the Nebraska panhandle, where they raised their family and spent the rest of their lives.

As for the SS Celtic: she survived well beyond the Titanic disaster. The Celtic was particularly noted for her steadiness in rough weather. In 1928 she was converted to a cabin class liner; shortly thereafter, she ran aground in the fog near the entrance to Queensland Harbor in Australia, ending her seagoing days. She was converted to scrap in 1933.

A family death....a family gathering

One of our favorite photographs, this shot was taken in Whitney, Nebraska. We earlier thought it was taken when Dora Miller died in February of 1963; however, cousin Bruce Miller in California suggests it was more likely in June of 1957, upon the death Pete Miller. Grandma and Grandpa Miller had moved from the irrigation company "ditch house" near the railroad depot in Whitney to the small house just north of the Post Office, then on the northwest corner of the intersection of Division and Missouri Streets. The Post Office is just to the right and out of view in this photograph. .

In this photograph are three of Pete and Dora's sons; left-to-right are: Alex Miller of Lusk, Wyoming; John Miller of Chadron, Nebraska; Louis Bird of Houston, Texas; and Fred Miller of Metaline Falls, Washington. Louis Bird was married to Pete and Dora's fourth daughter, Bertha.

In the background on the left, the tops of both the old lumber yard and the Baldwin building are visible.

Thanks, Sis!

Pete and Dora Miller moved to the northwest Nebraska village of Whitney in 1927. For a half century, they lived there and raised their family there. Today, there are no Miller or Miller descendants in Whitney or Dawes County, but this little community still tugs at our heartstrings and conjures up lots of memories. In the last few years, I've started a web site, Whitney Reflections, that tries to tell the remarkable story about the people who started this community and helped it thrive for many years. And that's why I was truly touched when my sister, Linetha, presented me with a wonderful painting of the Whitney water tower for my birthday.

The tower still stands on the south edge of Whitney and remains something of a landmark for this little village that has a very interesting history. I can think of no birthday present I've ever had that has given me any more pleasure. Thanks, Linetha!