The Divorce of C. C. and Annie Platt

My Brother,

I always feel very sad when we have to think about our dark "skeleton in the closet" with Grandpa and Grandma's divorce. It was truly a tragedy. Grandpa died in Denver, a stroke ("My God, my head" he said) and Grandma's second marriage was a disaster ? she left, and lived near Annabelle.

I’ll try to reconstruct what I can remember. We were in Baca County at the time, and not in the middle of it. I know our Papa (Lyman) grieved over it, and when the children were urged to take one side or the other, "I'm on Mother's side" or "I'm on Papa's side", our Papa refused to do that. "They are still both my parents", he said. My version is what I heard, second-hand in Colorado. Grandma Platt wanted to attend a WCTU meeting, somewhere out of town- not Stillwater. She wanted Grandpa to go with her and he did not want to go. She persisted, until he finally consented and went, and that is when it started. There also was this woman, Clara, (mentioned many times in "Mother's Diary-1924") whom Grandpa had known before. I can't imagine, now, what happened but it seems Clara must have been needing help. Grandpa set her up, in Grandma's home, in a kind of neighborhood store- a sort of grocery, as I remember, to give her some income. I don't know if she herself lived in the house on South Main, Stillwater, or not, but perhaps so!! At any rate, and understandably, Grandma Platt couldn't very well accept this situation (I can understand that) and that's when all the trouble started.

The legal paper that showed up (See below) gives all the sordid details, charges, suits and all. It tore the children up taking sides.

Eventually CCP (Charles Campbell Platt) moved to Denver, “Some woman” ?seems to me his cousin- Ada somebody, lived there, too (with him?) Vague. I've heard Papa (Lyman) speak of her disparagingly. I don’t know what happened to the Clara person. I know our cousin Nora Purcell was there with him awhile. He had an apartment and we have pictures, taken on the farm of CCP with a Ford roadster, alone and so troubled . He was in a bad accident ? hospitalized. We had long letters he had written describing his travels.

AMP (Annie Martha Platt) married one of the “Come Outers”, Earnest Gately, a preacher, in 1937 He seemed to expect her to take over the cows, milking, farming chores and there got to be real difficulties over their two sets of children, so that the marriage did not last.

Grandpa Platt died in Denver of stroke. Papa & Raymond went to take care of necessities, and drove to OK for the service. I remember after AMP was also gone- long bout with cancer- that Papa said “At least I could see that my parents were buried together”.

The whole episode was a cruelty to the entire family, and there were sore differences and feelings among all of them. That is when AMP sent Chas and Fred to be with Papa in Baca County so they would have some Big Brother influence while CCP was gone. I expect Thelma or Annabelle, or Charles would remember a great deal more than I heard about it. It is painful, still, to dig up the sordid past and air linens in public. I’m sure Grandma went on loving Grandpa. We have real “love letters” that she wrote to her husband while Papa ? CCP were doing their traveling together.

Why it happened one can only speculate. Men’s "mid life crisis" may be one opinion. How a man could be loyal to the mother of 14 children and change to another is a mystery to me. As far as I know he never remarried. What became of “Clara” I’ll never know. Maybe she is the one who backed out the picture?

Afraid this is a poor second-hand version of the details that floated thru letters from Okla. to the prairie (Baca, Colo). There weren’t telephones, and a wire was usually a death notice. I just know that the whole episode was a great smelly, sad story that one would hope never to go thru. It had the makings of a tragedy and I’m sure our Grandma always grieved.

Essie


The Platt Divorce - A Letter and Newspaper Article
		Essie Platt (daughter of Lyman Platt) wrote this letter to her brother giving some of the details of the divorce of their grandparents, C.C. & Annie Platt. My Brother, I always feel very sad when we have to think about our dark "skeleton in the closet" with Grandpa and Grandma's divorce. It was truly a tragedy. Grandpa died in Denver, a stroke ("My God, my head" he said) and Grandma's second marriage was a disaster ? she left, and lived near Annabelle. I’ll try to reconstruct what I can remember. We were in Baca County at the time, and not in the middle of it. I know our Papa (Lyman) grieved over it, and when the children were urged to take one side or the other, "I'm on Mother's side" or "I'm on Papa's side", our Papa refused to do that. "They are still both my parents", he said. My version is what I heard, second-hand in Colorado. Grandma Platt wanted to attend a WCTU meeting, somewhere out of town- not Stillwater. She wanted Grandpa to go with her and he did not want to go. She persisted, until he finally consented and went, and that is when it started. There also was this woman, Clara, (mentioned many times in "Mother's Diary-1924") whom Grandpa had known before. I can't imagine, now, what happened but it seems Clara must have been needing help. Grandpa set her up, in Grandma's home, in a kind of neighborhood store- a sort of grocery, as I remember, to give her some income. I don't know if she herself lived in the house on South Main, Stillwater, or not, but perhaps so!! At any rate, and understandably, Grandma Platt couldn't very well accept this situation (I can understand that) and that's when all the trouble started. The legal paper that showed up (See below) gives all the sordid details, charges, suits and all. It tore the children up taking sides. Eventually CCP (Charles Campbell Platt) moved to Denver, “Some woman” ?seems to me his cousin- Ada somebody, lived there, too (with him?) Vague. I've heard Papa (Lyman) speak of her disparagingly. I don’t know what happened to the Clara person. I know our cousin Nora Purcell was there with him awhile. He had an apartment and we have pictures, taken on the farm of CCP with a Ford roadster, alone and so troubled . He was in a bad accident ? hospitalized. We had long letters he had written describing his travels. AMP (Annie Martha Platt) married one of the “Come Outers”, Earnest Gately, a preacher, in 1937 He seemed to expect her to take over the cows, milking, farming chores and there got to be real difficulties over their two sets of children, so that the marriage did not last. Grandpa Platt died in Denver of stroke. Papa & Raymond went to take care of necessities, and drove to OK for the service. I remember after AMP was also gone- long bout with cancer- that Papa said “At least I could see that my parents were buried together”. The whole episode was a cruelty to the entire family, and there were sore differences and feelings among all of them. That is when AMP sent Chas and Fred to be with Papa in Baca County so they would have some Big Brother influence while CCP was gone. I expect Thelma or Annabelle, or Charles would remember a great deal more than I heard about it. It is painful, still, to dig up the sordid past and air linens in public. I’m sure Grandma went on loving Grandpa. We have real “love letters” that she wrote to her husband while Papa ? CCP were doing their traveling together. Why it happened one can only speculate. Men’s "mid life crisis" may be one opinion. How a man could be loyal to the mother of 14 children and change to another is a mystery to me. As far as I know he never remarried. What became of “Clara” I’ll never know. Maybe she is the one who backed out the picture? Afraid this is a poor second-hand version of the details that floated thru letters from Okla. to the prairie (Baca, Colo). There weren’t telephones, and a wire was usually a death notice. I just know that the whole episode was a great smelly, sad story that one would hope never to go thru. It had the makings of a tragedy and I’m sure our Grandma always grieved. Essie
	Sensational Charges Filed by Mrs. Platt Sensational charges are included in a petition filed in District court by Mrs. Annie M. Platt, in which Mrs. Platt asks for an injunction restraining Platt from removing a major part of his property from the court’s jurisdiction. She does not ask for a decree of divorce, but requests that Platt be restrained from “molesting her and her children.” In the absence of a district court session, County Judge L. H. Woodyard has granted a temporary restraining order against Platt, so far as the property matter is concerned. The judge’s order was served on Platt Saturday, Feb. 28, by Sheriff John B Calderhead. Mrs. Platt’s petition sets forth that she and Platt were married September 13, 1888. Fourteen children were born to them, the oldest being 36 years and the youngest 8 years. The petition alleges that “on January 17 the defendant ceased to live with the plaintiff.” And that he told her then he “had no further use or love for her.” And that he hates her - that his love went from her when he learned that “One Clara Wiggins is still living”. That he had thought her dead: That Platt “procured the said Clara Wiggins to come to the home of the plaintiff and defendant and reside in the home from September, 1924, to January 3, 1925, when the defendant and the said Clara Wiggins went to Kansas”. That Platt informed Mrs. Platt that all his affections had gone to Clara Wiggins: that Platt has been guilty of “inhuman treatment” since the woman was brought to the Platt home: That the marriage of Platt and Mrs. Platt was “all a mistake since he had learned of Clara Wiggins living”. That Mrs. Platt had made efforts to persuade her husband to leave the Wiggins woman and return his love to his wife: that he refuses and that she has been forced to live apart from him since January 17. The petition further alleges that Platt has real estate amounting to $20,000, and that he threatens to revove a large part of it from the jurisdiction of the Court. In asking support and maintenance for herself and children, Mrs. Platt requests $100 a month alimony and maintenance. She seeks to get the custody of the minor children. Charles C. Platt served two terms 1919-21, in the Oklahoma Legislature as Payne County Representative. He was known generally as a preacher and a business man. He was the first Ford Automobile Dealer in Stillwater, selling the agency several years ago to the Payne County Motor Company Return to Table of Contents Return to Platt History