Horace: Horsing Around

Any entry-level genealogy class will instruct the novice to begin with living relatives. So, back in 1986 I started by interviewing my grandparents. They showed me photo albums, reminisced about their siblings and told lively tales about their parents.

As we traveled back in the family tree, I wrote down names, dates and locations. What I loved the most were the bigger-than-life stories, tales that may or may not be true, the stuff of legends.

For me, it was not enough to know when a person lived, who they married and where they are buried. I wanted to know more.

The stories about my great grandfather were (and are) legendary.

Horace Lydick

Horace Sawyer Lydick (1880-1956) son of Mary Jane Wheaton (1839-1929) and Michael Lydick (1835-1919) enlisted in the Army in February of 1904. He was assigned to F Troop, 4th Cavalry.¹Register of Enlistments in the U.S. Army, 1798-1914; National Archives Microfilm Publication M233; Records of the Adjutant General’s Office, 1780’s-1917, Record Group 94; National Archives, Washington, D.C.; Register of Enlistments, 1904, Letter L, page 44, line 167: Horace S. Lydick. He must have had experience with horses to be assigned to the cavalry.

Horace Lydick, U.S. 4th Cavalry, F Troop²Photograph of Horace Lydick. J. D. Givens Photo: San Francisco CA, 1904. Original owned by Mary Peterson, Mayville ND. Digital Copy made by Karrie Blees, March 2023.

Why did he sign up?

Great Aunt Irene told me³Conversation between Irene Lydick Church (1915-2009) and Karrie Blees, Beltrami County MN, August 15, 2000.:

“As a young man, Horace was working for his brother, George Lydick (1863-1925). George had several horses, including one old nag. One evening, Horace painted the old nag like a zebra. George was not happy and Horace escaped his brother’s wrath by joining the army.”

Horse of a Different Color

Another older brother of Horace’s was Charles Harris Lydick (1861-1924). Charles came to Minnesota from Maine in the late 1800s. He established himself as a veterinarian in Grand Rapids MN and passed the state licensing exam in 1893.⁴“Approved Veterinarians.” St. Paul (MN) Globe. October 14, 1893, page 2, col 2.

This story begins with a time when Horace was particularly perturbed with his brother. When Charles was away, Horace decided to seek revenge.

Some versions of the story claim that Horace

• painted one of Charles’s horses⁵Conversation between Mae Lydick Norenberg (1910-2003) and Karrie Blees, Cass Lake MN, 1986.
• painted one of Charles’s horses yellow⁶Conversation between Kenneth Norenberg and Karrie Blees, Turtle River, MN, August 15, 2000.
• shaved one of Charles’s horses to resemble stripes⁷Conversation between Clinton Roy Lydick (1931-2022) and Karrie Blees, Bemidji MN, July 13, 2012.
• or some combination of the above.

What really happened?

There are so many stories about Horace Lydick and his disdain of authority.

I tend to believe that there is a sliver of truth to these horse tales.

Which part is actually true?
What version do you know?

A Cavalry Horse⁸Forbes, Edwin, Artist. A Cavalry Horse. United States Virginia, 1863. Oct. 6. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2004661458/.

SOURCES

• 1
  Register of Enlistments in the U.S. Army, 1798-1914; National Archives Microfilm Publication M233; Records of the Adjutant General’s Office, 1780’s-1917, Record Group 94; National Archives, Washington, D.C.; Register of Enlistments, 1904, Letter L, page 44, line 167: Horace S. Lydick.
• 2
  Photograph of Horace Lydick. J. D. Givens Photo: San Francisco CA, 1904. Original owned by Mary Peterson, Mayville ND. Digital Copy made by Karrie Blees, March 2023.
• 3
  Conversation between Irene Lydick Church (1915-2009) and Karrie Blees, Beltrami County MN, August 15, 2000.
• 4
  “Approved Veterinarians.” St. Paul (MN) Globe. October 14, 1893, page 2, col 2.
• 5
  Conversation between Mae Lydick Norenberg (1910-2003) and Karrie Blees, Cass Lake MN, 1986.
• 6
  Conversation between Kenneth Norenberg and Karrie Blees, Turtle River, MN, August 15, 2000.
• 7
  Conversation between Clinton Roy Lydick (1931-2022) and Karrie Blees, Bemidji MN, July 13, 2012.
• 8
  Forbes, Edwin, Artist. A Cavalry Horse. United States Virginia, 1863. Oct. 6. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2004661458/.