Phil Gravier, a resident of Laytonville, California, was browsing the internet when he stumbled upon groundbreaking information that his family had been searching for over a century and a half.
Five generations ago, Gravier’s great-great-grandfather mysteriously disappeared, leaving his descendants in a state of uncertainty for 150 years.
However, thanks to a series of articles published last year by the Honolulu Civil Beat, Gravier learned the fate of Edward Gravier, his long-lost ancestor.
Upon discovering this news, Gravier expressed his emotions: “I saw it and I got goosebumps.”
The articles detailed a collection of documents unearthed from the National Archives in College Park, Maryland, which had been retrieved while researching Hawaiian history.
These documents were part of a collection labeled “Estates of Deceased Americans,” containing the last belongings of about 160 individuals, predominantly men, who passed away in the Hawaiian Islands between 1830 and 1900.
In the 19th century, Americans dying in the Hawaiian Kingdom were considered foreigners. The limited items they possessed were sent by the American consul to the U.S. State Department in Washington, D.C., intended for their next of kin.
Tragically, many of these items were never delivered and were left to languish in archives for over a century.
Among these forgotten packets were the records of Edward Gravier, Phil’s great-great-grandfather, who died at the young age of 39 in 1881 under mysterious circumstances.
Originally from France, Edward Gravier had naturalized as an American citizen.
He notably served three years in the Union Army during the American Civil War, stationed in Northern California, where he encountered significant challenges amidst violent tensions between settlers and Native Americans.
Physical descriptions provided in the documents noted he was 5 feet, 3½ inches tall with a light complexion, gray eyes, and brown hair.
Upon his discharge, he was described as a man of “excellent character.”
The archived belongings included his naturalization papers, military discharge documents, letters in French, and titles for land he owned in Mendocino County, California.
Interestingly, many of the men whose possessions were found displayed signs of loneliness but Edward Gravier appeared to have been significantly tethered to his family.
His packet contained photographs of relatives, as well as a handwritten note listing his three children: Edward, born October 2, 1871, and twins Annie Louisa and Walter Lewis, born March 28, 1874, all from Camp Wright Round Valley in California.
The note indicated that his wife and children lived in Mendocino County.
Despite this familial attachment, Edward’s wife, Annie, believed that he had abandoned them and told her children a vague story about how he had “left with the army.”
This misunderstanding deeply affected Edward’s descendants, who were left feeling a sense of loss and sadness about their heritage.
Interestingly, historical records now suggest that Annie may have been the first to stray, marrying another man, Moses Joseph Lee, in September 1877 while Edward was still alive.
Annie later married again and passed away as a prosperous landowner, surrounded by a large family.
In stark contrast, Gravier’s possessions mustered only a mere $8.27 at an auction on October 10, 1881.
The Honolulu Civil Beat articles highlighted Gravier twice, featuring the metal tag that confirmed his commercial conveyance license, likely for a horse-drawn delivery cart.
Editors of the publication also included Gravier in a story discussing the notable number of Civil War veterans who moved to Hawaiʻi post-war to recuperate from their experiences.
Economic ties between California and Hawaiʻi in the 19th century made it plausible for Edward Gravier to have migrated to the islands.
Boasting a more significant population compared to California’s settlements, Honolulu offered goods and services that were often unavailable back on the mainland.
During the Gold Rush, many Hawaiians traveled to California and subsequently returned, establishing fluid connections between the two regions.
Upon returning to Hawaiʻi after my initial visit to the archives, I shared my remarkable findings with my editor, Patti Epler.
Intrigued, Epler suggested we launch a series of articles to bring attention to these overlooked lives, even speculating whether any of their descendants still existed.
Subsequent research into the records revealed intricate patterns and narratives tied to these fragmented lives.
Initially, I attempted to trace Gravier’s lineage but ran into obstacles.
Fortunately, following the publication of the series, descendants of Edward Gravier managed to find our work.
Phil Gravier, now 68, was engaged in family genealogy and recently informed his children of their connection to a Civil War veteran.
This piqued the curiosity of his granddaughter, Poppy, who learned about Angel Island on a school trip, which was formerly used as a Civil War artillery station.
As a result, Phil began searching the internet for any additional information about their ancestor and serendipitously discovered the Civil Beat articles.
“Just by chance, I bumped into it accidentally,” he said proudly.
Gravier expressed deep gratitude, adding he wished the State Department had made a more robust effort to locate Edward’s family.
Despite the lapse in communication, Edward was not entirely forgotten.
In 1905, twenty-four years after his death, the French Consulate in Hawaiʻi published a request in the Honolulu Advertiser inquiring about his whereabouts, indicating that his relatives in France still hoped he would return.
However, the family in Mendocino never received further information, with records on ancestry.com labeling his death as “unknown.”
The discoveries made through the Civil Beat series ultimately allowed Gravier’s descendants to piece together that missing part of their family history.
Phil is now eager to travel to the National Archives to view Edward’s original belongings, possibly accompanied by other family members.
As a testament to Edward’s life, Phil realizes that he has around 50 living descendants today, illustrating the undeniable impact of a man whose story was nearly lost to time.
image source from：civilbeat
