Van Buren McCollum

http://content.wisconsinhistory.org/cdm/ref/collection/wmh/id/13050

The Wisconsin Magazine of History Publications of the state historical society of Wisconsin copyright 1941 by the state historical society of Wisconsin

Page Number 385

Article Title Van Buren McCollum

Author Schafer, Joseph, 1867-1941

Page type Article home

Format-Digital jpeg

Publisher-Electronic Wisconsin Historical Society

Rights © Copyright 2006 by the Wisconsin Historical Society (Madison, Wisconsin)

Publication Date-Electronic 2006

ISSN 1943-7366

Identifier-Digital vol24no040017

Description Van Buren McCollum: Author Joseph Schafer (1867-1941) relates the story of Van Buren McCollum (1835-1899), an adventurer and local legend in the town of Sextonville, Richland County. Schafer, who had some past experiences with the McCollum family in and around the town of Twin Bluffs, provides details about McCollum’s character and various exploits. The information is referenced from a letter co-written by McCollum’s brother as well as his nephew. In addition, Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894), the neo-romantic poet and novelist, who had met McCollum while on cruise in the South Pacific, refers to him in his volume, “In the South Seas.” Constantly on the move, McCollum spent substantial time in Polynesia, on Hanamate of the Marquesas Islands. (9 pages)

Volume 024

Issue 4

Year 1940-1941

State/Province Wisconsin;

County Richland County;

Community Sextonville; Twin Bluffs

Decade 1870-1879; 1880-1889; 1890-1899;

Personal Name McCollum, Van Buren, 1835-1899; Stevenson, Robert Louis, 1850-1894

Subject Travel; Cities & towns; Sailing ships; Poetry;

Full Text:

Van Buren McCollum by Joseph Schafer

school year 1891-92 was spent by the present writer as principal of the small but well-established free high school at sextonville richland county wisconsin the place was almost a deserted village the railroad extending from the junction with the chicago milwaukee and st paul road at lone rock to richland center having passed some two miles to the west on higher ground leaving sextonville low and dry however a station called twin bluffs had been established at practically the nearest point to the old village where a new village had grown up and there were a few residences along the road between the two sextonville still retained a couple of crossroads stores a blacksmith shop a cooperage and more than all else the high school started in the 1870's under the encouragement of the free high school law that school served not only the sextonville district but a scope of rural country extending south to the wisconsin river at the old abandoned richland city then called gotham and north to ithaca some five or six miles twin bluffs was a part of the home district at twin bluffs the most active and enterprising businessman owner of the store and participant in all lines of local endeavor was leroy mccollum a middle-aged gentleman of singular energy and clear-sightedness who was the father of several grown sons who aided in carrying on the family business presumably mr mccollum had gone to twin bluffs from sextonville for his parents still lived in the older village he had a brother in Richland Center who was also a merchant ; there was another brother in milwaukee and other relatives elsewhere the family had spread westward from massachusetts gradually centering mainly in richland county there was however one exception sometime in the fall of 1891 the sleepy little community of sextonville awoke to the presence within their midst of a genuine adventurer he was a stocky bearded man who already seemed old to us young people but who could not have counted more than about forty-six years he was referred to as one of the mccollums who for many years had lived in distant and little-known foreign lands and who was now making his first visit in a generation to parents and kindred in his old wisconsin home friends called him van his full name was van buren whether or not he bore little van's given name of martin also is uncertain though one volume of his diary now before me bears the stamped address makulm m hanamate marquesas so perhaps he called himself martin among the french though he was van to the people of sextonville the adventurer remained in the sextonville neighbor hood during the winter and toward spring went away we assumed to his island home in the south pacific among the polynesians and the few french and other residents who made that region their home or at least their stopping place forty-eight years later this writer recalling some of the tales then heard about van mccollum wondered if his story could be resurrected for the benefit of the state historical society of wisconsin a letter to elmer mccollum of richland center a nephew of van's which was relayed to charles l mccollum of clear water florida elmer's older brother brought results on the subject of van buren mccollum he supplied the sketch which follows:

v b mccollum van buren mccollum the eldest son of dr asa and hadassah mccollum was born at leicester massachusetts june 7 1835 he commenced his schooling in the public schools of leicester where some of the time miss clara barton was the teacher he was an industrious student as a youth and practically all his life and was ever in touch with the master teacher nature his mother was reared a practical new england schoolteacher highly educated and exceedingly well-read but lacking in the sentimental poetical quality so strongly represented in the character of her eldest son she used often to say to her children and grandchildren : if a word or thought comes to you that you do not thoroughly understand do not let it slip away from you go to your textbooks become masters of spelling pronunciation meaning application and everything pertaining thereto and more along this line she was much too practical and energetic to have intended this advice to be used literally to the neglect of regular work or duties but son van put a very broad construction on mother's words and would stop his team in the field and hie him away to the beloved books to settle a controversial point so occasionally there were belligerent moments between mother and son concerning the practical exposition of her teachings and his too literal interpretations this probably combined with his adventurous roving disposition caused him to wander away from sextonville his home from his sixteenth year toward the setting sun no more to see the home of his youth and friends till thirty or more years had passed by he drove across the sparsely settled iowa prairies and worked for a farmer near omaha for sometime then he drove on to st joseph missouri expecting to find his brother leroy who when joseph s chafer june last heard from was working for a farmer in that locality he found the farm where leroy had worked but leroy had gone with a freighter's train over the oregon trail to salt lake city van continued on down to southern missouri and found a man driving a bunch of horses to northern texas when he left that driver he continued on up into the mining country was at pike's peak though i do not find any record of his engaging in any kind of employment there he had many adventures at one time while he and a com panion were camped for the night his horses were stolen he traced them for some distance but did not recover them he sold his buckboard and harness and joining up with other parties pushed on always continuing his westward trek at one time he was with distant relatives of his father's in california panning gold later he had a homestead in the puget sound country and was employed intermittently as foreman of a wrecking crew at cape flattery he was a wonderfully interesting letter writer and my first recollections of him were formed from reading the let ters written by him to the various members of the family the letters went the rounds for perusal by all not strange that my first correspondent was this far-away uncle to me so endowed with romance and mysticism and i soon became official correspondent for my aged grandparents i was al ways happy to write to him and ever hailed his prompt re plies with rapture i never lost my childhood interest in him and we kept up a correspondence until his death his vivid descriptions of localities and his comments on flora and rock formations seen in his wanderings were very interesting when my letter-writing days were attained he was located at tai-o-hae marquesas islands the south sea isles so rapturously sung by poets were a fitting abode for my poet uncle and he was very happy there during a south sea island cruise by robert louis stevenson these two poets ex changed messages uncle van wrote and sent a few lines of greeting and mr stevenson from his yacht wrote and returned by the messenger a poem dubbing him bard mccollum he also presented him a personally auto graphed copy of his book the wrecker robert louis stevenson in his volume in the south seas refers to v b mccollum thus we had besides a white visitor from shore who came and de parted in a crowded whale-boat manned by natives having read of rachts in the sunday papers and being fired with a desire to see one captain chase they called him an old whaler-man thickset and white bearded with a strong indiana drawl years old in the country a good backer in battle and one of those dead shots whose practice at the target struck terror in the braves of haamau captain chase dwelt farther east in a bay called hanamate with a mr m'callum or rather they had dwelt together once and were now amicably separated the captain is to be found near one end of the bay in a wreck of a house and waited on by a chinese at the point of the opposing corner another habitation stands on a tall paepae the surf runs there exceeding heavy seas of seven and eight feet high bursting under the walls of the house which is thus continually filled with their clamour and rendered fit only for solitary or at least silent inmates here it is that mr m'callum with a shakespeare and a burns enjoys the society of the breakers his name and his burns testify to scottish blood but he is an american born somewhere far east followed the trade of a ship-carpenter and was long employed the captain of a hundred indians breaking up wrecks about cape flattery many of the whites who are found scattered in the south seas represent the more artistic portion of their class and not only enjoy the poetry of that new life but came there on purpose to enjoy it i have been ship-mates with a man no longer young who sailed upon that voyage his first time to sea for the mere love of samoa and it was a few letters in a newspaper that sent him on that pilgrim age mr m'callum was another instance of the same he had read of the south seas loved to read of them and let their image fasten in his heart : till at length he could refrain no longer — must set forth a new rudel for that unseen homeland — and now has dwelt for years in hiva-oa and will lay his bones there in the end with full content having no desire to behold again the places of his boyhood only perhaps — once before he dies — the rude and wintry landscape of cape flattery yet he is an active man full of schemes has bought land of the natives has planted five thousand coco-palms has a desert island in his eye which he desires to lease and a schooner in the stocks which he has laid and built himself and even hopes to finish mr m'callum and i did not meet but like gallant troubadours corresponded in verse i hope he will not consider it a breach of copyright if i give here a specimen of his muse he and bishop dordillon are the two european bards of the marquesas sail ho ahoy casco first among the pleasure fleet that came around to greet these isles from san francisco and first too only one among the literary men that this way has ever been — welcome then to stevenson please not offended be at this little notice of the gasco captain otis with the novelist's family avoir une voyage magnificat is our wish sincere that you'll have from here allant sur la grande pacificav the lines following by v b mccollum do not appear in in the south seas don't let me offend if i sturdily contend with rhymes without end or even any utility but sure it is hard for an ordinary bard to always speak by the card or even in propria personae if not asserting too bold that romance ne'er grows old { the truth therefore will hold that it immortal shall be will you then me excuse for comparison to choose or rather trying to use the tale of an old journey — its name only to change and therefore rearrange then it will not seem strange this little fact of history famed ship the argo old comes again as casco bold though it must be told not now for low chicanery and the ancient jason's name so long well-known to fame and meaning still the same changed to stevenson shall be yet too there's none to mourn when the fleece itself is shorn and from the darkness is torn then set forth to liberty for it will be a delight to have an author bright come along and write about this polynesia whatever may be penned may good fortune attend are the wishes of a friend bard mccollum v b this is the greeting robert louis stevenson sent to v b mccollum yacht casco august 30th 1888 robert louis stevenson to the bard of hanamati greeting such as brothers give who meet me in foreign lands fresh as valley water keeps in a good perspiring chatty strong as hammered iron from the swarthy sledgers hands fresh and strong your saxon on the shore of hiva-oa greets a brother poet coming wearied from the sea thus the name where you live and of the island though a thorny one to rhyme on has been rhymed on by me and no more remains to do but just to up and utter thanks to bard mccollum and my thanks to captain chase and to send my trusty riders forth on a road that's like a gutter riding island horses with the seaman's well known grace mr mccollum completed the schooner mr stevenson spoke of and sold it in 1891 v b mccollum visited his parents sisters and brothers whom he had not seen for over thirty years at the old sextonville wisconsin home it was a happy reunion and all the family rejoiced over the wanderer's return his father died that winter of influenza van contracted the disease and it left him with a bronchial infection from which he never recovered in the spring of 1892 he returned to his beloved hanamate feeling sure that the wonderful balmy climate would restore his health but it failed to do so completely he made a trip to california and stayed for sometime at duncans mills among the redwoods he was much benefited and returned to hanamate in 1899 he was so ill that he decided to return to wisconsin where he would be with his relatives when he reached san francisco he was so ill that he decided to go to duncans mills again where his health had improved earlier but he grew rapidly worse and died there june 7 1899 on his sixty fourth birthday during his short residence at duncans mills the kindly old man made many friends and he was shown great respect relatives who visited his grave found it covered with calla lilies however death did not stop his travels for eventually his grave was found open and the body gone he had been regarded with much love by the native islanders and shortly prior to the grave robbery a party of them had been in san francisco trying to locate the place of mr mecollum's burial they learned where he had been laid to rest but whether they visited the spot or were the violators will probably never be known it would be a fitting end to the story if we could record that the kindly old man was taken back to the isles he so dearly loved and laid to rest among the people to whom he had endeared himself.

[1] since receiving the article printed above the diary of van buren mccollum for the years 1891 to 1898 has come to the editor's desk it is written in french script but is quite legible much of the material in the first volume 1891 deals with the work of building and equipping the schooner which robert louis stevenson mentions the remainder from the middle of august 1891 to april 1892 is given over to the detailed day by day account of his voyage to san francisco and railway journey to chicago milwaukee and twin bluffs his visits with the various members of his family the death and burial of his father dr asa mccollum the ill ness of his mother and of himself and finally his departure for and the return voyage to hanamate marquesas islands the remaining six volumes of the diary carry on the story of this interesting character almost to the point where as his nephew tells us he returned to california where he died.

[1] the greater part of this sketch has been included by charles l mccollum in the material which he had prepared for his account of the mccollum family he has presented a manuscript copy of that book to the state historical society which is now in the manuscript division of the society's library — editor 

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http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~richlandwi/Sexton...

Tales The Tombstones Tell - Republican Observer - April 12, 1956

                                   "Buried at Duncans Mills, California"

   So it reads on a tombstone in the Sextonville cemetery. But say tales from Duncans Mills the tombstone is not correct. The story is an odd one, and concerns Van Buren McCollum and was written by Joseph Schafer, was principal of the Sextonville schools back in 1891-92 and later became head of the Wisconsin Historical Society. Assisting Mr. Schafer in preparing the story was Charles McCollum, a nephews of Van Buren McCollum.

   The stone in the Sextonville cemetery reads: "Van Buren McCollum, born June 7, 1835, died June 7, 1899. Buried at Duncans Mills, California." That is the short and simple inscription upon the stone. To learn if he was buried at Duncans Mills or not the pages of time are turned back over the years.

   From now on the story is written by Mr. Schafer and Charles McCollum: "Many of the McCollum family came to Sextonville and Twin Bluffs away back when. There was however one exception. Sometime in the fall of 1891 the sleepy little community of Sextonville awoke to the presence within their midst of a genuine adventurer. He was a stocky bearded man, who already seemed old to us young people but who could not have been over 45 years. He was referred to as one of the McCollums who for many years had lived in distant and little known foreign land and who was now making a first visit in a generation to his parents and kindred in his old Wisconsin home. Friends called him 'Van', his full name was Van Buren.

   The adventurer remained in the Sextonville community during the winter and in the spring went away, we assumed to his island home in the South Pacific among the Polynesians and a few French, who made that region their home, or at least their stopping place. Forty-eight years later this writer (Joseph Schafer), recalling some of the tales then heard about Van McCollum, wondered if his story could be resurrected for the benefit of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin. A letter to Elmer McCollum, of Richland Center, a nephew of Van's, was relayed to Charles McCollum, Elmer's older brother, brought results and he supplied the sketch which in part follows:

   "Van Buren McCollum, the eldest son of Dr. Asa and Hodossah McCollum, was born in Leicester, Mass. He commenced his schooling in the public schools where some of the time Miss Clara Barton was the teacher. He applied himself to his books and became a great reader. This probably combined with his adventureous, roving disposition caused him to wander away (from Sextonville, his home from his 16th year) toward the setting sun, no more to see the home of his youth and friends 'till 30 or more years had passed by. He headed west to the Pacific coast.

   "He was a wonderfully interesting letter writer and I (Charles McCollum ) was the official letter writer for the family.  Not strange that my first correspondent was this far away uncle, to me so endowed with romance and mysticism. I was always happy to write to him and I never lost my childhood interest in him and we kept up a correspondence until his death. When my letter writing days were at hand he was located at Tar-o-hae, Marquesas islands. These are the islands so rapturously sung by poets, were a fitting abode for my poet uncle, and he was very happy there.

   "During a South Sea Island cruise by Robert Louis Steverson, the two exchanged poems and Stevenson sent my uncle a poem describing him as 'Bard McCollum.'

   "In 1891 Van visited his parents, sisters and brothers, whom he had not seen for 30 years, at the old Sextonville home. It was a happy reunion and all the family rejoiced over the wandered's return. His father died that winter of influenza. Van contracted the disease, and it left him with a bronchial infection from which he never recovered. In the spring he returned to his beloved islands, feeling sure the balmy climate would restore his health, but it failed to do so completely. He stopped over at Duncans Mills, California, among the redwoods and went on to the island. In 1899 he was so ill that he decided to return to Wisconsin where he would be with his relatives. When he reached San Francisco he decided to go to Duncans Mills again. There he died June 7, 1899, on his 64th birthday. The kindly old man had made many friends at Duncans Mills and he was shown great respect.

   "Relatives who visited his grave found it covered with calla lilies. However, death did not stop his travels, for eventually his grave, was found open and the body gone. He had been regarded with much love by the native islanders and a party of them came searching for the grave. They learned where he had, been laid to rest and it is thought that they opened the grave and took the body back to the palm studded islands. But this will never be known. It would be a fitting end to the story if we could record that the kindly old man was taken back to the isles he so dearly loved and laid to rest among the people to whom he had endeared himself." 

   There the story ends. The tombstone in the Sextonville cemetery says he was buried at Duncans Mills, yet the grave contains no body and the island natives won't talk.

   As Robert Louis Stevenson once wrote a poem for Mr. McCollum it might be possible that, besides himself, he had Van in mind when he wrote this:

      '' "Under the wide and starry sky,

        Dig the grave and let me lie.

        Glad did I live and gladly, die

        And I laid me down with a will.

        This be the verse you grave for me:

        Here he lies where be longed to be;

        Home is the sailor, home from the sea,

        And the hunter home from the hill."''