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- On 06 October, 1875, Charles married Lulu Belle Dewing in Egan, MoodyCounty, South Dakota. They moved to Eau Claire, Eau Claire County,Wisconsin, where Lulu Amanda was born on the 12the of August, 1877. In 1878 they moved to Dakota Territory near Egan, where Charle's parentshad filed on land by 'Squatters Right.' Charles also filed on land and asod house was erected on the rolling prairie. Belle twisted tall prairiegrass to use for fuel along with cow chips. Charles freighted fromFlandreau, Moody County and Egan, Moody County. Here, two children wereborn, Lana, 09, July, 1879 and Victor Mahon, 01, June, 1881. Their neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Louis M. Hulett and family decided to gowest with California as their destination .... However, the country westof the Black Hills proved very favorable after a three hundred and fiftymile journey. With winter soon to be upon them, they decided to settleon what was later named Hulett Creek, northwest of the Litter MissouriButtes in northwest Wyoming Territory. They enlarged a trappers dugoutin which they spent the winter. The next spring they moved to Black TailCreek, the first family to settle in the area. Huletts wrote to the Frenches about the wonderful opportunities here, andencouraged them to come where there was plenty of land for farming, goodstreams, plenty of timber for building and firewood, wild game and furbearing animals. In June, 1883 the Frenches, accompanied by Charlie Pettit, an elderlyone-armed man, and twenty-seven year old Charles Dunlap, started forWyoming in a covered wagon containing a large wall tent, cook stove, andother belongings, pulled by a span of large mules. Twice theyencountered Indians with whom they shared their food and were left totravel on. They arrived at the Huletts on the 9th of June, 1883. Alongthe way they had met the Dae Derrickson and George Richards families,also going to the Black Hills. The tent served as their home while the men erected a log house near thepresent town of Hulett, Crook County, Wyoming. The five large logs foreach side were rolled up with the mules, smaller logs were split for theroof, the covered with hay. A half window and lumber were purchased inSpearfish, South Dakota for one dollar and fifty cents. Wooden hingeswere made for the door. The next spring French, Pettit, and Dunlap returned to the DakotaTerritory never to head west again, taking the wagon, mules and tent.This left Mrs. French and the three children with only an old white horsebought from the 'D' cattle ranch for ten dollars. With a garden and meatsupplied by the cowboys and others, the family managed very well. Mrs.French also made gloves from tanned skins which she sold to the cowboysfor one dollar a pair. The following year the concern for a school resulted in a meeting withWilliam Draper of Sundance. He had been appointed to see about schoolinterests in what later became Crook County. The interview provedsatisfactory and they allowed five dollars for a schoolhouse and fiftydollars for a period of six months for a teacher. Mrs. French consentedto teach, however, she was required to take an examination before thenearest County Superintendent of Schools in Deadwood Dakota Territory.The journey was made on horseback. The papers were forwarded to theSuperintendent of Schools in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Lulu Belle (Dewing)French became the first school teacher in the Hulett, Wyoming area. Mr. Hulett, with the help of cowboys, built a log Schoolhouse withbenches and a table. Pupils were Mattie, Tom and Morgan Hulett, Lulu andLana French and Billie St. John, sixteen year old who came from Texaswith a trail herd and was staying at the 'D' winter camp in Barlow Canyon. This account was contributed by Frances Olivia (Nilson) Ruland in thebook, 'Pioneers Of Crook County 1876-1920', by the Crook CountyHistorical Society, Copyright 1981.
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d. 17 Aug 1946, , Alva, Crook County, Wyoming, USA