Memorials › Michael George "Mike" Bridges

Michael George "Mike" Bridges

13 Nov 1860 – 14 Oct 1941

Birth13 Nov 1860
Death14 Oct 1941
CemeteryBrick Road Memorial Park
Ellensburg , Kittitas County , Washington , USA
Added byMargie von Marenholtz on 28 Dec 2008
FaGhttps://www.findagrave.com/memorial/17526756

Bio

A biography of Mike "Pa" Bridges was written by his granddaughter, Rhoda Belle Andrews, in 1959. George Michael Bridges (Mike) was born Nov. 13, 1860, in Erath County, Texas to Samuel Bridges (an Irishman) and Sarah Elizabeth Foster (Hutson) Bridges. [Note: There is a discrepancy regarding his mother's last name. Other researchers and DNA matches prove the name was Osborn, not Foster]. "When Pa was a small boy, his father went from Texas to Mexico and never returned, presumably the victim of an accident or foul play. For many years his mother and older brothers and sisters saw to it all doors and windows were covered and barricaded from sundown to sunrise to protect them from bushwackers. It was the custom of the time throughout the south, where supplies were scarce, lands barren and life cheap. After the family moved to Washington Dave insisted all lights be put out before answering the door to after dark callers. Mother and Granny both told me of these fears and customs. Pa's mother and her first husband, Granville Hutson lived in Virginia and had teenage sons, one of whom was David (Dave) Hutson. After the death of their mother, Mike and his younger brother Coy accompanied their brother Dave Hutson when he moved to Washington Territory. Dave died within four months of their arrival and he promised to take care of Dave's girls. He married Belle within 10 months and the couple was very happy together. He and Belle had three daughters together. All his daughters adored him. Granddaughter Rhoda remembers that he used to call their night shirts "shimmy shacks. In the Spring of 1883, a few months after his brother died, Pa worked in the Methow Valley in Okanogan caring for a large herd of sheep. He returned to their homestead in the Denmark district of Kittitas valley and he and Granny (Belle Hutson) were married. Granny told Rhoda she had been a widow ten months. Per Rhoda in her family history of Mike Bridges in 1959: "we, his step-grandchildren have always maintained that his being our half uncle plus step grandfather made him 100% grandfather. A simple problem of mathematics you see 1/2 plus 1/2 makes 1 whole. You will agree, I am sure that he was a real grandfather to us all." There is a tale of an incident that occurred while in Methow and told to me by Pa when I lived with them in the fall of 1911 until June 1912. Pa and a co-worker would cook a pot of beans or stew in the evening for the next day's lunch and supper. There were a few scattered homesteaders but most of the inhabitants of the area were Indians. One old man came every evening and would eat whatever they had left. One evening their pot of beans were sour, because of the extremely hot weather. They couldn't explain this to the Indian except by sign language, their own, that is. He misunderstood their efforts and thought they were refusing it to him. He became hostile and made threatening moves so they backed off and the Indian ate the beans. He smacked his lips, rubbed his tummy to show his pleasure and gratitude and left. Two days later, he returned very gaunt and obviously ill, he stood and glared his fiercest at each, then with great dignity left and never came back. Pa said the old fellow brought it on himself. They had tried to warn him. Life wasn't all work and no laughs. Folks at that time had their moments. Pa moved his family into town in 1900 and went to work for the N. P. railroad company. In 1905, we Wheaton children heard the roundhouse whistle for the first time and were frightened by it; asked Pa what it was. He told us that was his old cow bawling and thereafter we called it Pa's cow. On still days we could hear it where we were living on the Talbot farm, four miles from town." At the age of 56 on August 31, 1916, M. G. Bridges registered to vote in Kittitas County. [Vol. 8] He listed his occupation as railroad and his residence as 8th & Wenas Streets. He declared his birthplace as Texas. Mike and Belle operated the Palace Hotel during the 1930's. Many of the residents were overnight guests who worked for the Northern Pacific Railway. After it burned, they operated the Butler Hotel across the street. Granddaughter Doris recalled visiting them as children. As the adults visited, they would visit Uncle John and Aunt Dona (Wheaton) across the street. All the children would go to the movies and have a milk shake afterwards. Both he and Belle were killed in a car accident in Fresno, California in 1941. They are buried in Ellensburg.

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