Very interesting story, I love family secrets. (Have a couple of my own, but I won't explain here.)

That is an interesting twist on the story. I don't blame Addie if she is haunting the place!

You've probably already seen this, but it is the website for the B&B. The rooms are named after Enoch, Addie and others.

Here is a link that might be useful: Fargo Mansion

It is a fascinating story!

Really interesting! It seems as though there were a lot of family secrets in generations past. Our ancestors weren't angels, but they went to great lengths to hide their sins. Nowadays, many young people seem to consider their transgressions as badges of honor.

Thanks for sharing this story!!

Yes, it is a fascinating story. Seems times haven't changed much, though. The very wealthy can still buy their way out of trouble. Maybe Enoch is roasting on a spit somewhere.

Thanks for the up date. That mansion is gorgeous, I would love to tour it and see what is up in that tower. I enjoy these old stories.

I'm traveling out there this fall to visit Aunt Addie's room and she if she'd like to sit and chat for a spell. :)

The owners of the B&B have been wonderful.

Another interesting twist is that the third wife (Martha [Mattie]) was also a Hoyt!

Rose

Ahh, the plot thickens!!! How wonderful to find out all this information about your family. You will have to let us know how the visit to Fargo Mansion goes.

Wow--Martha took her life in her hands when she married Enoch.

We have an ancestor named Enoch in my husband's family, too. But he was a Methodist minister, and didn't shoot anyone as far as I know. :-)

Wow, Rosemary, what a fascinating story. Good thing that Enoch didn't try to marry your great grand-mother!

Oh! I love this story and the pictures!.. below is the link to the cemetery on FindAGrave that they are all buried in.. the original poster is inactive now.. you should join FindAGrave and ask for their memorials to be transfered to you and add these great stories to their memorials....

Here is a link that might be useful: FindAGrave

I forgot to say... that you can add the photos without being the one who maintains the memorial.. you should definately add your g-aunts photo to her memorial and request a photo of her tombstone. There is a place on her memorial to request the photo..

wow., quite a family history. Very interesting story. I love the old pictures!

This is very interesting. In the link there are a couple unknown women pictures, to me they also look like Addie. If it wasn't her it must have been a sister or a close relative?

WHAT?? Poor Addy. You found out so much information in a short time! Guess you're used to looking up facts with all the research you've done on Sears houses. Aren't you glad that photo album was saved instead of tossed years ago? I am. Shocking, but fascinating story!

I'm not at all surprised. I thought the Addie dying at such a young age sounded a little suspicious. I was thinking more in the lines of arsenic not a shot in the head. I hope that doctor is in the same place as Enoch right now!

That damn Enoch!!!!!!!!!!

Wow! Amazing story, and amazing pics on your site! I can't wait to hear about when you go visit.

Georgy, I suspect Enoch started with arsenic and then upgraded to a bullet.

Today, I walked into the Wachovia bank and saw a sign on the door that said the name was being changed into "Wells Fargo" and I thought, "Oh brother..."

I've learned so much more about this case TODAY. Thanks to two helpers, I now know that Addie's death certificate says that Diphtheria was the listed as the cause of death, and that was a highly communicable disease, and it would have provided the excuse that Enoch needed to bury her in the dark of night. And according to Kermeen's book, that's exactly what he did.

That's what's almost chilling about this. The facts I'm learning match the "legend" that I've been reading about.

I've also learned that there were two young servant girls living in the Fargo household according to the 1900 census, and they *must* have heard the gunshots.

Enoch may have threatened and/or bribed them into silence, but once he got old and crispy, maybe that's when they felt free to start telling the horrid story.

That's only a theory, but I do know that there were five women living in that house in 1900 when the census taker came by, and four of those women *must* have heard that gunshot.

I also know that The Fargo Mansion was about a half mile from the cemetery where Addie was buried before dawn, and the doctor who was involved (mentioned above), lived about a half mile from The Fargo Mansion as well.

In other words, logistically speaking, this would have all worked.

Addie and Enoch Fargo on their wedding day:

Addie and Enoch some time later:

Kind of reminds me of those before meth/after meth photos.

Sad, isn't it?

Here is a link that might be useful: The most recent update on Addie

Very sad. The early pictures she looks happy and hopeful and the latter pictures show some unhappiness in her eyes. Abuse was not talked about as openly as it is today.

This is a better photo of Addie. I redid the scan at a super high resolution.

Chilling, isn't it?

You can see how distorted her face is on the right side. Looks like someone hit her in the face to me.

One last photo:

You can really see how her whole right side is swollen up. I wish I knew when this photo was taken.

She also aged a lot in that short time,in her wedding picture she looks almost child like and in that other picture she looks like a much older woman.