Henry P. Larrabee
Contributed by Joetta Russell-Wilson of Libby, Montana
My grandmother, Cora Larrabee Stout, was the daughter of Henry P. and Catherine Larrabee. When my mother, Mabel Stout Stefan, was researching her grandfather, Henry P. Larrabee, little was known about his trip to California during the gold rush era. In fact, it was barely mentioned in the family history. Imagine my surprise when I discovered the role he played in the history of Humboldt County.
 Henry, the child of Joseph and Lucy Larrabee, was born in Marion County, Ohio, where he lived until he left for California in 1849. He arrived in Humboldt County in 1859 and established a ranch east of what is now known as Bridgeville. Several landmarks--including Laribee Creek, Little Laribee Creek, and Laribee Valley--still carry his name today. The area that eventually became Blocksburg is also referred to as "Larrabee" in some historical documents.
It is believed that my great grandfather was involved in the massacres that took place on Indian Island near Eureka and two other sites in Humboldt County in February, 1860. The Wiyot people had gathered there for their yearly world renewal ceremony, and during the night, a group of settlers armed with hatchets, clubs, and knives, crept onto the island and slaughtered the elders, women, and children as they slept (the Wiyot men had left to gather supplies for the celebration).
After Henry left Humboldt County in 1862, he again followed the gold rush to the Salmon River and ended up in Hellgate, Montana, where he was elected sheriff of Missoula County in 1865 and served for one year. He remained in Missoula until 1868, when he returned to Ohio, presumably because of his father's death.
He married my great grandmother, Catherine Phillips, on February 14, 1869, in Indiana. They had five children, Joseph, Magdalene (Lena), William Lee, Cora, and Nora May. They moved from Indiana to Joplin, Missouri, then to Wellington, Kansas, and eventually on to Wichita, where he had an artificial stone business. After he left Wichita, he went to Seward County in southwest Kansas where he homesteaded and became a cattle rancher. He was a deputy sheriff for a time and a member of the school board. He died of cancer in 1906.
One of many mysteries about Henry P. Larrabee is that there seems to be several opinions as to what the "P" stood for in his name. In his obituary, he is named Henry Platte Larrabee. In other genealogy reports the "P" is listed as Pierre or Paul. His middle name is not mentioned in any accounts of him and he always signed his name Henry P. Larrabee.
I have been assisted by Humboldt County residents Jim Baker and Kristin Windbigler in my search to learn more about my great grandfather's past. If you have any information about him or those who accompanied him west (his brother-in-law, Joseph Munn, or his brother, George Larrabee), please contact me through this Web site at contribute@blocksburg.com.
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