Webmaster: griffing@fnal.gov

Inez Griffing: Risqué Business

 By Ann Hathaway and William J. Griffing

 The world’s oldest profession.  Some say it’s prostitution.  Some say it’s politics.  Some say the two are the exact same thing.  Whichever school of thought reflects your personal opinion, if either subject offends you then please don’t read the following article!

Inez Griffing, the central character of our story, was born on 29 December 1862, probably in Table Rock, Pawnee County, Nebraska, the eldest child of Osmyn Griffing and Sarah Reavis.  But as a part of the early history of Wichita, she’s better known as “Dixie Lee.”  There has been a great deal of speculation, rumor, and misinformation printed about Inez over the years; this article will attempt to set the record straight.  Thanks to those new-fangled inventions, the Internet and email, the volume of data collected about Inez and her family is considerable, far too much to cover in just one article.  In the following pages the reader will learn about Inez’ family and early life prior to her arrival in Wichita; in the next issue Inez’ time in Wichita will be discussed.

Her family tree is an interesting one.  On her father’s side, the original emigrant from Wales, Jasper Griffing, settled on eastern Long Island around 1670.  His son Robert was a brick mason and ran an inn in Southold, Long Island.  Robert’s youngest son, Jasper (“the Commodore”) ran away to sea and eventually settled in Guilford, Connecticut, where he became a wealthy merchant and landowner.  The Commodore accumulated a lot of property in Guilford, eventually purchasing the Henry Whitfield House in 1770, where his brother lived while in exile from Long Island during the British occupation in the American Revolution. That house is now a museum, deeded by the Griffing family to the State of Connecticut in 1900. [1]

The Commodore’s son, Capt. Jasper Griffing, captained one of his father’s ships (the “Martine”) and operated as a privateer during the American Revolution, raiding British ships and splitting the booty among his crew.  He had quite a cache stored up in New London, CT, until Benedict Arnold turned traitor and led British forces into that seaport to recapture the stolen goods and supplies. Capt. Jasper retired from the maritime business and moved to the Berkshire Mountains of western Massachusetts in the late 1790’s.  He also strayed a little too far from the home fire and fathered a son out of wedlock, which was proved only recently by DNA testing. [2]  This generation was then followed by a string of religious zealots who condemned slavery and embraced temperance.

One of Jasper’s legitimate sons, John Griffing (b. 18 Oct 1784 Guilford, CT; d. 20 Dec 1844, Tioga, NY), married Lydia Redfield (b. 10 July 1792 Richmond, MA; d. 13 Dec 1882 Tioga, NY), daughter of Beriah Redfield (descendant of Mayflower passengers John Alden and Priscilla Mullins) and Dorothy Stevens, on 1 Oct 1808 in New Lebanon, Columbia County, N Y.  John became a Methodist circuit rider in the early 1800’s, riding a 400-mile circuit in the Wyoming Valley of Pennsylvania and New York.  He finally settled in Owego, Tioga County, NY.  John and Lydia had a total of 12 children together, all born in Tioga County, NY.  One of their sons became a Methodist minister; two of their daughters would marry Methodist ministers.

John and Lydia’s eighth child, James S. Griffing (b. 28 Oct 1822 Tioga, NY; d. 3 Apr 1882 Osawatomie, KS) graduated from Wesleyan University in 1852 and subsequently made his way to Indianapolis where he started a Methodist Church in the northern suburbs of the growing capital city. Once President Pierce signed the long-debated Kansas-Nebraska Bill in 1854, the Methodist Bishops sent Rev. William H. Goode and Rev. James S. Griffing to Kansas Territory, where they arrived in November 1854.  James was a free-stater, and like most free-staters he encouraged those of like mind in the East to come to Kansas and take up a claim.  One of those who responded to his entreaties was his brother-in-law Rev. Charles W. Giddings, who married James’ second-oldest sibling, Clarissa.  He visited James in Kansas in 1856, concluded that Kansas would become a slave state, and thought it might be better to settle in Nebraska Territory instead.  So Rev. Giddings rode up into what is now Pawnee County, Nebraska and staked out a claim on the Nemaha River.  This claim would later grow into the town of Table Rock.  He started the Nebraska Settlement Association and went back East recruiting other free-staters living in the Wyoming Valley of Pennsylvania to join him in Nebraska at his town of Table Rock.  

Meanwhile, John and Lydia’s tenth child, Osmyn (b. 22 Sep 1828 Tioga, NY) was still living in Owego, Tioga County, NY, working the family farm and laboring in a local industry.  A photo of Osmyn, probably taken at mid-century, shows a broad-shouldered, firm-jawed young man in his early 20’s. But tragedy would soon follow the taking of this image.  The Owego Gazette of November 18, 1852, carried the following news: "Accident at the Bridge Building -- As the workmen were raising a stick of timber on the turning carriage at the Bridge Shop on Monday last, the hook, which held it, gave way and it fell, hitting one of the hands, Osmond Griffin, directly in the face and crushing him beneath it, bruising him in a most horrible manner. His injuries at the time were supposed to be fatal, but we are happy to hear, that hopes are now entertained of his recovery. He is the son of Rev. Griffin, formerly of town of Tioga, deceased.  Dr. Hiram N. Eastman is the attending physician."  Osmyn would recover, but it would seem that he was disfigured from the accident in some way, and almost certainly lost the sight in one eye.  In a letter that his brother James wrote to the girl back home, Augusta Goodrich, dated 1 January 1853, he says that “Osmyn writes that the people are all well there [in Owego].  He wrote whilst partially blindfolded.  [Osmyn] thinks he will get well in a few days.”  In subsequent letters to Augusta, James writes things that suggest Osmyn may have been withdrawn following his accident, perhaps self-conscious about his appearance.  Clarissa and her husband Charles Giddings, as well as James, are seen trying to encourage Osmyn to migrate west, in the hope that Osmyn will find someone to share his life.  Osmyn finally did head west, arriving in Table Rock, Pawnee County, Nebraska Territory sometime prior to September, 1859, when he is mentioned in a letter his brother James wrote to the family back in New York.  In that letter James states that Osmyn “has had that sick headache but once.” [3]  At the time of the 1860 Federal census, Osmyn, age 31, is living with his brother-in-law and sister, Charles and Clarissa Griffing Giddings, in Table Rock and his occupation is recorded as “hired hand”.  On 30 July 1860 Osmyn purchased a small farm on the south side of Table Rock from the Nebraska Settlement Association.  Charles Giddings had set himself up to administer the sale of lands purchased by the Nebraska Settlement Association to individual landowners; a staunch anti-slavery, anti-liquor Methodist minister, Rev. Giddings managed to insert language into the deeds of the property he sold on behalf of the Association that forbade not only the sale but also the consumption of spirituous liquors on each town property.

On her mother’s side, Inez was related to prominent attorneys and judges.  The original immigrant, Edward Rivis/Revis/Reavis received a Royal Land Patent in Henrico County, Virginia in 1721. [4]  Between 1745 and 1747, Edward and his entire family, including married sons and their families, went to Northampton County, North Carolina, where Edward died in 1751.  Edward’s son Edward died young, leaving only one son, Isham.  Isham evidently had itchy feet as he migrated first to Surry County, NC, then Rutherford County, NC, and finally to Kentucky in 1798.  From there some of his children went to Illinois, including his son Charles, who died in Menard County, IL in 1836.  Charles’ son Isham was born 1 July 1798 in Rutherford County, NC, and served in the War of 1812 under Captain Whiteside when Isham was about 15 years old.  Isham was married 23 Jan 1818 in Bond County, IL to Mahala Beck (b. 3 Nov 1799 VA).  Isham and Mahala had seven children.  Isham, purportedly an old friend of Abraham Lincoln’s [5], died 19 Aug 1843 in Cass County, IL.  His youngest child, Sarah (b. 12 Sept 1841 Cass, IL), was not quite two years old.  Mahala remarried in Cass County on 1 July 1847 to James Street; he died prior to the time of the 1850 census.  The 1850 census shows Mahala with her five youngest children.  Mahala didn’t have an occupation, but Carroll (20) and Daniel (18) were farmers.  Thyrza (15), Isham (14), and Sarah (8) were attending school.  Mahala died 23 Apr 1855 in Cass County.  Isham was attending the Academy in the town of Virginia, Cass County at the time, but when Mahala died he was forced to leave.  Isham wrote a letter asking to read law under Abraham Lincoln, but Mr. Lincoln referred him to Mr. Dummer instead.  In August 1855 Isham commenced reading law in Beardstown, Cass County, and was admitted to the bar in 1857.  In the late 1850’s Carroll and Daniel and their families, along with Isham and undoubtedly Sarah, left Illinois for Richardson County, Nebraska, where Isham settled into practice as an attorney in Falls City.  His brother-in-law and sister, George and Thyrza Teresa Reavis Roy, followed them to Falls City in March 1865.  Isham was elected District Attorney in 1867, and in 1868 he was elected to the State Senate.  In April 1869, President Grant appointed Isham to the position of Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Territory of Arizona.  In 1873 Isham resigned his position and returned to Falls City where he resumed his practice as an attorney.

Table Rock, where Osmyn Griffing lived, and Falls City, where Sarah Reavis lived, are only about 25 miles apart.  Somehow Osmyn and Sarah met, and were married 4 July 1861 by Rev. Wingate King in the house of A. Miller in Falls City.  He was 32, she 19.  They eventually had five children: Inez, Ella (b. ca. 1866), Anna (b. ca. 1868), Ernest (b. Mar 1872), and Jessie (a girl, b. 11 June 1874).  Inez was probably born in Table Rock, the rest of the children were probably born in Falls City. 

When the Cheyenne Indians went on the warpath in the late summer of 1864 and started raiding the ranches and stage stations on the Overland Trail to Denver, Osmyn attempted to join the Nebraska Militia, 2nd Brigade, 1st Regiment, which had been called out to respond to the attacks.  He was “rejected on account of disability” [6] on 25 Aug 1864.  On 26 Mar 1866 Osmyn sold the town lots in Table Rock to his wife, Sarah.  On 24 Apr 1866 he sold the land in Pawnee County he purchased from Charles Giddings (representing the Nebraska Settlement Association) back to Rev. Giddings.  Osmyn moved his young family to Falls City about this time,  On 1 Nov 1871 Osmyn bought 160 acres of land in Pawnee County, Nebraska from the Government and attempted to farm it, while his wife operated a restaurant and boarding house in the 700 block of Stone Street in Falls City.

Osmyn Griffing - considered a “conscientious, noble-hearted man who always dealt fairly with his fellowman and spoke well of his neighbors” [7] - was only 45 when he died of consumption on 21 Feb 1874, in Falls City. Osmyn is buried in Steele Cemetery, Falls City.  

Osmyn Griffing's Gravestone in Falls City, Nebraska

With Osmyn’s death, Sarah Reavis Griffing was faced with a difficult situation.  She had four young children to care for (Inez, the oldest, was just 11), and was five month’s pregnant with her fifth child when Osmyn died.  A letter dated 8 Jun 1874 from Clarissa Griffing Giddings to her brother James and sister-in-law Augusta mentions Sarah’s situation: “I have not heard from Sarah Griffing for several weeks.  She is expecting to be [delivering the baby] soon if she has not already.  I wish she would let me have the third little girl [Anna].  She is a sweet child and was her father’s pet.  The next is a boy [Ernest].  I know not how Sarah will be able to care of another.  She must have her hands full now and I would be glad to help her.  She continues to keep the restaurant, which with two three boarders, ekes out their living.  I wish you would write to her.  She needs our sympathy.” [7]

But Sarah needed more than sympathy; she needed a husband.  Enter Greene Holton. Greene was born 1 Oct 1832 in Dummerston, Windham County, VT, the son of Noble Holton (b. 23 Dec 1792) and Betsy Whitney (b. 6 Oct 1800).  Noble and Betsy had a total of ten children, three boys and seven girls, although few of them lived to adulthood.  About 1836 the family moved from Vermont to Cattaraugus, Allegany County, NY, where Betsy died in 1844.  By the 1850 census, Noble and his remaining children were living in Tazewell County, IL.  Greene and his sister Fanny were living in the household of Jesse Sovereign, a farmer.  Sometime between 1850 and 1860, probably after his father’s death in 1852, Greene headed west to California, perhaps to seek his fortune in the gold fields.  All did not go well for him there, however. In 1857 Greene was convicted of “assault with intent to murder”, and was in San Quentin Prison in Marin County, CA at the time of the 1860 census.  How he came to meet the widow Sarah Reavis Griffing in Falls City is only mere speculation but intuition suggests that after Greene was released from prison, they crossed paths in the village while he visited an older brother named Dr. Noble Holton (b. 22 May 1823) who studied to be a physician in Peoria, IL then eventually established a practice in Falls City, NE in the early 1870’s. {Authors Note: Subsequent research has revealed that Greene Holton actually lived in Falls City where he was proprietor of "The Eldorado" Billiard Hall, located only a block away from the Griffing Confectionary/Restaurant and Boarding House.}

Greene Holton and Sarah Reavis Griffing must have married before the end of 1876, as the1880 census finds them in the coastal California town of Arcata, Humboldt County, near the Oregon border with triplets who were born in 1877.  Greene’s given occupation was book peddler.  All of Sarah’s children, with the exception of Inez, were living with them along with the triplet daughters - Flora, Florence, and Floretta, born 12 Sep 1877 in Oregon.  Sarah and Greene would eventually have three more daughters: Eunice, born probably in 1880; Georgia, born July 1881, and Ada, born Oct 1883.

Finally, we get back to Inez Griffing.  Where was she in 1880 if not with her family?  She would have been just 17 at the time of the census.  Well, we’re not really sure.  But given that Inez was running a brothel in Wichita by the time the 1887 city directory was published, and that she left property in the red light district of Kansas City in her will, we can make an educated guess.  The educated guess says that Inez stopped in Kansas City for a time, where she at least knew, and might even have worked for, Annie Chambers before coming to Wichita.  In the next issue of the REGISTER, Inez’ trials, trails, and travails as the most notorious Madame in Wichita frontier history will be examined.  Don’t miss it!