THE RYES AND THE LAYCOCKS

Charles Rye accompanied his sister Mary Ann Rye Laycock from England to Rhode Island, arriving in November 1850.  In 1853, when treaties with the Indians made lands west of the Mississippi eligible for settlement, the three made their way to St. Anthony.  The Laycocks were in what would be St. Louis Park by March 1854, but Charles stayed in Minneapolis.

Charles Rye was in the 1st Minnesota Infantry and the 1st Battalion Minnesota Infantry from February 24, 1864 to July 14, 1865.  He told his family of the battle of Gettysburg and other battles in Virginia and the South.

An early marriage failed but in 1878 he married Ida Mae Wood in Iowa.   In about 1880, the family moved to what would become St. Louis Park, in an area around 28th and Joppa.  Charles was a signer of the petition that would make St. Louis Park a Village.

Emily Louise was born in 1879 in Iowa.

Jessie was born in 1882 in Minnesota

James Archibald “Archie” was born on January 26, 1884.  See below

Davis/Carl was born in 1886

Hattie was born in 1891

Lorvell/Lansin was born in 1894


JAMES ARCHIBALD RYE

We are fortunate to have a very entertaining Autobiography of James Archibald Rye, written in 1943.

James/Archie married Pauline Truscott, and they had two children:

Stanley Irving, born May 29, 1907.  Stanley began working for National lead in 1939-1940, working half a day as a chemist doing assay work in the lab and half as a factory laborer.  Soon he worked only in the lab, and after World War II he became a bookkeeper in the office.  He retired in 1971.  Stanley’s children are George, Joann, and Charles.

Floyd Alton, born March 3, 1909

Pauline died and James married Esther Picken (Born: 5 Feb 1898, Died: 13 Apr 1995).  Their children were:

Janet, born 1924

James O., born 1926

 There is more on the Rye and Laycock families in Something in the Water.