My great-grandparents Henry Austin Carringer (1853-1946) and Abbey Ardelle "Della" Smith (1862-1944) married on 11 September 1887 in Wano, Cheyenne County, Kansas. I told their life stories in ABC Biography of #12 Henry Austin Carringer (1853-1946) of Pennsylvania, Iowa, Colorado and California and ABC Biography of #13 Abbey Ardelle "Della" (Smith) Carringer (1862-1944) of Wisconsin, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, and California based on my genealogical and family history research over 38 years.
I don't have any "family stories" about their early life except what is in the records I have from family sources, books and periodicals, and online record collections. Fortunately, I have Della's scrapbook, my grandfather's photo collection, and a number of records about their life in San Diego.
This is a series of short stories. The earlier stories are:
- "Austin and Della: Life Stories - Part 2: New Beginnings" - AI Historical Fiction
- "Austin and Della Life Stories - Part 3: Joy and Sorrow" - AI Historical Fiction
Second Chances
The Story of Lyle Lawrence Carringer and the Future
A New Beginning
The November fog hung thick over San Diego Bay on the morning of November 2nd, 1891, when Della's labor began at their home on 16th and Market Street. Austin had barely slept for weeks, his anxiety growing as Della's time approached. The loss of Devier still haunted their dreams, making this pregnancy both a blessing and a source of constant worry.
"Austin, stop pacing and come hold my hand," Della said gently, though her own voice trembled with a mixture of anticipation and fear. "Our baby is coming, and I need you here with me."
Abbie Smith had arrived from Nebraska a full month early this time, determined not to miss the birth of her second grandchild. At sixty-two, she moved with the confidence of a woman who had helped bring many children into the world, but her eyes held the same protective concern that had marked the family since Devier's death.
"This one's strong," Abbie murmured as she examined Della. "I can tell already. Strong and eager to meet his parents."
When their son arrived just after noon, filling the house with healthy, vigorous cries, both Austin and Della wept with relief. He was larger than Devier had been, with powerful lungs and a grip that could hold Austin's finger tight.
"Lyle Lawrence," Della whispered, studying his face through her tears. "Lyle for the island, Lawrence for the laurel of victory. You're our little victor, aren't you, sweetheart?"
Austin could barely speak. "He's perfect, Della. Just perfect."
Protective Love
The months that followed were marked by a protective vigilance that bordered on obsession. Every cough, every sneeze, every moment of fussiness sent Austin or Della into quiet panic. They took turns checking on Lyle throughout the night, their hands hovering over his chest to ensure he was still breathing.
"We can't live in fear," Della told Austin one evening as they watched their three-month-old son sleeping peacefully in his cradle. "But I can't help it. Every time I look at him, I see Devier too."
Austin nodded grimly. His work at Russ Mill and Lumber Company on the waterfront kept him busy, but his thoughts were never far from home. He'd grown skilled at mill work, helping process the lumber that built San Diego's growing neighborhoods, but he'd rush home every lunch hour just to hold his son.
Their letters to Austin's family in Colorado reflected both their joy and their anxiety:
Dearest Father and Mother, Austin wrote in March 1892, Lyle continues to thrive, though we watch him like hawks. He has begun to smile and coo, and yesterday he laughed when I made faces at him. Della says he has your eyes, Mother, bright and intelligent. The doctor says he's growing well and strong.
Growing Prosperity
By 1893, Austin's steady work and Della's frugal management had allowed them to move to a larger house at 28th Street and Logan Avenue. The growing family - Lyle was now a sturdy toddler - needed more space, and Austin had dreams of building something grander still.
Della had resumed her artistic pursuits, teaching piano and painting lessons to supplement their income. Her natural talent and refined education made her popular among San Diego's growing middle class.
"Mrs. Carringer," young Margaret Phillips said after a particularly challenging piano lesson, "you make the music sound like stories. How do you do that?"
Della smiled, remembering her theatrical days. "Every song has a story to tell, dear. You just have to listen for it."
The 1895 family photograph, taken in front of Abbie's hat shop nearby, captured a moment of prosperity and happiness. Little Lyle, now nearly four, sat proudly in his toy wagon, while Austin stood beside his new bicycle - a symbol of the family's rising fortunes. Abbie Smith beamed beside her grandson, Austin's brother Edgar, who had come west to join the family business, and Della looking at Austin, completed the group.
"Hold still, Lyle," Austin called as the photographer prepared his camera. "Show everyone what a big boy you are."
"I'm the biggest boy in San Diego!" Lyle declared, causing the adults to laugh and spoiling the formal pose the photographer had arranged.
Building Dreams
The real transformation began in 1894 when Austin and Della made a bold decision that would change their lives forever. Using money they'd saved, she purchased nine lots in Block 61 of Seaman and Choate's Addition for $450 - a substantial investment that represented their faith in San Diego's future.
"Brooklyn Heights," she told Austin excitedly, spreading the plat map across their kitchen table. "It's going to be one of the finest neighborhoods in the city. The lots are bounded by Ella Street, Watkins Avenue, and Fern Street. Just think what we could build there!"
Austin studied the map, his carpenter's eye already envisioning possibilities. "It's a good location, high ground with views of the bay. But Della, building a house... that's a big undertaking."
"You built railroad stations and freight cars," she replied confidently. "Surely you can build us a proper home."
By 1895, Della had established her art studio at 29th and Logan, teaching painting and piano to the daughters of San Diego's prosperous families. Her reputation grew, and with it, their income. The studio was a bright, airy space filled with easels, sheet music, and the chatter of eager students.
"Mrs. Carringer," her student Emily Watson asked one afternoon, "why did you leave Kansas to come here?"
"For love," Della replied simply, mixing colors on her palette. "Sometimes love takes you to places you never imagined."
The Victorian Dream
In June 1897, the San Diego Union announced: "Building permits were issued yesterday to Della A. Carringer for a $600 residence on Watkins avenue and Thirtieth street." Austin had been planning and preparing for months, drawing detailed blueprints during his evenings at the mill.
The two-story Victorian house that rose on the southwestern corner of the block was Austin's masterpiece. Facing Watkins Street (later renamed Hawthorn), it featured a wraparound porch, ornate gingerbread trim, and bay windows that caught the morning light. Inside, there were separate parlors for Della's music and art lessons, a modern kitchen, and upstairs bedrooms with views of downtown San Diego and the bay beyond.
"Papa, are we rich now?" six-year-old Lyle asked as they moved into their grand new home.
Austin lifted his son to his shoulders so he could see out the upstairs windows. "We're blessed, son. Very blessed indeed."
Family Gathered
The photograph taken around 1900 captured the full flowering of their California dream. Standing in front of their Victorian home were three generations of Carringers: Austin's parents, D.J. and Rebecca, who had finally made the journey west; Austin's brother Edgar, now a permanent resident of San Diego; Della's mother Abbie, a frequent visitor; and at the center, Austin, Della, and nine-year-old Lyle.
Their horse, a gentle mare named Belle, stood patiently in the background. The horse-drawn surrey parked beside the house had become essential for family life, carrying them and their neighbors to the streetcar line at 16th and Broadway for trips downtown.
"Everyone smile," Austin called out, having set up the camera with a timer mechanism. "This is for posterity!"
As he rushed to take his place beside Della, their eyes met with the understanding of all they had survived and achieved. From the prairie theaters of Kansas to the devastating loss of their first child, from their twenty-dollar honeymoon to this moment of prosperity and family harmony, they had built something lasting and beautiful.
Lyle, now a confident boy with his father's steady hands and his mother's artistic eye, represented their greatest achievement. He was not just their surviving child, but their triumph over grief, their proof that love and determination could overcome even the deepest sorrows.
"Look at what we've built," Della whispered to Austin as the camera captured their moment.
"Look at what we've become," he replied, his arm around her waist as their family and friends gathered close.
The boy who had arrived on that foggy November morning in 1891 was now the center of a thriving family enterprise. Their protective love had not made him fragile but strong, their hard work had given him opportunities they'd never dreamed of, and their faith had created a foundation that would support generations to come.
In the distance, the whistle of a Santa Fe train echoed across the city, reminding them of the journey that had brought them here. But this was home now, this Victorian house in Brooklyn Heights, this life they had crafted with their own hands and hearts in the golden promise of California.
I can imagine the concern, excitement and joy of the birth of another child after losing the first child. I understand trying to get ahead - buying land, building a house, starting a small business - and seeing the rewards of their planning and hard work.
I want to believe the above fictional account is realistic, but it is historical fiction based on my family history research. The account is touching and heartfelt.
This is a series of fictional short stories (but based on actual events in their lives) about the lives of Austin and Della (Smith) Carringer. Getting married in Kansas in 1887, the honeymoon trip to San Diego, raising a family, owning and building their own house, their son marrying, having a grandchild, and living out their lives for almost 60 more years!
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