The end of the line for Peter H. Waynick.

I'm always happy when someone picks up and runs with a thread of research I've dropped during the many years The Lucas Countyan has been published online.

So Ivan Nichols helped to make my day recently when he added a comment to a 2013 post entitled "The Waynicks: Solomon D. and William D." that explained what became of a Lucas County native named Peter H. Waynick, in his 30s when he disappeared about 1890.

The Waynicks were a prominent pioneer family in Lucas County but by now have vanished entirely, leaving behind only a cemetery and tombstones bearing their surname in Warren Township as well as a few graves in the Chariton Cemetery.

Peter, born in Chariton, was one of a dozen children of Dr. William D. and Martha (Clark) Waynick. He left Chariton in 1874, age about 17, and it's possible to trace his whereabouts for a few years via the back files of Chariton newspapers. He was spotted in Red Oak, Clarinda and Omaha prior to 1880. During that year, he was working as a bookkeeper in Wyoming Territory. After that, no more reports.

Here's Mr. Nichols' account of what happened next:

"Peter H. Waynick drowned (by choice) in the Salmon River near North Fork, Idaho, in July, 1890. His body was found many days later and he was buried in an unmarked grave along the Salmon river near Shoup, Idaho. He was married twice, first to 'Anna M.' whom he divorced at Omaha, Nebraska in 1879. Second marriage in 1882 to Carrie Phelps at Carbon county, Wyoming. He was the postmaster of Almy, Wyoming, in 1883. Before coming to Idaho, he co-owned a grocery store with T. D. O'Flynn at Evanston, Wyoming, for two years. Waynick would try to kill Flynn with a gun in 1886."

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I explored Idaho newspaper files after reading Mr. Nichols' note and found two references to Peter's death and burial in two of the databases I have access to. The first was published in The Idaho Semi-Weekly World (Idaho City) on July 25, 1890, attributed to the Salmon City Recorder. The article was headlined, "Demented-Drowned."

We are informed that P.H. Waynick, of Gibbonsville, who went down to Thomas' ranch on Saturday last to sober up after being on a protracted spree, who was supposed to be in a demented condition, slipped away from his watcher early Monday morning and was met on the trail near Mrs. Barrack's ranch by a traveler who was en route for Shoup. When Waynick got within a few feet of the traveler he dropped down on his knees and exlaimed: "For God sake don't kill me." He was asked to rise which he did. He Then said he was going to "Gibstown," and when being informed that he was going the wrong way, turned around and started back towards North Fork.

The traveler then proceeded on his way, supposing that Waynick was coming along behind him. It seems he changed his mind after leaving the traveler and retraced his steps toward this city. Later in the day he was reported as passing Mrs. Barrack's ranch and that when he came to a  point a short distance below her residence where the main trail comes into a cow trail, he took the latter which leads to the raging Salmon river where, no doubt, he walked into it and was drowned.

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A follow-up report was published in The Ketchum (Idaho) Keystone of Aug. 2, 1890, attributed to The Idaho Recorder

On Tuesday, 15th ult., Thomas Elder, Jr., who carries the mail from here to Shoup, while on his way to that place discovered the body of P.H. Waynick in an eddy on the opposite side of the river, about eight miles from Shoup. He brought word back to Gibbonsville and a party of ten left at once to bury the remains. A boat was taken to the spot, the body secured and conveyed about a mile further down and buried.

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So there we have it --- the end of the line for Peter H. Waynick whose life began in Chariton some 33 years earlier. It was not, obviously, a happy ending --- but his lost grave certainly has enjoyed some dramatic scenery as the years have passed. The thoto at top shows the Salmon River near Shoup, Idaho; Peter's remains presumably rest not too far from there.