Peter Costelloe
1838-1911

Peter Costelloe was one of the early settlers of Del Norte County, California or Curry County, Oregon. We don't know very much about him and his earlier life but what we have found out about his life makes for a pretty interesting story.

Peter was born in June 1838 on the island of Inisheer, one of the Aran island of Ireland.  He came to America in May of 1851 and landed in Boston. He had 3 sisters, Margaret, Jane, and Ann. We have been told that he may have had a brother but we haven't found a trace of him yet. Peter enrolled in Colby College in Waterville, Maine in 1859 and in September 1862 he left school and joined the 14th Maine Volunteers, Company D,  just after the Civil War began. According to his war records, he worked as a steward in field hospitals and re-enlisted in January 1864 in Iberia, Louisiana. 

Early in 1865 he was promoted to an Assistant Surgeon by Commission of the Governor of Maine and was discharged August 1865 in Darien, Georgia.  Also mentioned in his war records was a description of what Peter looked like in build. The above picture of him in his uniform is quite misleading as he looks very tall. When actually Peter was 5 feet 4 inches tall, had dark hair and blue eyes. His sons were all taller than him but they had the dark hair and blue eyes.

A couple of stories told to us about Peter while he was in the Army: Peter and some friends got a little tipsy one night and Peter passed out. His friends thought it would be a great joke when he came to, he found himself in a coffin. Luckily,  he made enough noise that the coffin was located and opened. It was on the burying line at the time and as a result of this 'prank' Peters' hair turned white almost overnight. Another time, as Peter was crossing a muddy road, he slipped and fell. A passing wagon ran over his ankle and broke it. It never healed quite right and he walked with a cane for the rest of his life.

Peter joined the Masons in Maine in 1865 and eventually became a 1st Degree Mason.  In 1868 according to the Del Norte County, California Voters Register, Peter was listed as a Physician. In 1870, we find Peter in Smith River, California. He was an Assistant Deputy Marshall and was in charge of taking the census. His mother, Mary, was living with him at this time. We haven't found any record of her after that. 

Peter was a school teacher on a circuit that ranged from Crescent City, California to Cottage Grove, Oregon; although most of his teaching career centered in Curry County, Happy Camp, Pistol River, Carpenterville, (which no longer exists), and other small communities. In 1905, Peter was issued one of the first life teaching certificates of Oregon. He also had a life teaching certificate from California.

During his teaching travels, he met Elmira Snodgrass, whom he married in 1870. Her parents were William P. Snodgrass of Ohio and Amanda Revis of Illinois. Peter and Elmira had three children, Revis born in 1871, Ruby Mae born in 1874 and Edmond born in 1876. They were divorced in 1881 and Peter took the kids and went to California. He settled in Santa Cruz and continued teaching around the Bay area for a couple of years.

When he returned to the area, he resumed his teaching career and was a Justice of the Peace in Smith River, California in 1883. During his travels he met and married Ellen Angelina Ransom Lucas Brown in 1884. They returned to Smith River, California and made their home on the 42 acres that Peter owned. In 1885, their son Clinton, was born. Ellens' parents were Samuel Ransom and Nancy Phillips. In 1888, Peter was teaching school in Pistol River and received $50.00 for a three month teaching period. Peter was also a Justice of the Peace in the Chetco Precinct, Curry County in 1890 to 1899. During this time, Peter also worked as a storekeeper at the Coolidge Store and was named Harbors first Postmaster in 1894. He held this post until 1898, when the post was taken over by James McCutcheon.

Peter was buried in Malibu, Los Angeles County California. Ellen moved to the Masonic Home in Decoto, Alameda County California where she died in Jan 1916 and was laid to rest at the Masonic Gardens in Decoto, near the Masonic Home.