Archie Zimmerman

Archibald Buchanan Zimmerman was born on the 18th of August, 1861 in Plumville, Pennsylvania, to Elias and Mary A. Zimmerman. In 1860, Elias (25) was registered as a cabinet maker in Indiana County, married to Mary (20), father of Benjamin (4) and Catherine (1). Archie would be born next year.

Twenty years later, in 1880, Archie and his older brother Benji were registered at the same address in Atchinson City, Kansas, working as carpenters. His brother would spend the rest of his life in Kansas.

On April 20, 1886, in Hopkins, Kentucky, Archie married Nancy Jane Durham. "Janie," a native Kentuckian, was 21 years old. Grandaughter Wanda Duncan tells of Archie, Janie and their three children (along with Grace, Wanda's mother), fleeing their Kentucky coal mining village at night, on foot, to escape the company town. Archie would later list himself as a coal miner in Jasonville, Indiana.

In 1888 and 1889, Archie B. Zimmerman is listed as a Painter, working for R.R. Mitchell in Seattle, Washington, and residing at 118 1/2 S. 2d. The 1910 Federal Census shows Archie and Janie living in Clay County, Indiana with their 5 children, William (later called John?) (20), Maggie A. (14), Grace M (10), George (8) (George would later die in a drowning accident at the age of 14), and Everett (4). One more daughter, Lorrine, would be born the following year.

By 1903, Archie had moved to Indiana, where he would settle for the rest of his life. In 1920, he and Janie, now 58 and 52, had only Everett, (14) and Lorraine (9), living with them. [1920 Lewis, Clay, In. Census].

There is a yellow painted, small wooden shoe with the inscription, "carved by W.A. Zimmerman, August 13, 1921, 4 miles of snow, Rocky Mountain Pine." W.A., was William, Archie's oldest son.

Pa, as Archie's surviving grandchildren and great grandchildren call him, has been described as always in his woodshop, behind his family home. His grandchildren and great grandchildren recall listening to his stories and watching him carve. Archie would give his work away to his family and friends. Often, Archie dated his whimsies or marked them with a location or event. One small survivn figure is even stamped "BABY FACE."

(This is from that newspaer article belonging to Wanda. Let's get a copy of that) His grandaughter Wanda Duncan tells of him going to Mexico, and there are many rare and exotic southern animals in his collection. (The alligators, mountain goats, and the flamingo are the southern animals, and the remaining exotics of the exotics are circus or zoo animals.) A highly unusual Giraffe Bench painted black and mustard is dated 1946. Archie would have been in his 80s when he was making these carvings.

We are currently (11/27/07) gathering material on Archie and his families life. If you have any information on Archie Zimmerman please contact heidi@happyheidi.com or call 217-714-2250. Thank You.