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BELGIANS IN AMERICA:    Biographies of Belgian settlers  

Albert FLACY

My thanks to Margareth and Ed Flacy, from Dalla, Texas,
who have given me permission to reproduce this genealogy 
on the FLYCHIE / FLACY line that follows the families of 
Albert and Rosalie (Poldermont) Flacy 
from the time they entered America in 1850. 

This story is from the original material gathered by Katy Juanita Flacy and Eulala Hunsaker and written in 1944. 

Albert FLACY (Flessie) (born 1823, suburb of Brussels near site of the "Battle of Waterloo"....blood ran down the street in front of their house....) was the son of Martinnis (born abt 1790, dead Beernam, near Bruges, 1870) and Toria (Tiss, born about 1795, dead Beernam, 1872) Flychie. Nothing is known of the parents of Martinnis (Martin) Flychie, excepting, that they lived in the suburb of Brussels, Belgium at the time of the "Battle of Waterloo," which was fought near their home.  Blood ran down the street in front of their house. The only known child, Martinnis Flychie, has war record :Fought against Napoleon at the "Battle of Waterloo." Married abt 1818 to Toria Tiss. They had  
- Sophia (married a market gardener by name of Louis Saelens at St Michaels, near Bruges) 
- Albert (came to US)  
- John (dead in riot in Belgium, 1848)  
- Zinn (dead at 4 yrs) 
- Amelia (dead at 17 yrs.) 
- Petrus (he and family came to the USA in May of 1886, and lived at Gardner, Johnson Co. Kansas).  He had  sons named Camiellus and Henry L., and a daughter named Adelia.  Peter and Adelia both died in the spring of 1887 and are buried near Olathe, Kansas.
- Bernard (lived at Lille, France) he and most of 6 children worked at a Woolen Factory, last heard of about 1895.

Albert Flacy was the second child and eldest son of Martinnis and Toria Tiss Flacy. In Belgium only the children of the rich received an education. All boys were taught a trade, and as driving a horse was a trade, Albert became a Drayman. To go three or more miles from one's own Parish required a "Passport" from the Priest or Burgomaster. Being twenty-seven years of age and seeing no chance of bettering himself in his native country, he decided to go to America. Military service was compulsory in Belgium and as a "drawing" was coming up soon he waited and had the good luck to draw a free ticket. 

Joseph Guinotte, a wealthy Belgian, had purchased several hundred acres between the Missouri River and what was then Westport, Missouri (now Kansas City). He returned to Belgium to raise a Colony to settle on this land. Albert Flacy gladly accepted the offer to join the colony coming to Missouri. He went from Brussels to Antwerp where, he, with about two hundred other Belgians boarded an old fashioned sailboat and on March 23, 1850 they sailed for their new home. 

On this boat was his future wife, Rosalie Poldermont, bound for the same destination, but they did not meet until both started working for Joseph Guinotte, four months later. They experienced several dangerous storms. Once during a "calm" the ship lay in sight of Cuba three days, there not being breeze sufficient to travel. Their first view of America was at New Orleans, Louisiana where their ship lay off shore for three days in quarantine.  They transferred without landing to a steamboat and went up the Mississippi River to Saint Louis, Missouri. There they again transferred, still without landing, to a smaller steamboat and went up the Missouri River to what was then called Westport Landing, now Kansas City, Missouri, arriving there on June 23, 1850, having been on the water exactly three months. 

The next day the Colony was stricken with Cholera, an epidemic which extended from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains. In just a week, half of those who came to the New World with such high hopes, were in their graves. Although both Albert and Rosalie were ill, they escaped death. Rosalie's stepmother and her step sister, Cisca, died. 

Albert and Rosalie went to work for Joseph Guinotte. He had what in those days was a "Mansion" at about Third and Troost. Albert plowed corn where now Ninth and Main Streets cross. In addition to room and board, all he received in pay for two years work to cover his passage to America, was two work shirts and two pairs of socks. 

At one time, Albert became the owner of a claim in Kansas and resided alone on it. After six months he was so completely disgusted and lonesome that he decided to abandon the claim and leave the next morning. Lo and behold, about sundown, in drove a man in a covered wagon and stopped for the night. He liked the place so well that he offered Albert a team of fine young mules for his claim. Needless to say, the offer was accepted; how gladly the man had no way of knowing. 

Albert and Rosalie were married at Westport, Missouri, January 14, 1853 and moved across the Missouri River into Clay County. Here they lived a few years and was where their eldest child was born. On Oct. 29, 1856 they bought an eighty acre farm from Alexander W. Doniphan.  This property was situated between the Cleveland Avenue Bridge and 55th Street, but at that time there was no Cleveland Avenue, no bridge nor a 55th Street. It was just country, nine miles outside of Kansas City.

This was their home for thirty years. Here the next four children were born and them came the Civil War. Missouri being a border state, about evenly divided between North and South sympathizers, the Riffraff from both sides caused a great deal of trouble. The Battle of Byron's Ford took place about a mile and a half from the Flacy home. Albert was in town when the battle began and Rosalie, very much frightened, gathered her flock of small children and went into the storm cave. She missed her older son, Willie. Rushing frantically out, she found the small boy standing on the highest gatepost, listening and trying to see what was going on, not a bit frightened by the sound of the guns or the cannon's roar.  Albert brought home a hundred pound sack of flour and they had hot biscuits for breakfast the next morning. Just as they finished their meal, in stepped a company of soldiers and made Rosalie bake up that whole sack of flour. 

Albert went to work for the U.S Government hauling freight between Kansas City, Missouri and Santa Fe, New Mexico. He was afraid to leave his family on the farm while he was gone, so he moved them down into the West Bottoms to what was known as "Tode a Loupe." This was a small settlement just over the line in Kansas and quite a few of their old Belgian friends lived there, so it was not so lonesome for Rosalie while he was away. Here the sixth child, Albert Jr., was born and two days later their little two year old Matilda passed away, the first death in the family. 

Albert made two round trips to Santa Fe, New Mexico; walking every step of the way, driving six oxen hitched to a Conestoga wagon. There were many of these traveling together and heavily armed and guarded.  Each trip was long and a hard one, making only a few miles in a day and in bad weather, even less. During the Civil War the Cimarron Cut-Off to Santa Fe was practically abandoned, principally because of Indian activities. Most of the traffic in those troubled years went over the Raton Pass, but this trail was almost as dangerous. Guerillas came riding over the prairie, riffraff of the border, as cruel and dangerous as one could imagine. The Government built forts, toward which the Freighters, in their hours of peril, turned longing eyes. This is still called the Santa Fe Trail. From Kansas City to Fort Larnard was three hundred miles. 

This Fort was built in 1859 and during the war had a garrison of one thousand men. From Fort Larnard to Fort "New Fort Lyons" near Las Animas was 240 miles. Fort Lyons to Fort Union was 180 miles, and from Fort Union to Santa Fe was 180 miles; 900 terrible miles to walk, then turn around and walk back again. Walking 3600 miles in the service of the government, a pretty good soldier, I'd say. 

After the War was over Albert and family returned to the Homestead at 55th and Cleveland Avenue. Having had no opportunity for an education in Belgium, he was very desirous that his children should have, at least all they could acquire in a country school. The only school was about three miles away, a long, cold, wet and muddy walk most of the time. Wishing to save his children this long trip each day, he deeded an acre of ground for School Purposes with the understanding that should it cease to be used for a school, it was to revert to him or his heirs. A School was built at what is now 55th and Cleveland. It was first called "Fry" then about the year 1900 the name was changed to "Swope." 

Here the eight Flacy children, one by one, learned the three R's, laughed and played, fought their fights, win or lose. They were punished often and seldom rewarded. They married and were given in marriage, thus the years passed by until the youngest was twelve years of age. Then they sold the "Old Home" and the parents with the three younger sons moved to a farm one and one half miles from Gardner, Kansas. This was in March 1886.  About 1898 the old school building was sold to the highest bidder, who was Albert Flacy, Jr. A two room brick building was erected in its place, and many of the grandchildren went through the same 'Rig a ma role' as their parents did, only in a two room school instead of one room.  The old school building was moved across Cleveland Avenue and south one block to 56th Street. 

Here Albert and Joseph Flacy conducted a General Store and Post Office in the old school building and called it Swope, Missouri. In 1905 Joseph sold out his half to his brother, Albert, who still lives on and owns the property. (note... remember, this was written in 1944) A few years before their death, Albert Sr. and Rosalie bought a small place in Gardner, Kansas to which they retired, leaving the two younger sons Nicodemus and Joseph to run the farm. 

Rosalie Poldermont: Rosalie Poldermont  was the daughter of John Poldermont and Rosalia Danels who were married at Meulebeke, Begium.  They moved to Denterghem, Belgium in 1840. Rosalia died and John married a widow by the name of Clause, and John died before 1850.  

Rosalie, 1st daughter, and Mary, 2nd daughter, came to the U.S.A. Rosalie told her youngest son, Joseph Flacy, who had red hair, that she had three uncles who were seven foot tall and all red headed, but she did not mention if they were on the Poldermont or Danels side. Rosalie, with her stepmother, stepbrother-Bruno Clause, and sisters Cisca and Mary, went from Denterghem to Antwerp, where they too joined the colony bound for Missouri. 

Her stepmother and stepsister, Cisca , died of Cholera a few days after reaching their destination.  Her sister, Mary, died a few years later. The stepbrother was around Kansas City for many years. Thirty or more years later Rosalie told her grand daughter, Margaret Thompson, that two things that had happened on the voyage coming over, she had seen in her dreams over and over again, and they had caused her to dislike America for a long time. 

The first experience was in one of the dangerous storms they encountered; the Captain was sleeping and the First Mate who was in charge that "Watch" was drunk and refused to have the sails lowered and almost capsized the sailboat. The Captain ordered him to his cabin. After the storm was over, all hands and passengers were called on deck. The First Mate was stood on a chair where all could see him and the Captain talked to him quite a while.  Then drawing a pistol, fired it off over the Mate's head. Remember Rosalie could not understand a word that was spoken, but her translation of the scene was- "The Captain was showing him what he would do if he ever did that again." 

The second experience and the one which troubled her tender heart most, occurred while they were anchored close to the docks at New Orleans. This was the first time she had seen Negroes and some were carrying sacks of sugar and loading a boat. One in particular was a tall thin Mulatto and every time he passed, the Overseer would hit at him with a whip. Poor Rosalie thought he was pale from being so sick and this was a terrible place she had come to and wished they would forget to put her off the boat so that she might return to Belgium.