Henry Austin Carringer was always known by his middle name, Austin. This may have been a Carringer family tradition, or perhaps from the traditional German naming pattern. He was born in Mercer County, Pennsylvania. His parents moved the family in 1858 to Columbus City, Louisa County, Iowa and then moved in 1873 to Caribou, Boulder County, Colorado. He met Della Smith in Boulder in 1884; the Carringer and Smith families had tracts of land in Wano, Cheyenne County, Kansas.
Mr. Austin Carringer and Miss Della Smith were performers at the playhouse built in Wano, starring in plays such as "Lady Audley's Secret", "The Dairyman's Daughter", "My Cousin Joe", "My Neighbor's Wife", and "The Secret; or, A Hole in the Wall". Della (Smith) Carringer's scrapbook has many notices of these plays and other activities in St. Francis and Wano.
After three years of courtship, they sold their land there and were wed in Wano, Cheyenne County, Kansas by Rev. Emanuel Richards. A month later they traveled by train to San Diego, California on their honeymoon with $20 in their pockets. Austin went to work as a carpenter in the lumber mills in National City. In 1890, they resided on 3rd Avenue between 16th and 17th in National City. Austin was an active member of the National City Fire Department Active Hose No. 1 during this period.
Devier David Carringer (named after his grandfathers, Devier J. Smith and David Jackson Carringer) was born on August 19, 1889 in San Diego.
The San Diego Union announced in the August 24, 1889 edition that:
"Mr. and Mrs. H.A. Carringer rejoice in the arrival of a bright faced boy, who tips the scales at nine pounds."
The joy turned to sorrow when baby Devier suddenly died on May 10, 1890. A remembrance card with gold lettering on a black background reads:
"One less at home, The charmed circle broken -- a dear face missed day by day from its usual place. But cleansed, saved, perfected by grace, One more in heaven.
"One less on earth, its pain, its sorrow, and its toil to share. One less the pilgrim's daily cross to bear. One more the crown of the blessed to wear, At home in heaven."
The family archives include several letters from the extended Smith family in Kansas and the extended Carringer family in Pennsylvania that try to reassure the family that it was God's will. The death of baby Devier apparently caused Austin to renounce his Christian faith.
Lyle Lawrence Carringer was born 2 November 1891 in a house at 16th and H Streets in San Diego. There are several letters to the Carringer family in Colorado describing Lyle's childhood. An 1895 family picture shows the family in front of a hat shop with Lyle sitting in a wagon, Austin with a bicycle, Abigail (Vaux) Smith, and Edgar Carringer.
In 1893, the family lived at 28th Street and Logan Avenue in San Diego. In 1895 Della was an art teacher with a studio at 29th Street and Logan Avenue.
On 28 August 1894, Angeline M. and David Seaman granted lots 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 in Block 61 in Seaman and Choate's Addition in San Diego to Mrs. Della A. Carringer for $450. The lot was bounded by Ella (now 30th Street), Watkins Avenue (now Hawthorn Street) and Fern Street in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood of San Diego. Austin built a house on the southwestern corner of the block at Ella and Watkins Streets (now 30th and Hawthorn Streets) facing Watkins Street.
In the 1900 U.S. census, this family resided on Watkins Avenue in San Diego city, San Diego county, California (1900 United States Census, Population Schedule, San Diego City, San Diego County, California, Page 172, ED 194, Sheet 19A, Line 43, National Archives Microfilm Series T623, Roll 99). The household included:
* Henry A. Carringer -- head of household, white, male, born Nov 1853, age 46, married 12 years, born PA, parents born PA, a carpenter, owns house with a mortgage
* Della A. Carringer -- wife, white, female, born Apr 1862, age 38, married 12 years, 2 children born, 1 living, born WI, parents born NY
* Lyle L. Carringer -- son, white, male, born Nov 1891, age 8, single, born CA, father born PA, mother born WI
* Abby A. Smith -- mother-in-law, white, female, born Oct 1844, age 55, widow, 2 children born, 2 living, born NY, father born England, mother born New England
A photograph taken in about 1900 shows the house with Austin, Della, Lyle, Austin's parents D.J. and Rebecca, his brother Edgar, Della's mother Abbie (Vaux) Smith, and the family horse. After the house was built, they used a horse-drawn surrey to transport themselves and their neighbors to the nearest streetcar line at 16th and Broadway.
Austin continued working at the Russ Lumber and Mill Company until at least 1903. He worked as a carpenter or machinist until 1917, when he became an aviation mechanic at the U.S. Army Aviation Station at Rockwell Field (now North Island Naval Air Station) in Coronado. He was the foreman in the wood and fabric section of the airplane repair shop for ten years, and retired on his 79th birthday with 15 years of service in 1932. His coworkers gave him a letter of appreciation and a big, easy chair.
On 9 April 1904, H.A. Carringer was granted the east half of Lot 78 in Block 8 of La Vista Cemetery for $7 (Grant Deed in Book 341, Page 418 of San Diego County Deeds). This was for the graves of his parents and deceased son.
In the 1910 US Census, this family resided on Hawthorne Street in the 4th Ward of San Diego, San Diego County, California (1910 United States Census, Population Schedule, 4th Ward of San Diego, San Diego County, California, ED 150, Sheet 9A, Line 1, National Archives Microfilm Series T624, Roll 94). The family included:
* Henry A. Carringer -- head of household, male, white, age 58, first marriage, married 22 years, born PA, parents born PA, a carpenter, does general work, owns house free of mortgage
* Della A. Carringer -- wife, female, white, age 50, first marriage, married 22 years, 2 children born, 1 living, born WI, parents born NY
* Lyle L. Carringer -- son, male, white, age 18, single, born CA, father born PA,other born WI
* Harvey Carringer -- brother, male, white, age 59, single, born PA, parents born PA, own income
* Abby A. Smith -- mother-in-law, female, white, age ??, widowed, 5 children born, 3 living, born NY, father born England, mother born NY, own income
On 23 October 1917, Matie Smith Cramer sold a property in San Diego (lots 40, 41, 42 and 43 in Block 13 of Second Fortuna Park Addition, lots 3 and 4 in block 29 of Fortuna Park Addition, and lots 7 and 8 in block 59 of Cardiff A, per Map 1334) to Henry A. Carringer for $10 (Grant Deed in Book 790, page 374).
In the 1920 US census, this family resided at 2105 30th Street in San Diego city, San Diego County, California (1920 United States Census, Population Schedule, San Diego city, San Diego County, California, Page 225, ED 285 sheet 5B, line 65, National Archives Microfilm Series T625, Roll 131). The family included:
* Henry A. Carringer -- head, male, white, age 66, married, born in PA, parents born in PA, a cabinet-maker, works in a furniture store, owns home with a mortgage
* Della A. Carringer -- wife, female, white, age 57, married, born in WI, parents born in NY
* Abbie A. Smith -- mother-in-law, female, white, age 75, widow, born in NY, father born in England, mother born in NY
* Mary S. Griffin -- a boarder, female, white, age 45, single, born MI, father born DE, mother born NY, a piano music teacher.
On 3 October 1922, Abbie A. Smith of San Diego granted property in City Heights (identified as Lots 15 and 16 in Block 97 of City Heights, on Map 1007) to Della A. Carringer of San Diego for $10 (Grant Deed in Book 1571, page 219). On 9 July 1939, Della A. Carringer sold the house at 3537 41st Street in San Diego to Lyle and Emily Carringer for $10.00 (identified as Lots 15 and 16 of Block 97 in City Heights), reserving her right to use, rent or sell the property (Grant Deed recorded in Book 916, Page 299). On 16 April 1942, Della A. Carringer et al sold the property to Albert J. and Eula C. Dittmar for $1,100.
On 11 April 1925, Henry A. and Della A. Carringer granted all of their property to Georgia K. Auble for $10, who granted it back to Henry A. and Della A. Carringer as joint tenants with rights of survivorship, also for $10 (Grant Deeds in Book 1054, pages 291 and 292 respectively).
On 5 May 1925, a trust deed was executed by Henry A. and Della A. Carringer in the amount of $4,000 for the improvement of the east 50 feet of lots 8 and 9 of Block 61 of Seaman and Choate's Addition, on Map 631. This improvement resulted in the building of the two story apartment house at 2114 and 2116 Fern Street.
The Carringer family home at 2105 30th Street, on the corner with Hawthorn Street,was moved to the middle of the block as 2115 30th Street in about 1927, and the house front porch was modified so that it faced south. A second story flat was created by adding to the existing rooms, and an external staircase was built to create the apartment at 2119 30th Street. The structure was then stuccoed over so that the original frame of the house could not be discerned.
In the 1930 U.S. Census, this family resided at 2115 30th Street in San Diego city, San Diego County, California (1930 United States Census, population schedule, San Diego city, San Diego County, California, ED 116, Sheet 1A, line 8, National Archives Microfilm Series T626, Roll 192). The household included:
* Henry A. Carringer -- head, owns home, worth $5,000, owns radio set, male, white, age 76, married, first at age 34, able to read/write, born PA, parents born PA/PA, able to speak English, an aviation mechanician, works at Army Air Services, employed
* Della A. Carringer -- wife, female, white, age 67, married, first at age 25, able to read/write, born WI, parents born NY/NY,able to speak English, no occupation
* Abbie A. Smith -- mother-in-law, female, white, age 85, widowed, able to read/write, born NY, parents born England/NY, able to speak English, no occupation.
The San Diego Union of September 11, 1937 has an article headlined "Honeymoon Trip to S.D. Extends Half a Century", with a picture of Austin and Della entitled "True Vowers View Letters on Golden Wedding Day". In the article, Della says "We have lived here on this corner for 39 years. We built this house. On our lot we have planted and grown most every kind of fruit and vegetable that grows in California. Flowers always have been my hobby." Della designed some of their furniture, and was a painter. She was quoted on their philosophy of life: "We have worked hard as partners and tried always to be kind and helpful to others. After all, we are of the opinion that this is the best religion to make a happy and successful life." The article says that Austin did all of the finishing on their home and also built some of their beautiful furniture.
Henry A. and Della A. Carringer of San Diego made a Power of Attorney on 9 July 1939 to appoint and constitute their son, Lyle L. Carringer, as their true and lawful attorney. However, they limited his right to convey, mortgage or hypothecate any real property subject to the written approval of both of them.
Henry A. and Della A. Carringer deeded the entire property on 30th Street (Lots 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 in Block 61 of Seaman and Choate's Addition) to Lyle L. and Emily K. Carringer on 9 July 1939, reserving the use, possession, rent and income during their lives (Grant Deed recorded in Book 920, Page 242).
After Austin Carringer died, Lyle Carringer wrote a letter to the Union Title Insurance and Trust Company stating that his deceased father, Henry A. Carringer, was the owner of Lots 5 and 6 in Block 22 in Cardiff at the time of his death. He stated that his father died with only these properties in his name, that there would be no probate of an estate, and that he was the only surviving heir-at-law.
Austin Carringer is remembered by Betty (Carringer) Seaver as being tall and very demanding in his old age. Della is remembered as being small and wrinkled. They are inurned in Cypress View Mausoleum (Bronze Corridor, Niche 61) in San Diego.