Joe Vanderpool was one of 26 siblings, children of Marion K Vanderpool and Synthia Louise Miles of Whitley County, Kentucky. Joe came from prehaps the largest single family to ever live in Kentucky.
About 1891, Joesph married Rhoda Johnson, daughter of James McKeehan Johnson and Sarah Mackey of Rockholds, Whitley County, Kentucky.
On March 08, 1898, starting in Louisville, Kentucky, Jo and Rhoda joined with 16 families of their Kentucky kin folk and migrated by train to Whitman County, Washington.
Joe worked for the railroad and thus he and his family migrated to a number of locations including Idaho, Montana and Alberta, Canada before arriving in Northern California.

NINTH GENERATION IN AMERICA - JOSEPH VANDERPOOL:

JOSPEH VANDERPOOL - Son of Marion K. Vanderpool. As a young man, Joseph's features were strong and lean. His heir was dark, as were his eyes. His desire were as most young men in his time, to travel and seek adventure outside the realm of his parents. A desire to leave behind one world and find a world which he could call his own. He was born on the 9th of December, 1876 in Williamsburg, Kentucky. The thirteenth child to live to adulthood, the ninth male and one of a small few to travel from his birthplace and onto other territories. He married Rhoda Johnson in Jellico, Tennessee, just a few miles from where he was born and grew up. Having been a part of one of the largest families in modern history, he was sure to have taken all matters into account when starting his own family. The love that he received from his parents was strong. All family members strived to have a large family like their parents, however this wasn't always possible due to economic circumstances. Joseph worked for the Northern Pacific Railroad, often travelling across the northern states and parts of Canada. He held the same job from a young age, all the way up to retirement. Although he travelled often his small family began to grow. The first four children were born in Rockhold, Kentucky, not far from where Joseph was born and raised. Once he gained employment with the Northern Pacific Railroad, the remaining two children were born on their quest out West. William, their fifth child was born in Idaho. James, their sixth and last child, was born in Youngstown, Alberta, Canada. (1914 Border Crossing records have born Wastina, Alberta, Canada) Joseph and Rhoda took part in the Enlarged Homestead Act of 1909. Because of its remoteness and semi-arid climate, the plains region of Eastern Montana was not homesteaded until the early 20th century. Promoted by railroad advertising and promotion also by the Enlarged Homestead Act of 1909, Homesteaders then invaded the state by the thousands. The Montana land rush peaked during 1910-1917 and received even greater stimulation from high wheat prices during World War I. However, a combination of factors, a series of droughts beginning in 1919, falling crop prices and lack of bank fairness, held off an agricultural growth until the mid 1920s. Drought conditions returned in 1929 and did not abate again until the late 1930's. Genuine agricultural growth did not come until World War II. During the prohibition period, James had become seriously tempted in something that the country was prevented from having. Vanderpool's have famously had problems with alcohol addiction. It directly contributed to the death of many members of the family and several members of subsequent generations. One year the younger Vanderpool's (James Joseph and Kathryn) had decided to host a Christmas celebration at their home in Saratoga, CA. James, Rhoda and Kathryn's parents (The Rudolph's) were all in attendance. In previous years Kathryn's father (Peter Rudolph) had been in an accident which caused serious brain damage so he was living in a hospital and obviously no longer partaking in alcohol. However, the rest of the family were no stranger to the bottle at family functions. I was told a story by one of James' sons, James Joseph and his wife Kathryn detailing the Vanderpool's struggles with addiction; One of Kathryn's sisters had brought some alcohol to gathering which Rhoda then quickly located. Within minutes she was drinking rather heavily. Rhoda, comically, tried to hide her intoxication from the other guests and began to cut the freshly baked pies. As she drunkenly carved into the pies, the family could not help but laugh at the sight of her destroying the pies and licking the knife after every cut. Even Kathryn's handicapped father Peter began to smile at the ridiculous sight. While alcoholism doesn't seem to have been a part of Marion K and Louisa's life in Kentucky, one has to wonder if they drank and to what degree. Later in life Joseph and Rhoda settled down in Missoula, Montana. Buying a small farm and raising what was needed to survive. All past records show that the Vanderpool's were always members of a church within their area. Prior to Marion K Vanderpool, they were members of the Baptist Church. There seems to be no record of Marion and his clan to be members of the church. Kathryn, wife of James Vanderpool, helped to return the Vanderpool line closer to God. Kathryn was a second generation of Irish and Danish descent. Hence, the introduction of the Catholic religion. Rhoda died on December 26, 1953 at her son's house at 400 Visitation Avenue, in San Francisco, California. Within a months' time, Joseph is found living alone in Lewiston, Idaho, doing well. Records do not state whether or not Joseph also stayed at the home of Granville Robert, in San Francisco. One must wonder if Rhoda and Joseph were still in a relationship at that time, seeing as how Rhoda had been staying in San Francisco and Joseph was living several states over. Also, Rhoda's death records were all completed by her son Granville. Perhaps she was just visiting her son, we may never know but it's an interesting thought to say the least. Joseph's last residence was at Dewitt State Hospital. I haven't been able to locate any detailed medical records from the hospital however it should be known that Dewitt was a state mental hospital. Without the records it is hard to say why he was institutionalized, especially due to the fact that many people were sent away in that time for non-serious mental ailments. What is known is that his last 7 & 1/2 months of his life were spent slipping into Senile Psychosis. This may have been due to his age but his alcoholism was more than likely a contributing factor. Josephs death occurred on March 2, 1953, in Auburn, California. Both Joseph and Rhoda were buried in Gilroy, California.

(http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/22164982/person/1195172054/media/1?pgnum=1&pg=0&pgpl=pid%7cpgNum)