Joys of a Brickwall

On a recent excursion to the City Park with my family, I was inspired to think of my genealogy brick wall in a different way. 

What does your wall look like?
Copyright Jen Baldwin, 2014

Many of us have been there. The frustration. The dashed hope. 

The seemingly endless pursuit of new material, new research, new resources.  The absolute challenge of a brick wall. 




In reality, when you stop and think about the process you have gone through in trying to put the pieces together, as meager as some of them may be, you also start to realize how much you have learned. 

Imagine genealogy without any challenges. It's a gloomy vision, to be sure. 


Oscar is my opportunity. 

Changing my outlook on the "brick wall" of a genealogy research project means giving it a new name. Brick wall has too many negative connotations for me, so I'm now going to think of my project as my "opportunity." And his name is Oscar. 

Oscar was born around 1832 in New York, and died in 1906 in Nebraska. I know a great deal about his adult life, it's his childhood and his parents that have been difficult to pin down. I've been working on Oscar's story since I started on my family history, he has always been a bit of an enigma. I realize, though, that perception is everything, and as I commonly say, "life is in the details." I wonder how many resources I have discovered in the course of the last fifteen years that would have remained "unknown" to me without Oscar? 

I certainly would not know as much about early Michigan history, or the development of western New York. I would know next to nothing about the Mississippi Marine Brigade, and its role patrolling the Mississippi River during the Civil War (and without all of that information, how would I have been able to stump the military researcher at the Denver National Archives a couple years ago on a question about the unit?). 

The four inch binder of material that has been accumulated would not be nearly as thick, and the little clues hidden within would have been overlooked. The intricate details of Oscar's life may have remained unknown for a long, long time. The detailed study of his life, his timeline, would not exist. I never would have stopped to question, "what did Oscar farm in Nebraska? What was his crop?" "Did the family have live stock? If so, what effect did barbed wire have on the homestead?" The questions I've asked over the course of this project would have gone unasked. 

All of this is done with really one primary objective: identifying with as much certainty as possible who Oscar's parents are. That's really been the burning question for a long time for me. Along the way, though, the treasures - answers to these questions and more - have been uncovered.  

Because of Oscar, I am a much better genealogist today. 

What ring will you stretch for next?
Copyright Jen Baldwin, 2014.

I would challenge you to think of your "brick wall" in a new way. As you grasp one ring, continue to reach for the next. Remember that every clue is important, no matter how small it may be at the time. Remember that the challenge of the hunt is what makes us good researchers, the application of our discoveries is what makes us great. 

#genchat CHALLENGE: Using Tax Records to Knock Down Your Brick Wall

Have you used tax records in your genealogy? 

You should probably think about it, if you haven't. #genchat on May 25, 2014 was all about tax records, and what there is to gain from them as a genealogy source. 

Think beyond property. We had mentions of taxes on hen's, prostitutes, dog licenses, and way more! There is much to be learned from taxes and the associated paperwork. Use them as a substitute for census records, let them fill in the gaps of your ancestors life. 

Seek them out locally first, in the county Courthouse and in city administration buildings, then work on a broader level to identify where your ancestor may have been listed. 

Tonight's #genchat CHALLENGE: Using one of your "brick wall" ancestors and knock down the wall by identifying and pursuing tax records. 

The scope of what you might find could surprise you! Taxes have been around for a very long time, so use that to your advantage! 

As always, share what you find so we can all continue to learn from each other. Use your blog, social media, website or any other format to share your process and results, and then let us know! 

This #genchat CHALLENGE should result in some very interesting local records being discovered! Be sure to connect with your local genealogy society, as well, for even more information. 

One Worth Watching

Copyright Ancestral
Journeys, 2012-2013

My continuing education is incredibly important to me. I value the gift I am giving to myself to further my knowledge base and allowing my imagination to expand within the confines of real world research challenges. I believe it to be one of the best activities to engage in that will truly add depth and meaning to the idea of professional genealogist.


In 2013, I have committed to a goal of two genealogy webinars, four FamilySearch lessons and at least one business related webinar each month. That averages to five hours a month. That is obtainable, and I was able to meet that goal in January. I chose the FamilySearch platform for the year because they have so many options, varying in depth, scope and length. Generally speaking, I have enjoyed them.

This was different.

On the 28th of January, I watched “Thinking Creatively About Research Problems”, while doing the dishes. Multi-tasking at its best, right? I’ll be honest. I was floored. The 39 minute lesson is presented by  Apryl Cox, AG; and was first put online 4 May 2010. It is essentially a case study, and Mrs. Cox describes how she gets around some very difficult obstacles to find a member of her own family. The lesson is listed as intermediate level.

I was fascinated. Honestly, it was one of the best sessions I have ever listened to. Period.

So much so, that I watched it a second time later that evening, when I could really focus. So good that I looked her up in the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) Directory and sent her an email with my compliments. I was happy to receive her reply, in which she indicated that she presents this as a live session, as well.

It wasn't that Mrs. Cox offered me my own brick wall ancestor (Oscar) on a silver platter; it was the way she spoke. Naturally, fluidly, comfortably. And it made all the difference. We've all said it, and I’m sure we will say it again: there is nothing worse than having someone “present” by reading their presentation slides like a script. This lesson was filled with entertaining – and real – stories, of a real person; with real life problems. Her challenges included getting around her ancestor’s own lies, and then having to admit to herself that he lied.

I nearly lost a plate.

Creative Commons

When my "lightbulb" went off, I was up to my elbows in bubbly dish water, with a dinner plate mid-scour. It almost hit the floor. Oh my! What if Oscar didn't want his father to be identified?? I have five theories as to who Oscar's father was. Did he hide the truth, did he give a different name, different story, different identity on every record to distance himself from his actual Dad? 

Every record that I have been able to identify that Oscar would have had some influence on - his marriage license, his political campaign in the local newspaper, the information given to family members used in his obituary - all contain a different name for his father. I have always assumed (there's that nasty word again!) that I was making a mistake in my research; that I was "not seeing" something. Human error on the part of the clerk. The father's first and middle names were used interchangeably. 

I had not once before considered the idea that this could be an intentionally hidden truth.

The questions only continued to expand from there. Was he ashamed of his father, or some other member of his family? Was he, Oscar, in fact the "black sheep?" Was he adopted or illegitimate? I know that one of his sisters, Mary (Brown) Collins, was said to have been "crazy" when she died. Was there more stigma attached to the family that Oscar was running away from? 

The simple truth is that when the research becomes so personal, when the challenge drives you to search through record sets until dawn; admitting that the ancestor you seek may have not shared your own values is difficult at best, if not impossible. That is one of the greatest lessons of Mrs. Cox's lesson: you must distance yourself emotionally and think "creatively" to find the answer. I will leave the rest of the lesson for you to discover from the source; as she says it far better than I ever could. 

If you watch any webinar or session in the near future (excluding perhaps the live stream of RootsTech 2013, which I’ll be glued to); watch this one. You can bet that if I ever have the chance to see Apryl Cox speak live, I'll be first in line. I hope you'll be there with me. 

Brickwall: The Case of Oscar F. Brown; Moving Forward

Within this series, I have decided to reevaluate my evidence on Oscar Fitzallen Brown, and the theories surrounding who his father may have been. The ultimate goal is to determine the following:

1. Has a reasonably exhaustive search been conducted? 
2. What other resources need to be examined? 
3. Who is the most likely candidate to be Oscar's father, based on the evidence collected and the conclusions that have been drawn from said evidence?

In the process, I have discovered some holes, which I called Action Items throughout the series. These are records or searches that need to be evaluated, conducted, ordered, etc, and I've been maintaining the list here. 

Action Item!

From Part One: Abraham Brown

• Action Item: Try to obtain a copy of the original newspaper article for Oscar's political ticket. The copy currently held is a transcription. 

From Part Two: Talmon Brown

• Action Item: Try to find a death certificate for Mrs. Tolman Brown. 
• Action Item: Death certificate or other source for the death date and location of Tolman Brown.
• Action Item: Order a copy of William H. Brown's marriage certificate, Washtenaw County, Michigan. May list parents' names.
• Action Item: Membership to the Washtenaw Genealogical Society, and the ability to search through their annual publication, "Family History Capers", which is indexed online and indicates more information is available on Talmon Brown, a William Brown, and the Collins family. (Submitted membership 28 Sep 2012. Waiting for response from organization.)
• Confirm death information for Tolman, and pursue probate records. 

Headstone of Oscar F. Brown and daughter, Sarah Alice.
Private holdings of author. 

From Part Three: William Brown

• Action Item: Inquire with the Washtenaw County Clerk and/or the State of Michigan to see if the letter noted on the death record for Mary (Brown) Collins is still available; if so, request a copy. 
• Continue to research the life and family of Mary (Brown) Collins, as well as the other siblings known to Oscar, for possible information on their mutual parents.
• Gain more knowledge of the records created and preserved through both Washtenaw County and the State of Michigan to see what else may be available. 
• Newspaper research on the Brown's of Washtenaw County, Michigan.

From Part Four: Unknown Brown

• Action Item: Order copy of the marriage record between Warren Weatherby and Harriet Brown. Source currently on record is an index only.
• Action Item: Continue to try to track the probate record for Warren Weatherby and obtain a copy. 
• Burial records and grave site for (Harriet Brown) Weatherby.
• Explore the potential of more records & resources available through both Michigan and Missouri. 

Also, the comments and thoughts that came in from you, dear readers, have been extremely helpful and interesting to read through.

Response from Part Two: 

Sep 30, 2012

First thing I hypothesize. Was he a preacher? If the picture is your person of interest, this would be a good lead as the apparel would suggest it. 

No, Oscar was not a preacher. I am assuming this is who you are asking about, because this is the only photo on the post of a male. He was retired military, but spent the rest of his years as a farmer and state senator. 
Second, Their would have to be a Marriage record for Tolman Brown & Mary Morvie.

This is something I have been unable to locate. The assumption is that they were married in New York, but I do not know which county. I have a few places I have tried, but so far, nothing.
Further, the history surrounding Michigan during this time period would undoughtedly coincide with Canada. Also surname "Morvie" seems off have you ever considered "Moreau", it's French and that would be extremely prominent throughout the regions at hand. I personally would play around with spellings and browse collections as a whole. Looks like you have a lot accomplished already that marriage record may give you the location that would take you to where you want to go.

This is something I have not considered, and I very much appreciate the idea. "Morvie" came from the marriage record for Oscar Brown, and of course its very possible that it was phonetic or misspelled. Thank you for this! 

Response from Part Four: 

Oct 8, 2012

This might be a good place to apply Elizabeth Shown Mill's FAN principle (Friends, Associates, Neighbors). 

If Harriet and Warren were married in MI did Warren's family live there? Working the Weatherby line in MI might lead to a closer association with the Brown family than just this one marriage. Particularly when you consider that Warren Weatherby was also born in NY according to the census image in this post. 

While Warren's probate record will be interesting in its own right it is rather unlikely to provide you much insight into Harriet's ancestors. Are there any tax rolls in MO or MI that might help you narrow down when Warren and Harriet moved? This might lead to a newspaper item or land sales that could include Brown mentions.

What was Warren an merchant of? Was this his trade in MI? A family business maybe. Something either distinct or something common enough to leave records.

Following the Weatherby family may prove just as problematic but I have had some success with this approach. I'd at least run it through your most common research protocols for any low hanging fruit. You never know what you might find.

Well said, and I appreciate the comments. I think that after I complete the items on my "Action Items" list, this approach will be next in the search. Certainly I cannot leave this out, in order to have a reasonably exhaustive search. I may already have some of this, actually, in my notes; but will have to back track to find it. Thank you, again, for the suggestions! 

I'm going to ask those questions one last time: 

1. Has a reasonably exhaustive search been conducted? 
2. What other resources need to be examined? 
3. Who is the most likely candidate to be Oscar's father, based on the evidence collected and the conclusions that have been drawn from said evidence?

I think that after I finish this list, then yes, I have conducted an approrpriate search. Aside from actually traveling to New York and/or Michigan to research on site, there does not seem to be much more that I can do. Knowing as I write this, of course, that the records I continue to acquire may only create more questions, and keep the search very much alive. 

So, who was Oscar's Dad? I'm not sure I'm ready just yet to make that determination, but I still feel that Tolman is the most likely given the circumstantial evidence. Instinct, perhaps? 

What do you think? Are you ready to draw a conclusion on this case? 

Oscar F. Brown
Private holdings of author. 

Brickwall: The Case of Oscar F. Brown, Part Four

Please refer to this previous post for the summary on this multi-part series. Thank you! 

Within this series, I have decided to reevaluate my evidence on Oscar Fitzallen Brown, and the theories surrounding who his father may have been. The ultimate goal is to determine the following: 

1. Has a reasonably exhaustive search been conducted? 
2. What other resources need to be examined? 
3. Who is the most reasonable candidate to be Oscar's father? 

Theory Four: Unknown Brown

In Part One, I mentioned briefly that Oscar was living with his sister, Harriet, in Missouri in the 1860 Census. Her family is at the heart of Theory Four: Unknown Brown.

1860 Census, Salt River Township, Shelby County, Missouri.
Household of W.W.W. Weatherby, including Brown, Oscar F. 

In 1860, Oscar would have been about 28 years of age. Certainly old enough to be out on his own, even with his own family, and carving out a life for himself. Considering the time frame, I have to ask myself what made him move to Missouri from Michigan to live with his sister, versus staying with his parents and/or the rest of his family?  Assuming that previous mentions of his father's death occurring in the late 1850's hold true, it might be one explanation.

Let's examine Harriet Brown for just a moment. First, how do I know that Harriet is Oscar's sibling? 

• She is not listed as a part of the household in the 1850 Census. 
• She is not named in his obituary or any other "story" printed about Oscar and his life.
• She is not listed as witness to his marriage, nor is she in any other vital record currently known to exist for Oscar. 

Way back in 2003, I ordered Oscar's military pension file and any other corresponding documents. Although his military records were minimal, his wife, Frances (Lawrence) Brown had a lengthy widow's pension. Two years ago, I took some time to re-examine the documents included in that file, and found the piece that changed everything for me in this search. 

Letter from Jennie Yoe, from the Widow's Pension file
of Frances (Lawrence) Brown.
Personal holdings of author.

On 7 Oct 1907, one year after Oscar's death, the U.S. Pension Office stamped two letters written on behalf of Frances, or Frankie as the family know's her, written by Jennie E. Yoe and W.T. Yoe. The "testimony" was given in front of the Notary Public of Montgomery County, Kansas, E.S. Mears (or Means). In the letter Jennie Yoe states that she is Oscar's niece, that she had known him since "before the war, and he was guest at my father & mother's house in Shelbina, Mo, after the war, when not employed elsewhere." She also mentions that visits had been made back and forth between the Brown's and the Yoe's since the marriage of Oscar and Frances. (The objective of the letter is to ensure to the Pension Board that Frances was Oscar's widow, his only wife, and the marriage was of one in good standing, giving her rights to a widow's pension.)  The letter from W.T. Yoe, Jennie's husband, was similarly written.

This discovery, of course, stopped me dead in my tracks. Who was Jennie? How was she connected to Oscar? Who's child was she, to be his niece? It did not take me long to find the answers, as the Yoe family is actually quite well documented. 

Located on the KSGenWeb Project is a transcription of Volume 4 of A Standard History of Kansas and Kansans, written and compiled by William E. Connelley, Secretary of the Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka. (Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, 1918. Pages 1739-1740. Originally transcribed 1998, modified 2003 by Carolyn Ward. http://skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb/archives/1918ks/bioi/indetrib.html.)  This text includes a biography of W.T. Yoe and his brother, Charles, who were Editor and President of The Tribune Printing Company, running The Independence Tribune newspaper, one of the "oldest papers in Kansas." From this text: 

"W.T. Yoe is a republican of the old school, a member of the Methodist Church, and is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Woodmen of the World, the Modern Woodmen of America, the Knights and Ladies of Security and the Sons and Daughters of Justice. A number of years ago he was appointed postmaster at Independence by President Chester A. Arthur, and served three years, resiging before the expiration of his term. Governor Humphrey also appointed him a member of the state board of charities and for a time hew as one of the board of regents of the State Agricultural College at Manhattan. He married Jennie E. Weatherby, a daughter of Warren W. and Harriet Weatherby, both of whom are now deceased. Her father was at one time postmaster at Shelbina, Missouri. Their children are seven: Harriet, living at home with her parents; Roy, on a farm in Southern Montgomery County; Edna May, wife of A.L. Bryan, who lives near Los Angeles, California, and is in the automobile supply business; Earl, foreman in the Tribune printing office at Independence; Ruth, wife of Guy Are of Independence, Mr. Arey being in the oil business; Warren W., with the Petroleum Products Company; and George, in the engineering department for the Kansas Natural Gas Company, employed in the Oklahoma fields."

I was able to locate the Yoe family pretty quickly in U.S. Census records, including 1880, 1900, 1910 and 1920.  The article above led me back to a source I already had: the 1860 Census. I'd had it all along, and knew that Oscar was living with another family in Shelby County, Missouri. From this article and other sources found after the fact, I was able to confirm that he was indeed living with his sister, Harriet (Brown) Weatherby.

Harriet, born around 1819, presumably in New York, married Warren W. Weatherby (1815-1871) in 1842 in Washtenaw County, and had two children: Jennifer Elizabeth (1848 -  ) and Willard (1843 -  ).

Action Item: Order copy of the marriage record between Warren Weatherby and Harriet Brown. Source currently on record is an index only.



Now. Backtrack Harriet Brown to find her parents, and the riddle is solved, right?

Um, right.

I can't seem to find anything on Harriet prior to her marriage. I did find an index for a probate record listing Harriet and Jennie, for Warren Weatherby when he died in 1871. I am hoping to make contact with the appropriate person holding that document soon, though phone calls to date to the historical society listed have proven to be ineffective. Just for the record, though:

Action Item: Continue to try to track the probate record for Warren Weatherby and obtain a copy. 


The 1880 Census lists her as living with her son, Williard, and his wife in Appleton, St. Clair County, Missouri. It indicates that she, and both her parents, were born in New York. I know that she died in Independence  Kansas, indicating that she lived in Jennie's household, or nearby, at the time of her death. I cannot seem to locate her death certificate, however. Such a shame about the 1890 Census... *sigh*.  At this point, I have not been able to locate the cemetery she is buried in, either.

Tracking Harriet has proven to be just as challenging as everything else with the family! (At least, things don't really change much... their descendants can be just as stubborn!)  The period between her birth in 1819 in New York and her marriage in 1842 in Michigan is a large black hole. I have not found a single record indicating a relationship between Harriet and her father, mentioned by name.

Back to the beginning:

1. Has a reasonably exhaustive search been conducted? I have a couple of items to collect, but I really would like to be able to find her burial site, obituary, burial records, etc. It's also possible that Warren Weatherby had a pension file, and therefore Harriet may too, as a widow, so that is an avenue I need to explore. 
2. What other resources need to be examined? Although she died in Kansas, I feel I need to focus on her life in Michigan and Missouri more. So, any further resources would be found there. 
3. Who is the most reasonable candidate to be Oscar's father?  Since this man is not truly "named", it's entirely possible that he is the same as Tolman, William, or Abraham. So, I will hold with the previously made stance that Tolman has the most evidence, direct or indirect, and is still the most likely candidate. 

What's next? One more possible father, and a follow up to all these great comments I've been getting. Keep 'em coming! 

Oscar F. Brown
Personal holdings of author.

Brickwall: The Case of Oscar F. Brown, Part Three

Please refer to this previous post for the summary on this multi-part series. Thank you! 

Within this series, I have decided to reevaluate my evidence on Oscar Fitzallen Brown, and the theories surrounding who his father may have been. The ultimate goal is to determine the following: 

1. Has a reasonably exhaustive search been conducted? 
2. What other resources need to be examined? 
3. Who is the most reasonable candidate to be Oscar's father? 

Theory Three: William Brown

William Brown. How much more common of a name can you possibly have?  According to Wikipedia, William was the third most common male name in the United States in 2011 (source article), and Brown has always been in the top five of surnames, ranking second in 2010 (source article). So, here I am. William Brown. Should be easy, right? 

Let's start this one with the original source.  In theories one and two, I mentioned Oscar's siblings, and one of them is Mary (Brown) Collins. Mary was born in 1817 in New York and died in 1879 in Washtenaw County, Michigan. She is buried in the Collins Cemetery. On Christmas Eve, 1835, in Pittsfield, she married Josiah H. Collins, who was just three years her senior. 

"Michigan, County Marriages, 1820-1935," index and images, FamilySearch
(https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VNLC-PJY : accessed 01 Oct 2012),
Josiah H Collins and Mary Brown, 1835.

The Brown family would have been fairly new to the area at this point, having arrived in Michigan at some time within the last two to three years. Mary and Josiah had at least five children: Henry, Charles, Mary Elizabeth, Josiah, and William B. They resided in Michigan their entire married life. When Mary died, her death record held by the county states her father's name as William Brown, and her mother as Mary. 

Interestingly, the 1870 Census lists the family, and Mary is "at home, no occupation". She is the only person in over ten years I have noted as labelled "insane" on the record. Her now adult daughter, Mary, is listed as the individual "keeping house" for the family. I do find it intriguing that Mary waited so long to get married; and although I do not know the date of her marriage to one Cyrenius H. Sadler, the first child's birth I have recorded is 1879; the year her mother died. It seems to me that there is a real possibility that Mary Brown was so incapacitated that her daughter was required to run the household for her father for a rather lengthy period of time. 

Her record of death with the County of Washtenaw, State of Michigan, is listed on two pages: 

"Michigan, Deaths, 1867-1897," index and images, FamilySearch
(https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/N3NP-6MP :
accessed 01 Oct 2012), Mary Collins, 20 May 1879.

Transcription: 

(Line 1) 352  May 20 1879  Mary Collins  F  W  Married  63 (years)  Lyndon (residence)  Chronic (?)  N.Y. (state of birth)   Housekeeper William Brown (father)  Mich. (Parents residence) June 2, 1880 (Date of Record)

(Line 2)  Unknown (part of cause of death)  A5 P2 U (clerk notations?)  Mary Brown (mother) 

Under the entry on page 1 is a note, stating "See letter of County Clerk, filed Sept 7, 1880." At this point, I do not know if this is in regards to her death, but it may explain why the death was filed in the books more than a year after it actually occurred. 

Action Item: Inquire with the Washtenaw County Clerk and/or the State of Michigan to see if this letter is still available; if so, request a copy. 

Even after this lengthy examination of Mary (Brown) Collins' death record, her tombstone states her father's name as "Tolman Brown." 

A search of appropriate census records during Mary's lifetime provides several William Brown's in the Washtenaw County communities, however, none indicate at least a 50% match on what we know of Mr. Brown, father of Oscar and Mary. The presumed facts are that he was born in New York, sometime around 1790, had a wife named Mary, who died in 1836, moved to Pittsfield, Michigan by 1835 and remained there. 

I have been in contact with another assumed descendant of the person identified as Tolman Brown. Their notes indicate that at some time, oral history indicated the father's name as "William Tolman", but there is no source or further information in their documentation. Could Tolman and William be the same person? 

Since I have been unable to find any further evidence of the life of William Brown, other than the death record of Mary Collins, this question remains unanswered. However, after reexamining the documents I have collected on Tolman Brown, I can say that the names Tolman and William never occur in the same place as different people. Can that be any more confusing?  Where I found Tolman, I did not find William - and vice versa - so it could be considered a possibility that they are not different men with the same surname, living in the same county at the same time. 

Could they be the same man? Sure, but there is nothing to confirm NOR deny that statement. Searches conducted for William using Talmon's vitals typically result in queries posted by the descendants, who are spread across the country looking for more information. 

Allow me, once again, to ask those three initial questions: 

1. Has a reasonably exhaustive search been conducted? No, I don't think so. More could be found on Mary (Brown) Collins, that could lead to her parents, and there is a possibility of tracking the family to current day and seeking information from them. Although I have been in contact with one descendant, there could certainly be more out there that have unique artifacts or sources. This is not a line I have fully identified and I do feel that additional work can be done. Additionally, one or two action items have been identified, and more questions have been presented than answered. 
2. What other resources need to be examined?  See above. I also think that Washtenaw County and the State of Michigan probably have records on file that I need to look at, I just have to do a bit more research to determine what those are. Certainly newspapers need to be researched, as I have realized a great lack of evidence on the Brown/Collins family in that regard. 
3. Who is the most reasonable candidate to be Oscar's father?  I still feel that Talmon has the best chance, but I think the idea that William and Talmon are the same guy is one that needs more of my time and attention. 

Coming up next... We go back to Oscar and examine his young adult life for clue's. 

Oscar F. Brown
Personal Archives of Author

Brickwall: The Case of Oscar F. Brown, Part Two

Please refer to this previous post for the summary on this multi-part series. Thank you! 

Within this series, I have decided to reevaluate my evidence on Oscar Fitzallen Brown, and the theories surrounding who his father may have been. The ultimate goal is to determine the following: 

1. Has a reasonably exhaustive search been conducted? 
2. What other resources need to be examined? 
3. Who is the most reasonable candidate to be Oscar's father? 

Theory Two: Tolman Brown

To begin this theory investigation, we actually need to start with Tolman's name. Not a common one, I have seen it spelled a variety of ways: Talman, Talmon, Tolmon, and the most popular, Tolman, which I will use here (unless quoting a source).

Tolman's name was originally found on the marriage record for Oscar F. Brown and Frances Elizabeth Lawrence, married 15 June 1874 in Platte County, Nebraska. Although the marriage certificate appears to no longer exist, they do have a record of it within the county, in the clerk's books, that has been indexed through FamilySearch.org. The Nebraska Marriages, 1855-1995 record series lists the following information:

Groom: Oscar F. Brown
Bride: Frances Lawrence
Bride's birth date: 1854
Bride's age: 20
Marriage date: 15 Jun 1874
Marriage place:  , Platte, Nebraska
Groom's Father's Name: Talman Brown
Groom's Mother's Name: Mary Morvie
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: M71473-1
System Origin: Nebraska-VR
Source File Number: 869275
Reference Number: 2:1STVDQG

Based on the previously examined political ticket for Oscar, we can assume that Tolman moved his family from New York to Michigan around 1834-1835. Again, we will start by examining the census records for this potential family.

Assuming the dates in the obituary are correct, or even within a year or two, Oscar and his family should be listed in the following census records and locations:

• 1840: Michigan. Tolman Brown can be found in the Pittsfield Township, Washtenaw County, Michigan under the name Salman Brown, with a household including: 1 free white male age 40-49, 2 free white females age 20-29, 2 free white males age 15-19, 1 free white male age 10-14, 1 free white female age 15-19. A total of seven free white people in the household, one of which was employed in agriculture. Assuming this census to be correct, that would mean that Tolman as head of household would have been born sometime between 1800-1809. 
• 1850: Michigan. Lists an Oscar F. Brown in the household of Tolman Brown of Pittsfield, Washtenaw County. No other candidates for Oscar were found in this census in the correct state. Tolman is listed as 55 or 56 years of age, born in New York; a farmer with real estate valued at $5000.00. This would indicate a birth date of around 1795. He is also listed in Schedule 4: Production of Agriculture. His wife's name is listed as Rebecca.1860: Michigan or Missouri: Oscar can be located in the household of W.W.W. Weatherby and his wife, Harriet, living in Salt River Township, Shelby County, Missouri. Later determined that Harriet and Oscar are siblings.  Tolman appears to have died in 1858 (see below). 
• 1870: Nebraska (Oscar). Colfax County, Nebraska, living independently as a farmer, born in Michigan (not New York). 
• 1880: Nebraska (Oscar): Richland, Colfax County, Nebraska, with wife Frances and two children, as well as two boarders. Birth place listed as New York.
• 1900: Nebraska (Oscar). Central City, Merrick County, in a household with wife Frances and his two youngest children, born in New York. 

The search gets more interesting as we widen the scope beyond the census records. If we assume Tolman to be born sometime between 1795 and 1809 in New York, we find the following:

• History of Washtenaw County, Michigan..., Vol II. Chicago, Chas C. Chapman & Co, 1881. Page 1250 "Pioneers" : "Talman Brown bought a tract of land located on section 11, which had been purchased of Government by Mr. Hardy. Mr. Brown was a worthy citizen, and a good agriculturist. He died at his residence on section 10."
• Past and Present of Washtenaw County, Beakes, Samuel L. The S.J. Clarke Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois, 1906. Page 774, "Pittsfield." : "The wife of Talmon Brown, of Pitt, as the town was then called, was found dead Sunday morning, June 5, 1836, in a small pool of water near her home."  This would indicate that the family was certainly in Michigan by the time Oscar was four years old, and if this was indeed his mother, he was just a young boy when she passed away.
• Michigan Vital Records from the Michigan Christian Herald (1850-[1859]). Publisher unknown, Detroit, Michigan, 1900. Page 135. "Brown, Talman, d. in Pittsfield, May 4, 1858, ae 67y. He was born at Fort Ann, Washington Co., N.Y., Nov 12, 1791. Moved to Dansville, Steuben Co., N.Y. Came to Mich. in 1834. 9-2-58"  Not only does this record provide us with his birth date and location, it also takes us back to the political ticket written for Oscar in 1882 that stated he was born in Danville. Although the town names are different, and therefore the counties, they are too similar to ignore in this case. 

Action Item: Try to find a death certificate for Mrs. Tolman Brown. 

Action Item: Death certificate or other source for the death date and location of Tolman Brown. 

• 1840 Map of Pittsfield Township, Washtenaw County, Michigan: Tolman Brown, two tracts between 10 and 11. (htttp://pittsfieldhistory.org/images/platmap_1840_80.jpg)

• U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office Records. State Volume Patent issued 1 Sep 1826 to Tolman Brown for Section 11, Washtenaw County, Michigan. (Document number 2195, BLM serial number MI NO S/N. http://www.glorecords.blm.gov.)  This would indicate that Tolman was planning his families move to Michigan approximately ten years before records show their presence in that place. 
• Based on the previous finds, we continued to move backward in time, and located Talmon in Dansville, Steuben County, New York in the 1830 Census. The household consisted of one male between 30-39 years, two males under five years, one female between 30-39 years, and two females between 10-15 years of age. Again, this would mean that Talmon claimed a birth date of sometime between 1800 - 1809. 
• In 1825, the Town of Dansville conducted their own census, and a Talmon Brown is listed there with 1 male, 3 females, 1 militia and 1 voter. (http://www.newhorizonsgenealogicalservices.com/1825-census-ny-steuben-dansville.htm). This indicates a member of the militia, which may mean that Talmon served or may serve eventually. I was able to locate a record for a Talman Brown, 121 Reg't (Stewart's) of the New York Militia, who served in the War of 1812. Listed as a Sergeant both at induction and discharge. I will not pursue ordering a copy of these records unless I can confirm that Talmon was indeed my ancestor, as his service in 1812 would not provide any information on his future unborn children. His pension file, if one exists, may list just that, but this is not something I can justify at this point. 

The other piece of the initial marriage record examined here for Oscar and Frances listed his mother as "Mary Morvie." All searches using a combination of names for her have come up empty, bar one, that indicates her first name may have been Minerva. However, if she is indeed the woman who died in a pool of water in 1836, it would certainly explain the 1850 Census record that lists Tolman's wife as "Rebecca". She can be tracked to be one Rebecca Shelmire, born about 1810 in New York. I have been unable to determine if they had any children together.

Talmon had at least three children besides Oscar that I have been able to document in some way: Harriet, Mary and William H. Harriet was born about 1819 (calculated from census records and provided by her descendants as a birth date) near Dunkirk, New York, and note that her birth date puts her around ten to twelve years older than Oscar. We will examine Harriet and her family, and the chain of evidence, in a future post. However, this same descendant provided a copy of a family group sheet, compiled by his great-grandfather, a direct descendant of Harriet through her daughter, Jennie Weatherby.  It is dated 1925 and notes that it is a result of conversation with Jennie Elizabeth Weatherby Yoe.  This information states:

"Harriet Brown had sister Mary, brothers William - d in San Francisco; David - killed by Indians in Idaho; Oscar F - Marine Corp Civil War - lived in Nebraska."

William H. appears in the 1850 Census, born about 1829 in New York, much closer in age to Oscar.  He appears to have lived out the majority of his life in Wisconsin, and died in California. His relationship to Oscar, and therefore Talmon, is documented through the 1850 Census and the above family group sheet. His marriage to Mary Foster is documented (by index only) online, but no images of the certificate appear to be available in this format.

Action Item: Order a copy of William H. Brown's marriage certificate, Washtenaw County, Michigan. May list parents' names.

Mary (Brown) Collins.
Personal archives of author. 

Mary, born in New York around 1817, appears to have been the oldest in the family. She married Josiah H. Collins on 24 Dec 1835 in Pittsfield, Washtenaw County, Michigan, and they had five children. The family was still in the area in the 1878/1879 Washtenaw County Directory. Mary's headstone indicate's she was Tolman's daughter, however, just so things aren't too easy, the death record from the State of Michigan lists her father was "William".

 The inscription on her head stone reads as follows: "Wife of Josiah, daughter of Talmon."  A direct descendant of Mary has her father's name in his personal research notes as "William Talmon Brown", but no source is listed. They have also indicated that she had eleven or twelve children, but only five were known to survive by 1881.  Mary is buried in the Judson Collins Memorial Cemetery in Washtenaw County, Michigan. The 1870 Census listed her as "insane". A copy of her marriage certificate indicates Talman Brown as a witness to the nuptials.

Action Item: Membership to the Washtenaw Genealogical Society, and the ability to search through their annual publication, "Family History Capers", which is indexed online and indicates more information is available on Talmon Brown, a William Brown, and the Collins family. (Submitted membership 28 Sep 2012. Waiting for response from organization.)

The final sibling listed on the Family Group Sheet is David, "killed by Indians" in Idaho. Wouldn't that make an interesting story around the Thanksgiving table this year! Unfortunately, I have not been able to locate any further evidence on a David Brown in Idaho, and without more details on his life, I feel that the search is too broad to spend a significant amount of time on him. In the meantime, the family member that provided me with this information is working on going back to the source - his Grandmother - to see if she can recall anything further on the siblings.

What are we left with?

Obviously, there is a good deal of information available on Talmon Brown, and more to come. The direct sources include:

• 1850 Census listing Oscar in Talmon's household.
• Grave of Mary (Brown) Collins listing Talmon as her father. However, this source is negated by the death record listing William as her father.

The rest is really circumstantial. Certainly Tolman and Oscar's timelines match well, in regards to birth dates, the move to Michigan, etc. I am hopeful that either William or Mary's marriage certificates may provide more information to the Talmon puzzle. 

To review. 

1. Has a reasonably exhaustive search been conducted? Geez, I hope so. There are a few items that need to be reviewed, indicated above as action items. What else did I miss? Probate for Tolman, if I can confirm his death, may be an option. Did he have other children? Did he have more than two wives? To be honest, I have shied away from spending money on records up to this point because this is just a theory, and I have to pick and choose my personal genealogy expenditures carefully, but I think now is the time.
2. What other resources need to be examined? Action Items. Certainly the Genealogical Society of Washtenaw County magazine needs to be scrutinized, and that will probably occur first. 
3. Who is the most likely candidate to be Oscar's father, based on the evidence collected and the conclusions that have been drawn from said evidence?  At this time, I think there is certainly a much stronger argument for Tolman than Abraham. There is too much circumstantial piling up for me to think this is all coincidence. 

Two down, two to go.

Now a proud member. 

Needle in a Haystack

My maiden name is Brown. 

Yep. In the 2000 Census of the United States, it was the fourth most common surname in the country, beat out by Smith, Johnson and Williams (Genealogy Data: Frequently Occurring Surnames from Census 2000. United States Census Bureau. Accessed 21 May 2012. http://www.census.gov/genealogy/www/data/2000surnames/index.html).

We all love the "needle in a haystack" analogy, right?

This is a common topic for genealogy bloggers, researchers and professionals alike. I've been reading tips for over a decade, trying to find what works and what doesn't. There are some basic tools that are used regularly, cluster research, for example. (Cluster research is looking at each individual in the family: how many John Brown's have a wife named Amanda and four daughters; Amy, Andrea, Alexis and Alyson? Of course, its not always that easy.) You can find great suggestions on various blogs, like Elyse's Genealogy Blog, by Elyse Doerflinger, and her post: 3 Tips for Researching Common Surnames (5 Jan 2011).

My question is this: what if you have the needle, but not the hay?

What happens when you have a theory you are trying to prove, but not enough evidence to prove or disprove? I have a few of these gems, and for me, they are as frustrating and difficult as the John Brown's of the world, surrounded by hay.

So this is more about what I do in either case. Often, the research techniques can be the same or at least similar.  Not everybody in my ancestral line gets the same treatment; some walls are just more important than others to destroy. Assume that up to this point, I have already conducted a fairly thorough search of the more common resources, both online and off. I've looked at B,M,D, I've reviewed my notes, I've gone back over all the documentation.

This is my brain obliterating
genealogy brick walls. Or, at least I
like to think so.
Creative Commons: www.ropeadope.com

My typical first step is to walk away. 5 minutes, 5 days, 5 months. Whatever it takes to clear my brain of any assumptions I have already drawn, to erase what I think I know about that person. At times, it leads me to research someone closely connected, which in turn leads to a new resource or possible break through (back to that whole cluster thing). There are people in my past who seem to be mocking me, however, and I just end up right back where I was when I walked away the first time.

Step 2 (though it doesn't always necessarily happen in this order): I draw a picture. It could be a hand written pedigree for the individual, with room for notes, it could be a giant word bubble, it could be a literal sketch of what I think that person looked like. Anything to get my creative juices flowing, the other side of my brain working. Once in a while, its enough of a boost to either motivate me to keep going or gain a new idea on a resource, an avenue of their lifespan I haven't explored yet.

Step 3. Start a new tree. Really. I take this one person, with only his vitals, and start a new tree in my software. That way, I can work on his life alone without influence from those around him. Yes, cluster research works very well, however, sometimes it helps to separate yourself and the subject from everything else. Isolate that person, and see what comes to your brain. If you find evidence that you conclude is correct, you can fairly easily merge the two files or transfer one piece of data at a time.

Always, along the way, talk. Talk out loud. Talk to your cat, the computer, a cup of coffee, a spouse, the tree outside the window. Anything. Just talk. It's the same concept as when you are writing a paper (or editing one!), and they tell you to read it to yourself. Then read it backwards. You find more errors, you are able to make corrections on flow and rhythm. The same theory applies here: if you talk, it forces your brain to process more. It makes you more aware of the possible date mistakes, the pieces of information you have yet to collect, the gaps in your timeline.

Lastly, tell their story. Blog it, journal it, put it in Word and let it sit in your computer. It's the same as talking; spelling it out and putting everything you know out there in some format will cause your brain cells to click into gear. It doesn't matter if you ever share it with anybody else. Just get it out.

I would love to hear about what you do. Hay, no hay, different colors of hay, hay in multiple places. Let the destruction begin! Please share your comments and thoughts.