Running Them Through the Sluice Box: Continuing to Filter the Records for Anna & Robert

Hydraulic Placer Mining, ca 1935.
Image courtesy of the Denver Public
Library Digital Collections, Denver,
Colorado. 

Have you ever seen how a sluice box works?

The sediment is poured into the top, and water runs over it, like a stream. This allows for the larger, heavier pieces of earth to be retained in the different sections, and the smaller sediment to eventually be washed away. 

This seems to me the next logical step as I search for Anna & Robert Hamilton of Breckenridge, Colorado. They arrived here during a mining boom, and I've been “panning for genealogical gold” for several months.

In past posts, I've explored the 1900 and 1910 U.S. Federal Census records for the family; I've examined my original source, and created some initial questions I wanted to ask. I think it is time to pause, and reassess my timeline and research strategy on the Hamilton’s. We already know quite a bit about the first few years of their marriage, so let’s take a look at all of that, and outline what we don’t know.

Going back to that “original source.” Sandra F. Mather, PhD authored They Weren't All Prostitutes and Gamblers; The Women of Summit County from 1859 to the Turn of the Century. (Summit Historical Society, 2009). In the ending chapter, Dr. Mather introduces us to Anna (Sadler) Hamilton and her husband Robert. Anna kept a journal, and those were examined in order to compose this chapter. From this text, I began to create a timeline of Anna’s life.

• 2 Sep 1862, birth, Grundy County, Illinois
• 1870, census, Vienna Township, Grundy County, Illinois
• 1880, census, Vienna Township, Grundy County, Illinois
• 1884, teacher’s certificate issued, Grundy County, Illinois
• 11 Feb 1885, marriage, Grundy County, Illinois to Robert Hamilton
• 1885, Colorado state census, Summit County, Colorado
• 13 May 1885, property, purchased a horse in Summit County, Colorado
• Jul 1885, illness, Breckenridge, Summit County, Colorado
• 1888, property, owned mining claims in her name, Summit County, Colorado
• 1904, property, sold mining claims
• Probably before 1915, death

Although property records can be excellent to utilize, it is not necessary to reside on the land, or in the area, of the property in question. It is possible that Robert purchased this land on her behalf… and a million other “what if’s?” Because I do not have a solid chain of evidence, I am summarizing that I essentially lose Anna’s trail in 1885 when the Colorado State Census was conducted.

However, Robert’s timeline does provide more clues…

• Cal 1857, birth, Canada
• 1880, census, Breckenridge, Summit County, Colorado
• 11 Feb 1885, marriage, Grundy County, Illinois to Anna Sadler
• 1885, Colorado state census, Summit County, Colorado
• 1909, residence, Oxford, Nebraska (per newspaper article in Summit County Journal)
• 1910, property, Denver, Denver County, Colorado
• 7 Feb 1911, property, Summit County, Colorado (per newspaper article in Summit County Journal. Language of article implies that he resided on his ranch, as well.)
• 1912, property, Denver, Denver County, Colorado
• 8 Aug 1913, residence, Weld County, Colorado
• Abt 1915, residence, Denver, Denver County, Colorado
• 1916, property, Summit County, Colorado

A couple items to note:


The article dated 1909 indicates that Mr. Hamilton, his wife and children were visiting Summit County at the time from Oxford, Nebraska, where he operated a highly successful “large stock farm.” This is the only indication I have that the Hamilton’s ever had any children.

Also, the 1911 article indicates that his ranch was “down the blue,” a local term indicating the Blue River. This could have meant north of present day Silverthorne or south of the Town of Breckenridge. If he went north, he still would have been in Summit County for several miles, but going south means either Park or Lake Counties, depending on how far he went. If he went south, it would have made more sense for him to do business in growing Leadville, rather than coming back to Breckenridge. 

Here is what I do not know:

1. Robert’s actual birth date and location. I have an estimated year based on other record sources, and a country. His father, William, was born in Ormstown, Quebec, in 1830, and arrived in the U.S. in 1881, well after Robert’s birth.
2. Death dates and locations for both Anna and Robert. Anna’s father, John, was listed in The History of Grundy County, Illinois (Munsell Publishing, Chicago. 1914. Pages 896-897); and this text indicated that Anna had already passed at the time of printing. I have absolutely nothing to give me an idea of when Robert may have died.
3. Did Robert and Anna have any children? If so, where and when? 
4. How long were they in Nebraska? Did Robert stay in the cattle industry? He easily could have moved his operation to Colorado and had success.

There appears to be a good deal of information on other member’s of their families… The Sadlers' in Illinois are fairly well documented, as is one of Anna’s brothers that became a politician in Colorado. The Hamilton’s are also represented well. I have been able to track down descendants from both families and inquired if they knew anything of either Anna or Robert. All that has been confirmed was that they existed. Nothing more. 

Next steps.

• I am going to follow a bit of my own advice, and look into Livestock Brands for both Nebraska and Colorado. There is a chance that I can at least identify Robert’s residences.
• Vital records from family members in Illinois and Canada may provide clues, as well.
• Religious sources may be helpful here, also. My first goal will be to determine the Hamilton’s religious preferences while here in Breckenridge. The options in 1885 were fairly limited, and I happen to know that historic records have been preserved fairly well. Even if I cannot pinpoint a particular denomination, it will not take long to examine the available materials, and at the very least, exclude that as an option for more information.

Just a bit more on the parents…

Robert’s father was born in Ormstown. Anna’s father was born in Ormstown. Robert’s mother’s maiden name was SADLER. Anna’s maiden name was SADLER. Both families eventually had connections to Grundy County, Illinois.

Coincidence?

Oh, I don’t think so!

[Sandra F. Mather, PhD., is the author of at least ten books, all discussing the history and geology of Summit County, Colorado. She is a volunteer for both the Summit Historical Society and the Breckenridge Heritage Alliance.]

Robert & Anna Hamilton: 1900 Census Search, not quite done!

And, we're back.

Robert & Anna Hamilton just will not let my brain rest, so I am doing this post on my search for them sooner than I planned. You can read all about them in two previous posts; dated 29 July 2012 and 25 Nov 2012.  They create an intriguing mystery, and I am hoping to solve it.

A couple of suggestions were made after my most recent post regarding the search I conducted for the family in the 1900 U.S. Census. I thought before moving on to 1910, it would be wise to examine at least one of those.

Grundy County, IL.
Source: Wikipedia.

At one point, I theorized that Anna, and her family, may have gone back to Illinois either to live or for extended visits. We know from two of Anna's journals held with the Colorado State Archives, that she was generally unhappy living in Breckenridge, and "pined" for her family and friends back home. A reader, Deborah Andrew, thought perhaps that she may be listed in the census with her family, possibly even under her maiden name of Sadler.

Anna was born Anna Jane Sadler, on 2 Sep 1862 in Illinois, probably Grundy County. She and Robert married on 11 Feb 1885, also in Grundy County. Before this, we have no record of Robert ever living in Illinois, and because of research done on the families, it is probable that the families were already connected by marriage, or at the very least, friendly with each other, before the nuptials. Jane's parents were John Sadler and Matilda Hamilton. They had been in Illinois since at least 1862 when Anna was born, and I have been able to pinpoint that both John  and Matilda were born in Ormstown, Quebec.

Being the oldest of six, Anna was closest in age to her brother, George Walsh Sadler, and he also resided and died in Colorado. Two others I have at least an approximate death date for, but two are completely unaccounted for, so it would appear that I have some cluster genealogy to do.

In the meantime, here is what I could find on the Sadler's in the 1900 U.S. Census, focusing on Grundy County, Illinois:

• In the Vienna Township, John Sadler, aged 62 years, born Canada. He is listed with his wife Matilda, and just one child, Harry (the youngest). He is a farmer, and both he and Matilda reported their parents being born in Ireland. 
• Also in Grundy County is William Sadler, residing in Felix Township. He is 51 years, listed with wife Kate, and was also born in Canada, with Irish lineage. Although I do not have a familial connection to this man in the Sadler/Hamilton family I'm searching, he is one that I need to remember, because that could easily be the case. Per Google Maps, the two communities are less than 24 miles apart. Could be a coincidence, but it certainly could not be, also! 

Headstone of George W. Sadler and his wife, Lillian.
Source: www.findagrave.com

There are several other counties in the 1900 Illinois Census that list Sadler residents.

Although some of the results were interesting, including a listing from the insane asylum, none of them appeared to be Anna or her possible children. Or her siblings, for that matter.

I would be interested to see what other resources researcher's use for Illinois, or specifically Grundy County, as it appears the family was there for some time.

The Diary: 1 Feb - 10, 1895

Please refer to previous posts' on "The Diary" for an introduction to this transcription. 

Fri                                                                                           Feb 1

Exam on French to-day. Liz, Allie and I went to C.E.

Sat                                                                                          Feb 2

                Mr. H. took Lizzie and I for a drive.

Sun                                                                                        Feb 3

                Allie, Liz and I went to M.E. Church this morning & heard from Mr. Allen preach from John 14.21. Lizzie and I went to S.S. Liz caught Alice’s class. Coming home we met Mr. H. so we sent for a drive away down the Branch to the Rideau River. Alice, Liz and I went to Pres Church & heard Mr. Longhead preach from Prov. 4.18.

Mon.                                                                                     Feb 4

                Lizzie’s birthday. She was 19 to-day. Lizzie and I were down first for breakfast and Clark put a mark in the calendar to show it.

Tues.                                                                                     Feb 5

                Very, very cold to-day. Mr. Halliday wanted my cape to keep him warm in bed. They are all sick with Grippe etc except Lizzie and I.

Wed.                                                                                     Feb 6

                Another very cold day. Lizzie and I got a new lamp shade to-night. We had our choice of five of them.

Thurs.                                                                                   Feb 7

                Nothing particular to-day. Liz & S. Hevere talking to R.M.

Fri.                                                                                          Feb 8

                Stormed all day and the S.S. Concert was to be to-night. Lizzie and Maude took their dinner to school. I didn’t go. Can’t go home this week. Mr. Halliday’s brother came at noon & was snowed in over Sunday.

Sat.                                                                                        Feb 9

                Storm still raging. Mrs. Kerr doctored me for the cold. Couldn’t go out to-day. Not even to the Yel. Mr. H. was talking to R.M.

Sun.                                                                                       Feb 10

                Lizzie mad a show of herself this morning and also Mr. H. Our door was wide open. All went to church in the morning except Mrs. Kerr & I. Lizzie & I went to S.S. Us 4 girls went to Pres Church to-night. Heard Mr. McDermind preach on Ps 65.1,2,3&4. Coming home we met Mr. S. (Sen) and Maggie Anderson and Mr. H (Jun) & Bell Martin. Folded the blankets in Mr. H (Sen) bed & put spools in Mr. H (Jun) bed.

Obituary: Mrs. Samuel Reid, Sr.

Personal archives of author.

Hopefully, you are all familiar with "The Diary", a transcription project I have been working on, posting pages of the 1895 diary of Carrie E. Reid.

On the side, I have also been working to determine exactly who Carrie was, and how her family is connected to mine. In the process, I have been using other materials found in the same collection in which the diary originally came to me; what I refer to as the "Carlyle Collection". Most of this material was either owned or gathered (or both) by Carrie (Brown) Carlyle, my great great aunt, and her descendants.

One of those pieces is the obituary of Mrs. Samuel Reid, Sr. (Seen here. The original newspaper print, it does not include a newspaper name or date.)  A bit of mystery of its own, as Mrs. Reid's given name or maiden name is never mentioned in the document. It does, however, give enough information to identify her, and her immediate family line.

May I introduce you to... Nancy (Marlin) Reid, the maternal grandmother of my 1st great grand aunt's husband, Samuel Reid.

Included with the original is a photo copy and some notes, indicating her death occurred in 1908.  Canadian records actually indicate it was 1907, 22 of January. She was 94 years old when she passed away, having been born in 1813.

So. Who was Nancy in relation to Carrie? Well, she had several sons', as you can read in the column, but only one daughter that I know of: Jane. She married one James Carlyle, who was born in Scotland in 1841, and immigrated to Canada sometime before 1875. Together, Jane and James had at least four children: Adam (the husband of Carrie Brown), Elizabeth, or Lizzie, as she is referred to in The Diary; Bert, an assumed brother from the transcription of The Diary, and of course, Carrie, our author. Nancy was their grandmother. Possible one listed as living near the Carlyle family (you'll have to wait for further posts from The Diary for that one!). Unfortunately for my family, Adam had already left the house when Carrie started putting her thoughts on paper on 1 Jan 1895, but I'm still hoping he'll show up soon enough. He wasn't yet married, but was out on his own. Maybe he'll come home to visit. 

"Grandma Carlyle", Carrie L. (Brown) Carlyle, wife of Adam Carlyle.
With  her daughter and family. Date unknown.
Personal archives of author.

The story, and life, of Mrs. Samuel Reid, Sr., really is worth reading, so take a minute to examine the obituary also. The writer left a broad suggestion at the end for the youth of Canada, but more so, to all of us. I certainly wish I had a photo of this remarkable woman... then again, maybe I do. Just another reason to keep digging into the mysteries that the "Carlyle Collection" has provided for me. 

By the way, "Reids' Mills" was located in Carleton County, Ontario, and is still a community today. 

Our Savior Cemetery, Hay Lakes, Alberta, Canada

Images from a trip several years ago to the Our Savior Cemetery in Hay Lakes, Alberta, Canada.

All images under copyright, Ancestral Journeys, 2012. 

Julius and Pauline Kitzmann, my 2nd great grandparents. 

Rosalie Busenius, my 1st cousin, 3x removed. 

Karl Busenius, exact relationship unknown, but likely brother to Rosalia. 

Tober family. Exact relationship unknown, but likely related through the family of my grandmother, Elsie (Tober) Brown. 

One monument listing people buried in the cemetery without headstones. 

The Diary: 20 Jan - 31, 1895

Please refer to previous post The Diary for an introduction to these entries. Also see the first and second installments for the month of January, 1895.

Sun                                                                                        Jan 20

                S.H., Alice, Lizzie and I went to the M.E. Church this morning and heard Mr. Kype preach on Gen 5.24. We three went to S.S. at 2·30 P.M. Alice, Berth and I went to Pre. Ch. In the evening. Lizzie was sick before church but she was alright about bed time. Flat irons. Mr. McDermid took Ps. 27.14. for his text to night.

Mon                                                                                      Jan 21

Was at school to-day.

Tues.                                                                                     Jan 22

                Lizzie and I had a drive to-night with L.A. Lots of fun watching the scholars fall as it was very slippery. John Henry had the croup to-night. Concert at Hallville.

Wed.                                                                                     Jan 23

                Martha Patterson and I fell going up to the school at noon, on the ice. Wilda made Ella C (?) laugh when reading. She told her “Old Selleck was in.” Mr. Witherill went away to-day. Had a great talk to Bert over the telephone.

Thurs.                                                                                   Jan 24

                A meeting after 4 of the School Board & Scholars to-night to decide about keeping Mr. Witherill or not. I went for a drive with L. Dave & Lizzie wouldn’t let me go.

Fri.                                                                                          Jan 25                    Exam Arith.

                Lizzie went home with Joe Allen. Pa came for me after tea.

Sat.                                                                                        Jan 26

                Stormed all day to-day.

Sun                                                                                        Jan 27

                In the house all day. Y. & W.W. came down this afternoon.

Mon                                                                                      Jan 28

Couldn’t corale to K.V. Roads all blocked. 

Tues.                                                                                     Jan 29

                John Horn brought Lizzie and I to K.V. Bad roads. Started at 9 o’clock and got here at 12.

Wed.                                                                                     Jan 30

                At school to-day. Mr. Halliday took very sick about 12 o’clock. P.M. Mr. Clark went for Dr. Ferguson.

Thurs.                                                                                   Jan 31

                Saw Nannie and Uncle Alex went for a drive with them and again with Bob Allen.

The Diary

The Diary: 8 - 19 Jan 1895

Please refer to previous post The Diary for an introduction to these entries. Also see the first and second installments for the month of January, 1895.

The Diary.

Tuesday                                                                               Jan 8

                Going to school met Bob and Geo. H. Bid them Good-Bye again. Bob left on 11·30 train & G.H to Osgoode.

Wed                                                                                      Jan 9.

                Nothing particular to-day. At school.

Thurs.                                                                                   Jan 10.

                Ditto.

Fri.                                                                                          Jan 11.

                At school all day and to C.End at night

Sat.                                                                                        Jan 12.

                Pa came up and I went home. Annie Hunter went too. Got our new cutter and Miss Eneff, Annie Hunter, Bert and I had the first drive in it.

Sun.                                                                                       Jan 13.

                Snowing. John took the sleigh to church and C.E.

Monday                                                                               Jan 14.

                Pa brought me up to K.V. Went to S at recess.

Tuesday                                                                               Jan 15

                At school as usual. Lin took me for a drive.

Wed                                                                                      Jan 16

                At school.

Thur                                                                                       Jan 17

(Margin) Pa brought Annie Hunter in to-night.

                At school. Lizzie, Mrs. Kerr and I went to the Methodist revival meeting led by Mr Kype.

Fri                                                                                           Jan 18

                An Exam in Alg for our first. Went to the C.E. “At Home” and had a good time. Geo Wilson wanted us to go home for they were going to Bob Allens but we didn’t. Lizzie had a funny turn in her sleep or me, which?

Sat                                                                                          Jan 19

                Alice, Bertha, Lizzie and I felt rather funny to-day. Went for a walk in the afternoon.

The Diary, 3-7 Jan, 1895

Thursday                                                                             Jan 3

                Were down to Wm Carlyle’s to-night and had a fine time. Annie and I were left but we got a chance. We had lots of fun after the rest went away. Just six of us, Edith, Annie, Bob, Big George Little George and myself. Maggie Skuce went back to Ottawa to-day and Martha wen to Uncle Billies.

Friday                                                                                    Jan 4

                Were to go to Winchester today but were disappointed. Got another telephone message to go tomorrow.

Satur.                                                                                    Jan 5.

                A lovely day but can’t go to Winchester.

Spent the evening at Mr. Murphy’s. Had a pleasant time eating candy and cough drops.

Sunday                                                                                Jan 6.

                Mame Brown, Annie and Lin Allen wen to Hallville church. Song a voluntary at our church “Let Himself In”. We had the sleigh at church. Bob Carlyle came up for tea. Chris lead the C.E.

Monday                                                                               Jan 7.

                I came to K.V. with Lin Allen. Geo H Carlyle came and took Lizzie and I out to Sandie’s for tea. Bob came up there and stopped all night. We had a fine time. Bob brought Lizzie and I home about 11 o’clock and we bid him good-bye.

The Diary: Jan 1 & 2, 1895

A while back, I wrote about finding The Diary. I promised to transcribe and post it. While life has certainly done a good job at keeping me from that, I have not forgotten.

So, here is the first two entries, dated 1 Jan and 2 Jan, 1895.

1895

“Diary”

C.E. Reid

Tuesday                                                                               Jan 1

                This being the 22^nd Anniversary of Mother’s and Father’s wedding we wished to have some enjoyment so we decided on having a little party. After working hard all day and all was ready the young people commenced to gather. We played all the plays we knew then had tea about 12 o’clock and after tea we had a recitation from Nannie, speeches from Mr. Shaw, Christopher and Bob. Pa told us how happy he was 22 yrs ago, also the history of the Plaid Shawl.  He then called on Geo. H. Carlyle from B. Columbia. After his speech he moved a vote of thanks to Mrs. And Mr. Reid (alone) for the pleasant time they had spent. Then after singing “God Be With You” they all left for home leaving us reflecting over the pleasant evening we had had.

Wed.                                                                                     Jan 2

                We got up feeling rather blue but we went to work to sweep up and soon felt all right. Aunt Mary had stayed all night so Bert and Chris took her up to Grandma’s. Well and Lorne Mulloy came down from Grandma’s and Annie and Lorne went for a drive. When they got back Bert and I went then. Miss Eneff came. After dinner Well & Lorne went home and Chris, Annie, Sarah and I went down to Dan Allens where we found Bob Carlyle, Maggie Skull and Maria. We then came up to Prayer Meeting.

One Photo at a Time

I randomly chose a photo from my "unknown" collection for this post. Here is an image of four males, ranging in age from around 15 years to mid-30's. (That's a big guess by the way, I'm really not very good at guessing ages.)  I have no idea who they are or why I own their photo, but I absolutely love this image. It certainly looks to me like four decent guys, trying to look tough. 

The image entered my collection via a distant cousin. He is a descendant of Carrie (Brown) Carlyle, who was my great great aunt. Her husband, Adam, carries some Canadian heritage into our tree, and I believe this to be a picture from that line of folks. 

The original is cut into the shape seen here, and this is a scan, not a photo, so the image is not quite as good as it could be (see this previous post for more information on that!). There is nothing on the back to indicate who these gents might be. 

The image is simply priceless, and they look to me like they are sharing a good private joke. If it weren't for the youngest of the four, you might almost believe them to be tough and threatening, but he gives it away. 

Wordless Wednesday: Moravian Church Archives, Alberta, Canada

Original building church cornerstone.

Artifacts in the Archives

Rev. Hoyler, first minister in Alberta, and left an
amazing journal of day to day life in pioneer Canada.

Where Were They? The Day Standard Time Began

Where were they?  A real question, worthy of evaluating. In the past, we have relived a blizzard and extreme heat. Today, our moment in history is a human development; that of "standard time."

White Pine Cone, White Pine, Gunnison County, Colorado Newspaper
30 Nov 1883, Page 3
Part of an article explaining the change to Standard Time.

18 November 1883. The railroads in the United States and Canada adopt "Standard Time" to unify the schedules and routes across the continent. Starting at exactly noon, we divided into time zones using hour differentials; the same system still in place today. The idea did not necessarily change life as a whole for the average American, it took some time for the effects to spread. The idea of daylight savings time was first concocted by Benjamin Franklin, during his time as Ambassador in France, in 1748, but was not instigated until the 1900's. (Source on all above facts: http://www.webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/d.html.)

So, where were they?

Where were my ancestors when standard time went "live"? Were they about to board a train? Were they out in the wilderness and had no idea this was even happening?

Let's find out.

My usual suspects will make their presence known once again: Oscar F. Brown and Eilert Heerten. I've also decided to try to include some folks that were in more urban environments.

The date in question is 18 November 1883. Oscar was 51 years of age, had a wife and four kids, with two more to come later. They were living in Richland, Nebraska, having given up the homesteading life, and Oscar was serving a two year term as a State Senator. We can assume from his "in town" political activity that the family knew of the adoption of standard time. The railway had been in Richland since 1866, and in 1879, they had a grocery store (http://www.casde.unl.edu/history/counties/colfax/richland/). The town was well on its way by 1883.  I wonder if and when the State Senate made the switch? From what I've read, it started with the railroads, and took some time for the rest of society to catch on, so did governments switch earlier than the rest of society? Would the Brown's have adapted to the new system to make life more seamless for Oscar in his public office, or did he just adjust from his personal to professional life?

Eilert's whereabouts during this time are a little more uncertain. We know he was in Illinois in 1875, and in Nebraska by 1890, but those in between years are a little gray. For the purposes of this post, I'm going to assume he was already in Keya Paha County, Nebraska, since its only a few years off.   

From what I have been able to find, the Nebraska Northeastern Railway Company and the Burlington-Northern San Francisco (BNSF) currently run routes near Springview, the county seat. Both of these also run near Ainsworth, in neighboring Brown County, which is where the Heerten family is buried. However, the railroading history in the area began in 1883, with the arrival of the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad (in fact, the town of Ainsworth was named after one of the rail construction engineers); which may seem relatively late to most for the first train. I would have to guess that since the rails were not a significant part of life for the north central area of Nebraska residents, then neither was the designated change to "standard time" in late 1883.

What about those that resided in the cities, or in major transportation hubs? Did it make a bigger difference?

In 1883, the McGowan family was living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Patrick worked in the steel industry, and Elizabeth, or "Lizzie", was at home, pregnant with their first of ten children, who would be born Mary Ann.  Knowing little about the steel industry in 1883, I can only assume that they had ties to the railroad system for shipping their material out from their factory or, at the very least, a distribution center of some sort. So, again, I think that my 2nd great grandfather Patrick would have been aware of the new program, and that it affected his work life in some way. (Of course, I've just created a whole new line of research for myself, haven't I?)


How long, I wonder, did it really take for standard time to gain a foothold in every day life.  It must have felt very unnatural to some, to start watching the clock, versus just watching the sun. Did some folks fight it; just absolutely adamantly refuse to adapt? Or did they shrug it off, downplaying the impact on their routines and way of life. It would have mattered, eventually, even in the most basic ways. Churches, government offices, schools, stores and markets. They all would have had to adopt the idea at some point.

Do you think your ancestor welcome standard time with open arms, or did they argue that it was unnecessary and unnatural?

Perhaps, only time will tell...

The Women In My Life

Genealogy is full of interesting folks, and we commonly run into the male epidemic. There is just more information on men, plain and simple. Community histories, biographies, directories, census records... they just focused on men more. That was the culture of generations past.

However, it is women's history month. Here's a sampling of some of the more interesting ladies I have discovered over the years.

Sarah Evans, date unknown.

Sarah (Evans) Lawrence (1816-1892). Born in New York, she was supposedly adopted at the age of 3 by the Kaiser family, who continued to use her birth surname of Evans. The story goes like this... Sarah's Dad was shot by an angry neighbor when he purchased the farm that had been foreclosed on. Upon his death, the children were split up. No mention of Sarah's mom. She went on to marry her adopted father's apprentice, John H. Lawrence, and together they had ten children. Eventually, the couple separated and Sarah raised the little one's with the financial help of her older children in Ohio. Two of them went on to own and edit The Ohio Farmer, along with other publications. According to the family oral history, she at various times taught school and worked for a newspaper in Silver Creek, Nebraska, editing, writing obituaries, and other tasks. Her last few years were spent living in one of her son's households in Brighton, Colorado. One of her letters from this time period still exists, and she sounds quite lonely. After a busy and eventful life surrounded by family, she spent her last days staring out of an upstairs window watching the world go by on the street below. She is buried in Brighton, Adams County, Colorado.

Bridget (Conlon/Conlin) McGowan (1843 - ).  Born in January in Ireland, I can only imagine the cold she felt as a newborn. Although I do not know much about Bridget's early childhood, by 1850 the family had come across and could be found in Canton, Hartford County, Connecticut. By the time she died, she had lived in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Alabama, as well as Connecticut and Ireland. She married James McGowan in 1860 in Pittsburgh, and ultimately had nine children. He was also an Irish immigrant. The family seemed to follow the steel industry south. Her parents may have been George Conlin and Mary Unknown. Her brother, James, led an interesting life as a soldier, being stationed in various places around the west, eventually dying in Washington State. Since Bridget is my maternal 3rd great grandmother, the history of her brother is interesting. My father's line has history in Washington, and that is where I was raised. I certainly never imagined I would find anyone in my maternal line in the Pacific Northwest.

Ludwig & Emma Hiller, date unknown.

Emma (Kitzmann) Tober Hiller (1891- 1959)  Known my entire life as Grandma Hiller, Emma was my paternal great grandmother. Born in Volhynia, Russia, her family first arrived through New York in 1909, and settled in Alberta, Canada. Carrying their Moravian faith with them, they were surrounded by others from their homeland, I can only pretend to understand the immigration experience from the perspective of an 18 year old. In 1911, she married Paul Tober, and they lived in Canada for about five years, having one son there, Leo. In November of 1916, they boarded a Canadian Pacific Rail car and came into the U.S. via Sweetwater, Montana. They lived in Salt Lake City, Utah for just a couple of years, and had daughter Elsie. The 1920 US Census finds them in Tacoma, Washington, and Emma remained in the area for the rest of her life. In 1929, Emma and Paul divorced, and I know that my grandmother, Elsie, always had a very negative impression of her father, never forgiving him for leaving her mother. Emma worked as a cafeteria server, hotel housekeeper, and other jobs to keep the family together. Even with all that effort, there was a short time when Elsie and her brother Leo were separated from their mother, but eventually as Elsie got older, she was allowed to live with her brother as she finished high school. The oral history of Emma tells me she was a fierce, strong woman who fought for everything - and fought hard. In 1937 she married Ludwig Hiller. She passed away in Pierce County, Washington, and is buried in Tacoma.

The Diary

Last year I was entrusted with a family collection of photos, letters, documents... even one reproduction Civil War medal. You know how this works. You get a huge box of unidentified memorabilia, some of which is garbage, some of which you already have (somewhere) and some of which are pure gold. As in, "this should really be in a museum but I'm probably going to keep it for a while anyway" gold.

The Diary is one of those pieces of gold.

The "Carlyle Collection" as I have named it all came to me from my great grandfather's sister's family. Carrie Brown, daughter of Oscar and Frankie (previously mentioned in several other posts) married Adam Carlyle, and Carrie was good at saving things. So were her daughters. I have certainly gained the honor of becoming the family curator, and eventually the collection ended up in my lap. A title I will gladly carry through to the end. The collection had been organized, to my great delight, to a certain degree by a member of the Carlyle family more recently. He even labelled some of those unknowns for me, which is nearly unheard of.

But no one told me about The Diary.

I had spent days documenting, digitizing and doing my best to filter through the collection. It came contained in seven binders and several other collection devices: boxes, plastic bags, loose pieces. The process had been long and tedious - and I still had to go through and translate all those letters, find where all those pieces belonged. I was really just beginning, but the cataloging was dragging on and on, until I was just done. Done.

Then I found The Diary.

In a very plain looking brown bag. On the front was written, "Diary of Carrie E. Reid 1895 Given to Lizzie Christie (1),  Jean Mouat (2), Helen DeVries (3)." In the top left corner a address label was placed for William DeVries of Bellingham, Wash. (Can you say 1940 US Census?) The back of the bag had a printed label for "PayLess: We're Your Mall in One... We've Got It All Together." Obviously, a modern addition to The Diary. The handwriting on front I recognized from some of the photos I had seen in days previous. Even the pen used was the same. One of the names, Helen DeVries, was familiar, but other than that, I had nothing.

Carrie E. Reid wrote The Diary.

Inside the bag was a dictation notebook, similar to the commonly used white and black notebooks seen across colleges everywhere. The front cover, brown with black and gold embossed lettering, reads "Cyclopedia Book, Exercise and Dictation". The back and inside covers are littered with helpful information, such as "How To Tell the Age of Any Person", in chart form, the "Strength of Ice" and "Origin of the Dollar". Held together with a piece of blue tape along the spine, obviously an attempt made several decades ago. The first page entry is dated Tuesday, Jan 1, 1895, by C.E. Reid, "Diary".

               "This being the 22nd Anniversary of Mother's and Father's wedding we 

                  wished to have some enjoyment so we decided on having a little party."

I was immediately obsessed.

Inside were a few items, other than the script of Carrie Reid. She appears to be writing from somewhere in Canada, so a program from the Grand Opera House in Ottawa (Canada), for Tuesday, February 18th, highlighting Madame Albani in performance, made sense. A color print, on thin paper, slightly torn in the corners, of "The Doctor", published by J.A. Austen & Co., Chicago. A small scrap of paper, written in pencil, "July 4th, 1896, Saturday night..." along with a very fragile sample of hand crocheted lace, folded several times over. The last entry is from Jan. 1st, 1896, "Leap Year".

I hope to find out who Carrie E. Reid was, and where her family ended up. How is she related to me? How did this diary, this very precious item, end up in my hands? The trust my family places in me... wow.

Some of the entries are long, involved stories. Some are very simple, one sentence, maybe two. The transcription will hopefully be completed this year, and the storage of this item for preservation carefully considered. It is a treasure, a family heirloom, yes. But more than that, it is a historic artifact. One for the museum, perhaps.

The Diary.

Moravian Church

Yesterday, I wrote about a trip to Alberta, Canada, where I first learned of the Moravian Church, and my ancestors involvement in it. These are topics I haven't thought about for some time, being fairly driven to face other challenges, answer other questions and reach other goals.

So, where is the Moravian Church now?  It's not a commonly referred to religion, so I thought I would take a look at the current status.

"In essentials, unity; 

In nonessential's, liberty;

In all things, love."

~ Moravian Church of North America

www.moravian.org

According to the website, the Church has been organized for over 500 years, officially organizing in 1457. It's birth was in present day Czech Republic. By 1620, the religion was found in three major geographical areas: Moravia, Bohemia and Poland. Through a long and tumultuous history, including one failed attempt in Georgia, they finally settled in America in the State of Pennsylvania, consuming 500 acres (1735-1740). They currently have congregations in sixteen states, the District of Columbia, and two Canadian Provinces. 

To keep this simple, their doctrine is Christian based, and believe that they are given the responsibility to take care of all God offers them in life: "our time, our talents and our financial resources. We view all of life as a sacred trust to be used wisely."  

In the diaries of Rev. Clement Hoyler (see blog entry from 25 Jan 2012), he references the "Lovefeast." I was curious about this particular event, and found more information on the website (above).  Revitalized within the Moravian Church in 1727, it is used to celebrate church anniversaries, festivals of the church year, congregation celebrations, etc. 

"The lovefeast is primarily a song service, opened with prayer. Often there is no address; the hymns in the ode, or order of service, furnish the subject matter for devotional thoughts. If many visitors are present, the presiding minister often says a few words, explaining the purpose of the service, just before the congregation partakes of the bun and coffee, or whatever is served. On special occasions an address may be added, giving opportunity to remind the congregation of the history of the anniversary or the deeper import of the day."

There are currently eight congregations in Alberta: Bruderheim, Calgary Christ, Calgary Good Shepherd Community, Edmonton, Millwoods, Rio Terrace, Heimtal, and Good News in Sherwood Park.  Although I searched the North American website fairly carefully, I was unable to find a current number of members. According to Wikipedia, the worldwide count currently is around 850,000, with the largest concentration being in Tanzania. They are active in education and missionary work throughout the organization. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moravian_Church)