The Kokomo Cemetery

The town of Kokomo was abandoned by the time the Climax Molybdenum operation took over the property it sat on. Every once in a while, I run across a new piece of information or a photo from Kokomo, and I'm always intrigued. The town was known as a "wild west" sort of place, the opposite of its tamer neighbor, Robinson. Located high above what we know now as the Copper Mountain Resort, it was once the home of the "highest" Masonic Lodge (in elevation) in the United States.

Big enough to maintain its own cemetery, but not big enough to survive the ups and downs of a mining based economy. In the sixties, the Climax operation wanted to use the land as a reservoir, and what was left of the town was covered with water. Thankfully, they moved the bodies from the cemetery to other nearby locations, and Breckenridge's Valley Brook got most of the deceased buried there.  Today, I stumbled across a record indicating who was transferred to Breckenridge, and who was buried in other locations. It indicated what I thought to be true; that Valley Brook was indeed the designated cemetery.

A Map of A Portion of Valley Brook Cemetery
Image ©Jen Baldwin, Ancestral Journeys, 2013

One of the great benefits from this piece was that it also listed the next of kin for each person that was being moved!

Here's a transcription of the body of the document:

Page 1:

"IN THE DISTRICT COURT IN AND FOR

THE COUNTY OF SUMMIT AND STATE OF COLORADO

Civil Action NO. 2299

IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION OF THE

BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF THE 

COUNTY OF SUMMIT, STATE OF COLORADO, 

ACTING AS A BOARD OF HEALTH, FOR THE 

VACATION OF KOKOMO CEMETERY, SUMMIT

COUNTY, STATE OF COLORADO.

Received for filing in the office of the County Clerk and Recorder of the County of Summit and State of Colorado, a statement of the names of deceased persons who are buried in other than the Kokomo plot of the Breckenridge Cemetery, and a copy of the map showing the place of burial of deceased persons in the Kokomo plot of the Breckenridge Cemetery. 

Signed

Zelda C. Ashlock

County Clerk and Recorder"

Page 2

"IN THE DISTRICT COURT IN AND FOR

THE COUNTY OF SUMMIT AND STATE OF COLORADO

Civil Action No. 2299

IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION OF THE
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF THE
COUNTY OF SUMMIT, STATE OF COLORADO,
ACTING AS A BOARD OF HEALTH, FOR THE
VACATION OF KOKOMO CEMETERY, SUMMIT
COUNTY, STATE OF COLORADO.

STATEMENT OF LOCATION OF BURIAL OF
DECEASED PERSONS

A statement of the names of deceased persons who were buried in any other cemeteries except the "Kokomo Plot" in the Breckenridge Cemetery, the location of the burial , and the name or names of the next of kin requesting the same, are as follows: "

The names listed are:
Pomeroy, Henry
Olson, Carl
Olson, Carl Jr.
Bryant, Joe
Bryant, Elizabeth
Colcord: Daniel, Catherine, Elizabeth, Willson, Clifford, Aurilla
Lindsey: William M., Sarah A., Jesse M., Samuel
Taylor, Margaret E.
Williams, O.E.
Anderson: Gustave, Carrie, Hilma, Harrison

"Respectfully submitted

Andrew F. Cassidy

Licensed Mortician

Leadville, Colo."

The map, also found with these documents, includes a list as well. A list of who was buried in the "Kokomo Section" at Valley Brook; this is information that many have told me is "unknown," and is just one of the reason's why this find is so exciting for me. Among the many "Unknowns" on the list are the following:

Farnham, Edward C.
Farnham, WM and Frank
LaFontaine, E.S.J.
LaFontaine, Katrina
Swanson, Carrie
Swanson, Gustaf
Winters, Anna, Andrew, John, Andrew
Mattson, Andrew
Sullivan, Son of M/M G.W.
Sullivan, DA of M/M G.W.
Lawrence, Winfield
Morison, R.
Swallow, William Penn
Chevan, Mr.
Chevan, Catherine
Anderson, Anna S.
Anderson, Axel
Thomson, C.R.
Thomson, W.A.
Cook, Baby
Pflum, Thos. F.
Walsh, Peter
Johnson, Anna
Recen, Katy
Creiner, Lt. Chas.
Hauser, Leo Frank
Hauser, Ida
Colcord, Blanche
Dowd, Mary
Dowd, James Wm
Dowd, Catherine
Colcord, Rose, Laura & Son, Josephine
Bush, Hazel
Colcord, Chas.
Dowd, Mary M.
Recen, Henry A., Catherine, Lilly, Katy

Wintermute Cross

Actually, a very tragic story. The Wintermute family in Breckenridge was short lived, and though I will spare the details, the basics of it is this: 

They married. They had a daughter. The wife died from childbirth complications. The daughter was sent to be raised by family in California. The husband was depressed and turned to alcohol. He ultimately killed himself at this site, next to his wife's memorial, and is buried along side her. 

Summit County in the Census’

One thing that happens often in census records is border changes.

This could mean that a territory become a state, a state changes size, counties merge or split from each other… even towns increase in size, decrease, or disappear from the record set altogether. Ten years can mean a lot of change in some areas.

One of the things I have had on my list for some time is to look at the towns that existed in the early census collections for Summit County. Technically, the first census here was in 1860, but it is listed under Nebraska Territory, and the records are difficult to find at best. Therefore, I will start with 1870 and move forward.

Summit County was established in 1861 with Colorado statehood. It was one of the original seventeen counties, and that first set of borders included essentially the entire northwest corner of the state. By 1877, the borders we see on the map now existed. Six other counties were eventually carved from this area: Grand, Routt, Eagle, Garfield, Moffat and Rio Blanco. 

The first county seat was Parkville, but the title was quickly transferred to Breckenridge (the general story being that residents of Breckenridge literally stole the county papers in the middle of the night, and hid them until Parkville gave up; they then claimed ownership to the county seat); and the current population resides in the towns of Dillon, Frisco, Breckenridge, Blue River, Copper Mountain, Keystone, Montezuma, Silverthorne and Heeney.

Census Year	Census Location
1870	Breckenridge, Montezuma, Not Stated
1880	Breckenridge, Carbonateville, Chihuahua, Clinton Gulch, Decatur, Eagle River, French Gulch, Frisco, Gold Hill, Gold Run Creek, Jack Mountain, Kokomo, Lincoln City, Montezuma, Not Stated, Robinsons Camp, Sheep Mountain, Swan River Valley, Ten Mile
1900	Breckenridge, Dillon, Frisco, Kokomo, Robinson, Precinct 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14
1910	Argentine, Breckenridge, Dillon, Frisco, Kokomo, Lakeside, Lincoln, Montezuma, Robinson, Slate Creek
1920	Breckenridge, Dillon, Lakeside, Montezuma, Slate Creek, Precinct 2, 7, 8
1930	Breckenridge, Dillon, Frisco, Kokomo, Lakeside, Montezuma, Slate Creek, Precinct 8, 9
1940	Breckenridge, Dillon, Frisco, Kokomo, Lakeside, Montezuma, Slate Creek

Interesting, no?

1880 is filled with small gold and silver camps as the area experienced its second rush of mining operations. Some of these areas, like French Gulch, are now considered part of the other towns (French Gulch is an area within the Town of Breckenridge), and some are completely gone.

Both Robinson and Kokomo were left as ghost towns, and eventually the ruins were covered with a reservoir for the Climax Mining Operation on the edge of Summit and Lake Counties. Dillon, although consistent in the census records, has actually moved twice as a community – as in, pick the buildings up and put them somewhere else – and now sits in its (let’s hope!) final location along the shores of the Dillon Reservoir, a major water supply for the front range and City of Denver. Lakeside is another town that was extinguished for water; it is underneath the Green Mountain Reservoir in the northern arm of the county.

If you research one primary area, I would encourage you to do this same comparison. Fairly easy, I just pulled up the Census and Voter Lists search page on Ancestry.com, chose my State, County, and then used the drop down for “Populated Place” to identify the names of the communities. Perhaps not scientific, but it is certainly enough for my purposes.

The immediate benefit of doing this, at least to me, is that I can easily see how the population fluctuated over time. The fewer locations listed in the census generally indicates less communities, so you can see the swells in the main residential areas, at least as far as the Federal Government was concerned. Having a relatively thorough of the area as it is now, and the history behind some of the ghost towns and other communities gives me a broad understanding of how the county developed to be what it is now.

Of course, just like with anything in the genealogy field, it leaves me with more questions. In this case, I am especially interested in the Precincts. What were their boundaries, how were they determined, why did the numbers associated with them change over time? This is something for another post, perhaps…

If you chose to conduct a similar comparison, I would be interested in reading it! Leave me a comment with a link here, or on my Facebook or Twitter accounts. Let’s see what other goodies we can come up with across the country!

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.]

Hidden Sources

This past summer, someone asked me where they could find a list of all the Mayor’s that had served for Breckenridge (Summit County, Colorado). At the time, I didn’t know the answer. I put in a few phone calls, but either no one was home at the time, or they never got back to me.

About a week later, I walked into the Breckenridge Town Hall to talk to the records office dealing with our cemetery papers. In the entryway was this plaque:





How many times had I walked past this? Too many to count. There it was, for all to see, a historical record of our Town Mayors.

What’s the point of this short and simple post? You just never know where your information may come from. Where you might find another clue. At the time I took this photo, I was actively researching three of the men on this list. Not all had been identified in my notes as Mayor. 

By the way, in case you need a transcription of the list, there is one at the Summit County, Colorado Trails to the Past website.

Using the National Register of Historic Places Database

Genealogical research can lead you in so many different directions, and investigating the origins of a specific site or building can really make an impact in the stories you are trying to tell. The United States is lucky to have an amazing resource in the National Register of Historic Places, and researcher’s in all disciplines can utilize the database made available to us via the National Park Service website.

Using this tool can prove to be incredibly exciting, especially for those researching a general area or community that has been put on the list. In work done relating to the Town of Breckenridge, Colorado, I was able to find the original (scanned) application that was submitted, dated 1980; all 38 pages of it! The document included a typed list of contributing buildings, and a color coded map of the town indicating “Historic”, “Contributing” and “Intrusion” properties that factored in to the decision.

The Frisco Schoolhouse, now a
Museum. Main Street, Frisco, CO. 

Certainly individual properties are listed as well, and are more frequent than the “districts”. This includes site such as the Frisco Schoolhouse, which is now a museum on Main Street of Frisco, Colorado. The picture seen here was available on the site to be downloaded, (the material is considered public domain according to the site "Disclaimer") and dates from 1983.  I was also able to learn that the addition in the back of the building was put on in the 1950s, and that’s also when the double door was added to the main entrance. The diamond shaped window in the upper eaves appears to be original (ca. 1909).

Records relating to individual residences include written descriptions and in several cases, a floor plan of the building. There is also a required “Significance” summary that generally gives a historical background of the building, and why it is being pursued as a addition to the list.


Not every site has the application and images online yet, but many do. This is a site you will want to add to your bookmarks list and go back to recheck on a regular basis. For advanced viewing, printing or downloading the documents,  you will need the DjVu Plugin. There is a link at the bottom of the screen when you open the files.

Screenshot of the NPS Focus site, allowing you to see the original application records. This example is from a residence in Salida, Colorado. 

Panning for Gold in the 1910 Census: Robert & Anna Hamilton

Famous Breckenridge miner, Barney
Ford, depicted in statue with his pan.

Since Breckenridge was built on the Colorado gold rush of 1859, I thought that “panning” for the Hamilton’s in the census records was a good way to describe this search. You see, most of the men who came here to “strike it rich” never did so. They spent hours and hours on their hands and knees, sorting through gravel, silt, and dirt to find that precious piece, that one little nugget that would turn the tide, that would lead them to a world of riches.

And that, my friends, is a really cool analogy for genealogy. It just is.

Aren’t we all digging for that one resource, document, photograph, source that will lead us to the next level in the family chart, the next volume of information on an ancestor?

Here I am, on hands and knees, digging through census records, looking for any hint about Robert and Anna Hamilton. If you have missed the previous posts on this family, please refer back and read through what I have already done. When you’re ready, here is my attempt to find them in the 1910 U.S. Federal Census.

A Brief Review

• Robert Hamilton (abt 1857, Canada – ?)
• Anna Jane Sadler (2 Sep 1862, Illinois – prob bef 1914)
• Married 11 Feb 1885 in Grundy County, Illinois
• Moved to Breckenridge, Summit County, Colorado by April 1885 when the Colorado State Census was taken.
• Diaries of Anna (Sadler) Hamilton were found in the Colorado State Archives and place the family in Breckenridge through 1887.
• 1888: Anna owned mining claims in Breckenridge in her name.
• 1904: Mining claims were sold.
• 1909: Breckenridge newspaper lists Robert and Anna Hamilton “and family” as visitors to area, indicating that they were once residents and now living in Oxford, Nebraska as “successful” ranchers.
• 1910: Deeds in and around the City of Denver, Colorado, held by Robert Hamilton (unconfirmed)
• 7 Feb 1911: Robert Hamilton “owned Ranch ‘down the Blue"’”, Breckenridge newspaper, a common expression for referring to a particular section of the Blue River in Summit County.
• 8 Aug 1913: Robert Hamilton purchases residence in Weld County, Colorado.
• 1916: Last known mention of Robert Hamilton, again in Denver, Colorado (residence)

Let the Searching Begin

Based on this summary timeline, I will begin the 1910 Census search in Denver, Colorado. In 1902, Denver County was created, so this is the first federal census in which the City of Denver is listed as a part of Denver County. Before 1902, it was a part of Arapahoe County. The same action also created Adams County, meaning that the original Arapahoe County was split into three sections. Because this action was still relatively fresh in 1910, I will be evaluating all three counties to ensure a reasonably exhaustive search has been conducted. Once again, I will be using the HeritageQuest Online database, made available through my local library system.

My initial search is for Robert Hamilton, 1910 Census, Colorado. Robert would have been about 53 years of age at the time of this census.

• Two results were supplied for Denver County, and none for Adams or Arapahoe. Both indicated white males, 45 years of age (too young), one born in Canada and one in Ireland.
• The man born in Canada is listed with wife Grace, 35 years of age, born Illinois; and three daughters: Ruth, Clarisa and Helen. At ages 14, 9 and 3 respectively, they are all listed as born in Nebraska, which does not jive with the timeline I've already created. The oldest would have been born in 1896, and as far as we know, they were still likely in Breckenridge, or at least Colorado. Certainly, Robert and Anna could have lied about their ages, or just been unaware of their actual birth dates. This Robert Hamilton is listed as a Live Stock dealer. Due to the birth locations of both Robert and Grace listed in this census, and the stock/cattle association with his occupation, this entry will be kept on the *maybe* list.
• The Irish born Robert Hamilton is listed with his wife, Martha, and three daughters: Gladys, Evaline and Winifred, all born in Colorado. He is listed as an Auditor in an office.

Knowing there are many ways to abbreviate “Robert”, the next step is to conduct a search with a broader scope for his given name. I tried all the different formats of Robert I could think of. Zilch.

An “advanced search” was then conducted, looking for “Hamilton” in just Denver County. 112 Results were supplied, which were then sorted by age. Looking for anything similar to Robert and Anna in their perspective age ranges (53 and 48); once again, the search came up empty. I conducted the same process for both Adams and Arapahoe Counties. Combined, those counties were able to produce 2 results. Guess what? No matches.

Moving on… Anna’s Turn

Beginning with the simple search: Anna Hamilton, 1910 Census, Colorado: two results, one at 40 years of age, born in Germany; and the second at 35 years, born in Kansas. The 40 year old woman was a hotel keeper, listed as head of household, with two children, but only one living with her, with a last name of Schafer. From what I know of Anna, this situation seems unlikely. The younger is listed on a page that is very difficult to read, but I was able to make out “widowed”, and her parents were listed as being born in Kansas. Too far of a stretch from the Anna I’m looking for.

A quick look at all of those in Colorado with the last name of Sadler (Anna's maiden name) resulted in only 12 results, none of which were anything close to Anna, Robert, or any potential children.

Knowing that her father, John Sadler, lived until 1914, I also identified his household in the 1910 Census, in Grundy County, Illinois. Just to be safe. He was residing in Vienna, widowed, with his son Harry and family.  A search in this area for Anna Hamilton, Anna Sadler, Robert Hamilton, all proved to be fruitless. I also searched for Robert Hamilton, between the ages of 51 – 59, for the entire state of Illinois. Again, nothing.

I need to eliminate Grundy County all together, so my next attempt was "Anna" (no last name at all), 1910 Census, Illinois. I searched Grundy County first, with 46 results, again, sorted by age. One entry popped out at me, that of Anna Handlon, age 47, born Illinois. It's a stretch from Hamilton, but hey, it's about as close as I've gotten so far. Taking a look at the details shows this woman as a widow, with no children, and her parents being born in Germany. No go.

In order to limit the possibilities, I added Anna's age range to the given name search: 41-50. From here, I conducted a county-by-county exam of all the possibilities that came back. I got a little stirred up when I found a Anna HANILTON in St. Clair County. Was it her? Of course not.

(How many ways in one blog post can I find to say, “I got nothin’?”)

Back to the Mountains

Because of the connection to property in Summit County in 1911, a search of that area was required.
Summit Country provided two Hamilton’s: Harry T (29 years) and John S (31 years). Neither are quite young enough to be Anna and Robert’s children. Harry’s mother is listed with him, by the name of Mary, born in Pennsylvania. John is identified as a boarder in a Robinson household (the town of Robinson no longer exists), and has an occupation of electrician in a mine.

And Now? The Plains.

Nebraska. My last hope.

The newspaper account we have of the families visit to Summit County was printed in the Summit County Journal (Breckenridge) on Jul 24, 1909, on page 5.




A town in Furnas County, Nebraska, Oxford dates back to December of 1878 when the first settler’s were granted the “final receipts” for land on the eastern edge of the county. (General History of Oxford, Nebraska. Oxford, Nebraska official website. www.oxfordnebraska.com/history. Accessed 12 Dec 2012.)
Trying to leave my search as broad as possible, I ran “Hamilton” in 1910 Nebraska. Furnas County had four people listed: Charles, Eames, Edward and Sadie. None were close in age to either Robert or Anna, nor were their birth locations similar. Again.

*sigh*

I adapted the search for “Robert Hamilton” in Nebraska and seven counties were listed. In the 1900 Census, I found a Robert Hamilton and his wife, Clara, living in Douglas County, and they are still there in 1910. This time, I can see that his wife was born in Wisconsin, and her parents in New York, so given the geography, I am officially omitting this family as an option.

Once again, nothing else came close. My original looks at Oxford indicated that the town crosses county lines, into Harlan County. A specific look at records from that county resulted in young men, Charley and John. No go.

The Geography

It seems to me that they traveled a fairly distinct line across the states. From southern Illinois, to south central Nebraska and west to central Colorado. The went back and forth a bit, over time, but they seemed to remain in that general corridor.

Created using Google Maps. Ancestral Journeys, 2012.

Since it appears that Anna died around 1914 sometime, the next piece of my search will have to stray away from census records. Since Robert Hamilton has proven to be relatively common, and since I do not know any of the children’s names, I believe there to be better ways to continue this journey through the middle of our country.

Where in the US are the Hamilton’s?

But then, Robert was born in Canada. So perhaps they are not in the U.S. at all... 

Incredible Stories of Incredible Women

I'm a pretty lucky gal. I have a lovely family, a nice home, a good life, really. I enjoy what I do, and I'm challenged by thoughts of what I could do. I have mentors in my field, I have people in my past that inspire me. And, I have people that I'm just getting to know, just reading their stories. Incredible, awe inspiring, jaw dropping stories.

If you are at all interested in the life of women in the Colorado Rockies from the Gold Rush (1859) through the turn of the century, here are a couple must read's:

• The Magnificent Mountain Women by Janet Robertson (University of Nebraska Press, 1990.)
• They Weren't All Prostitutes and Gamblers by Sandra F. Mather, PhD. (Summit Historical Society, 2009.)
• Doc Susie by Virginia Cornell. (Manifest Publications, 1991.)
• Women As Tall As Our Mountains, Collected Short Stories. (P.E.O. Chapter F.U. 1976.)

Four great reads.

We all know life was hard for our ancestors'. This very special collection of women makes that abundantly clear. This is by no means a comprehensive list, however, it is a good start to understanding the difficulties faced by the first female pioneers of this difficult country.

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.

Looking for Robert & Anna Hamilton in the 1900 Census

My quest for the Hamilton family, and what happened to them after they left Breckenridge, Colorado around the turn of the century has certainly not ended: not even close. I have left them alone for a few weeks, and am now seeking the family in the 1900 United States Federal Census.


What Do I Already Know?

1885 Colorado State Census

Robert Hamilton married Anna Jane Sadler on 11 Feb 1885 in Grundy County, Illinois. By June of 1885 when the state census was taken in Colorado, they were residing in Breckenridge, Summit County. They lived in that town at least until 1888, as we can track them through business and newspaper mentions.

The family can be found again in 1910, now living in Denver, Colorado. They appear to have resided for a time in Oxford, Nebraska, which sits on the county line of Furnus and Harlan Counties. In 1911, Robert Hamilton again owns land in Summit County, a ranch along the Blue River. He travels back and forth in successful business ventures for at least the next couple of years.  Anna appears to have died by or in the year 1914, according to a biography written about her father, which was published in Illinois.

Robert was born in Canada about 1857, and Anna in Illinois on 2 September 1862. Their families appear to have been connected by marriage in previous generations.

They were reported by the local newspaper in Breckenridge to have had children, but the number, sex, and names of those children were left out.

Anna had at least one brother who also resided in Colorado, George W. Sadler resided in Divide, of El Paso County. He was elected to a local office in Nov of 1899, so he had to have been there for at least a few months, if not a year or more, to gain the friendship of enough voters. He married Lillian T. Unknown and together they had at least three children.

The Search

I am starting in the HeritageQuest Online database, accessible through my local library system, and searching a combination of the following parameters to locate the family in the 1900 Census.
Robert: would be about 43 years of age, born Canada.
Anna: 38 years old, born Illinois.
Assuming the children were born sometime in the first five years of marriage  and I know there were at least two, they would be at oldest 15 years, and born in Colorado or Nebraska.

Previous, more detailed searches have not been able to determine any matches, so I am leaving this process vague intentionally, hoping to find even a sliver of hope.

I was given 225 results to scroll through, using just "Hamilton" in the name fields, 1900 Census in Colorado. Nearly every county is listed.

• Summit County: three results, none match. 
• El Paso County: no matching results, out of 17 results.
• Arapahoe County (where Denver would be located at this time): 63 results, no matches.

Having eliminated the obvious options, I am left to simply go county by county down the list. The results were... nothing! Not a single even potential candidate for either Robert or Anna. 

Moving on to Nebraska... Neither Furnas nor Harlan Counties were able to produce the correct Hamilton's. Once again, I am left to search county by county.  

Only one possibility was found in Nebraska: Robert Hamilton, age 42, born Canada, found in Douglas County, in Omaha. He is of the right age and race. The image is difficult to read at best, so I was unable to determine from this source if he was listed with family. However, there were no Anna Hamilton's that came up for this area, and if she had been on the census page with him, then she would have been listed in the results. 

Once again relocating the search, this time to Illinois. I know from her diaries that Anna really never liked living in Colorado, and especially in Breckenridge, and she pined for her friends and family back home. It's certainly possible that they went back there, especially since Robert also had ties to Grundy County.  

My search, once again, comes up empty. Nothing.

Breckenridge, Colorado.
Copyright Jen Baldwin, Ancestral Journeys, 2012

Broadening my scope just one more time, I attempted a more detailed search for Robert Hamilton, born in Canada, between the ages of 41-50, all states, for the 1900 Census. Six states came up with a possible match: Nebraska (see above), Massachusetts, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Dakota, New York. None of them had a wife named Anna, or seemed to match any of the other information I currently have access to.  A similar search was conducted on Anna Hamilton, and three possibilities were found: two of which were already widowed, and we know that Robert outlived Anna. The third was listed as married, but her husband was not identified in the same census record. She was found in Campaign County, Illinois, with three daughters, all born in Illinois. However, those daughters list their parents place of birth as Illinois for both the mother and the father, so already, there is discrepancy. However, it is a valid candidate. 

A search on Ancestry.com for the Nebraska result of Robert Hamilton lists his spouse as Clara, and she is the wrong age (not even in the ball park).

What happened to the Hamilton family?  Obviously, there is more searching to do... I have records on Robert from another researcher that date from 1910, 1911, 1912 and 1916, all from Colorado. But, the 1910 and 1920 census records have yet to be identified. Nothing yet has been located on Anna's death or burial. And Robert's death? Also, in the "yet to be determined" category.

More to come, certainly, on this mysterious family. 

Did You Hit the Ad's?

One of the joys I find in genealogical research is digging through historic newspapers. It's fun! Yes, we can gain a great deal of insight and real life experiences of our ancestors from these incredible resources, but there is more. Scanning the headlines, reading the quick notices, the short articles; all of that comes together to create an astonishing experience  placing yourself in that moment in time.

Summit County Journal, Breckenridge, Colorado.
1 Sep 1917, Page 8.

One thing I make sure to look for in newspaper searches is the advertisements. Have you stopped to investigate these as genealogy source? Just this advertisement for the Rogers Furniture & Undertaking Company from Breckenridge, Colorado tells you so much information: location, what they did, note the Proprietress is Mrs. J. GOUGH, and the year the business began. Knowing what I do about Breckenridge history, the date given of 1880 makes sense; the town was created in 1859 and by 1880, it was thriving. Now I know where else to look: 1880 Federal Census, 1885 Colorado State Census, cemetery records (because they acted as Undertakers and Funeral Directors), etc.

Consider the other aspects as well. As a business, they were doing well enough to afford a reasonably sized advertisement in the local paper, but not well enough to get it on the first page (it was found on page 8). In 1917, Mrs. Gough felt confident enough in her role to list herself as the "manager"; or was it that she felt a feminine touch was necessary in this particular industry?

Try a series of dates to learn more!  We can use Robert "Bob" Lott, former resident of Breckenridge, as a fantastic example. When he passed away in 1913, his friends in the community gathered to give him a proper headstone, in the "Pauper Section" of Valley Brook Cemetery. His headstone was so fascinating, it absolutely demanded more attention:

Copyright Jen Baldwin, Ancestral Journeys, 2011.

Although there is little mention of Mr. Lott in standard newspaper articles of the time period, and even less in community historical documents, there are a lot of ad's. I have learned that he went from catering - delivering meals to your home - to owning his own restaurant, partnering with at least three other men in town of varying degrees of status and luck, finally moving back to his original spot in town, where he ran a successful steak house for several years. He was the only African American living in Summit County, Colorado at the time of his death (per his obituary). Just from the newspaper pieces alone, I have been able to establish a decent timeline of his adult life, leading to further investigation. I hope to someday have his life story; where he came from, and how he ended up in the mountains of Colorado. His is one story of our community that deserves to be remembered, and its up to me, since he left no descendants. 

I have to wonder: Oysters or "Rocky Mountain Oysters"?
Summit County Journal, Breckenridge, Colorado.
5 Jan 1907, Page 5.

Have you gained invaluable data from newspaper articles? Do you have one to share? Please let me know! Leave a comment or a link, and I'll be sure to connect with you. 

Ghost Tales

I thought it was appropriate for Halloween to contribute a few thoughts on ghosts. These are all courtesy of our friends from Summit County, Colorado, 1903 - 1919. Enjoy.




Breckenridge Bulletin, 6 Apr 1907, page 1

Breckenridge Bulletin, 21 Apr 1906, page 2

Breckenridge Bulletin, 27 Apr 1907, page 6

Summit County Journal, 19 Jul 1919, page 4

Breckenridge Bulletin, 14 Mar 1903, page 2

1884 Snow Plow

Living in Summit County means you have to deal with snow. Sometimes, a lot of snow.

One of the heaviest winter's recorded was that of 1898-1899. The piles were massive, trains and supplies were stopped, and many of the mountain's small communities were cut off for weeks at a time. From the Breckenridge Heritage Alliance's website:

A record snowfall hits Breckenridge and residents are forced to dig snow tunnels to get around town. Rail service resumes on April 24th, after a 78 day blockade.

Miner's cabin in snow. Colorado, taken between 1882-1900.
Photographer: W.H. Jackson
Source: Denver Public Library Digital Collections

 So, it was a tough way of life. Miner's were known to build doors and/or window's into the roofs or upper eaves of their cabins, and then use that as their primary entrance during the winter. There was no real reason for them to continually shovel around the ground level entrance; that was certainly a lot of work, and removed helpful insulation from around the home.

There were some folks who were determined to do something about the labor intensive task of keeping town streets clean of snow. If you look at any of the photos from that era of our high country communities, you will see snow piles lining the streets, at times as high as two story buildings! That is a lot of shoveling. Not only where the streets and residential areas a concern, but the railroad tracks became extremely important in this matter. If the train could not get through the snow, and avalanches over tracks and trains were common occurrences  burying both, then supplies, mail, passengers and other necessities were unavailable.

I recently came across a patent record issued in 1884 by a resident of Red Cliff, Colorado. One Mr. John Q. Day issued Patent No. 299750 for a "Snow-Plow".  His design requires the machine to move along the tracks, and;

"...The snow is gathered on the curved mold-board n ... and is shoveled or scraped therefrom into the wheel groves by the shovels..." 

Partial Image from Patent No. 299750
United States Patent Office

If you have not included a patent search in your own genealogy process, I highly recommend it. You can do this easily through Google (what else?), by using the Google Patents Search. Filters include filing date and type of patent. In the past, I have found a few connected with my family tree, including one for a design of a head lice remover.

Even if you don't find one submitted by an actual family member, you can certainly find other ideas from their neighbors, giving you a great look at the problems they experienced in every day life, and the solutions they were trying to come up with.

I do not know if this snow-plow was ever used by any railroad companies, but I do not think it would be difficult to find out. It does, however, make for a very interesting topic around the dinner table!

Have you had any success searching patents? Do you have any interesting stories? I would love to hear them.

Working with your Peers

Breckenridge, Colorado. That's home. We love it here, and aren't planning on going anywhere else, anytime soon. But living in a small community (population hovers right around 3,000 people year round) has its drawbacks. For example, we don't have a genealogy society or club.

Sure, we have a couple history groups.

It's just not the same.

I've managed to identify and acquaint myself with a handful of people in the community that are interested in the various aspects of genealogy, but no one really wants to sit around a cup of coffee hashing out my brick wall problems, and theirs. I miss that. I miss the collaboration, the camaraderie. I miss knowing that I can walk into a group of people with a new find, share it with them, and all of us being jumping for joy that "we" finally did it!

I get a little from my online folks, but it's not quite the same.

mommyposh.com

So when a friend of a friend stated on Facebook that she wanted to start a Peer Group aimed at supporting stay at home Mom's that also happen to be small business owners - "Mompreneur's" she called us - I was all in. (Oh, and apparently, that term has already made it to Wikipedia, and a magazine, so I guess I'm behind.)

We had our first meeting last week, and even though there were only four of us, I was so happy to be there and be participating in this group of like-minded women, I could have danced my way through the entire 90 minutes.

We got to know each other a little, we talked about goals, what we wanted from the group. We're lucky to have a "life planner" in the group, and she's good at keeping us on task. We talked about our businesses, we talked social media, blogging platforms, and even compared notes on a few business and motivation books.

It's not exactly a genealogy group. They don't appear to be overly excited about what my great great grandmother was doing during the Civil War. But, its obvious they are interested in my success, their success, and our success as a group. I walked away with several new ideas, and a few new goals.

So, maybe they don't spend their extra time in the cemetery. That's ok. 'Cause now, I have a group.

This is my way of saying, get out there. Find a group. Any group. Become involved and start talking. See what happens!

Lastly. One of my monthly goals with this group is to grow my blog audience by ten people. So, spread the word, will 'ya? I'm at 74 as I write this. I need to be at 84 by the time November 8th rolls around. If you like what you're reading, please help me out. I'd appreciate it. If you leave a comment with your blog, I'll be sure to follow you as well. Thanks!

http://momtrepreneur.blog.com/2012/05/28/working-mom-burnout/

Summit Settlers: Mary (Cluskey) Ruth

Mary Cluskey is a true Summit County settler. Born in Breckenridge on 24 Nov 1902, she lived in the area her entire life. You can find a summary of her life, written by Alphild Wilkinson, in the book Women As Tall As Our Mountains, originally published in 1976 (most of the information in this post will come from this source, please contact me for further information). At that time, Mary was still an active widow, going back and forth between Frisco, Colorado and her son's home in Texas.

What struck me most about her story was her involvement in the mining camps during the 1920's and 1930's. You hear so much of the men that lived and worked these mountains, but very little of the women. I will offer only a quick summary here.

Born to Christopher and Mary Cluesky, both natives of Ireland. Christopher spent his early year's in the county as a dairy farmer on French Street in Breckenridge. As Mary progressed through her school years, she and her siblings went back and forth between ranch land and town. In 1913, the family went back to Ireland, but due to the quickly approaching War, they returned only a year later. Her father returned first, in May, as a potential soldier he was given preference on passage. Mary, her mother, sister's and brother's finally returned via London in August, but upon reaching New York, the ship sank and they lost all of their possessions.

The family was finally able to gather together again in Colorado on ranch property acquired by Christopher at Slate Creek. Once again, they moved back and forth to accommodate the children's need to attend school. At the age of 15, Mary went with her father to work at the Tiger mine. She was employed in the commissary, waiting tables; additionally, she sorted ore. The rest of the family moved to Tiger in 1918, during the flu epidemic. One member of the family was responsible for driving victims back to Breckenridge, and at times would have to carry four bodies a day.

Two years later, Mary, her mother and sisters, and one son were back at the ranch at Slate Creek, but her father and one brother, Tom, stayed on at Tiger. Tom worked at the sawmill. Just three years older, Mary was back at a mining site, this time the Pennsylvania for the summer, cooking three meals a day for 20-80 men. 1922 Again found Mary cooking, but this time at the Summit House in Montezuma, a hotel, and stayed there through September. At that time, she and her mother went to the top of Boreas Pass cooking for the men putting in the bucket tram for the 730 mine - that was living at 11,492 feet!  The men lived in one boxcar, the cafeteria was in a second, and Mary and Mary lived together in a third.

Eventually, our subject married Wilbur "Bill" Ruth, a veteran of World War I, who worked for the Bureau of Land Reclamation building the highway from Dillon to the summit of Fremont Pass (now on the way to Leadville, where Climax Mine sits). During the '40's they moved to Uneva Lake, in Ten Mile Canyon, to be caretakers for another family, and by 1935 had purchased a home in Frisco. During WWII, she was given a special assignment as Postmistress of Frisco, which meant that she travelled to town every day from Uneva Lake and ran the Post Office from her home.

She finally retired in 1974, having worked since 1955 for the town and the sanitation district. Bill passed in 1953, and Mary in 1990, having lived a long, hard life. They are both now resting in the Dillon Cemetery. She is remembered as a lady with a great sense of humor, courage, faith and "a lot of gumption."

I believe that to be absolutely true. To have lived as she did would have required the strength of more than a few ox.

Photo Credit for both photos:
www.findagrave.com, Kelly G, Sep 2008

Wilbur: Memorial #29576085
Mary: Memorial #29576096