Friends of Friends Friday- Allegheny Co, PA Poor House

While this census information is not from the stereotype definition of slave, it does reflect the poor, the insane, the sick, and workhouses from Allegheny County, PA. 

Just today, we have updated our Pittsburgh Past, One Page at a Time to include the 1860-1940 census for Woodville Hospital.  Alternate names used over the years also include:

Allegheny County Almshouse
Allegheny Hospital for the Insane
Allegheny County Home for the Poor

The location for this institution is noted as S. Fayette and Collier Twp in Allegheny Co, PA.

In looking at the names on the list, I wonder about the men, women and children. Times were tough and I suspect, there was not much hope to be found within the walls of the institution.  As many of the names on the lists were paupers, there is not much to be found on their deaths or final resting spots.  Rest gently and know you are not forgotten.

While looking at our Pittsburgh Past, be sure to check out Morganza, which was first incorporated by the commonwealth as the House of Refuge in 1850.  One reader recently commented on the information we have posted on Morganza with the following words:

I don't recall seeing any other genealogy site with as many articles and documents about Morganza as the Pittsburgh Old Newspaper Project webpages, and I appreciate being able to get some sense of what life, as difficult as it was, was like there for my gg-uncle at that time.  I am grateful for all of the hours of hard work everyone has put into the Pittsburgh Old Newspaper Project webpages and look forward to the next time new information has been posted. -MM

Ahh, genealogy.  Small prayers go up from around the world today for those frightened, innocent youth in Connecticut and remind us that lost innocence of children due to tragedy remains a part of our society.  Rest sweetly.

©2012 AS Eldredge

Are Your Roots in Georgia? Great Used Book Sale Online

While my genealogy roots are not in Georgia, I still am interested in the state.  I imagine it's because I have spent some time there in the Peach State.

There are some 20 used books for sale on Georgia that would be of immense value to those researching the state.  Included are some indices for early Georgia grants byb the English crown and some probates, as well as some Civil War letters and histories of some counties.

There are a couple of titles that really caught my eye.  One is on those beautiful old Savannah gardens and old Georgia courthouses.

If Fayette County is of interest to you, then you will most likely be interested in:
Fayette County, Georgia Probate Records 1824-1871 by Jeannette Holland Austin. Abstracts of court house records, 383 pp., hardbound, like new. Price: $15.00.

So go on and take a gander.  You may just find the perfect peach for your collection......
http://genealogy-books.blogspot.com/2010/12/used-georgia-books-for-sale.html

Ahh, genealogy.  Kinda like making the perfect peach pie.  You have to find just the right ones for your taste buds to explode in delight.


©2010 AS Eldredge

Call for Fayette County, Georgia Genealogy Buffs to Assist in Index

The US GenWeb Census Project is in need of help.  If you live in Fayette County, Georgia, or have old family ties to the area, then this is a great project to get involved in while sitting in the comfort of your home.

Fayette County Mortality Schedules attached to the 1850-1880 Census Project have been abstracted and are now in need of a second transcriber.

If you can help, visit the US GenWeb pages for Georgia.  According to the webmaster, more information can be found on the Fannin County pages.

Ahh, genealogy.  It's the gift that keeps on giving throughout the generations.

©2010 AS Eldredge

Wordless Wednesday: Marking a Patriot's Grave in Fayetteville, GA

Gathering to celebrate the life and patriotic service of James Waldrop, a private in the American Revolution.

Waldrop settled in Fayette County, Georgia, and is buried at the Bottoms Family Cemetery.

Sons of the American Revolution provided Honor Guard.

Members of the James Waldrop Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution.

Follow Friday: Parrall Mine Men Rescued February 10, 1906

With the horrendous news this week of another mine disaster in West Virginia, the thoughts and prayers of the country are with the families as they struggle to wait patiently for news of their loved ones.

Sometimes, there can be encouraging news in mine disasters.  A case in point is the Parrall Mine, near Oak Hill, Fayette County, WV.  There was an explosion in February 1906, and it was believed there were 31 men trapped in the mine.

The following names are taken from the February 10, 1906, Pittsburgh Press newspaper article.

Rescued:
F Z FITZGOULD
Robert PRATT
Ervin RIGGS
Rodman OPINEKI
F P ZARK
Robert GILL
Donald BELL
Jule NEAL, colored
Charles MATTHEWS, colored
Herbert CALLOWAY, colored

Bodies Recovered:
George MORRIS
Ike SPEARS
Hans COVIA
Joseph HUNTER
one unidentified

The article indicates the recovery of the other missing bodies is still in progress.

When you've got some time, be sure to read old newspapers.  They are a great source for genealogy and for history.  Google has been a great job of getting them online for us all to enjoy.


©2010 AS Eldredge

Volunteer Shots in Hopewell Cemetery

Deciding to brave the cold freezing temperatures this morning, I ventured out to do a bit of genealogy volunteer work. After checking the email which had come in during the bitter cold (as opposed to just freezing cold) for a volunteer to go to Hopewell Cemetery in Tyrone, GA, for a photo, I bundled up and thought, "Hey, why not? It's downright balmy here at 25 degrees today."

Have I done everything?
Found the map to the cemetery. Check.
Looked online for a way to contact the cemetery- no such luck. No problem as it is a sunny day.

I easily found the cemetery next to the government building for the town of Tyrone. Since the way into the cemetery was through the official town driveway, I thought that this would be easy. I assumed the cemetery belonged to the town. As it was a weekday, I strolled in and asked about the cemetery records and a plot map.

Well, it seems the cemetery is not owned by the city. It's owned by the Hopewell UM Church which is several miles away. Huh? Ok. They used to be here. Makes sense.

I got the number to the church and called. Cemetery records? Hmmm. Why, they think the town of Tyrone has them. It was suggested I call back on Monday morning when the church secretary is in. Ok, will do.

As long as I am here, I might as well look around. Crunching around on the morning frost, the cemetery appears peaceful. There are even numerous graves of Confederate Soldiers to see. You just have to admire about those young men who were willing to fight for their way of life so long ago.

While strolling around and waiting for the sun to start to warm me up, I found it. Yes, the family plot for which I was searching. There looks to be three people buried here- a man, a woman and a child. The man and woman have their headstone, but the child's is blank.

Who was this child?

After coming home and grabbing some hot coccoa, I started looking online. The GA Death Index holds the clue.

The child appears to be Thomas A GOSNELL who died at the age of 2 months on January 6, 1942, in Fayette County.

There also appears to be some spots in the plot which have no markers at all.

Perhaps I'll have more to share soon. In the meantime, giving someone else a genealogy gift is quite satisfying on a cold day-- or any day.

Update: Old Fayette County Records

This morning, I posted a comment on the news that old records of Fayette County are currently being scanned. Click here to read the post. Now before you get excited, these records of old are in Fayette County, Kentucky.

I also contacted one of my favorite genealogy guru types to tell him the good news as his family did settle in early Mason County. We swapped emails and then decided to see how we could find these records in the areas of the country we reside.

After dashing emails to both the Kentucky Archives and to the Fayette County Clerk, I received a reply from David at the Archives.

David says in his email that "The Fayette County books will be available for viewing on microfilm by the end of January. I do not believe any scanned copies will be available. Unfortunately, we do not interlibrary loan microfilm but a copy can be purchased from our micrographics department if you have access to a reader."

So, if you have a hankering to find your roots in early Kentucky, you may want to contact the Archives at the end of January.

Happy Hunting!

My Old Kentucky Home

May be it is my old Kentucky home. Or maybe not.

The history buffs in Fayette County, Kentucky, are currently in the process of scanning old land, census, and marriage records. It is anticipated the documents will be available through the Kentucky Archives sometime in January. This could be a gold mine for some genealogy buffs if your family was in Mason County early on, as Mason County was part of Fayette County at one time. There is no mention if those of us who are not in Kentucky will be able to search for these nuggets online.

It is reported the books are being indexed by the Archives. Maybe an online master index should be undertaken by a group of volunteers in the area?

The following article is from Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter and is copyright by Richard W. Eastman. It is re-published here with the permission of the author. Information about the newsletter is available at http://www.eogn.com.

Old Kentucky Records Resurface
http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2009/12/old-kentucky-records-resurface.html

Wordless Wednesday: Our National Anthem

Here's a tremendous video on the history of the National Anthem. You'll be in awe and truly appreciate "our" song. Just make sure you swallow the lump in your throat before you listen to the students sing.





Listen to the awesome voices of these students as they sing "our" song.

Happy Holidays Fellow Genis!

This poem is republished with the permission of the author:

The Clues

Fayette County is but one of the few
of many places ancestors passed through.
They stayed for a time, with jobs and kids
Daily survival and busyness they lived amid.

Whether out on the porch or in the yard
Neighbors hardly needed an 'Introduction Card'.
They shared their sorrows, good fortune too
Neighborhoods became family without 'Ta-do'.

Like marriages, in sickness and health
Everyone helped, shared their wealth.
Whether fresh fruit, veggies, or milk
Friendships made life go 'smooth as silk.'

Now, we look with a magnifying glass
At where our ancestors lived in past
We boldly search for the lives they led
We scrounge for records til we go to bed.

When they gave their name, did they think
100 years ahead that we'd curse fading ink?
Did they consider how all their daily acts
Would become so important to us as "facts"?

As they married, baptized, raised their kin
Did they imagine future generations coming in?
A 5th great-grand, whether narrow face or so round
Descendants from one to hundreds here abound.

No, they never thought we'd want them so
As we search here, there---high and low.
They simply lived lives, much as we all do
Without considering leaving us any clues.

Written by Judith Florian, Dec. 21, 2008 at 3pm

Sharing Pilgrim Blood with Sarah Palin

Well. What do you know. Since my household has several members in it who are descended from passengers on the Mayflower who arrived on these shores back in 1620, I thought I'd look more at the Mayflower history sites.

The Mayflower Society is a lineage society which is for blood descendants of the Mayflower. My spouse had three grandpas on the Mayflower- Francis Cooke, John Cooke and Richard Warren.

Richard Warren and his wife, Elizabeth, appear to have the most descendants living in America today. Some of the more famous ones listed are President Ulysses S. Grant, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, President George Bush, President George W. Bush, and recent Vice President Candidate Sarah Palin.

I am currently reading an old book on the Mayflower which is self described as a form of documentary chronicle. I'm early into the book, but think I will enjoy reading it as it is the story of the family, my family. One of the sites I visited refers to this book as a fictitious account. No matter. It's still interesting.

If you're interested, the book is The Plymouth Adventure by Ernest Gebler.

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Zoom and Read, Zoom and Read

Just thought I'd pass this along--

On one of my forums, it was announced that Google Earth has a new feature. In some locations, when you zoom down to the street level at the location you desire, it may be possible to see some tombstone readings from the road.

Apparently, there has to be a small camera you can click. Click the top right hand bubble and use it for a 360 degree view.

I tried this for a couple of cemeteries in Fayette County but the small camera is not there. At least it isn't at this time.

I did look around another cemetery in another state and was able to read some tombstones. Unfortunately, none were of interest to me.

Could be of interest to you though!

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Look It Up, Dano!

I was wandering around today and came across the site "Books We Own.". It is manned by a group of volunteers (my favorite people) who are willing to provide complimentary lookups in books they own.

This site has been active for over 12 years. Reimbursement may be requested for copy or snail mail services.

Check it out.

Grandpa was a Sailor?

Life is full of surprises. Just like today.

I was cruising around looking at World War I Draft Registration forms. I knew my paternal grandfather had signed the draft registration and I knew he had served in France. For more information on Grandpa Charlie of Company C, go back to my October 24, 2007 entry.

I have even held the card he signed while visiting the National Archives in Morrow.

Today, I typed in my maternal grandpa's name. Ahh. He, too, signed up for the World War I draft. Not a surprise as he was born in 1888. The surprise is his statement of having served four years as a seaman in the Navy. Huh??

I know I've never heard that before. Now I will contact some older cousins to see if they have any knowledge of that. When did he serve? Obviously,it was before 1917 when he signed the draft. Obviously, it was as a single man as he married grandma in 1915.

I do know he left school after 6th grade to help support his family. I do know he was a self made man. I do know he had beautiful blue eyes and a twinkle in his eye. I do know he loved his family. I also know he used to slice pieces of cake from the back side of the cake so grandma wouldn't notice it.

Now I shall have to look to see what more information surfaces on Sid. The secrets we uncover after so many years... Sometimes, they are fun. Sometimes, they are not. This one is just a "Well, what do you think about that?" kinda secret.

Hunley Men Remembered

The discovery of the Hunley and its crew continues to amaze genealogists, history buffs and the general public. Recently, I visited the Hunley Memorial at Magnolia Cemetery in Charleston, SC, where our family placed wreaths in memory of all sea faring men who have perished in the service of their country.

It was eerily quiet in the cemetery. We followed the signs to the memorial. While on our way down the long paths, we found many beautiful old tombs from the time of the Civil War. Magnolia Cemetery is the final resting place of many an early Charleston family. You can easily follow the history of the area just by looking at the many names.

It was a surprise to learn the Hunley had three crews which had perished in her history. As the 145th anniversary of the loss of the second crew has just been observed within the last week, I find it fitting to remember the crew.

Horace Hunley was aboard this training mission of the Hunley on October 15, 1863, when it sank. Once again, the Confederacy raised the Hunley from the ocean, only to have it sink again in February 1864.

The story of the Hunley is fascinating. To learn more, click here.


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Genealogy Fair & Pie Contest

Note: This entry is written by Donna Rosser, who is the author of The Barefoot Photographer Blog on the Fayette Front Page. She was gracious in allowing me to post it here for you.

The National Archives, Southeast Region is having a Fall Genealogy Fair and Pie Contest October 18 from 9 am to 4 pm. The facility is located at 5780 Jonesboro Road, Morrow, GA.

A few weeks ago I received an email from my friend at the National Archives asking me if I would come give a short presentation on restoring and preserving old family photos. Of course I would love to! So I am! I will be presenting from 2 to 3 pm. There are many very interesting presentations throughout the day.

In addition to my talk about preserving your old photos – Christine Wiseman from the Georgia Archives will tell you how to care for your family archives. Just what are family archives? Well, old family bibles, letters, deeds, certificates, etc. Just about anything paper you want to keep and preserve for future generations. Christine will discuss storage materials and techniques.

Kevin Kuharic from historic Oakland Cemetery will be on hand to discuss cemetery preservation. He will also talk about the damage (and repairs) from the tornado that went through Atlanta and Oakland last spring.

In addition to these interesting programs – you will learn all you need to know about searching for information at the archives and using many new online features. If you are thinking about getting started searching for your roots or have been doing it for a while, this is a great place to spend a Saturday to ask as many questions as you can think of and get some great tips.

Registration for this event is $20 and includes lunch provided by Honeybaked Ham! Oh and I forgot the best part – you can bring a pie (dig out a good old family recipe) to share and enter in the contest. At 3 pm ribbons and prizes will be awarded.

For more information and to get the registration form – click on this link http://www.archives.gov/southeast/public/2008-genealogy-fair.pdf.

About year ago I wrote a blog about the National Archives and what an interesting place it is to visit. http://thebarefootphotographer.blogspot.com/2007/10/trip-to-national-archives.html. If you haven’t read it – here is a handy link to find it.

Donna Rosser

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Mystery Land Identified

"Follow the land."

It's a statement one hears often when beginning genealogy. Well, today, I did find documentation which solved another tidbit of a mystery.

I had recently received pages from the book Selected Final Pension Payment Vouchers- Pennsylvania which seemed to point me towards Iowa. Iowa?

In this book was a typed copy of an 1863 will of the third wife of my 4th great grandfather. I spell this out as I am of the blood line with his first wife, who appears to have died by 1790. In the will, the lovely widow gives her 160 acres of land in Cass County, Iowa, to her daughter by her first marriage. Hmmm. Whose land was it? Why only her heir and not those of her dearly departed husband or those children the two had together? Most likely, that is one mystery that will not be solved.

I found the land record today on the Bureau of Land Management- General Land Office Records. Yes, the widow did have land in Iowa that was bounty land given to her for the Revolutionary War Service of her husband. She received the land in 1860, even though her husband had died in 1843 at the ripe old age of 82.

By 1860, she had returned to Washington County, PA, and was living with the daughter from her first marriage. I suspect that is why she gave the land to her. I still find it odd as she had sons from her marriage with grandpa.

While looking around the Land Management Records, I stumbled across other lands of interest.
Take some time and look around for yourself. You might be surprised as you find bounty land in states far away from the areas where your ancestors lived.

Click here to go the Bureau of Land Management.

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Chief Who, You Say?

It's another one of those mailman moments. Over the weekend, another envelope appeared out of his truck and into my eager hands. Now this one was a surprise.

The letter was from a grandson of one of the cousins who had dropped by to see us about six years ago. This grandson was on the visit with his grandfather as we sat and talked genealogy. We had been trying to decipher some old floppies that reportedly had information going back to Charlemagne. I've yet to find anyone who can break into these floppies. (The author has since passed.)

This young man, who is a now a grown up man, was kind enough to send some updated information on the family. He has linked his bloodline to that of Chief Wampage II of the Siwanoy Indians of Westchester County, New York.

I've not heard of this Chief, so I was eager to learn the significance of this. In my quick (and admittedly, not thorough) research, I find Chief Wampage signed a treaty under the "Treaty Oak" with Thomas Pell for something like 50,000 acres of land extending from the Bronx area to the Hutchinson River.

Of interest in my readings was the name Anne Hutchinson. Wampage is said to have murdered her himself when a group of Indians came calling on the settlers. Hutchinson has quite a story, and it is one worth reading. She was the daughter of Francis Marbury, and she reportedly had a brilliant mind. She was a devout Believer and went as far as to hold Bible studies in her Massachusetts home for both men and women. She stood trial for being a "strumpet" and later moved down to the New York area with her husband, William Hutchinson.

She's a fascinating woman. At her trial, it is reported she said, "You have no power over my body, neither can you do me any harm. I fear none but the great Jehovah, which hath foretold me of these things, and I do verily believe that He will deliver me out of your hands…."

I urge you to find a book or just look online for her story. What a woman. What a time she lived in. What a fate she suffered.

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Readng the Newspaper

Google recently announced indexing of OLD newspapers has begun. If you are lucky, you can google the name of the newspaper of interest, along with a date and name, and find it!

I've been looking at this new option over the past couple of weeks. There is a learning curve involved as well as some glitches in the system. There are also opportunities to purchase some of the newspaper articles.

Never mind those small inconveniences. If you hit upon more family history, you will be excited. One word of warning-- be prepared to stay tuned closely to your computer. It takes a lot of time to do this.

I hope the process will become easier and faster. In the meantime,

http://news.google.com/archivesearch/advanced_search?hl=en .

Enjoy!

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The Patriot's Hymn on September 11

The Patriot's Hymn
Penned by Rev. Thomas Garland
1915 Philadelphia, PA

Remember. Reflect. Pray.

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