Tuesday's Tip: Public Tax Returns for Pittsburgh

It's just something you don't see everyday.  Local newspapers printing up the tax returns for your neighbors.  Just in case you've just broken out in a sweat, go on and wipe off your brow.

The Pittsburgh Post Gazette published the 1864 Tax Returns for several of its districts.  While some of us may cry out in fear of the newspapers stance that the desire to review tax returns is universal in the neighborhood, we genealogy buffs jump in joy.

These 1864 returns are just another tool to use in our quest for documenting the location of our beloved ancestors, and, in some cases, documenting they were still alive.

So, go on and take a look.  Who knows what you may discover.  How much your family paid in taxes or how little their neighbors did.

These lists can be found on our Pittsburgh Old Newspaper Project:  http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~paallent/index.html

Ahh, genealogy.  The tax man came and the newspaper let everyone know.  Wonder if that would go over well today?  Hmmmmmmmm......


©AS Eldredge 2013

Friend of Friends Friday: Pittsburgh Folks Just Keep Dying to Get In

The good people in the Allegheny County, PA, area keep dying and well, we keep finding them.

For over two years, our little band of volunteers has been digging in the old Pittsburgh area newspapers for death notices.  The volunteers come and go, but there are usually at least five of us working at any given time.

Our last update brought us to over 88,000 death entries.  We have over 3500 entries waiting in the hopper.  I suspect these names will be available for family history buffs by Easter weekend. 

Check us out.  In addition to our death index, we have:

over 24,000 marriages
Divorce notices
WWI Military Personnel with over 73000 names
World War I articles
The record of Company E from the Civil War
House of Refuge information
Morganza information
Poor House Census 1850-1910
Poor House articles
1931 Fire of Little Sisters Poor House
1890 Veterans Schedule/Poor homes
Allegheny Co Home Census 1860-1940

There are also wonderful snippets of interest that will lead you to outside links with history information and resources from the area.

Whatcha waiting for?  http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~paallent/
The index of names:  http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/allegheny/death-index.htm

Ahhh, genealogy.  Such generous, kind friends--  any day of the week, not just Friday!

©2013 AS Eldredge

Madness Monday: Here a Marriage, There a Marriage

Looking for ancestors using the census can be frustrating.  Then again, it can also be entertaining when the hunt is on.

I knew of the name George W CALDWELL, Jr, from the 1870 census detailing the family members of my 2g-grandpa, George W CALDWELL, Sr.  Jr is found again in later census records.  Only, the later entries can make my eyebrow rise.  How so?

The 1900 census (which was taken June 2) shows Jr living with his dad in a boarding house in Pittsburgh.  Of interest is the note Jr is divorced.  I have yet to find a divorce record for Jr.

What has been uncovered is legal documentation which has made life entertaining as I try to decipher what was really going on in Jr's life.  Let's look at the sequence of the documentation:

1-  Dec 27, 1900
There is a marriage found in Mahoning Co, OH, for George W CALDWELL Jr and Emma BAKER.  The groom's parents are the ones I expect to find.  The bride's parents are James BAKER and Emma SAFFIEL.

2- 1904 Pension Papers for Daddy
George W CALDWELL, Sr, is living with Jr in Johnstown, Cambria, PA, when his pension file for the Civil War is updated.  Listed in the pension file are the names of daddy's children, all as expected.  The surprise is that all children are listed as married.  So, was Jr married at this time? Added to this is the knowledge that one child appears to have died in a 1903 accident.

3- Mar 7, 1905
There is a marriage record found in Clinton Co, PA, for George W CALDWELL Jr and Jennie GILLESPIE.  On the record is the notation that his first wife died in 1899.   Hmmm, really?

The details from the 1910 to 1940 census records flow along with the earlier documented information.  There is a son born abt 1908 who is named George G CALDWELL.  I suspect the middle name would be GILLESPIE, although I find no definitive trace of the child after the 1910 census.  Of course, I will now be interested to see how long it takes for other researchers of the family to incorporate this name without finding supporting evidence of their own.

Now, the head scratching begins as I wonder who the first wife was that died in 1899 and the final whereabouts of the wife from 1900 and the one from 1905.  How maddening it all is!

Ahhh, genealogy.  Two marriages are documented.  The census would indicate a divorce before 1900.  The son disappears.  No graves found for any of the group yet.  Will the real story please stand up?

©2013 AS Eldredge

Wordless Wednesday: 1931 Holocaust in Pittsburgh

History teaches us many lessons as we seek to learn of the past.  Some lessons are terrifying while other lessons demonstrate the heroic deeds of mankind.  We all remember the details of the Holocaust that so many suffered under the dictator hands of Hitler.  What about events that were given the description of Holocaust by those who lived through them?

One such example is the 1931 six alarm fire at the Little Sisters of the Poor Home in Pittsburgh.  Many newspaper articles referred to the event as a holocaust.  It must have been terrifying to witness the fire and the helpless infirm patients and inmates of the home.  The rescue efforts mounted by the firemen, policemen, and general public should be remembered.

Sample excerpts:

"... Carried down by ladders by firemen, after she became weak and overcome by smoke, Mrs. Margaret Kline, 80, told her rescuers after resuscitation, that she was hemmed in by smoke and flame and "prayed that God would take her away."

Miss Veronia Stein, 64, also one of the rescued, said that when she was taken down the ladders she told firemen that Mary Henley, 75 and Mary Jacobs, 75, both crippled, and paralyzed, were lying behind a door, unable to help themselves.  When firemen returned and tried to enter the same window from which Miss Stein had been saved, they found their ladders burned, and fire pouring from the window...."

"... Mrs. Sarah Carlson, 65, first spread the alarm to the aged group, three of whom were crippled or paralyzed.  Then she started for the men's quarters in another part of the building to make sure that her husband, Dan, was saved.  Her friends last night did not know whether or not she reached safety.

As the five aged who were able to walk began helping Bridget Dooley, Margaret Henry and Bridget Reardon to safety, the three invalids cried in unison:  "No! No! Help Mama."  "Mama" is an aged and paralyzed woman in the next room, beloved by all the inmates...."

"... Men seemed to try to outdo each other in their efforts to save the aged and infirm from the smoke and flames.  Trapped inmates were carried down ladders by firemen, and volunteers and one aged woman, unconscious, was lowered to the ground from the third floor by a rope tied around her waist.

Firemen and policemen, live Lavery, off duty, rushed to the fire, working in civilian clothes in which they had been enjoying an evening's rest to battle the flames.  Brawny bluecoats worked with the doctors to aid the stricken victims of smoke as they waited for the arrival of the clanging ambulances in the shadow of the flames that had turned a quiet haven for the aged into a roaring inferno.

Men and boys living in the vicinity of the home, were the real heroes of the catastrophe, veteran policemen and firemen, who had attended most the city's big fires in recent years, said last night.

"This is certainly the worst fire I've ever seen," Lavery said..."

Take time to read some of the stories on our Old Pittsburgh Newspaper Project.  Along with details of the fire and rescue efforts are the names of the wounded and dead.

Ahh, genealogy.  Tis a great day to thank those first responders for their heroic efforts to protect others in times of need.  Thanks.

©2013 AS Eldredge

Those Places Thursday: Going Crazy Just to Smoke

Ever heard of the smoker? Today, most visions when the word smoker is uttered include someone with a cigarette hanging out of their mouth.  Typically, this brand of smoker is found lounging around the approved smoking section outside the doors of many buildings.

Read the words from 1931 Pittsburgh and weep for the old men who went "gas crazy" just to catch a smoke in their approved smoking site at the Poor House.

..... I had heard of the "smoker" while I was still in the observation ward of the hospital.  An old Negro had come over from the home for a few days' treatment of a boil on his neck.  He regarded the boil as a not unmixed evil, since it gave him a few days of uninterrupted rest and food considerable better than that he was accustomed to in the home.  He was talking about the old men over at the home.

"Those old fellows oveh theah all crazy," he informed me. "They all gone gas crazy."

"Gas crazy," I demanded, immediately thinking of gas victims of the war.  "Those men were all too old to serve in the army.  They can't be gas crazy."

"Oh, they's gas crazy all right.  They sits theah all day drinkin' in that gas in the smokah till they gits jes as crazy as bedbugs."

Hot and Stifling

He failed to make me understand just what he was talking about but assured me:

"You goin' oveh to the Home, yeh say.  You'll find out about the gas, Jes' wait."

I did.

The first place I made for when I was transferred to the home was the "smoker."  It is a great, barn-like room, filthy dirty with rows of benches.  More than a hundred old men were sitting and standing about the great room.  Here these old pensioners on a great city's bounty can smoke.

At one end of the room is the biggest stove I ever say.  It must be done duty in its time as a giant kitchen range.  That's the only purpose I can conceive anyone might have for building such a monstrosity.  It must be all of 10 feet square with an iron top.  Underneath this top, great gas jets roar.   Flames leap out through big cracks and holes in the shattered top.

The Home - Rockview

It provides heat.  It also fills the great room with stifling fumes of unburned gas until the air is thick and foul.  I could stand it only a few minutes.  But these old men are used to it.  All day long some of them sit there, smoking in silence and hopelessness, breathing in the noisome deadly fumes......

-->

.....Together we walked through the corridors and saw the broken men draped along the pipe, the blind, the halt, and the maimed.  We ate the scanty dinner.  We breathed the fumes of the "smoker" for a moment and then escaped to the keen, wintry air outside with a gasp.

He turned to me, on his face the most devastating despair I have ever seen - and I have seen men go to their death on the gallows - and he said slowly:

"Well - here we will live.  What do you think?"....

What do you think of the smoker written about in 1931 Pittsburgh?  Tis enough to drive one crazy.  At the least, many old pensioners were allegedly crazy after they smoked in the approved smoking site of the City Home at Mayview. 

This entire story, along with 74 other historic articles, can be read on the old Pittsburgh Newspaper Project site.  But beware, reading some of these stories will break your heart.

Ahhh, genealogy.  Another day has passed in to the history books.  I wonder what future generations will think of our stories from today. 

©2013 AS Eldredge

Thankful Thursday: Finding the Poor, Ill and Insane in Early Allegheny County

Finding documentation or information on some ancestors can be quite a task if the ancestor happened to have been admitted as an inmate to an early institution for the poor, ill, insane or neglected.  The Commonwealth of PA does not readily allow for any information on the inmates to be released easily.  For some researchers, this may be just the lead for which they are searching.

My genealogy buddy, Lynn B, and I have been fascinated by the early poor houses and institutions used in early Allegheny and Washington Counties, PA, after some recent comments on the Allegheny Co Rootsweb Mail List.  So, we set out to find the census for these places which frequently changed names and locations over the years.  Additionally, we are locating old newspaper articles and placing them online as well for researchers to peruse.

The tidbits I have gleaned from this research include identifying which institutions just changed names and which ones changed locations.  Common to them all is the appalling circumstances these poor and ill of our past lived in.  It can be heartbreaking to read the articles.

Comments from readers have included that Marshalsea, which was later renamed the Pittsburgh City Home Hospital at Mayview, was for the people from the city of Pittsburgh while Woodville was for the county poor and ill.

Other comments have included the correction of spelling of some names found in their census, while another researcher sent the death notice for one of their own who had spent time at an Allegheny Co. institution.

Woodville Hospital had alternate names as well in its history.  Included are:

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

The House of Refuge which was incorporated by the Commonwealth of PA in 1850 was originally in Pittsburgh.  It moved to the new site in Washington Co, Morganza, in 1876.  Whether your research takes you to the early House of Refuge or the later Morganza, it should be remembered this institution was for the confinement and reformation of delinquent youth.

As we find more articles, we are placing them online for other researchers.  Another 20 articles were uploaded today, bringing our total to 53 for the Poor House and 33 for Morganza.

If interested in reading these articles or looking for your beloved, go to the Pittsburgh Old Newspaper Project.

Ahh, genealogy.  We appreciate the comments and knowing others may find some tidbit to assist them in their quest for the family history.

©2013 AS Eldredge

Wordless Wednesday: Freak Found in Pittsburgh

Thirty-three articles are now available on the Allegheny County Poor House.  After reading these articles, you may discover more of an understanding of the sad plight of people who were abandoned, neglected, or poor in our nation's past.  Some of the stories have a "ho hum" quality in their tale, but other stories have the ability to shock in today's world and values. 

An example of a shocking story at Marshalsea from the June 28, 1904 Pittsburgh Press follows. I suspect many readers will be left speechless and heartbroken after reading the tale of the unknown male.

Found Freak In Empty Room
Long Haired Idiot Boy Abandoned by Showmen Who Meant to Exhibit Him
Will Go to Marshalsea

Abandoned by men who sought to profit by its mental and physical deformities a male freak, about 18 years, was discovered yesterday afternoon in the third floor of the rooming house at 545 Second avenue. About the time of the discovery was made by Mrs. Annie Dropple, the landlady, Superintendent of Police Wallace received an anonymous communication from the men who had left the freak, telling him where it could be found.

The case is the most heartless in the history of the local police department, and for a time the authorities were puzzled as to what steps to take. Finally it was decided to send the freak to Homeopathic hospital until this morning, when it will be taken to the city home at Marshalsea.

About 10 o'clock Sunday morning two well dressed men called at Mrs. Dropple's boarding house and asked if they might rent a room. She informed them that there was but one vacant room in the house and that it was furnished with only a bed and mattress.

"That's all right. We have traveled about 100 miles and are very tired. We are going to show at the Swissvale carnival next week," said one of the strangers as he passed upstairs. Two hours later the men left the house and Mrs. Dropple did not see them return. It was learned last night, however, that about midnight neighbors say a closed carriage drive to the door. Two men alighted and between the carried a long, closely wrapped bundle into the house, while the carriage drove rapidly away. This was the last seen of the strangers.

About 10 o'clock yesterday morning Mrs. Dropple went to the third floor front room which she had rented to the strangers. They were nowhere to be seen, but on the bed lay the form of a half animal, half man continually beating its head on the mattress. She fled in a fright and at once notified Patrolman McCready, who investigated and then notified the police.

Capt. Bartley went to the house in company with Superintendent of Detectives McQuaide and Detectives Kelly and Cole. The officers found the freak still beating its head against the bed. It was beyond all doubt the most pitiable specimen of a human being imaginable. It had the face and long hair of a woman, while the trunk of its body was distorted and splotched with patches of long wiry hair. Its limbs were about the thickness of a man's wrist and were bent and twisted. It was about 5 feet 6 inches in height and weighed about 100 pounds. On the bed beside its head was a piece of meat which had evidently been left for it by the men who abandoned it. At 10 o'clock last night it was removed to Homeopathic hospital.

The being was bereft of reason and could not talk. Judging by all indications, Superintendent McQuaide stated that the freak had evidently been exhibited throughout the country as a missing link of wild man, and this theory was confirmed upon returning to central police station where Superintendent Wallace had just received a mysterious letter which explained the matter. The letter read:

Chief of Police, Pittsburgh, sir, at 545 Second street you will find in the third floor front an unfortunate boy who is foolish and who is singularly marked and possesses peculiar characteristics. He is entirely harmless and helpless because he knows no more than an animal. I was here with him with the intention of putting him with a carnival, but they refused to do as they agreed. I have been compelled to abandon him to be put in a home by the proper authorities. He has no living father or mother, he has no friends. I have kept him until I broke and cannot do so longer,

The letter was unsigned and bore the postmark of the Pittsburgh postoffice. The police are making an effort to learn the identity of the men.

To read more of the articles, go to http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~paallent/index.html and click on the Poor House articles.

Ahh, genealogy.  History.  Sometimes, it just breaks my heart to read it. 

©2013 AS Eldredge

Friends of Friends Friday: Flocking to Feed the Poor in 1897 at Marshalsea in Pittsburgh

Reading old newspapers can be quite entertaining.  Today, I ran across a great article from December 24, 1897.  The article tells us of the spirit of giving to the poor in Pittsburgh.

-->

The Pittsburgh Press, Dec. 24, 1897, page 2

AT MARSHALSEA

An Enjoyable Time that is Promised the Unfortunates.

The 710 inmates of the city farm at Marshalsea will not be forgotten by Director George Booth and Supt. George Linderman.  Everything will be done to give them a good time.  Confined in the building are about 43 children.  These little ones on Christmas eve will hang up their stockings to see what Santa Claus will bring them.  The usual Christmas exercises will be held at the home on Christmas eve and the several hundred inmates with two or three hundred others will be ushered into the large chapel in the evening. 

An excellent program has been arranged for with Supt. Linderman as director and Dr. Charles Owens as manager, Miss Agnes M. Wenzel will be pianist of the occasion.  The performance will consist of vocal and instrumental music, with a few recitations.  Following is the program:  Anthem, "O, Little Town of Bethlehem:, chorus: recitation, "Orthodox Team,: Miss Lillian Shade, vocal solo, selected, Miss Louise Loomis; tableau, "Angels' Watch,: Misses Whan, Phillips and Symers; vocal solo, "Queen of the Earth,: Alex. Chas. Owens, M.D.; tableau, "Ten Virgins," Misses McNulty, Sowers, Whan, McDermott, Flanagan, Campbell, Harvey, Trimble, Horner Phillips, vocal duet, "Lover's Quarrel," Miss Emma Fox and Mr. Frank Bell; dialogue, "Mr. and Mrs. Thompson," Misses Lillian and Florence Shade, duet, violin and piano, selected, Howard Arbogast and Miss Wenzel; tableau, "Peak Sisters," Misses Whan, Phillips, Sowers, Symers, Harvey, Horner, McNulty, Flanagan, McDermott, Campbell, Trimble, Patterson and Mrs. S. E. Shade; vocal solo, selected, Miss Louise Loomis; tableau, "A Young Man's Dread," Miss Minnie Sowers, piano solo, selected, Miss Agnes M. Wenzel, duet, "La Chatelain," Misses Lillian and Florence Shade; Christmas carol, chorus.

A real Christmas dinner will be served to the inmates on Christmas day.  It will consist of 1,000 pounds or roast turkey with cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, celery and pickles, bread, butter, tea, coffee, apples, oranges and candy.  Of the 710 inmates of the home and hospitals 380 are insane.  These will be entertained just as well as the more fortunate inmates during the day.  The insane inmates will not be allowed to leave their wards, but they will receive their candy and presents as well as their share of turkey.  The director said that the people living around Marshalsea enjoyed the feast as well as the inmates.  The young women and men flock to the home of Christmas day and act as waiters.

 Seven more articles on the Poor House from old Pittsburgh newspapers have been uploaded for your researching pleasure.  Check it out.

Ahh, genealogy.  Kind of gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling as we Americans continue to assist those in need.  Merry Christmas.

Update: Marshalsea was built in 1893 in Southern Allegheny Co on the old George Neal Farm in/near S. Fayette Twp. It was renamed Pittsburgh City Home and Hospital at Mayview in 1916.

©2012 AS Eldredge

Wordless Wednesday: The Pauper's Secret

Secrets are a part of our lives.  With our ancestors, some secrets certainly include what happened to them.  If our searches of today are successful, evidence can sometimes be found to reveal some of those secrets.

Enjoy the newest addition to our Pittsburgh Past--  the Poor House Articles.  Perhaps a clue to one of your beloved will leave you speechless.

Seven new articles have been uploaded to our Pittsburgh Past, One Page a a Time site.  We have many more waiting in the wings. 

Here is one excerpt from March 1, 1872-
.....The deaths were Hugh McHard, age 60; Mary Dougherty, 68, Cathering Mulholland, 75; Laura Beggs, 5 months; Rachel Johnson, 5 months; Charles Armstrong, 27; Phoebe Franks, 45; Conrad Miller, 40, The causes of death were: apoplexy, 1; old age, 1; whooping cough, 1; consumption, 2; pneumonia, 1; inflammation of the lungs, 1; asthma, 1.....

And another from May 8, 1882-
...Years ago Thomas Mulaney had a happy home, and managed to support his family in a comfortable way. Many pictures in memory of the domestic happiness of those days now cheer the old man in his declining years. Death finally broke up the family circle, taking his wife first and all but two of his children afterward. Then darker days came upon him. Losing his corporal vigor, and the increasing infirmities of old age settling down upon him, he was no longer able to work. One daughter and a son had drifted away to distant points, and he had no knowledge of their whereabouts. At last, when he was on the verge of starvation he was taken charge of by the authorities and sent to the Allegheny Home.
This was about three years since, and he was then about eighty years of age. About a year ago he learned in some manner that his son ....


Check it out.  You'll love finding the secrets of the paupers.

Ahh, genealogy.  The desire to uncover the past keeps on going even as I prepare my heart and home for the holidays. 

©2012 AS Eldredge

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

Tombstone Tuesday: A Grave Decision

Ever wondered where some of your beloved ancestors could be?  Ever know someone was in a graveyard, but since they had no stone or it has weathered, you have no rock solid proof?

Just like all cities across the land, there are forgotten and destroyed cemeteries in Allegheny Co, PA.  Take, for instance, the Allegheny City Home which was established in 1844.  Its first site was in Shaler Twp.  The home moved to O'Hara Twp in 1871 according to the Carnegie Library.  The cemetery which was mainly used for the home was destroyed during the construction of Rte 28. 

So, what's a family genealogy buff to do?  One suggestion is to look at the census records for the poor house, workhouse and insane asylums of the area to see if any familiar names were there.  There is always the chance the graves, which were most likely unmarked, no longer exist. 

One of my genealogy buddies (or buddette?) was gracious enough to transcribe the names from the Allegheny Co Poor House and Workhouse censusus from 1850-1910.  These names are now on our old Pittsburgh Newspaper Project and can easily be found.

Go here to see the list.  http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~paallent/index.html

Ahh, genealogy.  While we can't always find absolute evidence for all of our blood, the past can be just a grave decision based on circumstantial evidence.

©2012 AS Eldredge

Hot Diggity, It's a Novel!

Who knew that I could write a novel in 30 days?  Not me. 

It's a novel, folks.  Ok, so it needs some serious editing and some finishing, in one way or another, of some characters, but it tis a novel of over 50,000 words so far!

I took the challenge of the National Novel Writing Month and won!  Note my new badge on the sidebar.

Bear with me as I add the finishing touches to my creation and then, I shall be ready for some praise and critiques from some of my faithful readers. 

I hope to be back writing more snippets on the family and genealogy soon.  There are also a couple of completed genealogy projects or those with ties in Pittsburgh that I have to add to Exploring Our Pittsburgh Past, One Page at a Time.

 In the meantime, enjoy the holidays! 

Ahh, genealogy.  No rest for the weary fingers or telling the tales of our genealogy.

©2012 AS Eldredge

Wordless Wednesday: Charles, Is This You?

Is this the final resting spot for Uncle Charles?

Evidence on hand includes:

• the 1940 obit for his sister which states her brother Charles is still living

• birth year on tombstone corresponds closely with my Charles' birth in Allegheny Co, PA

• middle initial on tombstone in Woodlawn Cemetery, Allegheny Co, PA,  is correct

• Charles was married according to his father's Civil War pension file
  
  
  
  Have been trying to contact descendants of this Charles to see if they can connect the dots: Edith Malanos died 1986 in Broward Co, FL
  Evelyn Difatta died 1968 in Pittsburgh area; her husband died 1983 in Westmoreland Co, PA
  
  
  

  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  
  

  Ahh, genealogy.  It's one mystery after another.
  
  
  
  
  ©AS Eldredge 2012
  
  

Talented Tuesday: Six Degrees to Kevin Bacon

Have you ever felt an "aha" moment when you finally connected the dots between families in your past?  It appears that every will, every probate, every land transaction I come across in the old Pittsburgh area leads me to connect dots or relationships between early families in the neighborhood.

Just the other day, I posted a connection between Adam POTTER and Henry POTTER.  To my surprise, a cousin of mine emailed to tell me she also had a connection to Adam POTTER as a named guardian in a will.

Here is her excerpt:  ..."my greatx5 grandpap Charles McMILLEN, who I think is a brother or nephew of our Thomas McMILLEN and Margaret (McMILLEN) HENRY, had two daughters, Mary McMILLEN(b 1800) and Elizabeth McMILLEN(B 1799), and the sisters grew up to marry two brothers, James OBNEY and William OBNEY of Robinson Twp.  These guys had a younger brother named Richard McClure OBNEY who lived in N Fayette Twp, and when Richard OBNEY died in 1852, he named ADAM POTTER as the guardian of his minor son, Sanford OBNEY, who later died in the Civil War 1862."

JoAnn also likened our genealogy search to the game "Six Degrees to Kevin Bacon", where movie buffs try to link Kevin Bacon to other actors by identifying movies which tie the actors together.

So, I thought that we could do that as well.  The rules had to change a bit as our family is not in the movies.

The rule change is simple in this version of the game.  I will connect my family to Kevin Bacon using movies and film locations, instead of just actors.

Here it goes:

Kevin Bacon  to Brad Pitt in Sleepers (1996)   --  No. 1
Brad Pitt to Anthony Hopkins in Meet Joe Black (1998)    -- No. 2
Anthony Hopkins in the Silence of the Lambs (1991)   --  No. 3
Silence of the Lambs partially filmed at Morganza in Washington Co, PA  -- No.4
Land for Morganza sold by Wesley GREER  -- No. 5
Wesley GREER's sister in law, Marguerite CLARK is my 2C3R  -- No. 6

Ta da!

And just so there is no confusion, I do relate to Art CLOKEY who gave us all that wonderful character, Gumby.  Or rather, I am related to Joseph CLOKEY who adopted Art.

Ahh, genealogy.  Who knew it could be so fun or hip?

©AS Eldredge 2012

Such a BAD Boy, Chewin' Tobaccy and Lying

"He's such a bad boy, " the poor distraught mother cried as she talked to the local magistrate. "He's been chewing tobaccy and lying.  I can't handle him."

While I don't know if those exact words were ever uttered by a mother in distress, I do know the sentiment was a familiar one in the history of Morganza.  It was known that parents up in the Allegheny and Washington Co areas of PA did threaten their youngsters with the punishment of having to go to Morganza.  I wonder how many children were scared straight....

Morganza.  Just the name of this reform school is enough to send chills down the spine of the local residents.  While I am unaware of any of my family members being sent there "for their own good," I am fascinated by it.  I can't imagine the horrors that happened there and my heart aches for the lost youth of the time.

Morganza was first incorporated as the House of Refuge in 1850 in Pittsburgh.  Youth were sent there for various reasons, but there was no need for any conviction of a crime.  Apparently, testimony from a distraught witness was enough for the "sentence" of going there to be reformed.  How many poor children went there?  How many parents sent their child there if they couldn't put food in their mouths?  I imagine it's enough to break your heart.

As the House of Refuge grew, it was decided to purchase land and get the youngsters away from the city.  Perhaps farming would be encouraged.  Land was purchased from Wesley GREER (a kinsman of mine thru marriage) and plans were made, and buildings were built.

According to a 2007 email from a great grandson of Wesley, the land was purchased from the MORGAN family.  The claim to fame for the MORGAN family is Aaron BURR stopped at the farm and spoke of his intent to overthrow the government.

I first became aware of Morganza as I traveled from Pittsburgh down to Washington Co as I was researching my roots.  I saw the building as we drove down the road and asked many questions about it.  Most of the responses seemed to begin with a heavy sigh.

As many readers are aware, a group of volunteers has been painstakingly going through old Pittsburgh newspapers to find marriages and deaths.  While involved in this work, one volunteer contacted me to say she had found many mentions of Morganza in old newspapers.  This sparked my interest as I recalled driving by the old buildings which haunted my memory for months.

We started actively looking for mentions of Morganza or of those associated with the institution in the newspapers and then we decided to add the census information we could find.  All of this information can be found on our Pittsburgh Old Newspaper Project Updates.  

Ahh, genealogy.  Some of our past breaks our hearts, one name at a time.

Sources:
Herron, James T, Morganza, Jefferson College Times, Vol XLI, No 1, March 2008.
Photo by P. Thomas 

©AS Eldredge 2012

Walking With the Dead at St Clair Cemetery

Last night, the phone rang and the cheery voice on the other end of the line made me smile.  But then, I always smile as I talk with my dear beloved cousin who is as addicted to genealogy as I am.

He had news.

Our beloved family cemetery, the St Clair Cemetery, is in the news again.  There will be a self guided walking tour on September 15 from 9 am to 1 pm.  The Mt Lebanon Historical Society will once again talk to visitors about many of the early residents of Lower St Clair and Mt Lebanon.

Of course, many conversations will be about my dearly departed.  Just wish I could be there to share the stories with the visitors.

Ahh, genealogy.  Walking in the past.  What else is there to say?  Oh yes, let me know if any more of my living kin show up!

Update:  The good folks at the Hysterical Society tell me my 4g grandpa will be there in full Revolutionary garb.  Ok, so it's someone who will portray him.  What fun!

Source:  http://www.stclaircemetery.com/

©AS Eldredge 2012

Monday Madness: Got The Fever But No Body Found

Looking out the window at the overcast skies, it seems like a perfect day for running around my mind to see if I can pull together some more facts as I continue the search for good ole Uncle Robert.  As soon as I exhaust the paltry information I have, it's time to search around the internet to see if any other documentation can be found.   Arrgggg, it's Monday Madness alright.

Robert W HENRY(1827-1869) was born in Allegheny Co, PA, and was the brother of my 2g-grandma.  Robert was a godly man and eagerly went in to the ministry.  As a child, he and his family were members of the Associated Reformed Church of St Clair, which eventually became the Mt Lebanon UP Church.  In fact, two of Robert's grandfathers were founding members of the church and so many of his kin are spending eternity resting quietly in the St Clair Cemetery.

Robert received his DD in theology after completing his schoolwork and quickly found a church in Ohio.  He is found in the 1850 census as a clergyman living in Springfield, Clark, OH.  He returns home to marry a childhood friend, Mary Emma MATTHEWS in November 1851.  They are married by his childhood minister, the Rev Joseph CLOKEY. Ahh, CLOKEY, now he's an interesting man that we will have to examine later.  I surmise that Mary Emma's family, James MATTHEWS (abt 1795-aft1850) were probably members of the same church.  At the least, they did live in the neighborhood.

Robert and Mary move to Philadelphia where he pastored a church during the War of Northern Aggression (as mentioned in his nephew's Civil War diary).  Robert is also found in the City Directory in Phile with a house address of 850 N 7th.

In the spring of 1869, Robert applies for a passport.  What I haven't found is any evidence of a passport for his wife.  Was she included on his or was she not going over to Europe for a tour?  I find it difficult to swallow that she would have been left behind on this trip of a lifetime.

Now to a bigger mystery in the affairs of Robert.  He dies of Yellow Fever while visiting in Alexandria, Egypt.  This is verified by news of his death in the Presbyterian Banner.  The Banner made no mention of his wife.

Mary continues to live in Phile after the death of her beloved and teaches at a college.  Unfortunately, she has a stroke and falls in the bathtub on December 26, 1881.  Her death information has been found in Philadelphia, and her obit has been located in Pittsburgh.  Her body is brought back to Pittsburgh for the funeral and the burial.

Where are they?  Her obit tells us her father is deceased, and I have yet to determine when he died or where he was buried.  I suspect he is either at the St Clair Cemetery or the Mt Pisgah UP Church Cemetery as those were the two closest Presbyterian churches and cemeteries closest to his residence.  The HENRY clan is all buried at St Clair, but her tombstone has not been located.  To be fair, the early records for St Clair are all gone and many of the early headstones are damaged or gone.  I know where the HENRY clan is buried.  I know where Robert's parents are buried.  I know where his siblings are buried, but where are Robert and Mary?  Was Robert buried in Egypt or would his body have been brought home?  Would Mary have been buried with her family or with her inlaws?

Mary had at least one sister as determined by the 1850 census.  The sister was Harriet V MATTHEWS.  As they were living with one Emiline MOORE, I suspect Emiline could have been the eldest child of James and his wife, Margaret.  Either they all died before 1860, or they relocated, or they married.  I can't find any evidence of the family.

Robert and Mary had no children of their own, but I think of them often.  Did he resemble his sister in his looks?  If so, I can easily imagine his looks as I have a picture of her in my possession. 

I wonder if or when I will find them.  In the meantime, I think I'll sit and reflect as these gray clouds swarm outside the window.

Ahh, genealogy. I will guess that these storm clouds gathering would have been minor in comparison if his lovely bride had not been included on the voyage.

Sources:

Ancestry.com-  RW Henry passport application
                         1850 Federal Census
                         1880 Federal Census
                         1867 Philadelphia City Directory
                         1868 Philadelphia City Directory
Pittsburgh Commerical Gazettep Dec. 30, 1881
Family Bible
History of the St Clair United Presbyterian Church of Mt Lebanon, PA 1804-1904, pg 29

©AS Eldredge 2012

Thankful Thursday: Remembering WW1 Thru the Eyes and Words of 1918 Warriors: Thanks Mrs. Schiller

Last May saw the beginning of uploading a series of old newspaper articles from the 1918-1919 time frame which were originally published in Pittsburgh by one of their cracker jack reporters who spent time in France with the troops. These articles were transcribed by my geni-buddy Lynn B. 

Thought you'd enjoy seeing one of the articles as we get ready to honor the women in our lives.  After reading this article, check out the other 50 or so we have found at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~paallent/

You're sure to be needing your hanky, or at the least, an American Flag to salute and a mama to hug!

THE GAZETTE TIMES

Jan. 19, 1919

Charles J. Doyle

Special Correspondent of The Gazette Times in France

NURSING IN FRANCE MORE ATTRACTIVE THAN SOCIETY TO THIS PITTSBURGH WOMAN

Mrs. William Bacon Schiller Works Every Day in Hospital – Many of Her Patients Heroes of Old Eighteenth Who Fell in Terrific Combats.

Paris, Jan. 17. – (Delayed) – Fifteen months of tireless work nursing American doughboys finds one of Pittsburgh’s most prominent women, Mrs. William Bacon Schiller, still smiling at her post in France.  But her labors of mercy are almost finished now, and she is planning to leave for home in a few weeks.

That was and suffering bring out the finest qualities is strikingly shown in the case of Mrs. Schiller.  She is the wife of the president of the National Tube Company, a subsidiary of the United States Steel Corporation.

About 18 months ago Uncle Sam issued an urgent call for volunteer nurses.  Among the patriotic women and girls who heard and heeded that call was Mrs. Schiller.  Although she always had been accustomed to every comfort that ample means and an assured social position could give, this mother of three fine boys volunteered and was accepted.

Mrs. Schiller knew nothing about nursing when she placed herself at the disposal of her country.  In fact, she knew practically nothing about hospital work.  But all this has been changed, and when I saw her today in her strikingly becoming nurse’s garb, almost engulfed in bandages, dressings and other surgical paraphernalia, it was quite evident that her capability had been developed into splendid harmony with her devotion.

She was busily engaged arranging medicines for the morning round of the hospital as I entered and we had our talk while she worked.  I tried to induce Mrs. Schiller to tell me some of her remarkable experiences during her long term in France, but she evaded any personal touches and insisted on dwelling exclusively on the great work done by others.

Mrs. Schiller, I learned, has been “on the job” for six days a week since she came to France, sometimes seven, but she evidently feels fully repaid by the appreciation shown by the gallant Yankees.  She spoke of having attended a number of Pittsburghers, mostly members of the Eightieth Division.  While she avoids allusions to her own part of the work being done at the hospital, she is ready enough to talk of “the boys.”

A visitor to the hospital who sees Mrs. Schiller as she goes about her work, looking in every way the typical Red Cross nurse, finds it hard to realize that she has a son old enough to be in the service.  This is the case, however, Morgan Schiller being an ensign in the Naval Aviation Corps.  The mother had hopes that her boy would be sent to France and they could enjoy a happy reunion, but he was instead detailed to Seattle.

The hospital where Mrs. Schiller has been giving her time and labor is one of the finest operated by the American Red Cross in France.  It is known as No. 1, and is located about three miles from the center of Paris.  It is an imposing structure, designed to house a magnificent college, but had not been completed when the war started, and the building was turned over to the Red Cross.

While walking along a corridor of the big building I noticed a ward furnished by the Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company.  One of the many comfortable cots was donated by Mrs. Henry W. Oliver of Pittsburgh, whose name appears on a neat plate above the bed.  Lying on this cot was a smiling doughboy, Private Harry Seymour, who told me he was a farmer from New York state.  He has been occupying this cot since October 28.  He received a severe shell wound in the leg, but has so far recovered that he is able to walk on crutches.

Although the government changed the designation of the old Eighteenth Regiment, N.G.P., to the One Hundred and Eleventh Infantry, there is a sentiment and pride in the old organization that leads to the use of the old name by the thousands of Pittsburghers over there who have followed the career of the regiment during the past year.  The old Eighteenth say great fighting at a number of critical points, and the importance of the achievements of the Pittsburghers and the whole Twenty-Eighth Division is partly indicated by the long list of heroes who gave their lives in France under the Stars and Stripes and the flags of the Allies.

IN DESPERATE FIGHTS

Among the good people of France, particularly the surviving defenders, the memory of the Pittsburgh fighters will be forever recalled by the names of Chateau Thierry, Fismes, St. Mihiel and the Argonne Forest, all desperate conflicts where the sterling Keystone State guardsmen contended and fell in valorous exploits.  At present the infantry and artillery are divided by hundreds of miles.  The doughboys are, with the division headquarters, billeted near Toul, 200 miles east of Paris, while the artillery, which recently operated in the Belgian sector, has been moved to the area between Paris and the seacoast.

About a month ago the Twenty-eighth Division was ordered into Germany to form part of the army of the occupation.  One regiment was already on its way to Luxemburg when the first orders were countermanded and it was brought back.

Sergt. Allen McCombs, 927 Beech avenue, North Side, Pittsburgh, an athletic youngster who was a member of the old Eighteenth, is a fine specimen of the type of soldiers that constituted the regiment.  Almost fully recovered from a machine gun wound in the leg, Sergt. McCombs and I met in the beautiful Red Cross hospital where, he said, “a man couldn’t be sick if he wanted to and didn’t want to leave when he got well.”

BROUGHT DOWN BY A BULLET

Sergt. McCombs is a graduate of the Scottdale High School, where he played on the football eleven.  After leaving school he took a position with the Pennsylvania Railroad and joined the Eighteenth as soon as he was old enough.  He was leading a platoon of Company I in rushing a nest of machine guns during the terrible fighting in the Argonne woods when he went down with a bullet in his leg.

“But one day’s treatment since I was struck is worth all the hardships we went through,” said the sergeant, who has all sorts of vivid tales of the actions of his division.  When he recovered sufficiently he was given clerical work in the hospital, where he seems to be a prime favorite with patients and nurses.  In the parlance of the doughboys, the handsome soldier “has it pretty soft.”

Private John Danknichy, aged 21, a flaxen-haired Slavish boy of McKees Rocks and Esplen, is another who is manfully upholding the traditions of the old Eighteenth.  He is recovering from a severe machine gun wound in the thigh received near the Aisne River.  It was an exceedingly ugly wound.  When located by the stretcher bearers it was found difficult to get him to a first-aid station, but because of the seriousness of the case they started back through a heavy shell fire.  For a time he lay between life and death, but the wound is now healing and he is able to walk with a cane.  John was an employee of the Pressed Steel Car Company.

Ahh, genealogy.  Here's to you, Mrs. Schiller, and all the other women who have served America and our veterans.  I like to think you were there nursing my grandfather when he was wounded and gassed in France.

©2012 AS Eldredge

Enlighten My Soul with History

Historical facts should not be a burden to the memory, but an illumination to the soul.  – Lord Acton(1834-1902)

History is fascinating, although most students in school don't quite agree with the sentiment.  How much can we learn about the past, our past, by digging into old documents as our country was being formed?

A cousin of mine and I have been hard at work digging and digging to try and uncover the definitive proof of the family of our Margaret McMillen (1762-1849).

She was born in Washington Co, PA, and died in Lower St. Clair, Allegheny, PA.  While there is no mention of her father's name, she did name a son Thomas McMillen, so we suspect that was most likely her father's name.  We have located three Thomas McMillens in the neighborhood, so trying to pin it down has been a struggle.  One is the brother of the good Rev. John McMillen, and one is an Irishman who came much later than the birth of our Margaret.

The other one is probably ours.  My cousin has been busy at the courthouse in Pittsburgh looking up land deeds, wills, and just generally scouring the countryside for any more leads.  Yep, JoAnn, you've done a superb job of looking into almost every dark crevice in Allegheny Co.

The one good lead we have is that Margaret's son, Thomas M HENRY, was named as an executor for his uncle Thomas McMillen, who lived in Robinson Twp.  So we know where he lived along the Piney Branch of Peters Creek, and we know he died in 1831.  Too bad, he didn't mention his sister in the will written in 1829.  Those mentioned in the will are his wife Mary, Mathew McMillen, John McMillen, Wm McMillen, James McMillen, Samuel McMillen, Joseph McMillen, Ebenezer McMillen and Anne McMillen.  According to the will, Ebenezer is not yet 21.

Also from the Union Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Robinson are:
McMILLEN John 79 1840
McMILLIN John 60 1853
McMILLIN John 84 1922
McMILLIN John Y. 3 1899
McMILLIN Joseph 45 1852
McMILLIN Margaret 79 1898
McMILLIN Margaret 59 1918
McMILLIN Mary78 1844
McMILLIN Samuel
McMILLIN Sarah 80 1926
McMILLIN Thomas 76 1831

Just last night, JoAnn sent a new lead from A List Of Persons Names Exonerated On The Frontiers of Washington County for Being Distressed By The Incursions of Depredations of the Indians.  Of course, a Thomas McMILLEN in Robinson Twp is mentioned on this 1789 document.  Reading the names on the list is almost like looking at my family tree.  So many familiar names are there. What was interesting to note is these men on this list did not have to pay taxes due to the damages they sustained during Indian attacks.  Can you imagine this happening today?  Can you imagine how bad it had to have been?

This little tidbit sent me on a journey this morning to learn more about the Indian attacks suffered by these early settlers.  What I found in Boyd Crumrine's History of Washington County, Pennsylvania with Biographical Sketches of Many of Its Pioneers and Prominent Men (Philadelphia: L. H. Leverts & Co., 1882) made my hair stand on end.

Not only were there many instances of Indians attacking settlers, there were instances of men from Virginia who tried to "draft" the Pennsylvania men in to their militia.  Now, to be fair, that little southwestern part of Pennsylvania was fought over by both Pennsylvania and Virginia.  I just didn't realize the extent of the literal fighting, burning and killing by other settlers that accompanied that fight.  Not only did the families of southwestern PA have to suffer Indian raids, they also suffered from the men of Virginia.

I also was enlightened to learn how the settlers attacked the peace loving Indians just "cause they were there." Interesting reading if you like history.

Onward genealogy buffs to the next lead of enlightenment.

Ahh, genealogy.  Just can't top Lord Acton's words- Historical facts should not be a burden to the memory, but an illumination to the soul.  

©2012 AS Eldredge

Remembering First Wives of the Past

 When researching the past, it is always fun to find more than one woman that your ancestor called "wife."  It is more than frustrating to not document much more than that.

In the last few days, my research has unearthed more first wives of cousins or of uncles who seem to have just been "forgotten" when it's time for a burial.

For instance, just this week, a new friend, Mary B., was gracious to send a pic of the grave of Goodman Y COULTER in Melrose Cemetery, Bridgeville, Allegheny, PA.  How much fun it was to see it standing proud and tall in Allegheny Co, PA.

Note the name of the wife, Julia  Yes, they were married in 1852 and had a good life together, along with three children.

But where is the first wife? Hmmm?  Sure, she died in 1851 after about 25 years of wedded bliss and 8 children with Goodman.

Good ole Euphemia MIDDLESWARTH COULTER is buried just down the road at the Bethany Presbyterian Church with her family and several of her children.

Here is Euphemia's obit:

Died on Friday the tenth of consumption, Mrs Euphemia wife of Goodman Y Coulter, of South Fayette Twp, Allegheny Co, PA and daughter of the late Moses Middleswarth, elder at Bethany Church.  She left a husband and seven children.  Member of Bethany church for 13 years.


Obit of Julia McKOWN COULTER


Everybody knew Goodman COULTER. His widow, Mrs. Julia MCKOWN COULTER died
on the 22d. She leaves three daughters, Mrs. Euphemia HERRIOTT, Mrs.
Margaret A. NESBIT, Mrs. Annie C. FRYER.

To date, the obit for Goodman has not been located.  It will be interesting to read it when it does surface.

It's another day for a total head scratching as the evidence for not one, not two, but three wives shows up on the computer screen for an uncle. That is, according to three different censusus.

William Wiley HUNNEWELL was born 1848 in Allegheny Co, PA.  He joins the military off and on again from the time of the Civil War up til about 1874.  He lives in Eau Clair, Wisconsin, for a number of years, with the first documented time of the 1880 census.  In this census, he is listed as having a wife, Angeline.  Angeline is born in Wisconsin of German parents.

In 1883, there is a birth of a child, William, who is baptized in November 1883.  There is no record uncovered of the death of Angeline or of this William.

In  Mar 1884, a newly divorced (Feb 1884) Alice G SWIFT marries William.  (As a note, Alice was born in NY, but her family removes to Wisconsin.) All this is from the Wisconsin records.  William and Alice stay in the area until about 1897 according to the city directories.

In 1900, they resurface back in Pittsburgh.  There is a son, William, who is said to have been born Jan. 1885 (according to his military draft registration.)  Alice dies, but I have not located a definitive death date or place of burial for her in Allegheny Co.
Update 2 Oct 2012:  Alice's final resting spot has been positively identified in Allegheny Cemetery, Allegheny, PA.  Her death date is 3 April 1914.

Alice Swift Hunnewell

Emma Hunnewell

William W. remarries a much younger Emma by the 1920 census.  They die just months apart in 1931 and are buried together in Pittsburgh.  So where is Angeline?  I suspect she is buried in Wisconsin.  Where is Alice?  Rumor has it she is buried at the Allegheny Cemetery, but I have yet to document this information. Update 2 Oct 2012:  Alice's final resting spot has been positively identified in Allegheny Cemetery, Allegheny, PA.  Her death date is 3 April 1914.

William W's obit:
HUNNEWELL- At West Penn Hospital, on Saturday, October 3, 1931, at 11 am, William W, husband of the late Emma Hunnewell of 301 York Way. He was a member of the Post No. 3 GAR. Remains at the home of the Ferguson Wood Co., Forbes St at McKee Place, Oakland.  Services will be held on Tuesday, October 6, at 2:30 pm. Post No. 3, GAR and all other members of GAR and friends invited.-

So, who are the two Williams born in 1883 and in 1885?  Are they different or are they the same?  I haven't been able to follow the one born in 1885 after the 1920 census.  He has two daughters with his wife, and like so many, they disappear after the 1930 census.  Did they marry?  Did they die?  Do they have blood descendents?

These are just two examples in my own family.  I'm sure you genealogy buffs have many similar instances where finding the first wife is a challenge.  Those women were there and a part of the early lives of our kin.  Most likely, they died young in childbirth or after an illness.  In any event, as we remember our moms this weekend, let us not forget all the moms and wives of the past--  even if you can't find them.

Ahh, genealogy.  Gotta keep scratching that itch.



Sources:
Genalogical Excerpts from the Pres Advocate Oct 4, 1838-Oct 24, 1855, pg 130
Bethany Presbyterian Church Records found online at ancestry.com
McDonald Outlook, Feb 1, 1902
1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930 Federal Census
Pittsburgh Press, June 5, 1931
Pittsburgh Press, Oct 5, 1931
Eau Clair Leader, June 24, 1905

©2012 AS Eldredge