tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34973925095155869992024-03-19T03:48:27.006-05:00Bushwhacking Genealogy: Kalamazoo and BeyondSharing genealogy resources and local history tidbits for Kalamazoo, Michigan and the surrounding area.Sonja Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03882161369011476773noreply@blogger.comBlogger198125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497392509515586999.post-76544887521901098382016-12-21T17:03:00.001-06:002016-12-21T17:03:30.165-06:00Colorizing Old Photos, Part IIA few years ago I found a way to colorize old photos and posted my first attempts. <a href="https://kalamazoogenealogy.blogspot.com/2013/07/colorizing-old-photos.html" target="_blank">Colorizing Old Photos</a> They were not perfect, as I will be the first to admit, but I was excited to show the potential.<br />
<br />
I have since colorized a few more photos and would like to share the latest one here. I think it looks much more natural than my earlier attempts. It helps that the photo was simple and the features clearly defined. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxmXvxAdnyiY4m8b8EHqcOkg-rKY4OQnQPwcP2nVlkn5_KsiMCAxr9zVNdIGy5sR9i_Qzd2_cWgVeW4bcTuPS9uB8CWjBzteIlXXIpVHVZTxHEkivvvJ2-MXwWy0MG_tuxHIavzQGL38yp/s1600/EmmaGrad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxmXvxAdnyiY4m8b8EHqcOkg-rKY4OQnQPwcP2nVlkn5_KsiMCAxr9zVNdIGy5sR9i_Qzd2_cWgVeW4bcTuPS9uB8CWjBzteIlXXIpVHVZTxHEkivvvJ2-MXwWy0MG_tuxHIavzQGL38yp/s320/EmmaGrad.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
This is my grandmother's graduation photo from Kalamazoo Central High School in 1936. <br />
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I encourage you to try this yourself. It really brings the people in old photographs to life.Sonja Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03882161369011476773noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497392509515586999.post-31024211885812220822015-12-30T23:00:00.003-06:002015-12-30T23:00:50.702-06:00Back To Basics: Or Why I Went MIA
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I've been missing in action here on the
blog and likely will be indefinitely. Life sometimes has a way of
intervening with one's plans. In my case it came in the
unanticipated form of homeschooling my child.
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</div>
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To make a long story short, things were
just not working out at the school. So, in the spring I pulled my
little one out and began the process of determining how to school her
myself. That involved a DIY crash course in the regulations and
logistics of homeschooling. Then came the fun part: building the
homeschool library! Now we have a floor-to-nearly-ceiling bookshelf
packed to overflowing with books that I'm sure will come in handy
over the next several years (whether we continue to homeschool or
not). I never know where our discussions will take us so it's best
to be prepared with books from an archealogy atlas to Shakespeare for
kids to life in the stone age to an introduction to art to books on
any science topic you can name and more.</div>
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</div>
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Homeschooling is a lot of work and
doesn't leave much time for other pursuits, but this is my job at
least for now. In some ways, however, this just brings my life back
to that of my ancestors. Before every child could attend school they
were taught at home. I may have many more resources at my disposal,
but like my ancestors, I can spend my time on what my child needs and
wants to learn about. In this way we both discovered that my kiddo
loves history. We learn and discuss and read historical fiction for
fun.
</div>
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Knowing what I know about our family
history, I can interweave information about our ancestors who were
involved in certain historical events. It's one thing to learn about
history, it's another thing to know that your people played a part in
it. If I play my cards right I may just be able to train the next
genealogist in the family.</div>
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Sonja Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03882161369011476773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497392509515586999.post-20888326423923814012015-05-31T22:01:00.001-05:002015-05-31T22:01:20.830-05:00Don't Grow Complacent. Remember OCR's Weakness
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I love OCR (optical character
recognition) technology! Because of OCR, companies can publish a lot
of records in a short time because the information doesn't require
humans to index the text. However, the fatal flaw of OCR is that it
doesn't pick up everything. If the print on the page is not nearly
perfect then it is not recognized correctly. While I have known this
for a while, sometimes I forget.</div>
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</div>
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Don't get me wrong, I think OCR is
great! Without it, a lot of the records I have used (newspapers,
city directories, etc.) wouldn't be available on the web.
Unfortunately, the fact that so many records can be found by just
doing a name search alone tends to make me complacent at times.
While searching for my family in city directories at Ancestry.com, I
was excited to find so many directories for the places my relatives
lived. But then, it occurred to me that I wasn't finding my family
in as many directories as I would have expected.
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Wait,” I thought to myself, “this
is OCR.” I realized that I had to stop relying on the crutch of a
search engine. I needed to inspect each directory myself to make
sure I wasn't missing anything. As much of a pain in the neck as it
would prove, my task was clear. While it would take more time to go
to the card catalog and navigate to each directory, if I wanted the
records, I had no choice.</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Since I have been checking individual
city directories I have succeeded in finding my family in more
records. When I can, I try to add them to my online tree, but
because of OCR the name doesn't always show up as a possibility to
attach. Oh well, at least I know they are there. I guess others
will have to track them down themselves.
</div>
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</div>
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The moral of this story is: Don't grow
complacent; remember OCR's weakness and search the old-fashioned way.</div>
Sonja Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03882161369011476773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497392509515586999.post-47216892022250812132015-05-17T22:30:00.004-05:002015-05-17T22:30:47.048-05:00Kazoo Directories At AncestryIn case you haven't noticed, Ancestry.com has Kalamazoo area directories. They've actually had them for a while, but you wouldn't know it by looking at the page listing Kalamazoo records. Why they choose to hide them, however, is a mystery to me.<br />
<br />
In the past, the directories went up through the 1930s. I recently noticed that these city directories now include years as recent as 1960. As far as I can tell, the collection available at Ancestry is complete or nearly complete for the years represented. There are gaps, but directories were not published every year. They are scarce in the early years and spotty during the Depression and WWII.<br />
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<br />
Note: I haven't posted in a while because I've had to give myself a crash course on homeschooling. Time for me to learn or re-learn some things.Sonja Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03882161369011476773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497392509515586999.post-63498782927563411092015-03-17T20:37:00.001-05:002015-03-19T11:39:06.251-05:00MI Death Certificate Images, 1921-1939, Are Up!Even if you're not Irish, you may want to dance a jig anyway to celebrate the posting of death certificate images for 1921-1939 at Seeking Michigan. We've been waiting a while, but they are finally available. Deaths for 1940-1952 is currently index-only, and according to the website, it will be "added soon," though you can find it <a href="https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1968532" target="_blank">here</a> at Family Search in the meantime. Images will be added as they become legally accessible. Death Certificates images for 1940 are anticipated to be posted in January 2016 and so on.<br />
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Since I only just found out about this, I'm going to post and run because I have some downloading to do. <br />
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Happy Hunting!Sonja Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03882161369011476773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497392509515586999.post-33636826959405912472015-03-16T22:41:00.000-05:002015-03-16T22:41:12.097-05:00Detroit News Index Cards Online
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Seeking Michigan is at it again. They
have just posted PDF files containing scanned index cards for the
<a href="http://seekingmichigan.org/about/indexes" target="_blank">Detroit News clippings file</a>. The Archives of Michigan received over
one million of these cards at the end of 2014 and has now made them
available online. <a href="http://seekingmichigan.org/about/indexes"></a>
Someone has clearly been very busy. Items are indexed by subject
so you may need to think creatively to find what you are looking for.
You will also find cards for some individuals, but probably only if
they were noteworthy in some way.
</div>
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<br />
</div>
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According to Kris Rzepczynski, an
archivist at the Archives of Michigan, researchers can request the
clippings for the items noted on the cards from the Archives of
Michigan (archives[at]michigan.gov). Alternatively, if you can visit
an institution that possesses the Detroit News on microfilm you can
look up the articles yourself.
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
On the index cards, entries are listed
by year with notations on the cards in the format: D9, 20-1, which I
interpret to be December 9, page 20, column 1. Be aware that some
cards are not strictly in alphabetical order. While searching for
“Salpatrick” I saw several cards for “Sayles” interspersed
with ones for “Sales.”
</div>
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</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
If you find any cards of interest, I
recommend taking a screen shot of each card (press Alt and Print
Screen [prt sc] and pasting it into a Word document) so you don't
have to download the PDF with 500-1000 cards.
</div>
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In my case, I found a card listing
articles about the 1941 Christmas murder of my grandmother's sister
by her estranged boyfriend. Most of the entries were from the time
of the murder through his entry into the Ionia hospital for the
criminally insane. I think I have this period covered in the
Kalamazoo Gazette. However, a later entry (1947) was entitled
“Recovers Sanity.” I could try to obtain this article in the
Detroit News, but now that I have a date I can search around it in
the Kalamazoo Gazette the next time I'm in town. Without an index I
would have been hard-pressed to find this.
</div>
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</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
If you are looking for subjects and
names closer to home, remember that the WMU Archives holds the
<a href="http://kalamazoogenealogy.blogspot.com/2014/04/did-your-ancestors-make-cut.html" target="_blank">Kalamazoo Gazette clippings files</a>. </div>
Sonja Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03882161369011476773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497392509515586999.post-45468276095808793232015-02-25T21:26:00.000-06:002015-02-25T21:29:16.350-06:00Burdick Hotel Heroine<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
When the Burdick Hotel burned to the
ground in December 1909 (<a href="http://kalamazoogenealogy.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-burdick-burns-and-deja-vu.html" target="_blank">The Burdick Burns And Deja Vu</a>), the first priority for the hotel staff was
to ensure that all of the guests were evacuated. [1] While notifying
hotel patrons was a multi-pronged effort, the local press hailed Miss
Nina Harrigan as a heroine for her role. Nina was the telephone
operator for the Burdick and insisted on remaining at her post amidst
the growing crisis until she had contacted every guest by phone.
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix0l2kl_nqjekTaepvBTBOaXKmW29zxyUIe-THTPVEE0foXg_H6lS6Kh8K4R0DLFs89gVwi5erDi_i-dBBnM7ak5tlAiIBhVXK727JoMKfbIChddnN5mg7CKOIpjFxwq9MkkJGPMfRraSv/s1600/NinaHarrigan-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix0l2kl_nqjekTaepvBTBOaXKmW29zxyUIe-THTPVEE0foXg_H6lS6Kh8K4R0DLFs89gVwi5erDi_i-dBBnM7ak5tlAiIBhVXK727JoMKfbIChddnN5mg7CKOIpjFxwq9MkkJGPMfRraSv/s1600/NinaHarrigan-001.jpg" height="320" width="178" /></a></div>
Photo (from [3]) reprinted with permission of the <a href="http://www.kpl.gov/" target="_blank">Kalamazoo Public Library</a>. <br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Kalamazoo Evening Press reported a
very dramatic account of Nina's experience. I have no doubt it is
mostly fiction, but it's too amusing not to share. Nina was
“enveloped in stifling smoke. . . with flames shooting towards her
from all directions. . . Men of courage fled” while Miss Harrigan
remained at her post. “Time and again she was on the verge of
collapse” but kept her composure to finish her task. “Time and
again she was implored to desert. Each command that she leave and
save herself was repulsed. With her feet in water several inches
deep and drenched to the skin, she staid [sic] until every room had
been called and a response received. . . When her task was finished,
Miss Harrington [sic] gave a sigh of relief. Then overcome with
smoke, fatigue and worry she sank back in her chair in a
semi-conscious condition. Quickly grabbing the inert form of the
plucky young woman, a stalwart fireman rushed with her to the open
air. She was hurriedly taken into the Empire lunch room, where
restoratives were applied and as soon as sufficiently recovered, she
was sent to her home in a hack.” [2]</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A more realistic scenario was presented
in the Telegraph. Miss Harrigan related that she “saw only a
little smoke at first,” at about 10:30. [3] The night clerk, who
also noticed the smoke suggested that Nina call the fire department.
[3] A bit later, Mr. Burke, the Burdick proprieter, asked Nina to
ring the rooms to notify them to pack up and come downstairs. For
nearly an hour, Miss Harrigan kept a cool head and diligently
continued phoning each occupied room until she was told it was no
longer safe for her to stay at her post. By then, she had managed to
reach all of the 160 or so guests. [3]</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So impressed was the Burdick's
proprietor, Mr. Burke, that a day or two after the fire he presented
Nina with a $50 check for her efforts. [4] The hotel clerk,
Williams, received $25. [4] Mr. Burke wasn't the only one who
noticed Nina's efforts. She was almost immediately offered a
position at the switchboard of Kalamazoo's American hotel where they
“desired someone who would 'stick to the job,' no matter what
happened.” [4] The American hotel wasn't the only interested
party, however. Within days of the Burdick fire, businesses from
“all parts of the country” sent Nina offers of employment. [5]
In addition, many admirers wanted the modest, “frail slip of a
girl” to be presented with a Carnegie medal for heroism. [5] At
least one admirer had something else in mind for Miss Harrigan. A
man from Green's Corners, Indiana wrote to Nina “and after telling
how much he esteems her, the love-smitten writer begs her to commence
a correspondence with a view to matrimony.” [6] As it turned out,
Nina never married and died in Kalamazoo in 1953 at the age of 67.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Four years later, Nina's bravery was
recounted in an article in the New York Herald in which it lauded
several telephone operators for their quick thinking and on some
occasions saving lives. [7]</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<ol>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Loss Near $500,000; Hotel May
Rebuild: Burdick Destroyed; Whole Block Is Gutted By Flames,”
<i>Kalamazoo [Kalamazoo, Michigan] Evening Telegraph</i>, 9 December
1909, page 1, column 1-5, digital images, Kalamazoo Public Library
(<a href="http://www.kpl.gov/">http://www.kpl.gov</a>: accessed 15
January 2013), Kalamazoo Telegraph Collection.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“<span style="font-style: normal;">City
Gutted by $725,000 Fire; Burdick Is In Ashes,”</span><i>
Kalamazoo [Kalamazoo, Michigan] Evening Press</i>, 9 December 1909,
page 1, column 4, digital images, Kalamazoo Public Library
(<a href="http://www.kpl.gov/">http://www.kpl.gov</a>: accessed 15
January 2013), Miscellaneous Kalamazoo Publications Collection.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Telephone Girl Heroine of
Fire,” <i>Kalamazoo [Kalamazoo, Michigan] Evening Telegraph</i>, 9
December 1909, page 6, column 3-4, digital images, Kalamazoo Public
Library (<a href="http://www.kpl.gov/">http://www.kpl.gov</a>:
accessed 15 January 2013), Kalamazoo Telegraph Collection.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“25 Men Work On Debris,”
<i>Kalamazoo [Kalamazoo, Michigan] Evening Telegraph</i>, 11
December 1909, page 3, column 6, digital images, Kalamazoo Public
Library (<a href="http://www.kpl.gov/">http://www.kpl.gov</a>:
accessed 15 January 2013), Kalamazoo Telegraph Collection.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“<span style="font-style: normal;">To
Ask Carnegie Medal For Girl,”</span><i> Kalamazoo [Kalamazoo,
Michigan] Evening Press</i>, 11 December 1909, page 1, column 5,
digital images, Kalamazoo Public Library (<a href="http://www.kpl.gov/">http://www.kpl.gov</a>:
accessed 15 January 2013), Miscellaneous Kalamazoo Publications
Collection.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“<span style="font-style: normal;">Heroine
Operator Gets Love Letters,”</span><i> Kalamazoo [Kalamazoo,
Michigan] Evening Press</i>, 22 December 1909, page 1, column 1,
digital images, Kalamazoo Public Library (<a href="http://www.kpl.gov/">http://www.kpl.gov</a>:
accessed 15 January 2013), Miscellaneous Kalamazoo Publications
Collection.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Hello! Hello! Here Are 13
Perfect Telephone Girls,” <i>New York Herald</i>, 4 January 1914,
page 7, col 1-7, digital images, Old Fulton NY Post Cards
(<a href="http://www.fultonhistory.com/">http://www.fultonhistory.com</a>:
accessed 24 February 2015).</div>
</li>
</ol>
Sonja Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03882161369011476773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497392509515586999.post-83452516687713917392015-01-28T23:39:00.002-06:002015-01-28T23:39:28.194-06:00How Did Their Garden Grow?
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In 1886, my great-great-grandfather
bought a 20 acre fruit farm in Oshtemo. [1] I knew a little about
what was grown on the farm from his widow's pension application, but
I wanted to see if I could dig up anything else. Too bad, he bought
the place after the 1880 agricultural census, I thought. But wait,
even though Edward Flynn wasn't there in 1880, I could still learn
something about the land. I knew from newspaper accounts that Edward
had bought his farm from Jeremiah Williams. [1] By comparing the
1873 (when Williams also owned the land) and 1890 plat maps (when
Flynn was there), I was able to confirm that the plot was the same
size and shape in both years. [2,3]
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIBDzUWZzcUgAZM936NybZnYKmzMlhxQGTYZr-W9vvirZTv28q9lnHsFsEBrnstuxdRSUNbzEywAHr5STZ50hvngGMerAZWu_FumUWXyeWaAm_h-kBfXosXyCD8wzXuJM8yWrW6yqkB3Uk/s1600/IMG_5677.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIBDzUWZzcUgAZM936NybZnYKmzMlhxQGTYZr-W9vvirZTv28q9lnHsFsEBrnstuxdRSUNbzEywAHr5STZ50hvngGMerAZWu_FumUWXyeWaAm_h-kBfXosXyCD8wzXuJM8yWrW6yqkB3Uk/s1600/IMG_5677.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
My next step was to find Jeremiah in
the 1880 agricultural census. I discovered that in 1879 the land
produced five tons of hay as well as 200 bushels of “Indian corn”
and 30 of Irish potatoes. [4] Beyond that there were 2-3 acres of
apple and peach orchards, producing 30 bushels of apples and 10 of
peaches, though the value of the orchard products was only listed as
$16. [4] They may have done better with the vineyard which produced
1500 pounds of grapes that year. [4] At first I thought that seemed
like a huge amount of grapes, but after thinking about how many
grapes we grew last summer on just two vines that we basically
ignored, it's no longer so difficult to imagine. The farm also
produced 10 pounds of honey, 75 lbs. butter and 75 dozen eggs. [4]
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
By the time my ancestors lived on the
land they also grew strawberries (from the widow's pension). [5] And
a note in the Kalamazoo Telegraph stated “We are indebted to E.
Flynn for a generous donation of Bartlett pears, which he had the
kindness to leave at our office this morning.” [6] While I know
that things on the farm were unlikely to be exactly the same in the
1890s as they were as described for 1879, I expect that much was
similar. No one with sense would buy a fruit farm and chop down the
trees knowing the sandy the soil was unfit for other crops. I do
know that as of 1900 when Edward died they grew mostly fruit, though
strawberries were the only ones specifically mentioned. [5] I don't
know everything I'd like, but I do have a much better idea of my
gg-grandparents' life on the farm than I did before.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Now I'd like to do a similar analysis
to find out what was grown on a piece of land just doors down from
Edward's place where another set of my gg-grandparents lived. That
won't be quite as straight forward since I'll first have to determine
who owned the land in 1880. But, with a little bit of work, I should
be able to find out.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<ol>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Jottings,” <i>Kalamazoo
[Kalamazoo, Michigan] Daily Telegraph</i>, 20 April 1886, page 6,
column 2, digital images, Kalamazoo Public Library
(<a href="http://www.kpl.gov/">http://www.kpl.gov</a>: accessed 25
February 2012), Kalamazoo Telegraph Collection.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Oshtemo,
Jeremiah Williams, Section 27, In: </span></span><i> Atlas of
Kalamazoo Co. Michigan. From Recent And Actual Surveys And Records.</i>
(New York: F.W. Beers & Co., 1873) page 29, digital images, Ancestry.com (<a href="http://www.ancestry.com/">http://www.ancestry.com</a>:
accessed 25 January 2015) U.S. Indexed County Land Ownership Maps 1860-1918.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Oshtemo, E. Flynn, Section 27, In:
<i>Illustrated Atlas of Kalamazoo County, Michigan.</i> (Detroit,
Michigan: Wm. C. Sauer, C.E., 1890) page 25.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
1850-1880 U.S. Federal Census,
Michigan, Agricultural schedule, 1880, Oshtemo, Kalamazoo, Michigan,
E.D. 186, Pg. 10B, Line 7, Jeremiah Williams; NARA microfilm
publication, Record Group 29, T1164, digital images, Ancestry.com
(<a href="http://www.ancestry.com/">http://www.ancestry.com</a>:
accessed 25 January 2015) Selected U.S. Federal Census
Non-Population Schedules, 1850-1880.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Deposition of Sarah Flynn, filed
with Sarah Flynn's widow's pension application no. 721091,
certificate no. 497116; service of Edward A. Flynn (Cpl.. Co. I, 2<sup>nd</sup>
Michigan Infantry, Civil War); Case Files of Approved Pension
Applications. . ., 1861-1934; Civil War and Later Pension Files;
Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15; National Archives,
Washington, D.C.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Paragraphic,” <i>Kalamazoo
[Kalamazoo, Michigan] Daily Telegraph</i>, 4 September 1886, page 7,
column 5, digital images, Kalamazoo Public Library
(<a href="http://www.kpl.gov/">http://www.kpl.gov</a>: accessed 25
February 2012), Kalamazoo Telegraph Collection.</div>
</li>
</ol>
Sonja Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03882161369011476773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497392509515586999.post-19909151556306515192015-01-13T11:47:00.000-06:002015-01-13T11:47:29.636-06:00Finding Gold In Probate Records
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Over the holidays I spent some time
looking for <a href="https://familysearch.org/search/image/index#uri=https%3A%2F%2Ffamilysearch.org%2Frecapi%2Fsord%2Fcollection%2F2013878%2Fwaypoints" target="_blank">Michigan probate records</a>
in the updated collection at Family Search. While I have not always
been so lucky, I found for the first time a document that confirms
both the death date and names of children for my third
great-grandfather, Frederick Goff, jr. Before this all I had was an
unsourced death date from others. To make matters worse, other trees
had an earlier death date that pre-dated by a couple of years the
birth of my gg-grandmother. While her death certificate lists
Frederick as her father, that is hardly proof.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
For these reasons, Frederick's case was
the first I wanted to locate. Fortunately, the records for Cass
county include a number of types of probate records, many with
indices. I first found Frederick in a probate journal before digging
into the probate packet files.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In the probate journal I found a
document that stated Frederick's date of death in 1856 and listed the
names and approximate ages of his two children. I was doing the
genealogy happy dance that night. Once I riffled through the probate
packets I found one more thing that answered a nagging question. I
knew that Frederick's widow had remarried in 1863, but I had never
succeeded in finding Mary in the 1860 census. It turns out that she
remarried several months after his death to a man appointed as the
administrator of Frederick's estate. Mystery solved.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I understand how beginning to look for
probate records can seem daunting. There are lots of files and you
may not know where to start. Let me assure you that you are not
alone. I haven't used these records much either and certainly don't
feel as comfortable using them as, say, census records. The beauty
of these online records is that you can search to your heart's
content and no one has to know that you aren't confident using them.
Just pick a county to start looking for indexes. They may not be in
separate files so just check the beginning of each record type. Keep
in mind that there may be several volumes included in each link so
you'll need to skip ahead through the images to check each index
before you cross that file off your list. Just keep at it so you can
do your own happy dance.</div>
Sonja Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03882161369011476773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497392509515586999.post-81439868288638143152014-12-30T21:32:00.000-06:002014-12-30T21:32:46.468-06:00Michigan Probate RecordsFamily Search now has probate records (various years) for 67 of Michigan's counties. Kalamazoo and several of the surrounding counties are included. <br />
<br />
For Kalamazoo you'll find:<br />
probate calendar index, 1833-1940<br />
probate calendar, 1875-1907<br />
probate of wills, 1856-1916<br />
probates index, 1833-1889<br />
settlement of accounts, 1887-1907<br />
<br />
While you won't find probate packets here, there are several indexes so this is a great starting point. <br />
<br />
<br />Sonja Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03882161369011476773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497392509515586999.post-87682080270098285622014-12-08T22:33:00.000-06:002015-02-25T21:31:58.355-06:00The Burdick Burns And Deja Vu<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
On the night of March 7, 1907, smoke
began to fill the Star Bargain House next to the Burdick Hotel. Once
noticed by a chef at the Empire restaurant next door, the alarm was
raised and every fire company in the city was eventually on site to
battle the blaze. [1] For a long time the thick, black smoke
prevented the firemen getting more than two feet into the building
which greatly hampered efforts to douse the fire at its source. [1]
Fears were great that the fire would spread to the Burdick. This was
more than a passing concern as many walls had been torn down for
renovating the hotel and the nearly completed Arcade (a stretch of
interior shops), which separated the Burdick from the Star Bargain
House. [1] If the fire managed to reach the Arcade it would create a
tremendous draft that would span the entire block. In that case, the
whole block could be consumed.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd2_XcHSM8YiDl37nmy_sig949cqC_rkH6QWxtm5P0oyfWIzNNM6XTAmQY3REIPvzqhpIZ0wwkycsMC9RNF_L9gdfpCQaD5lpywxupiZQbPn9D5PuVGeGIOMmk5qLRmpqftp2NyyTLrkJp/s1600/burdickhotelfire001a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd2_XcHSM8YiDl37nmy_sig949cqC_rkH6QWxtm5P0oyfWIzNNM6XTAmQY3REIPvzqhpIZ0wwkycsMC9RNF_L9gdfpCQaD5lpywxupiZQbPn9D5PuVGeGIOMmk5qLRmpqftp2NyyTLrkJp/s1600/burdickhotelfire001a.jpg" height="191" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The staff and about 25 guests of the
Burdick were asked to vacate their rooms as the inky smoke quickly
filled the halls and billowed out of windows. [1] On the street, the
guests joined thousands of onlookers who had gathered to watch the
excitement. [1] Apparently, the smoke that blanketed the area
wasn't enough to keep them far away. In fact, the fire was actually
a boon to nearby businesses that sold refreshments to the throng. [1]
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Fortunately in 1907, local firefighters
succeeded in controlling the fire in about 2.5 worry-filled hours
without the assistance of Battle Creek crews (who were on notice).
[1] In another couple of hours the fire was out, though a hose was
kept on the smoldering remains until morning. [1] Though the Star
Bargain House was nearly a total loss and the Burdick Hotel suffered
much smoke damage, no lives were lost and hotel guests were soon able
to retrieve their belongings. [1] In total, losses were estimated at
about $55,000. [1]
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Both businesses made comebacks. The
Star Bargain re-filled with goods. The Burdick renovated (again) and
the Arcade was redone in grand style. Now, in December 1909, the
Arcade was nearly completed with its businesses planning their grand
openings. It would be a great addition to the hotel and the city.
Things looked bright for this block of Main Street.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Then about ten o'clock at night on
December 8, 1909 it seemed like deja vu. Just as in 1907, smoke
filled the Star Bargain House, and again the cause was believed to be
faulty wiring. [1,2] This time, a night watchman discovered clouds
of smoke in the basement and had difficulty finding his way back out
through the blackness to sound the alarm. [3] Again, all Kalamazoo's
fire crews sped to the site and both Grand Rapids and Battle Creek
fire departments were put on notice. [2]</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Considering that in 1907 everything had
turned out alright (no lives lost and most damage being cosmetic) it
wouldn't be terribly surprising if everyone had the thought in their
heads that this time would turn out the same as before. Last time
they extinguished the fire without assistance from other cities. [1]
No buildings had actually been destroyed, though goods had been lost
and damaged. [1] But surely, if they could save the Burdick once,
they could do so again.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Only this time <i>was</i> different.
The firefighters suffered from low water pressure. [2] The largest
fire engine was in the shop being repaired. [2] The wind was blowing
in just the wrong way. [2] The temperature was below zero. [2] And
then, this time, the fire reached the Arcade. [2] With the perfect
source of oxygen to fuel the flames, the result was almost a foregone
conclusion. This time there was no hope of saving the Burdick Hotel. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In <a href="http://kalamazoogenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/02/burdick-hotel-heroine.html" target="_blank">Burdick Hotel Heroine</a> you can read about how one of my
relatives played a role in evacuating the Burdick.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
To see a photograph of the Arcade and
learn more about the hotel read the <a href="http://www.kpl.gov/local-history/business/burdick-hotel.aspx" target="_blank">article</a> on the Kalamazoo Public
Library website.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<ol>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Firemen Control Fire; Avert A
Conflagration,” <i>Kalamazoo [Kalamazoo, Michigan] Evening
Telegraph</i>, 8 March 1907, page 3, column 1-5, digital images,
Kalamazoo Public Library (<a href="http://www.kpl.gov/">http://www.kpl.gov</a>:
accessed 7 December 2014), Kalamazoo Telegraph Collection.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Loss Near $500,000; Hotel May
Rebuild: Burdick Destroyed; Whole Block Is Gutted By Flames,”
<i>Kalamazoo [Kalamazoo, Michigan] Evening Telegraph</i>, 9 December
1909, page 1, column 1-5, digital images, Kalamazoo Public Library
(<a href="http://www.kpl.gov/">http://www.kpl.gov</a>: accessed 15
January 2013), Kalamazoo Telegraph Collection.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Night Watchman Owens Risks His
Life For Duty,” <i>Kalamazoo [Kalamazoo, Michigan] Evening
Telegraph</i>, 9 December 1909, page 6, column 1, digital images,
Kalamazoo Public Library (<a href="http://www.kpl.gov/">http://www.kpl.gov</a>:
accessed 15 January 2013), Kalamazoo Telegraph Collection.</div>
</li>
</ol>
Sonja Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03882161369011476773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497392509515586999.post-3323251969174059632014-11-10T23:32:00.001-06:002014-11-10T23:32:23.224-06:00A WWI Bravery Citation
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In honor of Veteran's Day, I thought I
would write about my great-grandmother's brother, Wilbur Flynn, who
received a citation for bravery and devotion to duty. I wouldn't
know anything about it except for a clipping from the Kalamazoo
Gazette. The article said that risking his own life, Wilbur Flynn
pulled Colonel Bertram Tracy Clayton from a wrecked building during a
German air raid in World War I. [1] I was curious to learn more.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I began my search with Colonel Clayton.
He served in the military for many years and when the United States
entered World War I in 1917, Clayton was transferred to New York to
be the second in command of the transport service. Dissatisfied, he
requested to be sent to France to serve his country alongside the
troops. [2] Clayton left for Europe in the fall of 1917 and served
as the quartermaster of the U.S. First Division in France. [3]
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
American troops were sent to Europe in
mid-1917, but no one was sure if the Doughboys could hold their own.
It wasn't until the spring of 1918 that the Americans had a chance to
really prove themselves. On May 27, 1918, the Germans began another
offensive, thrusting through the Allied lines by about a dozen miles
in the Somme region north of Paris. In the process the Germans
demolished four French divisions. The following day, the Americans
achieved a victory by retaking the town of Cantigny.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Now that the Americans were in front
line trenches, it became problematic to keep them supplied. Colonel
Clayton and three colleagues were in a brick villa just south of
Cantigny discussing ways to transport drinking water to the troops
when a German air raid began. [4] The bomb destroyed the portion of
the villa where Clayton was meeting. [4] It was then that Flynn
“displayed great coolness and good judgment in rescuing at the risk
of his own life, Colonel Bertram Clayton. . . about May 28, 1918.”
[1] I was grieved to learn that despite Flynn's efforts, Clayton
died. According to the Arlington National Cemetery website, he was
killed in action on May 30, 1918. [5]
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In all of my searching I found nothing
to tell me more about Wilbur Flynn in connection with Col. Clayton.
Even though Flynn was unable to save Clayton's life, I'm proud that
he tried. I'm also glad that I can publicize Flynn's effort, even
though Clayton's family will probably never know.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<ol>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Former Kazoo County Veteran
Soldier Honored For Brave Act In France,” <i>Kalamazoo [Kalamazoo,
Michigan] Gazette,</i> 27 July 1921, page unknown. Clipping pasted
into Clark, Mrs. O.H. <i>An Honor Roll: Containing a Pictorial
Record of the War Service of the Men and Women of Kalamazoo County,
1917-1918-1919</i>. (Kalamazoo, Michigan, about 1920), p. 1031.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Col. B.T. Clayton Killed
Tuesday In France By An Enemy Air Bomb,” <i>The Montgomery
[Montgomery, Alabama] Advertiser</i>, 5 June 1918, Page 1, column 2,
digital images, The University of Alabama Libraries
(<a href="http://purl.lib.ua.edu/90748">http://purl.lib.ua.edu/90748</a>:
accessed 10 Nov 2014).</div>
</li>
</ol>
<ol start="3">
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Biographical Directory of the
United States Congress
<a href="http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=C000492">http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=C000492</a></div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Fiftieth Annual Report of the
Association of Graduates of the United States Military Academy.
Seemann & Peters, Inc. Saginaw, Michigan, 1919, p. 51.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/btclayto.htm">http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/btclayto.htm</a>
</div>
</li>
</ol>
Sonja Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03882161369011476773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497392509515586999.post-26185918905242803862014-10-20T22:57:00.000-05:002014-10-20T22:57:30.198-05:00Lessons Along The Source Road
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
All this year I've been working to
source my family tree. Progress is slow due to insufficient time,
but I'm happy to report that adding source citations is now second
nature so I'm no longer intimidated by the process. However, I'll
admit I <i>am</i> still intimidated by the size of the remaining
task. I'll just take it in baby steps and not worry about how long
it takes.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
At this point I have added source
citations for all of the easy sources (vitals, census and a few
others depending on the person) for my direct ancestors. Whenever
there was a record I hadn't tracked down, I looked again at Family
Search to see if I might get lucky. In three cases, I did find old
Ohio marriages that must have been added recently, because I know
I've looked for them before. That made my day and just goes to show
that sometimes it does pay to look again. I still have sources to
add, such as plat maps, city directories (which will be a big project
in itself) and less common items, but I want to continue with the low
hanging fruit for some of the extended family members. Now I am
branching out to the siblings of my ancestors. I know it will take a
while, but I suspect I'll find something I hadn't notice before.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Another good thing about systematically
going through my records is that I am actually using the “To Do”
function in Roots Magic to add things I want to look for. This has
already proved useful. A few months ago I had to make an unexpected
trip to Kalamazoo and had the presence of mind to print my Kazoo list
before I left, “just in case.” As it turned out, I had most of a
day free and was able to look for some obituaries at the new WMU
Archives. If I hadn't been using the To Do function there is no way
I could have come up with so much on such short notice.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Although I know it will take me a
really long time to finish (if I actually ever will finish, because
there is always some obscure source to add for somebody) I feel
better about the whole process. I have learned 1) adding sources is
not so hard after all, 2) it gives me the opportunity to look for
missing records again (and with Family Search adding more records all
the time, you never know when you'll get lucky), 3) I can work on the
To Do list so I can hunt for more things to source and 4) I no longer
feel guilty that I don't have proper sources.
</div>
Sonja Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03882161369011476773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497392509515586999.post-85758576154424859342014-09-21T22:14:00.002-05:002014-09-23T21:31:23.286-05:00A Photo Of Great-Great Granny?<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We are very lucky to have quite a few
photos from my Flynn family. Some were in the bible that belonged to
my gg-grandfather, Edward Flynn and some belonged to his daughter.
Having scanned them all into my computer, I sometimes go through the
files, studying them. The first thing I noticed was that most of
Edward's daughters have round faces, as you can see in the labeled
and dated photos of Cora and Elsie.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbAr7dJHUaa8Uy2LshkQ7FZR0eXjMfpOIer0l6WkHsV8fLf2R_u0gjxdXQoKyUaXbVaWdj-5eaj2o0E5tY5QjPozFZzlYRu-PziLkqo96NnZRZwd88lV5Pk_-dqMZbh0zt_ngCD-Brm09t/s1600/Cora.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbAr7dJHUaa8Uy2LshkQ7FZR0eXjMfpOIer0l6WkHsV8fLf2R_u0gjxdXQoKyUaXbVaWdj-5eaj2o0E5tY5QjPozFZzlYRu-PziLkqo96NnZRZwd88lV5Pk_-dqMZbh0zt_ngCD-Brm09t/s1600/Cora.jpg" height="320" width="292" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfeyWIZMCvPZPhxHJrY4rNRyPwU-K6rnXfoWKFkR9ODSfbtJ3JVkyb6E4gMO4FFGoS1ne8QrNzv3MS0KDhdtlPTZEc_M_ncSzBXCTrTmUHTpOQRwCkdtaTF2ARooyAynwqBku5koDB55T9/s1600/Elsie2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfeyWIZMCvPZPhxHJrY4rNRyPwU-K6rnXfoWKFkR9ODSfbtJ3JVkyb6E4gMO4FFGoS1ne8QrNzv3MS0KDhdtlPTZEc_M_ncSzBXCTrTmUHTpOQRwCkdtaTF2ARooyAynwqBku5koDB55T9/s1600/Elsie2.jpg" height="320" width="312" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I also noticed that a photo from an
earlier generation, a carte de visite (CDV), also featured a woman
with a round face.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYO07EUS50q7Jwzj9OfeRSuo5vgl9uku_ofYVH4ThW7GijUdpwXLj8mOOxkRtG-eOvc4PqyJePcJ1DFzqGr-2e5fjQXMCfx1jM2uyMwrvVMTQlJ_ucPqXLdGWjvgjFSBZnsLaYMQ040HYq/s1600/Lissie-face.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYO07EUS50q7Jwzj9OfeRSuo5vgl9uku_ofYVH4ThW7GijUdpwXLj8mOOxkRtG-eOvc4PqyJePcJ1DFzqGr-2e5fjQXMCfx1jM2uyMwrvVMTQlJ_ucPqXLdGWjvgjFSBZnsLaYMQ040HYq/s1600/Lissie-face.jpg" height="320" width="272" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_NdFogwK9sheOXmWODUBJCNHIeyL4nSk_iKIPbQsRXxamsxEFNeIBBalIupdI5ufqRTNx_H1ycSRrAlLYbBZ8zT4DysAHIRVsvnHFUFguv52eCb9AKxLD1gRPd8-ndo_Wv2wvzTGvcq1/s1600/LissieDress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_NdFogwK9sheOXmWODUBJCNHIeyL4nSk_iKIPbQsRXxamsxEFNeIBBalIupdI5ufqRTNx_H1ycSRrAlLYbBZ8zT4DysAHIRVsvnHFUFguv52eCb9AKxLD1gRPd8-ndo_Wv2wvzTGvcq1/s1600/LissieDress.jpg" height="320" width="203" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This photo is labeled “lissie.” I
now think that this could be a photo of Edward's wife and Cora's and
Elsie's mother. Her name was Sarah Elizabeth (Clemens) Flynn. I
know that she went by Lizzie from newspaper accounts of her. [1-4]
Looking through my newspaper accounts to find sources for “Lizzie”
I actually one that refers to her as “Lissie.” [5]
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I had noticed “lissie's” round face
before, but I suppose I was prejudiced against this being my Lizzie
because the pulled back hair and the large dress made me assume this
was an older woman. While it is difficult to accurately judge the
age of the woman in the photo, I can at least narrow down when the
photo was taken. CDVs were popular during the 1860s and as far as I
can tell, and admitting I'm no expert, the hairstyle, dress and
sleeve style are appropriate to the time period of the photo and the
album (1860s). [6] Lizzie and Edward married in 1866 after he
returned from serving in the Civil War and we think the bible may
have been a wedding present.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I now feel pretty confident in
supposing that “lissie” is, in fact, my Lizzie. Thinking about
the round face, I remembered another photo also in the bible along
with the “lissie” photo of another woman with a round face.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTV6MdAcmFR2FT7w7vqpNveW-RL2LQ7khen0QR4A0_HyBzAkOSG3OGrb9fNckGUxOCHQu9qmfS803hjvWN79TD_BK3FPnx6fmmJOijpZxk7lKwgDuKL3JKPXZutuGnPzt0PfsteJ1WO0Ib/s1600/SarahImhoffFace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTV6MdAcmFR2FT7w7vqpNveW-RL2LQ7khen0QR4A0_HyBzAkOSG3OGrb9fNckGUxOCHQu9qmfS803hjvWN79TD_BK3FPnx6fmmJOijpZxk7lKwgDuKL3JKPXZutuGnPzt0PfsteJ1WO0Ib/s1600/SarahImhoffFace.jpg" height="320" width="296" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This photo was labeled “aunt sarah.”
It just so happened that Lizzie had an Aunt Sarah, her father's
sister, Sarah (Clemens) Imhoff. This woman looks older than Lizzie
and the photo seems to be from the same period as the “lissie”
photo, and actually all of the photos in the album (all CDVs and no
photos clearly from a later period). If that is correct then it
would seem that the round face seen in Edward and Lizzie's daughters
could have come from the Clemens side of the family.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<ol>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Oshtemo,” <i>Kalamazoo
[Kalamazoo, Michigan] Evening Telegraph</i>, 27 February 1902, page
4, column 6, digital images, Kalamazoo Public Library
(<a href="http://www.kpl.gov/">http://www.kpl.gov</a>: accessed 26
June 2012), Kalamazoo Telegraph Collection.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Oshtemo,” <i>Kalamazoo
[Kalamazoo, Michigan] Evening Telegraph</i>, 6 March 1902, page 4,
column 7, digital images, Kalamazoo Public Library
(<a href="http://www.kpl.gov/">http://www.kpl.gov</a>: accessed 26
June 2012), Kalamazoo Telegraph Collection.
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“To Mrs. Schmidt and Family, In
Memory of Freda,” <i>Kalamazoo [Kalamazoo, Michigan] Evening
Telegraph</i>, 5 October 1905, page 11, column 4, digital images,
Kalamazoo Public Library (<a href="http://www.kpl.gov/">http://www.kpl.gov</a>:
accessed 26 June 2012), Kalamazoo Telegraph Collection.
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Wedding At Oshtemo,”
<i>Kalamazoo [Kalamazoo, Michigan] Evening Telegraph</i>, 8 July
1907, page 7, column 5, digital images, Kalamazoo Public Library
(<a href="http://www.kpl.gov/">http://www.kpl.gov</a>: accessed 26
June 2012), Kalamazoo Telegraph Collection.
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Oshtemo,” <i>Kalamazoo
[Kalamazoo, Michigan] Evening Telegraph</i>, 17 October 1901, page
4, column 5, digital images, Kalamazoo Public Library
(<a href="http://www.kpl.gov/">http://www.kpl.gov</a>: accessed 26
June 2012), Kalamazoo Telegraph Collection.
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Joan Severa, <i>Dressed for the
Photographer: Ordinary Americans & Fashion, 1840-1900</i>,
(Kent, Ohio: The Kent State University Press,1995), p. 194-197,
259.</div>
</li>
</ol>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Sonja Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03882161369011476773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497392509515586999.post-44049435893520752312014-09-14T22:53:00.001-05:002014-09-14T22:53:43.563-05:00Would You Like Eggs With That?
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I think I now understand why eggs
became a part of the traditional American breakfast. Now that we
have chickens and they have matured enough to begin laying, not a day
has gone by that there hasn't been at least one egg in the nesting
boxes. We've been getting eggs for about a month now and “the
girls” have been producing 4-5 eggs per day for the last week. I
expect it won't be long before we'll be getting a half dozen each
day, one from each hen.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt88oNKJT71xrPUpqjTTdPm2t2F4U3OkuL9rSY9GPtGXJ54VVHU-nuwKsuwaO5mIi4uXjF1ffu2TJ1Umx2tFtZVbmdrd6UdNH7QbRF7cBXpbZKkIdghBHxuF8XeOJIL6rsfQvHzQ-dLEDn/s1600/IMG_5679.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt88oNKJT71xrPUpqjTTdPm2t2F4U3OkuL9rSY9GPtGXJ54VVHU-nuwKsuwaO5mIi4uXjF1ffu2TJ1Umx2tFtZVbmdrd6UdNH7QbRF7cBXpbZKkIdghBHxuF8XeOJIL6rsfQvHzQ-dLEDn/s1600/IMG_5679.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
One of our first eggs.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The eggs are beginning to pile up,
despite making my own spätzle (a type of eggy German pasta), fried
egg sandwiches, omelets, quiche, fried eggs on potato pancakes (I had
to use up the potatoes from the garden) and even grilled cheese
sandwiches with an egg on the side. What I'm trying to say is that
if you have chickens, even just a few, you will quickly be
overwhelmed by eggs. The only solution is to eat them, sell them or
both.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6y1wf1lvuBHgAuZenP_PKQwogYc5Q5whThc-5piJRzgagqCnPvXmEHWgacsnsUqiMTZyWBU1p2EJiuz7DiTNLDMlkcsCtGGK7iRMJmA_ORO_1lv5CqXYdfU1268_w5suHcUh6OzzMrJqF/s1600/IMG_5805.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6y1wf1lvuBHgAuZenP_PKQwogYc5Q5whThc-5piJRzgagqCnPvXmEHWgacsnsUqiMTZyWBU1p2EJiuz7DiTNLDMlkcsCtGGK7iRMJmA_ORO_1lv5CqXYdfU1268_w5suHcUh6OzzMrJqF/s1600/IMG_5805.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A couple of double-yolkers. Not pictured, the green beans from the garden.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I don't know about you, but most of my
ancestors were farmers. Those that had enough land to appear in the
agricultural census left us records of how many chickens they had and
how many dozen eggs they produced in the year. Those that had less
land probably still had chickens because they are easy to raise
(after the initial setup) and eat garden scraps. Now when I have
watermelon rinds, grapes with a couple of bug holes or split tomatoes
that I don't have time to do anything with I give them to the girls
and they are happy to convert them into fresh eggs. Because of this,
I would be surprised if any of my ancestors not living in the city
didn't have at least a few chickens. And did I mention that when you
have chickens you get eggs? And when you have eggs, you have
breakfast. . . and lunch. . . and dinner.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
Sonja Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03882161369011476773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497392509515586999.post-83059551996502559152014-09-03T14:46:00.002-05:002014-09-03T14:46:30.112-05:00The Michigan Soldier's Home
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
If you have soldiers who lived in
Michigan in your family tree it's possible they ended up in the Old
Soldier's Home in Grand Rapids at one point or another. So far, I
have found three people from my tree in the database. Some soldiers
died in the home and some resided there for a while and then left.
One of my soldiers was in and out of the home several times. Widows
of soldiers could also apply for admission. It was not necessary
that a soldier served from the state of Michigan, only that he lived
in the state.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It's easy to determine if one of your
people spent time in the Soldier's Home with the free <a href="http://data.wmgs.org/Veterans/FMPro?-db=Orders&-lay=VeteransOrders&-format=search.htm&-New" target="_blank">Veterans database</a>
provided by the <a href="http://www.wmgs.org/" target="_blank">West Michigan Genealogical Society</a> (WMGS). You can also
check the Find A Grave site to see if one of your men was buried in
the <a href="http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=1971047&CScn=soldier%27s+home&CScntry=4&CSst=24&CScnty=1267&" target="_blank">Soldier's Home cemetery</a>.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I first became aware of the Soldier's
Home through a newspaper account. My gg-grandmother's brother, Solon
Lane, walked to Kalamazoo from Van Buren county after quarreling with
his girlfriend. His sister wouldn't admit him to her home so the
proprietor of the Columbia House took him in for the night. Lane
said he would walk to Hastings where he had friends. [1] Upon
reaching Hastings, Solon Lane appeared before the probate judge
bearing his honorable discharge certificate from his Civil War
service and wearing his tattered army jacket. He asked to be sent to
the Soldier's Home. The papers were summarily filled out and Lane
was put aboard a train for Grand Rapids. He reportedly said “that
at last his request to be 'buried alongside the old boys' when he
died would be granted.” [2]</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
If you are fortunate enough to find one
of your people in the Soldier's Home database you can order their
records with a few clicks. The search results screen indicates how
many pages long the file is and the price (ranging from about a
$1/page for short files (5-7 pages) up to about $0.60/page for longer
files (about 30 pages)). A WMGS member will copy the record and send
it to you.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I requested the file for Solon Lane to
see what I could learn about him. I already knew quite a bit about
Solon from his Civil War Pension application file (<a href="http://kalamazoogenealogy.blogspot.com/2014/01/why-everyone-should-use-military.html" target="_blank">Why EveryoneShould Use Military Pension Files</a>),
for instance, that he was an unapologetic bigamist having married
four women without ever obtaining a divorce. But I digress. The
papers in Solon's file (12 pages) consisted of his initial
application for admission to the home as well as several applications
for re-admission. The re-admission pages had little more information
than the dates of admission and discharge. The initial application
had a bit more information, including date/place of enlistment and
discharge and the unit in which he served, place of birth,
occupation, marital status, physical description, any disabilities
and whether the person could read and write. In addition, if the
person was receiving a military pension it provided the certificate
number and if the soldier hadn't served with a Michigan military
unit, how long he had resided in the state. Depending on what you
already know you may learn something new, or at least be able to
piece together a bit more of your person's whereabouts.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
As far as I am aware, the Grand Rapids
facility was the only Soldier's Home located in Michigan, but some
states had more than one. Even if your man wasn't in the Michigan
Soldier's home, it is worth checking a database at Ancestry.com,<a href="http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1200"></a>
<a href="http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1200" target="_blank">U.S. National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, 1866-1938.</a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This database includes information
cards for twelve homes over various years. I found two of my people
here, one was Solon Lane and another was one of my veterans who I
hadn't realized ever lived in Illinois (and yes, I'm sure it's him).</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<ol>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Aged Man Barred From Home In
City,” <i>Kalamazoo [Kalamazoo, Michigan] Gazette</i>, 22 December
1908, page 1, column 4, digital images, GenealogyBank
(<a href="http://www.genealogybank.com/gbnk/">http://www.genealogybank.com/gbnk/</a>:
accessed 5 September 2011), Kalamazoo Gazette Collection (Newspaper
Archives).</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Old Soldier Sure Of Home For
Life Time,” <i>Kalamazoo [Kalamazoo, Michigan] Evening Telegraph</i>,
28 December 1908, page 10, column 4, digital images, Kalamazoo
Public Library (<a href="http://www.kpl.gov/">http://www.kpl.gov</a>:
accessed 26 June 2012), Kalamazoo Telegraph Collection.
</div>
</li>
</ol>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
Sonja Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03882161369011476773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497392509515586999.post-64075393607747015352014-08-24T22:18:00.001-05:002014-08-24T22:18:26.832-05:00What To Do About Pension Citations
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I have copies from fourteen Civil War
pension application files. They are a great source of information
that may be found no where else. See <a href="http://kalamazoogenealogy.blogspot.com/2014/07/one-widows-plight.html" target="_blank">One Widow's Plight</a> and <a href="http://kalamazoogenealogy.blogspot.com/2014/01/why-everyone-should-use-military.html" target="_blank">Why Everyone Should Use Pension Application Files</a>
to see examples of what you might find. Now that I am trying to do
a better job of citing my sources in my genealogy program I have
worked through the easy records for my direct ancestors (i.e. census
and vital records, etc.), but there are a lot of things in the
pension files that I really need to cite. But there begins the
problem. I could cite the entire file, for example:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Lawrence H. Flynn (Cpl., Co. M, 1<sup>st</sup>
MI. Eng. and Mech., Civil War), application no. 279,062, certificate
no. 382,696, Case Files of Approved Pension Applications. . .,
1861-1934; Civil War and Later Pension Files; Department of Veterans
Affairs, Record Group 15; National Archives, Washington, D.C.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It certainly indicates that it comes
from the pension file, but if I wanted to look up the specific page
where I found the information it would be useless. However, wading
through often lengthy (60-100+ pages) files looking for one piece of
information is time-consuming. While I might come across something
else of interest during the hour or more it might take me to find
what I was originally looking for, knowing that I couldn't quickly
find what I needed might put me off from doing it at all. Besides,
other things demand my time, like my daughter, so if I have to choose
between reading to her or perusing the concerns of the dead, I know
what I'll choose.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
One solution is to preface the main
citation with something more specific, such as:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Deposition of H.B. Osborn, filed 11 Oct
1912, Lawrence H. Flynn (Cpl., Co. M, 1<sup>st</sup> MI. Eng. and
Mech., Civil War), application no. 279,062, certificate no. 382,696,
Case Files of Approved Pension Applications. . ., 1861-1934; Civil
War and Later Pension Files; Department of Veterans Affairs, Record
Group 15; National Archives, Washington, D.C.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
That would certainly narrow it down,
but I would still have to sort through all the papers to find the one
I want. I am coming to the conclusion that what I really need to do
is just number each page, even if it is only for me, so that I can
find what I need in a timely manner. I have already completed the
first step, namely to organize the documents chronologically. I
didn't do that when I originally received them because I thought
perhaps there was a reason the documents were in that order.
Eventually, I disabused myself of that notion. It is definitely much
easier to see what is going on with everything ordered by date, but
with so many pages finding a single one still takes time.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I know my numbering system won't aid
anyone who isn't browsing my family tree program, but it will
certainly help me. I will be able to quickly double check specific
items and move on to something else without out wasting precious
time. For me, it will mean that when I cite my pension sources they
will mean something.</div>
Sonja Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03882161369011476773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497392509515586999.post-78375194029493835492014-08-17T23:08:00.004-05:002014-08-17T23:09:53.017-05:00The Slaughter House Problem in Kalamazoo<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In 1902, Caroline Bartlett Crane, a
well known civic reformer, promoted meat inspection and sanitary
slaughter houses in Kalamazoo. Mrs. Crane and several other ladies
inspected seven abattoirs in Kalamazoo and were absolutely appalled
by what they found. Mrs. Crane came away from these visits
determined to see Kalamazoo with a central slaughter house and a meat
inspector. Though the conditions she found were “indescribable,”
then as now, trying to push reforms through can be. . . um,
challenging. Even fourteen years after Mrs. Crane reluctantly
dirtied her soles in her slaughter house inspections, a central
abattoir was still merely a dream, though some important reforms were
made during that time.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEu4CXPAtdq85uDnSM48aep4zFRl1PxXcCWNKmH7ZYcyebA7LT-DrFLMcwj5Z6eoZ8JtszfYypsFJSN4FuDlArXKA0X7oy4wWjOCrbAxHOtz3ZdR9EWzjtk3KHPj4gamfjNZn6B6ZbXHv6/s1600/LOC-meatpackingChicago.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEu4CXPAtdq85uDnSM48aep4zFRl1PxXcCWNKmH7ZYcyebA7LT-DrFLMcwj5Z6eoZ8JtszfYypsFJSN4FuDlArXKA0X7oy4wWjOCrbAxHOtz3ZdR9EWzjtk3KHPj4gamfjNZn6B6ZbXHv6/s1600/LOC-meatpackingChicago.jpg" height="320" width="287" /></a></div>
A meat packing house in Chicago, from the collections of the Library of Congress<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
During her inspections Mrs. Crane was
disturbed by the conditions she witnessed. The abattoirs “were all
in an indescribably filthy condition. . . Two are simply
indescribable. . . I expected to see blood, but I expected to see
the blood and the refuse disposed of in a clean manner. Instead
there was an awful mass of filth and offal tramped down into the
floor.” [1] The facilities were “utterly and absolutely filthy.
They . . . are not ventilated, have no drainage, are foul smelling,
dirty, covered with cobwebs and blood, filth and mould of years, and
in general are revolting.” [2] “The ground under and around is
soaked with rotted blood and filth of years. Nothing but a hoe and
plane could effectually remove the caked blood, grime, grease and
mould and other quite unmentionable filth from the walls and floors,
and nothing but a thorough conflagration could ever remedy these
plague spots” that send forth most of the meat eaten by the
townspeople. [3] “At all or nearly all of the abattoirs, hogs are
fed on the offal and afterwards slaughtered and sold.” [1] Mr.
Rufus Averill, who runs one of the slaughterhouses visited by Mrs.
Crane, didn't deny that hogs were fed on offal, but said “experience
has shown that they thrive and that they are just as good meat as
hogs fed in any other way; besides they perform a service that could
be performed in no other way.” [4] Estimating that not even ten
percent of the meat sold in the city was inspected and after
witnessing conditions in uninspected slaughter houses, it is no
surprise that Mrs. Crane declared “after my experience in visiting
the local abattoirs, I utterly refuse to eat meat that has not been
inspected.” [1]</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The law at the time, prohibited the
sale of “putrified, poisonous or diseased meat” but provided no
system for detecting it. In fact, only six officers had the job of
inspecting dairies and all manufactured food products for the entire
state. [1] Clearly, the task of ensuring that diseased cattle were
not allowed to enter the slaughter house could not be carried out by
six men for all of Michigan even if that were their only chore. Mrs.
Crane recommended that a central abattoir be built to service the
Kalamazoo area and that it be overseen by an inspector under
municipal control. [1] A single slaughter house would make it
possible for an inspector to assess all cattle brought there for
processing and allow him to make sure that sanitary conditions were
maintained in the facility.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Before examining the slaughter houses
in Kalamazoo, Mrs. Crane had toured at least one meat packing house
in Chicago. There both the incoming cows and the resulting carcasses
and internal organs were inspected for any sign of illness. [2] The
slaughterhouses themselves were kept “scrupulously clean” with
the “floors and surroundings scrubbed daily with boiling water.”
[2] One can only wonder which facilities Mrs. Crane toured because
this was only a few years before Upton Sinclair published <i>The
Jungle</i>, his expose of the atrocious conditions he discovered when
he took a job in a Chicago meat packing plant.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It may be that Mrs. Crane visited a
meat-packing plant that exported meat and therefore had to meet
higher standards. She was angered that the laws were designed to
protect trade and not the health of American families. While
Michigan did have The Pure Food Laws of 1893 on the books, remember
that there were only six inspectors for the entire state, one to see
to dairy compliance and five for everything else. Mrs. Crane
continued “we can live without jellies and candies [which were
subject to inspection], but few of us feel that we can live
altogether without meat. . . The butcher trade is not even protected
by a license. Any kind of man may kill any kind of a beast in any
kind of a place, and sell it to any dealer who may or may not be
aware if that animal came to the slaughter house diseased, dying or
dead.” [3]</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Whenever new regulations are proposed
for practically any industry, one can expect objections, no matter
the benefits that would result. This case was no different.
Butchers, as a whole, claimed they would be put out of business.
Others suggested that regulations were unnecessary as they heard no
reports of people dying from consuming diseased meat. Then there was
the usual argument that a new system of inspectors would cost money.
While addressing the State Conference of health officials at the
University of Michigan in 1904, Mrs. Crane proceeded to explain why
those objections were not based on evidence. In her closing
statements she said “Is there anything a city council should be
more ready to pay for, than for wholesome food supply for the city?”
[5]</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Nearly three years after her
inspections, Mrs. Crane cited how a few small improvements toward
better meat inspection and better abattoirs had been accomplished.
Asked about the situation in Kalamazoo, she said that “she had no
doubt that it would be accomplished here too in time. 'And,' she
added, with a smile, 'you know I said I would never give it up even
if it took twenty years.'” [6]</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Finally, in 1907, Mrs. Crane could
celebrate a significant victory. “Kalamazoo is to have meat
inspection,” cried the Telegraph. [7] After years of inaction the
city council finally passed a resolution to appoint a meat inspector.
It probably didn't hurt that the Kalamazoo health officer presented
a basket of tubercular cow lungs to the council to underline his
stance on the issue. [7] Shortly after this announcement was made,
it was reported that Mrs. Crane along with the city health officer, a
city attorney and the “newly appointed,” but yet unnamed meat
inspector would draft a meat inspection ordinance. [8]</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In 1909, the Kalamazoo board of health
was still discussing a central slaughter house and after a joint
meeting with the meat dealers association the Kalamazoo Evening Press
reported that an ordinance including a central abattoir, local meat
handlers and licenses for certain types of butchers was “coming
soon.” [9]
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Soon” would turn out to be the end
of 1915, at least for a license requirement for butchers. The
Kalamazoo Telegraph-Press proclaimed that the new meat ordinance was
“most rigid in requirements.” [10] In addition to requiring
licenses for butchers, with yearly renewals contingent on a
satisfactory inspection of their place of business, strict
regulations for slaughter houses were also to be implemented. The
new rules stated that: 1) All slaughter houses must have an ample
supply of water, uncontaminated by any run-off from the premises, for
the purpose of cleaning the building. 2) Slaughter houses must have
cement floors with proper drainage and sewer connections. 3) Floors
must be washed daily and other surfaces, including walls must be
scrubbed at least monthly. 4) Offal and refuse must be removed the
day of slaughter and properly disposed of. 5) Animals must be
treated humanely. [10] This was a tremendous leap forward and
assuming the ordinance was complied with, would do much to assure
that locally butchered meat was fit for consumption.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Mrs. Crane succeeded in making known
the disgusting conditions in local slaughter houses and as a result
the questionable safety of the meat processed therein as early as
1902. Five years after her crusade began she won a victory with the
appointment of a meat inspector for the city. In 1915, licenses
would be required for the first time and strict standards of
cleanliness, at least in comparison to what came before, were put in
place for slaughter houses. A central abattoir would remain an
elusive goal at least as late as 1916 when it was still just another
recommendation in the annual report to the city council. [11, 12, 13]
In searching the newspapers online at the <a href="http://kpl.gov/" target="_blank">Kalamazoo Public Library</a>
through 1923 I failed to find any mention of a central abattoir
becoming a reality. Be that as it may, Mrs. Caroline Crane did
Kalamazooans a tremendous service by bringing the issue of filthy
slaughter houses and a lack of meat inspection to light. I have no
doubt that her crusade played a critical role in successfully
bringing meat inspection and regulations governing butchers and
slaughter houses to Kalamazoo.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<ol>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Foul Places Are Abattoirs, Says
Mrs. Crane,” <i>Kalamazoo [Kalamazoo, Michigan] Evening Telegraph</i>,
25 March 1902, page 1, column 1-2, digital images, Kalamazoo Public
Library (<a href="http://www.kpl.gov/">http://www.kpl.gov</a>:
accessed 3 March 2014), Kalamazoo Telegraph Collection.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“The Meat We Eat,” <i>Kalamazoo
[Kalamazoo, Michigan] Evening Telegraph</i>, 28 March 1902, page 4,
column 3, digital images, Kalamazoo Public Library
(<a href="http://www.kpl.gov/">http://www.kpl.gov</a>: accessed 27
June 2012), Kalamazoo Telegraph Collection.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Meat Inspection, The Paramount
Issue Among the Women of Kalamazoo,” <i>Kalamazoo [Kalamazoo,
Michigan] Evening Telegraph</i>, 31 March 1902, page 7, column 1,
digital images, Kalamazoo Public Library (<a href="http://www.kpl.gov/">http://www.kpl.gov</a>:
accessed 27 June 2012), Kalamazoo Telegraph Collection.
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Visit To Abattoir,” <i>Kalamazoo
[Kalamazoo, Michigan] Evening Telegraph</i>, 27 March 1902, page 2,
column 4, digital images, Kalamazoo Public Library
(<a href="http://www.kpl.gov/">http://www.kpl.gov</a>: accessed 27
June 2012), Kalamazoo Telegraph Collection.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Answer to Objections Against
Inspection of Meat,” <i>Kalamazoo [Kalamazoo, Michigan] Evening
Telegraph</i>, 12 January 1904, page 3, column 1, digital images,
Kalamazoo Public Library (<a href="http://www.kpl.gov/">http://www.kpl.gov</a>:
accessed 12 August 2014), Kalamazoo Telegraph Collection.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Abattoir Inspection Movement
Gaining Momentum,” <i>Kalamazoo [Kalamazoo, Michigan] Evening
Telegraph</i>, 16 January 1905, page 2, column 2, digital images,
Kalamazoo Public Library (<a href="http://www.kpl.gov/">http://www.kpl.gov</a>:
accessed 12 August 2014), Kalamazoo Telegraph Collection.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Will Inspect City's Meats,”
<i>Kalamazoo [Kalamazoo, Michigan] Evening Telegraph</i>, 11 June
1907, page 2, column 4, digital images, Kalamazoo Public Library
(<a href="http://www.kpl.gov/">http://www.kpl.gov</a>: accessed 12
August 2014), Kalamazoo Telegraph Collection.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“<span style="font-style: normal;">Changes
Made In Committees,”</span><i> Kalamazoo [Kalamazoo, Michigan]
Evening Telegraph</i>, 28 June 1907, page 2, column 3, digital
images, Kalamazoo Public Library (<a href="http://www.kpl.gov/">http://www.kpl.gov</a>:
accessed 12 August 2014), Kalamazoo Telegraph Collection.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Willing On Both Sides,”
<i>Kalamazoo [Kalamazoo, Michigan] Evening Press</i>, 13 May 1909,
page 1, column 1, digital images, Kalamazoo Public Library
(<a href="http://www.kpl.gov/">http://www.kpl.gov</a>: accessed 12
August 2014), Miscellaneous Kalamazoo Publications Collection.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“New Meat Ordinance Most Rigid
in Requirements; Assures City of Clean Meat” <i>Kalamazoo
[Kalamazoo, Michigan] Telegraph-Press</i>, 10 November 1915, page
11, column 1-2, digital images, Kalamazoo Public Library
(<a href="http://www.kpl.gov/">http://www.kpl.gov</a>: accessed 16
August 2014), Kalamazoo Telegraph Collection.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Health Officials Want
Improvements,” <i>Kalamazoo [Kalamazoo, Michigan] Telegraph-Press</i>,
11 April 1914, page 10, column 4, digital images, Kalamazoo Public
Library (<a href="http://www.kpl.gov/">http://www.kpl.gov</a>:
accessed 12 August 2014), Kalamazoo Telegraph Collection.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“What Health Department
Recommends” <i>Kalamazoo [Kalamazoo, Michigan] Telegraph-Press</i>,
10 April 1915, page 1, column 1, digital images, Kalamazoo Public
Library (<a href="http://www.kpl.gov/">http://www.kpl.gov</a>:
accessed 16 August 2014), Kalamazoo Telegraph Collection.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Report Shows Health and
Sanitary Conditions in City to be Excellent,” <i>Kalamazoo
[Kalamazoo, Michigan] Telegraph-Press</i>, 7 April 1916, page 6,
column 2, digital images, Kalamazoo Public Library
(<a href="http://www.kpl.gov/">http://www.kpl.gov</a>: accessed 16
August 2014), Kalamazoo Telegraph Collection.</div>
</li>
</ol>
Sonja Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03882161369011476773noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497392509515586999.post-49958366965822316172014-07-21T22:47:00.001-05:002014-07-22T22:30:52.515-05:00One Widow's Plight<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Sarah “Lizzie” Flynn's husband (my
gg-grandfather) died at the end of May 1900. About a week later, the
census taker came around and captured that awful moment in her life.
Six of her 9 children were living with her, though the eldest two
(boys) were ready to (and soon did) leave home. Her remaining
children, all girls, were 18, 15, 13 and 10. Sarah was 54 years old.
The family lived on a small fruit farm, but as the profits were
meager she applied to the government for continuation of her
husband's Civil War Pension.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4tNRyNkKaVC_3gfFp7PayVyJ_LP2ZQeBnohO2ly8n4Nc6FuiDopya_DTeWtr3Yjr_SfFuWu6_-XpSPYXde8k5rsUFgPmYHTKH_3OLIaxCiW73gy66NfiKZWISadbm0ynZjA9WLW35le7_/s1600/IMG_2681-002a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4tNRyNkKaVC_3gfFp7PayVyJ_LP2ZQeBnohO2ly8n4Nc6FuiDopya_DTeWtr3Yjr_SfFuWu6_-XpSPYXde8k5rsUFgPmYHTKH_3OLIaxCiW73gy66NfiKZWISadbm0ynZjA9WLW35le7_/s1600/IMG_2681-002a.JPG" height="137" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In her statement to the pension board
Sarah described her situation and why she felt she needed the pension
money to be continued.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0.5in;">
<i>The only property either real or personal she owns or has any
interest in is a dower interest in 20 acres of land situated in
Oshtemo township Kalamazoo co. Mich, which place is worth not to
exceed $1500. The land is very sandy and very little but fruit is
raised on it. Her husband left no will and therefore she has only a
dower interest in it. There is a mortgage against the property of
$600 given to a Building and Loan Association of Kalamazoo, which is
being paid at the rate of nearly $10 per month, and will not be paid
up for two years yet. Last year there was raised produce as follows.
Strawberries $70, other fruits about $50 or $60. There was nothing
else raised that was sold – no wheat, not corn enough, nor
potatoes, and etc. for the farm use. Out of this was paid taxes,
about $5.00 and on mortgage, $120.</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0.5in;">
<i>The farm would not rent for hardly over $2 per acre cash rent.
She is going to work the farm herself and hire what help is needed. </i>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0.5in;">
<i>Aside from the above, she has no property either real or personal
and no income from any source aside from her own labor in working the
farm, selling fruit, and etc. and is entirely dependent upon her own
labor for her support. Her husband left her no life insurance.</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Flynn farm must have grown a lot of
strawberries to yield about $70. In 1900, grocers were purchasing
strawberries for about $1/crate and selling them for 8-9 cents/box.
[1,2] Unfortunately, I don't know how much the crates or boxes held.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Sarah would have needed the help of her
children to bring in the harvest. And in case you haven't done much
strawberry picking, after an hour or more of almost continual leaning
over your back is less than happy. I can't imagine picking
strawberries several hours per day, every day for a couple of weeks.
At the age of 54, Sarah would have certainly been ready to lie down
at the close of the day. Also, keep in mind that strawberries then
weren't engineered to keep for any length of time. Speaking from
personal experience with our comparatively tiny strawberry crop over
the past few years, they are good for about one day if not
refrigerated. To get the best price, strawberries were probably
picked and taken directly to market and Sarah couldn't afford not to
get the best price.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The brief statement from Sarah's
widow's pension application may not seem like much, but it does
provide a glimpse into life in the Flynn household. As is usually
true of genealogical records, I wish it included more information,
like what other fruits were grown. I could find out a little more by
tracking down who owned the farm at the time of the 1880 agricultural
census. I know it wouldn't tell me much, but I could determine if
apples, peaches or grapes might have been grown.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Although this find is only a small
thing, it is one reason why I'm happy to dig through pension files to
find the wheat among the chaff. After all, with enough little
tidbits of information it is possible to start assembling a better
picture of someone's life.<br />
<br />
If you want to see what else you might find, read <a href="http://kalamazoogenealogy.blogspot.com/2014/01/why-everyone-should-use-military.html" target="_blank">Why Everyone Should Military Pension Application Files</a>.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<ol>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“The Markets,” <i>Kalamazoo
[Mich.] Daily Telegraph, </i>19 June 1900, page 5, column4, digital
images, Kalamazoo Public Library (<a href="http://www.kpl.gov/">http://www.kpl.gov</a>:
accessed 21 July 2014), Kalamazoo Telegraph Collection.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“The Markets,” <i>Kalamazoo
[Mich.] Daily Telegraph, 30</i> June 1900, page 7, column4, digital
images, Kalamazoo Public Library (<a href="http://www.kpl.gov/">http://www.kpl.gov</a>:
accessed 21 July 2014), Kalamazoo Telegraph Collection.
</div>
</li>
</ol>
Sonja Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03882161369011476773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497392509515586999.post-67353887399939481242014-07-09T22:50:00.001-05:002014-08-19T11:05:06.890-05:00A Fatal Accident<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The story in the family goes that my
gg-grandfather accidentally shot his cousin in a hunting accident in
Germany. According to family lore, he never got over the horror of
killing his cousin and this is one reason why he came to the US. I
never really gave it too much thought because I figured I would never
be able to verify any of it. Then, recently I began to research the
family of Charles Schmidt living across the road from my
gg-grandfather, August Hartman, and his family in Oshtemo. It just
so happened that August married Sophia Schmidt so I thought it was
possible Sophia was somehow related to Charles. I also knew that
August's daughter-in-law wrote a poem upon the death of Charles'
daughter.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
To try to determine if there was a
blood relationship between Charles Schmidt and Sophia (Schmidt)
Hartman I started by looking for information about Charles and his
family. Charles had a son, also named Charles/Carl who died in 1892.
When I found his death record the red flags started waving in my
head. Young Carl had died of an accidental shooting. Immediately, I
remembered the family story and obtained a copy of the Kalamazoo
Gazette article that mentioned his death. It detailed how Carl and
his cousin, a man by the name of Hartman, had gone out quail hunting.
Reportedly, they had flushed the birds and were walking along in
single file with guns cocked, ready to shoot the instant the birds
became visible. Hartman allegedly stumbled and his gun discharged,
hitting Carl and creating a “terrible wound.” Though Carl was
rushed to a nearby house and the doctor immediately summoned, the
wound was fatal and poor Carl died later that night.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The newspaper article does not indicate
the given name of the shooter so I can't prove that it was one of my
Hartmans, but I believe that this incident is the basis of the family
story. There are notable differences, however. First, my
gg-grandfather was not Carl's cousin, but possibly a married
relation. Second, the shooting occurred in the US, not in Germany.
I don't find these discrepancies troubling because we all know how
stories can change over time and depending on the narrator, with each
telling. So, if my gg-grandfather wasn't the shooter, who was? I
suspect that it was one of August's three sons. It would appear that
they did engage in hunting, based on the above family photo
which shows my great-grandfather and (based on the resemblance) one
of his brothers. At the time of the shooting in 1892, Carl was about
30 years old, my great-grandfather was 9 and his two brothers were 13.5 and
12 years old. If it was one of these children, that could explain
why the given name was not printed, though certainly everyone in
Oshtemo would have known the identity of the shooter.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I believe that I have found the
inspiration for my family story. Though the place and the person
involved disagree with the newspaper account, the grain of truth, an
accidental shooting while hunting, appears to be true. Though the
event was tragic, it would seem to demonstrate that there is a family
connection between the Hartmans and their neighbors the Schmidts. I
need to keep working on that problem, but in the meantime, I think I
have discovered that there is some truth in the old family
story.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“A Fatal Accident: Carl Smidt Killed
By Fellow Hunter,” <i>Kalamazoo [Kalamazoo, Michigan] Gazette</i>,
22 November 1892, page 1, column 2, microfilm image, Western Michigan
University Archives and Regional Collections, Kalamazoo Gazette
Collection.
</div>
</div>
Sonja Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03882161369011476773noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497392509515586999.post-77702594373314224532014-06-30T11:23:00.001-05:002014-07-21T22:50:55.969-05:00Rain, Food And Survival<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
These days we are so far removed from
where our food comes from that rain can seem more of a nuisance than
the life blood that it is. For our ancestors, it was a different
story. Have you ever <i>really</i> considered just how dependent on
the weather our ancestors were for their very survival? What they
produced is more than likely in direct proportion to getting the
right amount of rain at the right time? Too much, too little or not
at the right time, rainfall was crucial for allowing families to
produce the food they needed for their own consumption, for sale to
neighbors to earn money for other necessities or to feed their
animals.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Many people probably had a small (or
even large) garden plot that could be watered, if necessary by
pumping water from the well and transporting it in buckets. But when
the farm in question was tens of acres or more in size, that was
simply not feasible. And if you have ever closely examined an
agricultural schedule for one of your families you'll see why. As an
example, here is what my ggg-grandfather's farm produced in 1879,
according to the 1880 agricultural census.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Michael Flynn, 1880, Washtenaw county,
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">40 acres</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">25
improved acres, 2 acres permanent pasture/orchard, 1 acre of
woodland, 6 acres of mown grass lands, 12 acres unimproved</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hay:
6 tons produced</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Horses:
2, 1 other cattle, 1 calf dropped</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Milk
cows: 1 animal, 100 lbs butter produced</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sheep:
2 animals, 2 fleeces produced (8 lbs)</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Poultry:
20 birds, 80 dozen eggs produced</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Indian
corn: 5 acres planted, 200 bushels of indian corn produced</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Wheat:
11 acres planted, 160 bushels of wheat produced</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Irish
potatoes: 1/2 acre planted, 40 bushels of potatoes produced</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Although we don't know what or how much
was grown in a vegetable garden, the production of this small farm
makes clear that more than just food for the people was at stake due
when bad weather struck. Without enough hay, your cows, oxen or
horses may not survive the winter. With no oxen, how will you plow
your fields? Without your dairy cow there won't be fresh milk,
butter or cheese. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">If
you want to see what a large farm (of 178 acres) produced, and
therefore what they had to lose if rainfall was suboptimal, look at
the bottom of this post. It is interesting to note (interesting for us, not so much for the farmer) that on the larger farm 10 of the 113 sheep died due to "stress of weather."</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
All of our farming ancestors, which
admittedly means most of them, must have been scanning the skies on a
daily basis, particularly during the growing season. Does that wind
mean an impending storm? Do those clouds hold rain? Will there be
enough?
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We have a small garden and I always
keep informal track of when it last rained and approximately how
much. Unlike my ancestors, I am fortunate. If it doesn't rain
enough I can drag about 150 feet of hose down to the garden and spend
an hour or so watering our meager crops, but our ancestors didn't
have that luxury. In the absence of rain it would be time to gather
up all of the buckets, prime the pump, fill the buckets from the well
and lug them to the garden while trying not to spill a precious drop.
My family doesn't depend upon our garden the way our ancestors did.
I can always go to the grocery store to buy what I need, but if money
was scarce for our forebears what was their recourse?
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66TbZCTQTSkr6rS6EekkjAiRnn47qEHnGsYq5sxJQ-Gj7ia2Q85bkRmFvKUnS7UySZduMdr0AABIVbN2uJYyt0xDCdFVd97yeDDx__x1GHoiorw7wXCqLR5rv1CS2sZllcHJNo5BSK7ge/s1600/IMG_5587.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66TbZCTQTSkr6rS6EekkjAiRnn47qEHnGsYq5sxJQ-Gj7ia2Q85bkRmFvKUnS7UySZduMdr0AABIVbN2uJYyt0xDCdFVd97yeDDx__x1GHoiorw7wXCqLR5rv1CS2sZllcHJNo5BSK7ge/s1600/IMG_5587.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So, the next time it rains on your
picnic or if the clouds burst when you're grilling on the 4<sup>th</sup>
of July, just remember that that precious, glorious water is
ultimately where all of our food comes from. Put down that spatula,
put on a rain hat and go out in the rain and do a little happy dance.
I'm sure through all of the years, our ancestors must have done so
at least once.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Abner
Brown, 1880, Cass County, 178 acres</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">120
acres tilled, 2 permanent meadows/pastures/forest, 46 woodland</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Grass
lands: mown 15, not mown 40</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hay:
10 tons produced</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Horses:
3</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Milk
cows: 3 animals, 600 lbs. butter produced</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Other
cows: 10 animals, 3 calves dropped, 2 calves purchased, 5 sold
living</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sheep:
113 animals, 54 lambs dropped, 1 lamb purchased, 113 fleeces of 672
lbs</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sheep
deaths: 1 sheep slaughtered, 1 died of disease, 10 died of stress of
weather</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Swine:
2</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Poultry:
23 birds, 150 dozen eggs produced</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Indian
corn: 10 acres planted, 500 bushels produced</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Wheat:
35 acres planted, 920 bushels produced</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Flax
seed: 16 tons flax straw produced</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Irish
potatoes: 0.5 acres planted, 60 bushels produced</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Apple
orchards: 2 acres, 100 bearing trees, 150 bushels produced</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Wood
cut: 20 cords</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Now, if only I could get Ancestry.com
to add the <i>second</i> page of the agricultural census for my
Michigan people for 1850, 1860 and 1870! How else will I ever know
how many bushels of potatoes they grew.</div>
Sonja Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03882161369011476773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497392509515586999.post-10219844359691073592014-06-22T22:37:00.000-05:002014-06-22T22:37:08.245-05:00Climax/Scotts Newspapers Digitized by KPL
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
As with any family history resource, it
may be limited or relate to a small area, but if it contains
information about your ancestors it can be a goldmine. If you have
relatives who lived in the Climax or Scotts area of Kalamazoo county
I have some good news for you. The Kalamazoo Public Library has
digitized three newspapers that are now searchable on their website.
They are:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Scotts Cereal 1905-1906</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Climax Cereal 1900-1912</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Climax Crescent 1912-2012</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Yes, you read that right; the Climax
Crescent images go through 2012. So, if you are trying to track down
living relatives, you have a very good chance of finding them if they
live in Climax. If your family lived in Scotts, don't be dismayed
that that paper covers only a short period. As it is near Climax
you'll likely find information about your people in the Climax paper.
In fact, The Climax Crescent actually has the subtitle: “The only
newspaper that thoroughly covers the territory of Climax and Scotts.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
While I only have a few distant
relatives who lived in the Scotts area, I found a brief reference to
the Clemens family reunion of 1918 at Indian Lake in the Climax
paper. I failed to find any other description of it in these papers,
but armed with the date, I can scroll through the microfilm for the
Vicksburg Commercial the next time I visit the WMU Archives. With
any luck I'll find something interesting on my family. Maybe you can
find something on your family as well.</div>
Sonja Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03882161369011476773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497392509515586999.post-79255610798033785392014-06-13T22:52:00.001-05:002014-06-13T22:52:08.798-05:00Ousting The Loyalist Preacher
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Let me start by saying that this post
has absolutely nothing to do with Kalamazoo. While working to source
my Goff/Goffe line (that ended up in Cass county) I spent some time
browsing the New Hampshire Town Records at Family Search. In
searching for vital records in Bedford around the time of the
American Revolution, I happened upon the case of John Houston. In
the first entry I noticed, the town had decided to withhold his
salary until he came to his sense. I was intrigued.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It seems that as of April 12, 1775
Bedford had no problem with the Rev. John Houston. At the annual
town meeting on this day they voted to choose someone to collect the
rates (taxes) to pay for his preaching for the coming year. [1]</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Then, after the shot heard round the
world, everything changed. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgotCMGHlWO0iUbJq4lv6vhq_qD8YDaL4R9bXksOQwtBckxFn2hkWr5mK6444ypymbbsj4G8iGlf-lKqwqpHHaJyl4yphucHuTeBgoVT743kQxtb8ZlVdcTt9iazHNhJ9qeqU_D-zXAEedw/s1600/Lexington3a39930r.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgotCMGHlWO0iUbJq4lv6vhq_qD8YDaL4R9bXksOQwtBckxFn2hkWr5mK6444ypymbbsj4G8iGlf-lKqwqpHHaJyl4yphucHuTeBgoVT743kQxtb8ZlVdcTt9iazHNhJ9qeqU_D-zXAEedw/s1600/Lexington3a39930r.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
Wash drawing by Francois Godefroy of the Battle of Lexington from Journee de Lexington. Held by the Library of Congress. <br /><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
April 20, 1775:
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The town received an urgent letter
(grammar and spelling preserved):
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“To the select men of Bedford –
Gentlemen</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This moment the meloncholy Intelligence
has been Received of Hostilities being Commenced between ye troops
Under the Command of General Gage and our Brethen of the
Massachusetts Bay.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Importance of our Exerting
ourselves at this Critical Moment has caused the Provincial Committee
to meet at Exeter and you are Requested instantly to Choose and
hasten forward there a Delegate or Delegates to Join the Committee
and aid them In Consulting Measures for our safty. In great hast I
am by order of the Committee your Humble Servant. J. Wentworth”
[2]</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Note: The Battles of Lexington and
Concord were fought on April 19<sup>th</sup>, 1775</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
May 2, 1775:
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The town of Bedford raised the matter
“Relating to the Rev'd. John Houston in thoss troublesome times as
we apprehend his praying and preaching to be Calculated to Intimidate
the minds of his hearers and to weaken their hands in defence of
their Just Rights and Liberties as there seems a plan to be Laid by
Parliment to destroy both.” [3]
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I find it ironic that the warrant to
inform all of the freeholders of a town meeting in which the
selectmen set forth the item about John Houston's preaching was
recorded “in his Majesty's Name” and after the orders of business
had been listed, the selectmen of the town indicated the above items
were given under their “hands and seal at Bedford this 2<sup>nd</sup>
day of May in the 15<sup>th</sup> year of his Majesty's Reign Anno
Domini 1775.” [3] Not surprisingly, this was the last time the
meeting entries were recorded in this manner.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
May 16, 1775:
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Voted that what Mr. John Houston
give in is not Satisfactory to this Body.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Voted that the Meeting House doors be
Shut against Mr. John Houston until the_ he Comes to a Sence of his
Duty and behave himself to the Satisfaction of the town and that he
Shall have no Salary from the town until he behaves himself as
above.” [4]</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
June 15, 1775:
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Whereas we find that the Rev. Mr.
John Houston after a great deal of Tenderness and pains taken with
him both in publick and in privat toward him Relating to his Speeches
frequently made both in Publick and private against the Rights and
Priviliges of America and his Vindicating the King and Parliment
their Present proceeding against the Americans and having not been
able hitherto to bring him to a Sense of his Error and he has thereby
Rendered him Self Despised to people in general and to us in
particular and that he has Endeavoured to Intimadate us against
maintening the Just Rights of america therefore we think it not our
Duty as men or Christians to have him Preach any longer with us as
our Minister. Therefore voted that he (viz) the Rev. Mr. John
Houston preach no more in Bedford until the last day of March Next
and that he have thirty Six Sabath days more to his own use and
Dispossal (viz) from the 16<sup>th</sup> of May last to the last day
of March Next More than the nine Sabath days Voted to His own use and
Dispossal at our last March meeting and that the Town be freed from
paying him anything for the Said thirty Six Sabath days.” [5]</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The vote was unanimous. [5]</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
September 19, 1775
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The town voted to treat with John
Houston and to apply to the Presbytery to get him dismissed and to
see if Mr. Houston himself would also petition the Presbytery asking
to be dismissed. [6]</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
March 27, 1776:
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“The town took in to Consideration
Mr. John Houston Conduct as being Inimical to this Country for which
he was tried by the Commitees of three Neighbouri-- towns and found
Guilty as also a former Vote of this town Setting him aside from
preaching to us as our Minister on the Same account till he made
proper acknowledgment for his faults and Returned to his Duty –
Wherefore Voted Unanimously to allow the Said Mr. John Houston the
whole of his time to himself for this year for the above Reason and
the town free from his Charge on Said account.” [7]</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
March 27, 1778:
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The town appointed a committee to
“treat with the Presbytery” or to create their own to put Mr.
Houston on trial and see if they will dismiss him. [8]</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
March 8, 1779:
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“To see if the town will vote to
defray the cost that has already arisen by the selectmen and
commettee of safty of going to Exeter against Mr. John Houston's
taking the Oath of Fidelity.” [9] The town voted to pay some of
these costs. [10]
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
May 1, 1780:
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Voted no to pay Capt. Samll [Samuel]
Patton the money that he disbursted when the committees mett
concerning Mr. John Houston when it was thought he was inical to the
country as mentioned in the third article in the warrant.” [11]</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I don't know how the case ultimately
ended, or even if it did. It had already dragged on for five years
and frankly, as I had found what I was looking for on my Goffe
family, I stopped paging through the records to chase a man I care
nothing about. The time I spend on genealogy is precious and I would
rather use it to cross something off my family history to-do list. I
did, however, want to share what I did find on John Houston because
while it is only telling us about a few little towns in New
Hampshire, this story makes it quite clear how this little settlement
in the woods felt when it was time to choose sides in the American
Revolution.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<ol>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
"New Hampshire, Town Clerk,
Vital and Town Records, 1636-1947," digital images,
<i>FamilySearch</i> (https://familysearch.org/: accessed 14 Jun
2014), Hillsborough > Bedford > Town records 1770-1794 vol 3 >
image 72, page 133.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
"New Hampshire, . . .
1636-1947," <i>FamilySearch,</i> image 73, page 135.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
"New Hampshire, . . .
1636-1947," <i>FamilySearch,</i> image 74, page 136.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
"New Hampshire, . . .
1636-1947," <i>FamilySearch,</i> image 75, page 138.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
"New Hampshire, . . .
1636-1947," <i>FamilySearch,</i> image 76-77, page 141-142.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
"New Hampshire, . . .
1636-1947," <i>FamilySearch,</i> image 79, page 144.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
"New Hampshire, . . .
1636-1947," <i>FamilySearch,</i> image 783-84, page 153-154.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
"New Hampshire, . . .
1636-1947," <i>FamilySearch,</i> image 107, page 200.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
"New Hampshire, . . .
1636-1947," <i>FamilySearch,</i> image 123, page 232.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
"New Hampshire, . . .
1636-1947," <i>FamilySearch,</i> image 125, page 236.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
"New Hampshire, . . .
1636-1947," <i>FamilySearch,</i> image 150, page 286.</div>
</li>
</ol>
Sonja Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03882161369011476773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497392509515586999.post-3857163719261690832014-06-05T21:49:00.000-05:002014-06-06T22:06:31.311-05:00What Did You Inherit Besides The Obvious?<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
When we think about what we inherited
from our ancestors we might immediately think of our eye or hair
color. Family medical conditions and their impact on the current
generation (like I found to explain my cousin's vein problem in
<a href="http://kalamazoogenealogy.blogspot.com/search/label/Medical%20History%20Relevation" target="_blank">Medical History Revelation</a>)
might also spring to mind. But have you thought about other traits
or affinities (musical talent, mechanical inclination or dance
skills, for example)? While we don't “know” how much of these
sorts of abilities can be ascribed to genetics it's not unreasonable
to believe there may be some contribution, especially when these
things have not been taught.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Here are a few examples from my family.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Ever since I've lived away from home
I've had houseplants. I now enjoy gardening, especially my flower
garden that keeps expanding every year. My grandmother did as well.
There were plants and terrariums all over her house, she mixed her
own dirt and pored over seed catalogs with her sister. When she was
alive and active I don't remember participating in her hobby so I
didn't pick it up that way. My grandma's father (who died when my
grandma was only five) loved planting flowers and his father (who
died long before my grandma was born) worked as a gardener for a
number of years. My mom jokes about going to the garden center with
her mom decades ago and now in recent years with me.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
My cousin really enjoys mechanics.
While in the military and now as a civilian he repairs vehicle
engines. No one else in the current generation has this propensity,
but our grandfather worked for Fuller Manufacturing and actually made some of his own parts for his Fiat. Also our gg-grandfather's uncle was a carriage maker and served with
the 1<sup>st</sup> Michigan Engineers and Mechanics during the Civil
War. When my cousin learned of this he felt more connected to the
family than he had before.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I discovered in graduate school that I
love ballroom dancing and am pretty good at it. I actually ran the
school's ballroom dancing club for several years. It just so happens
that my grandfather taught ballroom dancing (we still have some of
the records he used to play for classes) and participated in square
dancing for many years. Though I did actually dance with him once,
as a child it meant nothing to me.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje5LN-l94qO8xIJxXRgINT5YJXKrbGzwWdcyeqEa5rA7HM4dBrC3twBeJJ6GmVFJY60KFyi6BML6Po30suNZbV3_ljZCzFbrmIGdb4YZ_G2TF5qZutE7gse3FbEcUY57cCUQSPMo_CRX4C/s1600/sonja005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje5LN-l94qO8xIJxXRgINT5YJXKrbGzwWdcyeqEa5rA7HM4dBrC3twBeJJ6GmVFJY60KFyi6BML6Po30suNZbV3_ljZCzFbrmIGdb4YZ_G2TF5qZutE7gse3FbEcUY57cCUQSPMo_CRX4C/s1600/sonja005.jpg" height="320" width="241" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It's possible that these are merely
coincidences, but even if they are I think it is a useful exercise to
think about our similarities with our relatives. After all, anything
that makes us think more about our ancestors' lives is a good thing
because I believe it helps us to view them as real people who had the
same emotions as we do.
</div>
Sonja Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03882161369011476773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497392509515586999.post-32275588945626024622014-05-27T22:14:00.000-05:002014-05-27T22:14:19.282-05:00Sounds Of The PastI few days ago I awoke to the sound of a gentle rain. Probably because it was quite early my mind wandered and I found myself wondering about the everyday sounds our ancestors heard that we no longer do today. Some of these may still be heard, but by a much smaller percentage of people than in our ancestors' day. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but these were the first things that came to mind.<br />
<br />
Chopping wood<br />
Butter churn (agricultural census schedules often ask about pounds of butter produced)<br />
Sweeping (no vacuums)<br />
Rug beating<br />
Water pump<br />
Horse trotting (also pulling a wagon or buggy)<br />
Farm animals (hens, roosters, pigs, sheep, cows). Check the agricultural schedule to learn what animals your family had.<br />
<br />
Obviously, we could also play this game in reverse, listing the sounds we hear that our ancestors didn't. However, this list would be extremely long as you can no doubt imagine. I'll just mention a few things that tremendously alter our soundscape: motor vehicles (especially if you live on a busy street), televisions and radios, phones and even just the hum of a refrigerator. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Sonja Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03882161369011476773noreply@blogger.com0