Lost at Sea?

"Lost at Sea" is a fitting title for this month's blog had I not had access to Immigration Records in the process of doing family history research on a new project.   In fact, it was because of those records that the family I was researching was NOT "lost at sea" so to speak.  Their  passenger information was recorded on Immigration Records and those records set the foundation for the research on the Italian ancestry of my granddaughter, whose great, great grandfather, Salvatore Campo,  was an emigrant from Sicily.

A major part of the research on the family did not come from  census records-- my usual "go to" place for research, but rather from ship's records.  Using ship's records, I was able to piece together a lot of his history.  For example, from one entry, upon his arrival in 1903 from Sicily, the following information was recorded on the ship's passenger list shown below:

Entry number 24 for "Salvatore Campo," shows the following information:  He was 21 years old, was a "countryman" for his occupation, was born in Siculiana, Italy, was single, was going to reside in New York, paid for his passage himself, had $12 cash, had never been to the United States before, and his purpose of going into the U.S. was to join his brother Pasquale at 21 Albany Street in New York.  In 1911, Salvatore is once again entering the U.S. with a few changes from the passenger list of 1903.  He was now 29 years old, married, was a merchant, was a non-immigrant alien (which implies that he had already been to the U.S. previously), and  behind his wife in Sicily named Oliva Marzullo.  Somehow Salvatore doesn't show up in any of the U.S. census records nor the Canadian census records, for the next 30 years, possibly because he returned to Italy several times and was probably gone at the time the census was being recorded.  So if it wasn't for the valuable information from the ship's passenger lists, I would not have been able to research him as well as I did.  Lastly, there are  immigration "cards" with recorded  border crossing information as people went from the U.S. into Canada and vice versa.  One of the last "cards" I researched for the Campo family was in 1937 listing Salvatore's wife and four of his children, who, for the first time, were coming into the U.S. with the destination of Montreal, Canada, where Salvatore resided.  The family went across the border several times.

Although Salvatore lived in both the U.S. and Canada between 1903 and 1940, the only time he appeared in a census record  was in the 1940 Census of Rochester, New York.  Had it not been for the Ship's Passenger List records as well as border crossing records, I would not have had the wealth of information that I obtained from those records which gave me considerable information about the family.  In between those years, several passenger list documents showed his comings and goings from the U.S., to Canada, back to Sicily, back to the U.S., back to Canada, and so forth over a 35 year time span.

"Lost at Sea" were any of the usual sources for my research procedures; and, if not for the Immigration Records, the Campo family research would also be "Lost at Sea"!

The Five Senses: The Seven Census'

The five senses are sight, sound, smell, taste, and  touch.  But are you familiar that there are the seven census' of genealogy? Last week I made this discovery by attending the monthly meeting of the FHSA (Family History Society of Arizona), and we had a presentation on Non-Population Census Records.  Previously, I had been somewhat familiar with only a couple. but to my surprise, there are seven special census' which include the following:

1.  Mortality Schedule
2.  Agriculture Schedule
3.  Manufacturing Schedule
4.  Veterans Schedule
5.  Social Statistics Schedule
6.  Delinquent, Defective, and Dependent Classes Schedule
7.  Slave Schedule

Information contained in these special census records can give one more insight into the history of their family as well as potential clues in their research.  For example, the following information is what I have found, over the years, that has given me insight  as I have researched  my ancestors::

Agricultural Schedule of 1870 for Mayfield, LaPeer, Michigan:

Last month we visited the Goodale property while vacationing in Michigan, so I thought it would be fun to see what the farm was like in 1870 and this is what I found.  The value of the farm was $3,000. The farm had four horses, six milk cows, and six "Other Cattle," and 23 sheep.  Crops included spring wheat, winter wheat, Indian corn, oats, and barley.

1880 Delinquent, Defective, and Dependent Classes Schedule for Union, Shelby, Iowa:

Another distant Goodale family member, Allen Goodale, was born with a mental handicap which was indicated in the population census of 1870 but was also listed in this special census with the following information:  that he had "spasms,"  the size of his head was "natural,"  and he was deaf.  I later was able to receive his medical file from the asylum where he lived for over twenty years, giving me more insight into his life there.

1850 Mortality Schedule for Sardinia, Erie, New York:

Researching the Ballard family, who are a collateral line of my great, great grandmother Martha Brown Graves, I came across the family in the 1850 population census with the parents and presumed children listed, one of whom was listed as Aurella Whitaker (probably her married name).  There are no marriage records available to indicate that she was a married daughter until I found an entry on the 1850 Mortality Schedule which showed a Cyrus Whitaker (a married man) who had died in February 1850, a few months before the census.  This was the only clue that led me to the marriage between the two which I would not have found without the Mortality Schedule and his "timely" death included on it since only deaths recorded from the previous year are listed in this census.

1840 Pensioners List of Sardinia, Erie, New York:

My great, great, great, great grandfather, Caleb Hammet, was a revolutionary war soldier, and was listed in this special census, age 93.  Finding him in this particular census led me to finding his Revolutionary War records and DAR (Daughter of the American Revolution) records giving me further information about him and his family.

Although familiar with the above-mentioned "special" census records, I wanted to see if I could find more information on one of these "special" census records,  so I gave it a try.  

1860 Slave Schedule of Sullivan County, Missouri:

Because I knew that my great, great grandfather, Charles Haley, had several slaves, I took a look at the 1860 Slave Schedule.  Listed were three slaves, two females, both age 22,  and a male, age 34. The 1870 Census shows "Mary Haley" black, a farm laborer, age 35, listed in the Haley household, who I assume, was probably one of the females listed in the 1860 Slave Schedule.  In fact, she was known by the family as "Black Mary" and was buried in the Haley Family Cemetery.

Try discovering your own new set of "senses" in your research of your ancestors.  You never know what you might uncover and what clues you may find in your research quest.

Vacation Family History Fun

Vacation in Michigan and Ontario, Canada included a visit to some towns where ancestors lived once upon a time.  In Kent County, Ontario, Canada, we located the property of the Tasker farm.  There was even a road named after one of the early settlers, William Tasker, who married my great, great Aunt Philadelphia Butcher Tasker.  Philadelphia, a spinster, sailed from England in 1874.  Family lore says that she met an older gentleman, a widower,  on board, knew him for three weeks, and then married him, either on the ship or once they arrived in Canada.  She helped raise the younger children of his previous marriage.

They lived on their farm until his death in 1907.  Philadelphia was away for a short timeand returned to the farm, living with her stepson until her death in 1930.  Both William and Philadelphia are buried in the Victoria Cemetery which was located a couple of miles from their farm.

 Next stop was over the border into Michigan in
Lapeer County, Mayfield Township, where my husband's great, great, great grandfather Isaac Goodale, purchased property in the late 1830's and he and his descendants owned the land until at least the 1920's.  There is an old silo on the property and we wondered if it could be a remnant from their farm.  The Flint River flows just north of the property.  The cemetery is three or four miles southeast of the property and we located Isaac's headstone but not his wife--Electa Allen Goodale.

 The third and last stop was to see the property of my great, great, great grandmother's two younger sisters, Mary Brown Ballard and Rebecca Brown
Ward, who lived near Grand Rapids, on the west side of Michigan.  The property in this picture is the site of the farm of Joseph and Mary Ballard.  A few miles to the south is the property of the Ward family.

Using historic maps, current day maps, and google earth, we were able to find the exact location of the properties. It appears that their farms have been left untouched, although they all lived their over 150 years ago.

Family history is more fun when you can incorporate a visit to the places they lived while also having a fun family vacation.  The next time you plan a trip, take a look to see if any of your ancestors lived in the area of where you are travelling.  Or just a peek at the cemetery to find their graves and drive around the area is a wonderful addition to learning more about your predecessors!

Memory Check

 In preparation for an upcoming family reunion, I started reading over a few excerpts from life

stories written by both of my parents.  As I read through their stories, I wanted to "experiment" and

check for the historical accuracy of the  people, time, and places that they mentioned.

First, I would like to share a few memories my father related about both his birth town and his 

hometown in the state of New York:

"Our residence for postal purposes I listed as Branchport, New York, but I have always been told that I came into the world at our home, upstairs bedroom, in the hamlet of Guyanoga, New York, named after the mythical Indian chief that was created by a reporter who needed a story. 

 "Miggy was about five years older than me and my brother, Ralph, about eight.  Also living with us was Grandma Lydia Seager and my favorite uncle, James Henry Seager, who ran the country store that was right near the metal statue of Guyanoga.  Dad was the co-owner and also the freight agent for the trolley line, in Branchport.  The store and freight office still stand, as do our home and schoolhouse."

I looked at the 1920 Census, the year my father was born, to see if any of these facts matched up with his memory.  This is what I found:  James H. and Lydia Seager are living with the family in the 1920 census in Jerusalem, Yates, New York.  James is a general merchant and William Seager, my dad's father, is a station agent!  His sister was five years old and his brother was eight. He was "spot on." 

The residence address written on the side of the census was "Branchport to Guyanoga, leading north to Branchport."  This establishes the fact that he lived in Guyanoga and that it was part of Branchport.  Further, I found the following tidbit which talks about the Guyanoga statue:

"For more than a century the name of Guyanoga  has been important in the town of Jerusalem in Yates County.  A historical marker and a statue representing him stands in front of an eighteenth century tavern in the valley that bears his name.  He was, according to tradition, an extraordinary Indian, a giant of a man, a Seneca chief who was a friend of General George Washington and the early colonists.  No greater Indian hero could be imagined."  (Source:  "Guyanoga:  The Indian Born from a Cider Barrel" by Herbert A. Wisbey, Jr. online, http://www.crookedlakereview.com/articles/34_66/54sept1992/54wisbey.html.)

 In 1923, the family had moved to Penn Yan and my dad mentions several neighbors:
"As for neighbors, the more permanent ones, the Johnsons, lived across the street, at “553,” with three sons Edgar, Richard, and Carmen, Jr. and Grandpa Daines.  The three Frame “girls” (Negroes) lived one door north of them, followed by Granny Dean at “557” and her grandson, Charlie Stape.  After Rothmans moved out . . . , Smallidges moved in.   Next to the Smallidges were the Jones, Mallory sisters, Costellusos, Lebbons, Bardeens, etc."

Looking at the 1930 Census of Milo, Yates, New York, living near the Seager family was the Smallidge family, the Jones family, the Costelluzos, the Lebbons,and the Bardeens.  Carmen Johnson did live at 553 Liberty street with the three sons. Cora, Eunice, and Katherine Frame, all sisters and all black, lived next door to them, and Mary H. Dean "Granny Dean", age 79, lived next to them.   In the 1925 state census I found Grandpa Daines, age 56, living with the Johnsons.  In the 1920  census, there was a Rothman family who lived at 548 Liberty Street.  Charlie Stape, grandson of Granny    Dean was living with her in the 1925 state census.  The only names I could not find were the Mallory sisters; however, there was a Mallory family.  Everything I found matched up with what he wrote in his life story.

 From my mother's life story, an early school memory follows: 

"One of my favorite teachers was Mrs. Jacobson.  She was a lovely lady and we loved her.  After we had lunch and were back in school the teacher would read a chapter or two from a book.  We loved it and looked forward to it."

There was a Marvell G. Jacobson in the 1940 census who stated that she lived in Panaca, Nevada in

1935.  She  and her husband lived in Tonopah , Nevada, in 1930 and her husband at that time was

superintendent of public  schools.  Her occupation was listed as housewife.  The Jacobsons were

 married in 1924 (Source:  Utah, Select Marriages, 1887-1996), about the same year that my mother

would have attended first grade.  These Jacobsons were the same ones mentioned in the 1930 and

1940 census records, who were living in Panaca in 1935, it is very likely that they could have lived

in Panaca prior to 1930.  

Memories of her neighbors in Caliente, Nevada, where she later lived are listed below:

The Daviss family, the Forbes family, the Boudreaus, the Zumsteins, the Feildsons, the Paces, the 

Taylors,  and the Keelers.  The kids would get out at night and play street games like Kick the Can,

Red Rover, Run, Sheep, Run, Hide and Seek, etc.

Likewise,the 1930 Census of Caliente, Nevada shows the following neighbors:  Feildsons, Forbes,

Pace, Daviss, and the Keelers,  The 1940 Census shows the Zumsteins, Boudreaus, and the Taylors.

"After high school my friend [Margaret Boudreau] got married and moved away.  For awhile I lost [[

track of her and only heard from time to time.  She had two children, then got divorced.  She moved

to Carson City, Nevada.  In later years, I heard that she died. "

 From the obituary of a Boudreau family member, I found the married name of Margaret Boudreau 

listed as Margaret B. Copeland who died in 1974 in Carson City, Nevada.

Seems to me that both of my parents had very accurate memories!

Marvelous Maps

Last week I listened to a presentation by Thomas MacEntee, a professional genealogist and lecturer, at the Family History Society of Arizona annual seminar.  One of the four workshops presented was on the topic of "Mapping Your Genealogy:  From A to Z and In-Between."

The following evening as I was planning our summer vacation to the Michigan area where the Goodale roots originated in the 1830's, I looked at a historical map of 1874 Lapeer County, Michigan and located  Mayfield Township in Lapeer County where Isaac Goodale  had purchased  property in 1837.  Looking on ancestry.com, the property was described as follows:  Section 29 located in Township 8, Range 10 E, 40 acres.  (1837 Lapeer US General Land Office Records, 1796-1907.  This property remained int the family for almost one hundred years.   I wanted to pinpoint the exact location of their property so that we could visit that area .

So with my newfound mapping expertise from the workshop, I spent some time, with the great help of my son, on google maps, using the present day map and comparing it to the 1874 map. The property was located by the Flint River and north of some railroad tracks.  On google maps we looked for the river and also looked for railroad tracks.  It was difficult to find these landmarks on the google maps which lined up with the old 1874 map.

Google Books is the Greatest

Using the website booksgoogle.com  can be a very helpful aid in doing family history research.
While conducting both my personal research as well as research for my clients, I have located biographies in books that have been extremely helpful in finding out information to add to a family tree.

For example, use the ancestor's name that you are researching along with a location and place quotation marks around the name and location in the search box.  If you're lucky, then books with that name and location may show some information on your ancestor.

Just recently, while researching for a client, I followed this procedure.  The results of what I found are below in a book entitled Biographical Annals of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania by J. H. Beers & Co.:

A short two paragraph  biography of Henry B. Hoffman gave his name, his parent's names, and even his grandfather's name, occupation, church he attended, the names of his children and their spouses as well as their occupations.

From this information, I added more to the family tree and then researched the names to see if it "all added up" and to document and verify the facts.

Of course, not all ancestor's names are in books, but it is pretty amazing how many do show up in  a book.  To put this to the test for this blog, I decided to choose a random ancestor's name and do a search in google books to see what I could find.  Here are my results:

John Nilson

Sawhill Family by Benjamin Wesley Sawhill
 
John Nilson worked in the saddle and harness business for about twelve years.  He and his wife established their home in Weddelville, Jackson County, Indiana.  Although John Nilson had two sons at the outbreak of the Civil War , he enlisted, August 19, 1861, at the recorded age of 19, in the 25th regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry, Co. G,, and was appointed a corporal.

This excerpt gave me some interesting facts about John.  I checked out his both the census records and the military records to prove the facts contained in the short biography.

The 1860 Census of Carr, Jackson County, Indiana listed a child, Oscar, who was nine months old in 1860.  The 1870 Census of  Jasper County, Missouri, lists Oscar then Walter born about 1861.  So it is true that he had two sons at the time he enlisted in 1861.  His occupation in the 1860 Census was harnessmaker and the 1870 Census was farmer.  Last, the Indiana Civil War database index showed ed that he was in the 25th Indiana Volunteer Infantry in Company G and was a was a corporal at the time of enlistment.  His age was listed as age 29.  The only discrepancy in the biography above was that his age was 19.

Just one more example . . .

Squire Elmer

The Vermont Historical Gazeteer

Squire Elmer was a soldier in the War of 1812 and was born in 1781 in Connecticut.  At the age of 37, on a January day, as he was out on business he froze both of his feet and had to have them amputated.  For the next 47 years he was a hard working man and had to walk on his knees.

Family records show that he was born in 1781 in Connecticut.  But the other information was not known.  He died in 1844 at age 63 and that would have meant that he would have "walked on his knees" for 26 years, rather than the 47 years stated in the biography!  Nevertheless, a very interesting tidbit!  Military records do show that he served in the war of 1812.  Bounty land was given to him in 1817 when he was 36 years old, so shortly before the amputation would have occurred.  It appears he never took advantage of the bounty land in Illinois and remained in Vermont where he passed away in 1844.

YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU MIGHT FIND, SO JUST GIVE IT A TRY!