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!