Monday, March 30, 2009

Watch that first step...

Quinto Mariucci was working as a department store janitor when he unfortunately stepped into an elevator that wasn't there. He was found at the bottom of the elevator shaft. Quinto was only 38 years old.

Here is the newspaper article from the San Francisco Examiner newspaper. I would like to find out what department store. Just curious.

Friday, March 27, 2009

What's in a name?

Sometime after 1910 William Evan Davies changed his name to William Mullen (going by the nickname Bert). There are two theories about why he changed his name - 1) he was in trouble in Pennsylvania and changed his name when he moved west, or 2) he disliked his father and disassociated himself by changing his name when he moved west. Little was known about Bert's death except that he died in a mining accident in the 1920's. I recently found the following newspaper obituary in the Routt County (Colorado) Sentinel newspaper, 31 Dec 1920 issue, page 1.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Now you see them, now you don't...

The following is extracted from the History of Hardin County, Iowa (Union Publishing Company, 1883), Pg. 547 and refers to Henry Pilgrim and Zylpha Prtichett. Until I found this reference, I didn't know where the Pilgrims were in the 1850s.

The Pilgrims
This township [Buckeye] is located in the western tier of townships in Hardin county. The first settlement was made by two brothers by the name of Pilgrim, who located on the southwest quarter of section 12 in the summer of 1853. They here built a double log house, each part being about sixteen feet square, one story in height, covered with shakes. The body of this house is yet standing, and occupied as a residence. The house was on the stage route from Dubuque to Fort Dodge, and was a station on the route -- the only one between Cedar Falls and Webster City. The Pilgrims, while agents at this station, would feast their guests by spreading the cloth on a dry goods box for a table. When the meal was completed, the cover of the box was removed, and what remained of the repast, together with the dishes, were placed inside.

The Pilgrims were pioneers in the true sense of the term. They remained in this township only until 1855, when they sold out and went farther west. Their place of residence is unknown by those who were interviewed by the historian.
So what happened to them? This next extract holds the answer. It's from a 4 Sep 1890 newspaper article (believed to be The Nebraska Eagle newspaper):

The Pilgrims
After the Lapse of More Than a Third of a century Their Whereabouts is Ascertained

Some History
In the "History of Hardin County, Iowa," I find on page 547 - chapter XXI - Buckeye township - the following account of "The Pilgrims."

"This township is located in the western tier of townships in Hardin county. The first settlement was made by two brothers of the name of Pilgrim, who located on the southwest quarter of section 12 in the summer of 1858(sic). They here built a double log house, each part being about sixteen feet square one story in height, covered with shakes. The doby of this house is yest standing, and occupied as a residence. The house was on the stage route from Dubuque to Ft. Dodge, and was a station on the route - the only one between Cedar Falls and Nebraska City. The Pilgrims, while agents at this station, would feast their guests by spreading the cloth on a dry goods box for a table. When the meal was completed the cover of the box was removed, and what remained of the repast, together with the dishes, were placed inside.

The Pilgrims were pioneers in the true sense of the term. They remained in this township only until 1855, when they sold out and went further west. Their place of residence is unknown by those who were intereviewed by this historian."

Place of residence unknown? Can any one doubt but these are our Dakota county Pilgrims? You have not forgotten our pioneer register - William Pilgrim, and don't you remember the late Uncle Henry Pilgrim? Well, his noble pioneer wife is still living in Omadi, where they settled more than a third of a century ago. I asked this aged woman if she knew who those Pilgrims were that the Hardin county history referred to, when she replied, "Why, bless you, that was me and Henry, and his brothers Michael and William, and William's son Robert." Was it you that used the dry goods box for a table? "You bet it was" she replied, and seemed much pleased to talk about her exciting experiences in the wild primeval lands of Iowa.

When the Pilgrims left Hardin county in 1855 they settled in Dakota county, Neb. Among the first to arrive here were William and his son Robert who were with the Jesse Wigle party, which crossed the Missouri river at Sargeant's Bluffs Aug. 18, 1855. This was the first actual settlement made in Dakota county although Geo. T. Woods and others had previously selected claims.

William Pilgrim from the start was a leading citizen of this county, and in the fall of 1855 was appointed by the governor of the Territory of Neb. as the first register of Dakota county, which office he filled with redit to himself and the pioneers. He was an able thinker and a good scholar, and did much to start the county off on its prosperous career. He has long since gone to his eternal rest, but his boy Robert is still living in the county - a gray haired grand-father now. I asked Robert why he did not select a good piece of land as he could have had his choice of all the land in Dakota county, replied: "Why, I never expected to see the land worth a cent, I supposed all it would ever be good for was to hunt over it for, ducks and geese, and shoot wild turkeys alongs the bluffs. I am surprised to see this county what it is to-day; it seems like a vision - but yesterday I crossed with the rist party to settle here, and to-day wealth and prosperity everywhere abounds."

The next to arrive was the late Uncle Henry Pilgrim and family who settled on the old Col. Warner place in the spring of 1856. Here they lived to endure the hardships of pioneer times, and witnessed the transformation of a wild primeaval land into the rich and beautiful country of to-day. They greeted many of the pioneers to the county as they came down the old Military Road at "Pilgrim's Hill." It was a balmy day in spring the 1st of May, 1855, Mr. Pilgrim had just finished his dinner and stepping to the door he beheld a huge wagon load of children and household goods coming down the hill. It was Michael Kennelly and all he had in the world packed into one wagon. "Hello there" said Mr. Pilgrim. "Hello yourself" replied the dusty emigrant, "I'm hunting for the land of milk and honey, where is it?" "You're standing on it now" said Mr. P.

Well, this is the simple story of the whereabouts of "The Pilgrims," and I hope Hardin county will now know what became of them when they left there in 1855.
M.M. Warner
Henry and Zylpha spent the remainder of their lives in Dakota county, Nebraska. Both are buried in the Omaha Valley cemetery. The following pictures show all that remains of their headstones. The first photo is Henry's, the second is Zilpha's.





Friday, March 20, 2009

What will they think...

I've spent the last several days re-installing the Vista operating system on my computer and all my programs. Because of my computer's downtime I haven't had access to the internet. Well I had access...I just didn't have the time. Yesterday...when the re-install was pretty much complete, I logged on to my Facebook account. That had me wondering. Will future generations be able to search Facebook archives for their ancestors, much the way we search Ancestry.com for census records? Will they find these little glimpses of our day? You know...the "I watched" this...or "I ate" that. Will they see that I was battling with my computer? I have often thought that these "what I'm doing now" comments were mostly pointless, but now I'm rethinking that. What would I give to have little snippets of the day-in, day-out life of my ancestors? They would be such a treasure. Even if all it said was "I listened to this radio show," or "ate this meal." It would connect me to a little piece of them. I wonder if, some day, Ancestry will have Facebook archives to search (for a fee of course!)? Just a thought...

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

The whole truth, and nothing but the truth...



On a research trip to Pennsylvania, we found this letter attesting to the fact that Daniel Clifford Davies was born in Pennsylvania in 1896. He was attempting to obtain a delayed certificate of birth.




This wasn't quite the truth since we had found his 1891 birth certificate while on a trip to Wales.



I guess women aren't the only ones that lie about their age, but at least we admit where we were born.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Are we crazy or what?

Maybe we're crazy, but it was fun! We decided to rent a little cabin for the night. That doesn't sound so crazy until you understand that the cabin was in the same town where we live. Even the cabin's owner smiled when she saw the address I listed on the registration card. But this little log cabin was so cozy and comfortable. We had a wonderful time. Our friends are chuckling over our little vacation, but it was a fun memory.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Try, try again...



For several years we believed that James A. Blay had only one wife, Mattie Morris. However, recently we found that he actually had three wives. After Mattie's death he married Emma Lintges in 1906. The marriage lasted only 6 years. James (31 years her senior) filed for a divorce in 1912 citing "extreme and repeated acts of cruelty" on the part of Emma.



In 1913 James married Minnie Zuendt. Minnie (24 years younger than James) was a German immigrant; having arrived in this country in 1907. Their marriage lasted until his death in 1929.

In the following photo, James is sitting next to Emma. I calculate the photo was taken about 1909 or 1910. Melvina (standing on the chair) looks to be about 2 or 3 years old (she was born in 1907). I believe the older woman in the photo is James' mother, Cynthia Derrick, who died in October of 1910.

Monday, March 09, 2009

Goodbye sweet child...

The second child of Robert William Johns and Margretta (Blay) Johns was Martha Etta. When she was just a little over two and a half years old she contracted scarlet fever. Sadly she never recovered. Here is the article from the Herald Democrat newspaper, 24 Feb 1907 issue, titled "Death of a Little Child."


They held the funeral in their home at 1409 Poplar street and little Martha was then buried in Leadville cemetery (Leadville, Colorado). Her parents paid $6 for a wire basket to be placed around her headstone. Although it's hard to see in this picture, the basket looks like a wire cradle.




Sunday, March 08, 2009

Truly inspirational...

We watched a video today - "Only A Stonecutter." A film by TC Christensen, the true story about mormon pioneer John Rowe Moyle. If you ever get a chance to watch this short film you won't be sorry - it's truly inspirational.

Thursday, March 05, 2009

Was my grandfather a heron?



My grandfather, David Windsor Davis Sr. was born 5 Jul 1893 at 41 Garn Cross Street in Nantyglo, Wales. At the time of his birth, his father was a grocer and the family lived above the store. Below is a picture we took of the building when we were in Wales.



His birth certificate lists his name as "David Windsor Cranog Davies." I don't know the significance of the name Cranog. Only one other brother, John Ivor, had an additional name, "John Ivor Crynant Davies." Cranog is a Welsh boy's name and means heron; a wading bird with grey and white plumage.

Sunday, March 01, 2009

Twenty-three was a bad age...

Twenty-three was a bad age to be if you were the wife of Jenkin Morgan. Both of his wives died at that age.


Hannah (Williams) Morgan died 31 Mar 1872 at age 23 years, 4 months



Catherine (Lewis) Morgan died 5 Sep 1879 at age 23 years, 21 days


Jenkin Morgan died 15 Aug 1900



This is what is left of Jenkin's home in Cherokee, Calif.