Bathing beauty????

This is my great grandfather, Robert William Johns. Unfortunately, the photo doesn't have a date on it. I don't know anything about cars or dating them. The Model T Showroom website has similar "looking" vehicles (based on looking at the windshield, radiator cap, tires and fenders) that are dated in the early 1920's. The website Ford T 1921 for Sale has photographs that look very similar. The Beefcake Swimwear: A visual scrapbook of vintage men's beachwear website shows similar swimsuit designs from the early to mid 1920's. Of course I can't determine the age of the vehicle or the swimsuit at the time the photo was taken, but I would guess late 1920's.

Looking at this photo always made my Dad chuckle, and I can understand why...I love those knees!

Tombstone Tuesday

Leah (Evinger) Burtner, wife of Jacob Burtner died 7 Dec 1849, age 21 yrs

buried Otterbein Cemetery, Hutton Twp, Coshocton county, Ohio

Passenger number 105...

Henry Prehn (Heinrich Prehn) came to the United States from Germany on the ship Bremen on May 12, 1857...he was passenger number 105.

He arrived in New Orleans, but ended up living in Webster Groves, Missouri. The following is a biographical sketch of Henry that was published in the "History of St. Louis County," by William L. Thomas, 1911, pg. 72-77:

HENRY PREHN
The record of Henry Prehn is but another illustration of the fact that character and ability will always come to the front, no matter what the early environment of a man may have been, for from a humble position he has worked his way up in the business world until he ranks among the men of prominence in commercial and financial circles in Webster Groves.

He was born in Germany on the 21st of January, 1833, a son of John Henry and Margaret (Kniff) Prehn, who passed their entire lives in the fatherland. In the schools of his native country Henry Prehn acquired his education and he assisted his father in the work of the home farm until his ambitious spirit prompted him to seek advancement in the business world. Determining to try the opportunities which he heard were open to enterprising youth in the new world he left home and friends and sailed for America, arrive at New Orleans in April, 1857. He continued his journey up the Mississippi river to St. Louis, Missouri, and thence to Gasconade county, this state, where he remained for a short time.

When he returned to St. Louis his entire capital amounted to but two dollars and fifty cents and he at once sought work by which he could provide for his support. He engaged in truck gardening around that city for about six months, after which he came to Webster Groves, and here was employed at various occupations, scorning no avenue through which he could earn an honest living. His time was thus employed until 1867 when, with the money which he had been able to save as a result of constant exertion, unfaltering perseverance and the most rigid economy, he purchased a small stock of goods and opened up a grocery store at this place, with which line of activity he has since been identified. The business had a small beginning, but its gradual expanse, in time, made it one of the most important enterprises of its kind in the city. In 1875 he added a feed department and his trade has now reached most gratifying proportions. The secret of his success lies in the fact that he has never been afraid of work, laboring earnestly and diligently toward the goal of independence, while his methods have ever been honest and aboveboard, never taking advantage of the necessities of others to further his own ends. Putting forth his efforts in financial fields, he assisted in organizing the Bank of Webster Groves and also the Trust Company of Webster Groves, and is now serving as director in both institutions.

Mr. Prehn was married twice. On the 21st of January 1862, he wedded Miss Johanna Leue, and they became the parents of two children: John Henry; and Minnie, the wife of John Carr, of San Francisco, California. The wife and mother passed away in 1871, and on the 21st of January, 1872, he married Miss Mary Caroline Bangert. Unto this union were born nine children, of whom one, John, passed away in infancy. The surviving members are: Louise, the wife of Louis Roemmer, of Pacific, Missouri; Fred, who is associated with his father in business; and William, Carrie, Charles, Robert, Catherine and Walter, all of whom are living at home.

Mr. Prehn and his family hold membership in the First Congregational church of Webster Groves and are well known in the social circles of his community. During the time of the Civil war he served as sergeant of the Home Militia, and in politics he has ever been a stanch republican, giving his allegiance to the party which stood as the support of the Union during the dark days of the Rebellion. He served as postmaster of Webster Groves under the administration of President Hayes, but aside from that office has never sought nor desired political preferment. No citizen, however, is more deeply interested in the welfare of the community in which he resides, for not only has he been progressive and successful in business, but has supported every public movement which has to do with the development and improvement of this district, and is a strong advocate of all those things which are a matter of civic virtue and of civic pride. He is a familiar figure in the community in which he has so long labored, and those who know him respect him for his sterling personal worth as well as for the business ability he manifests, and in all relations of life he measures up to the full standard of honorable, upright manhood.

Heinrich applied for citizenship in St. Louis Co., MO. His oath of allegience was found in FHL Film #1509835, Vol. A, Pg. 428.

Wordless Wednesday...

Tombstone Tuesday...

Stephen Medbury died May 2 1856 (aged 85 years, 6 mos, 6 das), buried New Berlin (Greenwood Cemetery), Chenango, New York, USA

A thing of beauty...

I was at Sutro Library (San Francisco) today looking through San Francisco city directories. My grand parents and great grand parents each ran restaurants in the city. I was trying to find the exact location of those restaurants. In the late 1940s my grandparents (Dave & Melvina Davis) operated a small cafe next to the Fox Theater called the Gold Room.

In the following photo (circa 1945 from the San Francisco Public Library web site http://sfpl.org/) shows a crowd outside the Fox Theater. If you look to the left edge of the photo you can see the small sign identifying the Gold Room.

Both of my parents worked at this restaurant before they were married. This is where their famous "hamburger in the face" incident took place.

I knew that the restaurant was next to the Fox Theater, but I never realized what a magical place the theater was. Wow! is all I can say. It was built in 1929 and torn town in 1963. The following picture (from the William Swain Collection http://tinyurl.com/ndzs82) shows the "grand staircase" in the main lobby. What a sad loss of San Francisco. You can see more images of the Fox Theater at http://tinyurl.com/lju7vg.

I have a menu from the Gold Room. When vagrants came into the restaurant begging for money, my grandfather told them he wouldn't give them cash, but if they were truly hungry he would feed them. They could order anything they wanted from the menu.

One stop shopping???

This is the wedding photo for Robert Franklin Manley and Pearl Osborn. You would never know by looking at them that they were married in a clothing store. We didn't know either...until we found a newspaper article.

I contacted the Decatur Genealogical Society to see if they had a photograph of the clothing store, or if they knew why it was a popular place for weddings. Unfortunately they couldn't help me with either request. So it remains a mystery. Why a clothing store? I wonder if their wedding clothes were rented or purchased?

I can't believe it finally happened...

After years and years of research to find the parents of Cornelia Reynolds; I can't believe I finally found them! I had searched through census, vital, probate and land records, as well as historical and biographical books. All to no avail. I had worked through the pre-1850 census records and had narrowed down the possible father, but lacked a way to confirm my theory or to find the name of the mother (who died before 1850).

I had about given up hope. Then on a recent trip to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, I found the confirmation I was seeking AND the name of the mother! Cornelia grew up in Hartwick, Otsego county, New York, and that was were I had concentrated my research. Who knew I would find the answer by researching one of Cornelia's siblings and that the answer would be found on the opposite coast.

So don't ever give up! Even if you think you have looked everywhere. Keep looking and digging. You may just find the answer in a place you least expect. And research those allied lines. At least in my research, it seems a better paper trail was left by the siblings of my ancestors than by my ancestors themselves.

Okay...now to tackle finding Cornelia's grandparents :-) That will probably take another 10 years.

Will Picasa save my sanity????

I've just started using Picasa in an attempt to organize all my genealogy photos and images. I've tried using Picasa in the past, but didn't really like it. I couldn't seem to get it to do what I wanted, and it drove me crazy that it catagorized everything by date. I don't know what made me try it again, but I downloaded it, and set it to search only my genealogy folders. I then began entering tags to each photo and image. The tag I'm using in the person's RIN (Record Identification Number). Using Picasa I can search on an ancestor's RIN and find all the photos, certificates, newspaper articles, and census records for them.

So far things are going well. Of course...I did have to figure out how to get it to display even the small photos. By default it's set to ignore all photos/images that are 250x250 pixels (or less). Some of my images are pretty tiny. Anyway...I couldn't figure out why some of them weren't showing up. Once that was corrected (View, Small Pictures) things are going swimmingly. It's going to take a long (long...long) time to enter all the tags.

I have tried using other programs (like FastStone View), but it wouldn't allow me to add tags, comments to png images. I'm hoping Picasa will make it easier to find things. Especially since I have items in different folders (a folder for headstones, one for census, one for newspapers, and so forth). Will it save my sanity? Only time will tell...

The final installment...

This blog article ends the letter written by Josiah Osborn on April 7, 1848 and tells the aftermath of the massacre.

...The priest gave me a letter to the Bishop. All being ready, we started, the Indian leading the way, and made all haste to get back to my wife and children. When we came near, we commenced hunting, but could not find them, owing to the dark. We gave up the search until daylight; soon after, we found them, almost perished with hunger and thirst. The Indian got water, and I gave them bread; and in about ten minutes we began to get ready to start; being so near the Indians that had committed the murders, our guide was anxious to return. We started to go by the company's farm, and had got no more than two miles, where we got off at a creek, before we saw an Indian coming toward us; he came up with spped, and spoke very friendly to me, but told my Indian that he would kill me, and put his hand on his pistol. My Indian asked him if he was an old woman that he would kill an old man that was sick, with a sick wife and children? After they had talked for some time he replied that, as he never had shed blood, he would not; but said tell him to hurry and be gone, for the murderers will follow and kill him before he gets to the Umatilla. My Indian told me to hurry; we started, and the Indian followed close behind for some distance, and then left, and we soon got to the farm where we were to change horses. We were directed to stop here till night, but the Frenchman would not let us stay, for he said the Indians would be there before night. Here was the first fire that Margaret and two of the children had seen since Monday. We warmed a few minutes and started as though we would go to the bishop's. When we were out of sight we turned, and thought we would risk going to the fort. We went on as fast as we could, but soon after dark Margaret gave out, and had to be tied to the Indians back, but we got to the fort about ten o'clock. Mr. McBean helped us into an empty room, and we soon had a fire.

We had hardly got warm before McBean came to me, and wanted me to leave my family with him, and go down to the valley by myself, but I refused to leave the fort, and would not go; but God fed us here until Mr. Ogden came up from Fort Vancouver, and brought the women and children here. We had to spend one month among Roman Catholics and Indians, and fed for some time on meat, having but little bread; we helped to eat one horse, which gave my wife the dysentery.

Mr. Ogden one of the principal agents of the Hudson Bay Company, took us down to Oregon city. After we got to the city, John Law died, and we bured in the same grave with Alex Findley. I can say but little more about the massacre; we may say, however, that it was nothing but the hand of the Almighty God that delivered us out of the hands of these cruel savages.

The climate of Oregon is pleasant and healthy. Wheat is good here, so are vegetables. Father Courtney was killed by the falling of a tree. Putnam lost his wife with the camp fever. There is a call here for all finds of machinery. I am now building a saw and gristmill for Rees & Cottle. Jane and Lydia were married about new-year. Jane lost her husband this month, the rest are well.

Yours, &c. Josiah Osborn

The following links have more information on the massacre:

• http://www.oregonpioneers.com/whitman.htm
• http://www.nps.gov/archive/whmi/history/nov29.htm#66a
• http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~orlinngs/resources/wpa/humecath.htm

A WPA interview with Catherine (McHargue) Hume dated July 7, 1939 gives the following account:

"Perhaps the most historically notable persons buried in this cemetery were Josiah and Margaret Osborn. Margaret Osborn's grave is marked but Josiah Osborn's is not, but they are buried here close together, also I believe that there are two of their children buried there in unmarked graves. The Osborns first settled in my father's community about the year 1845. In 1847 Marcus Whitman hired Josiah Osborn to assist in building a mill at the Whitman mission. Osborn and his whole family were there at the time of the Whitman Massacre. All of the children were sick with the measles at the time and Mrs. Osborn was sick following a miscarriage in childbirth. I used to play with the Osborn children when I was small and knew the whole family well. Mrs. Osborn has often told me the story of the massacre.

"When the massacre began Josiah Osborn was at work outside and Mrs. Osborn and the children were all sick in the cabin. Josiah Osborn ran to the cabin and taking a single blanket and a loaf of bread he raised the loose boards of the floor and the whole family crept beneath. They stayed there all day, small children, sick children, sick mother and all. They heard all the terrible noise of the massacre, some of which took place just above them.

Mostly the small children were good but sometimes they would begin to cry and then Mrs. Osborn would quiet them as best she could, or if necessary smother their cries beneath their blanket. They stayed there until late into the next night and then Osborn crept out hoping to meet a friendly Indian who would help them to escape. They finally crept away and tried to make their way to Fort Walla Walla. They traveled for several days, sleeping without shelter during the daytime and traveling at night. These measles-sick parents and children had to ford cold flooded streams and then sleep in their wet clothes. It is a wonder that all of them did not die.

Finally they reached the fort but were denied entrance. Apparently the small force there so feared the Indians that they did not dare admit them for fear of angering the Indians. At last they were admitted and hidden in an inner room. Mrs. Osborn was so sick and think that her bones actually protruded through great sores where she lay on the hard floor. They were finally rescued and taken to Oregon City where one child died. Mrs. Osborn suffered for years from unhealable ulcers, the result of her hardships and exposure.

"I knew all of the Osborn children well. They had five girls and two boys. The boys were Alec and Wilson, the latter named after Rev. Wilson Blain, early Presbyterian preacher in this region. Then there was Nancy who was the baby at the time of the Whitman Massacre. After that there were twins, Narcissa and Louisa. Narcissa was named after the wife of Marcus Whitman.

The younger children were Malinda, Margaret and Merinda. Nancy later was rather well known as Nancy E. Jacobs, her married name. The Osborn claim was just east of my father's claim so that I naturally associated with the younger children almost every day. "

The tragic events begin to unfold...

Continuing the letter of Josiah Osborn written April 7, 1848 recounting the events of the Whitman Massacre. Below is a sketch of Tiloukaikt and Tomahas, Cayuse chiefs that were tried for the murders at the Mission.

On the 29th day of November, the Indians convened for the purpose, apparently, of burying their dead, and continued coming in nearly all day. About one or two o'clock Margaret got up and went into the parlor to see the sick children - the first she had walked for three weeks. The doctor and his wife were in the room, and an Indian came to the door and spoke to the doctor, who went out into the kitchen. Mrs. W. now bolted the door, and the firing soon commenced. Kimble, Camfield, and Huffman were dressing a beef in the yard, Sanders was in the school room, and the other men were at their work. I was in my room, on the bed. The Indians commenced on all at nearly the same moment. They killed the doctor and wounded the three men at the beef, and killed a young man in the room with the doctor and Mr. Gillyean the tailor. Margaret came back into our own room; I asked her what was the matter; she answered that the Indians had risen to kill us. A constant firing was now kept up. Sanders was killed in attempting to get to his family; Kimble got into the house with his arm broke, and got up stairs with the children. Mrs. Whitman being informed that her husband was not yet dead, with the assistance of another woman, she dragged him into the parlor. His head was badly mangled and his throat cut. She was shot in the breat, and Mr. Rogers got her up stairs, and he, by presenting a gun at the head of the stairs, kept the Indians down; but about sun-set they promised that if Mr. R. and the rest would come down and go to the house where the emigrants were, they would not kill any more. Mr. R., with the assistance of an Indian, got Mrs. Whitman down, but no sooner had they got outside of the house than the Indians fired several balls into Mrs. Whitman, and kicked her bleeding body into the mud. They shot Mr. Rogers three times, and left him to die. A few minutes before this last occurrence, I had lifted up the floor and we got under, with our three children and put the boards back in their place. We lay there listening to the firing - the screaming of women and children - the groans of the dying - not knowing how soon our turn would come. We were, however, not discovered.

When it had become dark, and all was quiet, we concluded to leave everthing, take our children and start for the fort, which was twenty-five miles distant, knowing that if we remained till morning death, would be our portion. Taking John Law on my back and A. Rogers in my arms, we started. The first step we made outside was in the blood of an orphan boy. Some of the murdered had their heads split open; some were lying in the mud disemboweled. This night we travelled only two miles. We hid in the brush, about fifty feet from the road, where all the next day, we heard the Indians passing and repassing - When dark came on, we started for the fort and got three miles further. We then gave out , and again hid in the brush, and then spent another mournful day in the Indian country. - When night came on, finding that Margaret was unalbe to travel, I took John Law on my back and started for Fort Wallawalla, yet twenty miles distant. When I had arrived within six miles of the fort, I laid down in the wet grass till morning. About nine o'clock, I reached the fort, where McBean met me, and told me that he had reported me among the dead. He gave me about half a pint of tea and two small biscuits. When we had got warm, I asked for assistance to bring in my fmaily, but was unable to procure any. During the day, Mr. Stanley came up from Fort Collville with two horses, which he offered me. At night we got a little more to eat, and an Indian being hired to go with me, I prepared for a start. Mr. McBean said I must go to the bishop on the Umatilla. I refused, but he said I must, for if I came back we could not have a mouthful of food. I asked him for some bread to carry to my family, for they had had nothing but a little cold mush since Monday. He gave me none, but Mr. Stanley gave me some bread, sugar, tea, and salt. And gave John Law a pair of socks, and a fine silk handkerchief...to be continued

The saga continues...

This blog post continues the letter written by Josiah Osborn on April 7, 1848. He was a survivor of the Whitman Massacre, and his letter recounts his experiences. Below are sketches of Dr. Marcus Whitman and his wife, Narcissa Whitman.

...A day or two afterwards we met another caravan, in which were David Findley and his family; they had buried their youngest child three days before. Putnam had taken the road to the Cascades. Thus our friends were scattered along the road, trying to find the Wallamette Valley. We now hired another crew of Indians to take us to Fort Wallawalla, up the Columbia river. After bidding farewell to our friends, we put our goods aboard of a small boat, dig out of a white cedar, and started with four Indians. With hard labor we got about half way through the Big Falls, and camped among the rocks by the water's edge. In the morning we got Indians to carry some of our goods to the upper end of the falls, and took our four little children and made our way over rocks and through sand, meanwhile the Indians pulled our boat up through the falls. We then went aboard and proceeded on our way to Dechutes' Falls, and encamped. Next morning made our portage and went on; so made our way up the river, passing thru many dangers, not only by the river, but by being almost without food, except as we bought from the Indians along the river. We ran out of provisions, and had to buy drived salmon. Our children suffered very much with the cold. In ten days after leaving the falls we arrived at Fort Wallawalla.

On Sabbath morning the team came for us, with provisions, and on Monday at noon we reached the Mission, where the doctor and Mrs. Whitman, and Mr. Andrew Rogers, met us with great friendship. We found Mr. Rogers very unwell, but on the mend. Several families had stopped here for the winter. The Cayuse Indians were dying very fast with the measles and dysentery. In about two weeks the doctor's family took them, and, as we lived in the adjoining room, Margaret was taken down on the 8th of November, and, being in a delicate situation, the disease went very hard with her, and resulted in the death of the child, which was born on the 14th and was buried next day. When it was taken to the grave Salvijane was taken down, as we supposed, with the measles, and never rose again; in five or six days she became speechless, and died on the ninth day after she was taken. Our other children - John Law, A. Rogers, and Nancy Anna - were all taken sick, but Nancy was able to be about all the time. I was also sick for several days.

In the last company there was a half-breed came to the doctor's and hired to work through the winter. One day he was at work for an Indian name Tamsicky, harrowing in wheat, and told him that the doctor and Mrs. Whitman were scattering poison into the air, and would kill them all off; that he was not working for him, but the doctor; that he (the doctor) knew they would all die, and he would get their wheat and all they had. He then proposed that, if they would agree to it, he wouldhelp them to kill the doctor and his wife, and all the Americans in the country. As they had a disposition to murder, and wanted satisfaction for the loss of the women and children, it was no difficult matter to incide them agains the Americans...to be continued

A survivor's story...

The Whitman Massacre

Wikipedia describes the Whitman Massacre as follows:

The Whitman massacre (also known as the Walla Walla massacre and the Whitman Incident) was the murder in the Oregon Country on November 29, 1847 of U.S. missionaries Dr. Marcus Whitman and his wife Narcissa Whitman, along with thirteen others. They were killed by Cayuse and Umatilla Indians. The incident began the Cayuse War. It took place in present-day southeastern Washington, near the town of Walla Walla, and was one of the most notorious episodes in the U.S. settlement of the Pacific Northwest. The event was the climax of several years of complex interaction between the Whitmans, who had led the first wagon train along the Oregon Trail, and the local Native Americans.

You can read the rest of the excerpt here.

Newspapers across the country carried the events (the image below is from the Weekly Wisconsin newspaper, 31 May 1848 issue, pg. 4)

Josiah Osborn and (some) of his family were survivors of the Whitman Massacre. My next several blog posts will be a transcript of a letter written by Josiah on April 7, 1848, to his brother and sister in Illinois. It was printed in the Oquawka Illinois Spectator newspaper on August 23, 1848 and picked up by several papers across the country. The image below is from the Sandusky Clarion newspaper, Oct 16 1848 issue.

Dear Brother and Sister:

After a long silence, I take pen in hand to write you a few lines, to inform you that some of us still remain on this side of the grave, and give you some information of the country, and our troubles since we left the states. I have waited a long time, until I could have something worth writing about.

When we parted with you, we took our journey for Oregon, and had a very pleasant trip, but traveled very slowly. When we reached the Umatilla river we turned and went to Dr. Whitman's, where we spent the winter. We had a very pleasant winter. On the first of March, 1846, we started for the Willamette Valley, and in thirteen days we arrived at the Falls, where had to stop and construct a boat. In about two weeks we had completed our boat, and then started down the Columbia, and arrived at Oregon city on the 24th of April. Here we spent the summer, and in the fall moved up the Wallamette to the Methodist Institute, and spent the fall and winter. In the spring of 1847 we went to our claim on the Califosea, and thought we were done moving.

Dr. Whitman came down and wanted me to undertake to build two mills for the Mission; and, not being satisfied with doing well, I consented to go and spend two years in working for the Mission. On the last of September we started for Oregon City. About the first of October we took water at the city, with six Wallawalla Indians, for the Falls, which we reached on the 5th. Next day we saw the dust rise from a caravan coming from the states. I started to meet them, and the first persons I met were John and Nancy Findley, driving the loose cattle. After passing a few words with them I went on and met the wagons. The first was driven by Wm. McCaw. In this wagon I found one whom I had never expected to see again in this world. Here was aunt Jane Findley, sitting in the wagon, almost worn out with traveling. She was surrounded with a host of children - three of Levi Russell's, four of Dunlap's and one of McCaw's - all dependent upon their grandmother to be taken care of - a burden for the stoutest person. Then rode up James L. Findley and his wife, in good health; then came Alexander Findley, John Dunlap and Milton - Dunlap had been sick for several days. This was a very solemn meeting of friends. After bracing myself up as well as I could, I led this little caravan on to my family. The caravan soon passed on to camp, but John and Nancy Findley remained and took tea with us, and in the evening we went with them to the camp...to be contined

Extra...extra....read all about it...

I love newspapers and what they add to my research, but it hasn't always been that way. When I first started family history research, I concentrated on vital and census records. I only used newspapers for birth, marriage, and death announcements. That was pretty much the extent of my foray into historical newspapers. One day I was cranking though a microfilm of the Monroe Gazette (that I got through inter-library loan) when I happened on this article.

Of course this isn't on my family...it's my husband's family (I never have this kind of luck in my own research). I'm now a newspaper convert. So much that I have a subscription to GenealogyBank and Newspaper Archive (both have extensive historical newspaper collections) as well as Ancestry. The digitzation and indexing of newspapers isn't perfect. OCR programs can't compensate for light, deteriorated or poor quality news print. But even with this shortcoming it certainly helps to find those obscure articles that we otherwise would miss. Don't be like me...don't overlook the value of newspapers. You never know what you might find.

I wonder why I haven't heard anything...

I noticed that two new databases have been added to the database portal available at the LDS Family History Center. I'm surprised I haven't read anything about this on any of the blogs. The new databases will be of interest to anyone doing British research.

1. 19th Century British Library Newspaper Digital Archive – this site has about 2 million pages of British newspapers.

2. The Genealogist – British births, marriages, deaths, census records, and directories.

These are available FREE at the FHC through the database portal.

It remains a mystery...

My great-great grandmother, Johanna (Leue) Prehn died 23 Sep 1871 of puerperal fever (an infection after child birth). Her death is recorded in the St. Louis county (Missouri) death register, item #4698. On 25 Nov 1871 the death register lists the death of William John Prehn. He is 2 months, 5 days at the time of death and lived in Webster Groves (which is where Henry & Johanna lived), and he's buried in the same cemetery as Johanna (Old Pickers). Is this a child of Henry and Johanna? We just don't know for sure. But the mystery deepens...

The baptism records of the First Congregational Church of Webster Groves list two infant baptisms:

Pg. 1, #22 - Charles Henry Prehn, born 17 Sep 1871 and baptized 01 Oct 1871
Pg. 1 #23 - John Frederick Prehn born 17 Sep 1871 and baptized 01 Oct 1871

The parents for both children are listed as Henry & Johanna Prehn. So we know that Johanna gave birth to twins. The only newspaper reference to Johanna's death is found in the "Missouri Republican," 24 Sep 1871 issue (pg. 2). However, that is just one sentence that merely says "Johanna beloved wife of Henry" died.

The mystery is that we don't know what happened to the boys. They simply vanish. They aren't living in Henry Prehn's household in the 1880 census. Henry remarried in 1873. In 1880 he's listed with his two children (14 and 12) from his marriage to Johanna and four children from his second marriage. None of which are the boys listed above.

At the time of her death, Johanna had a 4 year old son and a 2 year old daughter. The most likely scenario is that Henry felt he could take care of these two toddlers, but couldn't take care of twins (or triplets) so decided to give them up for adoption. There was an orphange in Webster Groves called St. Louis Protestant Orphans' Asylum. I found that the Western Historical Manuscript Collection at the University of Missouri had microfilm copies of their records. I checked roll #5 which contained the record of admissions and departures for that time period...nothing. Of course that doesn't mean they weren't given to another orphanage. Henry's will (probated 10 Dec 1913) makes no mention of these boys.

So I have two main questions...

1. Was William John Prehn a child of Henry and Johanna? If so...why wasn't he baptized at the same time as the other two boys? If his age is accurate in the death register, he was born about the 20th of Sep (3 days after the other boys)...so not likely to be Johanna's. The only other Prehn living is Webster Grove was Henry's brother, John Prehn. I don't think this infant could be John's because his wife gave birth to a daughter in April of 1872. Although it's not impossible to have only a six and one half month separation between births, it seems unlikely.

2. If Henry was going to give the boys up for adoption, why have them baptized? But mostly...where did the boys go? They aren't listed as dying or being buried anywhere in the Webster Groves area.

It just remains a mystery...

Don't take NO for an answer

Several years ago my husband and I (along with my parents) made a genealogy trip to Trinity county, California. We wanted to visit the area where Horace Fitch lived and ran Fitch's Ferry. We stopped at the Trinity County Historical Society in Weaverville...hoping they would have information on Horace and his family. Much to our disappointment the docent said they didn't have anything.

Before leaving, we all strolled through the various displays. I notice in the back of one room there were some card files. They appeared to be a card catalog of the Society's holdings in alphabetical order by surname. Even though we had been told that there was nothing on the Fitch family, I decided to check the card catalog. Imagine my surprise when I saw a card for Horace Fitch and also one for Oscar Fitch (Horace's brother)!

The card for Horace referenced a photo in the Society's collection of Horace and Oscar taken in about 1907.

The back of the photo identifies Oscar in the front riding "Ted" and Horace in the back riding "Jim." On the porch is Oscar's wife, Louisa (Plank) Fitch, and his granddaughter, Dorothy, is on the right edge of the photo. We were allowed to photograph the front and back of the photo.

The catalog card for Oscar referenced a diary or memoir he wrote of his Civil War experience. We weren't allowed to photocopy or photograph it (darn!). So we transcribed what we could.

The moral of the story...don't take NO for an answer. Ask if the agency has a card catalog of their holdings. You never know what you might find!

On the street where they lived...

Abraham Albee's & Fannie (Fitch) Albee's home on Dorland St. burned down during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Fannie's father, Horace Fitch, bought them a lot at 222 Prague St. Abraham purchased two earthquake shacks and had them moved to the lot; where he joined them together. In this picture (L-R) Bertha, Fannie, Winnie, Walter and Abraham Albee holding Jeff are standing next to their Prague St. earthquake shack.

The photo is circa 1906/1907

I checked the McInerney actions (court actions to establish land ownership). I didn't find anything, but then I realized...I wouldn't. The McInerney actions were for people to claim their land after records were destroyed in the earthquake and subsequent fire. Had the Albees put their earthquake shacks on Dorland where they had lived at the time (if they owned the land), there would probably have been an action. But they put the shacks on Prague street. This would have been a new purchase - hence, no McInerney action required. I need to check regular land records to confirm the family story that Fannie's father purchased the land for them.

A rose by any other name...

Can anyone tell me why my great grandmother's name is Margretta in everything I can find (including in her own handwriting in her life's story), but her obituary (from the 4 Apr 1961 issue of the San Mateo Times newspaper) gives her name as Henrietta? I'm guessing it was just a typo on the part of the funeral home.

Margretta was cremated and her remains were shipped to Colorado for burial in the Leadville cemetery (Lake county, Colorado). I haven't been able to locate her burial location within the cemetery, and her name doesn't show up in any interment transcriptions.

What a way to go...

Thomas Stanley Davies died 6 Oct 1924 at the age of 38. While on a weekend pass from Denver Veteran's Hospital, he told the family "don't let me lie down." He slept sitting in a chair. A party at the home left all in a careless mood and Tom stretched out on the sofa. They found him dead in the morning. He suffered from dropsy.