GeneaBlogie's Calendar for August
Events and Anniversaries [Family members in bold]
1
1619--First African slaves arrive in Jamestown, Virginia.
1770--William Clark is born.
2
1790--First U.S. Census begins.
3
1492--Columbus sails from Palos de la Frontera, Spain; Ferdinand and Isabella expel Jews from Spain.
4
1964--Civil rights workers Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman and James Chaney found dead in Mississippi after disappearing on June 21.
5
1962--Actress and sex icon, Marilyn Monroe is found dead in her home after apparently overdosing on sleeping pills.
6
1891--Albert Emmanuel Bowie (Henry Bowie & Martha Cotton) born in Louisiana.
1931--James Robert Long and Thelma Cloretta Smith married in Kansas City, Missouri.
7
1935--Twins Frank William Gines, Sr. (d. 1999, Lakewood, Colorado), and Henry Edward Gines, Sr. (d. 1993, Lakewood, Colorado), born in Kansas City, Missouri. Their parents were Henry Willie Gines and Ora Mae Wilkerson.
8
1866-- Matthew Henson, Arctic explorer, is born.
9
1894--Arthur LeJay (d. 15 December 1968, Shreveport, Louisiana) born in De Soto Parish, Louisiana.
1906--Rufus Dwayne Bowie (d. 16 January 1977, Los Angeles, California) born in Gregg County, Texas. His parents were Eugene James Bowie and Mary Lola Elizabeth White.
10
1898--William Edward Gines (d. 9 May 1955 in Kansas City, Missouri) born in Shreveport, Louisiana. His parents were Richard William Gines and Sylvia LeJay.
12
1887--Benjamin Franklin Long (d. February 1966) born in Kansas City, Missouri. His parents were James William Long and Mary Elizabeth Liza Jane Johnson.
14
1883--Bob Bowie (d. 17 December 1939) born in Gregg County, Texas. His parents were John Wesley Bowie and Amanda McCray.
15
1904--Adlina LeJay (d. 22 July 1989 in Solano County, California) born in De Soto Parish, Louisiana. Her parents were Sandy LeJay and Celia Brown.
16
1850--Billy Brayboy born in South Carolina. His parents were William Brayboy and Bettie Brayboy.
17
1872--Washington Brayboy and Jennie Taylor married in Shreveport, Louisiana.
18
1942--Quentin Vennis Harold Manson and Janice Helder married in Rockport, Texas.
19
1890--Otis Manson and Bettie Sanford married in Rockdale, Texas.
20
1885--Roland Brayboy (d. January 1979) born in Shreveport, Louisiana.
21
1894--Lewis Gines and Anner Watson married in Pearl River, Mississippi.
22
1890--Addie Sanford and Abe White married in Milam County, Texas.
24
1908--Amos Johnson, Jr. (d. 3 July 1975) is born in Kansas City, Missouri. His parents were Amos Johnson and Mary Ferguson.
26
1733--John Birdsong III (d. 21 Sep 1790 in Union County, South Carolina) is born in York County, Virginia. His parents were John Birdsong II and Sarah Bennett.
29
1916--Douglas Brayboy (d. 20 Jun 1990 in Los Angeles, California) is born in Shreveport, Louisiana. His parents were Samuel Brayboy and Estella Thompson.
30
1913--Myrtis Bowie (d. 16 Jun 1993 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) is born. Her parents were Ed Bowie and Minnie Bowie.
1931--Quentin Vennis Harold Manson and Jessie Beatrice Bowie married in Rockport, Texas.
31
1864--Federal troops launch an assault on Atlanta, Georgia.
Sunday, July 31, 2005
Thursday, July 28, 2005
Virtually Google the Earth
Visit Your Ancestors' Homes Without Leaving Yours
Wouldn't it be cool to be able to see the house or at least the town your ancestors lived in before you had to spend real dinero to go there? What if you could "fly" from your home to your great uncle's place across the country to your 3rd great-grandmother's cemetery in England all in a matter of minutes?
Well, now maybe you can, thanks to Google and Microsoft.
Google has released Google Earth, which is described as "a 3D interface to the planet." It combines satellite imagery, mapping, and Google's search capabilities to locate real images of just about any place on Earth. The whole world is represented in medium resolution [15 meters]. Many major metropolitan areas have high resolution [1-2 ft in some cases; 3 meters in others]. For 38 major U.S. cities, there are 3D buildings depicted.
You can use Google Earth just like you would use Google Maps or similar programs such as MapQuest to find directions or locate addresses or businesses. But in addition to the cool imagery, Google Earth lets you actually fly through space from place to place or along a route of directions!
The images, Google says, are taken within the last three years and updated on a rolling basis. I went to a location I know on the West Coast and spotted a feature I know to be less than 90 days old.
How well does it work otherwise? I wanted to visit locales all over the United States and basically had no problem with specific addresses 95% of the time. At one location in the Southeast that I know well, I could not recognize the specific site in the image. Another site in the Midwest I never found, leading me to believe it no longer exists or the address has changed.
Google Earth must be downloaded and won't run well on older systems. It comes in a free version, a "Plus" version for $20, and a "Professional" version for $400. I tested the free version.
A competing product from Microsoft is MSN Virtual Earth. Unlike its Google counterpart, this beta runs on the Web and does not need to be downloaded. Virtual Earth has features like a scratch pad that saves your searches and a "locate me" device that uses your computer's IP address to find your location [many people don't realize that can be done]. Its images are comparable to Google's. But, perhaps because it runs on the Web, I found it a slow, lumbering clod compared to Google. [It doesn't have Google's flight capabilities]. My other gripe is that it's not as easy as I think it should be to find Virtual Earth on the MSN site.
Genealogists can use these tools to locate cities, towns, addresses, churches, cemeteries, homes, and other features. Advanced users can even learn how to visit sites that no longer contain what they did historically. Both brands allow users to e-mail images. Both also let users switch to underlying 2D road maps. Google Earth, however, has easy-to-access layers that allow display of boundaries and roads on the aerial imagery. Virtual Earth has "labeled photos," but as far as I can tell, the options are not as diverse or as user-friendly as Google's.
Wouldn't it be cool to be able to see the house or at least the town your ancestors lived in before you had to spend real dinero to go there? What if you could "fly" from your home to your great uncle's place across the country to your 3rd great-grandmother's cemetery in England all in a matter of minutes?
Well, now maybe you can, thanks to Google and Microsoft.
Google has released Google Earth, which is described as "a 3D interface to the planet." It combines satellite imagery, mapping, and Google's search capabilities to locate real images of just about any place on Earth. The whole world is represented in medium resolution [15 meters]. Many major metropolitan areas have high resolution [1-2 ft in some cases; 3 meters in others]. For 38 major U.S. cities, there are 3D buildings depicted.
You can use Google Earth just like you would use Google Maps or similar programs such as MapQuest to find directions or locate addresses or businesses. But in addition to the cool imagery, Google Earth lets you actually fly through space from place to place or along a route of directions!
The images, Google says, are taken within the last three years and updated on a rolling basis. I went to a location I know on the West Coast and spotted a feature I know to be less than 90 days old.
How well does it work otherwise? I wanted to visit locales all over the United States and basically had no problem with specific addresses 95% of the time. At one location in the Southeast that I know well, I could not recognize the specific site in the image. Another site in the Midwest I never found, leading me to believe it no longer exists or the address has changed.
Google Earth must be downloaded and won't run well on older systems. It comes in a free version, a "Plus" version for $20, and a "Professional" version for $400. I tested the free version.
A competing product from Microsoft is MSN Virtual Earth. Unlike its Google counterpart, this beta runs on the Web and does not need to be downloaded. Virtual Earth has features like a scratch pad that saves your searches and a "locate me" device that uses your computer's IP address to find your location [many people don't realize that can be done]. Its images are comparable to Google's. But, perhaps because it runs on the Web, I found it a slow, lumbering clod compared to Google. [It doesn't have Google's flight capabilities]. My other gripe is that it's not as easy as I think it should be to find Virtual Earth on the MSN site.
Genealogists can use these tools to locate cities, towns, addresses, churches, cemeteries, homes, and other features. Advanced users can even learn how to visit sites that no longer contain what they did historically. Both brands allow users to e-mail images. Both also let users switch to underlying 2D road maps. Google Earth, however, has easy-to-access layers that allow display of boundaries and roads on the aerial imagery. Virtual Earth has "labeled photos," but as far as I can tell, the options are not as diverse or as user-friendly as Google's.
Monday, July 25, 2005
Rev. James William Long, 1866--c. 1940
James William Long was born [according to the 1900 Federal census] in October, 1866, in Kansas City, Missouri. His father was James "Old Man" Long [according to the 1870 Federal census and family tradition]. According to the 1870 census, his father was married to a woman named Nancy; however, family tradition holds that James' mother's name was Paulina. Jackson County, Missouri, records show that Paulina Long died in Kansas City on 14 March 1886 at the age of 48. It's possible that "Nancy" and "Paulina" were the same person; then again, maybe not.
James William Long's siblings were Charlie, Fred, Hannah, and Rebecca; he was the middle child between his two older brothers and his two younger sisters. The family lived in the city. "Old Man" Long was described in the 1870 census as a "laborer."
On 30 May 1888, James William Long married Mary Elizabeth Liza Jane Johnson. He was 21; she was 17, and, according to family tradition, half Indian. Her illiterate father, Ezekiel Johnson, gave his consent by making an "X" on the consent form. They lived at 2711 Wyoming Street in Kansas City, Missouri. Although the 1900 and 1910 Federal censuses record his occupation as "porter," his primary vocation was that of Baptist preacher. He occupied the pulpit at Sunrise Baptist Church, which at the time, straddled the Kansas-Missouri state line. "I believe the pulpit was in Missouri and the congregation was in Kansas," his granddaughter, Lillian G. Manson, told me. [Today, Sunrise Baptist Church is located at 3301 Cypress Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri].
James and Mary Elizabeth Long were the parents of 14 children. A boy born in February, 1907, lived only three days and was never named. On the other hand, their seventh child, Christina Alta Long [Neal] died on 14 September 2000 at the age of 102. Her younger sister, Rosetta Bell Long, who learned to play the piano at age 65, lived to be 94. Annie Corrine Florida Long [Gines] lived to 84. William Henry Long died at 101.
No one alive today seems to recall exactly when James William Long died, except that it was about 1940.
James William Long's siblings were Charlie, Fred, Hannah, and Rebecca; he was the middle child between his two older brothers and his two younger sisters. The family lived in the city. "Old Man" Long was described in the 1870 census as a "laborer."
On 30 May 1888, James William Long married Mary Elizabeth Liza Jane Johnson. He was 21; she was 17, and, according to family tradition, half Indian. Her illiterate father, Ezekiel Johnson, gave his consent by making an "X" on the consent form. They lived at 2711 Wyoming Street in Kansas City, Missouri. Although the 1900 and 1910 Federal censuses record his occupation as "porter," his primary vocation was that of Baptist preacher. He occupied the pulpit at Sunrise Baptist Church, which at the time, straddled the Kansas-Missouri state line. "I believe the pulpit was in Missouri and the congregation was in Kansas," his granddaughter, Lillian G. Manson, told me. [Today, Sunrise Baptist Church is located at 3301 Cypress Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri].
James and Mary Elizabeth Long were the parents of 14 children. A boy born in February, 1907, lived only three days and was never named. On the other hand, their seventh child, Christina Alta Long [Neal] died on 14 September 2000 at the age of 102. Her younger sister, Rosetta Bell Long, who learned to play the piano at age 65, lived to be 94. Annie Corrine Florida Long [Gines] lived to 84. William Henry Long died at 101.
No one alive today seems to recall exactly when James William Long died, except that it was about 1940.
Friday, July 22, 2005
Thursday, July 14, 2005
Update: Missouri Governor Signs Controversial Bill
Don't Worry; We'll Fix It, Guv Says--Just Ignore It Meanwhile, Blunt Suggests
Missouri Governor Matt Blunt late Wednesday signed SB 420, the convoluted legislation that some local governments say will force the removal of Internet access to public records. But Blunt called for a special session of the legislature to repeal the the information provisions of this complex bill that affect local government. The new law goes into effect on August 28; a special session would commence in September. Blunt suggested that local governments not implement the law before the legislature revises it. [Story, Columbia Daily Tribune, 7/14/05].
SB 420 was sponsored by Sen. Rob Mayer of Dexter, Stoddard County, in southeast Missouri and handled in the House by Rep. Richard Byrd of Kirkwood, St Louis County, who died while the bill was pending. The legislation allows elected and appointed officials to request their personal information be removed from internet sites. Byrd reportedly was troubled by the murders of the husband and mother of a federal judge in Chicago.
But in apparent violation of the Missouri constitution, SB 420 was amended to contain a number of distinct and unrelated topics. For example, it adds to state law several important crime provisions. The bill expands the number of offenses that apply to the child placement prohibition and creates new guidelines when one child is abusing another child to protect the child who is being abused. The bill changes newborn abandonment laws, removing the minimum age requirement and raising the maximum age restriction to one year. The bill also allows cities and counties to adopt fees on marriage licenses and civil cases that would help support domestic violence shelters.
The linking of numerous, disparate subjects in legislation is illegal in many states. However, such prohibitions are often ignored by legislators in order to leverage the passage of less popular provisions. It's not clear what the idea was with SB 420, but the inclusion of so many eleemosynary issues no doubt made a gubernatorial veto politically impossible.
Jackson County Executive Katheryn Shields had said that the information provisions would cause her county to end on-line access to marriage records and real estate records.
Missouri Governor Matt Blunt late Wednesday signed SB 420, the convoluted legislation that some local governments say will force the removal of Internet access to public records. But Blunt called for a special session of the legislature to repeal the the information provisions of this complex bill that affect local government. The new law goes into effect on August 28; a special session would commence in September. Blunt suggested that local governments not implement the law before the legislature revises it. [Story, Columbia Daily Tribune, 7/14/05].
SB 420 was sponsored by Sen. Rob Mayer of Dexter, Stoddard County, in southeast Missouri and handled in the House by Rep. Richard Byrd of Kirkwood, St Louis County, who died while the bill was pending. The legislation allows elected and appointed officials to request their personal information be removed from internet sites. Byrd reportedly was troubled by the murders of the husband and mother of a federal judge in Chicago.
But in apparent violation of the Missouri constitution, SB 420 was amended to contain a number of distinct and unrelated topics. For example, it adds to state law several important crime provisions. The bill expands the number of offenses that apply to the child placement prohibition and creates new guidelines when one child is abusing another child to protect the child who is being abused. The bill changes newborn abandonment laws, removing the minimum age requirement and raising the maximum age restriction to one year. The bill also allows cities and counties to adopt fees on marriage licenses and civil cases that would help support domestic violence shelters.
The linking of numerous, disparate subjects in legislation is illegal in many states. However, such prohibitions are often ignored by legislators in order to leverage the passage of less popular provisions. It's not clear what the idea was with SB 420, but the inclusion of so many eleemosynary issues no doubt made a gubernatorial veto politically impossible.
Jackson County Executive Katheryn Shields had said that the information provisions would cause her county to end on-line access to marriage records and real estate records.
"“I would have to take all the (land) records off,"” Clay County Recorder of Deeds Bob Sevier told the Kansas City Star.
But St. Louis County officials said they weren't concerned because they have technology for restricting access to sensitive online information instead of removing the records.
Saturday, July 09, 2005
Missouri Law Could Chill Records Access
Goin' to Kansas City . . . But Future Cyber-trips to the Heartland May Be in Doubt
Spent several hours last night in KC-MO [that's Kansas City, Missouri for the uninitiated] and got a week's worth of research done. And I was home for dinner in Virginia!
My "trip" was made possible by the great folks at the Jackson County [Mo.] Department of Records, under the direction of Robert Kelly. I've talked about their online records search site before, and it's gotten even better. Last night, in just a couple of hours, I got free copies of marriage licenses for eleven ancestors from the Kansas City area, and learned a number of things about at least a dozen more relatives and ancestors.
Jackson County has on-line marriage records that go back as far as 1827. [The earliest I saw was from 1861]. The records are searchable by bride or groom names, dates, license number if known, and place filed [Kansas City, Independence, or eastern Jackson County]. But the best part is that the county has scanned the original documents into downloadable PDF and TIFF files.
The viewable files include the marriage license itself, the application for license, and the affidavit of parental consent for underage individuals. As one might expect, these documents provide a treasure trove of vital statistics. I learned ages and birth dates that I had not found anywhere else. But there are other bits of information as well. For example, I discovered that my mother's great-grandfather, Ezekiel Johnson, apparently could not read or write. He had to give his consent to the marriage of 16 year old Mary Elizabeth Johnson to James William Long in 1888. The parental consent form is filled out in the clerk's handwriting and signed "Ezekiel Johnson, [+] his mark."
I also found out that at least two relatives were married more times than is generally known in the family. I learned names and places of birth of in-laws as well.
The documents are not certified copies [and in fact are watermarked UNOFFICIAL DOCUMENT]. But their basic research value cannot be discounted.
The site is easy to use. It's powered by Hart Workflow, a product of Austin, Texas-based Hart InterCivic. I first came across Hart's handiwork at the website of the county clerk in Gregg County, Texas.
At a time when many local governments have made silly decisions about access to vital records, Jackson County [like Gregg in Texas] has done a great public service. But developments in Jefferson City, Missouri's capital, threaten to shut off this service.
In May, the Missouri legislature passed SB 420. This complex bill does a number of things, but relevant here, it prohibits the posting of certain information about public officials on the Internet without the consent of the officials. Read more about SB 420 here. See what the St Louis Post-Dispatch had to say on the matter. Jackson County and other local governments in Missouri contend that the type of information in the Jackson County records site would have to be removed under SB 420. They also argue that the bill would impose tremendous management burdens on local records managers. Jackson County Executive Katheryn Shields has written this letter to Governor Matt Blunt, urging him to veto the bill.
The local governments may be overreacting to the impact of the bill, strictly speaking. But it doesn't matter. If they remove records to comply out of an abundance of prudence, the public will lose. If they are faced with the choice of removing the information or litigating the intent of SB 420, you can guess which they'll choose.
The bill is before the Governor and there may be reason for optimism. During his four year term as Missouri's Secretary of State, Blunt was a champion for access to Missouri's great state archives, including the pre-1910 Births & Deaths Database. As of this writing, Governor Blunt had not taken action on SB 420. His office says he will complete bill signings by July 14.
1888 Marriage License, James W. Long & Mary E. Johnson
UPDATE (7/14/05): Governor Signs Law; Says "Ignore It."
Spent several hours last night in KC-MO [that's Kansas City, Missouri for the uninitiated] and got a week's worth of research done. And I was home for dinner in Virginia!
My "trip" was made possible by the great folks at the Jackson County [Mo.] Department of Records, under the direction of Robert Kelly. I've talked about their online records search site before, and it's gotten even better. Last night, in just a couple of hours, I got free copies of marriage licenses for eleven ancestors from the Kansas City area, and learned a number of things about at least a dozen more relatives and ancestors.
Jackson County has on-line marriage records that go back as far as 1827. [The earliest I saw was from 1861]. The records are searchable by bride or groom names, dates, license number if known, and place filed [Kansas City, Independence, or eastern Jackson County]. But the best part is that the county has scanned the original documents into downloadable PDF and TIFF files.
The viewable files include the marriage license itself, the application for license, and the affidavit of parental consent for underage individuals. As one might expect, these documents provide a treasure trove of vital statistics. I learned ages and birth dates that I had not found anywhere else. But there are other bits of information as well. For example, I discovered that my mother's great-grandfather, Ezekiel Johnson, apparently could not read or write. He had to give his consent to the marriage of 16 year old Mary Elizabeth Johnson to James William Long in 1888. The parental consent form is filled out in the clerk's handwriting and signed "Ezekiel Johnson, [+] his mark."
I also found out that at least two relatives were married more times than is generally known in the family. I learned names and places of birth of in-laws as well.
The documents are not certified copies [and in fact are watermarked UNOFFICIAL DOCUMENT]. But their basic research value cannot be discounted.
The site is easy to use. It's powered by Hart Workflow, a product of Austin, Texas-based Hart InterCivic. I first came across Hart's handiwork at the website of the county clerk in Gregg County, Texas.
At a time when many local governments have made silly decisions about access to vital records, Jackson County [like Gregg in Texas] has done a great public service. But developments in Jefferson City, Missouri's capital, threaten to shut off this service.
In May, the Missouri legislature passed SB 420. This complex bill does a number of things, but relevant here, it prohibits the posting of certain information about public officials on the Internet without the consent of the officials. Read more about SB 420 here. See what the St Louis Post-Dispatch had to say on the matter. Jackson County and other local governments in Missouri contend that the type of information in the Jackson County records site would have to be removed under SB 420. They also argue that the bill would impose tremendous management burdens on local records managers. Jackson County Executive Katheryn Shields has written this letter to Governor Matt Blunt, urging him to veto the bill.
The local governments may be overreacting to the impact of the bill, strictly speaking. But it doesn't matter. If they remove records to comply out of an abundance of prudence, the public will lose. If they are faced with the choice of removing the information or litigating the intent of SB 420, you can guess which they'll choose.
The bill is before the Governor and there may be reason for optimism. During his four year term as Missouri's Secretary of State, Blunt was a champion for access to Missouri's great state archives, including the pre-1910 Births & Deaths Database. As of this writing, Governor Blunt had not taken action on SB 420. His office says he will complete bill signings by July 14.
1888 Marriage License, James W. Long & Mary E. Johnson
UPDATE (7/14/05): Governor Signs Law; Says "Ignore It."
Friday, July 08, 2005
"Reparations:" Paid in Full: Debt Expired
The Chicago Tribune reported this week:
The suit named as defendants a number of major corporations which allegedly directly or through their predecessors in interest profited from or supported African enslavement in America.
I read the court's opinion [you can read it yourself, all 103 pages, right here], and here's my reaction.
The court got it right, for both legal and policy reasons.
First, it is important to note that the court recognizes the moral illegitimacy of the system of human servitude that existed for more than two hundred years in America. The question is whether the courts are the proper facilities for a remedy, if one there be at this late date.
Judge Norgle adheres to otherwise neutral precedent of long standing to hold that: (1) the plaintiffs, like all litigants, are barred from making claims of absent third parties, without themselves having suffered some injury; (2) the plaintiffs have a generalized grievance best addressed by Congress; (3) the claims are barred by the statute of limitations.
Judge Norgle is not a "racist," as one activist predictably alleged [Conrad Worrill, Chicago Sun-Times, July 7, 2005]. His decision is extraordinarily well-written and well-balanced.
IOU? [or maybe U O Me?]
Perhaps I owe me. Like a lot of Americans, I have black ancestors, some whom were presumably enslaved, and I have white ancestors who I know to have been slaveowners. My ancestors, like those of many, many Americans, include soldiers who fought on both sides of the Civil War. But in the present generation, my white cousins and my black cousins all plainly have benefited from what America is today.
Judge Norgle's concluding words are worth reprinting here:
Okay. 'Nuff said. Let's all move on.
A federal judge dismissed a wide-ranging reparations lawsuit brought by descendants of slaves, concluding Wednesday that the courts are not the place to correct centuries-old wrongs inflicted on millions of people.
U.S. District Judge Charles Norgle's ruling all but closed the door on the reparations movement's most aggressive and wide-ranging effort to date to win compensation through the courts, narrowing future legal options and pushing the debate toward the political arena.
The suit named as defendants a number of major corporations which allegedly directly or through their predecessors in interest profited from or supported African enslavement in America.
I read the court's opinion [you can read it yourself, all 103 pages, right here], and here's my reaction.
The court got it right, for both legal and policy reasons.
First, it is important to note that the court recognizes the moral illegitimacy of the system of human servitude that existed for more than two hundred years in America. The question is whether the courts are the proper facilities for a remedy, if one there be at this late date.
Judge Norgle adheres to otherwise neutral precedent of long standing to hold that: (1) the plaintiffs, like all litigants, are barred from making claims of absent third parties, without themselves having suffered some injury; (2) the plaintiffs have a generalized grievance best addressed by Congress; (3) the claims are barred by the statute of limitations.
Judge Norgle is not a "racist," as one activist predictably alleged [Conrad Worrill, Chicago Sun-Times, July 7, 2005]. His decision is extraordinarily well-written and well-balanced.
IOU? [or maybe U O Me?]
Perhaps I owe me. Like a lot of Americans, I have black ancestors, some whom were presumably enslaved, and I have white ancestors who I know to have been slaveowners. My ancestors, like those of many, many Americans, include soldiers who fought on both sides of the Civil War. But in the present generation, my white cousins and my black cousins all plainly have benefited from what America is today.
Judge Norgle's concluding words are worth reprinting here:
The ultimate objectives, the preservation of the Union and the eradication of slavery, were accomplished. The "“yoke of bondage" was removed . . . . The freed slaves then began another journey, this time not from captivity to slavery, but from slavery to citizenship and equality under the law. All of the participants had endured great suffering in this momentous conflict. It takes little imagination to understand the tremendous disruption and destabilization the Civil War caused America'’s existing social and political institutions. And yet, the dark clouds following the War were giving way to a future brighter than the great majority could have imagined in 1865. The extremely difficult task of amending the Constitution three times was accomplished in approximately five years, granting former slaves freedom, citizenship, and the right to vote. The citizens of the Union would move onward to meet the challenge made by President Lincoln on March 4, 1865, "“to achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace, among ourselves and with all nations."” . . . This is historically manifested in the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, the enactment of the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, and the promulgation of over a century of civil rights legislation and governmental programs. The sensitive ear has heard the collective "“thank you"” from those who were freed, as well as the historic apologies in words and deeds from persons of good will for the evils of slavery.
Okay. 'Nuff said. Let's all move on.
Thursday, July 07, 2005
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Some Loose Ends
A Real Live Nephew of My Uncle Sam
I had discovered my great-grandmother and her brother apparently living with Grant Richardson, the Civil War veteran, and a Mrs. Phinney Davis at the time of the 1920 census in Aransas County, Texas. The first odd thing about that was that both great-grandmother Hattie Bryant and Uncle Sam Bryant were listed as Mrs. Davis' children, which they were not. Next, at that time, Hattie and Sam were in their early 30's, and both had children. Yet, none of their children seemed to be anywhere around Mrs. Davis' house.
Well, the answer to this mystery is not quite as dramatic as it might seem. Hattie and Sam were enumerated at Mrs. Davis' house on January 27, 1920, by Milton Phillips. But, on January 10, 1920, Hattie and her children had been counted at their own house in Rockport. And the same day, Sam and his wife, Ida, and their son Oscar were enumerated at their own house.
The answer to the mystery simply may be this: Hattie and Sam were visiting the Davis/Richardson household on January 27, 1920. They lived nearby and Grant Richardson was the grandfather of Hattie's and Sam's brother-in-law, Eddie G. Richardson.
I had discovered my great-grandmother and her brother apparently living with Grant Richardson, the Civil War veteran, and a Mrs. Phinney Davis at the time of the 1920 census in Aransas County, Texas. The first odd thing about that was that both great-grandmother Hattie Bryant and Uncle Sam Bryant were listed as Mrs. Davis' children, which they were not. Next, at that time, Hattie and Sam were in their early 30's, and both had children. Yet, none of their children seemed to be anywhere around Mrs. Davis' house.
Well, the answer to this mystery is not quite as dramatic as it might seem. Hattie and Sam were enumerated at Mrs. Davis' house on January 27, 1920, by Milton Phillips. But, on January 10, 1920, Hattie and her children had been counted at their own house in Rockport. And the same day, Sam and his wife, Ida, and their son Oscar were enumerated at their own house.
The answer to the mystery simply may be this: Hattie and Sam were visiting the Davis/Richardson household on January 27, 1920. They lived nearby and Grant Richardson was the grandfather of Hattie's and Sam's brother-in-law, Eddie G. Richardson.
Monday, July 04, 2005
Serendipity Now, Serendipity Forever
The Never-ending Story: On a visit from California, my father blithely has let slip that a Civil War veteran lived next door to his family in Rockport, Texas, in the 1930's. My research has confirmed that a very old man named Grant Richardson lived near my dad's family and that the man's grandson was married to my father's aunt. But was he a Civil War veteran? Perhaps a little field trip will tell.
And Now the Conclusion (?): Another cooler-than-normal, but muggy, July day. As my parents and I get out of the car on U Street NW, just past Vermont Avenue, the rich redolence of barbeque drifts from a corner stand. Across the street, clubs and restaurants occupy the rowhouse buildings. It's easy to imagine this a thriving uptown in the 1920's and 1930's. I almost expect Langston Hughes to come out of one of the coffeehouses and I can see young Edward Kennedy Ellington running playfully around the neighborhood long before succeeding to his duchy.
We're in the heart of Washington, D.C.'s storied Shaw district, about as far as possible from Rockport, Texas, in culture, if not distance. From the corner of Vermont Avenue and U Street, right in front of the barbeque stand, my father says, "Look at that!"
"Oh, yeah! I don't know if I have my camera," Mom says. They did not know where we were headed on this field trip or why. But now they've both spotted the intelligent sculpture that sits in the middle of the African-American Civil War Memorial.
As we cross the street to the Memorial, Mom finds an old disposable camera in her purse. We walk around the perimeter of the Memorial, on which there are metal plates containing the names of more than 200,000 black soldiers who served in America's most tragic conflict. They are arranged by unit. I lead Dad around to the plaque for the 67th Regiment, United States Colored Infantry.
"How about that!" Dad exclaims, as he examines the name GRANT RICHARDSON.
Serendipity Forever: On July 12, 1865, the 67th U.S. Colored Infantry was consolidated with the 65th Regiment. Later that year, the soldiers of the consolidated 65th USCI contributed $1400 to a project commenced by their brethen in the 62nd USCI--the establishment of an educational institution for the benefit of freed blacks. On September 16, 1866, Lincoln Institute opened in Jefferson City, Missouri. In September, 1951, my father arrived at Lincoln University from Texas as a new freshman. My mother, from Kansas City, was a junior that year. They married after her graduation in 1953. I was born the following year. In October, 2005, my dad will attend his 50th reunion--with a tiny new bit of history to tell.
And Now the Conclusion (?): Another cooler-than-normal, but muggy, July day. As my parents and I get out of the car on U Street NW, just past Vermont Avenue, the rich redolence of barbeque drifts from a corner stand. Across the street, clubs and restaurants occupy the rowhouse buildings. It's easy to imagine this a thriving uptown in the 1920's and 1930's. I almost expect Langston Hughes to come out of one of the coffeehouses and I can see young Edward Kennedy Ellington running playfully around the neighborhood long before succeeding to his duchy.
We're in the heart of Washington, D.C.'s storied Shaw district, about as far as possible from Rockport, Texas, in culture, if not distance. From the corner of Vermont Avenue and U Street, right in front of the barbeque stand, my father says, "Look at that!"
"Oh, yeah! I don't know if I have my camera," Mom says. They did not know where we were headed on this field trip or why. But now they've both spotted the intelligent sculpture that sits in the middle of the African-American Civil War Memorial.
As we cross the street to the Memorial, Mom finds an old disposable camera in her purse. We walk around the perimeter of the Memorial, on which there are metal plates containing the names of more than 200,000 black soldiers who served in America's most tragic conflict. They are arranged by unit. I lead Dad around to the plaque for the 67th Regiment, United States Colored Infantry.
"How about that!" Dad exclaims, as he examines the name GRANT RICHARDSON.
Serendipity Forever: On July 12, 1865, the 67th U.S. Colored Infantry was consolidated with the 65th Regiment. Later that year, the soldiers of the consolidated 65th USCI contributed $1400 to a project commenced by their brethen in the 62nd USCI--the establishment of an educational institution for the benefit of freed blacks. On September 16, 1866, Lincoln Institute opened in Jefferson City, Missouri. In September, 1951, my father arrived at Lincoln University from Texas as a new freshman. My mother, from Kansas City, was a junior that year. They married after her graduation in 1953. I was born the following year. In October, 2005, my dad will attend his 50th reunion--with a tiny new bit of history to tell.
Serendipity II
Our Story So Far: My parents' languid day to recover from coast-to-coast jet lag has turned into a genealogical and historical treasure hunt. My dad has mentioned nonchalantly that a Civil War veteran named Richardson lived next door to his family in south Texas in the 1930's and 1940's.
"He had an old canteen with 'US' stamped on it. I saw it," Dad says.
Checking census records, we've found a Grant Richardson, born in 1840, who was the grandfather of my father's aunt's husband. We've gotten through 1910, and we're about to find some surprises in the 1920 census.
Now Back to Our Story: The Fourteenth Census of the United States came to Precinct 1, Aransas County, Texas, on 26-28 January 1920. On January 27th, enumerator Milton Phillips was working the area now roughly bounded by East Market Street and Highways 35 and 70 in Rockport. At a house he recorded as No. 58, Phillips found Grant Richardson, a widower, who Phillips noted as being seventy years of age and a native of Alabama. As the head of household, Phillips put down Phinney Davis, a 55 year old widow woman.
But eighty-five years later, it's two other names that fuel my father's interest as we examine Milton Phillips' work.
"Who are these . . . ," Dad stops mid-sentence. He's looking at the names "Samuel" and "Hattie" at No. 58. Phillips recorded "Hattie" as Mrs. Davis' 30 year old daughter and "Samuel" as her 28 year old son. Dad recognizes the names because Hattie Bryant, born 1888, was his grandmother and Sam Bryant, born 1889, was her brother. They were both born in Aransas County. Their parents were Guy Bryant [1858-1920?] and Maria (muh-RYE-ah) Martin [1861-1901?].
This discovery, though surprising, "fits" in a way. My father's recollection is that in the 1930's, he and his mother lived in his grandmother Hattie's house next door to Mr. Richardson's place. And in a town of fewer than 3,000 people, how many brother/sister pairs born at about the same time would be named "Samuel" and "Hattie"? A lot of circumstances start to add up here.
But in genealogy, as in other fields where facts matter, researchers have to be suspicious of the seemingly convenient "fit." By 1920, Hattie Bryant had had at least five children, one of which was my dad's mother, who would have been yet a child. Likewise, Sam Bryant had had at least one child not yet an adult by 1920. So if Hattie and Sam were living with Mrs. Davis and Mr. Richardson in 1920, where were the others in their families? Well, another mystery for the time being; this story's about Grant Richardson.
Having examined all of the available census records and done other research, my dad and I have come to our separate conclusions. I'm convinced that a man named Grant Richardson, old enough to have been a Civil War veteran, lived next door to my father in Rockport, Texas, in the 1930's. Dad is now convinced that the old man next door to his childhood abode, who he believes was a Civil War veteran, in fact was his aunt's husband's grandfather.
"How about that!" Dad exclaims. He's satisfied and probably has had his portion of research for now.
But was Grant Richardson a Civil War veteran? Or was that a tall tale my father heard or even imagined six or seven decades ago as a little boy?
The next day, I take my parents on a field trip to answer that question.
NEXT: Serendipity Forever
"He had an old canteen with 'US' stamped on it. I saw it," Dad says.
Checking census records, we've found a Grant Richardson, born in 1840, who was the grandfather of my father's aunt's husband. We've gotten through 1910, and we're about to find some surprises in the 1920 census.
Now Back to Our Story: The Fourteenth Census of the United States came to Precinct 1, Aransas County, Texas, on 26-28 January 1920. On January 27th, enumerator Milton Phillips was working the area now roughly bounded by East Market Street and Highways 35 and 70 in Rockport. At a house he recorded as No. 58, Phillips found Grant Richardson, a widower, who Phillips noted as being seventy years of age and a native of Alabama. As the head of household, Phillips put down Phinney Davis, a 55 year old widow woman.
But eighty-five years later, it's two other names that fuel my father's interest as we examine Milton Phillips' work.
"Who are these . . . ," Dad stops mid-sentence. He's looking at the names "Samuel" and "Hattie" at No. 58. Phillips recorded "Hattie" as Mrs. Davis' 30 year old daughter and "Samuel" as her 28 year old son. Dad recognizes the names because Hattie Bryant, born 1888, was his grandmother and Sam Bryant, born 1889, was her brother. They were both born in Aransas County. Their parents were Guy Bryant [1858-1920?] and Maria (muh-RYE-ah) Martin [1861-1901?].
This discovery, though surprising, "fits" in a way. My father's recollection is that in the 1930's, he and his mother lived in his grandmother Hattie's house next door to Mr. Richardson's place. And in a town of fewer than 3,000 people, how many brother/sister pairs born at about the same time would be named "Samuel" and "Hattie"? A lot of circumstances start to add up here.
But in genealogy, as in other fields where facts matter, researchers have to be suspicious of the seemingly convenient "fit." By 1920, Hattie Bryant had had at least five children, one of which was my dad's mother, who would have been yet a child. Likewise, Sam Bryant had had at least one child not yet an adult by 1920. So if Hattie and Sam were living with Mrs. Davis and Mr. Richardson in 1920, where were the others in their families? Well, another mystery for the time being; this story's about Grant Richardson.
Having examined all of the available census records and done other research, my dad and I have come to our separate conclusions. I'm convinced that a man named Grant Richardson, old enough to have been a Civil War veteran, lived next door to my father in Rockport, Texas, in the 1930's. Dad is now convinced that the old man next door to his childhood abode, who he believes was a Civil War veteran, in fact was his aunt's husband's grandfather.
"How about that!" Dad exclaims. He's satisfied and probably has had his portion of research for now.
But was Grant Richardson a Civil War veteran? Or was that a tall tale my father heard or even imagined six or seven decades ago as a little boy?
The next day, I take my parents on a field trip to answer that question.
NEXT: Serendipity Forever
Saturday, July 02, 2005
Art, Science, Serendipity
A relatively cool [85 deg. F.], slightly overcast, but muggy, start to the Independence Day weekend around the Nation's Capital . . . my parents, visiting from California, are content to spend this humid day checking out my new abode in Tysons Corner and having the conversations that older people have with their middle-aged progeny. We've been to breakfast, watched the Nationals whip the Chicago Cubs, had lunch, and cleaned my kitchen. The chatter turns to our unconcious family pastime of "Did I ever tell you . . . ." Dad begins casually. "Did I ever tell you about Mr. Richardson who lived next door in Rockport [Texas]?" he says, watching the television as I surf the 'Net idly. Mom is reading the last chapter of The Pelican Brief. "You mean your Aunt Pearl's husband, Eddie Richardson," I reply from my rapid recall of my paternal pedigree. I don't even look up from my keyboard.
"No," Dad says, "I mean Mr. Richardson, the Civil War veteran who lived next door to me in the late '30's or '40's. I never knew his first name. But he wasn't related to Aunt Pearl's husband." Dad's affect, as the professionals say, never changed as he spoke. But he now surely had my full attention.
The Civil War veteran . . . who lived next door . . . ! Who had the same surname as a relative by marriage [and hence as our cousins] in a town of less than 3,000 people . . . ! Yes, Dad, you've got my complete attention now!
"Did you ever speak to this Mr. Richardson?" I ask my father. "Gosh, no," he says, "He was old and a mean curmudgeon. I was just a kid. I saw him, though."
As I listen to my father, I've pulled up my paternal genealogy on Personal Ancestry File and have quickly searched for my father's Aunt Pearl. Pearl Bryant was born in June, 1897, in Rockport, Aransas County, Texas. Among her ten siblings were Hattie Bryant (1888-1944), my dad's grandmother, and Sam Bryant (1889-1951). In 1916, Pearl married Eddie G. Richardson, who had been born on May 20, 1892, also in Rockport.
I say to my father, "Aunt Pearl's husband, Eddie, was the son of a Thomas Richardson, born about 1867." I then use PAF's Internet search feature to swiftly locate Thomas Richardson on the 1880 census. There are a lot of Thomas Richardsons, but only one in Refugio County, Texas, the parent and adjacent county to Aransas.
"And his father was one Grant Richardson, born about 1840 in Alabama," I continue. "That would make him old enough for the Civil War."
Now I've got my father's attention. He's at the computer, gazing over my shoulder. "He lived next door. He was old. I'd see him out slopping his hogs. He had a wife, but she may have been a second wife, becausw people referred to 'his' children, not 'their' children."
We search on-line census records. At the time of the 1880 census, Grant Richardson lived in Refugio County, Texas, with his wife, Ellen, and sons Thomas, William, Walter, Adam, and Galvan. Grant's age is given as 30, which, if correct, would make him almost too young for the Civil War. But who knows?
In the 1900 census, we find Grant Richardson in neighboring Aransas County along with Ellen, Walter, and a son born after the 1880 census, Silas. Grant's date of birth is given as April, 1840. In the 1910 census, Grant Richardson is found living alone in Rockport as a widower. The entry in the age column is not legible.
The last available census on which Grant Richardson appears is the 1920 census. But what we found there was completely unexpected.
Next: Serendipity II
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