1872 :: Great Boston Fire

On this date in our extended family history . . . the 9th day of November . . . in the year 1872 . . . our distant cousin, Oliver Rice Chase, had a business building destroyed by the flames of the Great Boston Fire . . . unfortunately, it was just one year earlier (in October of 1871) when Oliver's brother, Daniel, lost his business due to the Great Chicago Fire . . . my common ancestors with this particular branch of the Chase family are Aquila Chase and his wife, Anne Wheeler . . .




Sometime after the 1872 fire, another distant cousin, Abner W. Harmon, penned the words to a poem memorializing that conflagration . . . our common ancestors with Abner are John Harmon and his wife, Sarah Roberts . . .




Here is cousin Abner's poem . . .

The Great Fire in Boston.
Composed by A. W. Harmon.


On the ninth of November, in eighteen seventy-two,
All nature and old Boston looked gay with splendid hue; The sky was clear and beautiful, the stars were sparkling bright,
And Boston looked most lovely, for it was Saturday night.

The evening meal was finished, from care and labor riven,
When suddenly and loudly, the alarm of fire was given, And in a single moment the fire bells rang aloud,
The cry of fire was echoed, and faster flew the crown.

The Firemen came out quickly, brave hearted men and true,
but little were they thinking, of the great work to do; Fast flew the fire, consuming wealth, honor, fame and pride,
And the bravest of the Firemen, it instantly defied.

And by the City authorities every effort was made,
To stop the progress of the fire; while hundreds lent their aid, The Firemen worked like heroes, as on the flames they played;
Engines from various places, with speed come to their aid.

On Summer Street and Kingston, on Otis, Milk and High,
On Federal, Pearl and Congress, swift did the Fire-Fiend fly, On Deveonshire and Washington, State, Franklin Street and Arch,
Destroying all before it, as eastward it did march.

And what was but yesterday a beautiful prosperous place,
Is now a scene of desolation, its beauties all erased, Saving only a wilderness in this part of the town,
Of chimney stacks and broken walls, that had not tumbled down.

The merchant and the pauper, alike they looked aghast,
Through iron, steel and marble, the great destroyer pas'd, Thousands of costly buildings, in vengeance down it felled,
And O, what sad destruction, the Sabbath morn beheld.

Merchants their goods were packing, ere their store walls fell down,
And loaded teams were hurrying in all directions round; The smoke so high ascended, the villagers did say,
'Twas seen to rise from Boston, a hundred miles away.

One fourth of that fine City in ashes now is laid,
And a great change in business it certainly had made; The merchant and mechanic, the toilor son and sire,
All, all are now lamenting with grief, that terrible fire.

Hundreds of once rich merchants, are by the fire made poor,
Thousands of people feel it, the toiler's heart is sore; But enterprise smiles bravely, the merchants are awake,
They rise for their own benefit, and for humanity's sake.

The wealth it took the people for many years to gain,
The wealth it took the labor, and the brains to obtain; The Fire-Fiend with derision, looked on with hateful scorn,
And grasped the best and costliest part, between sunset and morn.

When the city of Chicago had felt the Fire-Fiend's power,
Had seen its flames ascending, in a dark and dismal hour, Boston arose with sympathy, the helping hand to lend,
Provision, money and clothing, for her relief did send.

But little was Boston thinking, so soon it would require,
Sympathy and assistance, for its great loss by fire; Towns, villages and cities, has felt its power and wrath,
And thousands of our merchants have laid low in its path.

Behold the noble Firemen, so gallant and so brave,
See how they toil and labor, buildings and wealth to save; They risk their lives for others, do all the good they can,
Toil for their neighbor's comfort, for woman, child and man.

Clicking on the thumbnail to the left will allow you to view a vintage image of the 1872 poem by A.W. Harmon . . . courtesy of the Brown University Library . . . and, FYI, as mentioned in the very first paragraph of this blogpost . . . Oliver R. Chase did lose his place of doing business in this fire . . . but all youth, and those who are young at heart, can be grateful that the fire losses experienced by the Chase brothers did not put a halt to their enterprising natures . . . 'cause 'twas their 19th century endeavors that provided the very beginnings of the New England Confectionery Company . . . which still gives us Necco Wafers . . . as well as the Sweetheart candies that have become a fixture for Valentine's Day . . .

This blogpost was researched and prepared specifically for cousin Bill's Fourth Annual Great Genealogy Poetry Challenge.

1711 :: Reversal of Attainder for Rebecca Eames

On this date in our family history . . . the 17th day of October . . . in the year 1711 . . . there was passed an act to reverse the attainders of a number of persons previously accused of witchcraft . . . among those accused was one Rebecka Eames nee Blake . . . who is a 9th great-grandma to the Keeper of this family history blog . . . the following is from The Salem Witchcraft Papers . . .

Province of the Massachusets Bay: Anno Regni Anna Reginae Decimo.

An Act to reverse the attainders of George Burroughs and others for Witchcraft

Forasmuch as in the year of our Lord one Thousand six hundred ninety two several Towns within this Province were Infested with a horrible Witchcraft or possession of devils; And at a Special Court of Oyer and Terminer holden at Salem in the County of Essex in the same year 1692. George Burroughs of Wells, John Procter , George Jacobs , John Willard , Giles Core , and [] his wife, Rebecca Nurse and Sarah Good all of Salem aforesaid Elizabeth How of Ipswich, Mary eastey , Sarah Wild and Abigail Hobbs all of Topsfield, Samuel Wardell , Mary Parker* ; Martha Carrier , Abigail Falkner : Anne Foster , Rebecca Eames , Mary Post and Mary Lacey all of Andover, Mary Bradbury , of Salisbury, and Dorcas Hoar of Beverley Were severally Indicted convicted and attainted of Witchcraft and some of them put to death, others lying still under the like sentance of the said Court, and liable to have the same Executed upon them.

The Influence and Energy of the Evil Spirits so great at that time acting in and upon those who were the principal accusers and Witnesses proceeding so far as to cause a Prosecution to be had of persons of known and good reputation, which caused a great disatisfaction and a stop to be put thereunto until theire Majesty's pleasure should be known therein:

And upon a Representation thereof accordingly made her late Majesty Queen Mary the second of blessed memory by Her Royal Letter given at her Court at Whitehall the fifteenth of April 1693. was Graciously pleased to approve the care and Circumspection therein; and to Will and require that in all proceedings ag't persons accused for Witchcraft, or being possessed by the devil, the greatest Moderation and all due Circumspection be used, so far as the same may be without Impediment to the Ordinary course of Justice.

And some of the principal Accusers and Witnesses in those dark and severe prosecutions have since discovered themselves to be persons of profligate and vicious conversation.

Upon the humble Petition and suit of several of the s'd persons and of the children of others of them whose Parents were Executed. Be it Declared and Enacted by his Excellency the Governor Council and Representatives in General Court assembled and by the authority of the same That the several convictions Judgments and Attainders against the said George Borroughs , John Procter , George Jacob , John Willard , Giles Core and [] Core , Rebecca Nurse , Sarah Good , Elizabeth How , Mary Easty , Sarah W[ild] Abigail Hobbs , Samuel Wardell , Mary Parker* , Martha Carrier , Abigail Falkner , Anne Foster , Rebecca Eame[s], Mary Post , Mary Lacey , Mary Bradbury , and Dorcas [Hoar] , and every of them Be and hereby are reversed made and d[eclared] to be null and void to all Intents, Constructions and purposes wh[atso] ever, as if no such convictions, Judgments or Attainders had ever [been] had or given. And that no penalties or forfeitures of Goods or Chattels be by the said Judgments and attainders or either of them had or Incurrd.

Any Law Usage or Custom to the contrary notwithstanding. And that no Sheriffe, Constable, Goaler or other officer shall be Liable to any prosecution in the Law for anything they then Legally did in the Execution of their respective offices.

Made and Pass'd by the Great and General Court or Assembly of her Majestys Province of the Massachusets: Bay: in New England held at Boston the 17th day of october. 1711.

See also . . . Salem Witch Trials Aftermath 1711 where you can view images of this document from the Library of Congress . . .

*P.S. . . . this Mary Parker is also a 9th great-grandma to the Keeper of this family history blog . . . she was hanged as a witch on the 22nd day of September in the year 1692 . . .

Sentimental Sunday :: Memories of New England

One year ago, in October of 2011, my youngest sister and I loaded up our about-to-be-80-year-old Mom and made a road trip from central Texas to the coast of Maine for an extended stay in a beach house at Old Orchard Beach . . . and afternoons spent gathering seaglass on Peaks Island . . . and mornings spent walking the paths of the Victorian garden cemetery overlooking the Saco River where Mom's young mother was laid to rest in 1932 . . . some of the photographic memories of those days have been preserved on the pages of a book created via MyCanvas at ancestry.com . . . a digital photo album entitled Memories of New England highlights the pages of that leather-bound book, which was presented to Mom for her 80th birthday earlier in 2012 . . . 

 

Our adorable Mom was born near Boston, Massachusetts . . . but spent most of her growing-up years with her paternal grandparents in central Texas . . . her Father had left the dry dusty farmfields of West Texas in 1927 to join the Navy . . . and wound up spending time along the coast of Maine with one of his shipmates . . . where both of them met their future wives . . .

Mom's parents, Robert and Elizabeth (aka Bob and Betty), were married in July of 1929 . . . their first child (a boy) was born in May of 1930 in Lynn, Massachusetts . . . followed by Mom in January of 1932 . . . and then 19-year old Elizabeth died three days later . . .

Mom never visited her Mother's grave until October of 1977 . . . which was the first time we made the trek to New England from Texas . . . we went back again in 1981 . . . and then in 1998 . . . 2011 was our fourth trip . . . and we are already making plans for trip #5! . . . in the meantime . . .

Mom was talking just this morning about wanting to print copies of her photos of that trip, and share them with family members . . . she doesn't know it yet, but with this post, I am doing the sharing for her (sorry, Mom!) . . . remember that ALL of the photos in the following albums were taken by Mom with her digital camera . . .

TO MAINE AND BACK THRU MOM'S EYES . . . this album contains images captured by Mom along the road . . .

• MAINE
  
  
  • Dunstan Cemetery . . . at Scarborough in Cumberland County, Maine . . . Mom's maternal 2nd great-grandparents, William Thurston Merrill (1816-1898) and Olive Jane (Goodwin) Merrill (1821-1895), are buried here . . . along with numerous other kinfolk . . .
  • Eastern Cemetery . . . at Gorham in Cumberland County, Maine . . . Mom's maternal great-grandma, Phoebe Ann (Merrill) Morse Tripp (1848-1927), is buried here . . .
  • Greenwood Cemetery . . . at Biddeford in York County, Maine . . . Mom's maternal great-grandparents, Atwood Frank Smith (1837-1907) and Jerusha Marilla (Barker) Smith (1841-1899), are buried here . . .
  • Hills Beach . . . at Biddeford Pool in York County, Maine . . . Mom's maternal grandparents, Thomas Warren Alonzo Smith (1866-1920) and Eva May (Brackett) Smith (1874-1936), owned and operated a florist business in Biddeford in the early part of the 20th century . . . as part of that business, T.W.A. Smith did landscaping at Biddeford Pool . . .
  • Laurel Hill Cemetery . . . at Saco in York County, Maine . . . Mom's maternal grandparents, Thomas Warren Alonzo Smith and Eva May (Brackett) Smith are buried here, along with their children, including Mom's Mother . . .
  • Nubble Lighthouse . . . near the entrance to the York River in York County, Maine . . . aka Cape Neddick Light Station . . .
  • Old Orchard Beach . . . in York County, Maine . . .
  • Peaks Island . . . in Casco Bay near Portland, Maine . . . we have photos of Mom's maternal family members at events on this Island from the early part of the 20th century . . . and Mom's 9th great-grandpa, Michael Mitton, once owned Peaks Island . . .
• MASSACHUSETTS . . . this album contains images of the house where Mom was born . . . and the beach where she played as a child . . .
• NEW HAMPSHIRE . . . Mom's parents honeymooned at Alton Bay on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire . . . where her Mother also spent time as a child . . .

1574 :: Death of Nicholas Pyne

On this date in our family history . . . the 31st day of August . . . in the year 1574 . . . Nicholas Pyne / Pine dies in England . . . this Nicholas is a 14th great-grandpa to the Keeper of this family history blog . . .




Chart from The Visitations of the County of Devon (Google eBooks)

1808 :: Marriage of Grant and Nancy

On this date in our family history . . . the 14th day of July . . . in the year 1808 . . . 

Nancy Tate Anthony becomes the bride of her 3rd cousin, Grant Davis . . . 

the ceremony is performed in Wilkes County, Georgia by the Rev. Jesse Mercer (pictured to the right) . . . this Nancy and Grant are 4th great-grandparents to the Keeper of this family history blog . . .

Relationship Chart showing 

Grant and Nancy as 3rd cousins

1706 :: Baptism of Edward Milliken

On this date in our family history . . . the 6th day of July . . . in the year 1706 . . . Edward Milliken is baptized in the Brattle Street Church in Boston, Massachusetts . . . this Edward is a 7th great-grandpa to the Keeper of this family history blog . . .

---

History of New Bedford, Volume 1 (Google eBook)
The Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1918



Representative Men and Old Families of Southeastern Massachusetts:
Containing Historical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens
and Genealogical Records of Many of the Old Families (Google eBook)
J.H. Beers & Company, 1912





Genealogical and Personal Memoirs
Relating to the Families of the State of Massachusetts
Volume 3 (Google eBook)
William Richard Cutter, William Frederick Adams
Lewis historical publishing Company, 1910




Saco Valley settlements and families:
historical, biographical, genealogical, traditional, and legendary,
Volume 2 (Google eBook)
Gideon Tibbetts Ridlon
The Author, 1895

1859 :: The Starksville Celebration

Our Mollie is six years of age in 1859 when a 4th of July celebration is held in her hometown in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi . . . both of her parents are still alive at this time . . . as well as both of her grandfathers . . . Grandpa West is enumerated in Starkville on the 1860 census . . . while Grandpa Carter is in Pontotoc County, Mississippi . . . Aunt Matilda (West) and Uncle Britton Valentine are in Oktibbeha County . . . as well as Aunt Mary (Carter) and Uncle Bill Valentine (Britton and Bill are brothers) . . . a decade down the road, Mollie is a 16-year-old orphan on a wagon train headed for Texas . . . she would later pass on many of her memories of the years of the war between the states . . . wonder if any of these family members participated in the large assemblage described in the following newspaper clipping from 1859 . . . or if they had an inkling of just how much the world they lived in was about to change . . . 

SOUTHERN BROAD-AXE [WEST POINT, MS], July 6, 1859, p. 2, c. 2-3
The Starksville Celebration

It was our good fortune to be present at the Celebration at Starkville yesterday. There was a large assemblage of the citizens of Oktibbeha, and neighboring counties there and although the most of them were strangers to us, it required but half an eye to see that every countenance was lighted up with enthusiasm -- and every eye sparkled with the fire of patriotism which warms the American heart at the return of our Independence Jubilee. A band of skillful performers enliven the spirits of the vast concourse of chivalry and beauty with lively, stirring strains of music -- and the old Star Spangled Banner, so dear to the eye and the soul of the freeman, spread out its proud folds on the morning breeze.

At 11 A. M. the Exercises began with reading of the Declaration of Independence by Mr. Wm. Lockhart. Mr. L. first paid a beautiful tribute to the band in attendance after which he read the Declaration in a clear distinct voice audible to the whole crowd, and took his seat amid rounds of applause. After a thrilling performance by the band the young orator of the Day -- H. L. Muldrow Esq., was introduced and entertained us for perhaps an hour with an elaborate discussion of the topics so naturally presented to one occupying his responsible position. We know not which to most admire in the oration -- the Feast of Reason -- the flow of soul -- the seasoning of happy expression or the bouquet of elevated thought and beautiful language so appropriately addressed to the Ladies, which came in as a welcome dessert and was highly appreciated, and loudly applauded as the speaker resumed his seat.

Some gentleman then read to the audience the patriotic Appeal to Mississippians in behalf of the Mount Vernon Association from the gifted pen of Mrs. Col. I. N. Davis. There is a noble sentiment of lofty public spirit in every line of that truly beautiful poem which does honor to Mrs. D. as a friend of patriotism, as a devoter of chaste poetic literature, and in the sublime capacity of an American woman.

A procession was then formed and we all marched to the table in a neighboring grove, where a sumptuous dinner was prepared for all. The Agricultural Society was addressed at the Court House, by Col. I. N. Davis in the evening, and the whole crowd stayed to hear him. His remarks were to Southern farmers -- they were forcible and to the point -- made up of happy conceptions and appropriate delivery. His reasoning was so clear and logical that any mind comprehending 2 and 2 make 4, must aknowledge [sic] the justness of his conclusions. The people of the South must see the truth of Col. D.'s position on questions of vital importance to her interests now, or regret in later years that they were so short-sighted.

1646 :: Birth of Sarah Merrill nee Clough

 

On this date in our family history . . . the 28th day of June . . . in the year 1646 . . . a baby girl is born to John and Jane Clough in Massachusetts . . . this baby girl is given the name of Sarah . . . and would grow up to marry Daniel Merrill . . . this Sarah is a 9th great-grandma to the Keeper of this family history blog . . . FYI . . . clicking on the above image will take you to the full page in the book, The Genealogy of the descendants of John Clough of Salisbury, Massachusetts . . . where that entire book can be read online . . . or downloaded to your preferred reading device . . .

1860 :: Barker Boarding House

 

On this date in our family history . . . the 18th day of June . . . in the year 1860 . . . Timothy Barker is enumerated at the Keeper of a Boarding House in Biddeford, York County, Maine . . . this Timothy is a 3rd great-grandpa of the Keeper of this family history blog . . . also in the same household is his wife, Jerusha (my 3rd great-grandma) . . . and their married daughter, Jerusha, and her husband Atwood Frank Smith (my 2nd great-grandparents) . . . LUV the handwriting of the enumerator, Jere E. Lord, on this census page . . . possibly aka Jeremiah E. Lord who died in 1864 in Biddeford . . .

1754 :: Harmon and Milliken

On this date in our family history . . . the 23rd day of May . . . in the year 1754 . . . Elizabeth "Betsey" Harmon becomes the bride of Lieut. Edward Milliken in Scarboro, Maine . . . this Betsey and Edward are 6th great-grandparents to the Keeper of this family history blog . . .






The Harmon genealogy, comprising all branches in New England (Google eBook)
by Artemas Canfield Harmon
Printed by Gibson bros., inc., 1920

1930 :: Uncle Bob is born

 

Robert E. Henry, Jr.
born 21st May 1930
16A Parrott Street
Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts
died 21st December 1997
Veteran's Administration Hospital
Temple, Bell County, Texas





This is our Uncle Bob, my Mom's only brother . . . he never married or had children of his own . . . but I have childhood memories of him being at our house for holidays . . . and bringing extra-special gifts . . . the page image in the above collage is from his baby book . . . the handwriting is that of his young Mother, Elizabeth Marilla Henry nee Smith (1912-1932) . . . and that is her holding him in the lower left corner . . .

Sentimental Sunday :: The Voices of my Grandmas

Remembering the Grandmas . . .
for Mother's Day . . . 

I hear the voices of my grandmas
Calling out from a distant past
"Please do not let us be forgot.
Record our stories that we may last."

Tell the children of our wanderings
Let the kinfolk hear the tales
How we braved the new horizons
How we blazed the olden trails.

How we buried too many babies
How we struggled to keep them fed
How we caressed the hands of our loved ones
As they lay dying on their beds.

How we endured many a hardship
With an eye to the future goal
To create a more promising future
And to keep our family whole.

They were as different from each other
As the scraps in a crazy quilt
Yet once the pieces were sewn together
Another generation they had built

I can sense them calling out to me
From the gloaming of my past
"Please do not let us be forgot.
Record our stories that we may last."

Begotten . . .
and may they never be forgotten . . .
Remembering my Grandmas . . .

• Berta Mary Sharp, and her mother, Nellie Lemaire
• Elizabeth Marilla Smith, and her mother, Eva May Brackett
• Ima Lois Muston, and her mother, Emma Patience Nettles
• Jerusha Marilla Barker, and her mother, Jerusha Lakin Hobbs
• Josephine Wingfield Davis, and her mother, America James Fears
• Mahala Lee Roberts, and her mother, Patsy Gill
• Mary Alexandrien Lemaire, and her mother, Elizabeth Waring
• Mary Annie West, and her mother, Sarah Mildred Carter
• Mollie Olive, and her mother, Clementine Jordan
• Nancy Virilla Quinn, and her mother, Sushannah
• Phoebe Merrill, and her mother, Olive Jane Goodwin

The above family poem was composed by benotforgot back in 2009 in response to a challenge posted at Genea-Musings: Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Poetry and Genealogy . . . and the Wordle (name cloud) was created at wordle.net . . .

In loving memory . . .

We have this moment to hold in our hands
and to touch as it slips through our fingers like sand;
Yesterday's gone and tomorrow may never come,
But we have this moment today.



Remembering . . .
Bennie Everhart
20 March 1948 ~ 07 April 2010


Hold tight to the sound of the music of living,
Happy songs from the laughter of children at play;
Hold my hand as we run through the sweet fragrant meadows,
Making mem'ries of what was today.

Tender words, gentle touch and a good cup of coffee,
And someone who loves me and wants me to stay;
Hold them near while they're here and don't wait for tomorrow,
To look back and wish for today.

Take the blue of the sky and the green of the forest,
And the gold and the brown of the freshly mown hay;
Add the pale shades of spring and the circus of autumn,
And weave you a lovely today.

For we have this moment to hold in our hands
and to touch as it slips through our fingers like sand;
Yesterday's gone and tomorrow may never come,
But we have this moment today.


Lyrics by Gloria Gaither
Music by William J. Gaither
© 1975 William J. Gaither

1837 :: Death of Margaret Watson

On this date in our family history . . . the 30th day of March . . . in the year 1837 . . . Margaret Porter nee Watson dies in Greene County, Georgia . . . this Margaret is a maternal great-grandma to Josephine Wingfield Henry nee Davis (1842-1899) . . . who is a 2nd great-grandma to the Keeper of this family history blog . . . 


Georgia Comprising Sketches of
Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons
Arranged in Cyclopedic Form
By
Allen Daniel Candler, Clement Anselm Evans:  

Happy Birthday, Sercey

These little ones being held by their fathers are first cousins . . . on the left is my Dad, Forrest Lee Pounders (1927-1996), son of Ima (1906-1999) & Jake (1902-1957) Pounders . . . on the right is Sercey Quinney, son of Shorty (1907-2002) & Dean Quinney (1901-1987) . . . Ima and Shorty were two of seven daughters born to Charlie & Emma (Nettles) Muston . . . Sercey is celebrating his 84th birthday today . . .


Happy Birthday, Sercey!

When the flowers bloom in Spring

Wordless Wednesday :: Could I have this dance . . .

  On this date . . . the 8th day of February . . .
in the year nineteen hundred and seventy-five . . .
I married my favorite dancing partner . . .

Happy Birthday, Mom

 

Happy Birthday, Emily Rebecca

Twenty-something years ago . . . on this date . . . the 24th day of January . . . the 2nd of my three beautiful nieces was born . . . Happy Birthday, Em! . . . Luv ya bunches . . . Auntie Vickie . . . 

Click > HERE < to pick up your very own copy of the vintage forget-me-not image used above -- and it's FREE -- from Vintage Scrapbooking!

The Journal

One hundred fifty years ago today . . . on this very date . . . the 16th day of January . . . in the year 1862 . . . James Madison Hall (1819-1866) sat down in Liberty County, Texas . . . and picked up his pen to compose a few sentences about the events of his day . . .

Thursday, January 16th, 1862. To day I am engaged painting in the new house. Boys are also at work on the house, which is now progressing some better. weather clear and pleasant.

J.M. Hall would continue this practice on a daily basis until his death in September of 1866 . . . these Journal excerpts have their very own blog . . . benotforgot-journal.blogspot.com . . . which will automatically feed to this Twitter account (just in case you would like to follow along there) . . . and they also appear daily on this Facebook page . . .

Sentimental Sunday :: Christmas 1956

1896 :: Birth of Little Helen

On this date in our family history . . . the 18th day of November . . . in the year 1896 . . . probably somewhere in Maine . . . a baby girl is born . . .

She is raised as Helen F. Brackett, and is said to be the daughter of Peter Brackett (1838-1927) and his wife, Elizabeth J. "Lizzie" Merrill (1841-1911). At the time of Helen's birth, Peter is 58, and Lizzie is 55 years of age.

For many years, it was believed that Peter and Lizzie were the birth-parents of Helen's older "sister" -- Eva May Smith (1874-1936) -- until the family lore from Maine was passed on to the Texas descendants that Eva May was actually the daughter of Lizzie's younger sister, Phoebe (1848-1927). Eva May is a maternal great-grandma of the Keeper of this blog.

Even before receipt of this info -- due to the age of Peter and Lizzie at the time of Helen's birth, as well as the gap of almost 23 years between the birth of their two "daughters" (and only children) -- there were questions about Helen's true parentage.

She is enumerated on the 1900 census as 3-year-old Hellen Brackett. And there is a small grave-marker for this little one sitting beside the tombstone of Peter and Lizzie. Engraved on it are the following words :-


Helen F. Dau. of
Peter & Lizzie J. Brackett
Nov. 18, 1896.
May 31, 1906.
Darling, we miss you.
That is all we know at this time. Little Helen needs to be researched further . . . her findagrave memorial page


begotten and not forgotten . . .

1946 :: Did NOT arrive at destination

On this date in our family history . . . the 1st day of November . . . in the year 1946 . . . William Allec Hilton and his seven crewmates boarded a B-17 Flying Fortress at Capodichino AirField in Naples, Italy, and flew out, heading for Bovington, England . . . they never arrived . . . the following areas were diligently searched . . . Isle of Corsica, Ligurian Sea, Tyrrhenian Sea, Swiss Alps, Frech Alps, Rhone Valley to Paris (over an area 75 miles wide), an area 75 miles wide from Paris to Bovington . . . all available American aircraft in Italy, France, and some aircraft in Germany conducted this search . . . aircraft from RAF also aided in the search from Bovington to Paris . . . French aircraft also aided in the search in Southern France . . . these searches continued for 18 days . . . they were futile . . . more than nine months later . . . on the 25th day of July 1947 . . . a patrol of the 99th Infantry Battalion Alpine discovers the remains of the aircraft on the mountain Aiguille Glacier, a glacier at 3750 meters, 15 miles southwest of the summit of Mont Blanc . . . some aircraft debris and human remains identify the device . . . the causes of the accident appear to be related to bad weather . . . at the scene of the accident, a propeller blade stuck in the rock where the plane crashed serves to climbers as a place to hang their ropes . . . this William is a son of Isaac Cleveland Hilton (1888-1947) and Louisa Hooper Hilton Roberts nee MUSTON (1893-1973) . . . and he is a 1st cousin twice removed to the Keeper of this geneablog . . . visit William's findagrave page to view the monument at Arlington National Cemetery listing the names of the members of this crew . . . the recovered remains were buried here on 10 October 1947 . . . FYI . . . some of this information was translated by Google from a French internet page . . .

Remembering Aunt Gladys

 

On this date in our recent family history . . . the 18th day of September . . . in the year 2007 . . . Gladys Coreen Taylor nee Muston dies in Waco, McLennan County, Texas . . . she is the sixth of seven daughters born to Charlie & Emma Patience (Nettles) Muston (my great-grandparents) . . . and the last one surviving . . . Aunt Gladys is laid to rest beside her husband, John A. Taylor (1909-1990), in the Lexington City Cemetery in Lee County, Texas . . . one of the older sisters of my Aunt Gladys is Ima Lois Pounders nee Muston (1906-1999), who is my paternal grandma . . . in the late 1950s and early 1960s, our little family would drive down the road to Lexington (from Rockdale) on Sunday afternoons to visit with Grandma (Emma) Muston, who lived right across the street from Aunt Gladys and Uncle John . . . so the Sunday visits always included them, too . . . remembering . . . 

1871 :: Letter to Aunt Amanda

On this date in our extended family history . . . the 15th day of September . . . in the year 1871 . . . Miss Della Vick of Lexington, Texas sat down to pen a letter to her Aunt Amanda back home in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi . . . and makes mention of the fact that . . . 

I went to the barbecue in Lexington last Saturday was two weeks ago. There was a good many people there but we came home and went to Prospect to preaching that night. It is four miles. There was five joined that night and among them was Mollie Nettles used to be Mollie West.

FYI, this Mollie just happens to be my 2nd great-grandma! . . . and this is just one in a series of letters to Aunt Amanda by kith 'n kin who left a war-ravaged Mississippi following the years of the war between the states . . . hoping for a better life in Texas . . .

Happy Birthday, Jaime Lyn

2005 :: Hurricane Katrina

Norman and Carol Ann (Mulholland) Parr are the late in-laws of one of my New England cousins -- actually a 2nd cousin once removed. I re-established contact with cousin Kristin in 2009 by way of Facebook, after basically being out-of-touch with that entire branch of the family for an entire decade. She had posted a note on her Facebook page in memory of her deceased in-laws (a family story previously unknown to me). I did some research on Google, and found numerous articles mentioning the Parrs, who had apparently been invited to share the home of friends in the face of the impending storm. I also found tributes posted by their son, who shared these photos of his parents. Remembering with and for them . . .

1836 :: Sublett Nominates Sam Houston

On this day in 1836 . . . in the extended branches of our family tree . . . Philip Sublett nominates Sam Houston for president of the Republic of Texas. Sublett, a Kentucky native, had participated in the battle of Nacogdoches in 1832 and was a delegate to the conventions of 1832 and 1833. In 1835 he was elected chairman of the San Augustine Committee of Safety and Correspondence. On October 6 he submitted a resolution appointing Houston commander-in-chief of the forces of San Augustine and Nacogdoches until the Consultation should meet. Sublett was commissioned lieutenant colonel in October and in December 1835 was present at the siege of Bexar. He returned to his farm east of San Augustine after the battle of Concepción. Sam Houston resided in Sublett's home while recuperating from wounds received at San Jacinto. Sublett died in San Augustine on February 25, 1850.

FYI . . . Sublett was a brother-in-law to our Mahala, who is a 3rd great-grandma to the Keeper of this family history blog.

Sentimental Sunday :: Meadows of Heaven

. . . . . . . . . .
A picture is a poem without words.
Horace
. . . . . . . . . . 
Dear Photograph . . .
oh, how I wish he could ride right out of your borders
and into that pasture again . . .
thank you for holding onto that moment in time . . .
. . . . . . . . . . 
In the meadow of life
My acre of heaven . . .
In a place called home
Sailing the waves of past . . .
Rocking chair without a dreamer
A wooden swing without laughter
Sandbox without toy soldiers
Yuletide without the Flight . . .
Meadows of Heaven . . .
by
Nightwish
. . . . . . . . . . 
Over the pallid sea,
and the silvery mist of the meadows.
Silently one by one,
in the infinite meadows of heaven,
Blossomed the lovely stars,
the forget-me-nots of the angels.
Longfellow

Black Sheep Sunday :: 1872 Letter

On this date in our extended family history . . . the 14th day of August . . . in the year 1872 . . . Joseph Vick of Lexington, Texas sat down to pen a letter to his Aunt Amanda back home in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi . . . this is just one in a series of letters to Aunt Amanda by kith 'n kin who left a war-ravaged Mississippi following the years of the war between the states . . . hoping for a better life in Texas . . .

---

Lexington Texas
Aug 14th 1872

Dear Aunt

I take my seat this evening to write you a few lines to let you know that we are not all well at this ? I had a chill abot a weak ago Mat has been having some chills but is not now Belle had one today for the first . . . Almost everybody out here has had some chills this summer but there is but very little fatal sickness I dont think that I have heard of a single case.

Crops are very good out here that is cotton I dont think corn is alltogether as good as it was last year cotton is better some people have gone to picking but it is so warm we will not commence until next week there is some ? worms? out here or was about a week ago but they have all disapeared and cotton is doing fine now

There was a man killed out here the other day named birdie by his brotherinlaw named lackey Lackey went to Birdie to borrow a horse to ride to town birdie had just been riding his horse and had came home and fed him he told lackey as soon as his horse got done eating he have him lackey went off some ? and got a horse went to town got drunk went back to birdie and told im he wanted a settlment birdie told him we didn't know there was any when lackey taken him by collar and birdie struck him lackey had his knife in his hand and struck him one lick in the stomach . . . and cut his insides out and then broke and run birdie had a younger brother in the house he got a gun and ? two or three caps at lackey but could not get it to shoot until he had got about one hundred yards don't know whether he hit him or not that was about night and on the next night he lackey stole a horse from his brotherinlaw Jack? Arendal? and left for parts unknown he is a desparate fellow and so was birdie They were both from Miss I think if lackey had been killed to I think the people would have been glad of it

Well I must close write soon and all the news give my love to all yourself included
your affectionate nephew

Joseph H. Vick

Please excuse bad writing and spelling.

Fun in the Sun

This is one of the family photos I would luv to be able to use for The Family Curator's Genealogy Photo Challenge for World Photography Day . . . first problem is the location is unknown . . . second minor problem is that it was taken somewhere in New England, presumably on the coast of Maine . . . and I'm in Texas! . . . anyway . . . 


The photo I took for today for my photo-a-day blog was used to create a background texture that just called out for a beach collage of some sort . . . so I put this one together . . . the mini postcards show scenes from Peaks Island . . . and the young girl with the long dark curls is my maternal grandma, Elizabeth Marilla Henry nee Smith (1912-1932) . . . the names of her friends are not known . . . you are welcome to use this texture for a project of your own . . . just let me know so I can see what ideas you come up with!