If you have an interest in family history and genealogy, then you’ve no doubt come across a reference to “Family History Month” at some time or another. October is when these references usually pop up, but I’ve seen other months mistakenly assigned under this moniker by some in the online genealogy niche.

How many of us have ever really looked into the origins of Family History Month though? Probably very few, and those who have, probably have never gotten the whole story.

It should come as no great surprise that the idea to designate a national Family History Month originated in Utah, which is also the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), a.k.a. the Mormon Church. It was Orrin Hatch, a Republican Senator from Utah, who first proposed to the U.S. Senate the establishment of a national Family History Month. That was in September of 2001, on September 12th to be exact. Just a week later, and without any adjustment to the original language, the Senate unanimously passed the resolution, assigning October as Family History Month for 2001. The resolution additionally requested for the President of the United States to issue a proclamation “calling upon the people of the United States to observe the month with appropriate ceremonies and activities.” [1]

Given other events of 2001, including, but not limited to 9/11 and its aftermath, the anthrax attacks that followed, the start of The War on Terror/Global War on Terrorism, and the first discussions of the Homeland Security Act and Department, it should also come as no great surprise that President George W. Bush never formally proclaimed October as Family History Month, despite the Senate requesting it.

According to Congressional Records, in September of 2002, June of 2003, and October of 2005, Hatch introduced Senate proposals to assign October of each of those years as Family History Month. Resolutions passed the Senate without disagreement or revisions to language each time. There was no such proposal in 2004, and none in the years that followed.[4] In March of 2011, Democrat Gerald Connelly of Virginia “added to the October 2005 Record” by formally requesting the House of Representatives to recognize October as Family History Month. [5]

No family history month proposals have been presented in either house of Congress since, and no proclamation or official order from the President has ever been issued assigning October as a national month of observance or celebration of family history. What began as governmental recognition has gained its own momentum socially though, with libraries, museums, state governments, and other organizations (and individual blogging genealogists like me) continuing to promote October as Family History Month.

Were Hatch and his colleagues working on a family history month proposal prior to 9/11? Probably, but I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the proposal was introduced when it was. The September 12, 2001 proposal by Hatch was undoubtedly one among millions… billions… innumerable… emotionally-driven reactions to the events of September 11, 2001. For Hatch, as a Mormon, the proposal obviously carried some religious significance as well, given the profound loss of life on 9/11 and the Mormon belief in salvation even after death, with genealogy serving as a means to that end.

Hatch was a controversial figure. Like most politicians, people either loved or hated him, but no matter how one might feel about the man, his politics, or his faith, he is the reason October is Family History Month within the United States.

50% Off Family History Month Special, Now Through October 31, 2024

Although Every Month is Family History Month at We Dig Genealogy, in honor of the official Family History Month of October, I’m running a special discount on new projects. In this promotion, any new job arranged from September 15, 2024 through October 31, 2024 will be discounted by 50%. In other words, rather than paying $25.00 per hour of research, clients will receive one hour of research for just $12.50.

The Terms: The contract to complete the job must be signed and returned between September 15, 2024 and October 31, 2024. Work may not commence immediately, and the research agreed to in the contract may not be completed by October 31, 2024. However, provided the contract falls under this Family History Month promotion, the promotional rate will apply. All other standard terms set forth within the We Dig Genealogy Client Service Agreement apply. All Quick Genealogy Shop Services are excluded from this promotion.

Ready to book a job or discuss research project options? Please complete the Research Request form. It’s not a contract, so you’re not committing to anything right now. You’re just providing more information to make our communications run more smoothly.

References:

[1] “‘Mormon Land’: How Orrin Hatch transformed the political loyalties of Latter-day Saints” By David Noyce and  Peggy Fletcher Stack, The Salt Lake City Tribune, published May 11, 2022, retrieved Sept 14, 2024 from https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2022/05/11/mormon-land-how-orrin/

[2] “How many Utahns identify as Latter-day Saints? Fewer than you think.” By Tamarra Kemsley, The Salt Lake City Tribune, published Dec. 28, 2023, retrieved Sept 14, 2024 from https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2023/12/28/turns-out-latter-day-saints-are/

[3] “The Importance of Family History to Latter-day Saints” retrieved Sept 14, 2024 from https://ph.churchofjesuschrist.org/family-history-ancestry-search

[4] Congressional Records Search, conducted Sept 14 2024 via: https://www.congress.gov/search?q=%7B%22congress%22%3A%22all%22%2C%22source%22%3A%22all%22%2C%22search%22%3A%22%5C%22family+history+month%5C%22%22%7D

[5] “RECOGNIZING THE MONTH OF OCTOBER AS FAMILY HISTORY MONTH; Congressional Record Vol. 157, No. 38 (Extensions of Remarks - March 14, 2011)” retrieved Sept 14 2024 from https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/volume-157/issue-38/extensions-of-remarks-section/article/E470-3?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22%5C%22family+history+month%5C%22%22%7D&s=3&r=1

So, what makes this answer “simple” is the idea that just like today, some people move often and others hardly spread their wings at all, choosing instead to remain in the same town their whole lives, sometimes even living on the exact same street or maybe even in the same house as they as a child. Ancestors that take this approach to life can often be easier to research and simpler to find in historic records.

What makes this answer “not-so-simple” is that many of our ancestors seem like they moved a lot but actually didn’t, or at least they didn’t permanently relocate.

In some cases, even when historic records tell us otherwise, our ancestors were living in the exact same spot as the last time we found them in available records. In other cases, our ancestors may have made a temporary move – usually for work – but eventually returned home again.

Let’s take a closer look at these two scenarios.

SCENARIO ONE: The Move That Wasn’t Really a Move at All

Every researcher finds records that show different places of residence for their ancestors, but it’s essential to learn more about those places so you can better understand your ancestors’ life experiences. In other words, just knowing the name of where they lived doesn’t really tell you where they were living.

You may need to read that last sentence more than once. “Just knowing the name of where they lived doesn’t really tell you where they were living.”

You may still be thinking, “Well what the heck is that supposed to mean?” Here are a couple of examples that will hopefully help you understand just what I mean.

Example #1:

Let’s say you’re researching an ancestor that lived in Colonial Virginia, and you’ve managed to trace them back to the Northern Neck region in the early 1700s. Now, let’s say you’re lucky enough to find a baptism record showing your ancestor had a child baptized in 1715 in a church that was located in Richmond County. Then, you find a 1736 tax list that shows your ancestor living in King George County.

So, did your ancestor move between 1715 and 1736?

At first glance, it would seem so. BUT, if you look more deeply into the history of the area, you’ll find that in 1720, portions of Virginia’s OLD Richmond County were partitioned off and became part of King George County. Knowing this, you now know it’s possible that your ancestor didn’t move at all, but instead that county boundaries were simply redrawn around him and his family. Of course, you’d need to do more research to confirm this, but at least you would know where to start looking.

There are multiple resources available online for examining colonial land divisions and the formation of counties in British North America and within the early United States. One of the best for Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky (since all of these were originally part of the Colony of Virginia) is an interactive map created by George W. Durman. Unfortunately, Durman’s site is currently (2023) hosted on RootsWeb, and all RootsWeb sites are scheduled for at least partial decommissioning in 2024. This makes it hard to say how usable the Virginia County Formation Map that Durman so painstakingly created will be in the future, but I’m hoping it will remain up and running for the benefit of all family history researchers.

Example #2:

Very little of Cornell Avenue remains today, as is the case with many of Indianapolis’ oldest streets. As the city grew, older streets were often destroyed and new streets were added, with traffic being rerouted around new neighborhoods and business districts. Rail lines, and eventually interstate highways, resulted in the demolition of many of Indianapolis’ oldest neighborhoods, including most of Cornell Avenue. While it might not be possible to visit the historic home or street of an ancestor in a situation like this, you can at least build a broader understanding of the place they once called home by conducting a thorough investigation into each address you find in historic records.

SCENARIO TWO: The Temporary Relocation, a.k.a. Cyclical/Circular Migration or Repeat Immigration

Work, or the ability to earn a living, often drove our ancestors to relocate, just as many of today’s moves are made for employment opportunities. And just as there are seasonal jobs today – like those that pop up around the holidays in the retail industry, for example – there were seasonal labor forces throughout history. Migrant workers have always existed too, with many people moving from one town, city, or state to the next as new work opportunities arose. Sometimes, our ancestors even crossed national borders and vast oceans in search of employment, and some made these arduous journeys multiple times while striving to financially support themselves and their families.

Researchers sometimes call temporary relocations cyclical migrations. Others call them circular migration patterns. There are also common terms like repeat immigration to describe these kinds of employment-driven, back and forth moves. When I come across a person that follows one of these patterns though, I tend to think of them as a boomerang research subject.

Here are just a few examples of common boomerang immigration patterns to consider when researching family history:

Example #1: Crossing National Borders

Ireland’s population was always on the move in search of life-saving employment opportunities that could support not just a single emigrant, but often his or her extended family. Many people (young men, especially) crossed the border into England to work, sometimes for months or years, but eventually returned home to the county and townland in which their family lived.

Determined men (and sometimes women) would frequently make these employment-driven moves multiple times over the course of decades – going to England to work and returning home to their ancestral townland. It’s therefore imperative that anyone researching their ancestors in Ireland consider the idea of hopping the border themselves to research records in Britain, as well.   

 Example #3: Following the Labor Trail

Most people think of migrant labor or circular labor trends as occurring only within a small subset of the employment market, but there are actually all kinds of jobs that result in a repeat immigration or migration pattern. These can include everything from agricultural jobs – like migrant farm workers – to state and national government workers – like state representatives and U.S. congresspersons. These and many other jobs require employees to leave their home, relocate to another place, work for a period of weeks or months, and then return home again.

Over the course of my career as a researcher, I’ve found similar migratory employment trends in some unexpected places, including among workers in the meat packing and railroad industries and the blacksmith trade, to name just a few.

Once you find an ancestor living somewhere else for part of the year and then returning home again, you should keep looking. Check for repetition or a migratory pattern. You just might find one.     

This census was conducted at the same time as the 1890 Federal Census but required census takers to complete separate schedules for any Civil War Union Veteran or Widow of a Union Veteran. These schedules were maintained separately from the 1890s population schedules and other associated documents, which, as fate would have it, allowed some 75,000 such veteran schedules to have survived the catastrophes that stole so much of our national and family history from us.

The 1890 Federal Census was completed in early June 1890. The year prior, legislation was passed that funded the next census and defined the data to be collected during that census, as well. The 1890 Census collected more information about individuals than any prior census and more than most of the censuses that followed soon after. The robust nature of the information collected makes the destruction of the 1890 Census an even harder loss to bear for woeful family historians.

Thankfully though, remnants of the 1890 U.S. Census population schedules remain, and some genealogists are lucky enough to have research subjects whose names appear among these remnant schedules. Still other researchers find themselves in luck when they discover ancestors recorded on the surviving Veterans Schedules, which are now among the holdings of the U.S. National Archives and are searchable online via various paid and free websites, including Ancestry and Family Search.

The Veterans Census was undertaken by the Federal Government for several reasons. Firstly, it helped officials gauge pension legislation needs for Union Veterans and Widows. The data collected was also specifically designed to elicit information that could assist Union Veterans’ in their application for pensions. Most veterans needed witnesses that could testify on their behalf to prove their military service, and the Veterans Census helped locate potential witnesses.

Sources:

“1890 Overview” Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/history/www/through_the_decades/overview/1890.html on 9 Sep 2023.

“1890 ‘Veterans Census’” Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/history/www/genealogy/decennial_census_records/1890_veterans_census.html on 9 Sep 2023.

Anyway, I was thinking about that time and decided to approach this current bout in the same way I did then, by reading Insomnia by Stephen King. Of course, in 1994 or 1995, the book had just recently been released, so I was flipping through crisp, perfect pages held together by a pristine spine. This time around, I'm reading my beat up, musty-smelling, almost-30-year-old copy with a few teeth marks in the corner from an anxious, destructive dog instead. This is only my second blush with the novel, but 30 years of sitting on a shelf and being moved from place to place in boxes, not to mention sitting in a box inside of multiple storage units, tends to take its toll. The book is in pretty good shape, all things considered.

Regarding the tale itself, my reaction this time is the same as the first: it's so nice to have a story in which the main characters are older adults - elderly to be more precise, though 70 years old isn't generally considered as elderly today as it was in 1994, when the book was published.

Many parts of the story hit me differently now than they did then, of course, since just like my beat up, old copy of the novel, I have a lot more wear and tear on me. I also have more intimate or first-hand knowledge of life experiences similar to those of the story’s protagonist, which actually makes for an even more interesting read the second time around.

Even if our ancestors may have lived in one place for several generations, we should never assume that we will always find our relatives in the same place that we’ve found previous generations. In other words, if someone “disappears” from records, it’s time to open the geographic parameters of your search to include other towns, cities, counties, states, and maybe even countries.

My surprise over King’s connection to Indiana was also because I have an ingrained bias in my own thinking when it comes to American migration. I tend to think of migration largely in terms of Americans moving west or north. This is no doubt in part because these were the big and well-known, mass migrations that we history majors/historians spent a lot of time learning about in history classes. In some ways our knowledge of American history benefits our research, while in others it hinders us. We must always be aware of big historical events and how they affect the movement of people from one place to the another, but we should never overlook or discount the “small” factors that drive people to relocate either.

I also suppose I have a bit of a cultural bias in thinking that only certain kinds of places presented a large enough draw to merit a cross country move. After all, in this part of Indiana, we are quite familiar with ancestors heading west to California and the Pacific Northwest; south to Texas and Florida; and Southwest, primarily to Arizona. We’re also very familiar with ancestors going to Chicago, IL, St. Louis, MO, and Detroit, MI in search of work, and in fact, Stephen King’s paternal grandfather can be found in Chicago in 1930, probably because of his step-father’s employment.

So, whether it’s because of my classically-trained historian bias or my cultural (or Hoosier-familiarity) bias, I don’t always immediately consider the possibility of someone from Indiana, migrating to the northeastern-most boundary of the United States: Maine, like King’s family did. A silly notion, especially for me, given that members of my own family did just that, moved from Indiana to Maine, and Orono at that, one of King’s stomping grounds. So, my limited thinking in terms of migration is just another example of small thinking, something we cannot afford when it comes to genealogy.

Stephen King’s father was born in Peru, Indiana (another place to which I, too, have strong family ties). King’s paternal grandparents were both Hoosiers, born in Miami and Cass counties, and King himself spent some of his youth in Fort Wayne, Indiana, living in the home of his paternal aunt, Betty L. Pollock.

When an ancestor “disappears” from records, we shouldn’t always assume the person died or moved somewhere else. A name change must always be among the possible reasons we consider for the sudden vanishing act. Now, with a person like Donald Pollock, alias Donald King, making the connection between the two names and verifying that they are, in fact, the same individual is relatively easy. After all, Donald lived at a time from which available records are still abundant, and those records are robust in terms of the details they report about an individual.

Once you locate enough records that report the same given name, birth date, and birth location, but with two different surnames, you may suspect there was a name change that occurred. You’ll still need supporting evidence. Let’s say you then find that man (who has the “new” surname) living in the same household as an unmarried sister that has the “old” family surname. This would indicate you’re probably on the right track and that your male ancestor did change his last name. You must still hunt for additional evidence to move that assumption from the category of suspicion to proven fact, though.

As a general rule, it takes at least three primary sources, all proving the same information, before you can consider a fact truly substantiated. When it comes to proving a name change, you should shoot for a significantly greater number of sources, ideally six or more, some of which will be primary and some secondary sources.

You’ll also want to write an explanatory brief on your conclusion that a name change occurred, spelling out the research that proves your findings. You’ll do this, especially if you want to sell other discerning family history researchers on your conclusions. You will also compose this brief so future researchers can easily follow your methodology, and so future generations don’t think the rumor of a name change in the family’s history is just a big load of hooey. Not to mention so that you can remember your own methodology, when you return to this branch of the family tree sometime later to conduct additional research.  

Proving a name change for an ancestor who was born or lived prior to 1900 becomes significantly more challenging, and the further back you go, the harder it becomes. There is no doubt that many families experienced surname changes, and in some families, “the name change challenge” may even present itself multiple times over several generations.

Perhaps, at a later date, I’ll share some thoughts and insights on the hunt for ancestral name changes in the Victorian Era and prior, but for now, my insomnia-brain is telling me that it’s reasoning capacity is spent and that it’s time to draw this ramble to a close. Besides, I have a Stephen King novel calling my name.    

Sources:

Donald Edwin Pollock. Indiana, U.S., Birth Certificates, 1907-1944, retrieved from Ancestry.com on 8 Sep 2023.

Donnal Pollock, in the household of Victor Szczeponski [Donald’s step-father]. 1930 United States Federal Census retrieved from Ancestry.com on 9 Sep 2023.

Donald E. King, lodger in the household of Maria R Mc Cawley. 1940 United States Federal Census, retrieved from Ancestry.com on 9 Sep 2023.

“Stephen King lived in Fort Wayne, Indiana” by John Beatty at the Genealogy Center and Allen County Public Library. Article posted to the Fort Wayne Memories Facebook Page, retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/MemoriesAllenCountyIndiana/photos/a.649475628778239/830306154028518/?type=3 on 8 Sep 2023.

From the pension roll abstract of 1883 pictured above, we can see that Aaron’s pension claim was approved in September of 1871, that he received $8.00 per month, and that his Post Office was “Sulpur Hill.” This pension roll was from Shelby County, Indiana. I suspected that the “Sulpur Hill” listed was actually a typo of “Sulphur Hill",” though I wasn’t familiar with this community, despite being from Shelby County myself.

The 1880 Federal Census

So, we begin our search by looking for an Aaron Howard, in Sulphur Hill, Shelby County, Indiana in the 1880 U.S. Federal Census. What we find is a possibility for Aaron, living in the township of Noble in Shelby County in that census year. Further research shows that Noble Township is the home of the unincorporated town of Geneva, and Geneva, like so many communities throughout the U.S., was known by several names, including, in this case, Sulphur Hill.

From the 1880 census, we learn several things. Aaron was 84-years-old, so his approximate birth year was 1796. He was born in Kentucky, and his wife’s name was Martha. She was born in Pennsylvania. We also see a Stephen Howard, 37-years-old, enumerated just prior to Aaron. Stephen was born in Indiana, but his father was born in Kentucky, and his mother was born in Pennsylvania. From this, we can assume that Stephen Howard was Aaron and Martha’s son.

If Aaron’s age is recorded correctly in this census, then that would mean he was around 16-years-old when he entered military service. Our next step then is to confirm his age by surveying as many census and other records as we can.

Earlier U.S. Census Records

Tracing Aaron back through time, we find him living in the area of Greensburg, Indiana from the 1840s through the 1870s. Aaron’s age in census enumerations is consistent, so it does appear he was born in about 1796. We also find Stephen in these same census records, and confirm that Stephen is Aaron’s son.

Aaron’s Son Stephen Howard

A quick search for Stephen turns up some very interesting and telling details, not just about Stephen’s life, but the lives of his parents, and to a lesser extent, his siblings, too. The biographical sketch below appeared in a volume called Chadwick’s History of Shelby County, Indiana, which was published in 1909.

This biography contains almost as much detail about Aaron as it does Stephen. Interestingly though, one piece of information isn’t there: Aaron’s War of 1812 military service. This had me wondering if “survivor of 1812” means something different, or if it was just that Aaron didn’t talk about his military service and therefore his family, friends, and ultimately, his biographer, didn’t know that he had served. These new questions lead me to seek military or pension records, to determine if, when, and where Aaron may have served.

The above pictured excerpt is from Aaron’s statement in his application for a “land warrant” in 1850. That same year, Congress passed an act entitling certain military veterans to land grants or bounty-land warrants for their military service. Many early Hoosiers, particularly those in southern Indiana, obtained land in this way after having served in the Revolutionary War, the Indian Wars, the Mexican-American War, and the War of 1812. Aaron submitted his pension application in 1850 for land warrants amounting to 80 acres.

Aaron’s Role as Militia Substitute for James Jenkins

According to this statement, Aaron served in the Ohio Militia during the War of 1812 as substitute for a man named James Jenkins, who had been conscripted into military service. Although there was no federal military draft until the American Civil War, conscription into state militias began with the American Revolution. Those that were drafted could arrange for someone else to serve in their stead. While there are many historical tales of wealthy men paying poor men to fulfill their terms of military service, there are other instances in which a substitute served in order to prevent or assuage hardship for poor and working class families, as well. In other words, when a family couldn’t do without an able-bodied man for a six-month, twelve-month, or longer stint, bargains were sometimes struck with relatives, friends, neighbors, or strangers. I wondered which situation applied to James Jenkins and Aaron Howard.

Aaron’s Bounty-Land

Within Aaron’s pension file, there are two petitions he filed for bounty-land warrants. The first, of which an excerpt is pictured above, was filed in 1850 in response to an act of Congress that same year granting land to eligible veterans. The second was filed in 1855, following a similar act of Congress passed that year.

The excerpt from the 1855 petition, pictured above, tells us that Aaron received his first grant of land under the Act of 1850, but he sold that land between 1850 and 1855.

When Congress passed another bounty-land act in 1855, Aaron once again applied for and received a bounty-land warrant.

Aaron’s Date of Death

Though my investigation has taken some interesting twists and turns, I began this Historic Hoosier Profile piece on Aaron Howard with two big questions: (1) how old was he when he served in the War of 1812, and (2) how long did he live after appearing in the enumeration of pension recipients in the State of Indiana?

Sources:

“Shelby County, Indiana,” retrieved from http://www.newhorizonsgenealogicalservices.com/1883-pensioners-on-the-roll/1883-pensioners-on-the-roll-in-shelby.htm, on Feb. 23, 2022.

“Geneva, Shelby County, Indiana,” retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geneva,_Shelby_County,_Indiana, on Feb. 23, 2022.

Howard, Aaron, 1840 - 1880 U.S. Federal Census records, retrieved from Ancestry.com, on Feb. 23, 2022.

Chadwick’s History of Shelby County, Indiana. Chadwick, Edward H. (Indianapolis, Indiana, 1909), retrieved from https://archive.org/details/chadwickshistory02chad/page/n539/mode/2up?q=sephen, on Feb. 23, 2022.

Howard, Aaron, Pension File, retrieved from Fold3.com, on Feb. 23, 2022.

Jenkins, James, Pension File, retrieved from Fold3.com, on Feb. 23, 2022.

"1850, September 28 - 09 Stat. 520 - Bounty Land" (2016). US Government Legislation and Statutes. 5.
https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/hornbeck_usa_2_d/5, retrieved on Feb. 24, 2022.

"1855, March 3 - 10 Stat. 701, Bounty Lands for Officers and Soldiers" (2016). US Government Legislation and Statutes. 11.
https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/hornbeck_usa_2_d/11, retrieved on Feb. 24, 2022.

Aaron Howard online memory page, retrieved from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/90282149/aaron-howard, on Feb. 24, 2022.

State Census records are just one of the available alternatives to the 1890 U.S. Census that can help you fill in gaps, answer questions, and even expand your ancestral knowledge, in many cases. These records are often overlooked by hobbyist researchers and professional genealogists alike. It’s also worth noting that these state enumerations frequently contain details not found in other records, including the federal census.

Like most record sets, state census records are not complete. Some have been lost or destroyed over the years. Many were never thoroughly completed in the first place.

In Indiana, for example, there were territorial and state censuses conducted in 1807, 1853, 1857, 1871, 1877, 1883, 1889, 1901, 1913, 1919, and 1931. Many of these enumerations were completed only for statistical purposes however, which means they didn’t contain personal information, like names and addresses. Instead, they were simply accountings of various sections of the population, like the number of males or people of voting age in certain counties.

Many of these Indiana enumerations don’t survive, at least not with the state archives or state library, though copies can sometimes be found among the holdings of county auditors’ offices. Thankfully though, some of the more “genealogically helpful” Indiana state census records do survive, including the 1883 enumeration of U.S. military pensioners residing in the State of Indiana.

State Census Schedules

Every state had its own schedule for conducting censuses. State-defined goals determined the information collected, too, so the discoverable details on ancestors vary based upon the state – and sometimes the county – in which they lived.   

There are, unfortunately, some states for which no state-level census records are known to exist, including Connecticut, Kentucky, Montana, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Vermont. There are also states in which very few state-level enumerations were ever conducted, like Maine, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Utah, among others.

Sources:

“State Censuses,” retrieved Feb 22, 2022, from https://www.census.gov/history/www/genealogy/other_resources/state_censuses.html

“Indiana Census Records,” retrieved Feb 22, 2020, from https://www.myfreecensus.com/indiana-census-records.htm

“Indiana State Census Records and Alternative Enumerations” retrieved Feb 22, 2022, from https://www.in.gov/library/files/State-Censuses-and-Enumerations-rev-02-17.pdf

“Mississippi Census",” retrieved Feb 22, 2022, from https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Mississippi_Census

It’s easy to get confused without a deeper understanding of U.S. history, and one of the most common mistakes novice family historians make is to not investigate the historical context of genealogical records. With that in mind, let’s take a brief stroll through Indiana history, with postal delivery as our guide.

Let’s begin at the beginning, before Indiana was Indiana and before the U.S. Postal Service was the U.S. Postal Service.

The Beginnings of the U.S. Postal Service

In 1775, as the American Revolution was ramping up, the Second Continental Congress appointed Benjamin Franklin Postmaster General, requiring him to establish and maintain consistent communications. With a long history in printing, publishing, and postal delivery service under his belt, Franklin was an obvious choice for the job.

Before and during the Revolutionary War, communications were delivered by messengers on horseback, a tradition that continued for well over a century in many areas. Today, horses and mules are used to deliver mail in only the most remote and otherwise inaccessible locations, like the Grand Canyon, where mules regularly carry mail to the Supai Post Office inside the canyon.

The Northwest and Indiana Territories

After the Revolutionary War, in 1783, the British ceded not just the original 13 colonies, but large sections of land that were still vast wildernesses. The Virginia lands that were “North-West of the River Ohio” are what became known as The Northwest Territory, and the future state of Indiana was part of this territory.

It was through the Ordinance of 1787, later known as the Northwest Ordinance, that Congress formally established The Northwest Territory and commissioned its survey. The intent was to sell land to individual farmers, thereby helping the young United States recoup its costs from the Revolution.

In just over a decade, Ohio was largely populated by U.S. settlers and well on its way to statehood, which it achieved in 1803. In 1800, the Northwest Territory was divided, becoming the Northwest Territory and the Indiana Territory. The Northwest Territory then only covered basically the same area as the modern state of Ohio and half of modern Michigan. The Indiana Territory however encompassed the remainder of the former Northwest Territory.

Postal Service in the Indiana Territory

Although there were official routes established for the transportation and distribution of mail by the mid-1770s, it wasn’t until 1782 that the Post-Office of the United States was formalized by Congress. There were some 75 post offices and around 2,400 miles of post roads by 1789, but the establishment of new routes and offices in the territories took a bit longer.

Communication with the rest of the nation for the earliest white settlers in Indiana was complicated. There was no post road or regular mail route that ran to the modern area of Indiana in the late 1700s. Anyone who wanted to send an outgoing communication south or east had to get a letter to Louisville, Kentucky or Cincinnati, Ohio in order for it to be picked up by a contracted postal carrier. If the communication was going west, it had to get to Kaskasia, Illinois. In 1800 however, Congress approved the establishment of a postal route or post road from Louisville to Vincennes and Vincennes became the first community in Indiana to have a post office.

The contracted postal carrier that transported mail between Louisville and Vincennes was paid $600 per year for running the route. Very few letters made their way back and forth when Indiana was still a territory though. In fact, during the route’s first year in service, the postage revenue it generated was less than $85.00. It should come as no surprise then that there were minimal formal “addressing” rules for sending a post at the time. A letter might simply be addressed to a person and list the town or even just the county where he or she lived.

The number of post roads and post offices steadily increased between 1800 and 1816, when Indiana achieved statehood, but the mail being delivered in the territory was still minimal. This, too, should come as no surprise considering there were fewer than 3,000 whites living in Indiana in 1800, and only about 65,000 by 1816. The establishment of a new post office or post road was dependent upon population, so the number of post offices only increased as the population reached the appropriate levels. Before statehood, Indiana had about 20 post offices, and some of the earliest include Jeffersonville (1803), Corydon (1809), Salisbury (1813), and Brookville (1813).

When Indiana was “Ia” or “IA”

During the territorial period, Indiana was commonly abbreviated as “IA” or “Ia” in newspapers and in government communications and on postal mail. The Post Office Department (the precursor of the U.S. Postal Service) officially abbreviated Indiana as “Ia” between 1831 and 1874, when the abbreviation was changed to “Ind.”

The 1850 U.S. Federal Census was the first on which the birthplaces of residents were recorded. The “Ia” abbreviation frequently appears in the 1850, 1860, and 1870 censuses as a result, though enumerators often wrote out the entire name of the state or territory instead. Even in later census records, the “Ia” is still occasionally found in reference to someone born in Indiana, as census takers sometimes continued to use the older and defunct abbreviation.

The Confusion of Indiana and Iowa in Old Records

Because we associate “Ia” with Iowa, older genealogical records for The Indiana Territory and the State of Indiana are often misunderstood. Transcriptionists frequently attribute the birthplace or residence for individuals as Iowa when, in fact, it’s Indiana.

In the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, The United States bought 828,000 square miles of land west of the Mississippi River from France, including the area of the modern state of Iowa. The first white settlers began arriving in the 1830s. By 1838, the Iowa Territory was established, and in 1846, Iowa achieved statehood. From the 1830s to the early 1960s, Iowa was recorded by its full name within government records, newspapers, and on postal mail. This is no doubt thanks to the brevity of the territory and state’s official name.

When Indiana became “IN” and Iowa became “IA”

The “Ind” abbreviation for Indiana remained in effect from 1874 until 1963, when the Post Office Department instituted the use of postal zip codes. Needing to make room on the bottom line of a mailing address, the Post Office designated two-letter abbreviations for all states and territories. Indiana became “IN” and Iowa became “IA” at this time.

Sources:

[1] “Benjamin Franklin, Postmaster General” United States Postal Service, retrieved 17 May 2021 from https://about.usps.com/who-we-are/postal-history/pmg-franklin.pdf

[2] Kiger, P. (2020). Benjamin Franklin Established the Post Office to Connect and Unite the Colonies. HISTORY. Retrieved 17 May 2021, from https://www.history.com/news/us-post-office-benjamin-franklin.

[3] 9-mile mule train delivery | U.S. Postal Facts. Postal Facts - U.S. Postal Service. Retrieved 17 May 2021, from https://facts.usps.com/8-mile-mule-train-delivery/.

[4] Northwest Ordinance: Primary Documents of American History (Virtual Programs & Services, Library of Congress). Loc.gov. Retrieved 17 May 2021, from https://www.loc.gov/rr/program//bib/ourdocs/northwest.html.

[5] Pruitt, S. (2020). How the US Post Office Has Delivered the Mail Through the Decades. HISTORY. Retrieved 17 May 2021, from https://www.history.com/news/post-office-mail-delivery.

[6] Postal Service | Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. Monticello.org. Retrieved 18 May 2021, from https://www.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/postal-service.

[7] About.usps.com. (2020). Retrieved 18 May 2021, from https://about.usps.com/publications/pub100.pdf.

[8] State Abbreviations - Who We Are - USPS. About.usps.com. Retrieved 18 May 2021, from https://about.usps.com/who-we-are/postal-history/state-abbreviations.htm.

[9] Weiss Simins, J. (2017). Northwest Territory – The Indiana History Blog. The Indiana History Blog. Retrieved 19 May 2021, from https://blog.history.in.gov/tag/northwest-territory/.

[10] Old Northwest Territory – Legends of America. Legendsofamerica.com. Retrieved 19 May 2021, from https://www.legendsofamerica.com/old-northwest-territory/.

[11] Peckham, H. (1951). Mail Service in Indiana Territory. Indiana Magazine of History, 47(2), 155-164. Retrieved May 19, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/27787941

[12] Indiana Territory - Wikipedia. En.wikipedia.org. Retrieved 19 May 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiana_Territory.

[13] State Abbreviations - Who We Are - USPS. About.usps.com. (2019). Retrieved 18 May 2021, from https://about.usps.com/who-we-are/postal-history/state-abbreviations.htm.

[14] Louisiana Purchase | Definition, Date, Cost, History, Map, States, Significance, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 19 May 2021, from https://www.britannica.com/event/Louisiana-Purchase.

In Fairview, Massachusetts, Manjiro apprenticed with a blacksmith and briefly attended elementary school before enrolling in the prestigious Fairhaven Bartlett Academy where he studied English and navigation, among other subjects. After Manjiro completed his education 1846, Whitfield aided in securing a position for his ward among the crew of the Franklin, a whaling vessel captained by Ira Davis, which was set to commence a 30-month voyage in the South Seas. In 1847, the Franklin put to port in Honolulu, Hawaii, where Manjiro briefly caught up with his friends and former shipwrecked companions before continuing on his travels.

The three returned castaways were questioned by authorities and then held under house arrest in Okinawa for six months before being moved to Nagasaki for ten additional months of interrogation. They were finally released in June 1852. While they were still under travel restrictions, forbidden from leaving their hometown and most certainly from venturing to sea again, their treatment was quite liberal, all things considered. This was, after all, the era of Edo or Sakoku, a 200 plus year period of strict isolationism in Japan.

During Sakoku, under Shogun rule, any Japanese citizen who left the country for any reason was punished harshly. Returning home was a risky prospect, one that could result in execution, hence the reason Manjiro’s friend Toraemon decided to stay in Hawaii. During this era, violent storms often washed fishermen out to sea, far outside of Japanese territory. Most never returned home for fear of losing their lives upon arrival. Even when the exodus from Japan was the result of such fateful circumstances as a shipwreck, violators were viewed as dishonorable traitors that put the Japanese people at risk.

This belief system was entrenched and supported by more than 200 years of tradition and laws, which makes the next chapter of Manjiro’s life even that much more remarkable. Rather than being further detained or executed, Manjiro was made a samurai in direct service to the Shogun and with orders to educate other samurai on foreign affairs.

When Manjiro was first rescued by Captain Whitfield, he had no surname. Japan was a strict class culture, and fishermen were the lowest of the low. Possessing a surname was an honor reserved for the upper classes. It was therefore not until Manjiro served as a Samurai to the Shogun that he was permitted to take a surname. He chose Nakahama himself, honoring his hometown by doing so.

Manjiro continued to serve the shogun, and later the restored imperial government, in various capacities and also expanded his own knowledge and education to that end. Following an 1870 educational mission to Europe, Manjiro visited the east coast of the United States and Captain William Whitfield for the first time in 21 years.

Sources:

[1] “Nakahama Manjirō.” Accessed 10 May 2021 from https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Nakahama_Manjir%C5%8D

[2] “John Manjiro: The First Japanese to Reach America,” Inspiring Biographies, blog post, Aug 4 2010. Accessed 10 May 2021 from http://inspiringbiographies.blogspot.com/2010/08/john-manjiro-first-japanese-to-reach.html

[3] Kikuoka, T., The Presentation of a Samurai Sword. The Millicent Library (Fairhaven, Massachusetts), 1982. Digital image, accessed 10 May 2021 from https://millicentlibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/SwordBooklet-1982.pdf

[4] “Asian American Milestones: Timeline,” History.com, Mar 22, 2021. Accessed 10 May 2021 from https://www.history.com/topics/immigration/asian-american-timeline

[6] Kingdon, Amorina. “Manjirō Nakahama: From Castaway to Samuri,” Hakai Magazine (2015), accessed 10 May 2021 from https://www.hakaimagazine.com/article-short/manjiro-nakahama-castaway-samurai/

[7] Albertina P. Keith Whitfield. Find a Grave, online memorial, accessed 10 May 2021 from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/148203881/albertina-p-whitfield

[8] Kitadai, Junji. “The Sage of Manjirō” Education About Asia, Volume 19:2 (Fall 2014): Maritime Asia. Online archive, accessed 10 May 2021 from https://www.asianstudies.org/publications/eaa/archives/the-saga-of-manjiro/

[9] “The Manjiro Story” Accessed 10 May 2021 from https://whitfield-manjiro.org/the-manjiro-story/

[10] “Nakahama Manjirō” Accessed 10 May 2021 from https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Nakahama_Manjir%C5%8D

[11] “Japanese Immigration” Accessed 10 May 2021 from https://americanhistory.si.edu/righting-wrong-japanese-americans-and-world-war-ii/japanese-immigration

[12] “The U.S. Mainland: Growth and Resistance” Accessed 10 May 2021 from https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/immigration/japanese/the-us-mainland-growth-and-resistance/

Here endeth the rant and beginneth the lesson…

The terms “Hoosier” and “Indianan” have both been around almost as long as the state of Indiana itself. Despite the common usage of “Indianan” by print and later broadcast media, Hoosiers today still find the term irritating. I was actually surprised to learn that in 2016, Indiana’s senators, Dan Coats (R) and Joe Donnelly (D), formally petitioned to have the official term for Indiana residents changed to “Hoosiers” at the federal level. [1] In 2017, junior senator, Todd Young (R), Donnelly’s successor, took up the mantle, stating, “If you look in a dictionary, the word Indianan may appear. But, the first task, the litmus test as to whether or not someone really is from Indiana or has spent any kind of considerable time in Indiana is whether or not they use the word ‘Indianan’ because no one in Indiana ever uses that term. We refer to ourselves as Hoosiers.” [2] In January of 2017, the U.S. Government Publishing Office capitulated, making Hoosier the official designation for Indiana’s residents. [3]

While official government documents and communications may have changed, the term Indianan is still alive and well in print and broadcast media. When Hoosiers hear or see it though, it tends to incite irritation at best and distrust at worst, as well as the occasional expletive. That being said, the use of our residential nickname instead of the more generic and standardized demonym with a suffix of “an,” “ite,” or “er,” actually makes Indiana somewhat unique. Only a handful of states have a name for their residents other than the standardized, suffixed demonyms. They are:

• Connecticut - Nutmegger

• Hawaii - Hawaiian (ethnic Hawaiian); Kamaaina (native-born, nonethnic Hawaiian); Malihini (newcomer)

• Indiana - Hoosier

• Massachusettes - Bay Stater

• New Hampshire - Granite Stater

• Ohio - Buckeye

Although the Government Publishing Office has signed off on these terms as acceptable ways in which to reference residents of the respective states, the manual also notes that the preferred demonyms remain the plain old an, ite, and er versions instead. [4]

The demonyms for some states aren’t so bad, like Floridian, New Yorker, Marylander, or Texan, since they sound natural and are easily pronounced. Others are extremely off-putting or just don’t roll off the tongue so easily, like Illinoisan, New Jerseyite, Utahan, and Delawarean. Most people probably never refer to themselves using the federal government’s designated name anyway, but instead simply say, “I’m from Illinois,” for example. In Indiana though, it’s pretty much a guarantee that people refer to themselves as Hoosiers as often, and likely more so, than they say, “I’m from Indiana.”

But What exactly is a Hoosier?

Well, the fact is that no one really knows when, where, or how exactly the term “Hoosier” first came into use for describing a resident of Indiana. Moreover, no one knows what the word actually meant when initially put into common use, although there are plenty of theories.

• Folklore abounds, and anyone over the age of 35 or so has probably heard a few silly tales about squatters saying, “Who’s ‘ere?,” after a knock at the door, or men yelling “Whose ear?” frequently after bar fights when Indiana was still on the American frontier.

• Other theories have their origins in historical facts, including the 19th century use of the terms “husher” and “hooshier,” in the western and southern regions of the U.S. to describe, “roughnecks,” “hicks,” and “hillbillies.” It’s hard to say how frequently “hoosier” is still used in this fashion today, although at least in St. Louis, Missouri, it’s still a living epithet, similar to “redneck” or “white trash,” and like all such derogatory terms, has actually been adopted with pride by some who might be the targets of its use. [5]

• One of the newer and more interesting, albeit, still probably incorrect, theories comes from William D. Pierson, a professor with Fisk University, who posits that a pioneering black minister by the name of Harry Hoosier preached within the state of Indiana in the early 1800s and that his followers came to be known as “hoosiers,” a moniker eventually attached to residents of the entire state. [6] [7]

According to researchers at Indiana-Purdue University of Indianapolis, the first known publication of “Hoosier” appeared in the Indianapolis Journal in January of 1833, but scholars believe it must have been in common use for some time prior. Leading to this conclusion is that none of the publications in which the word appeared felt the need to explain it’s meaning, implying that anyone who saw it was already quite familiar with it. [8]

So when were Hoosiers Indianans?

Indiana became a state in 1816, and the word Hoosier was already in common use by 1833. I wondered then, how often were people using Indianan to describe Indiana’s people early in the state’s history? Now this may not be the most scientific measure, but I did a quick search on Newspapers.com and here’s what I found.

Between 1813 and 2021, Indianan appears 13,472 times in Indiana publications and 87,163 times in newspapers nationwide, so that’s 73,691 times outside of Indiana. There are a number of factors of course that influence these very unscientific findings, like the number of newspapers in the websites’ database and the context in which each term appeared. That being said, it’s still pretty difficult to believe that Indianan was ever really in daily use within the state of Indiana.

I conducted another search, this time looking for the term Hoosier. Between 1813 and 2021, Hoosier appears in Indiana publications 2,853,970 times and in nationwide newspapers 5,690,165 times, meaning it was published 2,836,195 times outside of Indiana. A couple of things occurred to me with this set of results. The first is that Hoosiers really like the word Hoosier and use it often, and second, and not surprisingly, it seems like Indiana isn’t talked about all that much outside of Indiana. While I didn’t look too hard, it’s also pretty likely that references to Indiana University’s sports teams probably account for many of the out-of-state uses of “Hoosier.”

What’s an Indianan and What’s a Hoosier?

If you ask a Hoosier this question, almost all will say that they’ve never heard of an Indianan, but those who have will probably tell you we’re only Indianans when there’s a political race underway in which the rest of the country is interested in the outcome. And with regard to the definition of a Hoosier, anyone from Indiana is going to say that a Hoosier is just someone from Indiana. If asked to explain what the word really means, you might get some of those tall tales I mentioned earlier, or you may just get a “heck if I know” in response.

The mystery of the word’s origins will probably never be solved, since it’s a mystery that’s been around nearly as long as the word itself.

Sources:

[1] Davich, Jerry. So, Hoosiers, What do You Think of Indianans? The Chicago Tribute (Chicago, Illinois), Friday, April 22, 2016, pages 1- 2.

[2] Gangitano, Alex (2017). They’re ‘Hoosiers’: Government will dump ‘Indianan’ reference. Retrieved 2 May 2021, from https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2017/jan/12/theyre-hoosiers-government-will-dump-indianan-refe/

[3] Wiechmann, S. (2017). Federal Government Will Now Call Us Hoosiers. Retrieved 2 May 2021, from https://www.wfyi.org/news/articles/federal-government-will-now-call-us-hoosiers

[4] “State Resident Names.” State Symbols USA, Retrieved 2 May, 2021, from statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/national-us/state-resident-name/all-state-residents.

[5] “What’s a Hoosier?” St. Louis Magazine, Retrieved 2 May, 2021, from https://www.stlmag.com/news/what-s-a-hoosier/

[6] “Harry Hoosier” (2004) Retrieved 2 May, 2021 from https://indianapublicmedia.org/momentofindianahistory/harry-hoosier/

[7] Webb, Stephen H. “Introducing Black Harry Hoosier: The History Behind Indiana’s Namesake" Retrieved 2 May 2021, from file:///C:/Users/profi/AppData/Local/Temp/11895-Article%20Text-29748-1-10-20140409.pdf

[8] Nosowitz, Dan (2017). The Unsolvable Mystery of the Word ‘Hoosier’. Retrieved 2 May 2021, from https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/why-indiana-people-called-hoosier

[9] Brooks, William W. “Origin of the word ‘Hoosier’ Part Fact, Part Fancy, Still Being Disputed.” Journal and Courier (Lafayette, Indiana), Saturday, June 1, 1957, page 23.

[10] Ibid.

[11] Indiana Argument. The Journal and Courier (Lafayette, Indiana), Friday, March 7, 1941, page 6.

[12] Could, Filomena. “Atop the Town.” The Indianapolis News (Indianapolis, Indiana), Wednesday, January 22, 1947, page 16.

[13] “Hoosier.” The Lancaster Gazette (Lancaster, Lancastershire, England), Saturday, August 6, 1859, page 7.vb

In the 1850 census, we learn the name of Jacob’s wife, Elizabeth, and the names of their nine children, the youngest of whom, Marshall, was born after the last decennial federal census. [3] Jacob is 52 years old in this census and Elizabeth is 48. Their eldest child, Wesley, was born in Kentucky, as were Jacob and Elizabeth, but the rest of their children were born in Indiana. Given this information, we search even older census records, hoping to learn when the family arrived in Rush County.

In the 1830 census, Jacob and his family are already present, as is another household of Daubenspikes [sic], this one headed by a man named Peter. They are living in very close proximity to one another, likely making Peter a relative of Jacob’s - perhaps a brother or a cousin. [4] [5]

Peter was between 20 and 30 years of age in 1930, [6] and in 1829, he married Ruth Kitchen in Rush County, Indiana. [7] At the time of the 1840 census, Peter and his family had moved to Pike Township in Marion County, Indiana. [8] This leads me to the conclusion that the “Mr. Dobinspeak” in the dead-letter-warning-list from The True Republican was Jacob and not Peter.

Sources:

[1] “List of Letters” The True Republican (Rushville, Indiana), Fri, Jan 7, 1842, Page 3

[2] Jacob Dobenspec household. Year: 1840; Census Place: Union, Rush, Indiana; Roll: 93; Page: 136; Family History Library Film: 0007729, Ancestry, digital image, accessed 7 Apr 2021.

[3] Jacob Daubinspeck household. Year: 1850; Census Place: Union, Rush, Indiana; Roll: 170; Page: 521b, Ancestry, digital image, accessed 7 Apr 2021.

[4] Jacob Daubinspike household. Year: 1830; Census Place: Rush, Indiana; Series: M19; Roll: 26; Page: 299; Family History Library Film: 0007715, Ancestry, digital image, accessed 7 April 2021.

[5] Peter Daubinspike household. Year: 1830; Census Place: Rush, Indiana; Series: M19; Roll: 26; Page: 299; Family History Library Film: 0007715, Ancestry, digital image, accessed 7 Apr 2021.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Peter Dobbinspeck. Indiana, Marriages, 1810-2001. Salt Lake City, Utah: FamilySearch, 2013., Family Search, index entry, accessed 7 Apr 2021.

[8] Peter Dobinspike household. Year: 1840; Census Place: Pike, Marion, Indiana; Roll: 88; Page: 260; Family History Library Film: 0007727, Ancestry, digital image, accessed 7 April 2021.

[9] Jacob Daubenspeck. Find a Grave, digital image, accessed 9 Apr 2021 from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/70028541/jacob-daubenspeck.

[10] “Biography of H.E. Daubenspeck,” accessed 9 Apr 2021 from http://www.onlinebiographies.info/in/rush/daubenspeck-he.htm, citing Gary, A., & Thomas, E. (Eds.). (1921). Centennial History of Rush County, Indiana. Indianapolis, IN: Historical Publishing Company.

[11] Gary, A., & Thomas, E. (Eds.). (1921). Centennial History of Rush County, Indiana. Indianapolis, IN: Historical Publishing Company, page 415. Internet Archives, digital image, accessed 9 Apr 2021 from https://archive.org/details/centennialhistor01gary/page/n447/mode/2up?q=%22jacob+daubenspeck%22.

[12] Ibid, page 422.

[13] Ibid, page 417.

[14] Ibid, page 418.

[15] Ben Davis Creek Christian Church. (Aug 29, 2020). Digital image, accessed 9 Apr 2021 from https://www.facebook.com/BenDavisCreekChristianChurch/photos/3264684026980487.

[16] Daugherty, E. (n.d.). Pioneer preachers - Benjamin Franklin. Retrieved 9 Apr 2021 from https://ohiovalleyrestorationresearch.com/preacher-profiles/45-pioneer-preachers-benjamin-franklin

[17] Franklin, Joseph and Headington, J.A. (1879). The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin. St. Louis, MO: J. Burns, publisher, pages 138 - 140. Internet Archives, digital image, accessed 9 Apr 2021 from https://archive.org/details/lifetimesofbenja00franrich/page/138/mode/2up

[18] Beers, J.H. (1879). Atlas of Rush County, Indiana: to which are added various general maps, history, statistics, illustrations. Chicago, IL: J.H. Beers & Co., page 44. Digital Image, accessed 18 Apr 2021 from https://ulib.iupuidigital.org/digital/collection/HistAtlas/id/1786
[19] Franklin, Joseph and Headington, J.A. (1879). The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin. St. Louis, MO: J. Burns, publisher, pages 138 - 140. Internet Archives, digital image, accessed 9 Apr 2021 from https://archive.org/details/lifetimesofbenja00franrich/page/138/mode/2up

[20] Beers, J.H. (1879). Atlas of Rush County, Indiana: to which are added various general maps, history, statistics, illustrations. Chicago, IL: J.H. Beers & Co., page 47. Digital Image, accessed 18 Apr 2021 from https://ulib.iupuidigital.org/digital/collection/HistAtlas/id/1786

[21] Beers, J.H. (1879). Atlas of Rush County, Indiana: to which are added various general maps, history, statistics, illustrations. Chicago, IL: J.H. Beers & Co., page 73. Digital Image, accessed 18 Apr 2021 from https://ulib.iupuidigital.org/digital/collection/HistAtlas/id/1786

[22] Eleventh Annual Report of the Indiana State Board of Agriculture and the Report of Prof. E.T. Cox, State Geologist. (1869) Indianapolis: Alexander H. Conner, printer. page 392. Digital image, accessed 18 Apr 2021 from https://books.google.com/books?id=K6IZAQAAIAAJ

[23] Gary, A., & Thomas, E. (Eds.). (1921). Centennial History of Rush County, Indiana. Indianapolis, IN: Historical Publishing Company, page 415. Internet Archives, digital image, accessed 18 Apr 2021 from https://archive.org/details/centennialhistor01gary/page/n83/mode/2up?q=%22daubenspeck%22

[24] Jacob Daubenspeck. Find a Grave, digital image, accessed 18 Apr 2021 from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/70028541/jacob-daubenspeck.

Classified ads in old newspapers are always interesting. They offer glimpses into everyday life - glimpses unlike those offered by most other primary sources. What made David’s ad stand out was that employment ads aren’t often so specific. They don’t typically list preferred roles. More often, historic want ads simply reflect the desire for or need of a job. They may sometimes indicate a specific field or industry in which the person has previous experience or training. David’s preference for a job, not just as a porter, but as a porter in a bookstore specifically is therefore a bit unique.

I decided to chase David through history to discover more about him. I wondered if he ever achieved his goal or if he, like so many, had to settle for a job that would pay the bills but which didn’t necessarily offer the personal fulfillment he obviously desired.

When most people think of porters, they probably envision the men - usually black - serving the needs of train passengers in old black and white films. While it’s true that the railways were a primary source of employment for porters, there were many other industries in which porters found employment in the past. Store porters, for example, served in various capacities within department stores, pharmacies, groceries, and other retail locations. They may have stocked inventory, carried packages for patrons, and cleaned the store’s facilities, among other duties.

We first find David in the 1870 U.S. Federal Census. In Indiana, this census was duplicated, with many areas being enumerated twice that year. There are sometimes slight variations in the information recorded by census takers, making it important to view both copies whenever possible.

In the first version of the 1870 census, which was recorded Feb. 13, 1870, David is living in the Third Ward of Indianapolis. His street address is “84,” though the street name is not indicated. He is listed as 23 years of age, male, black, working as a teamster, and born in New York. His wife, Ada Washington, is 20, also black, and keeping house. She was born in Kentucky. Lucy Bullett (at this time, an unknown female) is also residing in the home. She is 65 years old, mulatto, working as a laundress, and was born in Kentucky. Given Lucy’s age by comparison to David and Ada’s ages, she is possibly the mother of one or the other. [2]

The second enumeration of the 1870 census was recorded on Jun. 16. David and his family were still living in the Third Ward of Indianapolis at this time, but they’d moved. Their house number is “243,” but again, the name of the street is not indicated. David is working as a book binder in this census. New York is still listed as his place of birth, and Kentucky as his wife’s, but Lucy Bullett’s is recorded as Virginia. You’ll notice there are other variations in the information recorded, including changes in David and Ada’s ages and in Lucy’s recorded race. She was enumerated as mulatto in the first census and as black in the second. Census takers’ own perceptions of color and race play a part in the information recorded within these documents. Regardless, the first enumeration as “mulatto” indicates Lucy was likely lighter in color and that David and Ada had darker complexions. [3]

The hash marks in columns to the right provide a bit more information on David, Ada, and Lucy. The mark furthest to the right for David simply indicates that he was an American male over the age of 21. The cluster of marks for Ada and Lucy indicate literacy details. Ada could write but not read, while Lucy was illiterate. These columns are blank for David, indicating he could read and write, [4] not surprisingly, considering his interest in working in a bookstore.

By 1880, we find that David and his family have moved to Cleveland, Ohio, and not surprisingly, we also find David working as a porter for the railroad. The railroad industry grew dramatically in the late 19th Century, offering black men opportunities for reliable income, consistent employment, and jobs with a relatively low risk of personal injury. [7]

The 1880 census also shows David and Ada had two sons: George, age 11, and David, age 8, both born in Indiana. In this census, Lucy is listed as David’s mother, and David’s place of birth appears as Virginia rather than New York. [8] George’s age is likely inaccurate, since his name didn’t appear on either of the 1870 censuses, but it does provide an approximation of his birth year. Also from the 1880 census, we learn that the family lived at 55 Greenwood St. in Cleveland, [9] giving us an excellent detail for comparing city directory listings in the same city.

Because of her distinctive name, we search for Lucy Bullett in city directories and find her living at 55 Greenwood St., Cleveland from 1884 through 1888. She is listed as the widow of Caesar. [10] In 1887 however, we also find a listing for Lucy Bullett, widow of Ceasar, living in Detroit, Michigan, [11] prompting a search for David Washington in Detroit as well. It appears that in 1887 or 1888 the family moved to Detroit and that the listing for Lucy in Cleveland was in error.

Detroit is where we lose track of David, Ada, and Lucy. A search for David and Ada’s children also yields no obvious results that an be quickly connected to this family. Since finding the David, Ada, and their children moving forward is difficult or impossible, we take a look back instead and find some additional information worthy of sharing.

I’m sure I’ll revisit this family a some point in the future and perhaps I’ll find more answers then. For now though, I can’t say whether or not David F. Washington ever achieved his goal of working in a bookstore. I hope he did.

Sources:

[1] David Washington, “Wanted,”The Indianapolis News (Indianapolis, Indiana), Wed., Feb. 16, 1870, page 3.

[2] David Washington household. Year: 1870; Census Place: Indianapolis Ward 3 (2nd Enum), Marion, Indiana; Roll: M593_338; Page: 147B; Family History Library Film: 545837, Ancestry, online image, accessed 31 Mar 2021.

[3] David Washington household. Year: 1870; Census Place: Indianapolis Ward 3, Marion, Indiana; Roll: M593_340; Page: 123B; Family History Library Film: 545839, Ancestry, online image, accessed 31 Mar 2021.

[4] Ibid.

[5] David F. Washington. Indianapolis, Indiana, City Directory, 1872, Ancestry, online image, accessed 31 Mar 2021.

[6] David Washington, city directory listings. Indianapolis, Indiana, City Directories, 1871 - 1874, Ancestry, online images, accessed 31 Mar 2021.

[7] Railroads in the late 19th century : Rise of Industrial AMERICA, 1876-1900 : U.S. history primary Source timeline : Classroom materials at the library of Congress : Library of Congress. (n.d.). Retrieved April 02, 2021, from https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/united-states-history-primary-source-timeline/rise-of-industrial-america-1876-1900/railroads-in-late-19th-century/

[8] David Washington household. Year: 1880; Census Place: Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio; Roll: 1006; Page: 52A; Enumeration District: 018, Ancestry, online image, accessed 2 Apr 2021.

[9] Ibid.

[10] Mrs. Lucy Bullett, city directory listings, 1884 - 1888, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011, Ancestry, online images, accessed 2 Apr 2021.

[11] Lucy Bullett. Cleveland, Ohio, U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011, Ancestry, online images, accessed 2 Apr 2021.

[12] Lucy Bullett and David F. Washington. Detroit, Michigan, City Directory, 1887, Ancestry.com. U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011., Ancestry, online images, accessed 2 Apr 2021.

[13] David F C Washington. Detroit, Michigan, City Directory, 1888, Ancestry.com. U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011., Ancestry, online images, accessed 2 Apr 2021.

[14] David F. Washington and Eda Bullett, “Marriages in Prospect,” Chicago Evening Post (Chicago, Illinois), Wed., Apr 1, page 4.

[15] Mrs. Lucy Bullett. Indianapolis, Indiana, City Directory, 1865, Ancestry.com. U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011., Ancestry, online images, accessed 2 Apr 2021.

Some discoveries may not be happy or pretty at all. Some may even be heart-wrenching or difficult to process. You may learn some disturbing things or find stories for which you just aren’t prepared. That’s the chance you take when you begin looking into the lives of human beings. After all, people are the subject of genealogy and people by their very nature are flawed. They make decisions or choices that can be challenging to understand or impossible to justify.

A few years ago, a friend of mine shared a video clip on social media that was a comedic skit featuring an interracial couple that decided to have a genealogist prepare their family histories before getting married. They discovered that the white fiancée’s ancestors were the slaveholders of the black fiancé’s ancestors. Needless to say, the skit ended with a meltdown and breakup in the genealogist’s office. Now making such an incendiary discovery is unlikely, but this skit touches on some ugly and painful truths in our shared history, particularly in the United States.

If you’re from the U.S. and your family has been here for more than 150 years, then one way or another, slavery is a reality quite likely to rear it’s disgusting head in your family tree. It’s also by no means the only hard truth that you may learn from your ancestors’ stories.

Within my own family tree, I’ve found multiple suicides, many unhappy marriages, abandoned children, incidents of sexual violence, alcohol and drug abuse, criminal activities, and domestic abuse, among other disappointing and deplorable details. These stories are part of my own family history and are therefore part of what has shaped my family today.

You’re looking into the lives of people, so you may find out things that temporarily crush rather than uplift you. There may be things that disappoint rather than make you proud. Every discovery, even the sad, traumatic, or perplexing ones are part of your family history.

The difficult details in genealogical research aren’t always the result of personal choices or decisions either. You’re likely to learn about tragedies and losses that were completely outside your ancestors’ control as well. A family tree that doesn’t contain some heartbreak is truly unusual. But even the most heartbreaking of family histories also inevitably contain kernels of hope and stories of triumph, with people who faced and overcame challenges and difficulties, tragedies and terrifying events. You’re just as likely to find greatness as you are to find sadness, and you may even find both within the same individual, because that’s the way people so often work.

Family history discoveries can be equal parts painful and traumatic and enlightening and illuminating. Most family trees contain scoundrels and heroes, perpetrators and victims, and interesting characters and boring ones. Almost every family is shaped by horrific as well as happy tales. Your family tree is made up of people and people are complex. Why would we ever expect then that a family history won’t be?

Antique malls aren’t the only place I’ve come across old photos either. Their presence at auctions shouldn’t really come as a surprise, since many items put up for auction have been obtained through estate sales. It’s always a bit surprising to me to discover old pictures at yard sales and garage sales though. I suppose it shouldn’t be, since the world seems to be teeming with orphaned photographs. A quick search on eBay is all it takes to know just how true this statement really is. There are pages and pages of photos for sale, often containing no identifying information about the people and places pictured.

Photographs aren’t the only pieces of lost family history that you’ll find floating around in the world either. There are letters, postcards, journals, school report cards, memory books, yearbooks, military records, and awards - the list goes on and on.

Whenever possible, I try to buy these things when I come across them, a practice I started long before I ever envisioned this genealogy business or blog. It just seemed like the right thing to do. I was compelled by my own sense of commitment to preserving history, particularly the history of ordinary, everyday people. That commitment continues, which is exactly why I’ve started this blog series.

In some cases, these orphaned pieces of family history are the result of a family line that has come to an end, which is something that happens every day. Sometimes though, photos, postcards, letters, and other items may have simply been misplaced. A great example is a stack of military records and family vacation photos I discovered buried in a box of old magazines my brother purchased from a thrift store. I suspect these weren’t purposely donated but were instead somehow mixed in with other items that were destined for donation.

The individuals and families that appear in this blog series are likely to be from Indiana, since that’s where I come across my finds. If there are living relatives of the people featured in lost and found photos, correspondence, and other family history items, they are welcomed to reach out to me. I am willing to part with these finds in order to reconnect them with the families to whom they should have been passed on all along.

If you spy something here that relates to your own family, please feel free to reach out to me. I ask only that you give me the chance to verify that your interest is genuine. Since I invested monies to purchase these items, I will also ask you to help me recover my costs, and you have my guarantee that I will never gouge anyone. When I come across these pieces of the past, I buy them because they deserve better treatment than they’re receiving. I’d love to see them reunited with family and will do what I can to make that happen.