Ancestry of Kathleen (Lewis) Kolm

Edward Betts in Philadelphia

2006-03-05T22:04:00.000-08:00

While Edward Betts' work as a pianomaker in Baltimore in the late 1840s and early 1850s is well documented, we know very little about his earlier life. Some time before 1834 he moved from Maryland, where he was born, to Pennsylvania. At some point he married, and two children, Edward Jr. and Louisa were born. Between 1836 and 1845, Edward married a second time, to Philadelphia native Anne Elizabeth Metcalfe.

We can use information from the U.S. Census and Philadelphia City Directories to help piece together what Edward was doing before returning to Baltimore in the mid-1840s.

Before 1840

It is likely that Edward Betts was living in Pennsylvania in 1834, when son Edward, Jr. was born. It is not known where in Pennsylvania the Betts family was living before 1840, however.

I found no listing for Edward in Silver's Philadelphia, Pennsylvania General & Business Directory for 1835-36 or in McElroy's Philadelphia City Directory for 1839 or 1840*. It is possible that the Betts family lived in York County (where they moved in the 1850s) or Bucks County (where a number of Betts families lived) at that time.

*Note that the directories were probably compild in the previous year, so the 1840 directory shows addresses in 1839. Also note that there was a grocer named Edward Betts in Philadelphia in the 1830s, who probably is not related to our Edward.

1840-1841: Moyamensing

The earliest record I've been able to find of Edward Betts in Philadelphia shows him living in the district of Moyamensing:

1840 Federal Census Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Co, Moyamensing District p.116, line 19

Edward Betts 1 - - - - 1 - - - - - - - 1 - - - 1 - - - - - - - -

The 1840 Census only lists the name of the head of the family, with the other household members listed by sex, race and age. In this case there was one white male age 30-39, consistent with our Edward who was born in about 1807; one white male under the age of 5, possibly Edward Jr., born about 1834; one white female under the age of 5, probably Louisa, born about 1836; and one white female age 20-29, likely Edward's wife.

One person in the household, presumably Edward, was employed in "Manufacturing and Trades". Piano making would certainly fall into that category.

The 1841 McElroy's Philadelphia City Directory lists:

Betts Smith, piano manuf., corner 9th and Carpenter. (Moyamensing)

Perhaps this is Edward Betts in partnership with a Mr. Smith in the piano manufacturing business. Unfortunately, I did not check the list of Smiths in the directory for piano makers.

Moyamensing is immediately south of the City Center of Philadelphia. In the early 1800s it was still largely rural. It was incorporated into the city of Philadelphia proper in 1854. Today the area around 9th and Carpenter is in the heart of the Italian area of South Philly.

Moyamensing Links:
• 1846 Philadelphia map
• Map of Moyamensing and Southwark from the Hexamer and Locher Maps of the City of Philadelphia 1858-62
• "Southwark, Moyamensing, Weccacoe, Passyunk, Dock Ward for two hundred and seventy years an historical review of the foundation, rise and progress of the southern portion of Philadelphia, comprising the territory lying below Walnut Street and east of Broad, including east of Third and south of Callowhill Street", 1892 (see Chapter XX: About Moyamensing (pdf))
• history of Moyamensing
• 1820 Print of Moyamensing Botanic Gardens, southwest corner of 10th & Carpenter Streets
• Moyamensing Prison, built in 1835 at 8th and Passyunk Ave. (Supposedly Edgar Allen Poe, while incarcerated for forging a check, saw several apparitions there, which has nothing to do with our genealogy, but makes an interesting story)

After 1841: Philadelphia

Shortly after 1840, Edward Betts moved into the city of Philadelphia proper, near Franklin Park in what is now the Independence Park neighborhood.

McElroy's Philadelphia City Directory for 1842 lists:

Betts Edwin, pianomr., S E 6th and Sassafras, h 98 Cherry
Betts & Miller, pianomrs., S E 6th and Sassafras
Miller Caleb, S E 6th and Sassafras, h 98 Cherry

"Edwin" Betts and Caleb Miller both lived at 98 Cherry and had a piano manufactury at the southeast corner of 6th and Sassafras (now Race) streets. It is probably not a coincidence that the Metcalfe family lived on the south side of Sassafras, just east of 6th street, in the 1840s. Perhaps he met his bride, Anne, when she passed his business. Cherry Street was two blocks below Sassafras.

The Betts family did not live in Philadelphia very long. By 1846 they had moved to the city of Baltimore, and Edward began his work with Knabe & Gaehle.

Sassafras (Race) and Cherry St. Links
• Intersection of 6th and Race (click for a closeup view of each quadrant) from the Hexamer & Locher Atlas of Philadelphia, 1858-1862
• Maps, photos and other links from my previous post about 606 Race St.
• Old house at corner of 6th & Cherry (1859), by Frederick DeB ourg.
• Photos of Cherry Street between Front and 2nd St.- "the nation’s oldest continually residential street. (Betts and Miller probably lived closer to 6th St., but this gives an idea of how it might have looked)
• Birch's Views from The City of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania North America: as it appeared in the Year 1800 consisting of Twenty Eight Plates,, engravings of Philadelphia. Pictures 203 and 204 show 4th and Cherry and 5th and Cherry.
• Development of the Independence Park neighborhood after the American Revolution (including Sassafras (Race), 6th and Cherry Streets).

Who Was Caleb Miller?

In 1842, Edward Betts appears to have been a partner with Caleb Miller in the piano manufacturing business. When Edward left Philadelphia for Baltimore, Miller stayed behind and continued their manufacturing business. A little digging provides a little more background on Caleb and his family, and may provide additional insight into the life of Edward Betts.

Caleb Miller was born in about 1811 in Pennsylvania. He married a woman named Elizabeth, a native of New York, and they had three children: Frances, Georgianna and Angelo. According to the 1850 Census, the eldest, Frances, was born in about 1839 in New York.

McElroy's 1844 Philadelphia City Directory shows that Miller was still in the piano making business at the S W corner of 6th and Sassafras. In 1845, the address was 22 South 6th, which may or may not be the same location. It is not clear whether Betts was still his partner in 1845*.

By 1859, the Millers were living at 540 North 13th St. and the "piano furnisher store" was at 43 North 7th Street". It looks like he retired from the piano business shortly thereafter; the 1864 McElroy's City Directory indicates that Miller had a restaurant at the North 13th St. address, and the piano store is not mentioned.

Caleb Miller died at the age of 59, on March 18th 1870.

* I have not checked the 1844 or 1845 directory for Betts.

Dydd Gwyl Dewi hapus! Happy St David's Day!

2006-03-01T12:53:00.000-08:00

Today, March 1st, is St. David's day, honoring the patron saint of Wales.
St. David (or Dewi Sant in Welsh) was a 6th century monk who helped spread Christianity among the pagan Celtic tribes of western Britain, eventually becoming the archbishop of Wales.

Many Welsh people wear one or both of the national emblems of Wales on their lapel to celebrate Saint David: the daffodil (a generic Welsh symbol which is in season during March) or the leek (Saint David's personal symbol) on this day. The association between leeks and daffodils is strengthened by the fact that they have similar names in Welsh, Cenhinen (leek) and Cenhinen Bedr (daffodil, literally "Peter's leek"). (from the Wikipedia article on St. David's Day)

Today is a the day to listen to Welsh songs and remember our ancestors who came to America from Wales - and pin a daffodil to your lapel.

Links:
• Rhys James Jones has written an interesting article about St. David and the celebration of this holiday in Wales.
• St. David's Day Quiz (with answers at the end)
• The Wales Week in New York web site has an interesting article "Keeping Up with the Joneses" (pdf) about the Wales and the Welsh in America.

Irish Catholics in America

2006-01-13T21:31:00.000-08:00

Census figures show an Irish population of 8.2 million in 1841, 6.6 million a decade later, and only 4.7 million in 1891. It is estimated that as many as 4.5 million Irish arrived in America between 1820 and 1930.

Our ancestors were part of this great migration. Kate Lynch immigrated from Ireland to Pennsylvania in 1881. Her future husband, Teddy Hopkins, immigrated in 1881 or 1882. In about 1888, they were joined by Teddy's father Michael. In about 1890 the entire Hopkins family headed west, settling in Tacoma, Washington.

The Library of Congress has an interesting site about Irish-Catholic immigrants to America that can tell us more about our ancestors' experiences. Unlike many immigrants who came with money, the Irish typically were very poor:

The Irish immigrants left a rural lifestyle in a nation lacking modern industry. Many immigrants found themselves unprepared for the industrialized, urban centers in the United States. Though these immigrants were not the poorest people in Ireland (the poorest were unable to raise the required sum for steerage passage on a ship to America), by American standards, they were destitute.

They lived in tiny, cramped tenement buildings in the cities which were hotbeds for diseases such as cholera, typus, and tuberculosis. With poverty came the social problems of violence, alcoholism and crime. Their wilolingness to work for very low wages put them into conflict with other working class immigrants. They were also discriminated against for their Catholic faith.

Because there were so many Irish-Americans in the cities, they became a powerful political force.

Irish-American political clout led to increased opportunities for the Irish-American. Looking out for their own, the political machines made it possible for the Irish to get jobs, to deal with naturalization issues, even to get food or heating fuel in emergencies. The political machines also rewarded their own through political appointments. In 1855, "...nearly 40% of New York City's policemen were immigrants, and about three-fourths of these immigrants were Irish."[Wittke, The Irish in America]

Many Irish immigrants also became union organizers and leaders.

Irish immigrants who settled in Washington state in the mid- to late 1800s had more opportunities than their urban east coast cousins. However, later settlers faced growing anti-Catholic sentiment in the early 1900s.

Our Hopkins ancestors followed the same trades as many other urban Irish: Teddy Hopkins was a mounted police officer in Tacoma in the early years of the 20th century. The older Hopkins son, John J., was also in law enforcement, serving as a parole officer at the Federal Penitentiary at McNeil Island. Younger son Thomas Michael, called Teddy Jr., was the business representative of the grain millers union, beginning in the late 1930s.

It is thanks to the Irish who arrived in the Puget Sount area before them that solid jobs were available to the Hopkins men in Tacoma.

Related Links
• Irish in Washington - The Early Years (1840s to 1890)
• Ancient Order of Hibernians in Washington State, 1890-2000. John J. Hopkins was an officer in the King County AOH, which served both Seattle and Tacoma.
• Irish Heritage Club: A History of the Irish in Seattle
• 1943 photo titled "Labor heads and service men at the U.S.O. (in Tacoma)" which includes Ted Hopkins, Jr. (From the Tacoma Public Library's Photography Archive)

The Lewis Family in Slidell, Louisiana

2005-11-27T16:42:00.000-08:00

As posted previously, the children of Richard and Sarah (Betts) Lewis, Jess, Bert and Bessie, were all born in Pardoe, Pennsylvania. At the time, Richard worked for the Shenango and Allgheny Railroad and the affiliated Mercer Mining and Manufacturing Company. The Shenango and Allegheny ran into financial difficulties and was eventually taken over by the Pittsburgh, Shenango, and Lake Erie Railroad Company in 1888. At about that time, the Lewis family moved south from Pennsylvania to Slidell, Louisiana.

The reason for the Lewis family move is unknown; possibly Richard lost his job with the mine and railroad, or he could have lost an investment in the county. Perhaps better oppertunities were available in the South. It is worth noting that both of Richard’s parents, David and Hannah (Jenkins) Lewis, died in the spring of 1888 in Trevorton, perhaps freeing Richard to move away from Pennsylvania. Richard’s cousin Susanna, with her husband John Jones and family, moved from Pennsylvania to McComb City, Mississippi at about this time.

Slidell was founded in 1882, when the railroad established a building camp on the first high ground north of New Orleans along Lake Pontchartrain*. The town grew rapidly after the completion of the New Orleans and Northeastern Railroad in 1883, and the Slidell was officially incorporated in 1888.

In Slidell, the Lewis family lived on a ranch. It is not clear if Richard took up farming or cattle raising, or simply lived there while working as an engineer. (According to Richard’s alumni directory, at one time he held the position as principle Assistant of the Mexican Pacific Railroad. It is unclear if this was before or after the move to Slidell.)

After about three years in Slidell, in 1891, the Lewis family abruptly pulled up roots again and moved to Carbonado, in the mountains near Tacoma, Washington.

Maps
• Louisiana in 1896
• Google Map

Links: Slidell History
• City of Slidell
• Slidell Chamber of Commerce
• St. Tammany Parish
• Slidell Magazine

Links: Louisiana Railroad History
• Crescent City Choo Choo: history of railroads in New Orleans
• The old railroad is now the Tammany Trace trail.

* The Slidell are was severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina.
• High resolution post-Katrian aerial views

World War I Draft Registration

2005-11-11T13:35:00.000-08:00

In 1917 and 1918, all males born between 1872 and 1900 were required to register for the draft. The draft registration cards are a great source of genealogical information, with registrant's home address, occupation and physical description.

Kay's father, Jess Lewis, and her uncle, Bert Lewis, both had to register:

Name: Justin Betts Lewis
Address: 2923 No 30 Tacoma, Pierce, Wa.
Birth: June 20, 1883 (age 35), native born
Occupation: Plumber foreman; Construction Co., Camp Lewis, Pierce, Wa
Nearest relative: Anna Lewis of 2923 No 30 Tacoma, Pierce, Wa (wife)
Description: Tall, medium build, blue eyes, ,brown hair

Name: Ethelbert Jenkins Lewis
Address: 621 So. 19 Tacoma, Pierce, Wash.
Birth: August 10, 1884 (age 34), native born
Occupation: Machinist, employed by John McRay, 23 and dock, Tacoma, Pierce, Wa
Nearest Relative: Mrs. Sarah Lewis 621 So. 19 Tacoma (mother)
Description: medium hight, medium build, blue eyes, dark hair

Neither Jess nor Bert were drafted into the miltary during the war.

Irish Genealogy Database Generation Behind Schedule

2005-10-08T23:51:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons that it has been so difficult to find information on our Irish Lynch and Hopkins ancestors is that birth, death and marriage information prior to 1864 is kept at the parish level. Even if you can narrow down their home to a county, that leaves dozens of parishes.

There is an Irish genealogy project "supposed to result in most church records of births, marriages and deaths being entered on a computer data base". Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter reports that the database, supposed to be completed next year, is "running behind schedule" and won't be completed for another 20-25 years. I could probably go through all the parish records myself in that time.

Web Site Update: Web Family Cards

2005-10-06T00:43:00.000-07:00

To make navigating through Kay Lewis's ancestors even easier, I've used my genealogy program, Reunion, to generate web cards. You can start with Lee and work your way back to his earliest known ancestor.

I've put a handy link in the sidebar, so you can access the webcards page even after this post has been archived.

Give the web cards a try, and let me know if you have any problem viewing or navigating them.

The Lewis Family in Pardoe, Pennsylvania

2005-09-27T20:50:00.000-07:00

In the late 1870s, Richard and Sarah (Betts) Lewis moved from Lancaster County to Pardoe in Mercer County, in western Pennsylvania. At that time, Richard worked on starting up mines in the region. Richard worked as a mining engineer for the affiliated Mercer Mining and Manufacturing Company. He was also Chief Engineer of the Shenango and Allegheny Railroad, a line constructed to move the coal from the Mercer Mines in Pardoe to the Allegheny valley (where Pittsburgh is located) and to the markets beyond.

We don't know exactly when Richard and Sarah moved to Pardoe. There is a Richard Lewis who was elected Surveyor of Mercer County on Nov. 5, 1878*. If this is our Richard, this gives us the earliest date we know he was living in the area.

It may be that Richard had to travel for his job with the railroad and mining company. When the 1880 census was taken, Richard and Sarah were living in a boarding house in Huston in Clearfield County. His occupation was given as superintendant of a coal mine.

We know for sure that Richard and Sarah were living in Pardoe in 1883, when their eldest son Justin Betts "Jess" Lewis was born. Son Bert was born in Pardoe in 1884 and daughter Bessie was born there in 1885.

Pardoe was company town, laid out by the Mercer Mining and Manufacturing company. At it's peak at the end of the 1800s, Pardoe had a population of about 3000 people. Today there are only a few homes.

Pardoe in 2003. Photo by Richard Kolm.
In 1884 the Shenango and Allegheny Railroad and the Mercer Mining and Manufacturing Company defaulted on bonds and went into receivership. The railroad couldn't generate enough revenue to pay expenses and meet its obligations. There were several causes. The financial panic of 1873 affected the U.S. economy until 1878. Around 1883 there were strikes by miners, sometimes violent and destructive, causing coal mines to be closed for an extended period. On the Shenango and Allegheny, construction work was sometimes suspended, working forces were reduced, and the pay of officers and employees was cut and sometimes held back for as long as six months.

In response to the company’s problems, Thomas Fowler was appointed receiver in 1884. He operated the company for almost 4 years, until all of its property, franchises, material, and rolling stock were transferred to a new company. The public sale of the railroad and mining company was held in Shenango on April 19, 1887. The new company that took over the properties was the Pittsburgh, Shenango, and Lake Erie Railroad Company, a Pennsylvania corporation organized on January 12, 1888.

It is about this time that the Lewis family moved to Slidell, Louisiana, possibly because Richard had lost his job with the mine and railroad, and perhaps because he lost an investment in the county.

* Mentioned in the History of Mercer County, 1888 and 1905. He would have had the position until at least the next election, in 1881

LINKS
• About Pardoe
• History of Mercer County, 1888: Pardoe , Surveyors
• Railroads of Mercer County
• Article about the Pardoe Mine Co. from the Sharon Herald.

Portions of this post were written by Richard Kolm.

Tales from the Green Valley

2005-09-14T02:04:00.000-07:00

The BBC recently ran a series called Tales from the Green Valley that recreated a 17th century Welsh farm.

It was a time when daily life was a hard grind, intimately connected with the physical environment where routines were dictated by the weather and the seasons.

Our only known Welsh ancestor who was a farmer was Richard Jenkins*, father of Hannah (Jenkins) Lewis. Many of the lessons learned from a 17th century farm would have held true for those farming at the end of the 18th century, and even modern life.

The lessons learned include:
1. Know your neighbors.
2. Share the load.
3. Fewer creature comforts.
4. Eat seasonally.
5. Tasty food comes in small batches.
6. Reuse and recycle.
7. Dress for practicalities.
8. Corsets, not bras. (really!)
9. Biodiversity protects against calamity.
10. Don't rely on any one thing.
11. The greater the variety of insects the better.

Read the whole article.

*As an off-topic aside: It appears that the two oldest sons of David and Hannah (Jenkins) Lewis were named after their grandfathers. The oldest son, Evan, was named after David's father. The second son (and our ancestor), Richard, was named after Hannah's father.

Learn more:
There is a photo gallery from one of the participants, Alex Langlands. He also shares what he learned about thatching.

The producer Peter Sommers also tells about his experiences making the series.

Material from Gathering the Jewels on farming.

GENUKI has several available articles about farming in Glamorgan, including:
• West Glamorgan Farming, 1580-1620
• Glamorgan Agriculture in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries

Where did our Lewis ancestors live?

2005-08-07T15:02:00.000-07:00

I've been playing with the Google maps API to generate maps showing where our ancestors on the Lewis side of the family (Lewis, Hopkins, Betts and Metcalfe) lived over the past 150 years.

The advantage of using Google maps is that I can insert "pins" with information at different locations. The viewer can zoom in on any point and see either a standard map or a satellite view. I am still learning how the system works, so comments and suggestions would be appreciated.

The Lewis Family maps page.

At the moment only the most recent web browsers (Firefox/Mozilla, IE 5.5+, and Safari 1.2+) can be used to view the maps. I've found that Firefox works the best.

Download Firefox for free.

Scenes from the Vale of Neath

2005-07-29T18:11:00.000-07:00

The Lewis family lived in the Neath Valley (or Vale of Neath - Cwm Nedd) in South Wales from the 18th century until at least the mid 19th century.

Our earliest known Lewis ancestors, David and Ruth, lived near Crynant in the late 1700s. Their son, Evan Lewis and his wife Anne lived in Aberpergwm, in the upper Neath valley, near Glyn Neath in the 1820s and 1830s.
Evan's son, David,lived in Pwllfaron at the time of his marriage in 1838. He and his wife Hannah eventually settled in Resolven. David's son, Richard Lewis, was born and grew up in Resolven, until the Lewis family emigrated to Pennsylvania in the early 1850s.

All of these generations of the Lewis family belonged to the parish church of St. Catwg in Cadoxton-juxta-Neath.

•Parish of Cadoxton Juxta Neath - St.Catwg`s

The Vale of Neath is very scenic, and has long been the subject of paintings and photographs.

•Tours through the Vales of Glamorgan, paintings by Thomas Horner, 1819. Pictures 1-16 are a tour up the Neath Valley from the sea to Pont Neath Vaughan (Pont Nedd Fychan).
•Landscapes of Wales, Glamorganshire Images 12-17 show the Vale of Neath. (from the National Library of Wales Welsh Landscape Collection - see link for waterfalls of the Vale of Neath)
•Waterfalls of the Neath Valley
•Waterfall walks in the Vale of Neath

A prominent feature of the Neath Valley is the Neath Canal, completed in 1795. Today only two miles of the canal, near Resolven, are open to traffic.

•The Neath Valley and the Neath & Tennant Canals (map and photo tour)
•Neath and Tennant Canals (history)
•Photos of Neath Canal (photo tour)
•Photos along the lower Neath Canal

Legend has it that King Arthur sleeps beneath Craig y Ddinas (Dinas Rock) near Glyn Neath at the head of the Neath Valley.

•Engraving of Craig-y-Dinas, 1830
•Dinas Bridge, by Thomas Horner, early 19th century.
•The Treasure of Craig-y-Ddinas (story)

Other Vale of Neath Links
•Official Neath-Port Talbot web site
•Neath, Glamorgan images and history (Brian Wagstaffe's site)
•Items from the Neath Museum (Gathering the Jewels)
•Vale of Neath Railway
•Images of Wales (John Ball's site)
•Cadoxton-juxta-Neath GENUKI page

Is Mary Ann Metcalfe the mother of Ann Elizabeth Metcalfe?

2005-07-24T21:11:00.000-07:00

As noted in the previous post, in 1850 a woman named Mary A. Metcalf, age 50, was living with Joseph Metcalf, Ann Elizabeth Metcalfe's brother. At that time, Joseph Metcalfe was about 31 and Ann (Metcalfe) Betts was about 29. It would not be unreasonable for Mary, age 50, to be their mother.

Mary A. Metcalfe prior to 1850

In 1850, Mary A. Metcalfe was living with Joseph Metcalfe and family, probably at 202 Sassafras St. In the 1840s, there was a Mary Metcalfe living at nearby 178 Sassafras:

Philadelphia City Directory
[1840] Metcalfe Mary, 178 Sassafras
[1841] Metcalfe Mary, 178 Sassafras
[1842] Metcalfe Mary, 178 Sassafras

This was probably the same person listed in the 1840 Census:
Lower Delaware Ward, Philadelphia, p. 16
Mary A. Metcalf - - - 2 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - 2 - 1 - - - - -
(two males age 15-20, three males age 20-30, two females age 20-30, one female age 40-50). When this census was taken, Joseph would have been about 21, and Ann would have been 19 or 20 (she may have been married to Edward Betts at this time).

I have not found any earlier listing for Mary - she would probably have been listed with a husband.

Where was 178 Sassafras St?

178 Sassafras St. was probably on the south side of Sassafras (Race) Street between 5th and 6th (listed under "Race"). Today that location is part of the National Constitution Center of the National Independence Historic Park.

What happened to Mary Metcalfe after 1850?

Mary Metcalfe was not living with Joseph Metcalfe in the 1860 census.
However, a Mary A. Metcalfe, age 63, was living with Henry Loughlin, his wife Sarah, and their children in the Upper Delaware ward. Henry was a sailmaker.

In 1870 and 1880 Mary A. Metcalfe (at age 74 and 85 respectively), was living with the widow Sarah Laughlin.

It is likely that Mary Metcalfe died before 1900. More research will be needed to determine whether this Mary is the same as the woman living with Joseph Metcalfe in 1850.

It is of possible significance that Joseph's son Thomas also worked as a sail maker, like Henry Laughlin, rather than following his father's profession of painter.

Hopefully we can find evidence that Henry Laughlin married Sarah Metcalfe.

Was Thomas Metcalfe the husband of Mary A. Metcalfe?

In the 1830 Census and 1825 and 1830 City Directories, there are three Metcalf(e)s in Philadelphia:

Wm. Metcalf in Kensington, James Metcalf (or Medcalf) in , and Thomas Metcalfe in Upper Delaware Ward.

William Metcalf lived at 174 Germantown Road in Kensington. He was a well known minister of the Bible Christian Church, as well as teacher and proponent of vegitarianism. His life and family history, has ben extensively documented, making it unlikely that he is the father of Joseph and Ann. William died in 1862.

James Metcalf was a laborer who lived on North Broad Street, between Cherry and Sassafras Streets. He is listed in the 1825 and 1830 city directories, but has not been found in the 1830 census, possibly because he is living in someone else's household.

Thomas Metcalf(e) was a cabinet maker who lived at 7 Sassafras St. in Upper Delaware Ward. He was living in Philadelphia as early as 1820. In 1830 there were four children living in his household: two boys, age 5-9 and 10-14 and two girls age less than 5 and 5-9. There is one man, age 30-39 (presumably Thomas) and three women, aged 30-39, 40-49 and 80-89. Thomas's wife could be either age 30-39 or age 40-49. In 1830, our Joseph Metcalf would have been about age 11, and Ann Metcalfe would have been about age 9, so their ages are consistent with Thomas's census record.

I have not found any listing for this Thomas Metcalfe after 1835.
(note that there was another Thomas Metcalf, married to a Jane, who appears to have arrived in Philadelphia from Ireland in the early 1820s, and worked as a laborer.).

One reason that I favor Thomas as the husband of Mary (and father of Ann) is his occupation of cabinet maker. Edward Betts was living in Philadelphia by at least the mid-1830s. As a pianomaker, cabinent making would probably have been one of his skills. It's pure speculation, but Edward may have apprenticed with a cabinet maker in his youth - maybe with Thomas Metcalfe in Philadelphia. (I hope that I can find evidence of this one way or another).

Links
•Addresses on Sassafras (Race) Street
- 178 Sassafras was on the south side of the street between 5th and 6th
- 202 Sassafras was on the south side of the street at the corner of 6th
- 7 Sassafras was on the corner of 10th street.
•Map of the intersection of 6th and Race (click for a closeup view of each quadrant) from the Hexamer & Locher Atlas of Philadelphia, 1858-1862

The Metcalfe Family of Philadelphia

2005-07-24T20:20:00.000-07:00

Edward Betts and Ann Elizabeth Metcalfe married some time between 1836 and 1846, when their daughter Sarah was born in Baltimore. We know little about Ann, other than that she was born about 1820 in Philadelphia. Affidavits filed by Sarah's aunt, Rebecca Metcalfe, have provided us some information about the Metcalfe family in Philadelphia.

On June 15, 1903, Rebecca Metcalfe "aunt by marriage" of Sarah Lewis, the former Sarah Betts, filed a General Affidavit in support of Sarah's pension as the widow of Civil War veteran Richard Lewis. At the time the affidavit was filed, Rebecca was living at 606 Race St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Sarah's cousin, Bessie Metcalfe, also living at 606 Race St., also filed an affidavit on Sarah's behalf.

Location of 606 Race St.

Current maps show 606 Race St. on the southwest corner of 6th and Race Streets. This is approximately where the American College of Physicians is located today (in a building dating to the 1980s. Map).

Once a residential neighborhood, the northeast corner of this intersection is today is highway interchange and the southest corner is part of the National Constitution Center.

Little changed from the 19th century, the northeast corner of Race and 6th is Franklin Square park, which is currently which is being revitalized into a US History theme park.

Rebecca Metcalfe, widow of Joseph

Fortunately for our research, the Metcalfes lived at 606 Race St. continuously from at least 1854, allowing us to travel back through the years find the name of Sarah (Betts) Lewis's uncle, Joseph Metcalfe:

1900 Federal Census, ED 114, Ward 6, Division 7, p. 283, 606 Race St.

Metcalfe Rebecca head born March 1818 in Pennsylvania, widow, Real Estate
Metcalfe Elizabeth daughter born October 1844 in Pennsylvania, single

1890 Philadelphia City Directory

Metcalfe Rebecca, wid. Joseph Address: home 606 Race
(a George Viola was a barber working at 606 Race and living on 6th St.)

1880 Federal Census, ED 111, 6th Ward, 7th District., page 469B, 606 Race St.

Metcalfe Rebecca age 63, born Pennsylvania, widow
Metcalfe Elizabeth daughter, age 35 born Pennsylvania, single
(also living in this household was Hugo Scheda a lithographer, possibly boarding in the Metcalfe household).

1870 Philadelphia City Directory

Metcalf Rececca[sic], wid. Joseph, home 606 Race
Metcalf Thomas, purser, home 606 Race

1870 Federal Census, 6th Ward, 17th District, page 216B

Metcalf Rebecca age 52 born Pennsylvania keeps house
Metcalf Thomas age 27 born Pennsylvania purser on steamer
Metcalf Elizabeth age 24 born Pennsylvania at home

Note that the family name is Metcalfe, but is often written Metcalf in old directory and census records.

Joseph C. Metcalfe (~1818 - 1863)

From the information above, we know that Rebecca was married to Joseph Metcalfe, who died before 1870. They had at least one daughter, Elizabeth "Bessie" and probably one son, Thomas.

Earlier records give us more information about Joseph, who is presumably the brother of our ancestor, Ann Elizabeth (Metcalfe) Betts.

From the Philadelphia Inquirer, 03 Feb 1863 Death Notice; p.3

METCALFE - On the 30th ult., Joseph C. Metcalfe, in the 45th year of his age.
His relatives and friends, and the members of Robert Morris Lodge, No.29, of the I. O. of O. F., and the Order in general, also the Eagle Beneficial Society, are respectfully invited to attend the funeral, from his late residence, No. 606 Race street, this (Tuesday) afternoon, at 2 o’clk, without further notice.

(an 1862 article noted that Joseph was the secretary of the lodge)

1860 Federal Census, 6th Ward, 2nd Division, page 974

Metcalf Joseph age 42 born Pennsylvania, painter
Metcalf Rebecca age 42 born Pennsylvania
Metcalf Thomas age 17 born Pennsylvania, sail maker
Metcalf Elizabeth age 15 born Pennsylvania

1861 McElroy’s Philadelphia Directory

Metcalfe Joseph, painter, 606 Race
Metcalfe Joseph C., painter 606 Race

1860 McElroy’s Philadelphia City Directory

Metcalf Joseph, painter, N 10th ab Market, home 606 Race
Metcalfe Joseph, painter, 14 N 10th, home 606 Race

It seems likely that Joseph was listed twice in the 1860 and 1861 directories, because there is only one Joseph listed in the household in the 1860 Census.

Metcalfe Residence Prior to 1854

Before 1854, Joseph Metcalfe's residence was at 202 Sassafras St., rather than 606 Race St. This does not indicate that the Metcalfe family moved, however; in 1854, a number of Philadelphia streets were renamed and renumbered. Race Street was indeed originally called Sassafras, and 202 was on the southwest side of Sassafras near 6th.

In 1854 numbered Wards were also created. The 6th Ward was created from the eastern parts of the former Upper and Lower Delaware Wards (the boundary between Upper and Lower Delaware was Race/Sassafras St., with the south side of Sassafras in the Lower Delaware Ward).

1851 McElroy’s Philadelphia Directory

Metcalf Joseph C., painter, 202 Sassafras

There is a possible listing for Joseph in the 1850 Census: Lower Delaware Ward, page 72

Metcalf Joseph C. age 30 born Pennsylvania plasterer
Metcalf Margaret age 30 born Pennsylvania
Metcalf Thos. C. age 6 born Pennsylvania
Metcalf Elizabeth age 5 born Pennsylvania
Metcalf Kate age 1 born Pennsylvania
Metcalf Mary A. age 50 born Pennsylvania

This is presumably the correct family, because the ages of Joseph, Thomas and Elizabeth match the later census records, and they are living in the expected area. However, this entry raises more questions than it answers.

-- is Margaret the same person as Rebecca in the later census records, or was Rebecca Joseph's second wife?
-- did Kate, age 1, die before 1860?
-- is Mary A. Metcalf, age 50, Joseph's (and therefore Ann's) mother?

There is no Joseph Metcalf listed in 1843 (or earlier) Philadelphia city directories.

Links
•1890 Philadelphia City Directory (requires pdf viewer plugin (such as Acrobat Reader)).

Pictures
There are numerous pictures and paintings of the neighborhood around 6th and Race Streets.
•Southwest Corner of 6th and Arch Streets, 1879, Northwest Corner of Race and Fifth Streets, 1888, 6th and Vine Streets, 1883 (from the Watercolors of Benjamin R. Evans Collection at Bryn Mawr)
•Edward Pennington's Countinghouse, 409 Race St. ("On the Northeast corner of Race and Crown Street, his sugar factory was in the rear, facing Crown Street; the building in view is an extensive enlargement of the old 'Sugar house'.") and Old house at the corner of 6th and Cherry Sts. (from the Frederick DeBourg Richards (1822-1903) Photograph Collection)
•The Independence Park area today.

Old Maps:
606 Race St. is in Philadelphia's 6th Ward (since 1854)
•Intersection of 6th and Race (click for a closeup view of each quadrant) from the Hexamer & Locher Atlas of Philadelphia, 1858-1862 (squinting at the houses to the southwest of the intersection of 6th and Race, the addresses could be in the low 600s - or maybe it's my imagination)
•1897 Philadelphia map
•1846 Philadelphia map showing the Wards.

Photo of Richard Lewis in Civil War Uniform?

2005-07-15T00:08:00.000-07:00

One of the photographs we have of Richard Lewis shows a young man in a dark coat with a high collar and large round buttons. This looks very similar to the uniform worn by enlisted men in the Signal Corps during the Civil War.

Civil War photos for comparison (links open in a new window):
• Signal Corps Enlisted Uniform
• Signal Corps men at Washington, D.C. Central Signal Station
• Photo of Henry Sherriff from the Gettysburg Camp Life Exhibit

Of course it's possible that this was simply the fashion in the 1860s. Comments?

Earlier posts about Richard Lewis in the 2nd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery and the Signal Corps.

Sarah Betts in York County, PA: living through the Civil War

2005-07-14T22:29:00.000-07:00

Sarah Betts was born in 1846 in Baltimore, Maryland, where her father, Edward Betts was a piano maker. In 1859, Edward died in New Freedom, York County, Pennsylvania. What happened to Sarah at that time is unclear.

New Freedom is in the southern Shrewsbury Township, just north of the Maryland border. In 1860 the following household was found in Shrewsbury Township.

NAME_____________________AGE BIRTHPLACE
Henry O. Diffenderfer____63 M Penna farmer
Mary B. Diffenderfer_____47 F Delaware
Sarah Betts _____________13 F Maryland attended school
Lilly Betts ______________6 F Maryland
Nathan Shire (Shise?) ___18 M Penna
Hester A. Smith _________13 F Black Maryland
George Lickner __________10 M Maryland attended school

The age and birthplace is consistent with our Sarah Betts. We have no information as to whether our Sarah had a younger sister Lilly. In 1870 this family (Henry and Mary Diffenderfer with Sarah and Lilly Betts) were living in Manheim Borough, Lancaster County. Our Sarah married Richard Lewis in Mannheim in 1872, so that is again consistent with our ancestor.

York County is on the northern side of the Mason-Dixon Line east of Gettysburg in neighboring Adams County. In June 1863, Confederate troops marched into the city of York, where they met little resistance, and were handed the keys to the city by town fathers.

Many Republican-leaning townspeople at that time and some students of the Civil War today believe that the town’s fathers were too soft. Gen. Jubal Early, in command of the occupying rebel forces, would not have extracted as much from the town if he had met resistance instead of cooperation. The Confederates were under orders not to harm private property. Early was bluffing, and York’s fathers fell for it.

The Confederate cavalry under Jeb Stuart began moving west. On June 30th, the 1500 citizens of Hanover in southwestern York county were overrun by 7500 battling horsemen, when Stuart's troops clashed with the Union Cavalry. This was the first civil war battle to take place in Pennsylvania.

On July 1st Union and Confederate troops converged in Gettysburg, where the battle lasted three days.

How did this effect the residents of York County? It is likely that property and possessions were ransacked by the underequipt troops.

York served as a transportation hub, playing host, often at personal cost, to tens of thousands of soldiers from elsewhere moving to and from battle.

Many county residents did not even take a moment to savor the Yankee victory at Gettysburg. They were too busy gathering food and supplies for the care of the wounded at the battlefield, a short 30 miles away.

York County residents were accustomed to mobilizing in such relief. During the course of the war, volunteers helped nurse more than 14,000 wounded and diseased soldiers back to health at the U.S. military hospital in town.

The experience would have been traumatic for anyone, let alone a teenage girl, as Sarah was in 1863, with her young sister.

Links
•Map of Southern York County
•Civil War Comes to York County (warning: autmatic audio)
•East of Gettysburg (from the York Daily Record)
•Lee Marches North
•Battle of Hanover
•Eyewitness to History: Battle of Gettysburg
•Battle fo Gettysburg: the aftermath

Richard Lewis in the Civil War: Signal Corps

2005-07-14T22:24:00.001-07:00

As described in the previous post, Richard Lewis enlisted as a corporal in an artillery unit in August 1862. On January 12, 1864 Richard transferred to the Signal Corps.

The Signal Corps were in charge of communications, usually using signal flags, torches or lamps to send encrypted messages. They were also involved in setting up temporary telegraph lines in the field. Assignment to the signal corps required successfully passing an examination, followed by special training at Red Hill, Georgetown, D.C. in signaling systems (flags and telegraph) and codes used.

We know little about the details of Richard's service in the Signal Corps. According to one roster, he was assigned to the Department of North Carolina. The Department of North Carolina was part of the Eighteenth Corps. However, we do not know where exactly Richard served while with this unit.

Richard was mustered out on July 1, 1865, 18 months after his transfer to the Signal Corps and after almost 3 years in the army, with the rank of corporal. At that time, he probably returned home to Trevorton.

In 1866 Richard Lewis enrolled in the Polytechnic College of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. See post here.

Links
•Roster of the US ARmy Signal Corps (use your browser's "find" feature to jump to Lewis, Richard)
•The Story of the Signal Corps
•"A Manual of Signals: For The Use Of Signal Officers In The Field." (Washington DC, 1864)
•Civil War Signal Corps and United States Military Telegraph (this is the site of a reenaction group, with lots of historical information about the equipment used by the Signal Corps).
• History of the Signal Corps
•another History of the Signal Corps in the Civil War (with the signal code)
•General History of the Signal Corps

Richard Lewis in the Civil War: 2nd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery

2005-07-14T21:58:00.000-07:00

Our ancestor Richard Lewis emigrated from Wales with his parents in about 1851. They settled in Trevorton, in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. Ten years later,Richard enlisted to serve his country in the "War Between the States". On August 14, 1862, Richard Lewis enlisted as a Corporal in the independent battery recruited by Captain David Schooley.

At the time of his enlistment, Richard was a 22 year old clerk. He was 5 foot 6 inches tall, with a light complexion, light hair and blue eyes.

On November 24, 1862, Schooley’s Battery was incorporated into Company M, of the Pennsylvania 2nd Heavy Artillery unit of the 112th Volunteers.

"As soon as recruits were received, they were sent to Charles G. Zimmerman's "Diamond Cottage," a pleasure resort in the suburb of Camden, NJ, where a rendezvous camp (Camp Angeroth) was established, and where they were drilled in the 'school of the company'." (Regimental History)

From the training camp. soldiers joined the 2nd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery units that were defending Washington DC, north of the Potomac River.

For the most part, a soldier's duty in the fortifications consisted of maintaining the existing defense structures and building new ones, constructing roads and performing other fatigue details. Most of this work was tough, physical labor and performed under all weather conditions. When not assigned to fortification detail, the individual batteries would engage in parade drill, gunnery drill, marksmanship, and various inspection routines. In addition, the heavy artillery units also received infantry and bayonet instruction. Overall, however, the general view of battle tested veterans of Washington defense duty was regarded as "soft assignments." (from An Account of a Civil War Regiment)

On January 12, 1864, Richard and several other members of his Company transferred to the Signal Corps. (see next post for more details about the Signal Corps.)

Most of the information in this post is from the pension application file of Richard Lewis, and later, his widow Sarah (Betts) Lewis.

Links
•Captain David Schooley
•2nd Heavy Artillery Pennsylvania Volunteers, Company M
•2nd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery Regimental History

John Walsh: Relative from County Mayo

2005-07-10T23:55:00.000-07:00

The 1910 Census of Tacoma lists and family living at 2923 N. 30th (at the corner of Junett). In the household are Teddy (age 49), his wife Kate (47), sons John (24) and Teddy (18), and father Michael (85).
Also living in the Hopkins household was John Walsh, age 18, nephew to Teddy. John emigrated from Ireland in 1909. He was listed as an laboror for the "mill company".

A little digging has turned up more information about John and his family (our relatives) back in Ireland.

Passenger on the Ship Caronia
A search of the database of immigrants who passed through Ellis Island turned up the following listing:

John Walshe on the ship Caronia, which departed from Queenstown and arrived in New York on October 17, 1909.

• passenger record from Ellis Island (registration required, pages 552 and 553).

The passenger manifest gives a description of John: he is 5 foot 4 inches tall, with blue eyes, brown hair and a fair complexion. He declared he was not a polygamist or anarchist, and had no mental or physical problems.

John's last residence was Callow, Ireland. His nearest relative in the old country was his brother, James Walsh of Derrigan, Callow, County Mayo.

Most importantly, John indicated that he was going to join his "Uncle Teddy Hopkins, living at "2923 N. 30th St." in Tacoma.

Traveling with John was his sister Mary, age 16, who gave her occupation as "waitress". She also indicated that she was traveling to join her Uncle Teddy Hopkins.

The Walsh Family in Callow, County Mayo

The information in the passenger manifest gives enough clues to traces the Walsh family back to County Mayo.

The townland of Callow is in the Barony of Gallen in the Civil Parish and Roman Catholic Parish of Killaser, Swinford Poor Law Union, in County Mayo. It is near the town of Foxford. Map.

In the 1901 Census transcription, I have found only one Walsh family living in Callow:
Walsh Thomas(age 51), farmer
Anne(age 37) wife
children: John(10), James(8), Mary(6), Patt(5), Delia(2), Annie(3mo.)

This appears to be a close match to our John and Mary who emigrated to New York, leaving behind their brother James. Additional research is needed to confirm that this is indeed our Walsh family, and to determine the relationship to Teddy Hopkins.

John Walsh in Tacoma
It is unclear what happened to John Walsh after 1910. While there are several John Walshes listed in the 1920 Census, none clearly match the information we know about John. It is unknown if he stayed in Tacoma, or moved elsewhere.

Two men named John Walsh are listed in the 1921 Tacoma City Directory:
Page 767
Walsh John lab r 2016 1/2 N 30th
Walsh John lab Northwest Chair Co r 6320 South D.

It is unknown if either is related to the Hopkins family.

Hopefully researh on this branch of the family will lead to more information about the Hopkins family in Ireland.

Links:
• Steve Morse's one-step search forms for Ellis Island records and other genealogy-related databases.
• Description of Killasser Parish from Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837.
• Swineford Poor Law Union
• Museums of Mayo
• 1901 Census Transcription including counties Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon, Sligo, Wexford and Westmeath.

Baltimore in the 1840s and 1850s

2005-07-10T23:31:00.000-07:00

Edward Betts and family lived in Baltimore from the mid 1840s through at least the mid 1850s. This was a turbulent period in Baltimore's history.

"Anti-foreign and Anti-Catholic feeling which had been growing steadily among the native Americans in Baltimore, finally crystallized in the formation of the Know-Nothing Party . . . The latter [foreigners and Catholics] retaliated in kind, their clubs affiliating themselves with the Democrats. During the election campaigns, municipal, state and national, there were frequently bloody clashes between members of the two factions, armed with every conceivable weapons from brad awls to cannon.
To add to the confusion, there were the rival volunteer firemen's associations which frequently engaged in armed conflicts in the streets. Fires burned themselves out while these fights were in progress, and it sometimes seemed as if fires had been started by incendiaries to provide opportunities for the belligerents. . . .
Underneath the contest on local questions was the growing tension between the Abolitionists and the Pro-Slavery advocates ...."

Despite the turmoil, Baltimore of this period had many positive attributes, particularly for small tradesmen and laborers.

A visitor from England noted that "... small shop-keepers, mechanics and tradesmen ... appeared to him to be better informed, more industrious and in better circumstances than the same class in England."

"The mechanics," [commented a visitor from Scotland] "usually live in self-contained houses owned by themselves, of which there are whole streets in the city. These houses are fifteen feet in front and three stories high, and are built of brick, on leasehold sites held for ninety-nine years, renewable forever."

Many visitors from the British Isles commented on the "proverbial beauty" of the women of Baltimore. Said one visitor "Every man is an outré Parisian, and nearly every woman whom you meet good looking." Another said "I had repeatedly heard . . . that the ladies of Baltimore were exquisitely beautiful, and I found that they justify that assertion . . . . . There is much vivacity in their appearance and in their language; they seem very fond of music and have the credit of singing and playing very well; their society is most pleasant."

All were disgusted by the habit of most men (and many boys) of chewing tobacco, which was permitted even in church.

Quotes from "Baltimore as Seen By Visitors 1783-1860" by Raphael Semmes, published by the Maryland Historical Society, 1953.

Justin B. Lewis: plumbers' organizations

2004-09-18T13:23:00.000-07:00

I recently ran across two group photos which identify plumbers' organizations that Jess Lewis must have been associated with.

The first photo (8" x 41" including borders) is of a large group of people including Jess Lewis and is labeled 18th Annual Convention of Washington State Master Plumbers, May 16-17, 1913, Everett, Washington.

The second photo (8" x 26" including borders) is of a large group of people including Jess and Anna Lewis and their daughter Kathleen and is labeled Local #82 Plumbers and Fitters Picnic, Pt. Defiance Park, Tacoma, Aug. 20, 1922. That's interesting because other records indicate the family moved to Portland, Oregon in 1921 where he worked as a plumber.

When he was a plumbing contractor---J. B. Lewis Plumbing & Heating Co.---in Portland in the 1930s, 1940s, and early 1950s, he was a member of the Oregon State Master Plumbers and a member of the National Association of Plumbing Contractors. He served as President of the Oregon State Master Plumbers, and its Portland Chapter, in 1949 and 1950.

Photo:

School for the Lewis children in Carbonado, Washington

2004-08-20T23:30:00.000-07:00

Richard and Sarah (Betts) Lewis moved to Carbonado, Washington in about 1891. At that time, their children Justin "Jess", Ethelbert "Bert" and Bessie would have been about age 5, 7, and 8. The 1900 Census indicates that they were all "at school" during the previous year.

The Carbonado School District has placed a brief history of the town and school on-line. Included is a photo of the original schoolhouse, built in 1881, and probably attended by the Lewis children.

Tacoma in the 1890s

2004-08-19T23:29:00.000-07:00

Teddy Hopkins and family moved to Tacoma, Washington in about 1891. In about 1901, Richard Lewis and family moved down from the mining town of Carbonado to settle in Tacoma as well.

Due to several factors, including the arrival of the railroad from the east in 1887, Tacoma went through a massive population boom at the end of the 19th century: in 1885 the population was 7,000. By 1890 it was 36,000; and in 1900 had reached 53,000.

As a young reporter, Rudyard Kipling visited Tacoma in 1889 and described the mad grab for land:

So we took a train and killed a cow—she wouldn’t get out of the way, and the locomotive ‘chanced’ her and slew—and crossing into Washington Territory won the town of Tacoma, which stands at the head of Puget Sound upon the road to Alaska and Vancouver.

. . . Tacoma was literally staggering under a boom of the boomiest. . . . . The rude boarded pavements of the main streets rumbled under the heels of hundreds of furious men all actively engaged in hunting drinks and eligible corner-lots. They sought the drinks first. The street itself alternated five-story business blocks of the later and more abominable forms of architecture with board shanties. Overhead the drunken telegraph, telephone, and electric-light wires tangled on the tottering posts whose butts were half-whittled through by the knife of the loafer. Down the muddy, grimy, unmetalled thoroughfare ran a horse-car line—the metals three inches above road level. Beyond this street rose many hills, and the town was thrown like a broken set of dominoes over all. A steam tramway—it left the track the only time I used it—was nosing about the hills, but the most prominent features of the landscape were the foundations in brick and stone of a gigantic opera house and the blackened stumps of the pines. . . . We passed down ungraded streets that ended abruptly in a fifteen-foot drop and a nest of brambles’; along pavements that beginning in pine-plank ended in the living tree; by hotels with Turkish mosque trinketry on their shameless tops, and the pine-stumps at their very doors; by a female seminary, tall, gaunt and red, which a native of the town bade us marvel at, and we marvelled; by houses built in imitation of the ones on Nob Hill, San Francisco,—after the Dutch fashion; by other houses plenteously befouled with jig-saw work, and others flaring with the castlemented, battlemented bosh of the wooden Gothic school.

. . . The real-estate agents were selling house-lots on unmade streets miles away for thousands of dollars. On the streets—the rude, crude streets, where the unshaded electric light was fighting with the gentle northern twilight—men were babbling of money, town lots, and again money—how Alf or Ed had done such and such a thing that had brought him so much money; and round the corner in a creaking boarded hall the red jerseyed Salvationists were calling upon mankind to renounce all and follow their noisy God. The men dropped in by twos and threes, listened silently for a while, and as silently went their way, the cymbals clashing after them in vain.

["From Sea to Sea" , Volume 2 No. XXVII by Rudyard Kipling, published 1899]

In 1900 the Hopkins family lived at 2701 Water St. (now Waterview St.). According to the 1900 census, the home was owned free of mortgage.

In 1903, Teddy Hopkins built a home at 2923 No. 30th St. (at Junett). Photo of house. Map. His daughter Anna and son in law Justin "Jess" Lewis lived in the house next door at 3009 Junett. (enter 3009 Junett into the search fields).

Richard Lewis and family had a house at 621 So. 19th St. Map.

Teddy Hopkins: mounted police officer

2004-08-19T23:28:00.000-07:00

Theodore "Teddy" Hopkins emigrated from Ireland to Pennsylvania in about 1881. In about 1891 he and his wife Kate, and children John, Anna, and Teddy Jr. moved to Tacoma, Washington.

In Tacoma, Teddy joined the police force as a mounted patrolman, and is listed as such in the 1900 and 1910 Census. According to his obituary "During Mr. Hopkins’ services on the police force there was a mounted detail, and he rode the North End route." He held that position until 1919. ("Former Police Officer Dead", Tacoma News Tribune, April 3, 1935)

Teddy appears to be mentioned in a history produced by the Tacoma Police Department historian, Officer Erik Timothy. Some excerpts:

By 1890, the department numbered 25 Patrolman, who covered three, 8 hour shifts, patrolling 3,840 acres of city. In addition, there were 2 Health Officers, 2 officers in charge of the chain gang (a chain gang of 15 to 18 prisoners built and maintained the streets), 1 Mounted Officer, 2 Jailors, 1 License Inspector, 1 clerk, 3 Captains and the Chief of Police. The Chief was paid $150 per month, Captains $90 and all others, except the mounted officer, received $75 per month. The Mounted Officer received $105 per month, since he had to provide his own horse and feed.

Duties of Police Officers in this era included helping ladies cross the unpaved streets. The mud was sometimes so deep at the cross streets that it came over the top of your shoes, so the officers would hitch the ladies up on their hips and carry them across the street. Horses, wagons and streetcars clogged the roads and 11th and 13th Streets were paved with wooden planks that became very slippery in the rain. . . .

Documenting incidents of crime was much different in the early days, as report writing by individual officers did not exist. Patrolman would call the Desk Sergeant, who would decide what, if anything, should be entered into the Sergeants Report Book. Here [is one] example of these entries:

July 15, 1898, at 4:00 PM: "There were three complaints up to this time. One with regard to teams driving on the sidewalks, which was referred to mounted man Smith. One with regard to horses running at large, which was referred to mounted man Hopkins, and one with regard to Mrs. O’Mally using her tongue too freely to the discomfort of Mr. Hughes." . . . .

In 1904, the department numbered about 45 officers. By 1908, there were 75 officers on the department, including the Chief, 2 Patrol Captains, 1 Captain of Detectives, 10 Detectives, 2 Jailers, 3 Mounted Patrolman, 3 Wagon Drivers, 1 Poundmaster, 1 Humane Officer, 1 Clerk, 1 Matron and about 45 Patrolman. Pay was $75 per month for Patrolman (the same as it had been 15 years earlier) and officers worked 7 days a week, with 10 days off per year! There was no pension, and the officer had to supply his own uniforms.

At the turn of the century, Patrolman were marched to their beats in formation, 3 times each day. The Sergeant would form up the new relief in front of the police station at 7th & Pacific Avenue, then march the officers, 2 abreast, down Pacific Avenue. As each man reached his assigned beat, he would drop out and relieve the man on duty. This parade turned up 13th and then north on Broadway until the last officer had dropped off, with the men assigned to outlying areas catching streetcars. This "changing of the guard" became quite a sight, and people would gather to watch the daily routine. The residential areas of the city were patrolled by officers on horseback, and one Patrolman used a bicycle to cover his large beat.

[see the history for more details]

By 1920, when he was 49, Teddy Hopkins had left the force and was working as a machinists' helper with the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Company. He remained there until his retirement in 1930.

Teddy's son John J. Hopkins was also a law enforcement officer in Tacoma, first as chief deputy to Sheriff Robert Longmire and then chief parole officer at McNeil Island federal prison.

Edward Betts, piano maker: the "Co." in Knabe, Gaehle & Co.

2004-08-10T23:27:00.000-07:00

Our ancestor Edward Betts was a piano maker. He moved from Philadelphia to Baltimore between 1842 and 1846. There he was an employee of, and later a partner with, William Knabe and Henry Gaehle, who had one of the most prestigeous piano-making firms in the U.S. Our knowledge about Edward's work with the Knabe company from city directories and court records.
Edward began working for the Knabe & Gaehle “at the bench”, making pianos, on March 1, 1847. In October 1848 Knabe & Gaehle asked Betts to superintend the business as foreman.

1847-1848 Matchett's Baltimore Directory
directory listing: Edward Betts; piano maker 113 Lee St.
[the same information is found in the 1849 and 1851 directories, and the 1850 US Census]

As Henry Gaehle’s health deteriorated, he convinced Betts to purchase 1/8 interest in the business, with an agreement dated February 7, 1852 (backdated to January 1, 1851). The business was called Knabe, Gaehle & Co. (see newspaper articles)

1853-1854 Matchett's Baltimore Directory
directory listing : Edward Betts, firm Knabe, Gaehle & Co., 113 Lee near Sharp
advertisement: Knabe, Gaehle & Co.; mentions Edward Betts
(the factory was at "Nos. 4, 6, 8, & 9 Eutaw St, opposite Eutaw House" - near the intersection of S. Eutaw and Baltimore St.)

1853 Baltimore Wholesale Business Directory and Business Circular
advertisement: Knabe, Gaehle, & Co. (page 1, page 2); mentions Edward Betts

The relationship between the partners became acrimonious, and Gaehle withdrew from the firm in 1854, with his brother, William, taking charge of his interest. The firm was dissolved in 1855, with the assets distributed after lawsuits filed in 1855 and 1857.

1855-1856 Matchett's Baltimore Directory
(note that information for city directories was usually taken the year before publication)
directory listing: Edward Betts; Knabe, Gaehle & Co., h 95 Lee
advertisement: Knabe, Gaehle &amp;amp; Co.; mentions Edward Betts

1856-1857 Woods' Baltimore Directory
directory listing: Edward Betts: 95 Lee [no occupation listed]
advertisement: the post dissolution firms Wm. Gaehle & Co and Wm. Knabe & Co.

The Betts family moved to New Freedom in York County, Pennsylvania, where Edward died in March 1859.

Additional Information :
Map showing location of 113 Lee St. in Baltimore's Otterbein neighborhood, which still has 19th century houses (more here and here). In the 1850s this was in District 15, near Camden Station & yards (now the Oriole's Stadium) and the piano factory on Eutaw St. 95 Lee street is within a block or so of 113 Lee St.

Baltimore Superior Court Record Index (source of Edward's basic employment history):
1/17/1855 William Knabe vs. Henry Gaehle and Edward Betts. Dissolution of Knabe, Gaehle & Co.
8/31/1857 William Gaehle vs. William Knabe, Edward Betts, and Western Bank of Baltimore. Dissolution of Knabe, Gaehle & Co.

Knabe Piano Information (none of which mention Edward Betts)
Restoration of an 1841 Knabe & Gaehle Square Grand Piano
Brief history of the company from the present-day Wm. Knabe & Co. web site

Original summary of Edward's work history extracted from the Superior Court records by Rich Kolm (thanks Dad!).

Richard Lewis: Graduation Notice & the Making of America project

2004-08-04T23:25:00.000-07:00

Richard Lewis (1840-1903) graduated from Polytechnic College of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia with a Bachelors in Mining Engineering (BME) in 1868. His thesis was titled "The Ventilation of Coal Mines".
A description of the commencement ceremony and a list of the graduates was published in Scientific American on August 26, 1868. Images of this issue are available through the Making of America project, in which historical books and journals have been archived in searchable form. Different sets of publications are searchable through the Cornell University MOA and the University of Michigan MOA.

Link to the graduation notice. (Scientific American ,Volume 19, Issue 9, page 133).