Who Will Tell Their Story?

Orphan Photo #111

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Cahill Tarr) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 23:15:00 +0000

Love those hats! Wonder who the people are in the Real Photo Postcard?

A Belated Happy Blogiversary – WWTTS? Turns 3

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Cahill Tarr) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:57:00 +0000

I’ve been so busy, I forgot that Who Will Tell Their Story? turned three last week! I started this blog on January 12, 2009 and have been sharing orphan photos weekly ever since. Back in November, I reached a milestone with the 100th photo. And I continue to try to find a home for the identified photos in my collection. Wonder what 2012 has in store.

Orphan Photo #110

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Cahill Tarr) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:40:00 +0000

This cabinet card is of a woman who hails from the Hot Springs area of South Dakota. Unfortunately there is no identifying information.

Orphan Photo #109

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Cahill Tarr) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:44:00 +0000

This is a photo of Baby Ashley. Unfortunately, there is no last name for her.

I just love this gown!

Orphan Photos #107 & #108

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Cahill Tarr) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 20:12:00 +0000

These two photo appear to have been taken about the same time. I suppose they could be related, but we have no idea who they are.

The imprint on thee cabinet cards reads: A.R. Fowler, Meadville PA.

The photographer is probably Albert Fowler, found in both the 1900 and 1910 censuses as a photographer living in Meadville, Pennsylvania. Albert was born about 1858 and his wife was named Flora.

Orphan Photo #106

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Cahill Tarr) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:59:00 +0000

I just love her little dress! Too bad we have no idea who she is.

Orphan Photo #105

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Cahill Tarr) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:57:00 +0000

This is a photo of three unidentified little boys. Aren’t they adorable?

Orphan Photo #104

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Cahill Tarr) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:46:00 +0000

This is a photo of Mary Lydia Webster. Mary was born on 11 June 1904 at Cambridge, Guernsey, Ohio to Willis Vance Webster and Emma Stanton.¹ Mary died at the age of 98 on 2 June 2003 at Columbus, Franklin, Ohio.² She was a school teacher retiring after 44 years of service.³

The photo was probably taken about 1907-1908 when Mary was about three or four years of age. The photo itself measures 3-1/8” x 5-3/8” and is mounted on a decorative board measuring 5-1/4” x 8-7/8”.

I have compiled a family tree for her family, but since Mary and two of her siblings passed away within the last 12 years (one as recent as 2009), I’ve decided not to post the tree. Mary never married and does not have any descendants of her own, but she had many nieces and nephews and was referred to as “Aunt Mary” in her obituary. I will begin contacting them to see if they would like this photo.

What I will share is the following:

Mary’s parents, Willis Vance Webster and Emma Stanton were married on 23 August 1888 in Belmont County, Ohio.⁴
Willis was born on 1 March 1861 at Quaker City, Guernsey, Ohio,⁵ and died on 15 April 1945.⁶ According to his death certificate, his parents were Thomas Webster and Lydia Richardson.
Emma was born in October 1864 in Ohio,⁷ and died on 30 October 1958 in Columbus, Ohio;⁸ I have no information on her parents.

Some of you who read my main genealogy blog know that Websters run deep in my family tree. And it is quite possible that Mary is a very distance cousin of mine. As much as I would love to keep the photo for that reason, there are nieces/nephews and grand-nieces/nephews that deserve to have this photo among their family treasures.

Sources

1. "Mary L Webster ‘Aunt Mary,’" The Columbus Dispatch, 5 June 2003, p. 9C; database, GenealogyBank (genealogybank.com : accessed 2 December 2011), Newspaper Obituaries. Also, 1910 U.S. census, population schedule, Columbus Ward 2, Franklin County, Ohio, enumeration district (ED) 51, sheet 12A, p. 119 (stamped), dwelling 216, family 235, Willis V Webster; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 2 December 2011); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T624, roll 1180.

2. "Mary L Webster ‘Aunt Mary.’"

3. Ibid.

4. "Ohio, County Marriages, 1790-1950," database and digital images, FamilySearch (familysearch.org : accessed 2 December 2011), Webster-Stanton (1888). Also, 1910 U.S. census, pop. sch., Columbus Ward 2, Franklin County, Ohio, ED 51, sheet 12A, p. 119 (stamped), dwell. 216, fam. 235, Willis V Webster.

5. 1910 U.S. census, pop. sch., Columbus Ward 2, Franklin County, Ohio, ED 51, sheet 12A, p. 119 (stamped), dwell. 216, fam. 235, Willis V Webster. Also, "Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1953," database and digital images, FamilySearch (familysearch.org : accessed 2 December 2011), Willis V Webster (1945).

6. "Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1953," database and digital images Willis V Webster (1945).

7. 1910 U.S. census, pop. sch., Columbus Ward 2, Franklin County, Ohio, ED 51, sheet 12A, p. 119 (stamped), dwell. 216, fam. 235, Willis V Webster.

8. "Ohio Deaths, 1908-1932, 1938-1944, and 1958-2007," database, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 2 December 2011), Emma C Webster (1958).

Reader Question – Unidentified Photos

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Cahill Tarr) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 22:58:00 +0000

A reader asked the following question in a comment today: Are there any sites that are strictly for unidentified photos?

I’m not really sure if there are any that solely post unidentified photos. Most websites/blogs I’ve come across have a combination of both identified and unidentified, such as the following:

The Power of Google

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Cahill Tarr) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 22:55:00 +0000

Over a year ago, I posted this 16 x 20 portrait of Irvine and Anna Rebecca (Wertz) Bennett. While I did find living descendants, nobody wanted to claim the portrait. A few days ago, another researcher, who is working on this Bennett line and revising a book on the family, found the original blog post through a Google search and contacted me.

After trying to figure out how to ship a 16 x 20 flat object (more difficult than you’d think—I had to get creative!!), it will be on it’s way to West Virginia tomorrow. I’m so happy I finally found a home for this portrait…it’s certainly a one-of-a-kind piece and deserves a good home. And, the researcher will likely reproduce it in his book.

Orphan Photo #103

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Cahill Tarr) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:33:00 +0000

These cute little boys appear to be brothers, but unfortunately, we don’t know who they are.

Orphan Photo #102

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Cahill Tarr) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 14:32:00 +0000

A distinguished-looking gentleman indeed. Unfortunately we do not know who he is or where this photo was taken.

Orphan Photo #101

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Cahill Tarr) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 20:30:00 +0000

Photo of an unidentified woman.

WWTTS Reaches a Milestone!

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Cahill Tarr) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 02:50:00 +0000

The Who Will Tell Their Story? blog has reached a huge milestone today by posting its 100th orphan photo. Since January 2009, this blog has been posting orphan photos in the hopes of reuniting these cherished family mementos with their rightful owners. I have successfully reunited a few with family and am still working on a handful of others, some in part through the help of readers who have done some digging on their own.

The 100th photo is a special one for many reasons. First, it’s identifiable. The photo is of a Canton, Ohio, lawyer, William A Lynch. I spent a LOT of time on this family, more than I usually do, simply because his family was so interesting and no matter what the year, I always found something in their hometown newspaper.

Second, this photo marks the beginning of a new practice I’m implementing on this blog. Typically, when I piece together these family, I take a bunch of notes by hand (or as part of the blog post). However, after working on #100, I decided it would be a better idea to post a family tree on Ancestry to help people identify the family, encourage additional research by my readers if they choose to do so, and preserve the family history of the families depicted in these orphan photos. This also means that I will go back to the other identifiable photos previously posted and create a family tree for them on Ancestry as well as continue the practice for the new orphan photos I post.

Orphan Photo #100

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Cahill Tarr) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 02:50:00 +0000

This is a photograph of William A Lynch, who was a prominent Canton, Ohio resident during the 19th century. His is a interesting story, along with several relatives, prominent in their own right. Among these relatives are teachers, lawyers, doctors, journalists, a cancer researcher, and a Pulitzer Prize winner.

William A Lynch was born 4 August 1844 in Canton, Stark, Ohio, to parents Arnold Lynch and Frances Horan.¹ He was a prominent attorney, having served as Prosecuting Attorney for Stark County for two terms in addition to general practice until his death. In fact, he died while representing Corwin D. Bachtel in the Canton State Bank trials in February 1907.²

On 14 October 1874, in Canton, Stark, Ohio, William married Eliza R Underhill, daughter of Judge James W Underhill and Henrietta Widgeon.³ Together they had three children who lived to adulthood.

Alice Allen Lynch, b. August 1875, probably in Canton, Stark, Ohio;⁴ d. 3 January 1949 in Miami, Dade, Florida;⁵ m. George Paull Alexander, 26 December 1907 in Canton.⁶
Frances H Lynch, b. 30 August 1878 in Canton, Stark, Ohio;⁷ m. John J Miller, 2 September 1914 in Canton.⁸
Clara Julia Lynch, b. 6 March 1882 in Canton, Stark, Ohio;⁹ d. 8 December 1985 in Alexandria, Virginia;¹⁰ she never married.

Following is a listing of select family members and their accomplishments:

Arnold Lynch – Arnold is William’s father, who served as the Stark County Surveyor and Recorder for many years.¹¹ He was very involved in the establishment of the railroads, particularly the Ft. Wayne RR and the Cleveland & Mahoning Valley RR.¹² Arnold was born about 1812 in Ireland and died between 1855 (last known child born) and 27 December 1856 (probate administrators appointed).¹³

Clara Julia Lynch – William’s daughter Clara was a well-known cancer researcher, who in 1926 was “credited with introducing Swiss mice into American laboratories.”¹⁴ She earned her undergraduate degree at Smith College in 1903. She then earned her graduate and doctorate degrees from Columbia University in 1912 and 1919 respectively. Dr. Lynch worked for Rockefeller University for 53 years as a teacher and researcher. She died in 1985 at the age of 103.¹⁵

Price Day – Although William never met his grandson-in-law, I’m sure he would have approved. Williams’ granddaughter Alice A Alexander (daughter of Alice Allen Lynch and George Paull Alexander) married Price Day in 1931.¹⁶ Price was an accomplished journalist and won the Pulitzer Prize in 1949 for his article “Experiment in Freedom—India and Its First Year of Independence” that was published in the Baltimore Sun in 1948.¹⁷ Price and Alice had four sons, who were all involved in news and media during their careers.

There are many more interesting people associated with William A Lynch. While not every detail is included (due to time), you can learn more about the family, by visiting the family tree I created here on Ancestry.

As of this posting, no direct descendants have been located. This is still an ongoing process and I hope to find someone to pass this photograph on to in the near future. There are living descendants, and you are welcome to contact me with information if you have found someone. Email is preferable, but the comments are private until I approve them (I won’t approve the comments if living relatives are mentioned).

1. "High Soaring Hopes of Bachtel Crushed By Death of Lynch," Stark County Democrat, 8 February 1907, p. 1, col. 1-3; digital images, Chronicling America (chroniclingamerica.loc.gov : accessed 27 October 2011). Also, William Henry Perrin, editor, History of Stark County, With an Outline Sketch of Ohio (Chicago, Illinois: Baskin & Battey Historical Publishers, 1881), 620; Ancestry (ancestry.com : 5 November 2011).

2. "Had Hard Day's Work But Was At Ease; Dr. Brant Tells of Mr. Lynch's Death," Repository, 6 February 1907, p. 1, col. 2-3; digital images, GenealogyBank (www.genealogybank.com : accessed 27 October 2011), Historical Newspapers.

3. "Lynch-Underhill," Repository, 16 October 1874, p. 3, col. 3; digital images, GenealogyBank (genealogybank.com : accessed 7 November 2011), Historical Newspapers.

4. 1900 U.S. census, population schedule, Canton, Stark County, Ohio, enumeration district (ED) 105, sheet 7B, dwelling 118, family 155, William A Lynch; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 4 November 2011); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T623, roll 1321.

5. "Mrs G P Alexander Dies at Miami Beach," Repository, 5 January 1949, p. 20, col. 3; digital images, GenealogyBank (genealogybank.com : accessed 5 November 2011), Historical Newspapers.

6. "Wed 'Neath the Holly," Repository, 27 December 1907, p. 5, col. 1; digital images, GenealogyBank (genealogybank.com : accessed 4 November 2011), Historical Newspapers.

7. "U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925," database and images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 4 November 2011); Frances H Lynch, no. 36071 (1910).

8. "Society," Repository, 23 August 1914, p. 10, col. 1; digital images, GenealogyBank (genealogybank.com : accessed 5 November 2011), Historical Newspapers.

9. "U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925," database and images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 4 November 2011); Clara Julia Lynch, no. 36070 (1910).

10. "Dr. Clara Lynch; Noted Researcher on Cancer, Aging," Los Angeles Times, 12 December 1985, online archives (http://articles.latimes.com/1985-12-12/news/mn-16215_1_clara-lynch : accessed 4 November 2011).

11. Perrin, History of Stark County, 620.

12. ibid.

13. 1850 U.S. census, population schedule, Canton, Stark County, Ohio, p. 499 (stamped), dwelling 52, family 52, Arnold Lynch; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 3 November 2011); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm M432, roll 730. Also, 1860 U.S. census, population schedule, Canton, Stark County, Ohio, p. 54-55, 150 (stamped), dwelling 410, family 410, Francis Lynch; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 3 November 2011); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm M653, roll 1037. Also, "Estate of Arnold Lynch," Repository, 11 February 1857, p. 3; digital images, GenealogyBank (genealogybank.com : accessed 7 November 2011), Historical Newspapers.

14. "Dr. Clara Lynch; Noted Researcher on Cancer, Aging". Also, "Newspaper Obituaries," database, GenealogyBank (genealogybank.com : accessed 4 November 2011), Dr Clara Lynch, 103 Led Cancer Research; citing New York Times.

15. ibid.

16. 1920 U.S. census, population schedule, Mansfield Ward 1, Richland County, Ohio, enumeration district (ED) 191, sheet 11B, dwelling 229, family 270, George P Alexander; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 4 November 2011); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T625, roll 1430. Also, "Mrs G P Alexander Dies at Miami Beach." Also, Elizabeth A Brennan and Elizabeth C Clarage, Who's Who of Pulitzer Prize Winners (Phoenix, Arizona: Oryx Press, 1999), 326; via Google Books (books.google.com : 5 November 2011), limited preview.

17. Brennan and Clarage, Who's Who of Pulitzer Prize Winners, 326.

Another Orphan Photo Blog!

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Cahill Tarr) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 20:23:00 +0000

Just came across Save the Photos, which is another orphan photo blog. It makes me smile when I see more blogs of this nature pop up!

Orphan Photo #99

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Cahill Tarr) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 13:16:00 +0000

I just love this one. This little girl is so adorable, and as always, I love the little boots (perhaps they will come back in style so I can wear them!).

Orphan Photo #98

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Cahill Tarr) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 23:14:00 +0000

This looks like schoolchildren outside a schoolhouse with their teacher. Too bad we have no idea where this photo was taken or who’s in it.

Orphan Photo #97

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Cahill Tarr) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 18:31:00 +0000

This photo is of an unidentified woman. According to the imprint, it was taken in Hornellsville, New York; the photographer’s name could be Sutton, but it’s very hard to read.

Orphan Photo #96

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Cahill Tarr) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 18:28:00 +0000

This cabinet card features an unknown gentleman.

Another Photo Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Cahill Tarr) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 20:41:00 +0000

Claudia, who authors Claudia’s Genealogy Blog, started a new blog Found at an Auction. This new blog features old photos, and like me, Claudia is interested in learning more about the people in the photos.

Orphan Photo #95

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Cahill Tarr) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 18:26:00 +0000

I just love this photo…the hat, the fur boa, and the boots. Sure wish I knew who she was.

Orphan Photo #94

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Cahill Tarr) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 18:25:00 +0000

What a nice looking young man. Unfortunately, there is no identifying information for this cabinet card.

Orphan Photo #93

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Cahill Tarr) — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 16:43:00 +0000

This is an unidentified CDV. It looks like someone did some hand-coloring on the ribbon in her hair.

Check This Out!

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Cahill Tarr) — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 14:35:00 +0000

Thanks to some friends on Facebook, I was just introduced to a new blog with a very interesting concept. It’s called Dear Photograph. The basic idea is to “take a picture of a picture from the past in the present.” You then submit your photo with a caption that starts with “Dear Photograph.” This is a really neat concept…now go on, check it out!

Dear Photograph, I am my mother’s daughter.