Grace and Glory

The Osgoods Keep Coming Back to Me

noreply@blogger.com (Becky Jamison) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 18:17:00 +0000

Frances S. Osgood portrait in an 1848 anthology

I subscribe to the YouTube channel of Seth Adam Smith. This week I was notified by email that he had prepared this video titled "Frances Sargent Osgood---Eminent Women".

I've posted previously about my cousin connections to members of the Osgood family. You can find those posts here and here.
To learn more about Frances Osgood, after viewing this wonderful video, I looked her up on Wikipedia. This is part of what I learned:
Early life

Frances Sargent Locke was born in Boston, Massachusetts to Joseph Locke, a wealthy merchant, and his second wife Mary Ingersoll Foster. Her father's first wife, Martha Ingersoll was the sister of Mary his second wife. Mary was also the widow of Benjamin Foster by whom she had two children: William Vincent Foster and Anna Maria Wells, who would also become a published poet and close associate of Frances. Joseph and Mary had seven children. Including another writer Andrew Aitchison Locke. She grew up in Hingham, Massachusetts^[2] and as a young woman she attended the prestigious Boston Lyceum for Young Ladies.^[3] Her poetry was first published when she was fourteen in a bimonthly periodical of children's poetry called Juvenile Miscellany by editor Lydia Maria Child.^[2]

Marriage

Osgood's daughters

In 1834, while composing poems inspired by paintings, Frances met Samuel Stillman Osgood, a young portrait artist at the Boston Athenaeum. He asked her to sit for a portrait. They were engaged before the portrait was finished and married on October 7, 1835.^[4]

After their marriage, the couple moved to England. On July 15, 1836, their first daughter, Ellen Frances, was born. In 1838, while in England, she published her collection of poems A Wreath of Flowers from New England ^[5] which included Elfrida, a dramatic poem in five acts. She then published another volume of poetry, The Casket of Fate.

Due to her father's death, the Osgoods returned to Boston in 1839. After the birth of their second daughter, May Vincent, on July 21, 1839, they moved to New York City. Osgood became a popular member of the New York literary society and a prolific writer. Many of her writings were published in the widely popular literary magazines of the time. She sometimes wrote under pseudonyms "Kate Carol" or "Violet Vane".^[6] Her book, The Poetry of Flowers and the Flowers of Poetry was published in 1841. Some of her other published works were The Snowdrop, a New Year Gift for Children(1842), Rose, Sketches in Verse (1842), Puss in Boots (1842), The Marquis of Carabas (1844), and Cries in New York (1846).^[7]

Although she was successful in her professional life, her personal life suffered. It is speculated that the Osgoods separated by 1843.^[8]

Portrait of Poe by Samuel Stillman Osgood, Frances's husband

Relationship with Poe

In February 1845, Poe gave a lecture in New York in which he criticized American poetry, especially that of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. He made special mention, however, of Osgood, saying she had "a rosy future" in literature. Though she missed the lecture, she wrote to her friend, saying Poe was "called the severest critic of the day," making his compliment that much more impressive.^[9]

It is believed Poe and Osgood first met in person when introduced by Nathaniel Parker Willis in March 1845 when Osgood had been separated from (but not divorced from) her husband.^[10] Poe's wifeVirginia was still alive, but in ill health. Poe may have been attracted to Osgood because they were both born in Boston and possibly due to her childlike qualities which were similar to Virginia's. She may have already been in an early stage of tuberculosis, just like Virginia.^[11]

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Poe's "A Valentine" for Frances Sargent Osgood

Poe used his role as one-third owner of the Broadway Journal to print some of Osgood's poems, including some flirtatious ones. Poe responded with published poems of his own, occasionally under his pseudonym of Edgar T. S. Grey. Most notable is his poem "A Valentine." The poem is actually a riddle which conceals Osgood's name, found by taking letter 1 from line 1, letter 2 from line 2, and so on. Despite these passionate interchanges, the relationship between Poe and Osgood is often considered purely platonic.^[12]

Oddly, Poe's wife Virginia approved of the relationship and often invited Osgood to visit their home. Virginia believed their friendship had a "restraining" effect on her husband. Poe had given up alcoholto impress Osgood, for example. Virginia may also have been aware of her own impending death and was looking for someone who would take care of Poe.^[13] Osgood's husband Samuel also did not object, apparently used to his wife's impetuous behavior;^[14] he himself had a reputation as a philanderer.^[13] Others, however, were not as supportive; Osgood and Poe were widely criticized and harassed for their relationship.

Fellow poet Elizabeth F. Ellet, whose affection Poe had scorned, spread rumors about Poe and Osgood's friendship, even contacting Virginia about alleged improprieties. Ellet even suggested that Osgood's third child, Fanny Fay, was not her husband's but Poe's. Fanny Fay was born in June 1846 but died in October.^[15] Poe biographer Kenneth Silverman says the possibility of Poe as Fanny Fay's father is "possible but most unlikely".^[16] Osgood, in an attempt to protect her public character, sent Margaret Fuller and Anne Lynch to request Poe return her personal letters to him to be destroyed.^[15] In July 1846 Osgood's husband Samuel demanded Ellet apologize to his wife, lest he sue her for defamation. Ellet responded in a letter, retracted her statements, and put the blame on Poe and his wife Virginia.^[17] Osgood and Poe did not interact after 1847.^[18]

Poe was not the only man to engage in literary flirtation with Osgood. Several men wrote of their affection for her, including Rufus Wilmot Griswold, to whom Osgood dedicated a book of poetry.^[19] She also wrote a Valentine poem that mingled her own name with Griswold's.^[12] The competition between Griswold and Poe for Osgood may have led to their infamous rivalry, best exemplified in Griswold's character assassination of Poe after Poe's death.^[19]

Death

Grave of Frances Sargent Osgood and her family in Mount Auburn Cemetery

Osgood and her husband reconciled in 1846, and moved to Philadelphia for a short time to get away from the scandal.^[3] Although she was ill, she continued to write. She was confined to her room because of her illness by 1847, when her daughters were eleven and eight years old; much of her poetry from this period reflects her concern for them.^[20] Her husband, having difficulty making money as a painter, left her again in 1849 to join the California Gold Rush.^[21] He returned shortly before her death.^[3]

Osgood died of tuberculosis in 1850 at her home in New York.^[22] By then, she had lost her ability to speak; her last word, "angel", was written on a slate to her husband.^[23] She was buried in her parent's lot at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts.^[22] In 1851, a collection of her writings was published by her friends and titled The Memorial, Written by Friends of the Late Mrs. Frances Sargent Locke Osgood. It was reissued as Laurel Leaves in 1854^[7] and was edited with a biographical introduction by Griswold.^[20] The volume was meant to raise money for her memorial headstone. However, Fanny Fern noted that, by 1854, the plot remained unmarked and criticized Samuel Osgood in her book Fern Leaves from Fanny's Port-Folio. Samuel Osgood noted in the New York Evening Post that he had already designed a monument, inspired by her poem "The Hand That Swept the Sounding Lyre", which was soon installed.^[22]

Osgood's two daughters died the year after their mother; May Vincent Osgood died on June 26, 1851, and Ellen Frances died August 31.

Writing

Osgood was a prolific writer and contributed to most of the leading periodicals of the time.^[1] She was one of the most admired women poets during the mid-1840s.^[2] Osgood was very open and personal in her writings, often discussing the relationships she had with others,^[24] despite her shy personality.^[2] A large portion of her body of work is love poetry but she also addresses poems to her mother, her sister, her husband, and several friends.^[25] The poems written to her children are not sentimental, but literary historian Emily Stipes Watts wrote that they "are honest attempts to express thoughts and emotions never so fully expressed before by women in poetry" depicting a sincere concern for their development and well-being.^[26]

Griswold once said that she created poems "with almost the fluency of conversation."^[27] Poe, in a review of her work, wrote that she was "absolutely without rival, we think, either in our own country or in England."^[28] He reviewed her poetry collection A Wreath of Flowers from New England in the September 1846 issue of Godey's Lady's Book, saying that its author exhibits "deep feeling and exquisite taste" and her work deserved wider circulation.^[29]

This chart shows my relationship to Frances through her husband Samuel Stillman Osgood.

RootsTech: My Rooted Technology

noreply@blogger.com (Becky Jamison) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:24:00 +0000

By attending RootsTech I’ll have the opportunity not only to network with other genealogists, vendors and developers and share the knowledge I currently have, but I’ll also get the chance to learn even more about the latest in technology for family history.

Here’s a look at the technology I currently use and what keeps me rooted in my genealogy research. I also explain why I am using or not using certain technologies and gadgets as well as what skills and knowledge I’m hoping to gain at RootsTech this year.

If you want to join in the fun and show off your own tech cred, here are the rules for the My Rooted Technology meme:

Technology you already use: bold face type
Technology you would like to use or learn more about: italicize (color optional)
Technology you don’t use, have no interest in using or no longer use: plain type
Explain or give opinions in brackets [ ] at the end of each bullet point

I have a tablet computer such as an iPad that I use for genealogy [I have a Toshiba netbook and a Kindle Fire and use both for genealogy].
I have downloaded one or more apps to a Smart Phone or similar device. [50+]
I belong to a genealogy society that uses social media. [Cornerstone Genealogical Society, Waynesburg, PA]
I use GEDCOM files and understand the various compatibility issues involved [I use them but don't understand the compatibility issues]
I have added metadata to some of my files and digital photos. [Picasaweb]
I have utilized an API from a genealogy-related application or website.
I have taken a DNA test related to my genealogy research.
I have used the FamilySearch Research Wiki.
I have a Facebook account and use it regularly for genealogy. [facebook.com/beckyjamison]
I use tech tools to help me cite my sources in genealogy research.
I have developed a genealogy-related app for a Smart Phone or similar device.
I use a genealogy database program [RootsMagic].
I use cloud computer resources to store my genealogy data. [Dropbox, SugarSync, Evernote, Springpad, Box.com, and my genealogy database is at Rootsweb and Ancestry]
I have made one or more contributions to the FamilySearch Research Wiki.
I have attended a genealogy webinar.
I have organized and administered a DNA testing group related to my genealogy.
I use apps involving GPS and Geo-caching for my genealogy research. [BillionGraves]
I have a Google+ account and use it regularly for genealogy.
I have created and published a family history e-book. [I've created a dozen print books of family lines, but not eBooks].
I have create a wiki related to my genealogy research.
I have conducted a genealogy webinar as a presenter.
I read genealogy-related blogs to help improve my own research.
I have one or more genealogy-related blogs to help improve my own research. ["Grace and Glory", "Canon City Family History Center", help my father with "Ernie's Journeys"]
I have a Twitter account and use it regularly for genealogy. [I closed my account as I had no time to tend to it]
I have one or more genealogy-related websites which I run and administer. ["Canon City Family History Center", "A Joyful Spirit"]
I have created a screencast or video related to genealogy and posted it at a video sharing site (Vimeo, YouTube, etc.).
I use one or more digital tools to capture and record my family history. [Camera, iPhone, Digital Recorder, Scanner]

That Osgood Name Gets my Attention

noreply@blogger.com (Becky Jamison) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 00:59:00 +0000

Last April I posted this story about discovering a cousin (James R. Osgood 1836-1892) through his portrait on the wall of a Cracker Barrel restaurant.
In June I attended the Family History Expo in Loveland, CO where I heard the Keynote Address given by Lisa Louise Cooke. She encouraged the participants of the Expo to reach out and meet fellow attendees by introducing ourselves to those we were seated near in our classes. As I attended the first class after that keynote address, I turned to the woman seated beside me and introduced myself. She, in turn, told me her name-Mary Osgood. I told her of my experience with the discovery of James R. Osgood and she was able to tell me of her husband's direct Osgood connection.

This afternoon I noticed on the Facebook page of Family Search that they posted a link to this story called "A New Nation 1789-1859". In the "Timeline" section of this article, it says "1789: Samuel Osgood, First Postmaster General under Constitution". This Wikipedia page tells us more of the interesting career of Samuel Osgood.

Samuel Osgood 1747-1813

This is a chart I created to show my relationship to Samuel Osgood, my 5th cousin 6 times removed.

Drawn to the Story Without Knowing We Were Cousins

noreply@blogger.com (Becky Jamison) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 21:58:00 +0000

Last year Anne Bradshaw published "True Miracles with Genealogy", a compilation of short stories that share happenings of "serendipity" as we research our family history. I submitted a story that was published on page 47 of Volume 1. A few weeks ago Anne's Volume 2 of "True Miracles with Genealogy" was published. I couldn't wait to read the stories in it.
And what great timing! For my birthday earlier this month my husband gave me a Toshiba netbook, on which I installed the Kindle app. And "True Miracles" is available as an ebook! (You can find it here). It's the first book I added to the Kindle library in my netbook.
After entertaining our family on Thanksgiving Day, I finally had time to dive into my new digital book yesterday. I only got half-way through it before a nap was calling, but I found the 4th story in the book so compelling it brought me to tears. Rebecca Parker Cressman, on-air host at KSFI FM100, shares her story titled "My Mother--Lost and Found". Rebecca tells of the very difficult childhood of her mother Martha Helen Brown in El Paso, Texas. My husband and I just visited El Paso in October as we spent a few days with my twin brother. Rebecca relates events that led to her mother becoming a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, of which I'm also a member. As her story develops, more family members are introduced to the reader, many of whom are quite engaging because of mysteries involved in their pasts. Her story takes such a surprising twist that I find myself STILL astounded--24 hours after reading it. I went to bed last night thinking about it and woke up this morning with the same story on my mind.
I felt so drawn to this story that I read it to my husband, I found Rebecca Cressman on Facebook and have become her "friend", and have spent the past few hours researching more of her ancestry, as laid out in her story in this book. From this web site I learned enough about Rebecca's great-grandfather's ancestry that I was able to draw this relationship chart. It shows that Rebecca Cressman and I are 10th cousins. We share our 9th great-grandparents, William Chandler and his wife Annis Agnes Bayford.

The descendancy of William Chandler to me, M. Rebecca Margheim Jamison and to my 10th cousin, Rebecca Parker Cressman.

I wasn't really surprised to discover this connection to Rebecca and her family members in this story. I think it's all part of the "true miracle of genealogy"....I was drawn to her story and to these characters because they are part of my very extended family too. So far I think it's the best story in the book, but as I said, I'm only half-way through the book. It's a hard one to beat, tho! I encourage you all to read Volume 2 of "True Miracles with Genealogy. The ebook version in only $2.99!!
I hope Anne publishes a Volume 3....I'm already thinking about a story that I can submit.

Collaboration Adds the Details

noreply@blogger.com (Becky Jamison) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 02:53:00 +0000

Today I received an email from Ancestry.com telling me of a comment made on my husband's Ancestry.com tree. The comment made by Don Lynch said: This may be the Charles H. Sloan who was struck and killed by a car in Hollywood, California on October 29, 1924.
When I read this comment, I went right to my RootsMagic database to see who Charles H. Sloan was. I saw that he had a sister Rebecca Roberts Sloan, born 1838 in Pennsylvania, who was married to Martin Francis Jamison, Larry's 1st cousin 4 times removed. Rebecca and Martin had a daughter named Luna Jamison (Mrs. Joseph) Clements. Martin and Larry share ancestors John W. Jamison (1765-1851) and his wife Elizabeth Shryock (1774-1835).
I wanted to learn more about Charles H. Sloan and the accident referred to in Don Lynch's comment. A Google search showed a link to a FindaGrave memorial that included this information about Mr. Sloan.

Los Angeles Times - October 30, 1924: HURTS IN CAR MISHAP FATAL TO C. H. SLOAN Funeral Services Will be Conducted Friday by Masonic Lodge Charles H. Sloan, 78 years of age, of 2797 West Pico street, died yesterday in Hollywood Hospital from injuries received the 6th inst., when he was run over by an automobile driven by Martin Sonora of 1321 Palmetto street, at Fifth and Spring streets. Funeral services will be conducted Friday under the direction of the Masonic order and interment will be in Rosedale Cemetery. The elderly man had been a resident of Los Angeles six years and was a native of Philadelphia. He had a record of fifty years of service as a railroad conductor and was a Thirty-second-Degree Mason. He spent a year in France during the World War with the Y.M.C.A. contingent. Surviving members of the family are two nieces, Mrs. Emma Perry, of 320 South Reno street, and Mrs. Luna Clements of Indiana, Pa.

Burial: Angelus Rosedale Cemetery Los Angeles Los Angeles County California, USA

How fortunate I am that Don Lynch saw the entry for Charles H. Sloan on my husband's tree after he had posted the memorial on FindAGrave, and then added the comment to Larry's tree so I was notified of this additional online information by Ancestry.com. Collaboration is wonderful and pays such great benefits!

Drawn to this Infant's Grave

noreply@blogger.com (Becky Jamison) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 01:10:00 +0000

Yesterday my husband and I drove 15 miles to the neighboring town of Florence, Colorado to photograph a grave at Union Highland Cemetery. While there, we drove slowly around the cemetery and this little headstone caught my eye. It marks the grave of Lester Yost, who died Feb. 22, 1898 at the age of 1 year, 6 days. We stopped to photograph the headstone because my husband has a great-grandmother whose name was Yost. I saw that Lester's parents were Lewis and Mary Yost.

When I got home I looked up Lewis and Mary Yost in the 1900-1930 censuses at Ancestry.com. I also found memorials on FindaGrave for Lewis and his second wife Effie. I learned that Lester's mother Mary was Mary Ann Patrick and that she died suddenly on September 14, 1910 after the family had moved from Florence, Fremont, Colorado to Craig, Moffat, Colorado.

In 1900 Lewis and Mary still lived in Florence with their daughters Viola, born August 1892 and Mabel, who was born April 1898. That tells me that Mabel was born to Lewis and Mary Ann two months after their little one-year-old son Lester had died. That just tugs at my heart strings. The census indicates that Lewis and Mary had been married 8 years, so must have married in 1891 or 1892. It says Mary had 2 children and 2 were still living. Someone forgot about little Lester!

By 1910 Lewis and Mary had moved to Craig, Colorado and their household consisted of daughter Emma, born 1905, son Lewis Jr. born 1907 and Lawrence, born 1909. The census says Mary was the mother of 8 children, only 6 of whom were still living. Viola is not listed...perhaps by age 18 she was married. Mabel would have been 12 and she isn't listed either. Perhaps another loss through death?

So we see that Mary was the mother of Viola, Mabel, LESTER, Emma, Lewis and Lawrence. If she gave birth to 8 children, she and Lewis by 1910 had lost 2 other children too.

A brief obituary for Mary Ann Patrick Yost says that upon her death, she left 6 children, the youngest being age 2. That would be son Lawrence. I just haven't done enough research to figure out specifically who all her children were.

By 1920 Lewis had remarried a woman named Effie, who was 3 years his junior. He was still residing in Craig, Colorado at the time of his death in 1942.

The thoughts that goes through my mind are "Does anyone remember little Lester? Do any of Lewis and Mary's ancestors ever think about his abandoned little grave with the multi-cracked headstone at Union Highland Cemetery in Florence, Colorado?" My husband and I noticed and took a few minutes on my 64th birthday to pay attention to Little Lester.

Finding a Cousin Connection in an old National Geographic

noreply@blogger.com (Becky Jamison) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 03:10:00 +0000

In order to spend our 17th wedding anniversary together today, my husband and I took a drive through the mountains to visit a small, quaint town about an hour south of our home--Westcliffe, Colorado. We had a nice lunch and stopped to browse in an antique shop before heading home. I'm always drawn to the books in any store, so I was thrilled to find a long wall covered with a book case loaded with books. Many were just paperback fiction, but I noticed a National Geographic among the offerings. I pulled it off the shelf and saw the date: July, 1927. An 84 year old magazine! It was in excellent shape (better than the magazine in the above photo) and on the cover I read that the contents contained a story titled "Strange Habits of Familiar Moths and Butterflies", by William Joseph Showalter.
I knew that my husband's 4th great grandmother was named Veronica Showalter. Okay, to be honest, I knew "some great grandmother" but had to look up the number!
From my research when I got home this evening I was able to develop this chart showing how my husband Larry Jamison is related to this author, William Joseph Showalter.

They are 4th cousins 4 generations apart (or as people say 4th cousins, 4 times removed). I usually don't use those terms because most people are totally lost when we start using the "times removed" terminology. The chart above shows simply that if we go back 4 generations from Larry to his great, great grandmother Veronica Morris, that she was a 4th cousin of William J. Showalter.
By the way, I picked up this magazine for a mere $3 and tonight I see it listed on eBay for $17. That's a good investment.

My Mother and Stepmother Cousin Connections

noreply@blogger.com (Becky Jamison) — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 00:41:00 +0000

My cousin Kate Keller posted this picture on Ancestry.com this week.

Martha Matilda "Mattie" Larue 1838-1920
Found in collection of photos and papers held by Mary Steele LaRue. Dated 1917 and "To Mary S. LaRue, 1917, Grandma LaRue". frankieraney1originally submitted this to Wilson Family Tree of East Texas on 22 Jun 2007

The photo is not in good shape, but instantly captured my interest because of the perspective. I haven't quite figured it out. At first I thought it was taken looking through a window. But upon closer inspection, it appears that Mattie is sitting on a porch with an exterior window directly behind her. Anyway, I LOVE the photo. I'll bet the open book on her lap is a Bible. Her obituary below says "To talk about the Bible and religion was her chief delight."

When I saw that cousin Kate has posted this photo into our ancestry tree, I had to refer to my genealogy database in RootsMagic to determine who Mattie was and how she was related to me. That investigation led me on a surprising, amazing, and delightful journey yesterday. I made notes of my findings and this evening drew up this chart to illustrate what I discovered.

My mother was Ruby Flanders, who married my Dad in 1943. She appears in a green box at bottom left of the chart. My twin brother and I were born in 1947 and in 1949 my mother divorced my Dad. In 1951 Dad remarried to Phyllis Jones, who appears in a green box at the bottom right of the chart.

Mattie Larue is in the blue box, as her name was Martha Matilda Larue, 1838-1920. She was married to John Wellington Larue who was the grandson of John C. Larue and Clara Hardin. John C. Larue is the 3rd cousin 5 generations removed of my mother Ruby, and his wife Clara Hardin is the 1st cousin 6 generations removed of Phyllis Jones, my step-mom.

John Wellington Larue is the 5th cousin 3 generations removed of my mother Ruby and he's the 3rd cousin 4 generations removed of my step-mom Phyllis. His wife Mattie Larue is the 4th cousin 4 generations removed of my mother Ruby and she's also the 4th cousin 4 generations removed of my step-mom Phyllis.

You might not find this significant. But there was great hostility between my mother and step-mother. Their families were totally separate "camps" when I grew up in Kansas. Think of the Hatfield and McCoys. The Flanders and Jones families were not at odds, but the two wives of my dad, Ernie Margheim, certainly were! So to discover this cousin connection is just quite amazing to me! They'd each probably "roll over in their graves" if they knew this.

And it doesn't stop there! Look at the yellow box that shows Hardin DuVal and his wife Mary Strait. Mary Strait is the great, great grandaunt of my mother Ruby Flanders. And her husband Hardin DuVal is the 3rd cousin 5 generations removed of my step-mother Phyllis Jones.

I love it when I discover these connections. That's obvious, because I worked for an hour tonight to write up this relationship chart showing all these connections.

And it all started with this beautiful picture of Martha Matilda "Mattie" Larue. Thank you, cousin Kate, for sharing it with me yesterday!

Headstone: Elizabeth Freeland Roberts

noreply@blogger.com (Becky Jamison) — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 00:45:00 +0000

Elizabeth Freeland, as the wife of Robert Roberts, was my husband's 4th great grandmother. She was the daughter of Benjamin and Nancy Freeland. Elizabeth was born 23 April 1779 in Maryland and died 30 May 1862 in Greene County, Pennsylvania. In my RootsMagic database I had entered her birth and death years, but the inscription on her headstone gave me the actual dates, as it gives her death date and age at time of death.

I discovered Elizabeth's headstone through the wonderful site administered by Candice Buchanan: "Greene Connections" . She links the grave listings to those found at FindAGrave.com. I followed the listing for Old Mount Tabor Cemetery, where I knew Elizabeth had been buried. Three years ago, on August 20, 2008, Roberta Hofmann had added this wonderful memorial to Larry's ancestor. We're really excited and grateful to find this photograph.

Old Mount Tabor Cemetery, Greene County, Pennsylvania

Time Capsule: The Colorado Springs Century Chest

noreply@blogger.com (Becky Jamison) — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 16:48:00 +0000

The Colorado Springs Century Chest Project was a gathering of letters, photographs and other materials that were placed in a metal chest as a time capsule in 1901.The letters and documents were inside linen envelopes and many of the photographs were wrapped in tin foil. The Century Chest that held these items was made of steel and lined with sheets of lead. It was sealed with 200 rivets to make it airtight. An inscription on the chest read: "To the citizens of Colorado Springs of the Twenty First Century. To be opened after midnight December 31st A.D. 2000." The Century Chest was kept on the Colorado College campus for 100 years.

On Jan. 1, 2001 a Century Chest opening ceremony was held in the Tutt Library of Colorado College. In the weeks following the ceremony, for the purpose of preservation and access, librarians at Colorado College scanned every item from the Chest and transcribed many of the letters.

Among the contents of the Chest was a letter written by Architect Thomas McLaren, giving "An account of the architecture of the City at above date" (3d August 1901). Is it coincidence that today is August 3rd, 2011? I found this item of particular interest because Thomas McLaren was the architect who designed the house I'm living in, here in Canon City, Colorado.

The list of contents of the Chest can be found here.

How fortunate we are to have this resource as a window into the lives and times of the residents of Colorado Springs, Colorado 110 years ago! It's especially thrilling for me to be able to read the lengthy letter written 110 years ago today by the architect who designed my house.

"Small World Dept": Jamison-Jaynes Cousin Connection

noreply@blogger.com (Becky Jamison) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 21:44:00 +0000

The chart above shows that both my husband Larry C. Jamison and Lloyd L. Jaynes are descendants of Andrew and Mary M. Wilson Christie. Lloyd Jaynes's father was Orville S. Jaynes who was a descendant of Chester and Eliza Dee Janes. Also a descendant of Chester and Eliza Dee Jaynes is Clinton R. Jaynes, Jr. who is the adoptive father of Michele A. Jaynes, ex-wife of my husband Larry Jamison.

It’s interesting to note that both Larry C. Jamison and his ex- wife Michele A. Jaynes are cousins of Lloyd L. Jaynes, who was very well-acquainted and well-respected in the business world by the mother of M. Rebecca (“Becky”) Jamison, Larry’s second wife.

*Lloyd Lincoln Jaynes was a resident of Hoisington, Barton, Kansas, where he was a partner in Suburban Laundry and Dry Cleaners. During the time of that employment he was often called in as an expert boiler-repairman by Phyllis J. Margheim, Manager of Jones Laundry in Great Bend, Barton, Kansas. Phyllis’s daughter is M. Rebecca (Margheim) Jamison, wife of Larry C. Jamison, as noted in the above diagram.

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

noreply@blogger.com (Becky Jamison) — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 01:50:00 +0000

Tonight we sat at home and watched the 2010 production of "True Grit" with Jeff Bridges. As it closed and the credits were rolling, someone was singing "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms". I commented to my husband that the song was written by one of his cousins, Anthony Johnson Showalter. He was surprised--having forgotten that bit of news that I shared with him several years ago when my research brought that fact to light. So I drew up this chart to show him the connection (Larry and Anthony Johnson Showalter are 2nd cousins 4 times removed):

From Wikipedia we read:

Reverend Anthony Johnson Showalter (1858 - 1924) was an American gospel music composer, teacher and publisher. He was born May 1, 1858 in Cherry Grove, Virginia. Showalter was trained in the Ruebush-Kieffer School of Music and was teaching in singing schools by age fourteen. In 1884, he formed the Showalter Music Company of Dalton, Georgia. He was also an elder of the First Presbyterian Church in Dalton.

Showalter's best known song is Leaning on the Everlasting Arms," which was published in 1887. He wrote the music and chorus, and Elisha A. Hoffman wrote the verses. The song features prominently in the score of Night of the Hunter and forms about a quarter of the score of the 2010 film True Grit.

Showalter authored several rudimentary books on music theory and a book on harmony and song composition. These were widely used in singing schools across the South.

Anthony Johnson Showalter died September 14, 1924 in Chattanooga, Tennessee and is buried in the West Hill Cemetery of Dalton, Georgia.

I Found Malone Smith at 'Magnolias and Peaches'

noreply@blogger.com (Becky Jamison) — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 02:40:00 +0000

I was surprised but happy to stumble upon this little web site last night as I was searching for information about Rev. Tisdel Spencer Logan (1814-1901), "Baptist Preacher" in Alabama. His daughter Amanda was the second wife of Malone Smith (1844-1909). Malone's first wife was Harriett Catherine Mullins, with whom he had son Marion "Malone" Smith (1865-1952), husband of Mary Francis Hawkins (1866-1951).

L to R: Harriett Mullins Smith Thackerson, her son Marion "Malone" and Mary F. Hawkins Smith

At 'Magnolias and Peaches' I discovered that Malone Smith, b. 1844 was buried in the Deerman Chapel Cemetery in St. Clair County, Alabama.

Malone Smith, March 12, 1842-Jan. 8, 1909

Marion Malone and Harriett Catherine Mullins Smith were the parents of James Robert Smith, who later changed his name to Henry James Jones. I wrote about that story here. Henry James Jones (1890-1976) and his wife Helen Wilma Marker (1904-1949) were the parents of my step-mother Phyllis Jean Jones (1924-1997).


Malone and Mary Smith

I'm particularly happy to have found this burial information with the dates indicated on the headstone because I knew nothing of these people when my step-mother was living. I'll never get to Alabama to see the grave, but I feel a bit closer to her ancestors just seeing her great-grandfather's headstone.

Larry W. Dyer: Essay Winner

noreply@blogger.com (Becky Jamison) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 20:23:00 +0000

"America was a great land when Columbus discovered it; Americans have made of it a great nation.

"The men who founded our government did their work well, and loyal American citizens have preserved and added to what the founders of our government so firmly established.

"What shall we do about it? Shall we strive to prepare ourselves to meet the duties that will come to us? Will future citizens of America look back upon our deeds and feel that we did our part well?

"These are questions which the boys and girls of today must answer without hesitation or faltering. If the America of the future is to fulfill the dreams of the early patriots, everyone must do his part.

"Brave men and women gave their lives, their fortunes, their all, that we might enjoy the priceless gift of a governement established upon the principles of freedom, equality, justice and humanity. If we remember their brave deeds and sacrifices, we will try harder to do our part to preserve all that has been placed in our care.

"A wonderful plan of self-government was not the only thing our forefathers handed down to us. They left us many fine national ideals which every loyal American should strive to uphold; ideals of honest endeavor, of ceaseless industry, of untiring perseverance, of unselfish services to the country they loved and longed to pass on to their descendants, enlarged and enriched.

As Lyman Abbott, a distinguished American author, journalist, and preacher has well said 'A nation is made great not by its fruitful acres, but by the men who cultivate them; not by its great forests, but by the men who use them, not by its mines, but by the men who work in them, not by its railroads, but by the men who build and run them'.

"We honor and love men like Washington, Lincoln, and Roosevelt because we believe their efforts for the public good were the result of their high ideals of honor and truth, their loyalty to the best interests of the country and their desire to serve their fellowmen." -- Larry W. Dyer

This essay was written by Larry Wayne Dyer, the nephew of my step-mother. It was published in a newspaper in Oklahoma in the early 1950s, as Larry was born in 1935. From the newspaper clipping that my mother saved, I'm able to see that it was published on page 7, but she didn't save the name of the newspaper from the header.

The Editor's Note explains: "Larry Dyer wrote the second place essay on the subject, 'Our Great American Heritage--Liberty' in the American Legion Auxiliary contest. I'm posting this so members of his extended family can read it. Many of them didn't know Larry very well, as he passed away at the age of 28, in 1964.

Wordless Wednesday: Memories of Dad

noreply@blogger.com (Becky Jamison) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 23:57:00 +0000

My Mother (1925-1990)

noreply@blogger.com (Becky Jamison) — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 21:39:00 +0000


Ruby Nadine Flanders Margheim Craine January 17, 1925-July 14, 1990

Mother, you lived your first 22 years without me and my twin brother in your life. And now we've lived the last 21 years without you in our lives. But always in our hearts! We love you.

Duckwalls Living in my Hometown

noreply@blogger.com (Becky Jamison) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

As I was reviewing a page from the 1930 Federal Census in my hometown of Great Bend, Barton, Kansas, I noticed this entry for Wilbur and Minnie Duckwall:

Wilbur's occupation was listed a "Proprietor of Variety Store". I should say so!

Here's a brief history of the Duckwall Stores from their Facebook page: "Based in Abilene, Kansas since 1901, we have successfully grown the company from its first single retail store in Abilene, to the popular 214 store retail chain serving “Small Town America” in 23 states today. In 1737 the Duckwall family immigrated from England to America. Our founder, Alva Lease Duckwall, Sr. was born in 1877 and moved to Greenleaf, KS in the late 1890’s where at the age of 18, he opened a small shop that specialized iin sewing machine sales and bicycle repair. It was A.L.'s brother-in-law, Charles Fitzwater, who had the idea to sell small items needed in the home. Charles checked several towns, including Abilene, where he found the “Racket Store” for sale. While Charles decided not to buy the Racket Store, A.L. and his brother Wilbur liked the idea. A.L. sold his sewing machine/bicycle shop in Greenleaf for $413.00. He borrowed an equal amount from a local bank, threw in his life savings of $90.00 and bought the inventory and fixtures. A.L.’s brother Wilbur sold his restaurant in Greenleaf and joined him in Abilene. They called their new store “Duckwall Bros. RACKET STORE - A Little Bit Of Everything”. The history of Duckwall-ALCO Stores, Inc. had begun. The year was 1901."

The Kansas Historical Society offers this photo and bit of information about Alva Duckwall:

We never can tell what we're going to learn about our hometowns while researching our family history!

My Cousins, the Ingalls

noreply@blogger.com (Becky Jamison) — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 01:27:00 +0000

While doing some research for another post, I came upon this information about John James Ingalls:

John James Ingalls

Politician, attorney. Born: 29 December 1833, Middleton, Massachusetts. Married: Anna Louisa Cheeseborough, 1865. Died: 16 August 1900, New Mexico.

"Kansas," said John J. Ingalls, "is the core and kernel of the country, containing the germs of its growth and the quickening ideas essential to its perpetuity." An orator, scholar, lawyer, and statesman, known for his keen sarcasm and quick wit, Ingalls was, at age 26, a primary force behind the Wyandotte Constitutional Convention that brought about Kansas statehood. Ingalls, who represented Kansas as a U.S. Senator from 1873 - 1891, coined the phrase Ad astra per aspera (to the stars through difficulties) that became the Kansas state motto.

Kansas State Seal with Motto "Ad Astra Per Aspera" ("To the stars through difficulties").

Since I was born and lived the first 40 years of my life in Kansas, this is significant to me. I prepared this chart to show my relationship with John Ingalls and his/my cousin Laura (Ingalls) Wilder.

Our First Contributions to BillionGraves.com

noreply@blogger.com (Becky Jamison) — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 22:27:00 +0000

My husband Larry & I just caught up to the 21st century with purchase of iPhones a couple of months ago. Because of our genealogy interests, we promptly installed the BillionGraves app. It isn't often that we each have the same day off, but since today was a holiday, we decided to use some of our free time to try out the app and contribute some headstone photos to the web site. In the half hour we worked on this project at Lakeside Cemetery, our local city cemetery, we were able to photograph 150 headstones and upload them to the BillionGraves web site.

Now I need to transcribe those headstones. I know it'll take a lot longer to do that than it took to do the photography!

This Photo Called to Me and Now I Know Why

noreply@blogger.com (Becky Jamison) — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 23:19:00 +0000

I discovered this photo last week as I was doing some research at my office. Those pictured are not my family members but I was immediately drawn to the photograph. I set it up on my desk so I could enjoy it as I continued working through the day. The small group is standing on the front steps of Christ Episcopal Church in Canon City, CO where I work as the Parish Administrator.
Fortunately, three of the four people were identified on the back side of the photo. The woman is Mrs. Hart (Harriette) Goodloe (1881-1949), at her left is Robert Palmer and on her right is Lyman Morey Robison. The young man at our far left is unidentified. I found records in the church’s old Parish Registers that date the photo to 18 March 1917 on the occasion of the Confirmation of the 13 and 14 year old boys.
One reason I was so drawn to this picture is that I’m currently residing in the house that young Lyman M. Robison was living in at the time this picture was taken. His grandfather Lyman Robison built what is known as the “Robison Mansion” (pictured below) in 1886, which sits across the street from my house.

Lyman built the house my husband and I now own (pictured below) in 1902 as a wedding present for his son David Robison and new daughter-in-law Goldie Maude Morey Robison. David and Goldie were the parents of young Lyman M. Robison who is in the confirmation photograph.

I realize that as I sit in my recliner, typing this post on my laptop, I’m most likely sitting in the room that served as young Lyman’s bedroom. It’s wonderful to have a picture of him that was taken at the time he lived here.
As I researched Mrs. Hart Goodloe on the internet, I discovered a Family Tree that a great grandson of hers had submitted. He’s provided pdf files of wonderful documents she authored during her lifetime. Of course I printed those and reviewed them before I went to bed the same day I discovered this photo. I was surprised to read that Mr. and Mrs Hart Goodloe had traveled to Europe in 1902 as passengers on the ship “Umbria”. It was the “Umbria” that brought my paternal grandmother, her brothers and parents to Ellis Island from the Saratov Province of Russia in 1904!
I’ve recently corresponded with Patrick L. Bauer, the great grandson of ‘Hattie’ Goodloe, whose Family Tree I initially found on Ancestry.com. He’s the author of “GOODLOE, Blood Stains the Fury of the Coming Storm”, which is an Historical Novel published in 2007, based on the life and stories of Dr. Hart Goodloe.

Of course I immediately ordered his book and am looking forward to reading it in the next couple of weeks.
The Goodloe family is not related to me, but often those who are connected in some way feel more like ‘family’ and our hearts are drawn to them in a powerful way. Such is the case with me and my new Goodloe family friends. I’m grateful to Patrick Bauer for bringing his ancestors alive in this novel and for sharing the genealogical research on Ancestry.com, which includes the wonderful handwritten/transcribed notes and journals of his great-grandmother, the beautiful Harriette Armstrong Mannen Goodloe, pictured on the front steps of Christ Episcopal Church in Canon City, CO, where I’ve been employed for the past 14+ years!

Today Brought Gravestone Photos of My 4th Great Grandparents

noreply@blogger.com (Becky Jamison) — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 00:25:00 +0000

Yesterday I found a message on a message board that a woman in New Hampshire had thousands of photos of headstones from New Hampshire cemeteries. She has many of them posted here. I emailed her and today I received the above photos of the headstones of my 4th great grandparents, Henry Phelps (1751-1840) and Hannah Blodgett Phelps (1764-1843). The bottom photo shows Pratt Cemetery, where they're buried near Hebron, New Hampshire.

Henry and Hannah Phelps's granddaughter Elizabeth Ann Phelps was my great, great grandmother and wife of Jesse Gordon Flanders. When I wrote to this woman requesting this photo, she saw the link to my web site under my signature and she took a look at it. She noticed that Flanders is one of the Surnames I'm researching and in her reply, she told me she and her husband each have Flanders ancestors. How cool is that? It gets better....she said she has a LOT of photos of the Flanders graves and will send whatever I want.

I just can't believe how blessed I am with this genealogy research. I've found 2 new cousins and a wonderful resource for family photos...even if they are just the headstones. I love anything that connects me to my ancestors!

My 3rd Great Grandparents were Distant Cousins

noreply@blogger.com (Becky Jamison) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 03:31:00 +0000

It isn't unusual for spouses to discover they are distantly related. But lately I've studied my third great grandparents, Arva Phelps and Elizabeth Bartlett Phelps, quite a lot and today when I realized they were also distant cousins, I was surprised. I prepared this chart to illustrate their connection and relationship to me.

We had Lunch with Cousin James R. Osgood (1836-1892)

noreply@blogger.com (Becky Jamison) — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 00:12:00 +0000

Today my husband and I traveled to the neighboring town of Pueblo, Colorado to take care of some business. Before returning home we stopped for lunch at the Cracker Barrel there. As is typical of this chain of restaurants, the walls of this one are decorated with memorabilia from the past. The Hostess escorted us to a table at the farthest end of the dining room.

While we waited for our food to be served, Larry and I gazed around at all the items on the walls---a milking machine apparatus, cigarette advertising signs, a "Bubble Up" beverage sign, as well as the many old portraits that were displayed. I turned around and saw a portrait on the wall about 3 feet behind me. It aroused my curiosity, so I got up and walked closer to it to read the name on it. It was the portrait that I've posted above, that of James Ripley Osgood. I joked to Larry that he was probably my cousin. Larry thinks I'm related to everyone in the world because, with ancestors who settled the Massachusetts Bay Colony, I AM related to a lot of people whom we study or hear about.

When we returned home this afternoon, I promptly "googled" James R. Osgood. From Wikipedia I learned this:

"A reputed child prodigy, James R. Osgood knew Latin at age 3 and entered college at 12 years of age. He studied at Bowdoin College in Maine, graduating Phi Beta Kappa. While there, he was a member of the Peucinian Society among others.

He entered the publishing trade as a clerk in the Boston firm of Ticknor and Fields and, by 1864, became a partner in the firm. It was reorganized in 1868 as Fields, Osgood, & Company. The firm acquired The Atlantic Monthly.

In 1870 Osgood and two partners founded James R. Osgood & Company. Among their successful publications was Bret Harte's The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Stories, followed by a volume of Harte's poems and another of "condensed novels." Osgood advanced Bret Harte $10,000 for future work, but Harte never wrote another story. In 1872 and 1877, J.R. Osgood & Company brought out Henry Wilson's three-volume account of the Civil War, The History of the Rise and Fall of the Slave Power in America. Also in 1877 the firm sold the North American Review and published an edition of Edward FitzGerald's Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam.

In 1878 the firm dissolved, and Osgood joined forces with Henry Oscar Houghton to form the short-lived Houghton, Osgood & Company. The firm's most successful book was William Dean Howells' The Lady of the Aroostook. In 1880 this firm became the New York branch of Houghton, Mifflin & Company. Osgood remained in Boston, where he founded a second J.R. Osgood & Company.

Osgood published an edition of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass in 1881 that was attacked by the Boston district attorney as "obscene literature".[1] Osgood gave in and refused to bring out another edition, forcing Whitman to find another publisher.

By this time Osgood had befriended Samuel L. Clemens, whose pen name was "Mark Twain." In 1882 the company published Twain's The Prince and the Pauper and The Stolen White Elephant. That same year, Osgood accompanied Clemens on a riverboat trip collecting material for Life on the Mississippi, which was published by Osgood in 1883.

Osgood's firm was reportedly one of the most successful in Boston. However, in 1885 the company went bankrupt. Osgood's young partners, Thomas and Benjamin Ticknor, found a third partner and started a new firm. Osgood went to work for Harper's Magazine. In 1891 Osgood went into business again, with the magazine's permission, in partnership with Clarence McIlvaine as Osgood, McIlvaine, & Company. The firm had its greatest success with Thomas Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles, but Osgood died before the volume went on sale.

As I did a quick search for the ancestry of James Osgood, I found his ancestry as I've indicated in this chart that I've prepared:

It shows that I'm the 5th cousin, 5 times removed of James Ripley Osgood.

Fields, Osgood, & Co, 124 Tremont St., Boston

The thing that amazes Larry and me so much about this discovery is that for the last 3 weeks I've been doing a lot of research on my Phelps/Lovejoy/Osgood ancestors! That's why, when I read James' name on his portrait at the Cracker Barrel, I remarked that he's probably my cousin!

I know that's why I was drawn to the portrait (even though it was displayed 3 feet behind my seat) and arose from my chair to study it more closely. It was nice to have his company for lunch today!

States My Ancestors Lived In

noreply@blogger.com (Becky Jamison) — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 00:38:00 +0000

Make yours @ BigHugeLabs.com

The Kirtland Puzzle is Coming Together

noreply@blogger.com (Becky Jamison) — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 23:34:00 +0000

In the diagram above you can see my name in the box at the bottom left: M. Rebecca Margheim, married to Larry C. Jamison. Along the line of ancestry represented there you'll see that my 3rd great grandparents are Betsy Bartlett and Arva Phelps. Betsy (1811-bef 1850) and Arva (1797-aft 1870) were both born in New Hampshire, but by 1830, according to the Federal Census, had moved to Kirtland, Geauga, Ohio. I've often wondered what prompted them to make the 600 mile move from Groton, NH to Kirtland, OH, and with whom they might have made that journey.

Last night I wanted to do more exploring using the new genealogy search engine Mocavo, so I entered "Arva Phelps + Kirtland" as search terms. Things often unfold so quickly for me that I can't recall which link led to which information in proper sequence, but the resulting articles and documents that I discovered gave me some important clues.

The first link I clicked on led me to Internet Archive, to the publication "History of Ashburnham, Massachusetts, from the grant of Dorchester Canada to the present time, 1734-1886; with a genealogical register of Ashburnham families". The page that opened showed me the Samuel Metcalf family and told me that several of his children "removed" to Kirtland, Ohio from Groton, New Hampshire! In researching those family members I found connections to my 3rd great grandparents, Arva and Betsy Phelps, who also "removed" from Groton to Kirtland. I found so much information that I drew up the diagram above so I could keep it all straight.

The result was that I determined how some of the family members connected and who Betsy and Arva must have traveled and settled with in Kirtland. Page 1 of the 1830 Federal Census for Kirtland, shows the Metcalfs and Phelps families as neighbors.

Now I'm going to read more of that History of Ashburnham, MA and explore the ancestries of some of these other connected families in the hopes that I can learn more about Arva and Betsy Phelps. If I learn anything, I'll be back with another post on the subject.