Thomas H. Bonner was my great grandfather and until recently I have known very little about him. I knew he was born in February 1845 in British America, but didn't know where. It could have been in the Caribbean Islands or a Canadian Province. Thomas married my great grandmother, Edna Bridwell in 1888 in Louisiana. He was 43 and she was 18. I've always wondered how and why a man from British America made it to Louisiana. With the age difference, I have thought he might have been married before. They had a child, Addie, born in Louisiana in 1889 who died at a young age. Their son Edward was also born in Louisiana in 1891. Then they moved to Mississippi where my grandfather Ross, his brother Robert and his sister Maude were born. Great grandfather is said to have died back in Louisiana in 1902. His son, Thomas Henry Bonner was born in January 1903, after his father's death.
The only census record I have of Thomas was 1900 in Perry county Mississippi. He was noted to have been born in British America in 1845. His parents were noted to have been born in Ireland. He was a carpenter, owned his home, was married to Edna and had four children.
I have searched records of deaths in Louisiana and in Mississippi and have not found Thomas. I have also searched Civil War records for both states and could not find him in any units from those states. Just a little over a week ago, I was searching some Civil War records for one of Don's relatives, Andrew Hicks Baker and his brothers from Texas. I was looking at Civil War Pension Index Cards for the Baker's. Don't ask me why, but while in the middle of the Bakers, I stopped and I searched the Civil War Pension Index for Thomas H. Bonner. I was shocked to find his index card.
The soldier was listed as Thomas Bonner, widow was Edna Bonner. Thomas had filed for a pension in October 1891 in Louisiana as an "invalid". Edna had filed for his pension in April 1903 in Louisiana, as a widow. The date 1891 matches the date in which Thomas and Edna would have been in Louisiana before moving to Mississippi. The 1903 date, when Edna filed as a widow, is consistent with Thomas have died in 1902 and son Thomas being born in January 1903 in Louisiana. The application and certificate numbers for both filings are on the card, so I can request copies of the pension applications from the National Archives.
The most enlightening news on the pension index card was that Thomas served as a Union soldier and was with the 6th Battery, 1st Maine Light Artillery. Of course, I started my search for information about the 1st Maine. I found that they were organized in Augusta, Maine in August 1862. Found the complete details of their timeline and the battles they fought. All the locations and battles of the 1st Maine were very near here especially Antietam and Gettysburg. While searching about the 1st Maine, I came across a researcher in Maine who had done lengthy research on this unit. I wrote to him and asked if he knew about Thomas Bonner. I explained that Thomas might have been born in British America.
I received an email response the next day that told me that Thomas Bonner (Bonnar) enlisted in the 1st Maine when he was 18 years old. Thomas listed his home town as Fredricton, New Brunswick, Canada. In less than one day, I had learned his military unit, the details of their battles and that Thomas was from New Brunswick. Going back to ancestry.com I found several other official records of Thomas' service. I also began reading details about some of the battles he fought and have gained some interesting information which I will share in the next blog post about Thomas Bonner. I went back to the 1910 census where Edna and her children were living in Oklahoma. Edna noted on the census that her children's father was from Maine. I had noticed that before, but now it had real meaning.
Although I now have only a small amount of information about Thomas Bonner, I believe it can lead me in the right direction.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
February 21, 2010-Thomas Manning's Dissertation
Thomas Jefferson Manning graduated from the University of Nashville Medical School in 1855. I have explored various ways to verify his attendance and graduation. In October 2009, I spent time researching the medical faculty that were there when he would have attended. In doing so, I came across the digital library of Vanderbilt University. On that site they had some dissertations that were completed by medical students at the University of Nashville about the same time he attended. (The University of Nashville Medical School subsequently became Vanderbilt University.) I contacted the library and asked if they had a dissertation for Thomas Jefferson Manning. They responded that they weren't sure, but they would have all of the University of Nashville dissertations on-line soon. They suggested I check back. Well, just this past week, I checked back and sure enough, Thomas Manning's dissertation was available on-line.
At the same site, I referenced a Report of the University of Nashville Medical School for the years that included 1855. In that report they listed the graduates, and again there was Thomas Jefferson Manning from Villanow, Georgia. So, in the course of a week, I now have two sources that verify Dr. Manning's attendance and graduation at the University of Nashville.
I hope you take a look at his dissertation, it's only 14 pages. It is handwritten in a beautifully written manner. He uses some eloquent analogies and clearly states his facts. The title of the dissertation is "An Inaugural Dissertation on Menstruation". From what I saw on the dissertation site, others chose the same topic. I think the opportunity to read what my Great, Great Grandfather wrote in 1855 adds a nice connection to him. It lets you look at his handwriting and see a document that allowed him to complete his medical training. Here's the link:
http://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/sc_diglib/etexts/Dissertations/Manning_T_J.pdf
At the same site, I referenced a Report of the University of Nashville Medical School for the years that included 1855. In that report they listed the graduates, and again there was Thomas Jefferson Manning from Villanow, Georgia. So, in the course of a week, I now have two sources that verify Dr. Manning's attendance and graduation at the University of Nashville.
I hope you take a look at his dissertation, it's only 14 pages. It is handwritten in a beautifully written manner. He uses some eloquent analogies and clearly states his facts. The title of the dissertation is "An Inaugural Dissertation on Menstruation". From what I saw on the dissertation site, others chose the same topic. I think the opportunity to read what my Great, Great Grandfather wrote in 1855 adds a nice connection to him. It lets you look at his handwriting and see a document that allowed him to complete his medical training. Here's the link:
http://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/sc_diglib/etexts/Dissertations/Manning_T_J.pdf
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
February 2, 2010- The Choctaw's Farewell
The transcript that follows was published in the Niles Register-February 25, 1832. It was authored by George W. Harkins, Choctaw Chief. It was written on board the steamboat Huron as Harkins and many of his fellow Choctaw are leaving their native home of Mississippi, having been removed by the U.S. Government. They were beginning their journey on "The Trail of Tears". It is The Choctaw's Farewell and it speaks for itself.
Yet it is said that our present movements are our own voluntary acts—such is not the case. We found ourselves like a benighted stranger, following false guides, until he was surrounded on every side, with fire and water. The fire was certain destruction, and a feeble hope was left him of escaping by water. A distant view of the opposite shore encourages the hope; to remain would be inevitable annihilation. Who would hesitate, or who would say that his plunging into the water was his own voluntary act? Painful in the extreme is the mandate of our expulsion. We regret that it should proceed from the mouth of our professed friend, for whom our blood was co-mingled with that of his bravest warriors, on the field of danger and death.
But such is the instability of professions. The man who said that he would plant a stake and draw a line around us, that never should be passed, was the first to say he could not guard the lines, and drew up the stake and wiped out all traces of the line. I will not conceal from you my fears, that the present grounds may be removed. I have my foreboding; who of us can tell after witnessing what has already been done, what the next force may be. I ask you in the name of justice, for repose for myself and for my injured people. Let us alone—we will not harm you, we want rest. We hope, in the name of justice, that another outrage may never be committed against us, and that we may for the future be cared for as children, and not driven about as beasts, which are benefited by a change of pasture.
Taking an example from the American government, and knowing the happiness which its citizens enjoy under the influence of mild republican institutions, it is the intention of our countrymen to form a government assimilated to that of our white brethren in the United States, as nearly as their condition will permit. We know that in order to protect the rights and secure the liberties of the people, no government approximates so nearly to perfection as the one to which we have alluded. As east of the Mississippi we have been friends, so west we will cherish the same feelings with additional fervour; and although we may be removed to the desert, still we shall look with fond regard, upon those who have promised us their protection. Let that feeling be reciprocated.
Friends, my attachment to my native land was strong—that cord is now broken; and we must go forth as wanderers in a strange land! I must go—Let me entreat you to regard us with feelings of kindness, and when the hand of oppression is stretched against us, let me hope that a warning voice may be heard from every part of the United States, filling the mountains and valleys will echo, and say stop, you have no power, we are the sovereign people, and our friends shall no more be disturbed. We ask you for nothing, that is incompatible with your other duties.
We go forth sorrowful, knowing that wrong has been done. Will you extend to us your sympathizing regards until all traces of disagreeable oppositions are obliterated, and we again shall have confidence in the professions of our white brethren. Here is the land of our progenitors, and here are their bones; they left them as a sacred deposit, and we have been compelled to venerate its trust; it dear to us, yet we cannot stay, my people is dear to me, with them I must go. Could I stay and forget them and leave them to struggle alone, unaided, unfriended, and forgotten, by our great father? I should then be unworthy the name of a Choctaw, and be a disgrace to my blood. I must go with them; my destiny is cast among the Choctaw people. If they suffer, so will I; if they prosper, then will I rejoice. Let me again ask you to regard us with feelings of kindness. Yours , with respect, GEORGE W. HARKINS.
Source: Niles’ Register, February 25, 1832, 41:480.
Note: Harkins’ letter was reprinted from a paper in Natchez, Mississippi. Preceding it was a prefatory statement from that paper, titled “The Choctaw’s Lament,” as follows:
“In our paper today, will be found an address to the American people, by George W. Harkins, the present chief of the Choctaw nation. Capt. Harkins, is the nephew, and successor in office of Greenwood Laflour [sic]; and is now on his way with a large body of people, to their new residence in the west. The address was hastily written with a pencil, on board of the steam boat Huron, the day before his arrival at our landing. The time was so short as to afford Capt. Harkins no opportunity to send us a revised sheet.
“To the speculators and land jobbers, whose grasping avarice force this people from their homes and the graves of their forefathers, the language of this address will be unintelligible; but there are others, who, we presume, are not entirely devoid of shame, and to whom some allusion is made, who will feel the full force of its mild, but pointed rebuke.”
George W. Harkins to the American People
It is with considerable diffidence that I attempt to address the American people, knowing and feeling sensibly my incompetency; and believing that your highly and well improved minds would not be well entertained by the address of a Choctaw. But having determined to emigrate west of the Mississippi river this fall, I have thought proper in bidding you farewell to make a few remarks expressive of my views, and the feelings that actuate me on the subject of our removal. Believing that our all is at stake and knowing that you readily sympathize with the distressed of every country, I confidently throw myself upon your indulgence and ask you to listen patiently. I do not arrogate to myself the prerogative of deciding upon the expediency of the late treaty, yet I feel bound as a Choctaw, to give a distinct expression of my feelings on that interesting, (and to the Choctaws), all important subject. We were hedged in by two evils, and we chose that which we thought the least. Yet we could not recognize the right that the state of Mississippi had assumed, to legislate for us.—Although the legislature of the state were qualified to make laws for their own citizens, that did not qualify them to become law makers to a people that were so dissimilar in manners and customs as the Choctaws are to the Mississippians. Admitting that they understood the people, could they remove that mountain of prejudice that has ever obstructed the streams of justice, and prevent their salutary influence from reaching my devoted countrymen. We as Choctaws rather chose to suffer and be free, than live under the degrading influence of laws, which our voice could not be heard in their formation.
Much as the state of Mississippi has wronged us, I cannot find in my heart any other sentiment than an ardent wish for her prosperity and happiness.
I could cheerfully hope, that those of another age and generation may not feel the effects of those oppressive measures that have been so illiberally dealt out to us; and that peace and happiness may be their reward. Amid the gloom and horrors of the present separation, we are cheered with a hope that ere long we shall reach our destined land, and that nothing short of the basest acts of treachery will ever be able to wrest it from us, and that we may live free. Although your ancestors won freedom on the field of danger and glory, our ancestors owned it as their birthright, and we have had to purchase it from you as the vilest slaves buy their freedom.
Yet it is said that our present movements are our own voluntary acts—such is not the case. We found ourselves like a benighted stranger, following false guides, until he was surrounded on every side, with fire and water. The fire was certain destruction, and a feeble hope was left him of escaping by water. A distant view of the opposite shore encourages the hope; to remain would be inevitable annihilation. Who would hesitate, or who would say that his plunging into the water was his own voluntary act? Painful in the extreme is the mandate of our expulsion. We regret that it should proceed from the mouth of our professed friend, for whom our blood was co-mingled with that of his bravest warriors, on the field of danger and death.
But such is the instability of professions. The man who said that he would plant a stake and draw a line around us, that never should be passed, was the first to say he could not guard the lines, and drew up the stake and wiped out all traces of the line. I will not conceal from you my fears, that the present grounds may be removed. I have my foreboding; who of us can tell after witnessing what has already been done, what the next force may be. I ask you in the name of justice, for repose for myself and for my injured people. Let us alone—we will not harm you, we want rest. We hope, in the name of justice, that another outrage may never be committed against us, and that we may for the future be cared for as children, and not driven about as beasts, which are benefited by a change of pasture.
Taking an example from the American government, and knowing the happiness which its citizens enjoy under the influence of mild republican institutions, it is the intention of our countrymen to form a government assimilated to that of our white brethren in the United States, as nearly as their condition will permit. We know that in order to protect the rights and secure the liberties of the people, no government approximates so nearly to perfection as the one to which we have alluded. As east of the Mississippi we have been friends, so west we will cherish the same feelings with additional fervour; and although we may be removed to the desert, still we shall look with fond regard, upon those who have promised us their protection. Let that feeling be reciprocated.
Friends, my attachment to my native land was strong—that cord is now broken; and we must go forth as wanderers in a strange land! I must go—Let me entreat you to regard us with feelings of kindness, and when the hand of oppression is stretched against us, let me hope that a warning voice may be heard from every part of the United States, filling the mountains and valleys will echo, and say stop, you have no power, we are the sovereign people, and our friends shall no more be disturbed. We ask you for nothing, that is incompatible with your other duties.
We go forth sorrowful, knowing that wrong has been done. Will you extend to us your sympathizing regards until all traces of disagreeable oppositions are obliterated, and we again shall have confidence in the professions of our white brethren. Here is the land of our progenitors, and here are their bones; they left them as a sacred deposit, and we have been compelled to venerate its trust; it dear to us, yet we cannot stay, my people is dear to me, with them I must go. Could I stay and forget them and leave them to struggle alone, unaided, unfriended, and forgotten, by our great father? I should then be unworthy the name of a Choctaw, and be a disgrace to my blood. I must go with them; my destiny is cast among the Choctaw people. If they suffer, so will I; if they prosper, then will I rejoice. Let me again ask you to regard us with feelings of kindness. Yours , with respect, GEORGE W. HARKINS.
Source: Niles’ Register, February 25, 1832, 41:480.
Note: Harkins’ letter was reprinted from a paper in Natchez, Mississippi. Preceding it was a prefatory statement from that paper, titled “The Choctaw’s Lament,” as follows:
“In our paper today, will be found an address to the American people, by George W. Harkins, the present chief of the Choctaw nation. Capt. Harkins, is the nephew, and successor in office of Greenwood Laflour [sic]; and is now on his way with a large body of people, to their new residence in the west. The address was hastily written with a pencil, on board of the steam boat Huron, the day before his arrival at our landing. The time was so short as to afford Capt. Harkins no opportunity to send us a revised sheet.
“To the speculators and land jobbers, whose grasping avarice force this people from their homes and the graves of their forefathers, the language of this address will be unintelligible; but there are others, who, we presume, are not entirely devoid of shame, and to whom some allusion is made, who will feel the full force of its mild, but pointed rebuke.”
Sunday, January 24, 2010
January 24, 2009-Jackson LeFlore, Mystery Photo
I recently acquired this photo. On the back is written, "Jack LeFlore, Louis LeFlore youngest son". Louis Leflore had a son named Jackson who died in 1854 at about age 39. The man in this photo looks older than 39 years. The photo was found among other documents that once belonged to a descendant of Clarissa LeFlore.
Jackson LeFlore is said to have married Caroline and had children Solomon Leflore, Daniel LeFlore and Mary LeFlore. Solomon LeFlore married Susan Juzan, daughter of Francis Juzan. Their children are said to have been Mary W., Luvertus (Lubertha), Martha and Bettie.
If you know something more about Jackson LeFlore, Caroline LeFlore, Solomon LeFlore, Daniel LeFlore or any of their offspring, I would like to hear from you. If you know the identity of the man in the photo, please leave your comment and I will contact you.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
January 6, 2010- The Duchess of Windsor
I had planned to complete two more blogs before the end of the year, but the days got away with me. This is one I had planned to write. It will be short, but I find it interesting.
As I was Christmas shopping for old books by Mark Twain, I was focused on his work Joan of Arc. I had looked at several book sites on the internet and found the books to be about $50.00 each. Because the complete work was done in two volumes, that would mean that I would spend around $100.00. I decided to go to my favorite local used bookstore, Wonder Books and Video to see what they had. To my surprise, they had both volumes with copyright dates of 1901. They were in very good condition. I was thrilled to look at their price of $7.50 each. So, home I went with these great gifts for Don.
When at home, I began to look closer at the books. In the front of each book were identical book plates. The book plates indicated that they were given to "St. James Library, for the collection of R. Emory Warfield, by his son, Douglas Warfield". I knew these books were from some local collection, so I googled R. Emory Warfield and was pleasantly surprised to learn that he was the uncle of The Duchess of Windsor, Wallis Simpson.
Wallis Simpson's given name was Bessie Wallis Warfield. She was born at Blue Ridge Summit, PA just a short distance from here. She grew up in Baltimore and her parents were Teackle Wallis Warfield and Alice Montague. Teackle Wallis Warfield was the brother of R. Emory Warfield, for whom the book plate and the book were dedicated. Bessie Wallis Warfield married twice before she married the Duke of Windsor. First to Mr. Spencer and secondly to Mr. Simpson. If you recall, when Wallis Simpson, the American from Baltimore, married the Duke he gave up his rights to become the King of England. It seems Wallis being a divorced woman was what prompted the abdication.
Of course, I then wanted to read more about The Duke and Duchess of Windsor and so went back to my favorite book store to see what I could find. I found two great books, The Heart Has Its Reasons by the Duchess and The Kings Story by the Duke. In the book by the Duchess, she recalls her upbringing in Baltimore and mentions spending summers at the home of her uncle, R. Emory Warfield. She also discusses playing with her cousin, Douglas Warfield. The book is full of wonderful old pictures.
I know all of this has nothing to do with my family history, except that now my family owns two books that were donated on behalf of the uncle of the Duchess of Windsor. I guess that makes history!!!!!
As I was Christmas shopping for old books by Mark Twain, I was focused on his work Joan of Arc. I had looked at several book sites on the internet and found the books to be about $50.00 each. Because the complete work was done in two volumes, that would mean that I would spend around $100.00. I decided to go to my favorite local used bookstore, Wonder Books and Video to see what they had. To my surprise, they had both volumes with copyright dates of 1901. They were in very good condition. I was thrilled to look at their price of $7.50 each. So, home I went with these great gifts for Don.
When at home, I began to look closer at the books. In the front of each book were identical book plates. The book plates indicated that they were given to "St. James Library, for the collection of R. Emory Warfield, by his son, Douglas Warfield". I knew these books were from some local collection, so I googled R. Emory Warfield and was pleasantly surprised to learn that he was the uncle of The Duchess of Windsor, Wallis Simpson.
Wallis Simpson's given name was Bessie Wallis Warfield. She was born at Blue Ridge Summit, PA just a short distance from here. She grew up in Baltimore and her parents were Teackle Wallis Warfield and Alice Montague. Teackle Wallis Warfield was the brother of R. Emory Warfield, for whom the book plate and the book were dedicated. Bessie Wallis Warfield married twice before she married the Duke of Windsor. First to Mr. Spencer and secondly to Mr. Simpson. If you recall, when Wallis Simpson, the American from Baltimore, married the Duke he gave up his rights to become the King of England. It seems Wallis being a divorced woman was what prompted the abdication.
Of course, I then wanted to read more about The Duke and Duchess of Windsor and so went back to my favorite book store to see what I could find. I found two great books, The Heart Has Its Reasons by the Duchess and The Kings Story by the Duke. In the book by the Duchess, she recalls her upbringing in Baltimore and mentions spending summers at the home of her uncle, R. Emory Warfield. She also discusses playing with her cousin, Douglas Warfield. The book is full of wonderful old pictures.
I know all of this has nothing to do with my family history, except that now my family owns two books that were donated on behalf of the uncle of the Duchess of Windsor. I guess that makes history!!!!!
Saturday, December 19, 2009
December 19, 2009- The Teackle/Weaver Connection
Before you read this entry, you should go back and read my blog of December 15, 2009 for the background information. I wrote about Mrs. Weaver's Diary, a book I found about four years ago at a used book store. I named the book because it had no name and was a personal diary written by an unknown person. I have read the diary many times, but could never figure out who wrote the diary. Just since my entry on December 15, I have learned who Mrs. Weaver really was. I had been looking past some obvious information in the diary.
Mrs. Weaver, whom I named Cassie, was taking care of Ellen Teackle Schley in Baltimore, Maryland in 1916. Mrs. Schley was the mother of Mrs. Arunah S. Abel (Ann Teackle Schley Abel). The Abel family was very wealthy and the founders of the Baltimore Sun newspapers. Cassie wrote about how unhappy she was, how hard she worked, how so tired she felt all the time and that both Mrs. Abel or Mrs. Schley seemed to ignore her complaints. Cassie wrote that she had a son, Cyrus. It was her comments about Cyrus that lead me to finally identify the author of the diary. After December 15, I went back to re-read the diary again. Guess I also must have put on my thinking cap.
On January 3, 1916, on her day off work, Cassie writes about making a birthday cake for Cyrus.
So, now with a new perspective on the diary, I assume that January 3 is the date of Cyrus Weaver's birth. I began searching on ancestry.com and familysearch.com for Cyrus Weaver born January 3 in early 1900. And I found one. A California Death Index showed a Cyrus Heller Weaver born January 3, 1901 in Maryland and who died in 1952 in California. I went back to the page where Cassie describes making the birthday cake and read her next comment. "I was too tired to take out the 15 year old fruit cake that Roman made". Fifteen years before the date of her diary entry, would have been 1901. So, Roman (who ever that was), made the cake in 1901.
The next steps were pretty easy. The census records show Cyrus Weaver living in Baltimore in 1900 and 1910 with his parents Roman and Sallie Weaver. On the 1900 census, Cyrus H. Weaver is shown to have been born in 1900 and was 4 months old. The 1900 census was completed on June 7, 1900. On the 1910 census, Cyrus is recorded as 10 years old . I have found that it isn't unusual for see a slight various in birthdates in census and death records. The California Death Index for Cyrus showed that his mother's maiden name was Heller. I searched a bit more and learned that Sallie Weaver was Sallie Heller Weaver, born in West Virginia in 1868 to Cyrus Heller and Mary Eliza (Sallie) Matthews Heller.
I am speculating that Roman Weaver, Sallie's husband probably died around 1914. This is based on a comment Sallie made in the diary that she had not had a Sunday off in two and a half years.
No longer Cassie to me, but now Sallie Heller Weaver, made her last diary entry on November 7, 1916 after being brought home from the hospital by her physician, Dr. Gross. It seems likely that Sallie never recovered and may have died shortly after that date. I have an obituary for Ellen Teackle Schley showing that she died in 1917 in the home of her daughter, rather than in her home where Sallie Weaver had been taking care of her. Ellen Schley's obituary was just three months after Sallie Weaver's last diary entry. I have not located a burial location for Sallie Heller Weaver or Roman Weaver, but I did find that Cyrus Heller Weaver is buried at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Logansport, Cass County, Indiana.
Well, I read the diary again and it became much more meaningful knowing who had written it.
Mrs. Weaver, whom I named Cassie, was taking care of Ellen Teackle Schley in Baltimore, Maryland in 1916. Mrs. Schley was the mother of Mrs. Arunah S. Abel (Ann Teackle Schley Abel). The Abel family was very wealthy and the founders of the Baltimore Sun newspapers. Cassie wrote about how unhappy she was, how hard she worked, how so tired she felt all the time and that both Mrs. Abel or Mrs. Schley seemed to ignore her complaints. Cassie wrote that she had a son, Cyrus. It was her comments about Cyrus that lead me to finally identify the author of the diary. After December 15, I went back to re-read the diary again. Guess I also must have put on my thinking cap.
On January 3, 1916, on her day off work, Cassie writes about making a birthday cake for Cyrus.
So, now with a new perspective on the diary, I assume that January 3 is the date of Cyrus Weaver's birth. I began searching on ancestry.com and familysearch.com for Cyrus Weaver born January 3 in early 1900. And I found one. A California Death Index showed a Cyrus Heller Weaver born January 3, 1901 in Maryland and who died in 1952 in California. I went back to the page where Cassie describes making the birthday cake and read her next comment. "I was too tired to take out the 15 year old fruit cake that Roman made". Fifteen years before the date of her diary entry, would have been 1901. So, Roman (who ever that was), made the cake in 1901.
The next steps were pretty easy. The census records show Cyrus Weaver living in Baltimore in 1900 and 1910 with his parents Roman and Sallie Weaver. On the 1900 census, Cyrus H. Weaver is shown to have been born in 1900 and was 4 months old. The 1900 census was completed on June 7, 1900. On the 1910 census, Cyrus is recorded as 10 years old . I have found that it isn't unusual for see a slight various in birthdates in census and death records. The California Death Index for Cyrus showed that his mother's maiden name was Heller. I searched a bit more and learned that Sallie Weaver was Sallie Heller Weaver, born in West Virginia in 1868 to Cyrus Heller and Mary Eliza (Sallie) Matthews Heller.
I am speculating that Roman Weaver, Sallie's husband probably died around 1914. This is based on a comment Sallie made in the diary that she had not had a Sunday off in two and a half years.
No longer Cassie to me, but now Sallie Heller Weaver, made her last diary entry on November 7, 1916 after being brought home from the hospital by her physician, Dr. Gross. It seems likely that Sallie never recovered and may have died shortly after that date. I have an obituary for Ellen Teackle Schley showing that she died in 1917 in the home of her daughter, rather than in her home where Sallie Weaver had been taking care of her. Ellen Schley's obituary was just three months after Sallie Weaver's last diary entry. I have not located a burial location for Sallie Heller Weaver or Roman Weaver, but I did find that Cyrus Heller Weaver is buried at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Logansport, Cass County, Indiana.
Well, I read the diary again and it became much more meaningful knowing who had written it.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
December 15, 2009-The Teackle Connection
I have just finished reviewing another of my old favorite books. I acquired this book four years ago and have read it many times. It is a personal, handwritten diary and I do not know who wrote it. It was written in 1916 in Baltimore, Maryland. The book is small and red with the front cover reading, "Physician's Daily Memorandum for 1916". It has medication ads and brief descriptions of treatments printed at the top of every page. It is the kind of book that a pharmaceutical company may have given to physicians. When I bought the book at a used book store, I noticed a note inserted in the book that read, "Cyrus Weaver's mother". Since then, I have called the book, Mrs. Weaver's Diary. Throughout the book, the author would end her sentences with the letter "c" with a circle around it. I assumed her name started with a C and so I named her Cassie Weaver.
Cassie Weaver was employed by a very wealthy Baltimore family, the Arunah S. Abel family. The Abel family was the founder of the Baltimore Sun newspaper. It is clear in the diary that Cassie's primary responsibility was to provide care for Ellen Teackle Schley, the mother of Mrs. Abel ( Ann Teackle Schley Abel). Cassie rarely refers to them by their full names, but instead refers to them as Mrs. S and Mrs. A. The only way I was able to determine who the family was is that on a few occasions, she referred to Mrs. Abel or the Abel family and once called Mrs. S, Mrs. Schley.
Every day that Cassie made an entry, she stated what the weather was that day. Almost every day she described how unhappy she was, how hard she was working, how ill she was feeling. She also commented on how Mrs. S was feeling. The themes running through the diary were Cassie's desire to leave this home, how she felt she was not being treated well, and that she went long periods without being paid. Everyday she asked the Lord to help her and wrote, "show me the way". On two different days when she questioned why she was treated so badly she said, "I am not bound out". And once when questioning her treatment she said, "I am not a slave".
She would get days off every now and then and would go visit Cyrus, her son and other members of her family. Cyrus would bring her clothes and one day she mentioned making Cyrus a birthday cake. She would also go to church when she got a day off. In one entry on a Sunday, April 16, 1916, she noted that it was the first Sunday she had been off in two and a half years.
She described one really happy experience. It was when she accompanied Mrs. S and the Abel family to Blue Ridge Summit, PA and stayed at the Buena Vista Hotel for several weeks. I have learned that the Blue Ridge Summit area was a popular vacation retreat for wealthy families in the region. In fact, it is only about 25 miles from where I live. I did a bit research and found some very old photos of the Buena Vista Hotel and the surrounding area that included Pen-Mar Park. Pen-Mar was an amusement park and it is still there. The Buena Vista Hotel is no longer at Blue Ridge Summit and all that remains from the old structures is an old stone chapel. Cassie describes watching the dancing and the women in their beautiful gowns. She seemed also to enjoy sitting on the huge porch, eating ice cream and talking with the "other ladies".
As the year progressed, Cassie mentions that Dr. Gross came to see her and gave her medication several times. She had terrible back pain. She also went to Dr. Gross' office on several occasions. Finally, in October 1916, she was hospitalized. She gives the names of her nurses, states how ill she is and that she wishes she could get well. In one entry, she said that Mrs. Abel came to visit her and brought her flowers. It seems that Cassie may never have fully recovered. In her entry of November 7, 1916 she writes, " Dr. Gross brought me home. John and Earl carried me upstairs. Thank God I am home". That is the last entry in the diary.
It was pretty clear in the diary that Cassie was taking care of Mrs. Schley in the Schley home. In 1916, her daughter Ann Teackle Schley Abel lived in a huge mansion on Saratoga Street in Baltimore with her children. Her husband, Arunah S. Abel, died in 1914 and she was left to raise seven children. And Cassie would mention when Mrs. A came to visit. The Baltimore City Directory of 1911, shows Mrs. Schley living on North Ave. That's not real far from Saratoga Street, but it is not a street lined with mansions.
Let me tell you about Mrs. Schley. Ellen Teackle Schley was born in 1848 in Maryland. She was the daughter of St. George Williamson Teackle and Catherine Hays. She had a sister Ann Upshur Teackle and a brother Dr. St. George W. Teackle. Her father was a lawyer and the family was quite wealthy. Ellen married William Cadwalader Schley in December 1868. William Schley was also a lawyer. The Schley family is well known in Maryland as being some of the first to settle the area. The town of Frederick, MD was founded by the Schley's. Ellen Teackle Schley died February 27, 1917. That was just three months after Cassie's last diary entry. Her obituary states that she died at the home of her daughter (Mrs. Abel), "where she was spending the winter".
The importance of the diary is the story Cassie is telling. It is one that is absolutely opposite from the lifestyle lead by the Arunah Abel family and also opposite from the lifestyle in which Ellen Teackle Schley was raised. Cassie never described being harmed physically, but she clearly was ignored and expected to continue her work caring for Ellen Schley regardless of payment or appreciation. In re-reading the diary, I always think I am going to find clues about Cassie's identity, but I haven't. I also have found no records of her son, Cyrus Weaver.
Some clues to who Cassie was may lie in the names she mentions of her friends and family. If you read this and know any of these people, let me know and then maybe I can learn who Cassie was. These are the people she mentions: Emma Barrington, Dorothy Huffington, Mabel Linwood, Grace Whittaker, Bessie Whittaker, Mrs. Volk, Mamie Duvall, Fred Duvall and Ella Jackson.
Cassie Weaver was employed by a very wealthy Baltimore family, the Arunah S. Abel family. The Abel family was the founder of the Baltimore Sun newspaper. It is clear in the diary that Cassie's primary responsibility was to provide care for Ellen Teackle Schley, the mother of Mrs. Abel ( Ann Teackle Schley Abel). Cassie rarely refers to them by their full names, but instead refers to them as Mrs. S and Mrs. A. The only way I was able to determine who the family was is that on a few occasions, she referred to Mrs. Abel or the Abel family and once called Mrs. S, Mrs. Schley.
Every day that Cassie made an entry, she stated what the weather was that day. Almost every day she described how unhappy she was, how hard she was working, how ill she was feeling. She also commented on how Mrs. S was feeling. The themes running through the diary were Cassie's desire to leave this home, how she felt she was not being treated well, and that she went long periods without being paid. Everyday she asked the Lord to help her and wrote, "show me the way". On two different days when she questioned why she was treated so badly she said, "I am not bound out". And once when questioning her treatment she said, "I am not a slave".
She would get days off every now and then and would go visit Cyrus, her son and other members of her family. Cyrus would bring her clothes and one day she mentioned making Cyrus a birthday cake. She would also go to church when she got a day off. In one entry on a Sunday, April 16, 1916, she noted that it was the first Sunday she had been off in two and a half years.
She described one really happy experience. It was when she accompanied Mrs. S and the Abel family to Blue Ridge Summit, PA and stayed at the Buena Vista Hotel for several weeks. I have learned that the Blue Ridge Summit area was a popular vacation retreat for wealthy families in the region. In fact, it is only about 25 miles from where I live. I did a bit research and found some very old photos of the Buena Vista Hotel and the surrounding area that included Pen-Mar Park. Pen-Mar was an amusement park and it is still there. The Buena Vista Hotel is no longer at Blue Ridge Summit and all that remains from the old structures is an old stone chapel. Cassie describes watching the dancing and the women in their beautiful gowns. She seemed also to enjoy sitting on the huge porch, eating ice cream and talking with the "other ladies".
As the year progressed, Cassie mentions that Dr. Gross came to see her and gave her medication several times. She had terrible back pain. She also went to Dr. Gross' office on several occasions. Finally, in October 1916, she was hospitalized. She gives the names of her nurses, states how ill she is and that she wishes she could get well. In one entry, she said that Mrs. Abel came to visit her and brought her flowers. It seems that Cassie may never have fully recovered. In her entry of November 7, 1916 she writes, " Dr. Gross brought me home. John and Earl carried me upstairs. Thank God I am home". That is the last entry in the diary.
It was pretty clear in the diary that Cassie was taking care of Mrs. Schley in the Schley home. In 1916, her daughter Ann Teackle Schley Abel lived in a huge mansion on Saratoga Street in Baltimore with her children. Her husband, Arunah S. Abel, died in 1914 and she was left to raise seven children. And Cassie would mention when Mrs. A came to visit. The Baltimore City Directory of 1911, shows Mrs. Schley living on North Ave. That's not real far from Saratoga Street, but it is not a street lined with mansions.
Let me tell you about Mrs. Schley. Ellen Teackle Schley was born in 1848 in Maryland. She was the daughter of St. George Williamson Teackle and Catherine Hays. She had a sister Ann Upshur Teackle and a brother Dr. St. George W. Teackle. Her father was a lawyer and the family was quite wealthy. Ellen married William Cadwalader Schley in December 1868. William Schley was also a lawyer. The Schley family is well known in Maryland as being some of the first to settle the area. The town of Frederick, MD was founded by the Schley's. Ellen Teackle Schley died February 27, 1917. That was just three months after Cassie's last diary entry. Her obituary states that she died at the home of her daughter (Mrs. Abel), "where she was spending the winter".
The importance of the diary is the story Cassie is telling. It is one that is absolutely opposite from the lifestyle lead by the Arunah Abel family and also opposite from the lifestyle in which Ellen Teackle Schley was raised. Cassie never described being harmed physically, but she clearly was ignored and expected to continue her work caring for Ellen Schley regardless of payment or appreciation. In re-reading the diary, I always think I am going to find clues about Cassie's identity, but I haven't. I also have found no records of her son, Cyrus Weaver.
Some clues to who Cassie was may lie in the names she mentions of her friends and family. If you read this and know any of these people, let me know and then maybe I can learn who Cassie was. These are the people she mentions: Emma Barrington, Dorothy Huffington, Mabel Linwood, Grace Whittaker, Bessie Whittaker, Mrs. Volk, Mamie Duvall, Fred Duvall and Ella Jackson.
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