Goals for April

1.  Finish my biography of my great grandfather Dennis McFadden for the final NGS-HSC assignment.      I have most of the information I need, however including only relevant information and leaving out extraneous filler is proving to be difficult.

2.  Devote sufficient time to this months ProGen assignment-A proof argument for my great grandmother Sealy (Celia) AUTREY Sample.  Unfortunately on some of the assignments I didn't spend as much time as I should have and felt that I rushed the assignment.  I still learned a lot but don't think I did as well as I could have.

3.  Continue organizing my files and notes and entering my information into the Reunion software.

4.  I'm not able to attend any of the national conferences this year so I need to look for more local events.  First I'll sign up for the Angelina College Genealogy Conference in Lufkin, Texas.

5.  Be more consistent on posting here and start citing any sources used according to Evidence Explained.

6.  Start planning for genealogy research trips.  My first one will most likely be to Robertson County, Texas to look for Sealy's mother Dianacy "Dicy" Autrey who may have lived there and operated a store with her husband John Mabe.

7.  Decide on whether to get an iPad or iPad mini.  The Reunion app would be helpful especially at conferences and short genealogy trips.

Mystery Photo-unknown woman and disappeared man

 

This picture was found among my grandfather's (Clyde Lee Webb 1898-1985) collection of family photo's.  This picture appears, to me, to date from the early 1900's to the mid 19-teens.  My grandfathers family lived in and around Russellville Arkansas during this period, but nothing else ties the picture to that area.

 

Some questions this picture raises:

 

I have no idea who she might be, but her eyes and chin do resemble the Webb's.  Could she be one of my grandfathers sisters?

 

Why was the man cut out of the picture?  It looks like he is wearing a wedding ring while she appears not to be. 

 

She looks quite young, so could the man be her father?  If that is the case, then cutting him out makes it even more mysterious.

 

Finally, why is his hand just hanging there?  Most pictures, I believe, the hand would be on her waist or arm.  The way the hand  is makes me think this could be a post mortem photo and someone later removed the "disturbing" image.

 

Clyde's, and possibly her, father Charles J. Webb (1874-1937) died in Pope County, Arkansas in 1937.  Charles's father, Zephaniah T. Webb (1826-1906) died in Pope County, Arkansas in 1906.  Both are buried in Old Baptist Cemetery in Center Valley, Pope County, Arkansas.  If one of these men was the other person in the picture, I do hope the missing piece or another copy of the picture eventually turns up.  As far as I know, no picture of these men exists.

Mystery Monday-unknown photograph

Here is another photograph that was in my grandmothers box of letters and pictures.  I don't know if this person was on my grandmother McFadden's or grandfather Webb's side.  On the back is written "Grandad". 

Wedding Wednesday-Dennis McFadden and Elizabeth (Lizzie) Neuland

Application and Statement for Marriage License

Dennis McFadden resident of Coal Center, Washington County Pennsylvania

Names and residence of his parents are:residents of the state of Ohio

He is twenty seven years of age

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Neuland

Names and residence of her parents are:Luis Neuland and Hanna Neuland residence Coal Center

She is twenty years of age

Sworn on 15th of February 1886

A couple of interesting things from this document. 

Most other records indicate that Dennis was about 19 years older than Lizzie.  Family stories suggests that he lied about his age in order to emigrate from Ireland, then lied again to serve in the Civil War.  He is said to have been about 13 when he signed up in Ohio and gave his age as 18.

The second is the reference to his parents being residents of the State of Ohio.  Again according to family stories, his father died in Ireland during the potato famine while Dennis was a child.  When  his mother remarried, the step father refused to support the McFadden children forcing Dennis and possibly his brother John to immigrate to the US between 1848-1850.

It seems with Dennis, the more information I find about him, the cloudier his life becomes. 

Wedding Wednesday-Frank Pyle and Lola Crim

     Surprise Wedding

Deputy Treasurer Frank Pile and Miss Lola Crim Married

     Friends of Frank Pyle and Miss Lola Crim

received announcement cards today,

announcing their marriage, which occurred

at Hammond, Ind., May 30th, Rev. W. F.

Switzer officiating.

     The wedding is something of a surprise to the

friends of the happy pair, although their engagement was

announced last winter, and all knew the marriage would

soon follow.

     Mr. Pyle is the deputy treasurer of Fulton county and is a

gentleman of sterling worth, every way capable of caring for a bride

so worthy.

    

     Mrs. Pyle is the eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Crim

and has served as deputy clerk for County Clerk Ed C. Murphey.

she was educated in the Rochester schools and has won considerable

public favor as a musician and solo singer, prominent in church and

society circles.  Both are popular young people and merit the happiest

conditions that can come to them.  Mr. and Mrs. Pyle will retain their

respective places in the courthouse, but will go to housekeeping and

be at home to their friends after June 18th.

From the Rochester Republican (Rochester Indiana), Thursday 11 june 1908

Tuesday's Tip - turn the page

This is probably fairly obvious, but it is something I do not always do, especially online. 

This is the passport application for my uncle Edward McFadden (1889-1977) from April 1919 from Ancestry.com. 

Besides the information about him:

     1. born in Coal Center, Pennsylvania, 12 March 1889

     2. lives in Pittsburgh

     3. is a salesman

     4. visiting France and Great Britain as part of the Knights of Columbus War Relief

      Work

     5. left from New York

It also has information about his father, my great grandfather Dennis McFadden (about 1847-1924).

     1. Dennis emigrated from Londonderry Ireland about 1852

     2. he has no naturalization papers but a discharge from the US Army dated 25 July  

     1865

     3. he lived uninterrupted in the US for 67 years 1852-1919

     4. he lived in Coal Center, Roscoe, Monongahela & Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and

     also the state of Ohio

I logged on to check it a few times to verify the information.  For some reason this last time, I clicked the arrow for the next page and found this: 

Not only does it have his street address, and a physical description of Edward but also a photograph of him from 1919.  I believe this is the earliest photo of him that I have, the others being from the 1930's and 1977.

Then on the next page is the physical description again, along with a letter of introduction from a representative from the Knights of Columbus.

So to sum up, don't forget to turn the page.

Those Places Thursday-the Duquesne cable car

While scanning through the 1976 journal of my grandmother (Ruth McFadden Webb), I found this article about cable cars still running in Pittsburgh:

I don't know when this article was printed or where, but I'm assuming it was around August 1976 since that's where I found it in the journal.  Most likely it was printed in the Fort Worth Star Telegram, unless they subscribed to an additional paper back then.

My question is why she felt this article was worth keeping.  Was it simply because it was a story from home and was reprinted in the local paper?  Did the Duquesne Incline mean something to her?  Did she ride this frequently in her daily life?

I looked it up and the Duquesne Incline is still running.  When I do make my genealogy research trip to the Pittsburgh area, I'll definitely add this to my list of things to do.