Wordless Wednesday-Uknown photograph



I received this mystery photograph with a few other McFadden family items over Thanksgiving.  No one had any idea who she might be.  I'm guessing the photo might be from the mid-30s.

Friday’s Faces from the Past - Dennis Cornelius McFadden



Dennis Cornelius McFadden 20 June 1847-10 February 1924
Center, sitting down
Other people are unknown
The picture looks to be around the 1920s probably around Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania




Included with the first picture was this one with the label "The Boobs".  No idea what to make of that, but it did give the 13 year old in me a little chuckle.  The couple looks to be the same as the first picture judging by their cloths and hats. 

 

Census Sunday- Jessie Sample

My paternal great grandfather and great grandmother Joseph and Celia Sample lived in Lincoln Parish Louisiana in 1880. 



Sample,  Joseph H. age 31-farmer

              Celie E. age 20-Keeping House

              Mary E. age 5-daughter

              Lucinda age 4-daughter

              Dora C. 7 months-daughter



Living with them was a 23 year old black male whose relationship to the head of the household was listed as Servant.

Because Celia is one of my brick wall ancestors I am at the point where I need to start visiting some repositories in Arkansas  to find more information.  Because of that and because I have not done much African-American research I decided to see if I could find out anything about Jessie.

The indexers with Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org both entered Jessie’s last name as Sample, and looking at the record it does fit the pattern most indexers used to avoid having to write the same name multiple times.  I find it doubtful that that was his actual name, but looked into it as if it was. Then I looked into African-American men named Jessie, last name unknown. 

The information I have on Jessie from the census, assuming it is accurate:

1. He was 23 in 1880
2. He was a farmhand
3. He was born in Louisiana
4. His parents were born in Louisiana
5. He could not read or write
6. The category for Married/Single/Widowed was left blank

I have searched the census in Lincoln Parish for an African-American Sample family. I have also searched for an African-American resident of the area in 1860 and 1900 but so far have not come up with anyone that really fits the criteria listed above.

I have not done much African-American genealogy, but hopefully I can find something on this person.  This may turn out to be one of those unanswerable questions that curiosity drives me to look into.  At the very least, I will learn a little about African-American research in Louisiana and about some additional sources that I am not currently aware of.

Wordless Wednesday-Ruth McFadden

A picture of my grandmother Ruth McFadden from 100 years ago.  In an unusual occurrence for the majority of the family pictures I have collected it came with a note that listed names and the year.



1913
Left-Ruth Mcfadden 8 years old, Baby Jack McFadden, Allie Hibbs

I do not know who wrote the note, but I believe I can say with confidence that it is not from 1913.

According to the 1910 US Census Ruth and her family were living in Roscoe, Washington County, Pennsylvania.  In the 1920 US Census they were in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

So far, I have not found a Hibbs family who lived near the McFadden’s during this time.