Those Places Thursday-Pittsburgh, PA

This is a photo of my grandmother Ruth McFadden Webb (1905-1985) from what looks like the early 1920s. According to the 1920 census* they lived on Amabell Street in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Here is another photo of Ruth with an unknown girl taken at the same location. It looks like she is wearing the same dress but has different footwear.

Searching for the street address on the 1920 census in Google Maps pulled up this image from 2011. After zooming in and out and virtually 'walking' around the area it does not appear to be the same location even though the geography in the background appears to be similar. The style and type of houses do not match. I first ‘visited’ this location about 2 years ago and decided that the picture must have been taken somewhere else. Since the McFadden family moved around the area quite a bit, it could have been at one of their other addresses. Unfortunately, the other addresses I have found don't match up with the Google Map images either.

Yesterday, while organizing my files I decided to return to Google Maps and take another look around to see if I missed anything.

I noticed that the house next door was having some work done so out of curiosity I took a look at it. The image from Google Maps is dated 2011, but I don’t remember if this is the same image that was online the last time I looked for this address.

Looking at it more closely it seemed familiar so I pulled up the photo of my grandmother and compared the two.

The location of the windows and the roof overhang definitely look the same along with the two houses to the right and the patio cover on the main house.

Another nice aspect of Google Maps is the ability to zoom out then click on and zoom into other parts of the map. Doing this I was able to determine that the large building in the background is St. Mary of the Mount Catholic church where Ruth attended school. I’m guessing the picture was taken at that location rather than in front of their house because the background was a bit more scenic.

Hopefully in the not too distant future I'll be able to visit Pittsburgh and even take a picture at the same spot. I'd also like to find out who the other girl was.

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*1920 U.S. census, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, population Schedule, Pittsburgh Ward 19, enumeration district (ED) 624, 139 (stamped), sheet number 4A (penned), dwelling 57, family 65, Ruth McFadden; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 5 February 2013); citing National Archives microfilm publication T625, roll 1523.

Fishished

No, not with my genealogy, that should be at least another year or so.

I've competed the NGS Home Study Course and the ProGen Study Group. Both courses were enjoyable and informative, although, I probably could have done better if I had not overlapped the courses and focused on each one separately.

Next, I am planning on taking the "Gen Proof" study group using the Mastering Genealogical Proof by Thomas W. Jones beginning in September.

After that I plan to tackle the certification process through the Board for Certification of Genealogists.

I am a member of the National Genealogical Society and am thinking of joining the Association of Professional Genealogists at the subscriber level. I definitely need to work on my networking and joining more associations and local groups should become a top priority.

Wednesday's Child-Gretchen Dorn

While researching peripheral family members to find more information on my great grandfather, I found this distant relative, Gretchen Dorn. She was my grandmother's cousin's husband's niece. She died in the Collinwood School fire on March 4, 1908 in Collinwood, Cuyahoga County,Ohio. A total of 172 children, 2 teachers and 1 rescuer died in the fire. Here is a headline and partial list of deaths from The Fort Wayne News, Fort Wayne, Indiana, March 4, 1908.

Here is photograph of Gretchen from Find a Grave. Unfortunately I cannot find a source for the picture.

Here is more information about the fire, though it hasn't been updated since 2004.

Friday's Unknown Photograph

I have been bad about keeping up with this blog, so here is another mystery photo.

I believe this may have been taken around the time of the Civil War. Since children were dressed the same back then for the first few years of life it is difficult to determine whether the child was male or female.

The back of the picture is stamped C. C.Griers National Portrait Gallery in Nashville Tennessee.

Also on the back of the picture written in pencil is what looks like, Manny.  So far in my research I have not found a 'Manny' on either side of the family. 

The most likely line would be the my grandfather Webb's side.  His grandfather, Zephaniah T. Webb was born in Giles County, Tennessee.

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".