Amanuensis Monday - Red Carpet, 1890's Style

Yesterday was the Hollywood Event of the Season, the "Oscars".  Today is Leap Year Day.  I thought this article was appropriate for today.  From The Plattsmouth (Nebraska) Weekly Herald, January 21, 1892 Page 3.  Yes, January - this is just the "first" leap year party of the season!  Rockwood Hall is now a part of Plattsmouth's Main Street Historic District.  The Young Ladies Reading Room Association rented the second floor of the building in 1886 and established the first city library.


 EVENT OF THE SEASON

The Leap Year Party Given by the Young Ladies

THE DANCE WAS A SUCCESS

The Young Ladies Prove Their Ability as Leap Year Entertainers
A Pleasant Time Had by Those Present

The young ladies of the O. D. C. gave the first leap year party of the season last night at Rockwood hall, and to say that it was a success would be stating it very mildly.  The grand march started at 9 o'clock, with forty-seven couple.  The floor was in first-class shape and the music fine.
The young ladies furnished hacks for the conveyance of their company to the hall.  The party will be remembered by those present as the most enjoyable one this winter.
When it comes to giving an enjoyable and highly entertaining party, the young ladies are the ones that can do it.  THE HERALD makes special mention of some of the costumes worn, but could not obtain all of them.  The music was furnished by the celebrated Italian orchestra of Omaha.
Miss Nellie Taylor, of Central City, was dressed in a full dress of pink surrah, and slippers to match.
Mrs. Sam Patterson wore a beautiful black silk dress.
Miss Nettie Ballance was dressed in black silk and lace.
Miss Eva Verigg, of Central City, dressed in brown silk.
Miss Gering in pink silk with white lace.
Margaret Oliver in black silk.

Janet Livingston wore Nile green, with white kid slippers and gloves.
Georgia Oliver was dressed in lavender silk, with cream roses.
Bertha Wise dressed in white silk.
Julia Herrmann wore yellow surrah and looked very stately.
Frankie Stiles, pink silk with black lace over dress.
Hattie Latham, Nile green with black lace over dress.
Delia Tartsch, white satin, with La France roses.
May Grant, cream silk, entraine.
Tressa Hempel dressed in cream brocaded satin.
Following are those present:
Bertha Nitka                Ed Schulhoff
Delia Tartsch              John Schulhoff
Mamie Stiles               Mr Jovenille
Bertha Wise                Henry Tartsch
Frankie Stiles              A. V. Burke
May Grant                   J. K. Pollock
Ella Clark                    Al Perrine
Edith Patterson           Frank White
Nettie Ballance            Harry Green
Lillian Hanna              Elmer Eikenbary
Nellie Taylor              Will Stadelman
Maggie Oliver            A. E. Reinhackel
Katie Neville                   Emil Wurl
Maud Moon                    Paul Wurl
Mrs. Ed Barker               Ed Barker
Fannie M'Dougal            Frank M'Coy
Eva Verigg                     Cliff Shepherd
Miss Helps                     Mr Helps
Janet Livingston            Will Clements
Dora Fricke                    Chas. Murphy
Mamie Coffey                Pat Egan
Tressa Hempel               Rob't Crozier
Georgia Oliver               Chas. Spencer
Edith White                   Fred Fitch
Nannie Moore               Chas. Sherman
Carrie Greusel               John Langston
Etta Kew                       Will Ruffner
Emma Coursey             Frank Coursey
Mrs. Schmidtman         Wm. Schmidtman
Rose Patterson              Sam Patterson
Dora Herold                  A. E. Barrett
Julia Herrman               Geo. Lehnhoff
Flora Donovan             Will Streight
Mia Gering                   Will Verigg
Hattie Latham               J. F. Wellington
Minnie Guthman           Mr. Bigger
Kate Hempel                 Chas. Weckbach
Bird Houseworth          Geo. Palmer
Miss Wharton               Burt Wheeler
Mary Skiles                  W. Ailen
Manota Eikenb'ry         Chas. Vallery
Alice Eikenbary           Arch Coleman
Ella Wright                   Frank Johnson

John P. Smith of Worcester & His Children

John Potter Smith, my third great Grandfather, was married twice and had ten children.  His oldest child, my second great Grandmother Henrietta Abigail was born in 1848 and his youngest, Harry Lincoln, was born in 1886 - a span of 38 years.  John was 62 years old when Harry was born.  

John and his first wife Mary Abigail Bliss had five children, three daughters who survived to adulthood.  Henrietta was first, then their second child was Anna E. Smith who was born April 14, 1854.   A third daughter, Minnie E. Smith, was born October 1, 1859 and died October 8, 1859.  Available at familysearch.org, the vital records books from Worcester prove her seven-day life, but I have not found where she is buried.  (click to enlarge) 

Carrie M. Smith, the fourth daughter of John and Mary, was born June 26, 1861.  Finally a son, Charles H. Smith, was born May 30, 1866, just three days before his mother died.  I haven't found a death record for him, but he is not listed in the 1870 census.

Five months after Mary's death, John married Emma (or Emily) on November 11, 1866.  Her name has been Dillon, Gillam or Quilliam in different records.  It was Emma's second marriage as well, her parents were William and Margaret Williams.  She was 24, John was 41.  

John and Emma's first child was a girl, Lizzie E, born September 9, 1867.  Another daughter, Marion "Minnie" E. Smith, was born September 30, 1868.  Next, Alice was born February 13, 1871.  A son, Francis Irving was born on December 18, 1875 and the youngest child, Harry Lincoln, was born July 10, 1886. 

In the 1870 and 1880 census John & Emma live in Worcester.  Lizzie is not listed in 1870, I found her death record dated September 19, 1867.  In 1880 Minnie is 10, Alice is 9, Francis is 4 and Carrie is 18 and single.  Anna married Myron E. Barrows on February 11, 1877 in Worcester and in 1880 they live with his parents.  

On November 5, 1884, Carrie married William A. Brown.  She died on June 11, 1889 in Worcester at age 28.   Two infants named Brown are buried near her.  Cemetery records show they were buried in December of 1888 and June of 1889.

Marion and Lyman Isham were married on April 18, 1889.   In 1900 they are living in Framingham, Massachusetts.  Two questions asked on this census are "how many children has this person had" and "how many of those children are living" - Marion has had one child, but none are living.  In the same household are Luther Isham "Boarder", John P. "father-in-law" (of Lyman, head of household), Emily "mother-in-law" and Harry L Smith "brother-in-law".  Emily has had 5 children, only 4 are living.  Alice is not listed with them here and I have not found her grave.  She could have gotten married, or she may be one of three "Alice Smith's" who died between 1884 and 1887 in Worcester.  Marion and Lyman lived in Upton, Massachusetts in 1910 and 1920 and in a 1939 City Directory, Marion is listed as a widow. 

John died in 1903 and is buried in Hope Cemetery.  A volunteer at Find A Grave fulfilled my photo request for his grave which is unmarked.  He also sent me copies of the burial cards for the plot.  Carrie, her infant children and Anna Barrows are also buried there in unmarked graves.  Another Smith - Royden G. was buried in 1904, I'm not sure how he fits in.

Frank married Susannah Harris on May 18, 1907.  They had two sons, Harris P. and Frank L.  They lived in Rutland, Massachusetts through 1940 where Frank was a plumber.  

On October 16, 1912 Harry Lincoln was married to Ethel Elizabeth Shed in Worcester.  In 1920 they are living with their son, Henry 6, and in 1940 they have two children, Irving T, 27 and Barbara, 19 (somehow Henry has to be Irving T).  Harry was a fireman.

Anna Barrows died March 23, 1929 at age 74.  As I said, Anna is buried in the Hope Cemetery in Worcester.  But I found Anna and Myron in the 1920 census living with their daughter Florence in Grosse Point, Michigan.  Florence is married to Howard White and they have two daughters, Wyenafred and Maxine.  Myron died in Michigan in 1921 and son Edward John died in 1940, their death certificates are on Ancestry. 

You can read more about Henrietta Smith and her parents by clicking there on her name.  She married Charles Gaisford and moved to Illinois by 1869, then Nebraska by 1876.  They raised 10 children.  Henrietta outlived her younger sister Anna Barrows by three years.  I wonder if they ever saw each other again after Henrietta moved away.  

I have come up with 16 grandchildren for John Potter Smith.  I wonder how many of them knew each other.  There were many miles and many years that separated them all.

Wedding Wednesday - February Weddings in My Family Tree

Out of 40 couples in my family tree who were married in the month of February, only one couple chose Valentine's Day to get married.  February 21st and February 27th are the most popular days in February in my family, tied at 4 couples each marrying on those days.

On February 4, 1879, my maternal third Great Grandfather Hartwell "Jack" Spann married for a second (or third?) time at "age 66" (truth be told, he was older).  He married Susan A Culver, who at age 56 was marrying for the first time.  Their marriage record has been transcribed and is online at the Wayne County, Kentucky Genweb site.  Unfortunately, the record for his first marriage in about 1820 to my 4th Great Grandmother, Mary ?, is not online anywhere that I have found.  They were my Great Grandma Allie Spann's Grandparents.

Also on my maternal side I have found records online for two ancestors of my Great Grandma Sadie Negley.  My sixth Great Grandparents, Mordecai Hall and Sarah Vines married on February 21, 1744.  St Margaret's Westminster Parish in Anne Arundel County, Maryland was the site.  I don't know how many years they were married because I don't know when either of them passed away.  

My seventh Great Grandparents, John Foster and Elizabeth Greene, were married February 15, 1703 at St Barnabus Church in Prince George's County, Maryland.  He died when he was only 32 years old, giving them only about 17 years together.

On my Dad's side of the family tree a couple of my Seventh Great Grandparents chose February wedding dates.  James Hosmer and Elizabeth Sawyer married on February 16, 1686 in Concord, Massachusetts.  They were married at least 20 years and had 9 children. 

William Harlow and Mercy Rider were married on February 24, 1714 or 1715, together for at least 37 years.  The marriage took place in Plymouth, Massachusetts where Mercy's second Great Grandfather, Richard Warren arrived on the Mayflower.

Wilhemus Fero and Geertruy Van Vracken, my fifth Great Grandparents, were married on  February 27, 1791 at the Schenectady Reformed Church in Schenectady, New York.  I don't have their death dates.  

My husband's Great Grandparents, Robert I Boone and Elizabeth Johnson, were married on February 3, 1874 in Nelson County, Kentucky.  They were married for 26 years. Their marriage certificate is online at familysearch,org.

Several of these marriages occurred during Colonial times.  I won't pretend to know a lot about weddings during that time, but I know they weren't quite as elaborate as they are today.   It would be interesting to know more details about the ceremony, the flowers, the clothes they wore and if and how they decorated.  And whether or not the bridesmaids wore red.

Amanuensis Monday - Photo Developing, Printing and Enlarging 1915

Some of my ancestors owned their own camera, I'm almost sure of it.  So I'm always looking for information on the history of personal photography and developing and printing those photos.  This advertisement from 1915 is one possible place where my family might have sent their film to have it developed.

Omaha Daily Bee, August 15, 1915

After the Pictures Are Taken --

Leave Your Film With Us for Correct

Developing,
Printing and Enlarging

For the past fifteen years we have assumed that there were enough discriminating kodak users in Omaha who would appreciate superior results and who would not be satisfied to have their efforts handicapped by ordinary methods of amateur developing and printing, to give us a steady growth year by year.  The generous patronage bestowed upon us has simply proven that our assumption was correct.  We have steadily maintained our original policy, permitting nothing short of the best to be delivered by our Finishing Department, which is only a part of our large wholesale and retail photographic supply store located for the past twenty-five years on Farnam Street.  We have at all times, and still insist that correct developing is most important.  Prints are made from negatives, consequently the properly developed negative produces the best print.  All our prints are made on Velox paper - the paper with kodak reputation; they are printed with kodak masks which means even white margins, and they lay flat without being mounted on cards.

Our Special Service  By this we mean that all Roll Films, Film Packs and Dry Plates left with us for developing are carefully examined by our "Special Service" department and where possible, printed suggestions that we think will help improve your next exposures are returned with the order; but we suggest that you talk to our expert, there being no charge and you may receive information that will greatly improve your work.   We want you to get the best possible results, which will mean more work for us.

Enlargements  Many pictures are much more effective in an enlargement than in the original size.  We make beautiful enlargements in Sepia, Buff, and Black and White.  We have several original styles that are made up with broad margins, suitable for framing.  We also furnish Colored Enlargements, either in water colors or in oil.  The oil process is new, giving you a finished picture with all the rich lustre of an oil painting.

Prices  Our volume has increased until it has now reached a point where we enjoy a decreased cost of production, maintaining our high standard of workmanship; therefore we have revised our prices, workmanship as before and the "Special Service" an added feature.

Developing  Film  . . . . .  per roll, 10c  Any size up to
Film Packs, per pack, 25c  and including 4x5

Time of Delivery - Work always ready when promised.  You will not be asked to "call later."  We make good on our promise or make no charge for the work.

Kodaks and Supplies   Our stock is complete, our prices right, and most important, our out right.  If you have an instrument and are looking for information, come in and ask; we will be pleased to help you to the full extent of our knowledge and experience.

The Robert Dempster Co.
Eastman Kodak Co.
1813 Farnam Street  Branch - 308 So. 15th St.