William Taylor & the 1880 Census

Posted on February 21, 2021 by Don Taylor

Census Sunday
Bradley-Taylor
By Don Taylor

Introduction

In my Bradley-Hingston Project, I’ve been researching William S. Taylor (1856-1928). For my genealogical “first pass” research for an ancestor, I attempt to find vital records, birth, death, and marriages. I also try to find the individual in all of the available Census records during their life.  In William Taylor’s case, I have not successfully found him in either the 1880 or the 1910 Censuses.

William was born on 29 December 1856 in Taylorsville[i], Bucks County, Pennsylvania, to Jacob H. and Rebecca L. (Pittman) Taylor. He appears in the 1860 and 1870 Censuses living with his parents as expected. During the 1870 Census, the 13-year-old William was attending school, as were all his school-age siblings, which means he could likely read and write.

In 1887, William married Maria Louisa Polk at St. Joseph Church in Jackson County, Missouri. That he was in Missouri is significant because it shows that William traveled across the country sometime between 1870 and 1887. He located back in the Philadelphia area with Maria by 1900, showing considerable mobility.

Review of the 1880 Census

A Search of Family Search for William Taylor, born in Pennsylvania in 1857, yielded 14 results.

  • William H. Taylor lived in Westport, Clinton, PA, with his mother, Sarah A. Taylor. Wrong mother.
  • William C. Taylor lived in Spring City, Chester, PA, with his Father, Samuel A. Taylor. Wrong father
  • William Taylor lived in Indiana, PA, with his mother, Margret Taylor. Wrong mother.
  • William M. Taylor was living in Saltsburg, Indiana County, PA. Race Mulatto. Wrong Race.
  • William Taylor was living in Dauphin County, PA, with his brother-in-law Armstead Lee. Armstead’s wife was named Mary. William did not have a sister named Mary, so this can’t be the correct William.
  • William Taylor lived in Philadelphia, PA, with his wife Elizabeth and son William (under 1). William’s parents were born in Ireland. Wrong birthplace for Parents.
  • William Taylor was living in Wayne County, PA, with his mother, Zilpha. Wrong mother.
  • William Taylor was living in Lewisburg, Union County, PA. Race Black.
  • William Taylor was living in Philadelphia, PA, with his parents William and Elizabeth. Wrong parents.
  • William Taylor was living in Philadelphia, PA, with his mother, Elmire Taylor. Wrong mother.
  • William A. Taylor lived in Philadelphia, PA, with his parents Samuel W. and Mary A. Taylor. Wrong parents.
  • William Taylor was living in Kansas City, Jackson, Missouri. His race is black. Also, his parents were both born in Virginia. The wrong person.
  • There was a (first name blank) Taylor living in Beaufort, South Carolina. A closer look at the census reveals that this person was black.
  • Finally, a William Taylor lived in Philadelphia, PA, as a boarder at 34 Lancaster, Philadelphia. Single, His occupation was “P.R.R Co’s Men.” Over 20 men were boarding there, all of whom were P.R.R. Co’s Men.[ii] (I presume “P.R.R” to be the Pennsylvania Railroad.[iii])

William Taylor in the 1880 Census – Philadelphia, PA – ED 485, Page 4 – via Family Search

This appears to be the only William Taylor that could be the William Taylor I am looking for. This determination conflicts with several other researchers; however, I am quite certain this is the correct William Taylor. Additionally, it provides a simple explanation about how William could have gone west to meet Maria, who was from Arkansas, marry her in Missouri, and remove to Philadelphia by 1900. He worked for the Railroad.

This look at the 1880 Census shed light that there were four other 23-year-old William Taylor’s living in the Philadelphia area.

    1. William A. Taylor, son of Samuel W. and Mary A. Taylor.
    2. William Taylor, son of William and Elizabeth Taylor.
    3. William Taylor, son of Elmire Taylor.
    4. William Taylor, son of Irish immigrants and married to Elizabeth with a son William.

It will be crucial to distinguish my William Taylor from these other William Taylors as I continue my William Taylor research.

Conclusion

In 1880, William Taylor lived in Philadelphia, PA, and boarded at 34 Lancaster. He lived and worked with many other employees of the Pennsylvania Railroad. 

Endnotes:

[i] Taylorsville is now Washington Crossing, an unincorporated village in Upper Makefield Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. (About 30 miles north of Philadelphia and 8 miles upstream of Trenton.

[ii] Family Search “United States Census, 1880,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MWJ5-XPR: 13 November 2020), Wm. Taylor in the household of J. L. Worrell, Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, British Colonial America; citing enumeration district ED 485, sheet 33B, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,255,182.

[iii] The Pennsylvania Railroad operated was established in 1846 and operated until 1968.

Posted in Censuses, Bradley-Hingston Project | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Deciphering Foreign Language Records & the Appleton Public Library

Posted on February 19, 2021 by Don Taylor

Appleton Public Library LogoI just watched an excellent presentation hosted by the Appleton Public Library, “Tips and Tricks for Deciphering Foreign Language Records” by Katherine Schober. It probably had the best tips and tricks for translating from other languages I’ve ever seen.

Katherine provided important websites to use to help you with the translation and also gave simple, straight-forward methods to use. I will definitely give her suggestions a chance when I next translate & transcribe a document. There were even some excellent techniques I’ll use the next time I transcribe English documents, such as WordMine.Info. Her presentation should be available on-line for another three weeks or so. Check it out.

I learned of the Appleton Public Library when I was researching my wife’s Darling line. I also my that my grandmother played at Fischer’s Appleton in 1924. Preregistration for their Zoom presentations is required. Sadly, their March talk conflicts with the GPC-MGS Chapter meeting, but you should receive a link to watch it after its live presentation if you register. Their next talk is “Virtual Find Your Ancestors: World War II Genealogy.” I can definitely improve my skills in WW II Genealogy.

– Don Taylor

Posted in General Help | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Ethel Wight Collection – Part 17

Posted on February 19, 2021 by Don Taylor

Ferejohn, Farnham, Farr, Farrar, & Farren

Photo Friday
By Don Taylor

Photo of Don Taylor with cat Nasi.This week for Photo Friday, I try to identify the people in five more envelopes from the Ethel Wight Studio Collection[i]. The envelopes contain the names who paid for the photos, not necessarily of the individual portrayed in the image. As such, it is important to analyze the pictures and information to identify the individual therein.[ii] Ultimately, my goal is to reunite the photos with family members who may have never seen the image.

Mary Ferejohn circa 1936

The envelope this negative was in says, “Miss Mary Ferejohn, 8 Cedar St. #1090.”

Mary Ferejohn, circa 1936

A search at Ancestry found the 1936 Portland High School yearbook for showing one of the exact same photos for Mary Ferejohn. Her college preference was Columbia University, and her hobby was “listening to the radio.” The 1933 Portland City Directory finds Michael and Annie Ferejohn living at 8 Cedar in Portland. The 1944 city directory lists Mary Ferejohn loving at 150 Front in South Portland. Also at the same address are Michael C. and Annie Ferejohn. The 1940 Census indicates that Michael was 49, born in Greece, Annie was 19, also born in Greece, and Mary was 21, born in Maine.

There is no profile for her on Family Search, nor are her parents identified on Family Search. I added her photo to Dead Fred. Additionally, there is one private family tree on Ancestry that appears to include her. I will contact that owner and let them know about these photos. I also added three additional photos of Mary to my Flickr photostream.

Eldena W. Farnham (1915-1992) circa 1934

The envelope this negative was in says, “Miss Eldina Farnman, Maine General Hospital, Portland #301.”

Photo of Eldena W. Farnham (1915-1992) circa 1934

Eldena W. Farnham (1915-1992) circa 1934

The 1934 Portland City Directory lists Eldena Farnham as a student nurse at 22 Arsenal, residing at the same place. 22 Arsenal was the address for the Maine General Hospital. The 1930 US Census lists Eldena W. Farnham as the 15-year-old daughter of William and Mary Farnham of Boothbay Harbor, Lincoln, Maine.[iii] The 1940 Census indicates she is back in Boothbay Harbor with her parents and loving in the same house as she did in 1935. That suggests she completed her nurse’s training before 1935.

Family Search identifies Eldena W. Farnham, the daughter of William E. Farnham and Mary A. Gould, as ID GW8D-JSC. I am quite sure this is Eldena about 1934. I have uploaded a photo of her to her Family Search profile.

Howard Farr, Jr. circa 1937

The envelope this negative was in says, “Mrs. Howard Farr, 316 Congress St., #997.”

Photo of Howard Farr, Jr., circa 1937

Howard Farr, Jr., circa 1937

The 1937 Portland City Directory lists Howard R and Corinne L Farr living at 316 Congress, Apt. 2.  The 1940 US Census found Howard and Corinne residing at 87 Franklin with their five-year-old son, Howard Jr. Howard R Farr, Jr. was born on 14 June 1934. This photo was taken about 1937 when Howard Jr. would have been about three years old.

I have added his photo to Dead Fred and will contact several people with trees on Ancestry that appear to include him.

Ethel Florence (West) Farrar (1898-1982) circa 1937

The envelope this negative was in says, “Mrs. Ethel Farrar – 17 Glicker Road, #610.”

Photo of Ethel Florence (West) Farrar (1898-1982) circa 1937

Ethel Florence (West) Farrar (1898-1982) circa 1937

The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Lincoln B. and his wife Ethyl F. Farrar living at 17 Gleckler Road. Ethel was born 29 January 1898 in Virginia and died 8 November 1982 in Portland, Cumberland County, Maine. This photo was taken about 1936, so she would have been about 38 years old, and the woman in the picture appears to be in her late 30s or early 40s.  I am confident this is Ethyl Florence West, the daughter of George Washington and Ella (Thomas) West.

Family Search identifies Ethel Florence West, wife of Lincoln Benner Farrar, as ID LBLF-QM4. I am quite sure this is Ethyl about 1937. So, I have uploaded two photos of her to her Family Search profile. I also added a third photo of Ethel to my Flickr photostream.

Verna Farren circa 1934

The envelope this negative was in says, “Miss Verna Farren, ME Gen. Hospital, #317.”

Photo of Verna Farren circa 1934

Verna Farren circa 1934

A thirteen-year-old Verna M. Farren appears as a daughter in the household of Roy E. and Bertha W. Farren of Cherryfield, Washington County, Maine. Verna Farren married Charles E. Bayard on 13 September 1935. Verna was from Cherryfield, Maine. In 1940, Verna lived with her husband Charles in Steuben and reported she lived in Steuben in 1935.

I can find nothing that relates this Verna M. Farren to the Verna Farren that was at the Maine General Hospital about 1934.

I added her photo to Dead Fred and will ask people with Verna M. Farren in their trees if this could be the same Verna Farren.

Conclusion

It was a poor week for my identifications.  I had:

  • Two successful identifications where I could post to Family Search
  • Three probable identifications – enough so I could post the photos to Dead Fred and contact other researchers for possible confirmation.

Final Note

If any of these photos are of your family member, I would love to hear your reaction. Especially if this photo is of a loved one for whom you hadn’t seen this photograph before.

Endnotes

[i] The Wight Studio was in Portland, Maine. Many thanks to Ethel Wight’s family for access to and permission to use the collection of their great aunt.

[ii] These images were converted to positives using a lightbox, a Nikon camera, and computer software.

[iii] 1930; Census Place: Boothbay Harbor, Lincoln, Maine; Page: 14A; Enumeration District: 0003; FHL microfilm: 2340570.

 

Posted in Ethel Wight Studio, Faces from the Past | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Rose – Surname Saturday

Posted on February 13, 2021 by Don Taylor

By Don Taylor

Surname Origin

The surname Rose can be of English, Scottish, Irish, French, Danish, and German origin. It could relate to a physical place where wild roses grew, a hereditary sign, or even the nickname for a person with a Rosy complexion.

I am yet to determine an immigrant Rose ancestor, so it is unclear which of the many Rose origins relate to my wife’s Rose ancestors.

Geographical

The United States includes the most people with the Rose surname, with England and Germany distant second and third. In terms of frequency, Jamaica has the highest proportion of the Rose surname globally, with 1 in 338 having the surname.

In the United States, California has the greatest number of people, over 21,000, with the Rose surname. West Virginia has the greatest proportion, with one in 673 people having the Rose surname.

Direct Rose Ancestors

According to Ancestry, in 1840, the greatest number of Roses lived in New York. There were only 91 Rose heads of households in North Carolina in 1840. Elizabeth had married long before then, so she wouldn’t have been counted as a Rose then.

All of our known Rose ancestors were born in North Carolina. Elizabeth and William senior died in North Carolina. William Rose, Jr. appears to have died in Georgia.

Direct William Rose Descendants

William Rose was born in 1733. He married Mary (LNU) on 27 January 1758 in Halifax County, North Carolina. They had at least two children, including 4th great-grandfather William Rose. William died in 1785 in Halifax County, North Carolina.

Both William Rose, Sr., and his son, William Rose, Jr., were patriots during the Revolutionary War. DAR Ancestor Numbers A206187 and A206765.

I have 176 known descendants of William Rose in my Howell-Darling research.

Surnames include:

      • Boseman
      • Capel
      • Clement
      • Cuthrell
      • Fizur
      • Hallmark
      • Hockaday
      • Howell
      • Johnson
      • Powell
      • Rose
      • Vincent
      • Welch

I only have three photographs of William Rose’s descendants. All are from his Howell descendants.

Photo of Clarence Fletcher Howell

Clarence Fletcher Howell (1918-1999)

Sources:

  • Ancestry Surname Page: Rose.
  • Forebears Surnames Page: Rose.
  • Genealogy Bank Page: Rose.
  • Ancestry – Don Taylor’s Howell-Darling-2020 tree on Ancestry, accessed 5 February 2021.

  • DAR Genealogical Research Databases – Descendants List, DAR, DAR – Nat’l #: 986074 – Ancestor #: A206765 – William Rose, Sr., William Rose, Jr.

  • DAR Genealogical Research Databases – Descendants List, DAR, DAR – Nat’l #: 874114 – Ancestor #: A206187 – William Rose, Jr.

Posted in Surname Saturday, Howell-Hobbs | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Ethel Wight Collection – Part 16

Posted on February 12, 2021 by Don Taylor

Dyer,  Eadon, Edgerton, Eveleth, & Fantasia

Photo Friday
By Don Taylor

Photo of Don Taylor with cat Nasi.This week for Photo Friday, I try to identify the people in five more envelopes from the Ethel Wight Studio Collection[i]. The envelopes contain the names who paid for the photos, not necessarily of the individual portrayed in the image. As such, it is important to analyze the pictures and information to identify the individual therein.[ii] Ultimately, the goal is to reunite the images with family members who may have never seen the photo.

John Edward Dyer (1933-2005)

This photo is from the Ethel Wight Studio (Portland, Maine) Collection. The envelope this negative was in says, “Mrs. Hilda Dyer, 22 Mayo St. Portland #1021.”

John Edward Dyer

The 1937 Portland City Directory lists Merle E. Dyer, and his wife Hilda C., living at 22 Mayo. The 1940 US Census lists Merle and Hilda as having three children, John (age 6), Merle (age 3), and Pearl (age 1).

The boy in this photo appears to be about 4 or 5 years old, and the picture was likely taken before 1940, so this must be a photo of John.

John Edward Dyer was born 1 August 1933 in Portland, Cumberland County, Maine, to Merle E and Hilda C. Nystrom. He died on 4 August 2005.

Family Search did not have a profile for John, so I created GHLS-R3V and uploaded one photo to his profile.

Dorothy Eadon (or Eadore) ??

The envelope this negative was in says, “Mrs. Dorothy Eadon, Me Gen Hospital, Portland #706.” Alternately, the envelope may “Miss Dorothy Eadore.”

Nurse Dorothy Ea???

Portland City Directories from 1934 through 1938 does not list anyone named Dorothy with a surname beginning with “E.” I have been unsuccessful in identifying this individual or even finding viable candidates for this nurse.

If you know of this individual, I would love to hear from you.

I have added her photo to Dead Fred.

Amy Norton (Smith) Edgerton (1878-1972)

The envelope this negative was in says, Mrs. A. S. Edgerton, 467 Stevens Ave, Portland #525 – DSCN3235P

Amy (Smith) Edgerton

The 1937 Portland City Directory lists Mrs. Amy S. Edgerton living at 467 Stevens. The 1930 Census lists Aimee Edgerton as the 51-year-old daughter of Daniel Smith, residing at 467 Stevens.

Family Search identifies Amy Norton Smith, who had married Earl Samuel Edgerton in 1905 as ID 9V6D-WFJ. I am quite sure this woman is Amy about 1935. I have uploaded two photos of her to her Family Search profile.

William Phillip Eveleth (1916-1972)

This photo is from the Ethel Wight Studio, Portland, Maine. The envelope this negative was in says, “Mr. William P Eveleth, 50 Roberts St. Portland #244.”

William Phillip Eveleth

The 1935 Portland City Directory lists William P Eveleth living at 51 Roberts. The 1934 Portland High School Yearbook includes William Philip Eveleth, and the photo is clearly of the same person. The 1930 US Census finds 14-year-old W. Phillip Evelyth living with his father, Robert H. Evelyth, (apparent) mother, and three sisters.

Family Search has a profile for William, LT1W-W25. I have uploaded two photos of him there and one more to my Flickr photostream.

Frederick Fantasia (1912-1996)

This negative envelope says, “Frederick Fantasia, 94 Smith St, Portland #201.”

Frederick Fantasia,

The 1938 Portland City Directory lists Fred J. Fantasia living at 94 Smith.

The 1930 Census has the Fantasia family living at 94 Smith with Antonio and his wife, Antonette. With them are seven children, including their 17-year-old son, Fred.

This photo was probably taken about 1934 or 1935 when Frederick was about 21 or 22 years old. The 1934 Portland City Directory lists Fred’s job as a messenger at 8 Preble. The Postal Telegraph and Cable Company had an office at 8 Preble. So, it appears that the hat and coat Frederick is wearing is from his messenger job.

Frederick Fantasia has a Family Search profile, G925-5LC as Alfred G. Fantasia, born 19 October 1912, died 2 April 1996. I have uploaded his picture to his profile.

Conclusion

I had:

  • Four successful identifications where I could post images to Family Search for the family to find.
  • I posted one photo to Dead Fred.

Final Note

If any of these photos are of your family member, I would love to hear your reaction. Especially if this photo is of a loved one for whom you hadn’t seen this photograph before.

Endnotes

[i] The Wight Studio was in Portland, Maine. Many thanks to Ethel Wight’s family for access to and permission to use the collection of their great aunt.

[ii] These images were converted to positives using a lightbox, a Nikon camera and computer software.

Posted in Ethel Wight Studio, Faces from the Past | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment