This Is the Face of Genealogy

Pid and Me: These are the faces of genealogy.

Tuesday's Tip - The Undiscovered Repository

Last week I wrote about what to expect when visiting an archives or special collections department for the first time. My tips included checking the researcher policies ahead of time and bringing pencils, rather than pens. This week, I will focus on utilizing the "undiscovered" repository.

When new researchers look for a starting point, their first stop--after online resources, of course--is probably going to be the local library. And this is a terrific place to begin. There they will have access to reference staff, microfilm/microfiche readers, and, in many cases, a state or local history collection. As an added perk, with a valid library card, researchers can request needed materials from other library systems through inter-library loan (ILL).

If you are a researcher, you may have asked yourself, "Where can I go besides the local public library?" Some of the more common options include state libraries, local historical societies, and state archives. Once again, these are all great choices. But don't stop there. Broaden your search and look for smaller, perhaps lesser known repositories that may have useful specialized collections. 

I can think of two examples where this approach has benefited my own research. When I was working on a project in Kansas City, I naturally visited the Missouri Valley Special Collections at Kansas City Public Library and the Midwest Genealogy Center at Mid-Continent Public Library. And I was fortunate to find a wealth of information at both of these repositories. However, when I became stumped on a few questions, I looked for other sources of information.

For this particular project, I was looking for background information and dates (or date ranges) for various artifacts. The items in question ranged from typical kitchen implements and household furnishings to farm equipment. 

To research the household pieces, I visited the archives department at Union Station. (An experienced museum consultant with whom I had been working made this extremely helpful suggestion). There I was able to pour over a collection of old catalogs dating back to the Late 19th Century. Getting a sense of what products and styles were popular in given years helped me to narrow down the date ranges for some of the artifacts. (Note: The research policies and collection availability may have changed in the last few years. Contact the Collections Department before planning a research trip). 

Another hidden gem turned out to be the Agricultural Hall of Fame. This facility had books and catalogs that helped me to identify some of the farm equipment. Being that antique farm machinery was not one of my specific areas of expertise, this small but specialized collection proved to be a great service. 

The genealogical research applications of the above examples are pretty clear. You may find yourself in the position where you need to identify and date heirlooms that you have acquired in the course of your family history research. You may also need to date photographs of people in your family tree by using context clues in the backgrounds of those pictures. (I will post more about using clues in photos next week). 

In the broadest sense, the lesson in this week's tip is that the answers to your research questions can lie in unexpected places. Look for the unique collections in your area. Ask the librarians, as well as your fellow researchers, what other research centers are available that might help you in your search. You may be surprised to learn that the perfect "undiscovered" repository was right under your nose all along.

Mystery Monday - Who Are You William Strong?

"Who are you, William Strong?" is a question that I've been asking lately. I've only gathered a few fractured theories and partial facts thus far:

• He was born around 1852, possibly in New York.
• Based on Pid's recollection several years ago, his middle name was Edward. 
• He was married to May (sometimes transcribed as "Mary") Reynolds around 1873.
• He lived in Willsboro (Willsborough), New York for a substantial portion of his life--if not all of it.

This is where things get hazy. Pid thought that he had been born in Canada, but census records list New York as his place of birth. Stranger still, the census records for 1880, 1900, and 1910 list conflicting places of birth for his parents. 

1880 suggests that both of his parents were born in New York. 1900 places his father's birth in Canada, but his mother's in New York. And the 1910 census indicates that both parents were born in Vermont. I have been unable to find any record of William prior to 1880.

Of course, there is family legend in the mix, as well. One story insinuated that William was originally from Canada, but left under questionable circumstances. As a result, he moved to New York and changed his name to "Strong." I'm naturally going to take that bit of folklore with a grain of salt.  

So, my mystery today is: Who was William Strong? When and where was he born? Who were his parents and where were they born? 

I can only hope that my next trip to New York will yield some additional clues or, at the very least, some direction.

Amanuensis Monday - Military Discharge 1865

What follows is a transcription of my great great granduncle's military discharge paperwork, dated Nov. 6, 1865...

"To all whom it may concern:

Know ye, That Henry D. Cooley a Private of Captain Lemon [?] Company, (A,) 118 Regiment of New York Volunteers, who was enrolled on the Twenty Eighth day of February one thousand eight hundred and Sixty Five to serve One year or during the war [sic] is hereby Discharged from the service of the United States this Sixth day of November, 1865, at New York City by reason of Tel. Order War Dpt...May...1865 [incomplete, parts illegible]

(No objection to his being re-enlisted is known to exist.)

Said Henry D. Cooley was born in Willsborough in the State of NY, is 19 years of age, Five feet Eleven inches high, light complexion, Blue eyes, light hair, and by occupation, when enrolled, a Farmer.

Given at New York City this Sixth day of November 1865.

W. E. Blake [?]
A. C. M. Dept of East [incomplete, parts illegible]"

Based on his pension paperwork, I believe that Henry Cooley died in 1887, leaving behind a wife (Lucy) and at least four children.

Pid Was Her Name

Pid was my grandaunt. And, as you probably gathered, "Pid" was not her given name. We come from a family that bestows mysterious nicknames on its members for reasons unknown. Florence Maud was dubbed "Mizzy," Elizabeth Lucretia was called "Luli," and Evelyn Natalie was known as "Sophie." My name is Danielle, yet to my grandparents, I was "Henrietta." Figure that one out.

Then there was Evelyn May, better known as "Pid." Unfortunately, there is no one left from her generation who remembers how that moniker came about. It was just always there and somehow perfectly illuminated the person she was to us. In fact, when we heard someone outside the family call her "Evelyn" or "Evie," it rang untrue, as though they were talking about someone else. 

As a person, she defined the unusual name. If there were a dictionary entry, it would read:  

Pid, ca. 1979-1980

• Pid n. A woman who exhibits the qualities of frugality, fierce independence, strong opinion, moral high-mindedness, temperance, outspokenness, charity, and selflessness. Such a woman may lecture others on moral turpitude, then grant them tremendous generosity without question.

If, at any point, someone mentioned the above characteristics, a family member would probably respond, "Oh, you're talking about Pid." And we would smile.

Although widowed and childless, she somehow became the de facto matriarch of our family. Inexplicably, she was everyone's mother.

It was with Pid that I began exploring family history. She shared the stories of her deceased siblings, her late parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and beyond. On December 28-29, 2002, I spent the night at her home and stayed up into the wee hours listening to her stories and recording everything she could recall about her family, reaching as far back into the past as she could and sharing things only she knew.

It was a long and perfect night that I will always treasure. I didn't know it then, but the timing was fortuitous. On March 13, 2003--less than 3 months after she had shared her priceless memories with me--Pid was the victim of a fatal accident at the age of 80. If we hadn't taken the time to explore our family history together that evening, it never would have happened at all.

So, that's why I'm dedicating this genealogy and family history blog to my dearest "Pid"--the one and only.