This wonderful photo is of one of my old family homes in Banksville, Allegheny, PA, taken about late 1884 thru early 1885. While the home no longer stands, I have stood on the spot in front of it and could easily picture it in my mind's eye.
The people in the photo are interesting, and not only because the young couple are my greatgrandparents. Betcha guessed the older couple are my 2g-grandparents! The lady sitting down died in March 1885 while the bearded gent died in 1889. The land on which the house sat was given to the seated lady by her father and was originally given to her grandfather for his service in the American Revolution.
The big question is just exactly who are the two on either end of the family photograph? The man on the left is black and the lady on the right shows no family features. Perhaps the man worked for them? Perhaps the lady did as well or is a neighbor or wife of their son who lived next door?
The 1880 census answers no questions. Instead, it leads me to think the lady on the right end of the photograph may not have been the daughter-in-law to the son next door. Why? She has a daughter at that time, and I would suspect her daughter would have been photographed as well. At least if it had been me, I would have run next door to grab my kid for this special occasion.
This home was described as the "Manor House" when it was left in the will to a son (not pictured).
Ahhh, genealogy. If only the two on the end had something to say to me...... Speak! Just don't leave me wordless on this rainy cold Wednesday.
©2015 ASEldredge
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