Philadelphia Saturday Courier 15 June 1839 Marriages

Transcribing old newspapers can be a tedious chore.  How nice that this issue decided to announce one marriage twice!  Can you spot it?

Another note of interest is that many of the marriages also include the minister who performed the marriage.  Perhaps you can use that information to locate more on the families.

Photo by Andrew Hoffman

WIEGAND	John		ECKFELD	Sarah	d/o Adam
WENZELL	Anthony		FRALEY	Sophia
ELTONHEAD	John H		LARE	Rebecca
PLITT	Geo		WAGER	Sophia M R	d/o Philip
OLIVER	John M		HAMRICK	Mary
MILLER	Augustus		ABERCROMBE	Martha
KIRKBRIDE	Thos S		JENKS	Ann W	d/o Jos R
EVANS	John W C		GIBBS	Martha D	d/o J N
GARRETT	Ellwood		WOLLASTONCatharine K
SMITH	Albert W		WOLLASTONCatharine K	Elizabeth
TAGGART	Calvin		BETTS	Sarah K
TAYLOR	John L		BARNES	Lydia	d/o Isaac
FOSTER	Wm		LEARY	Catharine
CHASE	Philip Brown		COLLINS	Gulielma Maria	d/o Isaac
FOX	Nathaniel		PELTZ	Elizabeth E
GAUN	Peter		CRAWFORD	Elizabeth
VALLEAU	Wm R		BIDDLE	Edith Ann	d/o Danl
NEFF	Charles		RUGAN	Margaretta	d/o Geo
SMITH	Beaton		PETTIT	Theodosia	d/o Andrew
BRATTEN	Isaac		DOYLE	Martha M
STICKNEY	John N		HALE	Mary S	d/o D
AGNEW	John R		AGNEW	Harriet J	d/o Samuel
WENZELL	Andrew		FRALEY	Sophia
BOOTH	William C		BYRAN	Elizabeth
MILTONBERGER	Charles A		DUNBAR	Henrietta F	d/o G T
WILLHELM	John		BAEDER	Magdalene

Be sure to let me know if you find some great new information.

Ahh, genealogy.  Finding hope for the future in our past.

©2020  AS Eldredge

Philadelphia Saturday Courier Transcription Begins!

Collection of Andrew Hoffmann

It has begun!  The first date of deaths from the 15 June 1839 Philadelphia Saturday Courier have been transcribed!

Bowen		Frederick
Brearley		Rachel S
Cavenaugh		Michael
Connell, MD		Thomas H
Duffee		Charles Harrison
Earle		Marmaduke
Ellett		Joseph R
Ellicott		Maria
Flood		John
Garret		Rebecca
Garret		Sarah
Grace		John W
Grimes		Joseph
Hansell		Eliza Ann
Holahan		Mary Ann
Humphreys		Sarah
Jones		Joshua L
Kinney		Elizabeth
Martin		Margaret
Maywood		Louisa A
Nicholas		Caspar
Olney		Nathan
Perry		Capt John L
Ray		Joseph A
Rent		Elizabeth
Richardet		Emma Jane
Rudderow		Spicer
Schlesinger		Daniel
Smith		James A
Souder		Edmund Alphonso
Steel		Thomas Willis
Taylor		James
Tresse		Lydia

As I work through a few snags, rest assured all the info associated with these names is available right now--  and it will all be online in a searchable format soon.

A very big thank you to Andrew Hoffmann for sharing his collection of these newspapers from his private collection.

UPDATE:  Since readers can't be sent to see the page, I've decided to add the pages in order to facilitate gleaning more information.  Enjoy!

Photo by Andrew Hoffmann

Ahh, genealogy.  Still reading and learning from the past.

©2020  AS Eldredge

It's Memorial Day and the First Time I Found My Grandfather Online

Over the years, digging for the family has yielded many, many stories and pictures.  While I have shared the story of my grandfather who served in World War I on past Veterans Days, this year I have another new found reason to share him today.

For today, I have found his name etched on a Honor Roll Memorial for those who fought in World War I.  Tis the first time I have ever seen his name online on a Facebook entry.  So, thanks to the Facebook group of Washington, PA/ Monongahela River History for posting the Honor Roll Memorial pictures in East Bethlehem Township.

According to the American Legion, this monument was erected in 1920.  An interesting tidbit to add is that its location is just two blocks from the home of my great aunt.  How is it that I never remember seeing this monument on my handful of trips to see my great aunt, oh so many years ago?

The following is a repost from 2007. Tis fitting that I share this genealogy tidbit again today, on Memorial Day. Again I say, "Thanks Charlie."

Again, the tears flow.

Veterans Day is almost here. It's time to remember America's heroes. It's time to honor Charlie of Co. C.

Charlie of Co. C was my grandfather, Charles Edward Simmons. Born in Dec. 1888 in Washington Co, PA, he was descended from those men who fought for the beginning of America, the War of 1812 and the War of the Recent Unpleasantness. As was true to the family line, he fulfilled his patriotic service in the Infantry. Charlie's draft registration card tells us he signed up in June 1917. The 11th Infantry men were shipped overseas in June 1918 to face an opponent who was skilled in chemical warfare. America was unprepared for this type of war, and her soldiers suffered the consequences. Charlie was one of the many who suffered from the effect of mustard gas exposure.

The United States joined the war to end all wars in 1917. In reading more about the time while Charlie was in France, I learned that in mid-July 1917, over 12,000 doughboys were within 30 miles of the front, all without gas masks or training in chemical warfare¹. The 11th Infantry saw 43 days of combat with casualties of 386. Of these, 348 were wounded in action. The unit returned to US soil in June 1919.

Poor Charlie. Not only did he suffer the effects of mustard gas while in France, he was also wounded. A picture I have in my possession shows his bandage on his left leg right below the knee. In this picture, he is sitting on a bench outside of what appears to be Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh. He wears his uniform and his crutches and my grandmother are at his side. On another picture of Charlie proudly wearing his doughboy uniform, my father had written the following on the back: "He was exposed to mustard gas in WWI and injured in the leg. One inch of bone had to be removed from his left leg."

I have written to the Army to try and find Charlie's records. All I received was the confirmation he was in the Army in the unit I thought. Apparently, his records were in the big fire they had way back when.

Mustard gas. The weapon of choice in World War I which still produces shivers down my spine. It was extremely caustic and penetrated everything- even clothing. While I do not know the extent of Charlie's short term exposure, I have heard family lore of the long term effects. The exposure was said to have changed him. He did marry, he did have three sons, and he died young. The death certificate suggests he had renal failure and sepsis. His widow and small children were left to carry on. Unfortunately, they had to leave their home on Bosses Alley in Crucible, PA. Yes, Bosses Alley was the street on the hill above the Crucible Mine. The housing was company owned and was for the managers. Charlie was the chief clerk for the mine. I've heard from others that Charlie and his brother-in-law who owned the bank walked around town surrounded by coal and iron policemen-- especially on pay day. Charlie was also the local mine baseball team manager and was a member of the school board which had a new high school built. This high school was dedicated in June 1929.

So Charlie - with tears in my eyes, thank you. Thank you for your sacrifice. Thank you for your life. Thank you for your smile. Thank you for my dad.

Thank you for protecting your unborn grandchildren and great-grandchildren. We remember you - everyday.
_______________
¹http://www-cgsc.army.mil/carl/download/csipubs/chemical/chem_pt3.pdf


Ahhh genealogy, remembering those today who never got out of their uniform, or who got out of the uniform but never got out of the war due to injuries and PTSD.  Thank you to all who have served our nation to protect our freedoms.


©2020  AS Eldredge

Hunting for the Military

This is great!  From now until May 26, 2020, MyHeritage is offering free access to their military records.

To join in the fun and excitement while we are still practicing social distancing during the pandemic, be sure to check it out here .

If you need more to find, Fold3 records are also available for free until May 25, 2020.  The link .

Ahh genealogy, reconnaissance in the days of old. If you need me, you know where to find me.

©2020  AS Eldredge

New Newspaper Transcription Project Begins!

Actually, it's a new transcription project on some really old newspapers from the Philadelphia area.  I recently read a post by someone in a Philadelphia genealogy group who was looking for input on what options were available to get some old newspapers marriages and deaths online.

Of course, I had to volunteer!  So, today, I start the transcription of some issues of the Philadelphia Saturday Courier from 1835 to 1839.  As I progress, I will be sure to keep you in the loop.

Ahhh, genealogy.  The past still calls us to be in the present.

©2020  AS Eldredge

Remembering Some American Revolution Soldiers of Smith Township

Earlier this week, we, as a nation, took time to remember our fallen.  While Memorial Day gained its popularity after the Civil War as the women of the South remembered their men who had fought dying for what they believed, today, we Americans remember all of our sons and daughters who fought and died during their time of service in whichever timeframe they fought--  from the American Revolution up to today.

Here is a partial list of those men who bravely risked everything so we, as Americans, can have the freedoms we enjoy.   This list of American Revolution men were residents of Smith Township in Washington County, PA, at the time of their deaths.  I wonder where they were during the Revolution?

Name		Age	Implied Birth	Died		Buried
Capt James Boggs		65	1745	1810		Cross Creek
William Harvey		67	1754	1821		Burgettstown
James Leech		83	1740	1823		Burgettstown
Thomas Hays		83	1745	1828		Cross Creek
James Cooke		78	1762	1830		Cross Creek
Joseph Phillips		79	1752	1831		Burgettstown
Joseph Aiken		75	1751	1836		Burgettstown
Moses Hays		80	1757	1837		Cross Creek
Alexander McCready		89	1756	1845		Burgettstown
Cap Samuel Fulton						Florence
John Coventry		94	1751	1845		Burgettstown

Ahh genealogy.  I'm guessing the two surnames I recognize from my family who lived very close to Smith Township in the late 1700s need to be investigated further.  The old folks weren't kidding when they said we had kin in Cross Creek!

Source:  The Daily Evening Reporter, Oct 14, 1878

©2019  AS Eldredge

Cross Creek Presbyterian Baptisms, Part 8

Today's installment
1841-1848
added in a new1834 and a new 1838
Surnames:  SMITH, PATTERSON, SIMMONS

Baptism Date		DOB	Person Baptised		Parent
April 1838		12/28/1837	Sarah Lavina Smith		d/0 Ebenezer/Susanna
Aug 29, 1841		4/9/1840	William Marquis Smith		s/o Ebenezer/Susanna
1834		2/8/1834	Ambrose Patterson		s/o James/Eliza
Apr 18, 1843		10/27/1841	Emily Ann Patterson		d/o James/Eliza
Apr 3, 1848		7/7/47	Cornelia Ann Simmons		d/o Cornelius/Martha

Ahh, genealogy.  Sometimes, extra finds are in between the lines.

©2019  AS Eldredge