Monday, August 4, 2025

Beverly -- My Babysitter, My Cousin

Our little village of Mineral Ridge was abundant with Bickerstaff relatives.  It seemed wherever there was a group of people, at least one of them was an aunt or uncle or cousin to some degree or other.  Most were my grandmother's siblings, the sons and daughters of Edward Jesse and Mary (Thompson) Bickerstaff and many were their descendants who were also nieces, nephews, and great--nieces and -nephews of my grandmother.  Most were older then me though there were a few who were about my age, and a few more who were about my brother's and sister's ages.

But this post isn't about my cousin Emma, it's about her daughter, Beverly. My parents rarely went out but when they did, either Beverly or another Bickerstaff cousin, Janet, came to stay with me.  Sadly, I don't have any specific memories of Beverly other than that I liked spending time with her. 

I wish this were a better photo.  Beverly is looking down and her eyes are closed.  But one doesn't need to see eyes to know how wonderful she was when you can see the two little children hugging her.  From the photo, you can see how my neighbor Frankie and I adored her.  This photo was probably taken in the summer of 1953.  

Beverly's son, Kirk, contacted me a few years ago and we reconnected last week.  I told him I'd post this photo, though I'm sure he has plenty of better photos of his mom when she was younger. 

I have one other comment about this photo:  look at how curly Beverly's hair was.  Those were natural curls.  I wonder from which side of her family she inherited them. 

I'm thinking about her curls because in recent months my hair has turned curly because of a medication I take.  For many years it was wavy, but never curly (or so I thought).  When I was looking for this photo of Beverly, I came upon a photo of myself when I was about 13 and was shocked.  I've seen this photo before (without really seeing it?) and well, of course I was there when it was taken.  But those curls!   Where did they come from?  Was there a Bickerstaff ancestor who had curls?  Any ideas, Kirk?

—Nancy.

Copyright © 2025 Nancy Messier.  All Rights Reserved. 
Do not copy or use any content from this blog without written permission from the owner. 

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Thursday, July 31, 2025

However Did Our Ancestors Manage in Summer's Heat and Humidity?

(Edited to add:  I neglected to mention that when I talk about heat and humidity, I'm also including the effects of a high dew point which, I think, is the true culprit in how the air feels on our bodies.  A dew point above about 60o, in combination with high humidity, can make the air feel sticky.  The higher the dew point, the more humid it feels.  With a dew point of 76o or above, the air feels miserable, almost like you're trying to swim in the air or walking into a soft, moist, invisible wall.  I'm sure our ancestors were affected by high dew points though they may not have understood the concept at that time.)

During this summer's awful heat and humidity in Central Ohio, I can't help thinking about my ancestors who lived before electricity (think fans and air conditioning), or indoor plumbing (think running water and showers).  How did they manage?  I know most people of earlier times were hardy but even so, it couldn't have been easy.   

I have farmers among my ancestors as well as a gardener, coal miners, carpenters, and other laborers; other families had blacksmiths (oh, the heat with that job!), farriers, builders, etc.  The coal miners who were below ground probably weren't bothered by heat, but the others....  I used to think I would enjoy living in the world and times of some of my ancestors but these days, I lean more toward gratitude that I have so many modern conveniences.  

How did our ancestors cope with severe heat?  I've collected a few ideas from historical books I've read, from visits to historical villages, from common sense, and a few from the websites at the end of this post.

Keeping Homes Cool
-- Windows, especially second story windows, were opened at night if the outside air was cooler than inside.  Downstairs windows were opened in the early morning to let cool air flow into the house and closed before the temperatures rose too high.
-- In the heat of day, windows were closed and blinds/curtains were drawn to keep out the heat.
-- Some homes were built with summer's heat in mind and were located with trees to shade the house; with windows placed to create cross-ventilation.  High ceilings allowed warm air to rise. 
-- Awnings shaded windows from the hot sun.
-- Porches or verandas offered shade in the heat of day.
Summer kitchen at Slate Run Farm
-- Some homes had a summer kitchen, a small building with windows and chimney, a few steps from the house.where food was prepared to keep the heat out of the main house.  That kitchen might have had its own stove or the kitchen stove from the house might have been moved both spring/summer and fall/winter.  Without a summer kitchen, hot food would have been prepared early in the day to eat later.  You can sometimes still see summer kitchens when driving in the country.  If you see a home with an outbuilding (that's not a garage) near the house, it's very possible it was a summer kitchen at one time.  The one at right is spectacular because it has an extended roof where laundry, preparation for canning, and other chores could be done protected from both sun and rain. (But not protected from the heat and humidity!)
-- Some homes had sleeping porches or screened in porches where family members could sleep almost outside.  It's usually cooler at night though possibly not less humid.

Keeping Food Cool
-- If a home was located near a spring, there might have been a spring house, a small building built over the spring.  The spring house usually had shelves where food could be placed to keep it cool (but not cold), and may have had shelves almost at the level of the water.
-- Food might also have been submerged in a spring or a nearby stream to keep it cool.
-- Some communities, and possibly companies, cut ice from lakes in the winter and stored it for use in the summer, especially important after ice boxes were invented.

Keeping the Body Cool
-- Work that didn't have to be done in midday heat was done in the cool of the morning or later in the evening.  People often rested during midday or performed tasks that could be done in the shade or in a lower level of the house or barn where it would have been cooler.
-- People wore cotton and linen clothing that was lighter in both color and thickness during the hot days of summer. 
-- Men and women and some children wore hats to shade their heads and faces.  
-- People might have worked under a shady tree, or rested or cooled off after they'd finished a bout of work.  At right, my father rests on the picnic table after some laborious work around the house.  From the spots on his flat cap it looks as though he may have been painting, possibly interrupted by rain.  Notice the wet driveway.
-- People moved more slowly.
-- They used hand fans.  (In particular I recall our church having hand fans with images of the Savior and quotes from the Bible in the hymnbook holder in each pew. 
-- And certainly people knew the need to drink plenty of water.
-- Children might have enjoyed playing in a stream, creek, or lake.  Adults may have done likewise.  Or they may have taken off their shoes and socks to cool their feet in the water which would have cooled their whole bodies.

My Own Experiences with Summer Heat in the 1950s
I grew up without air conditioning.  In fact, we didn't live in a home with air conditioning until 25 years ago.  What a thrill it was when we first moved here.  We thought it a luxury then.  Now we think it essential.  

When I was very young there was no "city water" in the village where we lived.  My parents bought water by the truckload and had it delivered and poured into a cistern near the house.  It almost seemed as though my mom tracked every drip of water, so there was no outdoor water play---no hose to spray each other, no washtub to sit and splash in, not water balloons.  Just heat and humidity.  Several summers my parents rented a cabin for a week at a nearby lake.  Gosh, that seemed like heaven with the water so near.

I don't think air conditioning had been invented by the 1950s, or if it had, it hadn't reach any of the places we lived or shopped.  Even the large city department stores had huge fans on long poles close to the ceiling that circulated the air.  In our home, we had one or two fans.  Our upstairs consisted of one hallway with four rooms opening off it.  My mom put a fan in the hallway where no one could feel it.  I would have laid in front of it in the hall if my mom would have let me.

On the first floor of our house, the only window that opened (or, at least, the only window I ever saw open) was above the kitchen sink.  This meant that the windows could not be opened at night to let the cool air in.  There was not much ventilation on the first floor.  But but it helped a little to turn on the fan. 

Mom closed the curtains downstairs during the heat of day.  She believed that would keep the afternoon heat out and help the house feel cooler.  It might have worked if it was just heat, but we also contended with high humidity and dew points.  On the days she closed the whole house, it seemed stifling, confining, and sweltering to me! 

We did have a great front porch.  It faced south and was shaded by a large maple tree.  We kids spent a lot of time on that porch playing cards or other games.  And it was a great place to watch the storms and rain and feel the cooling breezes.  

The last cooling method I can remember is ice cream and popsicles.  I could walk a quarter of a block to Main Street, turn left, walk a block, cross a side street, and find myself at Isaly's.  It was an ice cream and sandwich shop.  A single dip of ice cream in a waffle cone was a nickle, a double dip in a cake cone was a dime, and I can't remember the cost of a skyscraper cone.  Popsicles were a nickle, too.  Those treats were not daily occurrences (our mother was careful about sweets and our teeth) but they were welcome when she did give us permission to go to Isaly's.  (If you go to the Isaly's website linked above, our store looked very much like the Pittsburgh-branch store in the cluster of six photos.)

Do you have stories of ancestors and how they stayed cool in the summer?  How did you and your family stay cool if you didn't have air conditioning?  I wish I had family stories of my own.  I can imagine my Aunt Dot (Doris Meinzen Dray, born in 1921) saying, "We just lived with it."  

Resources
11 Ways People Beat the Heat Before Air Conditioning by Elizabeth Yuko
https://www.history.com/articles/11-ways-people-beat-the-heat-before-air-conditioning

“The heat is beyond your conception:”  Staying Cool in 18th-Century Virginia
https://livesandlegaciesblog.org/2017/08/31/the-heat-is-beyond-your-conception-staying-cool-in-18th-century-virginia/

Spending Time in an 18th Century Summer 
https://passionforthepast.blogspot.com/2020/06/spending-time-in-18th-century-summer.html

—Nancy.

Copyright © 2025 Nancy Messier.  All Rights Reserved. 
Do not copy or use any content from this blog without written permission from the owner. 

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Friday, July 25, 2025

SNGF on July 19 Took Me Down a Rabbit Hole Searching for Abel Armitage

Randy Seaver offered a fun activity (fun and easy, depending on the ancestor) for last week's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun (SNGF) on July 19.  
  1. FamilySearch Full-Text Search continues to add databases and searchable images to their collections.  This is a gold mine, especially of land, probate and court records.
  2. Pick one or two of your ancestors and see what you can find on FamilySearch Full-Text Search about them.
Yes, Fun! I thought.  I'll look for my second-great-grandfather Abel Armitage (who disappears after about 1881).  This is a search I periodically repeat but had not yet searched on FS's Full-Text Search.  Surely something will turn up this time!

I already knew Abel's birth (1821) and marriage (1847) information; the names of his daughters by his first wife; his approximate immigration date (1864); and where he lived after he arrived (Steubenville, Jefferson, Ohio).  And I knew he was a coal miner in both England and the U.S.  Abel and family are in the 1870 and 1880 U.S. Census with the latter indicating that he'd been unemployed for 8 months and was disabled.  

I also knew that Abel and his wife Ann had sued the city of Steubenville.  Details that I already know from City Council records can be found here, in a previous post

The three major facts I'd like to learn about Abel are 
  1.  when he died
  2.  where he died, and
  3.  where he was buried.
And then I'll want to know how he died, who paid for his burial, etc., etc., etc.

I suspected this fun activity could lead me down a rabbit hole again, but no matter, I went to Full-Text Search anyway.  My find this time was this, below (from Steubenville City Council Proceedings, Miscellaneous Records January 1876-March 1882, both image and volume page 403.  Image and volume page 400 give the date as May 10, 1881) which can be viewed here.
Be it ordained by the counsel of the City of Steubenville that there be and hereby is appropriate[d] out of the monies in the Treasury not otherwise appropriate[d] the following Sums of money to the following named here after named namely...
             Abel Armitage   [$] 207.84
I conclude from this that Abel was likely still alive in May, 1881, though it's possible he had already died.

But why I can't I find him?  My thoughts about what might have happened to Abel after 1881 and why I can't find evidence of ran along these lines:
  • Did he die in a coal mine accident?  If so, in Ohio?  Or in West Virginia?  Or in Pennsylvania?  Those three states "meet" along the Ohio River.  As a coal miner, he could have moved to any of them.  I know both Pennsylvania and West Virginia had coal mines.  But he might not have died in a coal mine accident. 
  • After collecting $207.84 from the Steubenville City Council, might he have moved back to England?  Of course that took me to websites to check on the cost of travel from Ohio to England, via train, then ship, between 1881 and 1910.  He would have had enough money, unless he owed more than half of it to the lawyer.  I did a brief search to see if there was an Abel Armitage living in Durham or West Yorkshire, England, after 1881.  I didn't see him yet.
  • What about the pronunciation of his name?  Would it sound like it's written?  Ar-ma-tage?  Or might a British speaker silence the "r" and pronounce it Amitage,, or Amidage, or even Ammatage?  So I had to see if I could learn how the British might pronounce it.  Turns out it is pronounced in a variety of ways, including with a nearly silent "r."  Pronunciation could affect how the name is spelled in U.S. English, which means I need to search for a variety of spellings in records.
  • And then there are spelling/misspelling variations in records, such as Harmitage, Amitadge, Armetage, Armittage, etc.  I had to look up those variations, too.

While this rabbit hole didn't take me to more records for Abel Armitage, I have ideas of places to continue my search now.
  1. I should find out the location of mines near the Ohio River in all three states.
  2. I should look for a death record and probate and property records in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, specifically the counties that had coal mines.
  3. I should do a more in-depth search of records in England, especially in the counties where I knew he lived.  Abel Armitage is not a common name, but it's more common in England than one would think.
  4. My searches need to be broader in the spelling of the last name, in the time range, and in possible locations. 
Where, oh where could Abel have gone, and where could he have died, and is there a record to find?

Thank you, Randy, for a week's worth of genealogy fun going down a rabbit hole.  It's good to think more thoroughly about possibilities for ancestors.  My searches this week didn't lead to Abel's end, but I'm not giving up yet!

Do you have ancestors from the 1800s that you're unable to find?

If any of you readers have suggestions for me, I'd be thrilled to read them.  Thank you.

—Nancy.

Copyright © 2025 Nancy Messier.  All Rights Reserved. 
Do not copy or use any content from this blog without written permission from the owner. 

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Tuesday, July 22, 2025

Finding Red House Farm in Steubenville Township, Jefferson County, Ohio + What You May Find on a Historic County Map

Being curious about the location of the property Robert Nelson sold the coal under in 1869 and first purchased in 1858, I contacted the Genealogy Department of the Public Library of Steubenville and Jefferson County, Ohio, to ask for help.  Specifically I wanted to know about the location of the Red House Farm tract and whether it is currently a subdivision in Jefferson County.  I also mentioned Robert Nelson had purchased property on the tract in 1859.

The helpful librarian found references in several sources, including a map.   Below is a section of the Steubenville map from Atlas of Jefferson Co Ohio by F. W. Beers, 1871.  You can find this map and the full map below at FamilySearch.

You can see Red House Farm on the map and, in the upper left below the horizontal line, you can see R. Nelson.  It really is an R, not an H as it appears at first glance.  Robert originally purchased his property from Matthew Nicholson in 1858, and he was till the owner of much of the land on the Red House Farm tract in 1871.

Red House Farm is really a tract of land, though at one time there may have been a farm with a red house on it on the property.  Below are a few things I learned about Red House Farm.   
  • "The [coperas] works were on top of the hill, at the Red House farm, back of the town."  The coperas works were established by Bazaleel Wells in about 1820.  (Historical Collections of Ohio, In Two Volumes, by Henry Howe, 1900; Volume I, p. 973)
  • Using FamilySearch's Full-Text Search, I found another reference to Red House Farm.  The following is from a deed dated January 12th 1830.  A "...parcel of land heretofore known as part of the Red house farm, formerly the property of Alexander Wells [son of Bazaleel Wells, founder of Steubenville, Ohio], lying immediately below the Town of Steubenville.... containing [more than] 44 acres."  Boundaries are given in metes and bounds which agree with "the survey heretofore to wit on the thirtiest day of July A.D. 1814...."
  • There are more deeds at FamilySearch which mention Red House Farm but this was the earliest. 

Below is the full map of Steubenville and Jefferson County.  For best viewing click on the map so it will open in a new window where you can again enlarge it to look closely.  Or visit FamilySearch where you can also enlarge it
Most of my mother's side of the family comes from Jefferson County, Ohio, so maps like these are a bounty for searching and possibly finding some of my other ancestors and where they lived.

But I was really taken with the lists on the side of this map.  They are almost like a miniature city directory.  These are some of the ways I might use these lists.
  • If I had an ancestor who needed an attorney, would one on this list on this map be one he would have consulted, or would he have gone out of town?
  • The list of companies suggest possible places for employment opportunities.  One of my ancestors was a carpenter.  He may have worked for one of the companies on this list.
  • If I find a marriage record that names the minister but not the church, I might find the minister's name and, thereby, the church where they were married.  Could they and their families have also attended this church?  If so, it's another possible source for more information.
  • If I had a photograph with the photographer's name at the bottom, I might find him on a list like this. 

In general, I think it's interesting to see these brief directories to get a lay of the land where my ancestors lived.  What might they have needed to purchase to live?  What shops were available?  What industries, small businesses, and social opportunities were available at the time?  How many doctors were in town?  With a good map and addresses, I could see how far they would have had to travel to buy bricks or a piece of furniture, fabric or paper, or ready-made clothes.

These kinds of maps interest me for the family history aspect of genealogy.  It's possible that not many county maps have lists like these but it's always worth checking.

In your searches of maps, have you found old ones with information like this one?  Was it helpful or of interest to you?

—Nancy.

Copyright © 2025 Nancy Messier.  All Rights Reserved. 
Do not copy or use any content from this blog without written permission from the owner. 

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Saturday, July 19, 2025

1858 Deed of Purchase - Robert Nelson from Matthew Nicholson

When I find that an ancestor has sold property (or the coal under the property, as Robert Nelson did) I want to learn when he bought the property.  FamilySearch's Full Text Search made it easy.  You can view the record here if you have a free FamilySearch account.

Robert Nelson purchased about four acres of property on the Red House Tract in Steubenville Township, Jefferson County, Ohio, in 1858 from Matthew Nicholson and his wife Hellena.  The boundaries of the property are identified in metes and bounds.  

Transcription:
Matthew Nicholson To Robert Nelson 
Know all men by these presents, that we Matthew Nicholson and Hellena wife of said Mat-
thew Nicholson of the County of Jefferson & State of Ohio, in consideration of the sum of Two 
hundred and six dollars and twenty five cents, in hand paid by Robert Nelson of the same 
place, have bargained and sold, and do hereby grant, bargain, sell and convey, unto the 
said Robert Nelson, his heirs and assigns, forever, a certain tract or parcel of land, being 
a part of the Red house farm, with the appurtenances, situate, lying and being in 
the Township of Steubenville County of Jefferson Ohio, in range No one (1) Township No
Two (2) and Section No Thirty four (34) and described as follows, to wit, beginning at a 
stake in Odberts run where a beech tree 10 in Diam, bears S. 63 ½o  E. 8½ links, the same being 
the N. W. corner of said Nicholson tract of land, running thence S. 8½o  E. 19 perches 
to a rock in the run, thence N. 75¼o  E. 40 perches to a stone top of the hill, thence N. 31o  
W. 5 7/10 perches to a hickory tree, thence N. 17o  W. 10 4/10 perches to a small White oak in Mecnes [? illegible] 
and Scotts South line, thence S. 79 4/10o  W. 36 3/10  perches to the beginning, containing four 
acres & one eighth be the same more or less.  To have & to hold said premises, with the 
appurtenances unto the said Robert Nelson his heirs and assigns forever. And the 
said Matthew Nichelson for himself & heirs doth hereby covenant with said Robert 
Nelson his heirs & assigns, that he is lawfully seized of the premises aforesaid, that they 
are free & clear from all incumbrances, and that he will forever warrant & defend the 
same against all lawful claims whatsoever.  In testimony whereof the said Matthew 
Nickelson & Hellena his wife have hereunto set their hands & seals this " day of May A. D. 1887
Executed in the presence of 
James Melvin              }
Alexander McFarland }
[to the right]  Mathew Nickelson   (seal)
[to the right}  Hellena her X mark Nichelson  (seal)
       The State of Ohio Jefferson County ss
Before the subscriber a Justice of the peace within and for said County personally
[page 323]
appeared Matthew Nicholson and Hellena his wife, the above named parties of the first 
part and acknowledged the signing & sealing of the above conveyance to be voluntary act & 
deed, and the said Hellena wife of the said Matthew Nichelson being at the same time esc- [ex-]
amined by me separate and apart from her said husband, and the contents of said instru-
ment made known to her by me, she then declared that she did voluntarily sign seal and [????]
acknowledge the same, and that she is still satisfied therewith.   Witness my hand this 2nd day of May A.D. 1857.
[to far right]  James Melvin (seal)  Justice of the peace
State of Ohio Jefferson County ss  Recorded September 18th 1858.   George Beatty Recorder

Citation Information:
Deed Record:  Jefferson.  Volume G2, Deeds 1857-1859, Recorders Office, Jefferson County Courthouse
FHL Film 004021964, Item 2, Image 166, volume pages 322-323.  Viewed, saved 3 Jun 2025
Direct link:  https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-892H-K1J4?view=fullText&keywords=Robert%20Nelson%2CNelson%2CRobert%2CJefferson%2COhio%2Cor&lang=en&groupId=]

Notes and Comments
  • Robert Nelson's wife was not named as one of the purchasers of this property.
  • In both this deed and the 1859 deed of sale for the coal under this property, the wives of the men selling the property were included in the ownership and were taken aside and asked independently if they understood what was happening and if they agreed to it.  Might they have been pressured to agree, or was property generally in the realm of the male in 1858?
  • Was there a house already built on this property, or was it already a coal mine, or was it uninhabited woodland? 
  • Robert Nelson owned this property until at least 1859, when he sold the coal under it.  When he purchased it, did he realize there was coal in the ground?  Did he mine part of the coal before he sold the rest in 1859?  (I'll probably never know the answers to these questions but I do wonder.) 
  • Four and 1/8 acres for $206.25 makes the cost about $50.00 per acre.  Today's value of $50.00 is nearly $2,000.00.
  • I find it interesting that there are two dates on this deed.  The first is near the middle with a date of  May, 1887, and the last is at the end with a date of September 18th 1858.  I don't yet know why.

—Nancy.

Copyright © 2025 Nancy Messier.  All Rights Reserved. 
Do not copy or use any content from this blog without written permission from the owner. 

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Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Population Through the Decades at Population.us

Edited to add:  I found this site by searching for a city and state + population on Google and it was one of the results.  When I went back to search I found the website difficult to use.  For any who just want to quickly find information on a city and state, this is the url to use:  https://population.us/oh/steubenville/.  Edit it to put in the state and town you are searching for.

This morning I was wondering why so few Steubenville newspapers have been made available and searchable online by companies like OldNews, Newspapers.com, NewspaperArchive, Google Newspaper Archive, Chronicling America, and some of the larger genealogy companies with online newspaper content.  Not a tiny town, Steubenville's across the Ohio River from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  And with at least eight newspapers in publication simultaneously for several decades, Steubenville must have been a fairly large city, right?  

Wrong.  

Population.us tells me that in 1870 Steubenville, Ohio, had 8,107 residents; whereas, Pittsburgh had a population of 86,076 residents, more than ten times larger.  No wonder Steubenville's not high on the list for companies making their newspapers available online.  (It's true they are available at Ohio History Connect, formerly the Ohio Historical Society, but without a date, I might have to read newspapers all day because they are on microfilm and not searchable.)

But this post isn't about Steubenville's population.  It's about a great website for finding the population of an American city through the decades.  I like Population.us for its simplicity and clarity, and because it tells the sources of its information.  

Its brief introduction tells us its website is
about current and historical population statistics for USA country, states, counties and cities (approximately 20000 settlements). Most of the data are from US censuses, some of them since 1790. All information on this website (population statistics, images, population maps etc.) is free for any use (...attribution appreciated)....  

These are the results of my search for Steubenville, Ohio.

This information appears at the top of the screen and gives me brief information about Steubenville's location and population. (Click the image to enlarge in a new tab.)

This graph is clickable on each decade and it tells me the population.


This shows Steubenville on a section of a U.S. map, shows the annual growth rate, and gave me the opportunity to click through to a satellite map.

There is a clickable list of nearby cities and their distance and direction from Steubenville proper.

And these are the source notes at the bottom of the results page.

I've shown sections of the screens because, yes, there are ads to ignore (or use, if you choose).  It's not an ad-free site but I was able to overlook those for the information Population.us offers.

The little village where I grew up is not included in their results and if your ancestors came from a small town, it may not be included, either.  But I think most large and medium cities are.

I think knowing the population of an area where my ancestors lived will help me put into perspective things like possible distance between neighbors, especially in rural areas; availability of purchasing or selling necessities; etc. Add a map, as detailed and possible, and a city directory, and I might be able to imagine living in the community.  I think I'm more of a family historian than a genealogist.  These kinds of things interest me.

If you try Population.us, I'd love to hear what you think.  Perhaps you've already found another site that tells historic population that you use?  Please share.  Maybe it's better than Population.us

—Nancy.

Copyright © 2025 Nancy Messier.  All Rights Reserved. 
Do not copy or use any content from this blog without written permission from the owner. 

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Monday, July 7, 2025

FamilySearch's Full-Text Search Finds Robert Nelson in Others' Estate Files

You just never know what records will turn up when you search for an ancestor using FamilySearch's Full-Text Search.  Will there be birth, marriage, or death records?  Or deeds?  Tax records?  County account books?  Or probate estate files?  But wait!  Why would my ancestor's name have been included in more than one estate file, especially when he was still alive?

I learned why:  because the estates owed him money.  If you happen to have an ancestor who provided a service or goods to another citizen who died without paying him, your ancestor may appear in estate files too.  According to various census records, my ancestor, Robert Nelson, was a coal miner in Jefferson County, Ohio.  These estate files suggest he also sold coal.  I was delighted to learn this bit of knowledge about the life of an ancestor for whom I have found so little information.   

Below is what I found in the three files I looked at.

From the Estate File of G. D. McKenney, 1870-71.  This file is primarily a list of names and amounts.  I assume the amount is due Robert Nelson for coal, but it's possible it was a debt he owed.

Below is the top part of image 11.  Robert is the last entry in this image.
                          Brought down [amount listed]
                          1871, January [from previous page] 
                          9--         Robert Nelson                         $31.16
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

From the Estate File of Van B. Lighthizer, 1871-72.  Comprises images 167-203.

The bottom of a section of image 179 is below.  Robert is the second from last entry. At the top of this page and not included in the image:
"First and Final Account of Amelia Lighthizer as Executrix of the last will and testament of Van B Lighthizer deceased...."
1872
September 2    Bill Paid    for coal    Robert Nelson    Voucher No. 4     $24.50

Below is image 202 from the same file which is a receipt for coal from Robert Nelson.
Steubenville   June 15th 1872
Mr. Lightizer           
                      to        R.  Nelson
                          for Coal
Balance     on      settlement
thirty   nine   six[ty]   four
                                $39.64
      credit of             $19.00
       Balance              $24.64
Aug 31        Received payment 
in full          Robert Nelson

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

From the Estate File of Richard D. Morrison, 1874-75.  Comprises images 129-319.  
Mr. Morrison was a druggist whose file includes an inventory of everything in his store, including chemicals, herbs, and baking supplies, which I found very interesting.  It would be even more interesting if I had an ancestor who was also a druggist.

Below is the top part of image 140.  Robert is part of a list of names with amounts owed. 
                    1874
                    Sept 5     [By. paid]     Robert Nelson         (14)   19.33

Below is image 318 which is a statement of payment for coal.
Steubenville    August 12th   1874
R. D. Morrison 
to Robert Nelson   
    for  six  hundred  sixty
  five  Bushes  of  Coal
                                            $56.53
                      paid               $35.00
                     Balance          $21.53
                     paid                $  5.00
      thirty five bushes coal   $  2.80
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Notes and Comments
  • I was surprised that coal was sold by the bushel in the late 1800s instead of by weight.  It makes sense, since they probably wouldn't have had an easy way to weight a ton of coal.  Or to deliver it.  For such small quantities, delivery would have been by horse and cart.  (A bushel of coal weights about 80 pounds.)
  • I assumed Robert Nelson worked for a mining company in Steubenville or somewhere in Jefferson County, but it's an assumption that may or may not be correct.  Finding him in these files makes me wonder if he mined coal independently then sold and delivered it.
  • Robert was earning between 8 and 8½ cents per bushel.  An online inflation calculator tells me that $56.53 in 1874 would be worth $1594.07 in 2025.  Or, 8 cents would be worth $2.26 today.  How long might it have taken Robert to dig that coal?  Was this a good price for his labor?
  • I can't be certain but I believe the last receipt puts Robert in Jefferson County, Ohio, in 1874, which is where he was in 1870, according to the U.S. Census.  He died in 1875 in Montgomery, Illinois.  He was 75 at the time of his death.  This does not pinpoint the date he moved from Ohio to Illinois but it narrows it.  I'm hoping to find a will and estate file.  

If you found information like this referencing one of your ancestors, would you include it in your family history program -- RootsMagic, or whatever you use?

—Nancy.

Copyright © 2025 Nancy Messier.  All Rights Reserved. 
Do not copy or use any content from this blog without written permission from the owner. 

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Saturday, July 5, 2025

Did My Grandparents Know Their Grandparents?

This week Randy hit on a topic for Saturday Night Genealogy Fun that is always of interest to me:  who knew whom and whose lives overlapped, and for how long.

He wrote this challenge, 
  1. Did your grandparents know their grandparents personally? 
  2. Check your family tree, and share your grandparents' names, birth and death years and places, and their grandparents' names, birth and death year and places, and indicate if they knew their grandparents.
Gust Doyle is my paternal grandfather.  
He was born in 1888 in Stoneboro, Pennsylvania, and died in 1933 in Stoneboro, Pennsylvania.

Gust's grandparents were 
  • Andrew Doyle who was born in 1836 in England and died in 1908 in Stoneboro, Pennsylvania.  Their lives would have crossed for about 20 years.
  • Elizabeth Jane Laws Doyle was born in 1845 in England and died in 1910 in Stoneboro, Pennsylvania.  Their lives would have crossed for about 22 years.
  • John Froman was born in about 1841 in Germany and died in West Salem Township, Mercer County, Ohio, in 1871.  Gust did not know this grandfather.
  • Catherine Saylor was born in 1844 in Germany and died in 1928 in Stoneboro, Pennsylvania.  Their lives would have crossed for about 40 years.

Beulah Gerner is my paternal grandmother.  She was born in Butler County, Pennsylvania, in 1888.  She died in 1913 in Stoneboro, Pennsylvania.

Her grandparents were
  • Christian Gerner was born in about 1820 in Prussia and died in 1899 in Butler County, Pennsylvania.  They would have known each other for about 11 years.
  • Mary E. (or Elizabeth) Stahl was born in about 1824 in Germany and died in 1881 in Butler County, Pennsylvania.  Beulah and Mary would not have known each other.
  • Dixon Bartley was born in 1805 in Pennsylvania and died in 1900 in Parker Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania.  Their lives would have overlapped for about 12 years. 
  • Rebecca Smith was born in Parker Township, Butler, Pennsylvania in 1820.  She died in 1899 in the same location.  She and Beulah would have had 11 years to get to know each other.


W. C. Robert Meinzen is my maternal grandfather.  He was born in 1892 in Steubenville, Ohio, and died in 1979 in Mineral Ridge, Ohio.

His grandparents were
  • paternal grandfather not yet found
  • paternal grandmother not yet found
  • Abel Armitage was born in about 1821 in England.  He lived until at least 1880 but I have not yet found a death record for him.
  • Eliza Hartley was born in 1812 in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England.  She died in 1856 in Trimdon, Durham, England.  She and my grandfather would not have known each other.

Emma Bickerstaff Meinzen is my maternal grandmother.  She was born in 1893 in Steubenville, Ohio, and died in 1973 in Warren, Ohio

Her grandparents were 
  • Ellis H. Bickerstaff was born in 1840 in Steubenville, Ohio.  He died in 1907 in McKeesport, Pennsylvania.  Emma was about 14 when he died so they would have known each other. 
  • Emma P. Nelson was born in 1845 or 1846, probably in Jefferson County, Ohio.  She died in 1878.  The Emmas would not have known each other.  
  • John Thomas Thompson was born in 1850 or 1851 in New Alexandria, Ohio.  He died in 1923 in Cross Creek Township, Jefferson County, Ohio.  Their lives would have crossed for about 30 years.
  • Lydia Bell was born in 1851 in Jefferson County, Ohio.  She died in 1930 in Cross Creek District, Wellsburg, West Virginia.  Their lives would have overlapped for about 37 years.   

Yes, nine grandchildren and grandparents would have known each other.
No, four grandchildren would not have know their grandparents.
Unknown acquaintance for three grandchildren/grandparents, but probably not likely.

Thanks so much for the fun, Randy.  This is something that's been in the back of my mind for years.  It would have been more years if you hadn't suggest we do this tonight.

—Nancy.

Copyright © 2025 Nancy Messier.  All Rights Reserved. 
Do not copy or use any content from this blog without written permission from the owner. 

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