The Horn Album, Umatilla County, Oregon: A Genealogist's Dream

I purchased this family photograph album at the Seattle Antiquarian Bookshow last week, along with way too many books. The album contains three carte de visite photographs and nine tintypes, all identified, but undated. The album is inscribed “My Father’s album presented to Mr. & Mrs. William K. Backstrom [?] by Miss Lenora V. Horn.” Most of the people in the album have early connections to Umatilla County, Oregon. Only one of the photos displays a photographer’s imprint, and unfortunately, the information I found on the photographer was minimal, and didn't help to narrow down the date of the photo any further than I had already estimated. Most of the photographs seem to be taken in the 1870s or early 1880s.

Inside album - Left: inscription, Right: Charley Powers

Inscription - inside front cover

Inscription - inside back cover 

Subjects featured in this album are:

1) Charley Powers – cdv photograph
2) George Horn – tintype photograph
3) Calvin Wallace – cdv
4) Miss Ada Walton – tintype
5) Will Looney – tintype
6) Annie Sappingfield -cdv circa
7) William Sappingfield – tintype (tinted)
8) John W. Horn & Arthur Noble - tintype
9) George Horn & John W. Horn - tintype
10) George Horn & Abrigail [Abigail] Horn – tintype
11) Angeline Doty now Angeline Minich – tintype (tinted), taken at the F.A. Smith Studio in Salem.
12) Misas [Misses] Ingram – tintype (tinted)

John William Horn (b. 1858) and George Washington Horn (b. 1857-1931) were brothers, both born in Oregon to Adam Wise Horn and Elizabeth McClure Looney (b. abt 1840)^1,2. John W. seems to be the original owner of the album and his daughter, Lenora V. Horn inscribed the above mentioned notation. Susan Anna Ritchey was John’s second wife and Lenora’s mother.^3,5 John’s brother, George, married Abigail Simmons⁴.

An obituary in the Portland Morning Oregonian provides a great deal of genealogical information about William Sappingfield (b.1830) and his origins⁶. It also provides a photograph to compare with the identified photograph in the album, and I am certain he is our man. In 1866, William Sappingfield married sixteen-year-old Frances W. Looney in Marion, Oregon⁷. As for the “Annie Sappingfield” in the album, I haven’t been able to find a possible match for her. I have an inkling it might be Frances, because the photo inscription was written overtop an erasure, and it looks like the given (erased) name began with an F. It could be a case of misidentification.

Elizabeth Looney (b. abt 1840) and Frances W. Looney (b. abt 1850) were both daughters of William Looney (b. abt 1818) and Elmira McClure.^8,9 Their father, William, drowned on 15 Aug 1850 at age 33, as he tried to cross the Santiam River, near Hale’s Ferry.^10,11 His widow, Elmira, married Nelson Ransome Doty about a year later¹². Angeline Doty was born to Nelson and Elmira in 1857¹³. Angeline married Jacob P. Minch in 1882. The William Looney featured in the album is a bit of a puzzle. The image can’t be William Looney, father to Elizabeth and Frances, because it likely dates to the 1870s.

I believe the Charley Powers in the album is Charles E. Powers (b. 10 Sept 1853) who married Emma Wallace in 1876¹⁴. Emma’s brother was James Calvin Wallace (b. abt 1856), and he is also featured in this album¹⁵.

Arthur Noble, who posed with John Horn in image #8, is probably Arthur B. Noble, (b. 1855) husband of Alta Horn, sister of George and John W. Horn.¹⁶

I’m unsure how Miss Ada Walton is connected to John William Horn. I did find information on Ancestry databases pertaining to an Ada Ossie Walton (b. abt 1867), daughter of Lane County Judge, Joshua Jones Walton and his wife, Rebecca Gale. Ada was a school teacher in Oregon from 1882-1902, and later worked in Seattle as a stenographer/bookkeeper.¹⁷

If you can elaborate on any of these people, I hope you’ll leave a comment below.

Left: Annie Sappingfield  Right: William Sappingfield

---

1 "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDQJ-V4B : 13 December 2017), Jno W Horn in entry for A Horn, 1860.^↩
2 "United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MF8B-MYH : 12 April 2016), John Horn in household of A W Horn, Oregon, United States; citing p. 1, family 1, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 552,785.^↩
3 "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XCSD-J9S : accessed 18 October 2018), John W Horn, Pendleton, Umatilla, Oregon, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 55, sheet 16B, line 54, family 160, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1956; FHL microfilm 2,341,690^↩
4 Ancestry.com. Oregon, Early Oregonians Index, 1800-1860 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014, entry for George Washington Horn, citing Early Oregonians Database Index. Oregon State Archives, Salem, Oregon. (https://secure.sos.state.or.us/prs/profile.do?recordNumber= 66615)^↩
5 Ancestry.com. Oregon, Early Oregonians Index, 1800-1860 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014, entry for John William Horn, citing Early Oregonians Database Index. Oregon State Archives, Salem, Oregon. (https://secure.sos.state.or.us/prs/profile.do?ancRecordNumber= 66617) ^↩
6 “Man Who Crosses Plains to Oregon in 1847 Dies in Goldendale,” The Morning Oregonian, Portland, Oregon, 3 August 1911, p. 6. Image provided by University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR (http://www.oregonnews.uoregon.edu). ^↩
7 Ancestry.com. Marion County, Oregon, Marriage Records, 1849-1900 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012; entry for William Sappingfield; citing Custer, Jeanne, and Daraleen Wade, compilers. The Marriage Records of Marion County, Oregon, Volume 1, 1849–1871. Salem, Oregon: Willamette Valley Genealogical Society, 1979.^↩
8 Ancestry.com. Oregon, Early Oregonians Index, 1800-1860 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014, entry for Elizabeth McClure Looney, citing Early Oregonians Database Index. Oregon State Archives, Salem, Oregon. (https://secure.sos.state.or.us/prs/profile.do?recordNumber=27602^↩
9 Ancestry.com. Oregon, Early Oregonians Index, 1800-1860 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014, entry for Frances William Looney, citing Early Oregonians Database Index. Oregon State Archives, Salem, Oregon. (https://secure.sos.state.or.us/prs/profile.do?recordNumber= 71668 (https://secure.sos.state.or.us/prs/profile.do?recordNumber=27602^↩
10 “Casualties [death of William Looney],” Oregon Spectator, Oregon City, Oregon, 5 September 1850., p. 2. Image provided by University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR (http://www.oregonnews.uoregon.edu^↩
11 Ancestry.com. Willamette Valley, Oregon, Death Records, 1838-2006 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012, entry for William Looney, citing Death, Burial, and Obituary Collection. Salem, Oregon: Willamette Valley Genealogical Society, accessed 18 Oct 2018.^↩
12 Ancestry.com. Oregon, Early Oregonians Index, 1800-1860 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014, entry for Elmira McClure, citing Early Oregonians Database Index. Oregon State Archives, Salem, Oregon. (https://secure.sos.state.or.us/prs/profile.do?recordNumber=29990)^↩
13 Ancestry.com. Oregon, Early Oregonians Index, 1800-1860 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014, entry for Angeline Doty, citing Early Oregonians Database Index. Oregon State Archives, Salem, Oregon. (https://secure.sos.state.or.us/prs/profile.do?ancRecordNumber=19995)^↩
14 Ancestry.com. Oregon, Early Oregonians Index, 1800-1860 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014, entry for Charles E. Powers, citing Early Oregonians Database Index. Oregon State Archives, Salem, Oregon. (https://secure.sos.state.or.us/prs/profile.do?ancRecordNumber= 60838^↩
15 Ancestry.com. Oregon, Early Oregonians Index, 1800-1860 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014, entry for James Calvin Wallace, citing Early Oregonians Database Index. Oregon State Archives, Salem, Oregon. (https://secure.sos.state.or.us/prs/profile.do?ancRecordNumber= 25198)^↩
16 Ancestry.com. Oregon, Early Oregonians Index, 1800-1860 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014, entry for Arthur B. Noble, citing Early Oregonians Database Index. Oregon State Archives, Salem, Oregon. (https://secure.sos.state.or.us/prs/profile.do?ancRecordNumber= 14186) ^↩
17 General Register of the Officers and Alumni 1873-1907. Eugene, Or.: The University, 1908. Print.^↩

The Irascible Mr. Pip and His Human Family, Cheltenham, England, 1900s?

I don't normally feature unidentified family portraits here on the blog, but I just couldn't resist this one. Even though the nameless humans in the image are pretty much overshadowed in every way by the huge personality of the four-legged character sitting atop the wooden table, I felt there still might be an interesting story to dig up from the clues in this portrait.

He may not really be irascible and "Mr. Pip" is probably not his real name, but I felt "dog" just wasn't a colourful enough moniker, so "Mr. Pip" he will be. I suspect he didn't think too highly of the photographer. The firm hold his owners have on him might indicate that Mr. Pip has already tried to launch off of the table to let the photographer know what he thinks of this posing business and his infernal photographic equipment.

W. C. Fields famously advised, "Never work with animals or children," but it seems J.  Holloway worked with both during his years as a photographer, judging from the advertisement he placed in the Glouchester News on 28 May 1887, where he states that "animals and children [are] a specialty." The website Sussex Photo History has already researched the work of Jesse Holloway quite thoroughly and if you would like to know more about his family and photographic studio, you will benefit from visiting their site by clicking on the link above.

But now we're left with two major mysteries:

1) Who are the individuals in the photograph?
2) Who actually photographed this image?

Even though the photographer's imprint says "J. Holloway, Cheltenham," I don't know for sure that Jesse Holloway was actually the photographer. According to Sussex Photo History, Jesse Holloway died in 1896, and his wife, Caroline Holloway took over the business. Then, in 1902, the Holloways' daughter, Edith, became proprietor of the studio. But, according to the 1901 England Census for Cheltenham, every member of the Holloway household was a worker in the family photography business: Caroline (the mother), Annie, Elizabeth, Kate, Wilfred, and Bertha¹.

I think it's a good possibility that Mrs. Holloway and her family continued to use the J. Holloway imprint after his death. I could not locate a single Holloway Studio photograph that carried any name other than "J. Holloway" after 1896. That doesn't mean they don't exist, just that I haven't found them. I also noticed that Caroline Holloway continued to use Jesse's name in the Gloucester county directories after his death, as she did in the 1902 entry²:

Holloway Jesse (Mrs.), photographer, 32 Cambray

If I were to date the image, based on clothing, hairstyle and photograph format, I would make a liberal guess it was taken around 1900-1912, leaning towards 1904-05, but I'm certainly not committed to that. Dating this one is tricky. Just when I think I have a date narrowed down, I notice some other aspect of dress or fashion that suggests an earlier or later dating. We can't see the women's skirts or the cut of the man's suit and there is very little in the way of jewellery or fashion accessories to consider. The women's hairstyles seem to be in line with the late Victorian "frizzy" period. Another indication of date is the man's high imperial collar, which was popular in the 1890s to about 1905. One of the women is wearing a fob-watch pinned to her blouse, which was popular in the Edwardian period, but fell out of favour by the end of the World War I.

Mystery #1 seems to be unsolvable at the moment, so onto Mystery #2.

How would you date this image and who, exactly, is Mr. Pip staring down?

---

1 “1901 England Census,” database, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 16 Aug 2018), entry for Caroline Holloway (age 59), citing PRO RG13; Piece: 2464; Folio: 88; Page: 12; Cheltenham registration district, Cheltenham subdistrict, ED 37, schedule line number 38, GSU roll: 1341277.^↩
2 "U.K, City and County Directories, 1766-1946", indexed database and digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 10 Aug 2018), page 93, Jesse Holloway (Mrs.) entry; citing "Kelly’s Directory of the County of Gloucester, 1902 (London, Ill.:n.p., 1902)." ^↩

Revisiting the McCandlish House Postcard, Victoria, BC

Five years ago I wrote a post about a real photo postcard, written and sent by Emma McCandlish, a Victoria boarding house owner, with an image of her home on the front. In the post, I wondered if the buildings behind Emma's house at 63 Superior were BC's Parliament Buildings. Street numbering changed in Victoria in 1907, and I suspect 63 Superior may have become 534 Superior. Recently, I found this obituary in the Vancouver Daily World from the 25th of May 1921, which suggests that McCandlish's former home "at the rear of the Parliament Buildings" had been purchased by the provincial government.

I was in Victoria en route to San Francisco week before last and stopped by Munro's Books. There, I discovered a new-to-me print resource, This Old House: Victoria's Heritage Neighbourhoods by the Victoria Heritage Foundation for the City of Victoria. This four volume set, arranged by Victoria neighbourhoods, is an invaluable and informative resource that details historic homes in BC's capital city. I didn't have much time to browse through all of  the volumes, but I did locate an image and brief history of Emma McCandlish's last home at 422 Menzies, a house which was moved from another location to Menzies Street in July of 1910.

More research will have to be done to confirm that the home at 63/534 Superior was demolished and absorbed by the Parliament grounds. I was also curious about Emma's comment on the postcard that there had been some "severe weather" in Victoria around the time of her correspondence to Mrs. Harlock. I had a cursory look through the Daily Colonist newspaper for a couple days before and after the 20th of January, but didn't find any mention of unusually bad weather.

It's amazing how one postcard can generate so many questions and research possibilities!


Here's the original post from November 16, 2013:

First off, today's a good day to celebrate.  Family Photo Reunion has been in existence for one full year now.  I wasn't sure I could make it to November 16th,  through what has proven to be a very busy year, but here we are!

Our post today revolves around this real postcard from Victoria, BC.  It was written by Emma McCandlish, and addressed to Mrs. W. Harlock at 181 Fort Street, Victoria.  Emma McCandlish ran a boarding house in Victoria in 1892 at 63 Superior.  She was still at this property in 1906.  While I didn't have access to the 1907 BC Directory, I did find Emma in the directory for the following year at 534 Superior.

I had a little cyber-walk down Superior Street, thanks to Google Maps today, and I couldn't find a house similar to this one.  If this is, indeed, a picture of her own home, I have a feeling that house is long gone.  Do you see that stately building off in the distance on the left hand side of the image?  I'm wondering if it might be one of the Parliament buildings.

The BC Archives has a collection of correspondence once belonging to Emma McCandlish.  I think it would be fun to have a look the next time I'm down in Victoria.

If you'd like to get a sense of what Victoria was like in 1907, I found a great little video on Youtube.  Emma McCandlish would have been very familiar with these sights.  Who knows, she might even be in the film somewhere.  Enjoy!

William Loring Clark's Grand House and Grounds in Dorchester, MA, 1867

I was in San Francisco last week, browsing bookstores and visiting the California Historical Society Library and Archives. This photograph was found in a box of ephemera at John Windle's Antiquarian Bookstore located on Geary Street. I was intrigued because I don't often find outdoor images from this time period. If the inscription on the back of the photograph is accurate, the picture dates to 1867, just two years after the end of the American Civil War. The woman standing on the front porch is wearing a dress very much in line with what I would expect from that time period. Rachel, the bookseller at John Windle, kindly gave me this photograph and I took it back home to Vancouver Island to see what I could do with it, in terms of identification.

On the reverse:

"Home of Wm Loring Clark Ashmont & Adams of Dorchester

taken spring of 1867

Mrs. Clark W.T.C. Ruth & Webster in carriage Annie Harmon standing

5 acres of grounds."

Sometimes an inscription such as this can be read a number of ways, especially when punctuation is absent. At first glance it looked as if the homeowner's name might be William Loring Clark Ashmont. But that didn't seem right. I thought a good starting point would be to figure out which Dorchester we were dealing with. I learned that Ashmont & Adams are intersecting streets in Dorchester, Massachusetts, and so that is where I began the search.

In 1865, William L. Clark, a thirty-eight year old auditor with the Rutland Railroad, lived in Boston with his wife, Ann and three children: William T., 14; Ruth M., 4; and one-month-old Webster¹. This seemed like a close match with the individuals mentioned on the back of the photograph, but I was a little concerned that this family resided in Boston's Ward 11 rather than Dorchester, a community  located just outside of Boston. A check of the Dorchester City Directory for 1868 shows that Wm. L. Clark, a merchant, had a house on Adams near Ashmont in Dorchester, in addition to a location in Boston, at 105 Summer Street². 

Information about the family after 1870 was difficult to locate. I was able to trace the children, as grown-ups, living in the San Francisco area, but I was unsuccessful locating them in the 1880 US Federal Census. I learned why after finding two death notices for W. L. Clark, one in the Boston Herald on December 25, 1887, which was published about eight months after his death. News must have travelled slowly from San Francisco to Boston in the 1880s. A more timely notice appeared in the San Diego Union³:

San Diego Union, 20 April 1886

The family appears to have moved from Massachusetts to Japan for a period of twelve years, resettling in the Bay area on their return to the United States around 1883. This explains how the image ended up in San Francisco.

As of yet, I haven't figured out how Annie Harmon connects up with this family. 

---

1 "Massachusetts State Census, 1865", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQCP-C94 : 1 June 2018), William L Clark, 1865.^↩
2 "U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995", indexed database and digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 6 Aug 2018), page 46, Wm. L. Clark entry; citing "Dorchester, Massachusetts, City Directory, 1868 (Boston, Ill.:n.p., 1968)." ^↩
3 San Diego Union (San Diego, CA) 20 April 1886, page 3 GenealogyBank https://www.genealogybank.com/doc/newspapers/image/v2%3A136E6A0F0DF56B38%40GB3NEWS-13ECFCA5670509CD%402410017-13ECEEA4B9D4EBC4%402-13ECEEA4B9D4EBC4%40 : accessed 10 August 2018^↩

In Affectionate Remembrance of Margaret Forsyth Mackenzie, 1837-1879; Rothes, Scotland

Barbara Gallie Mackenzie provided helpful information on the back of this portrait. She could have written, "To James, from your Aunt Barbara," and that would have been that. I am happy she thought to include full names, relationships, and a location when she inscribed her gift to James, so that I can now share what I've learned about Margaret since buying this item at a Victoria, BC antique shop just a few months ago. I should point out that the "N.B" behind Rothes stands for "North Britain," which was a term used by some when referring to Scotland.

Margaret Forsyth Mackenzie, afterwards
Mrs. Robert Dick, Rothes, N.B.
To James Dick, in affect. remembrance
of his Mother, with best & loving
Christmas wishes from his Aunt
           Barbara Gallie Mackenzie

Decbr. 1893

In 1861 Margaret Forsyth Mackenzie married Robert Dick, a bank agent for Caledonian Bank in Rothes, Scotland¹. Margaret, who was born in Dingwall, Ross & Cromarty, Scotland in 1837, was the daughter of Andrew and Margaret Mackenzie².

Margaret's sister, Barbara, was four years older than Margaret³. The sisters had at least two brothers: Alexander Forsyth Gallie Mackenzie⁴ and Andrew Gallie Mackenzie⁵.

The recipient of this portrait was James Dick, son of Margaret and Robert Dick, born 24 Sept 1963 in Rothes⁶. I don't know how the image ended up in Victoria, BC. It is possible one of James' descendants emigrated from Scotland to BC, but that would have to be confirmed with more research.

Margaret passed away in 1879 in Forres, Scotland¹.

---

1 Moray, Scotland, Local Heritage Index, 1632-2014, link provided on Ancestry.com; entry for Margaret Forsyth Mackenzie: http://libindx.moray.gov.uk/people/people_report_view.asp?REF_ID=NM038441
2 "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VQQ1-6G7 : 10 February 2018), Margaret Forsyth Mackenzie, 14 Dec 1837; citing , reference , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 990,580.
3 "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VQQ1-NG4 : 10 February 2018), Barbara Gallie Mackenzie, 21 Aug 1833; citing , reference , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 990,580.
4 "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VQQ1-T9B : 10 February 2018), Alexander Forsyth Gallie Mackenzie, 10 May 1832; citing , reference , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 990,580.
5 "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VQQ1-2TL : 10 February 2018), Andrew Gallie Mackenzie, 15 Feb 1840; citing , reference , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 990,580.
6 "Scotland, Selected Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950," database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com), entry for James Dick, 24 Sep 1863; citing Scotland, Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950. Salt Lake City, Utah: FamilySearch, 2013.

Never Say Never: Lancey Memorial Cards

Last week I experienced the most wonderful surprise. I received a note through Find-A-Grave from a woman named Harriet, living in Missouri. She contacted me because I had created a number of Lancey family member memorials on the site. The conversation was a familiar one to me, having contacted hundreds of people about genealogical items I've found in antique shops and thrift stores. This time, however, I was the one being asked if I was related to a particular person associated with a found item. Harriet had inherited four Memorial Cards for individuals I have been researching on my husband's line of the family. She was not related and wanted to pass them on to someone who was. 

I've often joked to others that I would love to be on the receiving end of a photo reunion, just once. About a month ago, I even wrote an article about my Family Photo Reunion hobby for a Canadian national magazine where I had stated that finding photographs or documents related to my (or my husband's family) would likely never happen. I guess it's wise to never say never.

From top to bottom (image above):

1) In Remembrance of Eliza Down, Beloved Wife of Charles D. Lancey, Born at Parracombe, Devon, England, 8th March, 1840, Died at Ormstown, Quebec, 2nd August, 1898
Interred in Mount Royal Cemetery, Montreal. [My husband's great-great grandmother]

2) In Remembrance of Charles Dovell Lancey, Born at Parracombe, Devon, England, 21st November 1835, Died at Montreal, Que., 15th January, 1911. Interred in Mount Royal Cemetery, Montreal. [My husband's great-great grandfather]

3) In Remembrance of Walter H. Lancey, Who passed away after a week's illness, at Charleston, SC., August 31st, 1890 in the 30th year of his age. Interred in Mount Royal Cemetery, Montreal, October 23, 1890.

4) Duplicate of #2 Card Charles Dovell Lancey

I am very grateful to Harriet for sending these treasures our way.

Super Sleuth Saturday: Who Are the Hannas and Hugh McLean, Winnipeg, MB?

Here’s a mystery for you.  The photograph was taken at the J. F. Mitchell Studio in Winnipeg.  John Fletcher Mitchell (1862-1943) was one of the most well-known photographers in Winnipeg.  He opened his studio on Rupert Avenue around 1884.  He entered city politics as an alderman, and then became acting mayor in 1900.  In 1906, Mr. Fletcher became an MLA representing Winnipeg North.  He died in 1943 and is buried in St. James Anglican Cemetery.

Unfortunately, the subjects of this photo aren't as easy to trace. This photograph is inscribed on the reverse:  "From Maggie Hanna, Hugh McLean, and Tom Hanna to Dottie.  With best love."

Later, someone has written "Mrs. Ritchie" a bit lower on the reverse. There is also a negative number on the photo#13425.

Can you date and find additional information on this trio?

Puzzle Pieces : The Remarkable Ma Bale, Jeanette Bale and Her Lovely Sisters, ca. 1916 [?]

I wasn't sure that this Real Postcard Photograph was identifiable when I found it at a Victoria BC Antique Shop last month. I knew it would be a challenge. The photographer's name is provided on the front:  Brown, Webster City, Iowa.

On the reverse we have an interesting description. Not much for dates and places, but an interesting profile of the family nonetheless:

"Mother's best 

girlfriend

Jeannette Bale (Meade) 

+

her sisters

+ Ma Bale - 

who seems to have

been a remarkable 

woman. She said -

"never let lack of

the right clothes

keep you from going

where you want to go."

Mr. Bale was called "Gum Daddy"

because (a pharmacist) he gave gum 

to the kids."

I liked Ma Bale immediately from her image and even more so after I read her fashion philosophy.

I never assume the photographer's location to be the exact location of the subject's residence, even though there's always a chance the photo was taken in the subject's hometown. Sometimes, though, photographs are taken on holidays, while visiting other family members or while in a neighbouring town. In this case, I found a three-year old Jeanette M. Bale living in Webster City with her parents William S. and Flora G. Bale. Two sisters, close in age to Jeanette are also in the household: five-year-old Louise, and the two-year-old Mary. William's profession is listed as "Salesman: Drugs."

I could not find the family in the 1910 US Federal Census. However, they do appear on the 1911 Canada Census, having moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1906². William's occupation is listed as "Salesman." The mother in the house is now recorded as "Florence." In the 1916 Manitoba-Alberta-Saskatchewan Census, his occupation is also "Salesman -- Advertising Specialist³." We seem to be getting further and further away from Pharmacist.

But, the family moves back to the US and can be found on the 1920 US Federal Census, living in Galena, IL, in the household of Mary Gratiot, presumably Florence's mother (although the way the census is recorded, she could be William's mother). This time, William's occupation is "Druggist.⁴" While that's good enough of a match for me, I do want to confirm that Jeanette married a Meade, just to be sure I'm not forcing the puzzle pieces.

Turns out that Jeanette didn't marry someone with the surname Meade, but rather, someone with the given name Meade. I'm sure that must count. Jeanette Bale and Meade M. Morris were married in Galena, Illinois in 1921⁵. Can you guess which sister is which? When do you suppose the image was taken?

---

1 "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M9KP-Z6G : accessed 2 May 2018), Jeannette M Bale in household of Wiliam S Bale, Webster city Ward 2, Hamilton, Iowa, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 100, sheet 5B, family 123, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,435.
2 "Recensement du Canada de 1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV95-F9GD : 16 March 2018), Jeanette Bale in entry for William Bale, 1911; citing Census, Winnipeg Sub-Districts 1-29, Manitoba, Canada, Library and Archives of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario; FHL microfilm 2,417,671.
3 1916 census of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, Winnipeg, Manitoba, population schedule, enumeration district (ED) 5, p.47 (penned), dwelling 335, family 557, William G. Bale family, digital image, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed May 1, 2018), citing microfilm LAC microfilm T-21934.
4 1920 U.S. census, Galena Ward 3, Jo Daviess, Illinois, population schedule, enumeration district (ED) 43, page 3-A, dwelling 67, family 75, Mary J. Gratiot household; digital image, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 30 Apr 2018); citing National Archives microfilm publication T625, roll 373.
5 "Illinois, County Marriages, 1810-1940," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q292-Z4H3 : 8 November 2017), Meade M. Morris and Jeannette M. Bale, 03 Sep 1921; citing , Jo Daviess, Illinois, United States, county offices, Illinois; FHL microfilm 1,602,649.

The Girl in the Ambrotype -- 1850s

This past weekend I attended a genealogy conference where I became involved in a conversation surrounding Daguerrotype and Ambrotype photography. The question came up: how do you tell the difference between the two?

The ambrotype you see above is probably the oldest photograph in my collection.  The ambrotype was first used in 1851 and was patented by James Ambrose Cutting in 1854. Eventually, it became the photograph of choice, overtaking the earlier Daguerrotype in popularity mostly because it was less expensive. The Ambrotype is actually a negative image on glass made positive with a black backing. Most often it is cased, as you see above. Ambrotype use died out around 1880, though never as popular as it was in the mid-1850s, due to the invention of tintypes and "cartes de visite."

You can differentiate an ambrotype from a daguerreotype by its reflectiveness. The ambrotype will not have a mirror-like image when you look at it from different angles. If you take it out of the case and hold it up to the light, you will be able to see through the ambrotype. I know this particular artifact is an ambrotype because the image is on glass, and not on polished silver as a daguerreotype would be. Ambrotypes were made from 1851-1880, but this one probably dates somewhere in the mid to late 1850s.

Assuming it is original, I am guessing that the case is probably an early one. In the back half of the 1850s the mat and brass preserver became highly ornate. As you can see, ours is quite plain. It probably dates to 1855 or earlier. The young girl's outfit could provide clues as well. The wide, shallow shoulders of her dress point to the 1850s. I'm not a costume expert but I do wish I could see what type of legging were worn, as that, too, could help with dating the image. This is probably the only likeness in existence of this particular sitting. Ambrotypes, for the most part, were one-offs. 

I found this ambro at an antique show and sale in Red Deer, Alberta about 25 years ago. The problem with ambrotypes is that they are so often unidentified. This one is no exception. It is highly unlikely that I will ever learn the background story of this young girl.

When Hard-To-Read Handwriting Is Actually a Good Thing - (Possibly) Charles Gipe, Kentucky, 1886

Handwriting is everything when there is very little to identify a photograph.  This cabinet card is one of those frustrating instances where everything should fall into place, but doesn't because you're unable to decipher, with certainty, the surname of the subject. When I first investigated this photograph a few years ago I gave up on it, thinking it might be a hopeless case. Upon revisiting this mystery it turns out that the difficult-to-read signature may be just the clue needed to figure out who this gentleman is. 

Initially, I thought the man's surname was "Gifoe."  But, after plunking "Gifoe" into Ancestry and coming up with only one (and highly suspect) hit on the surname Gifoe, I abandoned that idea, at least temporarily.  If not "Gifoe," what could it be?  Next I tried "Gifre" which provided a few hits, with one single Charles Gifre (d. Kentucky at age 87 in 1918) which I now suspect was a transcription error--but more on that later. Before I could begin to look further into this possibility, I needed to consider the photographer.

The reverse of the cabinet card does provide us with a photographer's name:  Jas. Whited, Cosmopolitan Studio. A location isn't given. A search of various photographer's indexes didn't yield any photographers by the name of James Whited, but I did find a conversation on a genealogy board that suggested Jas. Whited operated a studio in Bowling Green, Kentucky. However, I couldn't find anything online that indicated this was accurate.

Perhaps a reader has crossed paths with the Jas. Whited Cosmopolitan Studio in their research. If so, I'd be so happy to hear from you. It's usually at this point in a fruitless search that I put the photo aside for another day but after staring at the signature for a long time I decided that the surname might be "Gipe." While I am not able to say definitively if this is Charles Gipe, I will say that I found a signature on a marriage bond for the marriage of Chas. A. Gipe and Louisa Hilbert in Nelson, Kentucky that looks very much like the signature on the cabinet card above¹.

Charles A. Gipe was a shoemaker, born in Bavaria around 1831². After immigrating to America, he settled in Nelson County, Kentucky³ and later moved to Louisville⁴ where he died in 1918⁵. In the Ancestry transcription of this record, Charles' surname is recorded as "Gifre," which is an understandable mistake--understandable because I made the same call myself early on in this investigation. If the information on the cabinet card is correct, the image of Charles Gipe would have been taken in 1886.

What do you think? Could this be Charles A. Gipe?

---

1 "Kentucky, County Marriages, 1797-1954," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FW12-M4M : accessed 19 April 2018), Charles A. Gipe and Louisa Hilbert, 30 Jul 1894; citing Bardstown, Nelson, Kentucky, United States, Madison County Courthouse, Richmond; FHL microfilm 1,929,401.
2 "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZB8-S8R : 14 December 2017), Charles Gipe, 1860.
3 "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCZK-QQ9 : 14 August 2017), Chas Gipe, New Haven, Nelson, Kentucky, United States; citing enumeration district ED 210, sheet 292A, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0436; FHL microfilm 1,254,436.
4 "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M2DR-2XJ : accessed 20 April 2018), Charles A Gipe, Louisville Ward 11, Jefferson, Kentucky, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 180, sheet 6A, family 124, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 486; FHL microfilm 1,374,499.
5 "Kentucky Deaths and Burials, 1843-1970," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FWPS-8PL : 10 February 2018), Charles A. Gipe, 30 May 1918; citing reference ; FHL microfilm 2,024,938.

'Little Nugget,' A.A. Paull, Photographer, Nanaimo, BC, Circa 1901

I found this unidentified photo in a dresser drawer in a shabby-chic design store in Campbell River, BC. It appealed to me because it was photographed right here on Vancouver Island around the turn of the century, and so I bought it.

Most of Vancouver Island was still pretty wild in 1900. The province's capital, Victoria, was a growing, modern city and Nanaimo, with its mining and logging industry, was a centre for employment mid-island. The New Westminster Columbian reported in their December 1903 issue that "A.A. Paull, photographer, though a native of Jersey, left the Old Country when two years old, and until 1892 lived in London, Ont., where he learned the trade of cabinet maker. His next move was to British Columbia, and he has resided there since then, doing a good business as a photographer."¹

Alfred Albert Paull, son of Alfred (a baker) and Mary Paull, immigrated to Canada from St. Helier, Jersey with his parents and sister, Jane, in 1872². The Paulls settled in Ailsa Craig, Middlesex North, Ontario³. By 1891 Alfred was living on his own and working as a cabinetmaker⁴, but the rest of the family, including Alfred's 10 siblings, had moved across the county to live in New Westminster, B.C⁵. A year or two later, Alfred Albert moved to British Columbia as well.  In 1893, the reunited family lived at 912 Seymour Street in Vancouver⁶.

I found an entry for A. A. Paull, the photographer, in the City of Nanaimo Archives' Information File. Using various city directories, the staff at the archives traced his movements at the end of the 19th century, into the early 1900s. Paull worked for the CPR as a freight checker and deliveryman in Vancouver from 1894 to 1901. In 1901 he is listed as a photographer for the first time, having opened a studio on Fitzwilliam Street in Nanaimo, in the area now known as "The Old Quarter." I believe my photograph dates to this time period. In 1902, Paull shows up once again in the Vancouver Directory, this time as a photographer at 45 Cordova Street, and the following year at 61 Cordova⁶. But Paull is in business in Nanaimo until at least 1903, as several advertisements appear in the Nanaimo Daily News that year promoting his studio "opposite the Presbyterian Church."

He has a roving photographic business up and running in 1903.

Cumberland News, March 10, 1903

It seems to have been a "pop-up" type of operation. Perhaps the Paull Studio made the rounds to small towns, opening a studio for a period of a month or so before moving on. I believe Paull may not have always made these trips himself. The Cumberland News states on October 8, 1902 that "Mr. Schinck of Paull's Studio has terminated a successful visit here and returned to Nanaimo on Friday morning." It's quite possible that other photographers, hired by Paull, helped run these studios. Schinck appears in the 1904 BC Directory as a photographer based in Nanaimo.

Cumberland News, September 24, 1903

The A.A. Paull Studio also shows up in other BC towns, including Moyie, a small town located on the mainland in the East Kootenays.

Moyie Leader, March 27, 1909

In a November 1909 issue of the Moyie Leader, the paper announced that A.A. Paull was moving his studio to Michel.

Cranbrook appears to be another location for his photographic business. On June 5, 1911, the Cranbrook Herald wrote:  A. A. Paull of the Albert Studio, is away to Rossland on a business trip and will be absent from the city for a week or so.

In the 1920s A. A. Paull is still taking photographs. Many commercial images relating to the BC lumber and mining industries are available on the Vancouver Public Library's Special Collections website for viewing⁷. Alfred Albert Paull died on the 18th of June 1958 in New Westminster, BC⁸.

The name of the woman in the photograph is still a mystery.

---

1 New Westminster Columbian, December 1903, p. 1
2 Manifest, S.S. Prussian, 17 May 1872, List, A. A. Paul (age 9 months), digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.amazon.ca :accessed 12 Apr 2018).
3 "Canada Census, 1881," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MVDK-6HT : 11 March 2018), Ailsa Craig, Middlesex North, Ontario, Canada; citing p. 13; Library and Archives Canada film number C-13270, Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Ontario; FHL microfilm 1,375,906.
4 "Canada Census, 1891," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MWLJ-X6Y : 3 August 2016), Alfred Paull, Ailsa Craig, Middlesex North, Ontario, Canada; Public Archives, Ottawa, Ontario; Library and Archives Canada film number 30953_148154.
5 "Canada Census, 1891," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MWK3-3S1 : 3 August 2016), A H Paul, Vancouver City, New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada; Public Archives, Ottawa, Ontario; Library and Archives Canada film number 30953_148093.
6 Henderson's BC Directory, various years, digital images, Vancouver Public Library Digital Library (http://www.vpl.ca/digital-library/british-columbia-city-directories :accessed 13 Apr 2018)
7 http://www3.vpl.ca/spe/histphotos/photos-search.htm
8 "British Columbia Death Registrations, 1872-1986; 1992-1993", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FLRM-85H : 8 November 2017), Alfred Albert Paull, 1958.

The Wee James Jesse Taylor and his Family, Nova Scotia, ca. 1866

Last week I spent an afternoon making the antique store rounds in search of any identified family photos. I found this family portrait cdv in a Vancouver Island shop. The fading carte de visite called out to me, and I felt I should try to preserve what was left of the image before it disappeared entirely. Now that it is scanned, I feel much better, and can begin discovering the story behind the image.

There's a lot of information written in ballpoint on the reverse of the photo:

Child James Jesse
Taylor with parents
-about 1868
(father of Agnes
Margaret Holden)
Pat Holden's 
    grandfather
about 1860
Parent is George
from Peebles, Scotland

Even though the inscriber did not provide any precise birthdates, there is enough information here to do a little digging.

Since I knew the name of the child in the photo, and the name of this child's future daughter, I thought I would begin by trying to locate the grown-up James Taylor's family in a census or perhaps try to locate Agnes Margaret's birth record. I wasn't successful in locating Agnes' birth record, so I focussed on a census search. While I could not be absolutely certain that Holden was Agnes' married name, I thought it was likely. So, I looked for a James Taylor born between 1860 and 1866, with a child named Agnes Margaret Taylor. I found one possibility to investigate in the 1901 Canada Census¹.

1901 Truro, Colchester County, Nova Scotia

J. J. Taylor, 35, born 14 Mar 1865, Nova Scotia, Occupation: C. Engineer [civil engineer]

J. C. Taylor, 29

Hudson Taylor 10

Phyllis Taylor 7

Agnes M Taylor 4, born 26 June 1896, Truro, Nova Scotia

Unfortunately, the given names aren't written in full. I then located the family in the 1911 Canada Census, now living in Moncton, New Brunswick²:

1911 Moncton, Westmorland, New Brunswick

James Jesse Taylor 46, b. Mar 1865 Nova Scotia, Civil Engineer

Jane Taylor 39
Hudson Taylor 19
Phyllis Taylor 17
Agnes M Taylor 14, b. June 1897, Nova Scotia
Minnie Leblanc 20, maid

At this point I'm beginning to think I might be on the right track.

I noticed what I thought was probably a photographer's imprint in the very centre on the back of the card. The small, circular photographer's stamp is so faint that it is very difficult to discern most of the letters even with a magnifying glass. By using Photoshop software and experimenting with the curves tool I was able to make out that the photographer was Parish & Co., at 124 Hollis Street in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Isaac Parish operated his studio there from roughly 1862 to 1869^3,4.

Okay, so this is all looking very plausible to me now, but a few questions remain. Did this Agnes M. Taylor marry a man with the surname Holden? Yes, she did. On the 27th of October 1915, Agnes married Charles Patrick Holden in Fredericton, NB⁵. On this marriage record, Agnes' parents are listed as Jas. J. and Jane C. Taylor.

And what about George, the alleged father of James Jesse Taylor? I was able to locate the marriage record of James Jesse Taylor. He married Jane C. Hudson on 2 Oct 1889 in Pictou, Nova Scotia. James' parents are listed as George and Jessie Taylor⁶. 

And then I found an interesting write-up on George Taylor and his family connections on the NS Memory (Council of Nova Scotia Archives) site, which seems to corroborate the information above and the inscriber's assertion that George was from Peebles, Scotland. For descendants, it looks like Nova Scotia Archives has a wealth of information about George Taylor, including correspondence, account books and George and Jessie Taylor's marriage certificate.

---

1 1901 census of Canada, Truro, Colchester, Nova Scotia, population schedule, enumeration district (ED) 29, sub district S, p.5 (penned), dwelling 43, family 46, J. J. Taylor family; digital image, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 7 Apr 2018); citing Library and Archives Canada microfilm T-6428 through T-6556.
2 1911 census of Canada, Moncton, Westmorland, New Brunswick, population schedule, enumeration district (ED) 11, sub district  # 8, p.18 (penned), dwelling 172, family 180, James Jesse Taylor family, digital image, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 7 Apr 2018), citing microfilm LAC microfilm T-20326 to T-20460.
3 Hutchinson's Nova Scotia Directory, for 1866/67, Containing Alphabetical Directories of Each Place in the Province, with a Post Office Directory and an Appendix Containing Much Useful Information. -- [Halifax]: [Thomas Hutchinson], [1866?]., page 75, Parish & Co. advertisement.
4 Burant, Jim. “Pre-Confederation Photography in Nova Scotia,” Carlton University, Ottawa, Ontario. http://jcah-ahac.concordia.ca/pdf/download/jcah-ahac_4-1_burant
5 "New Brunswick Provincial Marriages 1789-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVBF-FJ57 : 13 March 2018), Charles Patrick Holden and Agnes Margaret Taylor, 27 Oct 1915; citing Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, p. , Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, Fredericton; FHL microfilm 2,024,762.
6 "Canada Marriages, 1661-1949," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F2GN-FT8 : 10 February 2018), James J. Taylor and Jane C. Hudson, 02 Oct 1889; citing Pictou, Pictou, Nova Scotia, reference 2:3R03LVK; FHL microfilm 1,298,992.

Mary Louise Buchner Herron, Courtland, Ontario 1849-1927

I've noticed lately an increase in the number of old family photos showing up in thrift shops. Mostly they are unidentified, but this image, found at a local second-hand shop, is clearly identified on the reverse:
"Grandmother Mary Louise Buchner Herron
Courtland, Ontario
Born - April 23, 1849
Died - Mar 26, 1927"

Not only did the previous owner of this photograph provide a full name, they also gave a birth and death date to help us locate the records that will reveal a little bit about Mary and her life. Unfortunately, one of the dates is off by 20 days, but I think we can still piece together a fairly reliable account of the very basics of Mary's life.

Mary Louisa Buchner was born on the 23rd of April 1849 to Edward Dell Buchner and Harriett Cohoe in Middleton, Canada West. Middleton, later known as Courtland, was largely settled in the 1840s by German immigrants. Edward was the postmaster in the Township of Middleton, and Harriet worked as a seamstress. Mary grew up with at least five siblings: Albert R., Nathan, Theresa, Rosetta, and Edward, but there could have been others. Mary seems to have lived her entire life in the Middleton/Courtland area.^1,3

25-year-old Mary married William John Herron, 24, a merchant, in Simcoe, Ontario on 9 May 1875. William John was the son of J.C.H and Jane Herron.² Mary and William lived in Middleton Township with their five children: Ernest, Effie, Jennie, John C., and Hattie.⁴

Mary died at the age of 76 of heart disease related to old age and is buried in the United Church Cemetery in Courtland, Norfolk County, Ontario. Her death record provides a different date of death than the one written on the photograph, but this type of mistake isn't uncommon when the date is recorded on an image years after the event.⁵

---

1 "Ontario Census, 1861," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQ7V-SH4 : 8 November 2017), Edward D Buchner, Middleton, Norfolk, Ontario, Canada; citing p. 22, line 1; Library and Archives Canada film number C-1052, Public Archives, Toronto; FHL microfilm 2,435,926.
2 "Ontario, Canada Marriages, 1801-1928, 1933-34" online database, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca), Mary Louisa Buchner and William John Herron, Marriages 1875, Simcoe, Ontario, 9 May 1875; citing original data at Archives of Ontario; citing microfilm MS932, reel 18.
3 1851 census of Canada, Middleton, Norfolk, Ontario, population schedule, Schedule: A; Roll: C_11741; Page: 11; Line: 47, Edward D. Buchner household; digital image, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 1 Apr 2018); citing Library and Archives Canada Census of 1851 (Canada East, Canada West, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia).
4 1891 Census of Canada, Middleton, Norfolk North, Ontario, population schedule, enumeration district (ED) 96, subdistrict A, p.9 (penned), family 41, William Herron household; digital image, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 19 Mar 2018); citing Library and Archives Canada microfilm T-6344.
5 "Ontario, Canada, Deaths and Deaths Overseas, 1869-1946," online database, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca), Mary Louisa Herron, Middleton, Ontario, 6 Mar 1927; citing original data at Archives of Ontario; citing microfilm Series: MS935; Reel: 350.