Migrant Trails: The Erie Canal and Great Lakes

My migrant ancestor was Matthew Masey Palmer. He was born in Coxsackie, Greene County, New York in 1820. Greene County was mostly settled along the Hudson River, and this was part of a large migration route from New York, New York to states west including Ohio and Illinois. Matthew was married in Greene County in October 1842 to Sarah Ann Blount. Their son Reuben Fayette Palmer was born in Rochester, New York in January 1845. By 1850 U.S. Census, the Palmer family was living in Antioch, Lake, Illinois and Matthew was a farmer. The next oldest child Regina was born in November of 1847 in Illinois giving the family nearly three years to travel from Rochester, Monroe, New York where Reuben was born to settle somewhere in Illinois and possibly have arrived the whole way to Antioch.

There were two main migration routes from New York, New York to Illinois. Those were a water route via the Erie Canal and Great Lakes or a land route via the National Road. Due to the proximity to the Hudson River and the birth of a child in Rochester, New York which is on the Erie Canal, it is most likely that Matthew and Sarah Palmer traveled on the Erie Canal and then steam boats through the Great Lakes.

Matthew and Sarah Palmer could travel the twenty miles up the Hudson River to Albany, New York either on a ferry or on land trail on the side of the river. From Albany, they would have taken the Erie Canal about 270 miles to Rochester in Monroe County, New York. The Erie Canal continues from Rochester all the way to Buffalo, New York for a total of 361.5 miles. The family may not have been able to afford the entire journey on barge based on the many tolls required at every single port along the canal. The couple may have stopped along the way or walked part of the way taking additional time. It is possible they left Coxsackie almost immediately after their marriage and that another child was born along the way that was no longer living by the 1850 census. The counties where they may have stopped before stopping in Monroe County, include the following counties in New York State: Albany, Schenectady, Montgomery, Herkimer, Oneida, Madison, Ondago, Cayuga, and Wayne.  If the family stopped anywhere else along the Erie Canal between Rochester and Buffalo, there may be records in Orleans, Niagara, and Erie counties.  From Buffalo at the end of the Erie Canal, a traveler could obtain passage on a steam boat to Detroit, Michigan and from there around the mitten of Michigan via the Great Lakes. It is more likely the Palmers stuck to the well-traveled route and did not travel via land the remainder of the way. However, the steam boats through the Great Lakes did have many port stops along the way so records may be found for the family in port cities in Michigan if they stopped again between Detroit and Lake County, Michigan. The distance from Buffalo, New York where the Erie Canal ends to Southport which is now known as Kenosha, Wisconsin was 985 miles by steamboat.

Once in Wisconsin, the family would have traveled south along a road that went south along the shore of Lake Michigan about 10 miles then headed west another approximately ten miles from the road to Antioch where they settled by 1850. The entire trip from Coxsackie, New York to Antioch, Illinois would have been 1366.5 miles total. If the family could afford to travel via water the entire time and had no delays from weather or having a baby, they may have made the entire trip in around a month’s time. In good weather, they could travel from Albany to Buffalo in only 5 days. Considering they had a child born in Monroe in the middle of winter, it seems likely they took more than 5 days to make this leg of the journey.  Steam travel from Buffalo to Detroit would have taken about two days.  A steamboat traveled at around 5 miles per hour, so the trip from Detroit would have taken at 197 hours or about 8.2 days of travel time, plus any time the boat may have stopped in a harbor and loaded or unloaded supplies.  The steamboat trip would have taken easily two weeks from Buffalo to Southport.  Assuming they traveled 10 miles a day on land from Coxsackie to Albany and Southport to Antioch, that would add an additional 4 days of travel. So, all up we are looking at a minimum of 3-4 weeks of travel, plus the delays of having a baby and caring for a newborn or infant along the way. It seems likely that the Palmers would have not been able to travel the route nearly as quickly in the winter, let alone the time to have a baby and recover enough to continue traveling.

*Maps referenced were the 1820 New York Map for Traveler and the 1840 Township and drainage map Wisconsin, Illinois, etc Great Lakes. The 1820 New York map shows trails, waterways, and even referenced prices and travel times along each segment of the Erie Canal. The 1840 Township map was used to locate the residence of the family’s home as of the 1850 census and possible trails there from ports on the Great Lakes. Though the actual travel was not recorded by my ancestor, I have been able to track a probably travel route of the Palmer family as they migrated west before 1850.

The Power of a Google Search in Genealogy

This week in my genealogy class we are studying databases and how to evaluate a good database. One of our tasks was to find and evaluate at least one database using Google. We were told to search for things by area and topic, for example searching for ‘obituaries Cook County, IL.’ I searched for a few different things from both sides of my family.

One thing I searched for was the Kansas State Historical Society. While most historical societies don’t have many databases on their websites, they do often link to places for research. KSHS has a special program for Kansas residents with a valid driver’s license. We can be verified on the website then follow a special link to KSHS collections on Ancestry.com and Newspapers.com. I already have an Ancestry membership, so I did not need to use their link for Ancestry, but I do not have a membership for Newspapers.com.

One of the neatest things about this site, is while you are searching images, you can type in the text you want to search in the images and it searches the text on the page for your search criteria. I was also able to limit it to year. This is especially helpful if your ancestor has a very common name.

The Kansas collection of newspapers contains several newspapers for Osage County, Kansas – where my father’s ancestors staked a claim as pioneers. It did not have any for Greenwood or Coffey counties where my mother has ancestors. When searching for my great-grandfather Frank Smith I found the newspaper article about his death and funeral. They also published snippets where Mr. and Mrs. Jolly went to visit him and his wife during his illness. There were actually several Frank Smith’s in Osage County, two of whom were born the same year – my ancestor and another Frank Smith. So, sorting by dates I knew was imperative. Initially had results for well past Frank’s death – clearly referring to the other guy. But, by searching for a specific time frame I was able to find things I knew for my ancestor.

I also went to look for information for my great-grand uncle M. T. Headington. He married Frank’s sister Lizzie and was the local school teacher and superintendent. I found out the W. M. Headington listed as a boarder in the same census was probably his brother – the newspaper referred to them as the Headington Brothers. He also have another brother in a nearby county in Kansas. Matthew and Lizzie did not have any children that survived past infancy, so they have always been a bit of a mystery to me. But, because he had a high profile position, he was in the newspaper frequently. There was even an article where they published that a local teacher was fired and they hired M. T. Headington to take over the classroom. It happened so quickly that one day the students arrived at school and they had a new teacher. There were also articles about him going to Washington to attend a conference for educators. He was well liked and obviously a great educator.

In case you are curious, there were not newspapers for the counties for my mother’s side of the family. Even if there were, they likely would not have had too many mentions considering they shunned worldy things like high school educations in the 1930s when my grandmother was school aged. But, if any are added I will be able to see them thanks for the KSHS partnership.

It was so exciting learning that I can have access to this site thanks to the state historical society. They did include on the website that if you are not a Kansas resident, many local libraries carry subscriptions to Newspapers.com. So, when looking for records in your search for family records, don’t forget to check the local historical societies. Some have things available for residents only, or for free for residents, but at a cost for non-residents. There are many wonderful volunteers and experts that work all for the public greater good.

A Fatherless Ancestor

My second great-grand aunt was Anna Braker. Anna immigrated to the United States in 1854 when she was just 19 years old. Anna was the youngest child in her family. She lived on a farm caring for her six brothers, and as most people of the day would claim she was an old maid. Her life can’t have been easy, even though many of her siblings married and moved on. She still would have spent most of her days cooking, washing clothes and dishes, and all the typical woman tasks on a farm. One of the most interesting things about Anna, is that when she was 56, she married one of the wealthiest men in the county Benedict Frieden. He had been widowed twice before and had ten children between the two marriages. He died only two years after their marriage, and she had the fortune of inheriting over one thousand acres of farm land.  One of her step son’s managed the farm, but she was considered the owner. Though she spent most of her life working long hours, she was able to have others care for her in her old age. Another interesting factoid is that Anna outlived all but two of her step children.

The other day, as I was working on Ancestry.com I saw that someone had added media to Benedict Frieden. I researched him enough to discover which children belonged to which mother, however I did not know much about him. In the added media was several scanned images written in German. They were about Benedict’s birth and heritage and might partly explain why I was not able to research him very well in the past. You see, Benedict was born 22 June 1827 in Vogelsang as the illegitimate son of Anna Frieden. His biological father was a soldier and working for the French government at the time of Benedict’s birth. This was actually one of the most common employs of young Swiss men at the time. Since the Supreme Court on Marriage had no way to bring his father back legally, Anna was given the child and any costs as well as a punishment of half of 2 1/2 days. Benedict was recorded with the Frieden citizenship.

What an interesting story! I know Frieden’s show up again in my mother’s side of the family, however the biological father’s name Bohren never crossed paths. I can only assume that Benedict was raised in his mother’s religion because his father did not come back to marry Anna. He only would have met and married Anna Braker because they were both members of the same religion that fled Switzerland for religious freedom in the United States. He would have known Anna for decades before marrying her. It is so interesting how events can shape our entire future.

Wildcard searches – Naturalization records

This portion of my class, we are studying Ancestry.com. One area we have looked at is the map for searching on Ancestry. I  decided to try it out this week. I have been a little stuck in some areas of my research, so I decided to try and find records for the Somerhalder family. The best part about this family, is that there are so few Somerhalders in America there are few results to sort through. I wanted to look for naturalization records for that side of the family.

Unfortunately, I have found no records in the past. I even tried today, all excited because I was using the map search to find records for Kansas (he settled in Coffey County, Kansas). I looked in the Missouri Western District Naturlization Index, 1848-1990. I found nothing. I know it happened because census records stated he was naturalized. So I tried one of the search tricks we learned in class. I searched with a wildcard – “So*erhalder.”

There he was! Not only did he apply for naturalization, he was denied for the reason “Witness an alien” the first time. He applied again a year later and was accepted September 1, 1914. A happy day for everyone, I am sure. It also stated the exact date he arrived in the country “4/12/74 New York” which means April 12, 1874 in New York. This will help me search ship manifests for all ships arriving that date for him.

I do want to add that the image and index had his name recorded exactly as I searched, yet it did not show up. I don’t know if that is because the Swiss spelling of the name was Sommerhalder, however that name was nowhere in the typed indexed images. So, it just shows that wildcard searches can bring up records that typical searches cannot. I am so grateful for the skills I am learning in this class, and how many things I can find that I could not before.

Hope in a road block.

In Family History there is a common term called a ‘roadblock.’ This is typically an ancestor where you don’t know anything about their parents or siblings. You might only have an estimated year of birth. Essentially you are stuck, and you have exhausted all your abilities to find more information.

One of the roadblock places in my family tree is my second great Grandmother Maria Brand. Her mother, my 3rd great-grandmother, is referred to in family stories only as “Babali Momenthaler.” My mother told me in the late 90s that she believed that Babali was probably a nickname in Swiss German, possibly not even related to her first given name. It was one of our wonderful family history legends that no one could verify but had been passed down faithfully since it was all we know about that generation. We don’t know Maria’s father’s given name either.

Maria was born in 1850 in Switzerland. She immigrated to the United States sometime prior to 1881 because she married Josua Braker in 1881 in Iowa. She lived until 1900 and had eight children. Her second child is my great-grandfather Sam Braker. Sam only had one brother, who was 10 years younger than him. The other children were all girls. So, he was only able to go to school until the 4th grade. After that, he was needed to work on the farm to help the family. His father died in 1909, and Sam got married in 1910 to Sarah Banwart. He did not pass down many stories about his parents to his children, so we have to rely on the few things that were passed down.

This week one of our assignments was to search for records on Family Search for an ancestor. We practiced just a search, then adding wild card characters for the name, and then searching by name and filtering by location. I chose to research Sarah Banwart’s father Charles Frederich Banwart. We know his parents and grand parents names, and I know there were records available for him. I was surprised to find so many records that I had not attached to his profile in family search yet. Some of those records were census records that included his second wife and children.

As I was attaching records for my great-grandfather’s second wife after doing the historical record activity, I ran into her grandmother’s name – an Anna Muhmenthaler. Anna’s information is pretty sparse on Family Search, but just finding a last name so close and knowing the family’s history means I am now searching for any and every record for Anna. The family were Anabaptists so finding out spouses were 2nd or 3rd cousins, is very typical. The Apostolic Christian Church broke off as a small splinter that put and emphasis on Faith and Christ as opposed to the ordnung (or order) the larger Amish sects emphasize. This name is the first glimmer of hope for Babali. The spelling we had, that might have been written down phonetically, led nowhere. But, this new spelling and a potential cousin or aunt  or even older sister named Anna is a tiny chink in the road block.

Family History – The Mystery of Uncle Barney

I have been researching family history recently as part of a class at church. I know that some of my family have search direct lines back until things get a little confusing. (how many John Smith’s son of John Smith are there in 19th century US? A LOT!) My Smith side had a family reunion in September and I came home with some large print out descendency charts for my great-great grandparents, pioneers to the Kansas Territory. The youngest sister of my Great-Grandmother Harriet was Emma. Emma was listed with several children that had similar ages, but were not connected to her husband Barney. So, I decided to find out what I could about her. I assumed I would find that two of the people listed were the same child and the other missing girl belonged to both parents.

What I have found could be an elaborate book or movie.  And it all started because Uncle Barney disappeared. I don’t know if he disappeared in reality, but he disappeared on public records. One state census he was there. Five years later Emma as a widow. Five more years after that she was listed as divorced.

Her 4 youngest children were living with her in the 1920 US Census (where she was listed as a widow) as well as a child name Earl. Her employment was listed that she worked on “Sons dairy farm.” Earl was 33 at the time of the census and born before Emma and Barney were married. Earl was listed as the son of Emma, but all other census records stated she was the mother of 5 children, 5 living. I assume Earl must have been Barney’s child.  With only a birth year and state, it has been hard to figure out where he was from. Vital records aren’t considered public records in Kansas, and the only way to get them is to literally pay $15 for a copy from the state. I don’t think I have enough information to even request most of these records.

 

So, I decided to look into Uncle Barney. I am researching him in his Pre-Emma years to see if there are any clues.

This is still a work in progress, but I decided to keep a research journal.

Personal Peace: The Reward of Righteousness

Quinten L. Cook, April 2013 General Conference, http://www.lds.org

Key Doctrine and Principles

• Agency is essential
• The Savior is the source of peace
• Covenants with the Lord bring peace
• Sacred places can be a refuge for peace

Favorite Quotes

“Agency is essential to the plan of happiness. It allows for the love, sacrifice, personal growth, and experience necessary for our eternal progression. This agency also allows for all the pain and suffering we experience in mortality, even when caused by things we do not understand and the devastating evil choices of others. The very War in Heaven was waged over our moral agency and is essential to understanding the Savior’s earthly ministry.”

“We all long for peace. Peace is not just safety or lack of war, violence, conflict, and contention. Peace comes from knowing that the Savior knows who we are and knows that we have faith in Him, love Him, and keep His commandments, even and especially amid life’s devastating trials and tragedies.”

“Emma Lou Thayne’s beloved hymn asks the appropriate questions: “Where can I turn for peace? Where is my solace when other sources cease to make me whole?” The answer is the Savior, who is the source and author of peace. He is the “Prince of Peace.””

“The Church is a refuge where followers of Christ attain peace. Some young people in the world say they are spiritual but not religious. Feeling spiritual is a good first step. However, it is in the Church that we are fellowshipped, taught, and nourished by the good word of God. More importantly, it is priesthood authority in the Church that provides for sacred ordinances and covenants that bind families together and qualify each of us to return to God the Father and Jesus Christ in the celestial kingdom. These ordinances bring peace because they are covenants with the Lord.”

“More importantly, it is priesthood authority in the Church that provides for sacred ordinances and covenants that bind families together and qualify each of us to return to God the Father and Jesus Christ in the celestial kingdom. These ordinances bring peace because they are covenants with the Lord. Temples are where many of these sacred ordinances occur and are also a source of peaceful refuge from the world. Those who visit temple grounds or participate in temple open houses also feel this peace.”

Why this Matters to Me

This talk is an example of Elder Cook teaching about the gospel through calamity. While world peace is a worthy goal, we cannot expect the world to be at peace. We have been blessed with ways to still have peace in our homes and with our families in spite of the world. Through our moral agency, we can choose to follow the Savior. The priesthood, or power of God, brings us peace through the ordinances and covenants we make. Temples are a place where we can find peace when our own lives have been filled with turmoil. A year ago my youngest son had an accident and was hospitalized. Though we were sad and upset, I insisted that I wanted to go to the temple. As we walked through the gates onto temple grounds my husband started giggling. He kept quietly giggling when we were waiting in the chapel before a session. He told me later that he felt the weight lifted from his shoulders. It was such a difference he couldn’t help but laugh from the relief and joy. I know that as we seek the Lord and are true to our covenants, he will bless us with peace.

LDS Women Are Incredible

Quinten L. Cook, April 2011 General Conference, http://www.lds.org

Key Doctrine and Principles

• Women are equal partners with husbands
• Women have leadership roles in church councils and organizations

Favorite Quotes

“Our doctrine is clear: Women are daughters of our Heavenly Father, who loves them. Wives are equal to their husbands. Marriage requires a full partnership where wives and husbands work side by side to meet the needs of the family.”

“We recognize that there are enormous forces arrayed against women and families. Recent studies find there is deterioration in devotion to marriage, with a decrease in the number of adults being married. For some, marriage and family are becoming “a menu choice rather than the central organizing principle of our society.”Women are confronted with many options and need to prayerfully consider the choices they make and how those choices affect the family.”

“A predominant attribute in the lives of our pioneer ancestors is the faith of the sisters. Women by divine nature have the greater gift and responsibility for home and children and nurturing there and in other settings. In light of this, the faith of the sisters in being willing to leave their homes to cross the plains for the unknown was inspiring. If one had to characterize their most significant attribute, it would be their unwavering faith in the restored gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

“In the Church the role of women in the home is highly respected. When the mother receives a Church calling that requires significant time, the father will often be given a less-demanding calling in order to maintain balance in the lives of the family.”

“The remarkable pioneer woman Emily H. Woodmansee penned the text of the hymn “As Sisters in Zion.” She correctly asserts that the “errand of angels is given to women.” This has been described as “nothing less than to do the direct and immediate bidding of our Father in Heaven, and ‘this is a gift that … sisters … claim.’””

Why This Matters to Me

I choose this talk looking for quotes for my quote book. I didn’t find very many quotes that I will use in my quote book, but I found the quote included above on marriage and family becoming a menu choice interesting. During a young women lesson marriage was brought up and nearly all of the girls ages 14-16 said they did not plan on getting married. Some of them later said they would possibly be interested in getting married but it wasn’t something they were striving for until after a mission, college, etc. They had plans and goals where they thought marriage was not  compatible. This conference talk does not explain that life goals and marriage can be compatible, but it does help share that women are equals in ward councils and as leaders in different auxiliaries.

The Biography of Quinten L. Cook

I was touched by the story from Elder Cooks youth. When his older brother Joe wanted to serve a mission. Joe had to convince their father to let him go. Elder Cook’s father was not interested in attending church meetings and thought Joe should go to medical school instead. Joe bore his testimony that the Savior really lived, Joseph Smith was a prophet, and the Book of Mormon was true. At that time Elder Cook gained a personal witness and a testimony of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. I liked this story because when we hear someone else’s testimony, our testimony can grow. It was also an assurance that even an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ did not have a whole testimony of the restored gospel until he was 15. This is a testament that we all learn line upon line and our faith and knowledge can grow every day.

Converted unto the Lord

David A. Bednar, October 2012 General Conference, http://www.lds.org

Key Principles and Doctrine

• Testimony is personal knowledge of spiritual truth
• Testimony is our gift from God
• Conversion is our gift to him

Favorite Quotes

“As is evidenced in Peter’s reply and the Savior’s instruction, a testimony is personal knowledge of spiritual truth obtained by revelation. A testimony is a gift from God and is available to all of His children. Any honest seeker of truth can obtain a testimony by exercising the necessary “particle of faith” in Jesus Christ to “experiment upon” (Alma 32:27) and “try the virtue of the word” (Alma 31:5), to yield “to the enticings of the Holy Spirit” (Mosiah 3:19), and to awaken unto God (see Alma 5:7).”

“Seeking for and obtaining a testimony of spiritual truth requires asking, seeking, and knocking (see Matthew 7:7; 3 Nephi 14:7) with a sincere heart, real intent, and faith in the Savior (see Moroni 10:4). Fundamental components of a testimony are knowing that Heavenly Father lives and loves us, that Jesus Christ is our Savior, and that the fulness of the gospel has been restored to the earth in these latter days.”

“The essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ entails a fundamental and permanent change in our very nature made possible through the Savior’s Atonement. True conversion brings a change in one’s beliefs, heart, and life to accept and conform to the will of God (see Acts 3:19; 3 Nephi 9:20) and includes a conscious commitment to become a disciple of Christ.”

“Conversion is an enlarging, a deepening, and a broadening of the undergirding base of testimony.”

“For many of us, conversion is an ongoing process and not a onetime event that results from a powerful or dramatic experience. Line upon line and precept upon precept, gradually and almost imperceptibly, our motives, our thoughts, our words, and our deeds become aligned with the will of God. Conversion unto the Lord requires both persistence and patience.”

“Testimony is the beginning of and a prerequisite to continuing conversion. Testimony is a point of departure; it is not an ultimate destination. Strong testimony is the foundation upon which conversion is established.”

“Knowing that the gospel is true is the essence of a testimony. Consistently being true to the gospel is the essence of conversion. We should know the gospel is true and be true to the gospel.”

Why this matters to me

I choose this talk because I know many of the young women I work with are gaining the beginning of a testimony. I appreciate that Elder Bednar gave the basics of a testimony. I think that sometimes we think that since we don’t have a specific testimony of each gospel principle, we don’t have a good testimony. But, really a testimony is three basic things.  Once we have that we can be come converted by being true to that knowledge. I have noticed this in my own life. I was blessed with a testimony as a youth, but it has taken me a lot longer to feel like I am becoming converted. I know that conversion is a lifelong process, but it is good to know that keeping my covenants and continuing on this path will help me become more aligned with the Lord.