Part 782p – Smith Groh Genealogy – When is a 1904 Civil War Pension Index Not? – GGG-Grandfather Leo Pariza – Wisconsin

Good Day,

At times the search and research into the genealogy of a family line and into the background of an ancestor does become a wee bit confusing.

Most recently I discovered two Index Cards relating to ggg-grandfather Leo Pariza. Both are labeled of the Civil War Pension Index which is a collection of The National Archives in Washington, DC. The two cards are dated 8 March 1904. Except for a few minor differences, it could be stated that both cards were completed on behalf of the same person, Leo Pariza.

But here’s where there I stumbled into a bit of confusion.

The confusion is that these cards are a part of the collection entitled the Civil War Pension Index. The cards are registered in the “Name of Soldier: Parisaya, Leo (alias) Pariza Leo.” This is the first piece of a puzzle. Was ggg-grandfather Leo’s surname Pariza or was it actually Parisaya?

My second misunderstanding is just what gives with the dates? The American Civil War from my knowledge was from 1861 through 1865… and ggg-grandfather Leo Pariza was born either in 1878 or 1879, based on two different sources. Therefore he could never have participated in the Civil War. Another possibility is that this entry may have been referenced to his Father.

After a bit of investigation and research, it appears that entries included in the Civil War Pension Index includes, not only the Civil War but other wars and conflicts. These, for the lack of segregation into a separate Index are included in the Civil War Pension Index. GGG-Grandfather Leo was involved in the Spanish American War. I will be presenting my concluding evidence in my next Posting.

Here are the images two Index Cards from the Civil War Pension Index as downloaded from The National Archives via Ancestry.com.

And here are my two summary Clooz reports: CWPIWI000001 and CWPIWI000002.

Enjoy,

Jim

Click here to continue reading...

Part 781p – Smith Groh Genealogy – 1940 Census – GG-Grandfather Willard Pariza – Waukesha, Wisconsin

Good Day,

And then there is one. The continued search and research of the genealogy and ancestry of the Pariza Family line now brings us to the 1940 US Census representing gg-grandfather Willard Pariza. He is living with his wife Dorothy at 525 Dunbar Avenue in Waukesha, Wisconsin. The inserted image may be the site of their home address on 22 April 1940.

The current temperature in Waukesha is 45°F and it is overcast. Winter is around the corner. Waukesha, on the outskirts of Milwaukee, is about two-and-a-half hours southeast from where Waupaca, Wisconsin where, at the time, his parents, ggg-grandparents Leo and Mary Pariza are living. (See Part 780p.)

Here is an image of the highlighted Sheet from the 1940 US Census.

My Clooz 3.0 reporting – CUSWI000011.

Fall weather is great in Portland, the Oregon one... not the one near the earthquake last night in Maine.

Enjoy,

Jim

Click here to continue reading...

Part 779p - Smith Groh Genealogy - Pariza Descendant Chart

Good Day,

Following up with my search and research of the Pariza Family genealogy, see Part 775p, Part 774p, Part 769p, I have created a Pariza Descendant Chart.

As always, my Descendant Charts are always under construction. It may change as new and more correct data is discovered and uncovered.

Please note that a red or blue and yellow symbol represents the actual blood line. New and updated data may be entered in red.

This new Pariza Descendant Chart will be listed as a link under the Heading Groh at the top of each page.

Enjoy,

Jim

Click here to continue reading...

Part 775p – Smith Groh Genealogy – Pariza Family Line – 1930 Census – Milwaukee City, Wisconsin

Good Day,

Thanks to the development of Internet technology the work of genealogy has become much more concise and ever-expanding. With the use of Google Maps, for example, I am able to almost zero in to the actual, if they still exist, locations where ancestors may have lived.

In the case of the Pariza Family, according to the 1920 US Census they lived at 564 National Avenue in Milwaukee City, Wisconsin. Today National Avenue is subdivided into two parts, East and West. All-things-being-equal, just from Google maps I am not able to pinpoint approximately on which side of National Avenue they lived.

According to the 1930 US Census they are renting a home at 653 Mineral Street also in Milwaukee City, Wisconsin. Again, today’s Google Maps provides for an East and West division of Mineral Street.

Computing the permutations of distances between the Easts and the Wests of National Avenue and Mineral Street, Google Maps is able to calculate the walking distances of about 3 minutes to 3 hours. In other words, the Pariza Family, from 1920 to 1930, moved just around the corner, 3, 6 or 11 minutes… or across town in Milwaukee.

The above inserted clipped image is of the approximate area from the Caspar’s 1930 official map of the city of Milwaukee and vicinity as provided from the digital collection of the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Libraries.

The following is the image of the page from the 1930 US Census listing the Pariza Family.

And my Clooz 3.0 reporting CUSWI000008.

Next is the 1940 US Census.

Enjoy,

Jim

Click here to continue reading...

Part 774p - Smith Groh Genealogy - Pariza Family Line - 1920 US Census - Milwaukee City, Wisconsin

Good Day,

Yes I am continuing my journey, search and research into the genealogy and the traipsings along the historical paths of our Family Lines.

In Part 769p I added the 1910 US Census recording of the Pariza Family. This Census presented CK’s great-great-grandfather Joseph Willard (also known as Bill) Pariza, his ggg-grandparents Leo (aka Leon Pierre) and Mary (aka Marie), and his gg-granduncle Harold L.

Now I present the Pariza Family as recorded in the 1920 US Census who is now living in Milwaukee City, Wisconsin. According to the 1910 US Census they were living in Marinette City in Wisconsin. The distance between Marinette City and Milwaukee is approximately 185 miles, south along Lake Michigan.

We are now introduced to another member of the Family, gg-granduncle Clinton Pariza. From my research, and I stand corrected, but I do believe that gg-granduncle Clinton may have also been known as John.

Above is an image of the page of the 1920 US Census highlighting the Pariza Family. Also, here is my Clooz 3.0 reporting, CUSWI000007.

If you have any knowledge, information, and data of the Pariza Family please feel to contact me. I have sent out six emails to Ancestry.com Family Trees referencing the Pariza Family. I have not received any return response.

Stay-tuned. Shortly I will be creating a Pariza Family Descendant Chart.

Enjoy,

Jim

Click here to continue reading...

Part 769p – Smith Groh Genealogy – Pariza Family Line – 1910 US Census – Marinette City, Wisconsin

Good Day,

Found my Niçoise Olives, Publix Greenwise. Supper – extremely good caramelized onions, with Niçoise Olives, thinly slice tomatoes, and Feta Cheese pizzas. Could have gone for two… Radar just wanted one.

My back is slowly getting back to normal… but I hope this is not what it feels like when I eventually get old. I am back to searching CK’s Ancestry. This time the search and research is for great-great-grandfather Joseph Willard Pariza. Check out my Placeway Descendant Chart – II.

The 1910 US Census of Marinette City, in Wisconsin, United States registered four Parizas at Carney Avenue. These included ggg-grandparents Leo and Mary, gg-grandfather Joseph W. (Willard), and gg-granduncle Harold Pariza.

The following are the two pages of the 1910 US Census as downloaded via Ancestry.com.

The next two reports, United States Federal Census Population Schedule, 1910 CUSWI000005 and CUSWI000006 are my information recording through Clooz 3.0.

Note that the 1910 US Census records ggg-grandparents Leo and Mary birth location as “Canada – French”. The search is on.

Enjoy,

Jim

Click here to continue reading...

Part 767p – Groh Smith Genealogy – The Mystery of Brayton C. Placeway – And Exactly Where Did He Live?

Good Day,

Recreating an ancestor’s life and timeline in the throes of searching one’s own genealogy can at time be somewhat of an eye-opener…

Searching for CK’s ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway, I located ggg-grandfather Brayton listed on the 1940 US Census. He was living at 5015 S. Budlong Avenue in Los Angeles, in California. (See Part 746p.) According to the 1930 US Census he was living at 1804 2D N. Clark in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. (See Part 719p.)

I thought, using published, US Federal Censuses, City Directories, and Voter Registrations; it may be interesting to discover the locations at which ggg-grandfather Brayton may have lived over the period of approximately 22 years, 1928 through 1950.

Year	Source	State	Address
1928	– Pasadena City Directory	– California	– 125 S. Fair Oaks Ave.
1930	– US Federal Census Chicago	– Illinois	- 1804 2D N. Clark
1932	– Index To Register of Voters, Los Angeles City	– California	– 207 N. Fremont
1934	– Index To Register of Voters, Los Angeles City	– California	– 944 Robinson St.
1937	– Long Beach City Directory	– California	– Los Angeles
1940	– US Federal Census Los Angeles	– California	- 5015 S. Budlong Ave.
1944	– Index To Register of Voters, Los Angeles City	– California	– 2917 Brighton Ave.
1946	– Index To Register of Voters, Willowbrook	– California	– 2149 E. 124th St.
1948	– Index To Register of Voters, Willowbrook	– California	– 2149 E. 124th St.
1948	– Meridian City Directory	– Mississippi	– Road 6
1950	– Index To Register of Voters, Compton City	– California	– 933 Brazil St.

And of course, the pure coincidence is ggg-grandfather Brayton’s listed occupation and employer in 1948 in Meridian, Mississippi. He is listed as a Salesman (slsmn) at Smith’s Bakery. I was able to discover the above entered images of the possible Smith’s Bakery in Meridian where ggg-grandfather Brayton may have worked.

The following is the Front Page and the Page of the 1948 Meridian, Mississippi City Directory listing ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway. Also included in the listing is noted his fourth wife Laura M. (née Eastering).

 

Enjoy,

Jim

Click here to continue reading...

Part 746p – Groh Smith Genealogy – The Mystery of Brayton C. Placeway – 1940 US Census – Los Angeles, California

Good Day,

Eureka! I found ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway on the 1940 US Census. The Placeway Family, on 12 April 1940 was living at 5015 S. Budlong Avenue in Los Angeles, California.

The above image is the current house at 5015 South Budlong Avenue in Los Angeles as at June 2011.

Downloaded from Ancestry.com as provided in association with The National Archives here is the relevant page of the 1940 United States Federal Census. I have highlighted the Placeway Family.

I entered all the pertinent family members and the associated information into my Clooz 3.0 database. The following is the United States Federal Census Population Schedule, 1940 report as provided through Clooz.

I do have a question – Who was ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway’s son Jack’s mother? The search is on.

Enjoy,

Jim

Click here to continue reading...

Part 743p – Smith Groh Genealogy – The Mystery of Brayton C. Placeway – Clooz 3 Reporting

Good Day,

Alleluia, alleluia… A new upgrade to Clooz. Clooz 3.0 is now available. I have been a long-time user of Clooz and I am a strong proponent of the organizational and electronic filing cabinet capabilities.

With a Masters in Organizational Management, I am delighted to have an electronic tool that provides me a software that assists me and supports my research. It is “THE database for systematically organizing and storing the clues to your ancestry...”

I immediately have created a Smith Miller Groh Clooz database… and of course, this new creation goes hand-in-hand with my writing and research of the Mystery of Brayton C. Placeway. The following is the first summary report of Census, Census Substitute and Document Records (CCSDR) for ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway.

The summary report includes documents I have on file that are specific to ggg-grandfather Brayton. I created this CCSDR report in hierarchical order beginning with the earliest document I have on file, beginning with the year 1888. The data included in the CCSDR report originates from the information that I have extracted from the associated documents.

The furthest left column of the CCSDR report includes Personal File Numbers (PF#s). I have generated the PF#s. The coding is my own format. Clooz allows each user to create her/his own system and method of coding.

For this introduction here are the explanations of the coding that I use. These PF#s are only specific to this Brayton C. Placeway report.

PF# B000001 = Birth 000001
PF# CUSMI000001 = Census United States Michigan 000001
PF# CUSVA000001 = Census United States Virginia 000001
PF# DI0001 = Divorce 0001
PF# CUSWI000002 = Census United States Wisconsin 000002
PF# CUSIL000001 = Census United States Illinois 000001
PF# M00001 = Marriage 00001
PF# M00002 = Marriage 00002

I have approached the creation of this Clooz database as a new user. As time progresses I will be creating and migrating my related genealogy research data and information to Clooz 3.0.

If you have any questions, thoughts, and ideas regarding my research please feel free to contact me.

Enjoy,

Jim

Click here to continue reading...

Part 742p – Smith Groh Genealogy – The Mystery of Brayton C. Placeway – Updated Life Timeline

Good Day,

And as promised here is the newly updated Life Timeline for ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway.

As always new and updated data may be highlighted in red.

It appears that I have reached the width limitation of a legible presentation of the Life Timeline. I am using the software SmartDraw VP. Going forward it looks like I may have to create the Brayton C. Placeway Life Timeline Part II. Stay tuned.

Enjoy,

Jim

Click here to continue reading...

Part 741p – Smith Groh Genealogy – The Mystery of Brayton C. Placeway – 1935 Intention To Marry Laura M. Kell

Good Day,

I haven’t been posting to A Genealogy Hunt these past couple of days… Not a norm for me, but I have been tangled in the wires of my cable, internet, PC, and TV systems. And so you can imagine… the frustration of reading the fine print.

Anyway, as I turn to work on the Placeway Family Line, I once again delve into the mystery of ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway. I discovered 27 June 1935 Los Angeles Times publication of the Vital Record of the Intention To Marry; the marriage of ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway and Laura M. Kell.

Here is the downloaded clipping.

My source is the Historical Newspapers, Birth, Marriage, & Death Announcements, 1851-2003 provided through Ancestry.com.

From my search thus far, Laura M. Kell may have been ggg-grandfather Brayton's fourth spouse. Next to update ggg-grandfather Brayton's Life Timeline.

Enjoy,

Jim

Click here to continue reading...

Part 738p – Smith Groh Genealogy – 1910 Census – GGGG Grandparents William H. and Arvilla L. Placeway - Pinckney, Michigan

Good Day,

I have spent the day, apart from attacking the jungle that is slowly creeping from the conservation area behind our house, searching and researching documentation specific to our Placeway Family Line.

Yesterday's street flooding reached the highest yet. I think I have to find a deal on a good gondola.

GGG-Grandfather Brayton C. Placeway’s parents were CK’s GGGG-Grandparents William H. and Arvilla L. Placeway.

First on the docket of complimentary data and information is the 1910 US Census from Pinckney Village of Putnam Township in the County of Livingston, Michigan. GGGG-Grandparents William H. and Arvilla L. Placeway’s home was on Unadilla Street.

Not that I consider myself uninformed, I had no clue of the street name, “Unadilla”. And I had to look it up… From Wikipedia, the word Unadilla is derived from an Iroquois word for “meeting place”. How apropos… There are similar locations called Unadilla in California, Georgia, Nebraska, New York, and of course, Michigan. There is also a Unadilla snout moth.

And back to the genealogy at hand. Here is the image of the 1910 US Census in which I have highlighted gggg-grandparents William H. and Arvilla L. Placeway.

The source is The National Archives: Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910 (NARA microfilm publication T624, 1, 1,178 rolls) from the Records of the Bureau of the Census, Records Group 29 in Washington, DC. I have downloaded the actual copy from the Ancestry.com 1910 United States Census Federal Census online database.

Enjoy,

Jim

Click here to continue reading...

Part 736p – Smith Groh Genealogy – The Mystery of Brayton C. Placeway – Updated Life Timeline

Good Day,

Keeping myself organized in my work and research of the genealogy of ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway, I have updated my associated Life Timeline.

I have new included the 11 April 1932 Marriage to his third spouse, Helen Johnson. The Life Timeline event is included in red.

All-things-being-equal, as I progress with more details and information following the life and travels of ggg-grandfather Brayton, I may have to reconfigure his Life Timeline to fit in the additional dates.

Stay-tuned, and enjoy,

Jim

Click here to continue reading...

Part 735jp – Smith Groh Genealogy – The Mystery of Brayton C. Placeway – 1932 – Marriage

Good Day,

The mystery of the life and times of ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway continues. Research and the search of the genealogy of an individual sometimes becomes an all-encompassing determination.

A general search on Ancestry.com for Brayton C. Placeway produced an indexed record of a 11 April 1932 marriage. The 1932 Marriage Cook County, Illinois record includes ggg-grandfather Brayton’s new wife: Helen Johnson.

Here is an image of the indexed record as cropped from Ancestry.com.

Accordingly the Source of the information is the Cook County, Illinois Marriage Index, 1930-1960. Based on the documentation I have located to date, this is ggg-grandfather Brayton’s third marriage.

Next to update my ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway Life Timeline.

Enjoy,

Jim

Click here to continue reading...

Part 723p – Smith Groh Genealogy – The Mystery of Brayton C. Placeway – Updated Life Timeline

Good Day and Happy Canada Day,

Genealogy allows me to understand a life and the events that make up a being of an ancestor. For some time now I have been researching the life of ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway. To date, I have discovered a trove of documents that have allowed me a small glimpse into only 42 years of his life. And there is more to come.

I have been able to find a photograph from 1915 and in the latest 1917 WWI Registration Card I now that he was of “medium” build and height and he had brown hair and blue eyes.

The following is my update of the Brayton C. Placeway Life Timeline.

If you any questions, thoughts, ideas, and comments please contact me.

Enjoy,

Jim

Click here to continue reading...

Part 722p – Smith Groh Genealogy - The Mystery of Brayton C. Placeway – 1917 WWI Draft Registration – Livingston County, Michigan

Good Day,

In my genealogy hunt sometimes I have to go backwards to go forwards to discover that of our ancestors… Researching and searching for documents connected and pertaining to ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway we step back in time to 5 June 1917.

On 18 May 1917, the Selective Service Act was passed immediately after the United States declared war on Germany. The Act authorized the President to increase the military. The First Registration on 5 June was for men aged 21 to 31; men born between 6 June 1886 and 5 June 1896. GGG-Grandfather Brayton definitely was a targeted candidate.

Here are the two pages of the 1917 Registration Card and Registrar’s Report. These pages were downloaded via Ancestry.com from The National Archives. World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 and World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Washington, D.C. Source Citation: Registration Location: Livingston County, Michigan; Roll: 1675809; Draft Board: 0.

My transcription -

Form 1 1076 REGISTRATION CARD 502 No. 18

1 Name in full – Brayton C. Placeway Age in Years - 29
2 Home Address – Howell, Mich
3 Date of birth – April 17, 1888
4 Are you (1) a natural born citizen, (2) a naturalized citizen, (3) an alien, (4) or have you declared your intention? – Natural Born
5 Where were you born? – Pinckney, Mich
6 If not a citizen, of what nation are you a citizen or subject? - Citizen
7 What is you present trade, occupation, or office? – None 30
8 By whom employed? – Nobody Where employed? –
9 Have you a father, mother, wife, child under 12, or a sister or brother under 12, solely dependent on you for your support? – Wife
10 Married or single? – Married Race? – Caucasian
11 What military service have you had? Rank - Fireman branch - Navy years - 11 months Nation or State – United States
12 Do you claim exemption from draft? – None

I affirm that I have verified above answers and that they are true.

Brayton C. Placeway

(Signature or Mark)

REGISTRAR’S REPORT A 21-3-13

1 Tall, medium, or short? - Medium Slender, medium, or stout? Medium
2 Color of eyes - Blue Color of hair - Brown Bald – No
3 Has person lost arm, leg, hand, foot eye, or both eyes or is he otherwise disabled? – None

I certify that my answers are true , that the person registered has read his own answers, that I have witnessed his signature, and that all of his answers of which I have knowledge are true, except as follows –

Oscar Schoninhale

(Signature of Registrar)

Precinct – Genoa
City or County – Livingston
State – Mich

June 5, 1917

(Date of Registration)

If ggg-grandfather Brayton completed and signed this Draft Registration on 5 June 1917 Line 10 and 11 above could possibly mean that he was referring to his wife Johanna (née Plischke). The notice of request for divorce was published in The Flint Daily Journal 17 November 1917. (See Part 697p.) There appears to be no reference to either of his children gg-grandmother Edith or gg-granduncle Robert.

The Mystery continues. The next location I find ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway is in Cook County, Illinois. Stay-tuned.

Enjoy,

Jim

Click here to continue reading...

Part 720sp – Smith Groh Genealogy – GGGG-Grandparents Charles and Ulricha Seigel and GG-Granduncle Robert Placeway – Wauwatosa, Wisconsin

Good Day,

Genealogy and the search and research of a family line can certainly require one to pull out and learn all methods of investigation and examination…

As I am searching into the mystery of ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway I, at certain times, come across his extended family, relatives, and connection. In this case it is the 1930 US Census for Wauwatosa, Milwaukee, Wisconsin and the inhabitants at 7019 East Chestnut Street. The occupants of the house are gggg-grandparents Charles and Ulricha Seigel and their grandson, gg-granduncle Robert Placeway.

Here is the image of the 1930 US Census as downloaded from Ancestry.com from the original data from the United States of America, Bureau of the Census, Fifteenth Census of the Unite States, 1930, Washington, DC.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1930; T626.

In Part 719p I have provided the 1930 US Census recorded locations of gg-granduncle Robert Placeway’s parents, ggg-grandmother Mary (née Seigel) Placeway and ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway. GGG-grandmother Mary was recorded just around the corner from 7019 East Chestnut Street at her place of work. GGG-Grandfather Brayton is recorded living in Chicago in Illinois.

In my review of the 1930 US Census I have notice two observations that cause me to ask a couple of questions. The first point is that gg-granduncle Robert’s Father’s Place of Birth is recorded as “Unknown”. In the 1920 US Census it is recorded as “Michigan”. All-things-being-equal, it is possible that either gggg-grandfather Charles or gggg-grandmother Ulricha, of whom one provided the enumerator of the 1930 Census with the information, may not have known, or remembered, where their former son-in-law, ggg-grandfather had been born. It just seems strange that they, the Seigels and the Placeways were in the same house during the recording of the 1920 US Census.

The second note that I am trying to figure out is the correlation between gggg-grandfather Charles’ 1930 age and the age provided when he first married to those of gggg-grandmother Ulricha. The ages recorded are: gggg-grandfather Charles – 85 years and gggg-grandmother Ulricha – 67 years; a difference of 18 years, he being the elder of the two. The “Age at first marriage” are listed: gggg-grandfather Charles – 28 years and gggg-grandmother Ulricha – 32; a reverse difference of 4 years.

If gggg-grandmother Ulricha was 32 at her first marriage, my calculations equal that she was first married in 1895. If gggg-grandfather Charles was 28 at his first marriage, the calculations equal that his first marriage was in 1873, or 22 years earlier than his marriage to gggg-grandmother Ulricha. (I hope I have the math correct.) All-things-being-equal, this may mean that gggg-grandfather Charles' marriage to gggg-grandmother Ulricha could have been a 2nd marriage.

Another point of comparison are the years provided by the 1920 and the 1930 US Censuses regarding gggg-grandfather Charles’ “Year of immigration to the United States”. The 1920 US Census records “1888” while the 1930 US Census lists “1848”. A 40 year difference? Definitely something to investigate…

And the Mystery of Brayton C. Placeway continues with just a number of other attached mysteries. Stay tuned.

Enjoy,

Jim

Click here to continue reading...

Part 716p – Smith Groh Genealogy – The Mystery of Brayton C. Placeway – Updated Life Timeline

Good Day,

The first 32 years of the life of ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway most certainly were busy, for the lack of a better term.

In genealogy once I can gather and corroborate the events, information, data, and dates I can definitely get a glimpse into the life and key points of one’s life. At this point in the creation and updating of ggg-grandfather Brayton C.’s Life Timeline I most definitely am discovering and unearthing a possible and exciting short 32 years.

Here is the latest update of the Brayton C. Placeway Life Timeline.

The search and research of the genealogy and life events of ggg-grandfather Brayton C. is most certainly, in my opinion, a genealogist’s dream example. The only issue at this juncture is that the expansion of the physical Life Timeline is getting somewhat crowded… And this will continue. Just wait until you see what I have found.

As a note of information, I have altered this new update of the Life Timeline. I will now include my new and latest updates in red. All events and incidences typically can be read about in various Postings in A Genealogy Hunt. All-things-being-equal I will shortly be including a cross-reference to the Part number.

Enjoy,

Jim

Click here to continue reading...

Part 714p - Smith Groh Genealogy - The Mystery of Brayton C. Placeway - 1893 - There's No Place Like Home

Good Day,

I suppose I should not be surprised that something new in my genealogy search for the life and times of ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway is always going to show up.

And yes I know that Michigan is not Kansas, but I didn't think I would have to stumble over an article from a newspaper from South Dakota.

From a 13 May 1893 issue of The Daily Huronite I discovered the reporting that a tornado hit in the vicinity of Pinckney in the Putnam Township.

Reading the article I immediately focused on the surname Placeway. It was William Placeway. "The cyclone next struck the premises of William Thompson and William Placeway, half a mile further east, destroying all their farm buildings, orchards, windmills, etc." All-things-being-equal this William Placeway was the father of ggg-grandfather Brayton C.. This could be gggg-grandfather William H. Placeway.

Logically, ggg-grandfather Brayton C. and his twin brother, ggg-granduncle Clayton C., who were born in 1888, would have been about five years old in 1893 at the time of the tornado strike. According to The Daily Huronite Article "All the members of both families (i.e. Thompson and Placeway) were injured, but it is said none seriously."

To further provide additional support that this may have been our Placeway Family, I then read in the article that "A cyclone passed two miles east of this village (i.e., Pinckney) at 2 o'clock a.m... It first struck the barns and buildings of Louis Dryer... The cyclone next struck the premises of William Thompson and William Placeway, half a mile further east..."

I then discovered an 1875 Putnam Township Land Map. This map provided me with the location of the Village of Pinckney and the various locations Placeway (in yellow) and Thompson (in blue) properties. It is almost conceivable to track the actual path of the 1893 tornado.

1875 Putnam Township Land Map U.S.,
Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918,
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

The W. H. Placeway indicated on the 1875 map, all-things-being-equal, has to be gggg-grandfather William Henry Placeway, father of ggg-grandfather Brayton C. But there is a modicum of doubt as the map was drawn in 1875, 13 years before the 1893 tornado.

And then I chanced upon another Land Map; a 1915 Putnam Township map. Property owned in the name of W. H. Placeway are on the map. Some of the W. H. Placeway properties are almost in the same location as indicated in the 1875 map. This information provides further support that the 1893 tornado did destroy Placeway buildings and property, as reported by The Daily Huronite of South Dakota. The only issue now is that gggg-grandfather William Henry had passed away four years earlier in 1911 on a visit trip to Iowa.

1915 Putnam Township Land Map U.S.,
Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918,
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

A point of information regarding the 1915 Putnam Township map is that I have highlighted, in yellow, a property labeled "Roy Placeway". From my research and discovery to date I believe, that this Roy Placeway could be ggg-grandfather Brayton's 1st cousin, older by 12 years.

This Mystery of GGG-Grandfather Brayton C. Placeway Posting has certainly challenged my search and research skills. And all I can say is that "You were there, and you were there... and most definitely he was there."

Enjoy,

Jim

Click here to continue reading...