Part 686p – Smith Groh Genealogy – The Mystery of Brayton C. Placeway – 1900 US Census – Putnum Township, Livingston, Michigan

Good Day,

Sometimes in the trek of genealogy one has to take a step backwards to go forward. In the case of my search to re-construct the live and times of ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway I am now going back in time 15 years, from my last Posting Part 685pp and his crossing the Atlantic from Liverpool to New York.

I have discovered the Placeway Family on the 1900 US Census, dated 11 June 1900, in Putnam Township, Livingston County, Michigan.

In the family house in Pinckney are ggg-grandfather Braten C. (aka Brayton) and his twin brother, ggg-granduncle Claton C. (aka Clayton) and their parents, gggg-grandparents William H. and Arvilla L. Placeway. Also in the house is one Nellie G. Tish, a Servant, and Frank Newman, a Lodger. It appears that Frank Newman, a “Farm Laborer” must have worked for gggg-grandfather William as he is recorded as a “Farmer”.

Both boys, Brayton and Clayton are enumerated at 12 years old and listed that their birthdays are in April 1888. Both are also listed as “At school”.

Another critical piece of information is that the US Census notes that gggg-grandparents William and Arvilla had been married for 17 years. This would, roughly calculated indicate that they were married circa June of 1883.

The source of the 1900 US Census is the United States of America Bureau of the Census. Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 1900, T623. I was able to download the image from Ancestry.com.

Another piece of the puzzle of the life and times of ggg-grandfather Brayton is now in place. I will be updating my Timeline shortly.

Enjoy,

Jim