The Wrong Fred

An update to the Mursch Family Events page.  Some new obits and wedding announcements also some material on another Mursch family, also in Utica, that I followed by mistake.  There were two Fred Murschs, both born in Germany only a few years apart, and I followed the wrong one.  Added quite a bit to my tree but it all had to be pruned when I realized my mistake and found the correct Frederick Mursch.   There were several entries that seemed contradictory but I forged ahead thing they would be resolved  with a little more information.

The extra research wasn't wasted as I've posted it in the Mursch Family Events page under "The Wrong Fred".  He will be the Right Fred for someone and I hope they find him.

Very cold from Thanksgiving Day, with a dusting of snow today.  Winter is upon us.

Updated my home page with additions to Jefferson County Vets B in the family events section, mostly new obits and news items.

Changed the link to Findagrave to my member page.

Sandy took a few boards off the garage and loosened the roof on the barn but no other damage.  We were lucky.  Most of the bad weather seems to slide south of Clayton and Cape Vincent.  Must be the effect of Lake Ontario.

Cold and rainy so I'm way behind on winter preperation.

2012 Clayton, NY Punkin' Chunk

Yesterday we went to Clayton, NY for the first annual Punkin' Chunk on the site of the old Frink snowplow factory.  Besides the chunk there were many events, horse drawn wagon rides, punkin carving contest, scare crow contest and a BBQ cook off.  The crowd was huge and over whelmed the organizers.  When we left we discovered that the crowd had been blocking the entrance to parking and the streets were backed up.  I'm sure they will be better prepared next year, after all this was the first. 

There were 8 contestants. Please see the slide show below.  Only Team Mangonel suffered a breakdown, with the arm breaking and the winch catching fire.

We chipped some small limbs when we got home and ran of of gas just in time to avoid the rain.  It produced a beautiful double bow.  The violet was really clear.

Oakwood Cemetery, Theresa

I was there Thursday and Friday looking for 1812 and requested stones.  This is a long thin cemetery and I seem to have a hard time finding stones in it.  Most of the time the stones are grouped by age but they seem unusually mixed here.  Fortunately I was able to find some of what I was looking for.

The first thing seen on entering is the War memorial erected in 1910, featuring the name of the veterans buried in Theresa.  It appears to include both Oakwood and Old Theresa cemeteries.  In case anyone is researching these people or working on veteran graves. I include the list below.

War Memorial, Oakwood Cemetery, Theresa, Jefferson, NY Created 1910

The list seems to cover Oakwood and Old Theresa cemeteries.

List of Deceased Soldiers Buried in Theresa

Who Served in War of 1776

Amasa Allen

John Strong

John G. Hellmer

Martin Sheale

Soldiers Who Served in the War of 1812  

Abram Morrow

Levi Stearns

Rodney Simmons

Cyrus Parker

John Edens

Isaac Green

Hosea Hough

Aaron Dresser

John Rappole

James Pierce

Jacob Buell

George Snell

Alanson West

Sincea Ball

Isaac Cornwell

Zalmon Pool

Loren L. Soper

Nathaniel Parker

Amos Wheeler

William Crandall

John Rivers

Alonson Doolittle

Jonathan Thompson

U.S. Navy

George Kelsey

Patrick Farrell

Isaac Cornwell

Nathan Huntington

Civil War

10^th N.Y. Heavy Artillery

John Seymour

George Putman

Frank Duffany

George Baker

Charles Turner

John Church

Frank Bowen

Don Watson

John Simonds

Webster Hewitt

Charles Ripley

Eurastus Green

Nelson Sheley

Thomas Houghtle

Lewis Duffany

Dilbert Spalsbury

Joseph Garso

Isaac Huntington

Joseph Pierce

E. Wilson

Hiram Townsend

L.R. Russel

Adam Fikes

William S. Curtis

Hiram Tyler

George H. Cosgrove

13^th N.Y. Heavy Artillery

William P. Nichols

Francis M. Nichols

1^st N.Y. Light Artillery

G. D. Hoover

Frank Robinson

5^th N.Y. Heavy Artillery

John Goodenough

35^th New York Infantry

Reuben Herrick

Fred

slicker

John Jolly

Fred Allinger

Holland Parker

Walter Thayer

Lewis Finney

George Putman

Holland Britten

Joseph Pierce

August Myers

Julius Butterfield

Alexander Salisbury

94^th New York Infantry

Nathan Hildreth

Orren Evans

Nelson Canfield

John Hoover

Charles Pierce

Freeman Phillips

James Pierce

Jacob Barner

Frank Pierce

Riley Witt

Frank Jury

Daniel Ladd

George Babcock

Albert Dickson

George Myers

92^nd N.Y. Inf.

Stephen S Nichols

20^th NY Calvary

George Chaumont Sargent

Duane Simons

William Tibbles

Lewis Seymour Chrysler Ahles

Charles Merrill

George Baker

Irvin Tibbles

Calvin Ripley

George Parkhurst

John G Cudworth, Maj

Christopher McIntyre

91^st NY

D. D. Augsbury

Isaac R Swartwout

James Cornwell

George B. Cornwell

Agar Jarvis 18^th N.Y. Cavalry

Adam Kissel 186^th N.Y.

John Zeller 186^th N.Y.

Munson Pool 186^th N.Y.

Eugene Wilson

Spanish American War

Clark Salisbury

Floyd H. Bretch

Family Events Update

A few obits added to Calkins and Mogren in the Family events section. 

Someone has volunteered a update to the Mogren family tree.  These have been added to the rootsweb tree, linked from my homepage, and to the Oneida 2010 tree on ancestry.

Finally done with 1812 in Jefferson county.  I've gone down the muster and pay rolls found on the Jefferson genweb site and linked them to possible burials in Jefferson.  About 29% of the names had possible burials.   Check my findagrave virtual cemetery for the complete list.

Rained most of last night and today.  We needed it.  Don't remember it being this hot and dry.

War of 1812

I was in Brookside cemetery, Watertown when I noticed a stone for Major General TR Pratt.  He had no memorial so I created one.  His obituary was rather hard to read but I was able to get most of it.  He was in the NY National Guard and served for Jefferson county sheriff for part of a term.

Northern New York Genealogy post a 1000 strong list of 1812 vets buried in Jefferson county.  Inspired by that, I've going over some muster rolls and payrolls for 1812 that can be found on the Jeff genweb site.  It gives me some dates of service and units for some of the vets.  I've been posting this information on memorials I've created.  There are nearly 1000 in my 1812 virtual cemetery on findagrave.com.

Revolutionary Veterans

The end of June saw me sworn in as a member of the Sons of the American Revolution.  This group is similar to, but not associated with,  the DAR but for men.   Hopefully, in the future we will be able to raise awareness of the Revolutionary heritage in the 1000 Island region.  Around 300 veterans of that war are buried in Jefferson county.  These men fought for MA, CT, RI, VT and a few for NY.  They came here to settle on bounty lands they were given for their service.  I've created a virtual cemetery with links to memorials for each veteran.

I have also created a virtual cemetery for 1812 veterans buried in Jefferson county.  Originally created from graves with 1812 markers that I happened to find, it now includes names from the 1812 list posted by Norther New York Genealogies.

A hot dry summer  and my lawn starting to get crunchy.  The river is swarming with people for the 4th week.  Looks like we will get some good weather.

Custer Massacre

Found a grave stone in Brownville, NY cemetery that had a reference to Gen. Custer.  I was lucky enough to find his obit on fultonhistory.com and include it below.  He just missed being a fallen hero.  A picture of his stone is available on his FAG memorial.

Watertown Daily Times, Watertown, NY, Thursday Afternoon, March 1, 1917, Page 6, Column 4

Was With Custer in the Far West
Veteran of Civil War and Indian Wars
George W Ceigler Dies
His Term of Enlistment Expired Six Weeks Before the Custer Massacre at the Little Big Horn

George W Ceigler, well known Civil war veteran and pulp and paper maker, died late Wednesday afternoon at his home, 825 Cooper street, following a years illness, aged 70 years. He had been in failing health for over a year and had not been able to work since last June. He was born at H???lion, Pa, Oct. 26, 1846, a son of George W and Sarah Welterhahn Ceigler, and spent his early life in that locality. When a boy, his parents moved to Lebanon, Pa., where his father died in 1865. He was educated in schools at that place and when the Civil war broke out, he entered the United States army as a driver. He was wounded at Gettysburg the third day, July 3, 1863, and was carried from the field with two bullets in his left leg. As soon as he recovered, he again took up service in the regular army and was assigned to the regiment commanded by General George A Custer. In early May, 1876, six weeks before Custer's massacre by Sioux, at the Little Big Horn river in Montana, his term of enlistment expired and he left active service of the army. Had he remained with Custer until June 25 of that year, he would undoubtedly have shared the fate of the brave men of the Custer command.

In 1877 Mr. Ceigler came to this city and had resided in or near this city ever since. He was employed on farms at first, but later engaged as a pulp and paper maker. He was employed for a number of years at the mill at Felts Mills, and later was employed at the Harmon paper mill at Brownville. For a number of years he was employed as pulp maker at No. 4 of the International Paper Co.'s chain, located at Glen Park. Last June he gave up active occupation on account of failing health.
He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Adeline Palmer Ceigler, one son, Lewis W Ceigler, two grand children, Ida Maud and Helen May Ceigler, and two step children, John Johnson and Mrs. Frederick Jackson, all of this city.

The funeral will be held from his late home, 825 Cooper street, Friday at 2:30 pm, Rev. James Brockle, pastor of Hope Presbyterian church will officiate. The body will be placed in the vault until spring, when interment will be made in Brownville cemetery.

Jefferson County's Clever Pioneers

I hope you are enjoying Memorial Day.  Just posted a bio for Moses Eames, FAG# 90763142, which I include below.  A very interesting person and another Jefferson county native you've never heard about but who made big contributions to the development of the county.  He and Dr. Samuel Guthrie, FAG# 83084724,  both appear to have been very cleaver and curious men.

The Oswego Daily Palladium, Oswego, NY, Wednesday, June 8, 1892, Page 6, Column 4

Death of a Jefferson County Pioneer

Moses Eames, one of the pioneers of Jefferson county, died at his home in Watertown yesterday. Mr. Eames was one of the oldest residents of Jefferson county and his family was among the earliest pioneers, his father, Daniel Eames, locating in Rutland in 1802. Moses was the ninth son and twelfth of thirteen children. He was born in Rutland, March 19^th, 1808. He was always interested in agriculture and kindred pursuits and it was he who discovered the present method of manufacturing cheese. The original portable steam engine was also a product of his brain. He was a member of the Hunter lodge, an organization connected with the Patriot war, in 1838. He represented Jefferson county in the Legislature in 1855, was author of the bill passed that year providing for the organization of agricultural societies. He was a Republican, an Odd Fellow, a member of the Sons of Temperance and was a vice president of the Jefferson County Historical Society since it's formation.

Jefferson County Journal, Adams, NY Tuesday, June 21, 1892

Hon. Moses Eames, one of the oldest residents of Jefferson county, and ??? ???  died at his home in Watertown, Tuesday morning, aged 84 years. Mr. Eames was possessed of an inventive mind. He gave to Jefferson county the credit of the discovery of the present method of manufacturing American cheese. The original portable steam engine was also a product of his brain. In 185? he introduced the first drain tile; and in 1852 the first mowing machine in his section. Mr. Eames was also preeminent in Republican politics. Before the war he sided many slaves to escape to Canada. He was educated at Lowville academy.

Ghostery

I use the Firefox browser and after the last update, it started hanging up after shutdown.  Ccleaner said it couldn't finish the cleaning because Firefox was still open, and I couldn't restart it because the profile was in use.  Installed the Ghostery add on, a tracker blocker, and haven't had the problem since.  The trackers must have been causing the shut down to hang.

While researching Calkins in Oswego county, NY, I found a interesting article in the Pulaski Democrat, 1884 about the coming of 4 Calkins families to the Town of Richland.  They were living in Ontario just before the War of 1812 and had to sign a loyalty oath to the Crown or get out.  They chose to go and ended up in Oswego county.  I'll post it on my site as soon as it's transcribed.  That could take a while as it's tree columns long.

Bobolinks, Wilson's snipes and barn swallows are back.  The frogs sing most nights.

Hartson Page Added

While researching Masner, I found so much material on Hartson that I created a Hartson page in the Family events section of my homepage.  In the Rome Semi-Weekly Citizen, I found a long article about a multiple structure fire that burned the hotel, several houses and barns and all associated out houses in Stokes  August 1896.  I've fished in Delta lake and been to the state park and it's interesting to read about people who lived in Delta before it was flooded.  Baretown and Quaker Hill are mentioned but I'm not sure where they were except somewhere north of Rome.

April Snow

An inch of heavy wet snow with high winds today.  We'll be lucky to avoid a power outage.  The new leaves are holding the snow but maybe the wind will shake it off.

Added a few more items to Masner Events.  They reported a thief of $7.25 while they were all away working at a canning factory.  I didn't know there were canning factories in Rome. The family apparently came to New York from Germany in June of 1845.  I can't tie it down exactly because of the early date but based on the dates from the 1880 census for Mary/Anna Masner, b. Germany 1802, it appears they arrived June 6, 1845 and the surname was Maussner or that is what the immigration agent thought he heard. 

Added a new page to Family Events, Jefferson Vets B.  This is more of the obits and news articles I've found while looking for information on veterans buried in Jefferson county.  Someone hit by a train and another caught in old, new then, belt driven farm equipment.  The newspapers when into a lot of detail about injuries back then.

Very odd spring

Very odd spring to be sure. Nice mild days with freezing nights.

Created a Masner page in the Family Events section of my website. It also contains Hartson, Holland and Kipfer. Some of this material was moved from the Others folder which is now quite small. I was asked a question about the Hartsons in my ancestry tree and in answering that, I found more information about the Masner family. Putting it together with the material I already had , it was enough for a new page.

Update

Updated the Family events for Calkins and Applegate. An obituary for Helen Calkins, wife of Perry, was added. On the Applegate page, I was able to add an obituary for Edmund and a news item about the death of his first wife, Nettie King. They had a incubator in the back of their home that was warmed by a kerosene lamp. When the lamp caught fire, she threw it out the window but her clothes caught fire. By the time they were extinguished , she was burned on her lower body and died two weeks later.

Whenever I encounter situations such as " Paul Smith son of Mr. and Mrs John Smith", I enter Paul's father as John in my tree, with no entry for his mother as I don't know her given of maiden name. If it's " Paul, son of Mrs. Mary Smith", I enter his mother as Mary Unknown. It's unlikely her maiden name was Smith and I use Unknown as a place holder. It now appears that one of the largest families in my tree is Unknown and it's surprizing how many people named their children, male and female, Unknown. When things are slow I attempt to clear some of these up but that often result in another Unknown a generation back.

Update

Added updates on Kipers, Dlugolecki, Friberg, Zick and Moda Family Events pages. Updated Coyne Obits and added a Convertino page Family Events.

Very nice weather up here . I was able to search some cemeteries and fill some photo requests. I got ahead of myself and turned on the well in the pump house only to have it freeze and burst some pipes.

Snow Geese

Yesterday, a beautiful warm day, my wife and I went birding in the Perch Lake area. We sighted 5 swans in the upper basin area and hundreds of snow geese on the ice at Perch Lake. On the way home we observed a flock of several hundred in a field near Black creek. I wonder if their migration patterns are changing or if it's the warm winter but I've never seen so many snow geese. Last fall I observed a large flock on Crystal lake being harassed by a gyre falcon. It went off hungry, right over my head.

Stopped in Perch lake cemetery for a photo of John Timmerman, 1812 veteran.

NNY Genealogy has added a list of Revolutionary war veteran buried in Jefferson county along with their DAR numbers, when available. Very helpful for anyone interested in the Revolutionary war.

Sons of the American Revolution

Some small updates to the Engle, Zick and Bielby pages in the "Family Events" section of my homepage.

Just received notification that I was approved for membership in the Sons of the American Revolution. It's the DAR for men without the status or clout. It means I can now shop in their online store. My descent is through my mother's , Calkins, side to Joseph Calkins, 1737-1809. He's buried in Tinmouth, Vt but no one seems to know which cemetery.

Very dry winter in northern Jefferson county, so far. Not much snow or cold. I've only had to move snow once.