Did you know (I had forgotten) that you can search some census records by address even if you do not know the name you need? Beginning in 1880, the Census Bureau began using Enumeration Districts (aka ED). Enumeration Districts are described by physical address. If you know the enumeration district where a family lived between census years, you can look at that address for the census year -- and learn who lived there.
The best source for information about this process and tools to make it work for you is at http://stevemorse.org/census. The technique works well in large cities, not as well in smaller communities. It's definitely worth exploring.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Big Oak Flat
The 3rd Edition of the inventory of the cemetery at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Roman Catholic Church in Big Oak Flat, CA is hot off the press and available for purchase at the Groveland Yosemite Gateway Museum.
If you are a genealogist with an interest in that part of Tuolumne Co. south of the Tuolumne River, chances are you will be interested in this book. It's an excellent companion to the inventory of the Divide Cemetery published in 2005. All known burials in Tuolumne Co., including a handful of residents from Mariposa Co., are listed in one or the other of the two publications.
If you are a genealogist with an interest in that part of Tuolumne Co. south of the Tuolumne River, chances are you will be interested in this book. It's an excellent companion to the inventory of the Divide Cemetery published in 2005. All known burials in Tuolumne Co., including a handful of residents from Mariposa Co., are listed in one or the other of the two publications.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Margaret (Lennan) Coyle Simmons
Margaret (Lennan) Coyle Simmons was the original occupant of the Grandma Simmons house, which in August 1999 opened as the All Seasons Groveland Inn. In April 2009, descendant Carol-Anne Tucker-Watt gave a presentation about her family to the Groveland Chamber of Commerce as part of the Coyle-Simmons Family Reunion. Just click on the link to view the video and hear Carol-Anne's story of her family and their house.
Charles Elwell's Story
“By Irvin Elwell as told to me by my father, Lewis Cory Elwell.”
Submitted by Carol-Anne Tucker-Watt
“Charles Henry Elwell was born in Salem, Mass. Dec. 27, 1818. His parents had died when he was very young and he went to live in Boston with an aunt and uncle, who treated him poorly. When he was thirteen he ran away to go to sea. He signed up to be a cabin boy on a sailing vessel and followed the sea for many years until he jumped ship in San Francisco and headed for the gold fields. He wound up at Columbia and worked as a miner. Later married Rose Anne Cory and settled at Second Garrote and raised a family, one of which was my father, Lewis Cory Elwell. Others were Henry, Rosa M, Eugene, Francis. While at sea he had several adventures. Once he was ship wrecked and the life boat they were in . He and several of the crew were drifting. They had lost the oars and no control over the boat. They were in the south seas near the Fiji Islands. The boat was drifting close to one of the islands and the natives spotted them and ran out into the surf, shaking knives and spears and being cannibals, would have had grandfather and his friends for dinner had it not been for the good luck that the tide changed and they drifted out to sea again. They were later picked up by a passing vessel. Another time, grandfather was put off on a Fiji island with one of the crew who was sick. He was left there to take care of him and nurse him back to health. The ship went on and said they would pick him up on their return voyage. It was all to no avail because the man died after a few months. Anyway, the natives who were cannibals were friendly. The chief took a liking to my grandfather and wanted him to marry his daughter, the princess. She was big, fat, black and ugly and grandfather said, ‘No thanks, chief, I would rather not.” Anyway I think the chief was a kind of joker and took no offense. Grandfather gathered copra while he was there, so his time wasn’t a total loss. They had cattle and hogs. They called the Bull and Ma Cow. Evidently, whoever gave them the cattle in the beginning gave them a bull and a cow, hence Bull & Ma Cow. The natives would give a feast. They would butcher a four hundred pound hog, dress him and stuff him with yams and bananas, wrap him in banana leaves and lower him in a pit in which they burned a lot of wood, then cover the pig with coals and ashes and then when it was done, they would take the pig out and have a feast. After about a year had passed, a ship came to pick up grandfather. The chief hated to see him go, so after bidding each other a fond farewell, the chief game him a package all neatly wrapped in banana leaves and told him not to open it until after he had set sail. He didn’t wait that long though. He opened it right after he got on board as the crew wanted to see. Well, it was a man’s hand and foot, all neatly cooked and ready to eat. Grandfather took one look and threw it overboard. He could see the chief on shore, laughing it up. Yes, the chief had his last little joke and grandfather sailed away. Another time, he was shipwrecked in the China Sea and was picked up by a passing ship after they had drifted for days in a small boat. The ship was bound for a port in France where they were dumped and had to find a ship to sign on with after trying time and again, but the only ship and captain they could sign up with was a cruel captain. His shipmates and grandfather talked it over and decided they would have to sign with the mean captain. So they made a pact that no matter who the captain picked to whip with the cat-o-nine tails, the rest would jump the captain. Well, grandfather was the first and when the rest jumped him, he threatened to charge them with mutiny when they made into port. Then they threatened to throw him overboard unless he promised not to press charges. So that was the way things stood when they ;made it into port. He kept quiet and no charges were made.”
Submitted by Carol-Anne Tucker-Watt
“Charles Henry Elwell was born in Salem, Mass. Dec. 27, 1818. His parents had died when he was very young and he went to live in Boston with an aunt and uncle, who treated him poorly. When he was thirteen he ran away to go to sea. He signed up to be a cabin boy on a sailing vessel and followed the sea for many years until he jumped ship in San Francisco and headed for the gold fields. He wound up at Columbia and worked as a miner. Later married Rose Anne Cory and settled at Second Garrote and raised a family, one of which was my father, Lewis Cory Elwell. Others were Henry, Rosa M, Eugene, Francis. While at sea he had several adventures. Once he was ship wrecked and the life boat they were in . He and several of the crew were drifting. They had lost the oars and no control over the boat. They were in the south seas near the Fiji Islands. The boat was drifting close to one of the islands and the natives spotted them and ran out into the surf, shaking knives and spears and being cannibals, would have had grandfather and his friends for dinner had it not been for the good luck that the tide changed and they drifted out to sea again. They were later picked up by a passing vessel. Another time, grandfather was put off on a Fiji island with one of the crew who was sick. He was left there to take care of him and nurse him back to health. The ship went on and said they would pick him up on their return voyage. It was all to no avail because the man died after a few months. Anyway, the natives who were cannibals were friendly. The chief took a liking to my grandfather and wanted him to marry his daughter, the princess. She was big, fat, black and ugly and grandfather said, ‘No thanks, chief, I would rather not.” Anyway I think the chief was a kind of joker and took no offense. Grandfather gathered copra while he was there, so his time wasn’t a total loss. They had cattle and hogs. They called the Bull and Ma Cow. Evidently, whoever gave them the cattle in the beginning gave them a bull and a cow, hence Bull & Ma Cow. The natives would give a feast. They would butcher a four hundred pound hog, dress him and stuff him with yams and bananas, wrap him in banana leaves and lower him in a pit in which they burned a lot of wood, then cover the pig with coals and ashes and then when it was done, they would take the pig out and have a feast. After about a year had passed, a ship came to pick up grandfather. The chief hated to see him go, so after bidding each other a fond farewell, the chief game him a package all neatly wrapped in banana leaves and told him not to open it until after he had set sail. He didn’t wait that long though. He opened it right after he got on board as the crew wanted to see. Well, it was a man’s hand and foot, all neatly cooked and ready to eat. Grandfather took one look and threw it overboard. He could see the chief on shore, laughing it up. Yes, the chief had his last little joke and grandfather sailed away. Another time, he was shipwrecked in the China Sea and was picked up by a passing ship after they had drifted for days in a small boat. The ship was bound for a port in France where they were dumped and had to find a ship to sign on with after trying time and again, but the only ship and captain they could sign up with was a cruel captain. His shipmates and grandfather talked it over and decided they would have to sign with the mean captain. So they made a pact that no matter who the captain picked to whip with the cat-o-nine tails, the rest would jump the captain. Well, grandfather was the first and when the rest jumped him, he threatened to charge them with mutiny when they made into port. Then they threatened to throw him overboard unless he promised not to press charges. So that was the way things stood when they ;made it into port. He kept quiet and no charges were made.”
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