Remarriage after Divorce Was Not an Option

I've been studying many of Mississippi's laws that affect our research as genealogists. Sargent's Code, the earliest collection of laws dating back to 1799 in the Territorial Period of the state's history is not freely available online. However, an 1807 version of The Statues of the Mississippi Territory is available at Google Books.

In today's culture and society, remarriage after a divorce is pretty commonplace, but in the early days of Mississippi's existence, it was not permitted. Chapter 13, section 4 of this code reads:

And be it further enacted, That divorces from the bond of matrimony shall also be decreed, where either of the parties had another wife or husband, living at the time of such second or other marriages : and that all marriages, where either of the parties shall have a former wife or husband living, at the time of such marriage, shall be invalid from the beginning, and absolutely void.

Handy Mississippi Genealogy Handbook

Morris, Gary L. Handy Mississippi Genealogy Handbook. s.l.: s.n., 2015.

As I was browsing at Amazon this week, I discovered an entry for a book on Mississippi genealogical research previously unknown to me. Even though the book was described as being 38 pages and costing $5.99, I decided to purchase it. When the book arrived, it really only had 36 pages. The book relies heavily upon Access Genealogy resources. Most other information is a listing of URLs or addresses.

The layout and formatting is confusing. The author uses the same heading style for sections as for the actual resource, making much of the information seem duplicated. Descriptions are not very useful and information provided is not complete enough to be useful at even a basic level.

The final section of the book provides a listing of common Mississippi surnames -- or what is SUPPOSED to be a listing of common Mississippi surnames. Instead, it is a listing of counties.

Don't waste your money on this volume! What little useful information included can be found easily on the Internet. Those wanting a book on Mississippi research are better off purchasing the dated Tracing Your Mississippi Ancestors by Anne S. Lipscomb and Kathleen Hutchison.

Thou Shalt Not Accept Shaky Leaf Hints Without Reviewing Them

In the last week or so, I began reviewing additional shaky leaf hints at Ancestry for some of my more recent ancestors. I was appalled when I looked at the family trees that included my ancestor James M. Thornton.

Let's look at some of the erroneous information I found.

Erroneous information: James M. was born in Georgia. 

Fact: James M's Civil War (Union) pension file gave his birthplace as Jefferson County, Alabama. Censuses consistently listed James M.'s birthplace as Alabama.

Erroneous information: James M. was in the 1880 Lincoln County, Tennessee census.

Fact: James M. was enumerated in Franklin County, Alabama in 1880. [See 1880 United States Federal Census, Franklin County, Alabama, population schedule, Newburgh, Beat 8, SD 1, ED 95, p. 627B, family 35, lines 9-15, Jas. M. Thornton family; digital image, Family Search (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4JJ-N64 : accessed 23 Apr 2016); citing National Archives microfilm publication T9, roll 13.] Those who accepted the Lincoln County, Tennessee census are likely accepting it because James M.'s first wife's name was Lucinda. However, she died in childbirth in 1855, and their son Cape was reared by his maternal grandparents. The James enumerated in Lincoln County was born in Virginia instead of Alabama.

Erroneous information: James M. Thornton descends from the Dozier/Mark/Luke Thornton line of Virginia. These trees list James M.'s paternal grandparents as William Thornton and Clarissa Vice.
Fact: Y-DNA testing of descendants shows James M. Thornton's descendants are from the South Carolina E group whose common ancestors appear to be Thomas Thornton and Martha Boykin of North Carolina. (Dozier is part of the Virginia A group.)

Other mistakes were also found. For example, one person said he died in the Armory in Splunge, Mississippi. As a native of Monroe County, I got a big chuckle out of that one. Splunge does not and has never had an armory. The person obviously meant the town of Amory which is in that part of the county. However, James M. lived in the community of Splunge which was really a bit of a distance from Amory. Persons living in Splunge would have traveled to Amory when they needed to travel by railroad or when they needed items they could not get in the local community.

I never accept the tree hints. I do, however, review them for hints AFTER I've worked through the hints given and made certain I have all the census records and checked other sources for key pieces that might be missing such as marriage records, birth and death records, cemetery records, etc. I then take any hints I find to see if those can be documented. Most of the time my own research and documentation has already uncovered the hints, or I can easily disregard hints because someone has added something that is very obviously erroneous, such as the parents being born after the child.

Always check shaky leaf record hints also to make sure they apply to your ancestor. Recently I was reviewing shaky leafs on a different line on which I was working. I got 3 hints on this particular person. None of the hints were records for the individual on whom I was working. I searched and found the right records rather than accepting the ones given. In fact, I had to switch from Ancestry to Family Search to give me two critical records proved my own research was on the right track.

Traveling in the Tardis to Meet Thomas Duke

Elizabeth O'Neal over at Little Bites of Life has invited all genealogy bloggers to take a ride with the Doctor in the Tardis to meet one of our ancestors. It may surprise most of you that I am choosing to go back to the 19th century instead of further back in time. However, I could think of two ancestors that might be able to steer me in the right direction to continue pursuing their lines--W. Daniel Phillips and Thomas Duke. Thomas Duke is the one I chose because I know the next step will be in North Carolina, a state in which I visit the archives on a regular basis.

Who was Thomas Duke?

Thomas Duke was born 3 May 1828 ¹ in Virginia.² Family tradition states that his father was Benjamin Duke and that his mother was Elisha? Parker. Much of this information is based on the fact that his daughter Berniece Estelle "Bennie" Duke was named for his father and on the fact that his son James Parker Duke's middle name came from Thomas' mother's surname. The name Elisha was passed down through daughter Martha Virginia's descendants. Thomas was orphaned. We do not know exactly when. Some of his grandchildren who never met him report stories about Thomas working on a tobacco plantation of relatives in North Carolina, leading to the inevitable family story that this was the Washington Duke family. No evidence for that connection has been located. It seems unlikely since Washington was not born until 1820 himself and did not gain his fortune until after the Civil War.³ It does, however, seem possible Thomas moved to Mississippi from North Carolina. Thomas allegedly came to Monroe County, Mississippi with a Knowles family. The only Knowles family in Monroe County in 1850 is a Benjamin G. Knowles family.⁴ Both Benjamin and his wife were born in Rhode Island. He was a merchant. Although no apparent connection with Thomas is evident in Monroe County records, Benjamin Knowles resided near families associated with Nancy Allred's family. He arrived by 1850 as he is enumerated twice in that census--once with the Isaac N. Rogers family in the Eastern division of the county⁵ and once with the Lyles J. Parchment family in the Western division.⁶ In 1860, he is enumerated with the B. G. Doughtry family in the Western Division of Monroe County in an area served by the Aberdeen post office.⁷

Thomas married Nancy Malinda Allred 15 August 1867 in Monroe County, Mississippi.⁸ They had five children. Berniece Estelle "Bennie" Duke was born 5 July 1868.⁹ Martha Virginia Duke was born 16 December 1870.¹⁰ James Parker Duke was born 12 February 1873.¹¹ Joseph Thomas Duke was born 3 January 1876.¹² Myrtis Duke was born 9 July 1883.¹³

Thomas and his family are enumerated in township 12 of Monroe County in an area served by the Smithville post office in 1870.¹⁴ By 1880, he and his family are residing in the Cotton Gin Port area of Monroe County.¹⁵ Thomas died 18 May 1894 at the age of 66 and is buried in the Greenbrier Cemetery in Becker, Monroe County, Mississippi.¹⁶


What Question(s) Do You Need to Ask Him?

1. Where in Virginia were you born?
2. When did you move to North Carolina?
3. When and where were you orphaned? Who were your guardians?
4. Tell me about growing up -- what you did, your friends, your education, the places you lived.
5. Who was your father? Where was he born? Who were his parents?
6. Who was your mother? Where was she born? Who were her parents?
7. Tell me any family stories you remember your parents or relatives relating to you.
8. Tell me about how you came to Monroe County and any stops you made along the way.

I'm certain that his answers would spawn additional questions. He would probably think I'm a pretty nosy outsider. I doubt he knew what an oral history project was. Fortunately the University of Mississippi admitted women in 1882 so I might be able to pull off my time-travel venture as an oral history project. While I have not researched it, I doubt that the Industrial Institute and College (now Mississippi University for Women) included such programs as history when established in 1884. Mississippi State University was found as an agricultural and mechanical land-grant university. No date for the first admission of women at it has yet been located.


Is There a Problem You Can Help Your Ancestor Solve?

None that would make sense to resolve in that period of time. Family tradition states he was somewhat crippled. Most thought it was due to an injury received during the Civil War. Although a William T. Duke served in Captain Berry's Company of the Mississippi Infantry Reserves in the Battle of Harrisburg (now Tupelo), Mississippi, this individual with the rank of sergeant died in the battle.¹⁷


Will You Reveal Your True Identity to Your Ancestor?

I doubt it. It would be too mind-boggling.


Will You Bring Your Ancestor to the Future to Meet His Descendants?

Why? It would not serve a useful purpose.

FOOTNOTES

---

1 Greenbrier Cemetery (Becker, Monroe County, Mississippi, off Old Highway 25), Thomas Duke and wife marker; read and photographed by Lori Thornton, abt. 1992.^↩
2 1850 U.S. Federal Census, Monroe County, Mississippi, population schedule, Eastern Division, p. 16, dwelling 114, family 121, line 19, Thomas Duke; National Archives microfilm publication M432, roll 378. The birthplace Virginia is consistent in other census records.^↩
3 Duke University. Rubenstein Library, "Washington Duke (1820-1905)," web page, (https://library.duke.edu/rubenstein/uarchives/history/articles/washington-duke: accessed 13 Apr 2016).^↩
4 1850 U.S. Federal Census, Monroe Co., Miss., pop. sch., p. 16, dw. 114, fam. 121, line 19, Thomas Duke.^↩
5 1850 U.S. Federal Census, Monroe Co., Miss., pop. sch., Eastern div., p. 7A (stamped), dw. 99, fam. 105, Benj'n Knowles family.^↩
6 1850 U.S. Federal Census, Monroe Co., Miss., pop. sch., Western div., p. 178, dw. 361, fam. 361, line 4, Thomas Duke.^↩
7 1860 U.S. Federal Census, Monroe County, Mississippi, population schedule, Western Division, Aberdeen post office, p. 470, dwelling 304, family 304, line 38, Thomas Duke; National Archives microfilm publication M653, roll 587.^↩
8 Monroe County Mississippi Marriages (1821-1921), s.l.: s.n., n.d., vol. 2, p. 149; Evans Memorial Library, Aberdeen, Mississippi. Copy of marriage record from Monroe County marriage records is in possession of Lori Thornton. It appears to be on a page ending 48 in the marriage record that covers that period of time. I failed to note the marriage record and page number at the time the copy was made in the early 1990s. The bondsman was John Martin, and the license was issued 13 Aug 1867. It was performed by Franklin Finney, a Minister of the Gospel. A discussion concerning the evidence for Malinda's first name is located in my earlier blog post, "Brick Wall: Thomas Duke." ^↩
9 Greenbrier Cemetery, Becker, Monroe Co., Miss., Bennie E. Duke marker.^↩
10 Greenbrier Cemetery, Becker, Monroe Co., Miss., Martha V. Duke Moss and William R. Duke marker.^↩
11 "U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918,"digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 13 Apr 2016), card for James Parker Duke, order no. 873, Local Board, Aberdeen, Monroe County, Mississippi; citing United States, Selective Service System. World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918, National Archives and Records Administration, publication M1509, roll not stated.^↩
12 "U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007," database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 13 Apr 2016), Joe T. Duke, no. 427-90-2724; citing Social Security Applications and Claims, 1936-2007.^↩
13 Greenbrier Cemetery, Becker, Monroe Co., Miss., E.G. and Myrtis Betts marker.^↩
14 1870 U.S. Federal Census, Monroe County, Mississippi, population schedule, Township 12, Smithville post office, p. 196, lines 22-24, Thomas Duke household; National Archives microfilm publication M593, roll 741.^↩
16 1880 U.S. Federal Census, Monroe County, Mississippi, population schedule, Cotton Gin Port, SD 1, ED 125, p. 36A (stamped), sheet 15, dwelling 123, family 123, lines 1-6, Thomas Duke family; National Archives microfilm publication T9, roll 658.^↩
16 Greenbriar Cemetery, Becker, Monroe Co., Miss., Thomas Duke and wife marker.^↩
17 Jim Taylor, "Captain Berry's Company, Reserves," Jim Taylor's Home Page, web page, (http://www.datasync.com/~jtaylor/1MSRH.htm : accessed 13 Apr 2016).^↩

Did the Ridings family live in Smith County, Tennessee?

Did the Ridings family who moved to Monroe County, Mississippi live in Smith County, Tennessee prior to their arrival? Plenty of online genealogies say that they did. Most say their children were born there from about 1816 to 1826. I only got to spend about 3.5 hours yesterday afternoon in the State Library and Archives. I mostly used abstracts for the county which are plentiful due to hard work of the Works Progress Administration employees involved in the Historical Records Survey Project for Tennessee. (I am sure many researching other states wish their state librarian at that time had been Mrs. John Trotwood Moore. I know when I work in another state's records I become even more appreciative of her foresight to have so many records abstracted for use.) I utilized not only the WPA records but other published abstracts for the county. My main focus was on court records, land records, and wills/probate records. I knew I needed to get to the tax records, but I put those off. I kept my focus on the years 1800 to 1840, even though I knew the family was probably only there a few years on the other side of the range of the children's births. I was also looking for two other allied families as I was researching the records.

What were my findings? I did not discover a single Ridings family in all the abstracts. I suspected one of the allied families (Anglin) might not be present in that county. I thought it possible that another might show up in an occasional record since they were allegedly in a nearby county in the early years of that same period. I did find records with this surname (Sheppard/Shepherd) in the county, but I am unable to link these persons with my ancestral family at the present time.

It does not currently meet the standards for a reasonably exhaustive search. I need to look at those tax records, and I may need to eventually go back through the records themselves for this period to see if names were omitted in the abstracts. Legislative petitions also need to be checked.

So did they live in Smith County? Yes. How do I know? Because he appears in the 1830 census for Smith County. [1830 U.S. Federal Census, Smith County, Tennessee, p. 112 (written), line 22, James Ridings; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 13 Nov 2015); citing NARA microfilm publication M19, roll 181.] The maiden name of James Ridings wife is sometimes seen as Tubb or Tubbs, but most records place a question mark at the end of it. If this is her surname, I did spot references to persons with the Tubbs and Tibb or Tibbs surnames (which could be typographical errors because of the proximity of the i and u on a keyboard). Several Tubbs families are enumerated on the same page. I need to do a more exhaustive search of that name in the county as well. In my rush to create a research plan at the last minute after discovering a few hours would be available to research, I neglected to include that surname on my list. So many records, so little time!

Where are they in 1920?

I've recently been going back over some of the data in my own families and trying to fill any holes in my research. I'm having a terrible time locating one of my paternal grandmother's sisters (and her family) in the 1920 census.  Let me try to paint a picture this branch of the family.

My grandmother's sister's maiden name was Lera Bell Fowlkes. According to the Virginia Phillips Fowlkes Howell family Bible, she was born 8 Sep 1888 in Monroe County, Mississippi. (I have a photocopy of this record in my possession. The original was last known to be in the hands of a cousin of mine residing in the Hatley area of Monroe County, Mississippi.) The 1890 census was destroyed in the infamous National Archives fire that so many of us wish had not occurred. She was too young to be listed in the surviving 1892 Enumeration of Educable Children in Mississippi which serves as an 1890 census substitute for many of us researching in that state. (It lists the head of household and school-age children, generally ages 6 to 16.)

In 1900, she is enumerated in the household with her mother and stepfather.

Howell, John, head, W, M, Oct 1854, 45, M, MS, MS, MS, farmer
--, Virginia, wife, W, F, Mar 1865, 35, M, 11, 5, MS, MS, MS
--, Pearler, daughter, W, F, May 1886, 14, S, MS, MS, MS
--, Mary L, daughter, W, F, Feb 1889, 11, S, MS, MS, MS
--, Ollie, daughter, W, F, Jan 1894, 6, S, MS, MS, MS
--, Osie, son, W, M, Mar 1896, 4, S, MS, MS, MS
--, Dewey, son, W, M, Jan 1898, 2, S, MS, MS, MS
--, Dee, s-son, W, M, Feb 1887, 15, S, MS, MS, MS
Fowlkes, Lera, s-dau, W, F, Sep 1888, 11, S, MS, MS, MS
--, Norma, s-dau, W, F, Jan 1892, 8, S, MS, MS, MS
--, Jodie, s-dau, W, F, May 1895, 5, S, MS, MS, MS

[1900 U.S. Federal Census, Monroe County, Mississippi, population schedule, Amory, Beat 1, SD --, ED 68, p. 26A (stamped), sheet 26A, John Howell household, dwelling 504, family 505, lines 12-22; digital image, Ancestry.com : 29 Oct 2012; citing NARA microfilm publication T623, roll 822.]

She married Neely Nash on 14 Dec 1908 in Monroe County, Mississippi. [Monroe County, Mississippi Marriages (1821-1921). 4 vols. s.l.: s.n., n.d., vol. 1, p. 175. This index is held at Evans Memorial Library in Aberdeen, Mississippi. If I have a copy of the actual marriage record from the county books in the circuit clerk's office, it is not in my database. I'll check some older paper files, but I'll need to make sure to obtain the better source for this. It's been added to my to-do list.]

At the time of the 1910 census, the family is still residing in Monroe County, Mississippi. They have a young daughter by that time. Evelyn Nesby Nash was born 17 Oct 1909 in Monroe County, Mississippi. There is a bit of a discrepancy in her one month age on the 1910 census and this October birth date.

Nash, Nelley, head, M, W, 22, m1, 2, MS, MS, MS, farmer, gen farm, 182
--, Lera, wife, F, W, 21, m1, 2, 1, 1, MS, MS, MS, farm laborer, home farm
--, Nesby, daughter, F, W, 1/12, S, MS, MS, MS

[1910 U.S. Federal Census, Monroe County, Mississippi, population schedule, Hatley, SD 9, ED 55, p. 40-41 (stamped), sheets 10A/11B (written), Nelley Nash household, dwelling 182, family 182, lines 49-50, 100; digital image, Ancestry.com : 4 Mar 2013; citing NARA microfilm publication T624, roll 752. Note about census: The enumerator made a mistake. He had originally tried to create a line on the same page below line 50 to include Nesby but had crossed this out and had made a note to direct the reader to the remainder of the household.]

I have not found the family in the 1920 census. They could have still been in Mississippi. They could have been in the process of moving to Arkansas. They could have been in Arkansas.

What I do know is that according to the 1930 census, daughter Edith was born about 1918-1919 in Mississippi and son Billie was born about 1922-1923 in Arkansas. [By the way, Billy was said to have been born in Mississippi in the 1940 census.]

Nash, Neeley, head, R, M, W, 42, M, 21, MS, NC, MS, farmer, general farm, 45
--, Ila, wife, F, W, 34, M, 28, MS, MS, MS, none
--, Elihu, son, M, W, 15, S, MS, MS, MS, laborer, farm
--, Joe, son, M, W, 13, S, MS, MS, MS, laborer, farm
--, Edith, daughter, F, W, 11, S, MS, MS, MS, none
--, Billie, son, M, W, 7, S, AR, MS, MS, none

[1930 U.S. Federal Census, Poinsett County, Arkansas, population schedule, Greenwood, SD 3, ED 6, p. 68 (stamped), sheet 3A, Neeley Nash household, dwelling 49, family 49, lines 33-49; digital image, Ancestry.com : 4 Mar 2013; citing NARA microfilm publication T626, roll 88.]

You may have noticed that Lera is no longer in the 1930 census. She died in 1923, presumably in Arkansas, although it is possible that the family had made its way back to Mississippi. She is buried at Hatley Cemetery, Hatley, Monroe County, Mississippi. I have visited the grave which simply reads "Lera Bell Nash" and gives her birth date as 1888 and death date as 1923. This is also the reading that was rendered by a volunteer who transcribed the marker for Find-A-Grave (memorial number 66169047). There is one slight variation in the family. It's a more specific date, but it was possibly mistranscribed by a person who has been known to mistranscribe a lot of things. That date is 11 Jan 1928. I suspect that the actual date of death is 11 Jan 1923, and that this person wrote the 3 as an 8.

I'll include the 1940 census for the record.

Nash, Neely, head, M, W, 52, M (crossed out), no, 4, MS, same place, farmer, farming, OA, 70
--, Eda (x), daughter, F, W, 20, S, no, 6, MS, same place
--, Billie, son, M, W, 17, S, no, 4, MS, same place

[1940 U.S. Federal Census, Poinsett County, Arkansas, population schedule, Lunsford, SD 9, ED 56-12B, p. 277 (stamped), sheet 5B (written), Neely Nash household, visit 82, lines 63-65; digital image, Ancestry.com : 27 Apr 2013; citing NARA microfilm publication T627, roll 162.]

The children of Lera and her husband Neely should be:

1. Evelyn Nesby Nash (b. 17 Oct 1909; d. 5 Mar 2000)
2. Emma Lee Nash (b. 17 Jun 1912) - name/date comes only from family information; probably died young
3. Ellie Hue Nash (b. 8 Jul 1914; d. 30 May 1970 )  - Tombstone gives birth year of 1913; SSDI gives 1914.
4. Josier "Joe" Nash (b. abt 1917)
5. Sada Odena Nash (Edith?, Eda?, Omie?) (b. 26 Jan 1920)
6. Billy Shaddon Nash (b. 31 Dec 1922; d. 29 Jun 1989)

I also have Neely's draft registrations for both World Wars, but I'm not including them here. I will say that Neely did say that he had a wife and three children on the World War I registration card in 1917 and that Omie is listed as the contact person on the World War II one in 1942.

So - where is this family in the 1920 census? I'm stumped. I'm beginning to think they were missed.

A First Time for Everything

Today I was cataloging some recent arrivals for our government documents collection for which we had failed to receive (at least to date) records from Marcive. One of these documents was a map of the Holly Springs and Tombigbee National Forests in Mississippi which is near the area in which I grew up. As I began to look at the map, I noticed that they had labeled U.S. 78 not only U.S. 78 but also Interstate 22. Now, those of us who have travelled that road frequently know that the corridor is the "Future I-22" so I was a bit surprised to already see its new moniker on an official government map.

As I began to think about this, I thought of all the street name changes I've encountered over the years. For example, the 1930 census of Amory, Mississippi includes the street names for the town, but they do not match up with present-day street names. I was eventually able to pinpoint most of the locations by asking my parents. Even they did not remember the old names for the streets, but they were able to tell me the locations of the streets when I told them who lived on the streets. I'm sure that if I'd gone to the trouble of locating an older map of the town that I might have been able to find the names of the streets and then compare to a newer map to identify the present-day locations. After all, there was a "first time" that the new name appeared on a map.

By the way, this particular national forest map would be useful for persons researching areas near the national forests because it shows the sections, townships, and ranges for of not only the forest itself but also the nearby land. The main part of Holly Springs National Forest shows significant portions of Benton, Marshall, Union, Lafayette, and Pontotoc Counties. The Yalobusha Unit for that county shows a large part of Yalobusha County and a small part of Grenada County. For the Tombigbee National Forest, the Trace Unit map shows a large portion of Chickasaw County, some of Pontotoc County, and a couple of sections in Lee County. The Ackerman Unit map shows a significant amount of Winston County and parts of Choctaw and Oktibbeha Counties. The interesting thing is that landmarks such as churches are also identified on the map as well as bodies of water (down to the creek level).

Reduced Hours for Some South Mississippi Libraries

Resource Shelf blog alerts us to an article that appeared in the Sun Herald. Apparently several libraries in the Pine Forest Regional Library System serving Covington, Greene, Perry, and Stone Counties were closed for most of this month. They will now be reopening with reduced hours. The same article reports the reopening of the Bay St. Louis library in Hancock County (which had been a victim of Hurricane Katrina).

Researching in Jackson

I spent the last couple of days researching at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History in Jackson, Mississippi. I had a list of items that I wanted to find, and I made it through that list. My biggest disappointment is that the Mississippi History bookstore in the building was closed this week for inventory. They lost sales, but I saved money because I am sure I would have found some items that I would have purchased. My second greatest disappointment had to do with their microfilm reader/printers. They had none that would scan to a computer so a digital image of the file could be saved in spite of the fact that the archives are in a brand new state of the art building. It makes no sense to me why they are using reader/printers that are about 10-15 years old in a new facility. I enjoyed talking with the volunteer who was staffing the media reading room on Monday. You could tell that she was very enthusiastic about researching her own genealogy. She also told me of the plight of her own genealogical society. Membership is in decline, and it is very difficult to get people to stand for office. I wish that I could count on my fingers the number of times I've heard that same story, but I don't have that many fingers. Societies need to adapt to the twenty-first century. What worked in the 1960s and 1970s doesn't work today to attract new members. I shared with her about the FGS conference in Little Rock in the fall. She said that her society used to be a member of FGS but no longer was. I assured her that one's society didn't have to be an FGS member to attend the conference. I think that society and many others just like it could benefit from some of the workshops aimed at society management. I did have a successful trip. I've been trying to figure out why my mom's great grandmother said that she was married in 1835 on her confederate widow's pension application when the marriage certificate says 1844 and neither she nor her husband were residents of Mississippi in 1835. I found out that Mom's grandfather's brother died a year earlier than his tombstone states. The tombstone says 1941, but the death certificate says 1940. I just happened to run across his death certificate as I was looking for another person. Those were the major discrepancies that were found but easily resolved because one record was created at the time of the event and the other later. There were many other records that I would have liked to browse, but I knew that I had only a limited amount of time. Next time I will be able to tackle a few more things. I'm really surprised that I made it all the way through my list of things I wanted to accomplish on that trip. I usually end up with at least one or two things that have to be saved for the next trip! I ran into a nasty storm on the way back to my parents' house in Amory. It was extremely windy. The severe thunderstorm warning that was issued right after I got through the worst of it indicated that the winds were up to 60 m.p.h. I certainly think some of the gusts could have been in that neighborhood.

Origins of Town Names

The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal had an article in today's paper that told the origins of several north Mississippi towns including Trebloc, Guntown, Aberdeen, Verona, Ashland, Falkner, Oxford, and Tupelo. It also has the meanings of some Native American bodies of water such as the Tallahatchie, the Tombigbee, and the Lappatubby.

Whose Body Is It?

Inquiring genealogists want to know . . .

Terry Thornton pointed to an article in the Monroe County Journal (a merger of the Amory Advertiser and Aberdeen Examiner, both of which were owned by the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal). Why didn't they give the section/township/range? Have they checked to see if the casket company's business records from that time period are available? (Nothing via NUCMC, but I'd sure love to know if anyone knows if there are any records of the company in Cincinnati which sold Fisk's coffins which still exist.)

Hazle Boss Neet (1921-2008)

Many persons doing genealogical research in northeast Mississippi will recognize the name of Hazle Boss Neet who published a book of records on Pontotoc County records. She died last Saturday and will be buried this coming Sunday. Her obituary appears in the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal.

Reunited

I am now reunited with my cat. I drove to Mississippi today to pick him up from his visit with his grandparents. I brought him a lobster (not a live one - one that was filled with catnip). I have never seen him so enthusiastic over something as he has been that lobster. I promise a picture later, but I'm too tired to download the pictures from the camera and then upload it here tonight.

When I arrived, I discovered that there was a leak in the air conditioning unit in the house. I had to deal with a little water on the floor and under the carpet in a closet. I just happened to hear the drip. The air-conditioning man who came out to find the cause of the problem found that something had been connected wrong for a long time and said that they were lucky they hadn't had more problems than they had. I tried to find someone with a shop vac, but I was unsuccessful. I ended up using a mop and towels for the cement floor under the a/c. I ran to Wal-Mart and got a wet/dry hand-held dust buster type appliance and a fan for the closet.

National Library Week Tribute #7: The Historical Society Library

I know all of you have been wondering which library I would choose for my 7th. The truth is that there are just too many libraries out there. I hated to name one historical society library without mentioning them all because they are such great depositories of regional information. I'm going to name a few examples here, but all historical society libraries are included in this seventh tribute.



First of all, I want to mention the Itawamba Historical Society's Library in Mantachie, Mississippi. They are located in the Poteet History Center. If you are researching ancestors in Itawamba County, their library is a "must visit." They have a tremendous collection of family histories from the area. You can purchase back issues of Itawamba Settlers to complete your collection. They also have an ongoing book sale there. You can browse and find a few titles of interest for your personal library.



Another society's library I want to mention is McLean County (Illinois) Historical Society. They have microfilms of many of the older courthouse records there which you can photocopy much more cheaply than you can at the nearby courthouse. I found city directories that were extremely helpful to me which covered even small towns like Carlock where my ancestors lived. I was only able to be there for a short time, but the staff was most helpful to me during my brief visit. (I'd spent too much time tromping about the cemetery earlier! You know how that goes with genealogists.)



Then there is the "ultimate" historical society--the New England Historic Genealogical Society. I'm looking forward to another visit there this summer. The photo below was made after FGS conference in 2006. They have all kinds of wonderful resources there! You can't ignore them if you have New England ancestry. The society is located in the Back Bay area on the very trendy Newbury Street. It's not far from the Boston Public Garden and Boston Common. You can even do lunch "where everybody knows your name" or at many other great restaurants in the area. This library is also within walking distance of another great library, the Boston Public Library. Well, I must go and prepare for my visit to the NEHGS Library!

National Library Week Tribute #4: Evans Memorial Library

Evans Memorial Library in Aberdeen is a small library with a very good genealogical collection. The collection was developed over the years by W. A. Evans and by former librarian Lucille Peacock. The genealogical collection contains not only materials relating to the northeast Mississippi-northwest Alabama area, but also information on areas from which persons migrated to the area. There are a large number of family histories on the shelves as well as filing cabinets full of folders relating to the area's families. One of the most interesting collections at Evans Memorial Library is the McKnight Photo Collection. F. S. McKnight was a photographer in the area from about 1894 to 1930. I am very fortunate to have several family photographs done by this photographer among the photos handed down through the family. An index to this collection is available at Monroe County MSGenWeb. There are many unidentified photographs as well. The collection at Evans Memorial Library provides proof that a small library can build a genealogy collection that people will want to visit!

National Library Week Tribute #3: Amory Municipal Library

Amory Municipal Library is where I first developed a thirst for books beyond those I had at home. Mrs. Elizabeth Wamble was the head librarian back in the days I was small. Mrs. Linda Reich was the children's librarian. I loved browsing the children's books there. I remember participating in the summer reading program and being one of the top readers. I had read so many books that it was hard to find a book in which my name wasn't on the card. Somehow I pretty much completely skipped the books written for middle schoolers and teens when I was growing up. I remember all of us becoming intrigued with Lois Duncan's Down a Dark Hall. I also remember using some of the non-fiction books for school assignments. I enjoyed the Hardy Boys books, but I borrowed those from a friend instead of the library (at least the ones that had not been handed down to me by my brothers). Around 6th grade, I discovered Phyllis Whitney. I purchased a paperback of Window on the Square at a bookstore in Alabama when my sister-in-law was in the hospital. When I got back to Amory, I went to the library where I began checking out other books by her. When I finished those, I found books with similar covers. (I know they say you can't judge a book by its cover, but I could find those Gothic romance books that way.) I had discovered that my neighbor's mother had checked out a lot of the same books that I was reading. I began looking for her signature on the cards as a means of "readers' advisory." (Remember this was back in the days before the ALA was as concerned about the confidentiality of patron records. A lot of folks looked to see who else had checked something out back in those days. People knew what each other liked to read and could often tell whether or not they wanted to read it by who else had checked it out. I miss the days of cards with signatures sometimes, but as a librarian I have it ingrained in me now that patron records should be kept confidential.) I continued to read all throughout high school. I never went into my high school library except for club meetings. Amory Municipal Library met most of my needs. When we had to do term papers, most of us learned to hit the library at a university when we were on campus to copy a few things. The Mississippi Room at the Amory Municipal Library is the place I visit most there now when I'm in town. That is where the local history materials and microfilm of older papers are kept. My high school history teacher's wife is the head librarian now. My English teacher from my senior year of high school works there some too! There are other familiar faces in the library there who have been there many years! It's a very welcoming environment.

Cemetery Visit Inspires Novel

Tom Wiley visited a cemetery near Meridian, Mississippi which inspired him to write The Angels of Lockhart. The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal has an article/review talking about the author's inspiration and giving a brief summary of the book. It sounds like a "must read" for family historians.

Monroe & Itawamba County Mississippi 1908

Lisa, over at 100 Years in America, has challenged Genea-Bloggers to answer the question "Where was your family in 1908?" This is an easy question to answer as they were all in Monroe County, Mississippi except one to the best of my knowledge.



The Cape Thornton family lived out on "the old home place" in Becker. Cape's father James M. was in the Parham Community by that time, having recently moved from Alabama.



The Abraham Lantz family lived in the Aberdeen area.



Jennie Phillips Fowlkes Howell lived with her second husband John Howell and some of the children of both marriages on her land off what is now Ritter Road close to where the Pickle Barrel is just outside of Amory as far as I know.



The one exception was Nancy Malinda Allred Duke Rogers who was living with her second husband John W. Rogers, sheriff of Itawamba County, in Fulton.

FINALLY Published

Arphax has finally released its Family Maps of Monroe County, Mississippi. I've been hounding Greg ever since they first showed up at NGS a few years ago with the first 4 volumes to get Monroe done! I've ordered mine and can't wait for it to arrive! Greg, if you're reading this, I'm still waiting for Itawamba!

On this day in 1812

On November 12, 1812, my second great grandfather Walton A. Harris was born. He is believed to be the son of Charles Harris and Dicey Davis who married 22 January 1811 in Wayne County, Kentucky. Better proof of this relationship is needed but it is based partly on recollections of my grandmother about where she heard he was born (and the state of Kentucky is corroborated by census records) and partly on naming patterns. (His first son was named Charles Newton presumably after father. His second son was named John Jasper, presumably after his grandfather John. His second daughter was called Dicey although her name was Dianna C., presumably after his mother. Some of the children were named after his wife's family.) The reason his parents have been so difficult to identify has been because Walton removed from the area in which his family lived. Family tradition states that he was on a cattle drive from Kentucky to the Starkville, Mississippi area. Along the way, they stopped to water the animals at the farm of his future father-in-law Caleb Mosely. Tradition says that his future wife Margaret was lying in a petticoat on a table when they met. He was so enamored of her that after delivering the cattle, he returned to Tennessee to wed Margaret. The best estimate of this date is in 1840 because Walton has not been located in the 1840 census, and it appears that Margaret is enumerated with her father in that year. Their first daughter was born in 1841. I have seen some estimates of their marriage date as early as 1838. No marriage record has been located. Giles County suffered a record loss in 1865.

I have no idea how much truth there is to this family story about the cattle drive and petticoats; however, in discussing it informally with professional genealogists most have said there appears to be at least some element of truth in it. Wouldn't it be neat to find a record of a sale of cattle from Kentucky to someone in the Starkville area? Mississippi State's predecessor (The Agricultural and Mechanical College of the State of Mississippi) was not founded until 1862 so a sale to the land grant university would not have been an option.

I haven't had a lot of time to spend researching this line prior to their arrival in Itawamba County, Mississippi. With the record loss in Giles County, it is going to be difficult. However, I am hopeful that some more progress can be made when I do get to work on this line with such a common surname.

On one census, Walton's name is spelled Walther; however, the majority identify him as Walton as does my grandmother's Bible.