Researching my paternal lines lately has taught me valuable lessons about geography. On the recent trip back to his boyhood haunts with my dad, I learned a little bit about how the geography of the area in which they lived shaped their lives, and consequently, the places where the records would be located.
For instance, though Portland, Indiana is the county seat, my ancestors were predominately in Madison Township near Salamonia. Though many of the records for the family are to be found in Portland, they were closer to the Ohio state line than they were to the county seat.
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Because of this, the stories from my dad involve trips into Ohio towns such as Ft. Recovery and even further northwest into Celina. In researching records such as census and obituaries, I have found that my families tended to hop across the state line quite frequently.
I recently found the 1941 Portland Indiana Con-Survey Directory, which listed my granduncle, John Leland LeMASTER, serving as the County Auditor, with a residential address of RD 3 Ft Recovery, Ohio. I asked my dad how this could be - that someone could be serving as the Auditor of an Indiana county with an Ohio address. He quickly pointed out to me that the entire rural area around Salamonia, Madison Township had a Rural Route address out of Ohio.
My modern-day ZIP code + 4 mind hadn't registered this possibility when I had examined the record. Because this was explained to me, I understood other records I have found, such as funeral home records, which also listed that same rural route address. Without this understanding, it would be very easy for me to place someone in the wrong state of residence.
To the south of Salamonia is the Randolph County, Indiana line, and Union City. I remember last year when I was at the Jay County Health Department looking for the death record for my great grandmother. She wasn't found there, though I was sure she must be, since she was buried next to her husband in the Salamonia cemetery. Finding her obituary, I discovered that she actually died in Union City, the county to the south. Why Union City? Possibly due to the ability of that hospital to treat her particular condition. The distance was not much greater to Union City than Portland from where she lived.
Though this is just one example in one of my families, I am going to use this experience to re-examine the "geographical filter" of the records I discover in my other lines as well.
Taking a more wide-eyed view of the geography of the area has helped me to understand the "why" of the location of a record. State lines and county lines were not insurmountable walls. Failure to comprehend the physical geography of an area can lead to genealogical brickwalls, created by our own blind spots.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
One for the good guys
Sometimes it's nice to know that there are people out there who are the "good guys" and keep their word. I want to take a moment and thank the staff at the Jay County Public Library in Portland, Indiana for helping me out and keeping their word.
On my last research trip there, I started searching for obituaries and found one that I wanted to print. Actually, I found two obits on the same page - for different family lines, so I put in my change ($.30) to print out the two copies when the machine didn't work.
Turns out the printer function was broken. The nice staffer tried to help me getting it working, and when it was obvious that it wouldn't be working that day, offered to mail me copies of the obituaries. She took down my name and address and the relevant information and I went on to searching for other items.
Yesterday, copies of the obituaries arrived in the mail as promised. I will transcribe them later for a future post, but wanted to publicly thank the library for going the extra mile. They could have just given me my money back and that have been all. Offering to make the copies for me was a step beyond.
On my last research trip there, I started searching for obituaries and found one that I wanted to print. Actually, I found two obits on the same page - for different family lines, so I put in my change ($.30) to print out the two copies when the machine didn't work.
Turns out the printer function was broken. The nice staffer tried to help me getting it working, and when it was obvious that it wouldn't be working that day, offered to mail me copies of the obituaries. She took down my name and address and the relevant information and I went on to searching for other items.
Yesterday, copies of the obituaries arrived in the mail as promised. I will transcribe them later for a future post, but wanted to publicly thank the library for going the extra mile. They could have just given me my money back and that have been all. Offering to make the copies for me was a step beyond.
Surname Saturday : WEHRLY
The WEHRLY surname is in my paternal line. The origins of the surname are supposed to be Swiss/German.
Stories and history :
Ahnentafel # 9 : Barbara Isabel Wehrly (1869-1930). Barbara was born March 14, 1869 in Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana. She married November 13, 1886 in Jay County, Indiana to Luman Cooper LeMasters (1867-1933). Luman was born May 27, 1867 in Jay County, Indiana. They lived in Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana and had 13 children. Luman died February 10, 1933 in Salamonia, Jay County, Indiana. Barbara died February 6, 1930 in Union City, Randolph County, Indiana. Both are buried in the Salamonia Cemetery, Jay County, Indiana.
Ahnentafel # 18 : William P. Wehrly (1845-1909). William was born November 2, 1845 in Preble County, Ohio. He married August 4, 1866 in Jay County, Indiana to Olive Jane Smith (1846-1913). Olive was born June 23, 1846 in Cass County, Michigan. William was a mortician and sawmiller in Salamonia, Jay County, Indiana. William served in Company I, 130th Regiment, Indiana Infantry during the Civil War. They had 13 children. Olive died January 6, 1913 in Portland, Jay County, Indiana. William died June 16, 1909 in Salamonia, Jay County, Indiana. Both are buried in the Salamonia Cemetery, Jay County, Indiana.
Ahnentafel # 36 : Johannes "John S." Wehrly (1802-1876). Johannes was born June 4, 1802 in York County, Pennsylvania. He married in 1821 in Stark County, Ohio to Barbara Petry (1802-1880). Barbara was born May 28, 1802 in York County, Pennsylvania. John came to Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana circa 1854. They had 9 children. Barbara died August 27, 1880 in Salamonia, Jay County, Indiana. John died November 10, 1876 in Salamonia, Jay County, Indiana. Both are buried in the Salamonia Cemetery, Jay County, Indiana.
Ahnentafel # 72 : Heinrich "Henry" Wehrly (c1776-1846). Henry was born circa 1776 in York County, Pennsylvania. He married Christina Saubel (c1775-aft1870). Christina was born circa 1775 in Pennsylvania. They lived in Tuscarawas County, Ohio and had 6 children. Christina died after the 1870 census of Jefferson Township, Tuscarawas County, Ohio. Henry died January 15, 1846 in Tuscarawas County, Ohio. Henry is buried in the Stone Creek Cemetery, Tuscarawas County, Ohio.
Ahnentafel # 144 : Heinrich Wehrly (c1740-????). Heinrich was born circa 1740. He married Catherine Moser (1743-1834). Catherine was born in 1743. They had at least 3 children. Catherine died 1834 in York County, Pennsylvania.
Related blog posts :
Stories and history :
Ahnentafel # 9 : Barbara Isabel Wehrly (1869-1930). Barbara was born March 14, 1869 in Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana. She married November 13, 1886 in Jay County, Indiana to Luman Cooper LeMasters (1867-1933). Luman was born May 27, 1867 in Jay County, Indiana. They lived in Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana and had 13 children. Luman died February 10, 1933 in Salamonia, Jay County, Indiana. Barbara died February 6, 1930 in Union City, Randolph County, Indiana. Both are buried in the Salamonia Cemetery, Jay County, Indiana.
Ahnentafel # 18 : William P. Wehrly (1845-1909). William was born November 2, 1845 in Preble County, Ohio. He married August 4, 1866 in Jay County, Indiana to Olive Jane Smith (1846-1913). Olive was born June 23, 1846 in Cass County, Michigan. William was a mortician and sawmiller in Salamonia, Jay County, Indiana. William served in Company I, 130th Regiment, Indiana Infantry during the Civil War. They had 13 children. Olive died January 6, 1913 in Portland, Jay County, Indiana. William died June 16, 1909 in Salamonia, Jay County, Indiana. Both are buried in the Salamonia Cemetery, Jay County, Indiana.
Ahnentafel # 36 : Johannes "John S." Wehrly (1802-1876). Johannes was born June 4, 1802 in York County, Pennsylvania. He married in 1821 in Stark County, Ohio to Barbara Petry (1802-1880). Barbara was born May 28, 1802 in York County, Pennsylvania. John came to Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana circa 1854. They had 9 children. Barbara died August 27, 1880 in Salamonia, Jay County, Indiana. John died November 10, 1876 in Salamonia, Jay County, Indiana. Both are buried in the Salamonia Cemetery, Jay County, Indiana.
Ahnentafel # 72 : Heinrich "Henry" Wehrly (c1776-1846). Henry was born circa 1776 in York County, Pennsylvania. He married Christina Saubel (c1775-aft1870). Christina was born circa 1775 in Pennsylvania. They lived in Tuscarawas County, Ohio and had 6 children. Christina died after the 1870 census of Jefferson Township, Tuscarawas County, Ohio. Henry died January 15, 1846 in Tuscarawas County, Ohio. Henry is buried in the Stone Creek Cemetery, Tuscarawas County, Ohio.
Ahnentafel # 144 : Heinrich Wehrly (c1740-????). Heinrich was born circa 1740. He married Catherine Moser (1743-1834). Catherine was born in 1743. They had at least 3 children. Catherine died 1834 in York County, Pennsylvania.
Related blog posts :
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