THE AMERICAN FRUIT CULTURIST, by John J. Thomas

Today a local collector loaned me a book which was published in 1860. The title is: THE AMERICAN FRUIT CULTURIST: CONTAINING DIRECTIONS FOR THE PROPAGATION AND CULTURE OF FRUIT TREES IN THE NURSERY, ORCHARD, AND GARDEN; WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF THE PRINCIPAL AMERICAN AND FOREIGN VARIETIES CULTIVATED IN THE UNITED STATES.










The book was written by John J. Thomas, and was published in New York by C.M. Saxton, Barker & Company.

Inside the book are instructions on propagation by budding and grafting, transplanting, information about tools used in raising fruit trees, and details on a wide variety of fruits. Below is a comparison of several different types of apples from pages 188-189 of the book.

A copy of the 1850 edition of this book is available full text at Google Books. The reason this particular title was of such interest to me, is that in the front it is signed by George Barney, an early Sandusky businessman whose nephew Charles Barney was one of the original co-founders of Smith, Barney & Co. It appears that George Barney signed this book in Sandusky, Ohio on December 21, 1860. In different ink, the word Mrs. was written beside the name of George Barney. Opposite the name Mrs. George Barney, are the words "To Carrie Ella Barney." It seems that Mrs. Barney gave the book to her daughter some time after 1860, by noting the difference in the inks that were used.

Carrie Ella Barney was a popular local poet in Sandusky, and sadly she died in 1873 at the age of 18. The Barney family was a leading pioneer family in Sandusky, and it blessed my heart to see a book that once was held by Mr. and Mrs. George Barney and their daughter Carrie Ella. You can see many of the tombstones of members of the Barney family at Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery.

John and Eva McCormick

Eva McCormick (1884-1919) and John J. McCormick (1878-1961) are buried at Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery. Mrs. McCormick was only 33 years old at the time of her death. Her husband John lived in Sandusky until his death in 1961.

Mrs. Eva McCormick died on January 28, 1919. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Bauman. Her funeral was held at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Sandusky. Mr. John J. McCormick passed away on May 6, 1961. His funeral was held at Holy Angels Catholic Church.









Mr. and Mrs. McCormick's tombstone was created by Conrad Keim. Sculpted onto the stone is a person who appears to be praying the rosary.( Mr. Keim's signature, C. Keim, is visible at the base of the tombstone.)The strong faith of John and Eva McCormick is still apparent today to visitors to Oakland Cemetery, as all who walk by their grave marker can view a sculpted figure in prayer.

Helen Dunn Rhind Watt, 1871-1873

Vital Records from Scotland, available at Family Search, tell us that Helen Dunn Rhind Watt was born on February 28, 1871 in Old Deer, Scotland, to James and Hannah (Lovie) Watt. U.S. Census records for Summit County, Ohio, indicate that James and Hannah Watt emigrated to the United States in 1871, the very year that little Helen was born. Helen D. Rhind Watt died on June 27, 1873. She was aged 2 years, 3 months, and 27 days old. Helen D. Rhind Watt was buried in the North Ridge section of Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery. By 1900, Helen's family had moved to Akron, Summit County, Ohio, where her father was employed as a miller. Rest in peace, Helen.

War of 1812 Primer from Ohio Historical Society

Click here to see the War of 1812 Primer . from the Ohio Historical Society. This feature is part of the monthly newsletter series called the Ohio Histor-e-news. At the War of 1812 Primer site, you will find links to more information about the history of the War of 1812, which also took actually place between 1812 and 1815. Don't miss the informative database of cemeteries in Ohio that mark the final resting places for many War of 1812 veterans who were residing in Ohio at the time of their death. The database is a "work in progress" by The Ohio Society, United States Daughters of 1812. Click here to visit the Online Index to Grave Records of Servicemen of the War of 1812, State of Ohio. Once you are at the online index, searching is available by county, name, birth year, death year, and birth state. Did you know that there are fifteen individuals who were either patriots, soldiers, or officers during the War of 1812 who are buried in the small Bloomingville Cemetery in Erie County, Ohio? Check this online index for War of 1812 soldiers in your family tree!















Thanks Ohio Historical Society and Ohio Society, United States Daughters of 1812 for these excellent resources!

Note: Top image courtesy WikiPedia.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun, June 23, 2012

Randy at Genea-Musings has challenged us to come up with a Name Acrostic for one of our ancestors. I am not sure that I followed the directions exactly, but this is what came to mind when I thought about the letters that spell out the name of my mom, Joyce Orshoski:






















This acrostic was created with the help of Read Write Think!


Though there was never an F in my mom's name, she was always a lot of fun to be with, and we miss her very much!

Austin J. Atwood

Austin J. Atwood enlisted in the U.S. Navy on June 23, 1917. Austin was the son of Mr. and Mrs. George Atwood of Sandusky, Ohio. According to the United States Office of Information, on October 30, 1917, twelve men from the U.S. Navy were lost while on patrol duty aboard the U.S.S. Michigan. It is believed that the men were lost in a storm in the Atlantic Ocean.

The tombstone of Austin J. Atwood at Oakland Cemetery is adorned with an anchor and a U.S. flag. The inscription reads:

Austin J. Atwood
1896-1917
Erected by his shipmates
U.S.S. Michigan

Northwest Boundary Marker of the Connecticut Western Reserve

This marker, on the grounds of the Catawba Island State Park in Ottawa County, Ohio, marks the northwest boundary of the Connecticut Western Reserve. The marker is one of four markers erected by the Early Settlers Association of the Western Reserve. During the 1960s the Early Settlers Association placed a stone marker with a plaque in the four corners of the Connecticut Western Reserve. To learn more about the history of the Western Reserve, see these websites:

• Article about the Western Reserve from the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History

• Article about the Western Reserve from Ohio History Central

• "What, Why and Who" of the Western Reserve from the Western Reserve Historical Society
  

My great grandfather's ancestors, Julius House and Percy (Taylor) House settled in the Firelands area of the Connecticut Western Reserve in 1815. Many of the town squares and churches in the Firelands area look very similar to town squares and churches found in Connecticut. The Firelands Pioneer is a periodical found in most larger libraries in northern Ohio. It features obituaries, biographies, and historical articles about the early residents of the Firelands, the most western portion of the Western Reserve.

















Map of Western Reserve courtesy Wikipedia Commons.