I am taking my 9th course with The National Institute for Genealogical Studies. (Yes, I recommend them!) This course is “Forensic Genealogy” authored by my friend, Cari Taplin, CG.
ArchiveGrid
Module two of the course covers finding sources such as “interviews, letters, published genealogies, and family histories.” And one of the sites discussed for locating some of these records was ArchiveGrid. Cari explains that “ArchiveGrid focuses on archival materials such as historical documents, personal papers, family histories, and other original sources.”
Although I’ve visited ArchiveGrid before, last night was the first time I really did some searching – and had some success. Although this site is probably best searched by a topic and not a surname, my successes were through some of my more unusual surnames.
Kaechle
A search for “Kaechle” gave two results including one titled “Loren M. Knowles family papers, 1784-2015, (bulk 1811-1961).” This collection of 10 boxes takes up 6.3 linear feet! The collection consists primarily of “genealogical research material [which] was largely compiled by Loren Michell Knowles and his daughter Carol Ann Knowles, and traces the lineage of the extended Knowles family.” The files also contain family photos.
I am not related to the Knowles family. So, where does my connection come in?
Loren was married to Betty Kauffman, though they divorced. Later in life, Betty married a Kaechle. Here’s a great summary from the collection details: Betty was an accomplished pianist and received her bachelor’s degree in Music from Miami University in 1946. Following her divorce from Loren Michell Knowles, Betty married Ralph F. Kaechle (1921-1997) in 1980. He was the son of Frank. C. Kaechle (1898-?) and Emma Pohl (1896?-?) and he fought in World War II as a corporal in the South Pacific and then worked briefly for Chrysler as a junior accountant before taking over his father’s dairy delivery service, which he ran until he retired in 1976.
Frank Kaechle was my grandfather’s brother and Ralph was his nephew. My grandfather also worked for the family dairy, so this is a great addition to my family story!
Coppenbarger
There were 13 results for “Coppenbarger,” and more results with alternate spellings. Several of the results centered around WWI.
Hugh Earl Coppenbarger
The first result was a 4-page document titled “Individual Service Record.” (By the way, I looked and could not find this record on Fold3.) Hugh Earl Coppenbarger was born in 1894 in DeWitt County, Illinois – the county my family lived in before migrating to Kansas. Earl is my 3rd cousin twice removed. This form gives information about his birth, parents, promotions, and discharge. Earl served from September 1917 until May 1918, and a note on the third page says he was “never sent overseas.”
There were also “individual service records” for two other Coppenbarger men who are also related to me: Warren Bowles Coppenbarger and Ora Frank Coppenbarger. Both of these men did serve time overseas during the war and I would like to do more research into their service. All 3 men are descendants of my 4x great grandparents, Jacob Coppenbarger Sr (1769-1841) and Catherine Ann Snavely (1780-1857) through their son, George Coppenbarger (1804-1855).
Letter from Warren B Coppenbarger to Sister Iva Coppenbarger
Another neat document accessed through ArchiveGrid was a letter from Warren B Coppenbarger – whose service record is mentioned above – to his sister, Iva. The details describe it as a “handwritten letter from Pvt. Warren Coppenbarger, who served in the United States army veterinary division, to his family in Clinton, Illinois. Coppenbarger wrote from an army camp in Kentucky. The letter was given to the Clinton Morning Journal for publication and contains editor’s marks.”
Below is the 4th page in this letter. The editor’s marks, in pencil, include a few important facts about Warren, his parents, where they lived, and the name of the camp. One of my favorite parts was a section that explained that the “boys” from the county were all together and that the sergeant said he “never saw a bunch learn as fast” and the lieutenant said some of them “stood a good chance to be promoted in the near future.” [I’ll include a transcription in a separate post.]
O.K. Armstrong Papers – Child Welfare File
Of course, not every source will have the actual image of the document. Another one I’m interested in is part of a collection called OK. Armstrong Papers at the State Historical Society of Missouri. This collection includes over 150 cubic feet of material – most in English, though some in German. Armstrong was a journalist, Missouri State Legislation representative, and author who lived from 1893 to 1987.
The papers I’m interested in are in Box 18 in a file labeled “Coppenbarger family.” Box 18 is under the heading of “Child Welfare” case files. A more thorough description of these files states: “Of particular note is the Child Welfare material, which contains family case files pertaining to Armstrong’s work as the chairman of the American Legion’s Child Welfare Committee in Missouri. The case files detail the conditions of ex-servicemen and their families, providing both genealogical information and information on poverty in Missouri during the 1930s. Some of the case files are arranged by dates; others are arranged alphabetically by family name.”
I’m not sure which Coppenbarger family this file pertains to, but I know I want to read it!
Give it a try!
Have you used ArchiveGrid? If not, give it a try! Although I had success with my more uncommon surnames, you could also search for specific places or events. For example, you could search for a town, a county, an event, or a place one of your ancestors was employed.
If you give it a try, I’d love to hear what you find!
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