If you have a tree on MyHeritage, you probably get periodic emails saying they have found new Record Matches. This week, I was thrilled to get a new record: a newspaper clipping from 1920. The record is an obituary of my great, great grandfather, Augustus L. Merrill. It is only the second photo I’ve seen of him, and it is a lot better quality than the other one which I wrote about here. Obituary Transcription DEATH RECORD Merrill – After being ill about seven weeks with a complication of ailments Augustus L. Merrill, one of the best known and most...
My great, great grandfather, A. L. Merrill, was county commissioner of Clinton County, Pennsylvania, in the early 1900s. This summer, I found the first photo I’ve seen of him. But, it was in a 1958 newspaper clipping, so it was under copyright laws. I recently emailed the publisher of the newspaper, The Express, who quickly responded with permission to use the photo. (Used with Permission: The Express/www.lockhaven.com) A. L. Merrill is on the far left of the front row. Pictures from the Past, The Express, Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, 22 December 1958, page 10, columns 5-8, digital image, newspapers.com, (http://newspapers.com), accessed...
Two weeks ago, I visited Clinton County, Pennsylvania with three of my dad’s first cousins. We spent some time at the Ross Library in Lock Haven briefly researching our Stewart, Merrill, McClintock/McClintick, and Close families. Entering Ross Library, Lock Haven, Clinton Co, PA Ross Library has a wonderful card catalog. Each card indexes a specific person and record. The records I saw included the Clinton County marriage license docket 1894-1897, the library’s “local history/memorabilia” albums and photograph collection, and various newspapers including: the Clinton County Times, the Clinton Republican, the Clinton Democrat, and the Lock Haven Express. I believe the library...
The 1910 census lists Elizabeth C Merrill, wife of Norman B Merrill, as a mother of 6 with 4 still living. I’m sure we all have families like this on our trees. We’d love to tell the stories of these “missing” children who both were born and died between census years. But, how can we locate them? One solution? Newspapers. What a wonderful source! And, it was newspapers that helped me locate the two “missing” children of Elizabeth and Norman B Merrill. The first newspaper article I found was dated November 25, 1902. It simply stated: The infant child of...
For centuries children have worked to help their families. They have helped their parents farm, run stores, and do other businesses. But, during the American Industrial Revolution, many children went to work in the mills and mines. They would often work up to twelve hours a day, seven days a week, at dangerous and even deadly jobs. In Pennsylvania, in the later 1800s, both mindsets and laws were changing to protect children. Work hours were decreased and children were required to attend school for a certain number of months a year. Minimum ages were set in place for certain types...
My great, great grandfather, Augustus L Merrill (or A. L. Merrill), was a census taker in 1900. In 1910, he was a census supervisor overseeing 4 counties and 180 enumerators in north central Pennsylvania. 1900 Census for Lock Haven, Clinton County, Pennsylvania Augustus L. Merrill, Enumerator (image from Ancestry.com) What did it take to be an enumerator? A. L. Merrill Opens Office, Williamsport Sun-Gazette, Williamsport, Pennsylvania, 16 Nov 1909, page 4, column 6, digital image newspapers.com, (http://newspapers.com), accessed 12 Feb 2015 I found a fairly lengthy article that describes the application process. These applications would be wonderful genealogy finds… if...
My great, great grandmother, Sarah Jane (Eastwood) Merrill, had evidently been ill for five years when a “marked change in her condition” took place. What was her very strange ailment? And, what occurred to make her feel better? Here’s the brief article I found: 50 Years Ago, The Express, Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, 20 Jul 1967, page 1, column 4, digital image newspapers.com, (http://newspapers.com), accessed 12 Feb 2015 After five years’ illness, Mrs. A. L. Merrill was making good progress towards recovery. A marked change in her condition being after an attack of nausea, when she emitted an object which it...
In my research, I’ve found three situations when a surname is used as a middle name. 1. HONORING A FAMOUS PERSON (usually political) Examples from my tree: George Washington Young, Thomas Jefferson Decker, Ulysess Grant Burton & James Madison Randolph 2. HONORING SURNAMES OF THE PAST Examples from my tree: My father’s middle name is his great, great grandmother’s last name. My brother was given the same middle name. My sister-in-law gave her son our beloved grandparent’s last name (though in this instance it’s his first, not middle, name) 3. HONORING THE MOTHER OR A GRANDPARENT Examples of mothers’ surnames...
