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| Signature of Charles H. Poole See enlarged below. |
The first amazing thing was my discovery eight years ago of the family genealogy manuscript he wrote, now located at the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) in Boston. Because it is 257 fragile legal-sized pages, I wasn't allowed to copy it. Two weeks ago, I began taking photos with my iPad and sending pages to a cousin who offered to type them. Fortunately, the manuscript is typewritten, which makes it easy to read, and comes complete with a huge genealogy and transcripts of wills and deeds.
Second, I was rather excited upon learning that he surveyed parts of San Diego, California. A Google search brought up The History of San Diego, which said about him, "An engineer, Charles H. Poole, was hired and he surveyed a 200-mile railroad route to Yuma that followed the bed of the San Diego River, climbing 1087 feet gradually in thirty-nine miles through Mission Gorge, Santee, Lakeside, and Capitan Gorge and northeast through the steep-walled canyon to the base of Eagle Peak. From there the grade became increasingly steep for the next seven and a half miles, climbing 1255 feet out of the canyon to the floor of Santa Ysabel Valley, near where Coleman Creek flows into the San Diego River. The last mile and a half from the canyon to the southern edge of the valley floor was to be a climb of 452.7 feet per mile through what Poole called Santa Ysabel Gulch. But the grade was more than 8.5 percent, virtually impassable. From Santa Ysabel, the route was to follow the wagon route to Warner's and down San Felipe Pass. Other surveys were to be made and many arguments advanced, and the hopes of San Diego lingered on until buried by the Civil War." I also learned he was the Surveyor for San Diego County, then for other areas in California, and wrote with several others, a book, Reports of Explorations and Surveys, To Ascertain the Most Practicable and Economic Route for a Railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. Made Under the Direction of the Secretary of War, In 1853-6, According to Acts of Congress of March 3" by Parke, John G.; Albert H. Campbell and Charles H. Poole.
Third, I now learn he is back in Massachusetts, near where he was born, about 34 miles from me. This was my huge surprise last week. For somebody who had children born in San Diego, northern California, and Mobile, Alabama, I now find him in Roxbury, Massachusetts, per the city directory for 1852! Still in Roxbury in 1856, he drew a "Foldout map of City of Roxbury (Boston), 1856: by Charles H. Poole, engraved by E.A. Teulon. The book contains many pages of advertisements in the front section, along with lunar tables, a calendar, a fold-out map, and a city directory with Last name, First name, and street address location." See Northwest Press Books for a photo of the directory, description, and sale price. The dealer just gave me permission to show the book, so thanks to Eric Brown. (See Below.)
"Charles H. Poole was born in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1825, and while receiving his education at West Point, became a civil engineer and passed his entire life in the service of the United States government. His duties called him much of the time to Washington, D. C, where he passed away in the year 1880. His wife bore the maiden name of Mary A. Daniels and they were residents of Benicia, California, at the time of the birth of Charles Clarence Poole on the 27th of November, 1856." This short bio was from Chicago: its history and its builders, a century of marvelous growth, Volume 5 By Josiah Seymour Currey.
If I had not done Google searches on his name, I would not have known about his surveying career, nor known that he was sent to Massachusetts for a short period, before settling long-term at the Interior Dept. in Washington, D.C., where he worked and died. So, don't stop with the basic information, but dig deeper, and use combinations of keywords on Google.
Two mysteries are now solved because of what I discovered about him last week. First, he did maps, okay that was new to me, and it is probably why my father had a large map collection. Some were framed, and most were flat in a map drawer. Dad must have inherited them, and I've got one hanging on my wall. Second, I believe he began the Poole manuscript while he was working in the Boston area (Roxbury), and I wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't one of the earliest members of NEHGS, he had ties with the Society, his death notice was in the Register and he made sure his manuscript was donated there.
If I had not done Google searches on his name, I would not have known about his surveying career, nor known that he was sent to Massachusetts for a short period, before settling long-term at the Interior Dept. in Washington, D.C., where he worked and died. So, don't stop with the basic information, but dig deeper, and use combinations of keywords on Google.
Two mysteries are now solved because of what I discovered about him last week. First, he did maps, okay that was new to me, and it is probably why my father had a large map collection. Some were framed, and most were flat in a map drawer. Dad must have inherited them, and I've got one hanging on my wall. Second, I believe he began the Poole manuscript while he was working in the Boston area (Roxbury), and I wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't one of the earliest members of NEHGS, he had ties with the Society, his death notice was in the Register and he made sure his manuscript was donated there.
