A Little Cheer in the New Year.

Every time I see this photo, it cheers me up, especially in winter and each time I turn on my iPad. The above photo was taken in a nursery in the middle of winter last January. I had just gotten the toy and decided to take practice photos. It soon became my cover photo and I see it every time I go online. Since that day, I took very few flower photos because I wasn't happy with the outcome. The reason for writing all this is to say, I have taken over 4,000 shots this past year, and deleted about 1,000. Many others have to do with genealogy in some way, such as: cemetery stones, war memorials, and a lot of tourist spots in New England.

If you have seen any of my posts for this past year, each photo was taken with this iPad, the majority are clear and sharp. It's works beautifully for cemetery stones and pages from books, really anything but flower close-ups.

One of my "projects" for this year is to go through all photos and get them posted to my blog. It might seem unusual to see bare ground (no snow), green trees and lovely foliage in a cemetery during these early 2014 months, but that is what I intend to do.

Do You Have Any of These Cemeteries for Your Ancestors?

Many years before beginning my blog in 2009, I did my best at keeping records for myself, never thinking I would be sharing it. However, the other day, while reading many Facebook friend's New Year's resolutions, blogs and general ideas how to get organized, something clicked. Only one struck me as the one that would for me. Midge Frazel, of Granite in My Blood blog mentioned doing a list of gravestones she has written about. She also mentioned, on Facebook the following.

• One thing I have learned lately is to make goals more defined and workable in a short time frame. I have five projects going right now. Four is do-able but one continues to plague me.

  January 1 
• 

  Barbara Poole     I am going to start following you Midge, you are my new inspiration. Defined goals in a short time frame, love it.

So, I'm using two of her suggestions! You do learn from others, why not try it for 2014.

I began visiting many cemeteries in 1999, 2000 and 2001. A lot changed after 9/11, and I didn't travel as much. My list remained dormant for about 9 years, until I began blogging. You can see, that my list had 121 listings for my direct ancestors only. The various columns are: their relationship to me, cemetery name, location, date of death, date visited and age at death. An additional column lists either a M or F for mothers or fathers side. In the past over 4 years, I've visited quite a few cemeteries and only took 21 photos, so you can see, blogging had little, if any affect on my list.

My problem now is to relearn Excel, because I can't remember how to change the listing to show it alphabetical, or any of the other categories. I didn't even know I had Excel, as my original list was in Access on a XP. Also, I have to learn how to use Microsoft Office with my Win. 8 laptop, and to get the below Vista listing into the new computer. Technology can be a problem for somebody of the "silent" generation.

My next steps are:

1. Double check to be sure all 146 are on Find-A-Grave.
2. Learn how to use Microsoft Office 2013 and Excel.
3. Take additional photos of where other ancestors are, mostly in Connecticut.

For you to take away, one of my best hints is, if a stone is on Find-A-Grave, always make a photo of it and take it with you. This has helped me many times.

 

Happy New Year for 2014!

Happy New Year to my readers, face book friends from me and my friends below (the birds, bear and critters).

Great-grandparents married on Christmas Day, 1888

Special Christmas greetings to my readers. May your day be magical with those you chose to spend this day with.

 (Photo used with permission from Thomas MacEntee.)

I love this tree, and think it goes well on this post for the Victorian Wedding of my great-grandparents on Christmas Day. 

Marriage Announcement of their Christmas Wedding, Dec. 25, 1888.

Marriage Certificate for my great-grandparents.

Note: This is a re-post from December 2009.

Old Handmade Christmas Cards made by my Grandfather

The Christmas card shows a picture of my mother, born 1919.  I like the garland spelling the word MOM with my mother's photo inside.

There are now two children in the family, see in upper window.  I would have loved to have seen 1923, 1924 and 1925, but they weren't in the collection.

This card is also a birth announcement for another child.  The sisters are shown with their brother.  My grandfather probably had the cards completed before the birth, and wrote in the name and date.

My grandfather absolutely loved England, and went many times.

I found an article which appeared in The Hartford Courant, Dec. 14, 1976. "The Peck Memorial Library (Berlin, CT) announced Monday the opening of a new exhibit of more than 40 Christmas cards. The exhibit, titled 'Christmas From the Bishops,' will feature cards sent by the Earle K. Bishops of Kensington section from 1921 to 1976." This month, I will be posting several of my grandfather's cards.

This was made in 1921, three years after they married.

Note: I have about 30 in his collection. Each card was posted to my blog in December 2009.

Smoke Stack Christmas Tree

"The smokestack tree contains 5,440 light bulbs over 32 cables anchored to a 102-foot diameter angle ring at the base. The tree is topped with a 19-foot star." Information from The Lowell Sun newspaper, December 2011 (I had it linked, but the article has been removed.)

The tree is located in Lowell, Massachusetts.

Reflection in a nearby mill.

From Wikipedia, "The Wannalancit Mills are an example of adaptive re-use as they contain offices. Part of the mills are owned by the University of Massachusetts Lowell. In 2000, the owners of the mill utilized their smokestack for the city's largest Christmas tree, reaching two hundred and fifty six feet in height."

Originally posted on Wednesday, December 14, 2011.

Daniel Chester French Led Me on a Trail

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_North_Bridge

Sculptor Daniel Chester French's world known statue of the Concord Minute Man stands in front of Diane MacLean Boumenot, a fellow blogger and friend. We were there in October, and the following month I went to the Concord Museum to see the exhibit, "From the Minute Man to the Lincoln Memorial,  The Timeless Sculpture of Daniel Chester French."

General Joseph Hooker, an enormous statue in front of the Boston State House. I saw it less than a week ago, but it too dark to take a photo.

At the Lincoln Memorial, in Washington, D. C., putting his pieces together.

Plaque states this was his drawing of his first studio in Concord, Massachusetts. This needs to be corrected (9/18/16) to read this painting was done by William Merchant Richard French, 1879. The exterior of the Concord Studio, built in 1879 was built next to his family's home on Sudbury Road in Concord. The artist was Daniel's brother.

The Museum exhibit was large, but I'm cutting back my photos, because of the things I discovered on my own, and new photos I want to share. Yes, another adventure trying to find out where Mr. French lived and where he died. Neither of which was easily obtained via the internet, except for wonderful FindAGrave.

When I saw his painting stating he had a studio in town, I asked a multitude of questions, like is it still standing, and where. I was given a map with two locations marked, on the same street, for the house and the studio. It was too dark to look for them, so we came home. Then with a lot of luck, I discovered the studio (now as a house) had just been sold...with photo of the outside, and about 20 interior photos! Thanks to Zillow it made my future visit all the more easier (I removed the address, because of privacy for the new family).

Back to Concord a few days later and I found the house, the former studio. (see below.)

Daniel Chester French Studio 1879

However, I couldn't locate the small house (original studio), so I called the Museum and spoke with two people, and both gave different answers as to where it was. In all, three people tried to help (and one wrote on the map), but I still couldn't find both buildings even after a 2nd trip. It's amazing, I didn't get stopped by the police and questioned as to why I was slowing down, turning around in quite a few driveways and going back and forth.

Regarding his death, all sources I read stated he died in Stockbridge, Massachusetts at his summer home called Chesterwood. The minute I discovered he was buried in Concord, I returned to the town a fourth time in two weeks. FindAGrave was a big help as was a map from the Concord Library online site. Sleepy Hollow Cemetery is quite large, but although it was a warm day, and I was the only one there, I didn't mind, because I was on a mission. The photos below show where he was buried.

Within a short distance of the cemetery is the Concord Free Library, and that meant another stop. Through my reading, I discovered Mr. French had made a sculpture of Ralph Waldo Emerson (after his death) and it was in the reading room of the library. I had been in this library many times (it was where I hung out two days after 9/11), but never looked at the many pieces of sculpture, including two of Louisa May Alcott.

Below is the detail on Mr. Emerson's coat collar.

My photo of the Concord Minute Man was taken several years ago.

I then discovered he summered for 30 years in Stockbridge, Massachusetts at his estate and studio, called Chesterwood, with 120 acres. The good news is, these buildings are open to the public for the price of admission. Please see my post with lots of photos of the studio and estate at: http://lifefromtheroots.blogspot.com/2016/10/where-was-lincoln-memorial-made.html

Finally, What Was the Good Stuff in The Probate?

Etching of W. F. Poole
New York Times Obituary

A Bill of Appraisement of the Estate of William F. Poole, late of the County of Cook and State of Illinois, deceased was finally signed on 25 March 1895, a year after his death. The Will and Probate as well as the "The Longest Obituary I've Ever Seen" were discussed in previous posts, but I just have to share this with all the librarians who may have learned about him. Yes, he had assets, quite a lot in my opinion, but that isn't what interested me. I wanted to know if the Librarian of the Newberry Library in Chicago, Illinois had any books.

He sure did, 2,600 books, all valued at $1. That portion of his estate was worth $2,600. Why did he have so many books, did they belong to the library or were they actually his? And if they were his, was he going to give them away or donate to the Library. If they were his own, I wonder why didn't he just use the ones at the library and save his money.

Below are copies of the Bill of Appraisement, Agreement with Houghton, Mifflin and Co., and Appraisers' Estimate of the Value of Property Allowed to the Widow.

A BILL OF APPRAISEMENT

of the Estate of William F. Poole, late of the County of Cook and State of Illinois, deceased.

                   One lot of Books (2600 in number) at $1.00 per volume.

                                                                                      Total-         $2,600

             "Agreement between W. F. Poole and Houghton, Mifflin and Co. of Boston, Mass., dated September 30th, 1890, whereby Houghton/, Mifflin and Co. agree to pay royalty on all sales of 'Poole's Index to Periodical Literature.' The value of said contract is impossible to determine, but Houghten [sic], Mifflin and Company have paid to W. F. Poole from the time of the date of said contract, an average of $350.00 a year thereon."

Christmas Displays in Concord, Massachusetts

 

Wreath on the Colonial Inn door.