From the Files of Marguerite Cook Clark: James C. Watts and Jane Wimberly Watts of Bienville Parish

James C. "Jim" Watts, born 1 May 1874, was the son of Edmund B. Watts [also seen as Edmond] and Martha Elizabeth Wimberly.  James C. Watts married Jane Frances Wimberly on 7 February 1898.  Jane, born 20 January 1880, was the daughter of Ezekiel Wimberly and Emma Murph Golson. 

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

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Diana

© 2023 

"James C. Watts, 88 [obituary]," newspaper clipping, 28 April 1963, unidentified newspaper, from the privately-held collection of Marguerite Cook Clark (1913-1989), Waynesville, North Carolina, 2021. Obituaries were accessed and scanned at the home of Marguerite Cook Clark's daughter in Alpine, Texas, on April 28, 2014, September 14, 2014, and November 9 to 11, 2016. Used with permission.

"Mrs. Jane W. Watts [obituary]," newspaper clipping, 13 October 1952, unidentified newspaper, from the privately-held collection of Marguerite Cook Clark (1913-1989), Waynesville, North Carolina, 2021. Obituaries were accessed and scanned at the home of Marguerite Cook Clark's daughter in Alpine, Texas, on April 28, 2014, September 14, 2014, and November 9 to 11, 2016. Used with permission.

Vera Meeks Wimberly, Wimberly Family History, Ancestors, Relatives, and Descendants of William Wimberly, Pioneer from Georgia to Louisiana 1837 (Houston Texas: D. Anderson, 1979), 144-145.

Bloomingdale Bros & Co - 1847 in North Carolina

Rev. John L. Clifton, guardian for Robert Craddock

Rev. John L. Clifton, guardian for Lorene Strickland

When looking for family in the John L. Clifton Papers found at the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Duke University, I copied non-family items that interested me. Seeing Bloomingdale Bros & Co. on these receipts piqued my interest, and I added them to my collection.[1] Did John L. Clifton purchase fabric and other items for the children from Bloomingdales of NYC? 

He did not. Bloomingdales, as we know it, was not established until more than 20 years after these receipts were written.[2] So, who were these Bloomingdale brothers? 

John L. Clifton was found living in the Northern Division of Sampson County in 1850, but no Bloomingdales were found in Sampson County.[3] 

Emmanuel Bloomingdale, a merchant, was living in the North Division of Duplin County on 6 August 1850 when enumerated on the 1850 census.[4] However, he relocated very soon after this enumeration. On 17 September 1850, Emmanuel and his family were enumerated on the 1850 census in the 17th Ward in New York City.[5]

  

No other Bloomingdales were found on the 1850 census of Duplin County, but Jacob Bloomingdale was found as the postmaster in 1847 in the town of Faison Depot in Duplin County - not terribly far from John L. Clifton's home in the Northern Division of Sampson County.[6] 

Emmanuel spent the remainder of his years in New York. At one point, he was a merchant selling "Fancy Paper."[7] I was unable to positively identify Jacob Bloomingdale in any document beyond the postal record. 

Jacob and Emmanuel appear to be the most likely candidates for the Bloomingdale Brothers; however, there may have been others, and there is definitely more to learn. I will leave it up to Bloomingdale researchers to finish this story. 

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

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Diana

© 2023 

    1. Receipts from Bloomingdale Bros. & Co., Clifton, John L., Papers, 1784-1916 (bulk 1830-1889), manuscript collection, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University, accessed 2017 and 2018.

    2. "Our History," Bloomingdales (https://www.bloomingdales.com/b/about-us/history/ : accessed 27 August 2023).

    3. "United States Census, 1850", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4BV-8X3 : Tue Jul 18 02:14:59 UTC 2023), Entry for John L Clifton and Anna Clifton, 1850.

    4. "United States Census, 1850", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4B9-MC1 : Mon Jul 17 22:58:57 UTC 2023), Entry for Emanuel Bloomingdale and Francis Bloomingdale, 1850.

    5. "United States Census, 1850", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCBN-4WQ : Tue Jul 18 00:05:03 UTC 2023), Entry for Robert Leggett and Mary A Leggett, 1850.

    6. "North Carolina Postmark Catalog Update," North Carolina Postal History (http://dev.ncpostalhistory.com/resources/north-carolina-postmark-catalog-update/ : accessed 27 August 2023) > Duplin County.

    7. "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch 

(https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCH7-YPT : Tue Jul 18 01:45:52 UTC 2023), Entry for Emanuel Bloomingdale and Fanny Bloomingdale, 1860. Also, "New York, New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WXQ-YH5 : 3 June 2020), Emanuel Bloomingdal, 1899.

Family notes from the Baylor County Banner, Baylor County, Texas - 1909

The following 1909 excerpts were found in Baylor County Banner issues on a microfilm reel labeled "Baylor County Banner Jan 01, 1909 thru Jun 24, 1910." These excerpts were recorded on my web pages almost twenty years ago. 

Those web pages have not been updated since about 2012 but can still be found at my Rootsweb Freepages site. However, Ancestry, who now owns Rootsweb, is retiring the pages in 2024, and when returned, they will be static (I will not be able to make changes). In case the pages get lost, I am adding the content to this blog.

An asterisk * indicates that all of the information from the article is included in the notes below. To search for your family name, use your browser's "Find" function. 

If you would like to see the actual article, all 1909 issues can be viewed at the free The Portal to Texas History. 

* indicates that the entire article is included in the notes below.

  

January 1, 1909 

(This paper is not dated, but from dates within the paper, appears to be January 1)

Died - Carl Otis Merrick, child of Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Merrick

Died - G. W. Malone

Mrs. Geo. Ryder's husband shot in Fort Worth

Charlie Harper Died (see January 8 issue for "Charles Harper Alive Again") - Charlie Harper died Thursday morning of pneumonia. The news came as a surprise as he was up Wednesday. He has been working in the freight depot for quite awhile. Mr. Harper was a jolly good fellow.  He had no relatives here and his remains will probably be shipped to his home.

Grandma M.A. Scott returned Sunday from Knox City has been visiting her daughter, Mrs. Keeders for three months. *

Marriage Licenses issued in December

     Carlisle - Davis

      Elam - Allison

      Mann - Lambert

      Word - Hinds

      Holmes - McWhorter

      Kuykendall - Snody

      Harlan - Cayce

      Jones - Gulick

      Mosely - Packwood

      Kubloa - Krenek

      Cochran - Stephens

      Bowden - Bartoo (Eula Mable Bowden married Charles S. Bartoo)

Married - Willie May Williamson and J. P. Collins

Married - Corrie Davenport - T. J. Bolger

Ogden -  Born: A little girl to Mr. and Mrs. Blake Maxfield on the 15th.  Two boys to Mr. and Mrs. L. Howe on the 27th.

Friday's Photo: Receipts and Other Items Signed by George L. Giddens of Sampson and Duplin Counties in North Carolina

J.O. Clifton was the son of John L. Clifton. The document was signed by
John W. Giddens and George L. Giddens, who owned the Steam Mill and were brothers to J. O. Clifton's second wife, Patricia Giddens. 

I don't have a photo of my 2nd great-grandfather, George Lullen Giddens. I'm sure there must have been photos taken. At age 21, he was found on the 1860 census as a "dauguerman," which sounds as if his occupation at that time had something to do with photography. 

Although not photos of George, photos of these items tell a little more of his story, and I thought this would be a good way to share with those who are interested. 

George was born in Wayne County, NC, but spent most of his adult life living in Sampson and Duplin Counties. He was a merchant, often a postmaster, and also did some farming. For more about George, read my 2020 post, George Lullen Giddens, a Merchant from North Carolina.

These items came from a huge collection of papers amassed by John L. Clifton found at the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Duke University. John L. Clifton, a clergyman, businessman/merchant, and possibly attorney, carefully saved and named almost every receipt and document. Receipts and small items like these were found in large boxes, one for each decade.  

I had been at the library for most of the morning looking at larger items in the collection and was dismayed when I opened that first box full of tiny pieces of paper. Little did I know what treasures I would find.

A Tax List for 1831 in Sampson County, North Carolina

Column 1 (click on the photo to enlarge - send me an email for a copy of the photo)

Column 2 (click on the photo to enlarge - send me an email for a copy of the photo)

This is not a complete tax list for Sampson County in 1831, but appears to be the list from an area where my Bradshaw family and later my Giddens family were found. This is the area that, in the 1870s, became known as Giddensville. None of my direct ancestors are found on this list, but I recognize many surnames from my research.  

This came from a huge collection of papers amassed by John L. Clifton found at the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Duke University. 

due John L. Clifton for 1830 is written at the bottom
of the list. Was John L. Clifton a collector for the 
neighborhood, or was he paying his neighbors' taxes?

John L. Clifton, a clergyman, businessman/merchant, and possibly attorney, appears to be the person who created this list. He carefully saved and named almost every receipt and document. If your family lived in this area, you will want to see this collection. 

This is the back of the list. The photos below show information written on the back.

Written: Tax list for 1831

Written: This [illegible]  Money Due me 57 cts
August 23 - 1833

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

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Diana

© 2023 

Clifton, John L., Papers, 1784-1916 (bulk 1830-1889), manuscript collection, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University, accessed 2017 and 2018.

Finding my Criswell Family in Vertical Files

Vertical files are collections of documents relating to a particular subject, such as a surname, location, topic, organization, or event. These vertical files can be found in repositories of all sizes. Look in archives, libraries, historical and genealogical societies, university archives, and other repositories housing archival records. 

 

The contents, often found in filing cabinets, are not usually cataloged or digitized, and new content is added when received. Vertical files for a particular surname may contain family trees, family histories, copies of family Bible pages, letters, photos, newspaper clippings, genealogy-related correspondence, and even genealogical queries. Researchers must look through the files to determine the contents. The number and kind of items found in each file will vary.  

Several years ago, I visited West Waco Library & Genealogy Center in Texas and found a vertical file for Criswell containing family letters, obituaries, and transcriptions of newspaper articles. Criswell found in the Surname Vertical File Index at the Tennessee State Library and Archives netted much-wanted articles about the Criswell [Creswell] family published in 1928.

Most repositories will have an index of their vertical files to access in person. Some have their indexes available online. Here are some examples of U.S. repositories giving access to online vertical file indexes. 

 

The materials in the Library of Congress vertical files do not appear in the Library of Congress Online Public Access Catalog. Visit the Local History and Genealogy Reading Room to view the files.

 

The California Genealogical Society's index is a great finding aid. Not only do you see the surname, but a summary of the information in the file is included. 

 

The Manteo Library in Dare County, North Carolina, has a local history collection that includes vertical files. The subject index is online. Look under genealogy to find surnames. 

 

Look at the Margaret Martin O’Bryant Research Library page of the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society to find a nice index of their vertical files. 

 

Although the Texas State Library and Archives Commission no longer accept additions to their vertical files, they maintain a large vertical file index. 

 

A search on Google for Virginia genealogy "vertical files" resulted in abundant resources in Virginia and other states. Try this search for other locations.  

To learn more about vertical files, read Lisa Lisson's blog post Vertical Files in the Archives and A Valuable Genealogy Resource and Vertical Files: Like a Box of Chocolates by Melissa Barker at Legacy News. 

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

.

Diana

© 2023 

Friday's Photo: Happy Birthday!

Bill, at age 4, with his mother

Happy Birthday to my wonderful, supportive husband! 

Bill at a cemetery in Ireland. 

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

.

Diana

© 2023 

Friday's Photo: Uncle Bill and Aunt Kate - Is this the William A. Martin Family?

Marguerite Cook Clark's photo of Uncle Bill and Aunt Kate might be the William A. Martin family of Bienville Parish, Louisiana. The second photo is the same photo edited and enlarged, but the features are still difficult to see. William A. Martin was over 20 years older than his wife, Catherine Evans. If this is his family, I assume most children are his. I don't know which one is his wife, but William would be the older gentleman on the left. 

According to the History of Bienville Parish, Volume I, William A. Martin was the son of John Nutt Martin and Matilda Bateman. If this is correct, William would have been half-brother to Rev. Thomas Jefferson Martin, whose parents were John Nutt Martin and Sarah Pittman. 

William A. Martin was a life member of the Mackey Lodge and, for several years, served as the chaplain. He died in 1902 and is buried with his wife in the  Social Springs Cemetery in Red River Parish. 

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

.

Diana

© 2023 

Billie Jean Poland, The History of Bienville Parish Vol. I (Bossier City, Louisiana: Everett Companies, 1984), p. 311.

Proceedings of the M. W. Grand Lodge of the State of Louisiana Free and Accepted Masons, Eighty-Ninth Grand Annual Communication, February 11th, 12th, and 13th, 1901 (New Orleans: A. W. Hyatt, 1901), 90;  PDF download, Louisiana Masonic Library/Museum (https://library.la-mason.com/pastproceedings.html: downloaded 21 ‎March ‎2020).

Uncle Bill and Aunt Kate, no date,  digital image, 2016, from the privately held photo collection of Marguerite Cook Clark (1913-1989), Waynesville, North Carolina, 2021. Photos were accessed and scanned at the home of Marguerite Cook Clark's daughter in Alpine, Texas, on April 28, 2014, September 14, 2014, and November 9 to 11, 2016. Used with permission.