Friday's Photo: Helen Driscoll Staubach

Doris typed the following on the back of this photo:
"Easter Sunday, March 25, 1951 Kay, mother, and I" 
Pictured: Doris Staubach, Helen Driscoll, and cousin, Kathleen Caccavo

Helen Driscoll was born in Cohoes, New York on March 7, 1887 - 138 years ago today. She was the daughter of mill workers and one of at least eleven children. Helen worked in the mills until about 1924 when she and some of her sisters left for New York City. In 1933, she married Charles Staubach Jr., and together they raised a daughter, Doris—my beautiful mother-in-law.

Now, here’s where things get interesting. Church records clearly state that Helen was born in 1887, yet over the course of 50 years, various documents record her age differently.

Consider the following:

1900: Helen was 13 years old

1910: Listed as 21

1915: Recorded as 23

1920: Just 27

1933: She was 39

1940: Now 47

1950: Marked as 60

Helen’s records show a woman who may not have aged by the calendar but instead by the circumstances of her life, making her story all the more compelling. 

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

© 2025

Diana Quinn, #1 Diana's Bryan-Quinn Family, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/tree/45260559?cfpid=6334928766: accessed 7 March 2025). 

Easter, photograph, ca.1951; digital image, from the privately held photo collection of D.B. Quinn, 2025.

Driscolls Living in Cohoes, NY between 1901 and 1935

My husband's great-grandfather, John Driscoll, was employed at the Harmony company for
most of his life. In 1897, he lost his forearm when caught in a belt in the weave
room at No. 1 Harmony Mill. When he died in 1905, he was employed at the Harmony 
company as a night watchman. 

In 2000, I visited the library in Cohoes, New York, and copied most pages from city directories naming Driscolls living in Cohoes. Helen Driscoll, daughter of John and granddaughter of Simon, was my husband's maternal grandmother. That same year, I transcribed these Driscoll entries and, under each year, grouped them by address to see possible families. 

In the last month, I have recopied the transcribed list, corrected many mistakes, and added a few years from directories found at Ancestry.com. This is the second of a two-part list. The years from 1870 to 1900 can be seen by clicking here. 

Notes: Abbreviations and punctuation were copied from the directories. Deaths and any notes can be seen in red. An asterisk [*] can be seen next to the Driscoll entries I believe MAY be the family I am researching. 

Some abbreviations found in the directories are as follows:

h. is home

n. is near

b. or bds. are boards

opp. is opposite

1901 (Cohoes, page 501)

• Driscoll Frank, laborer, h. near lock 15 Erie canal
• Driscoll Catherine, h. 25 Lancaster
• Driscoll Catherine T., widow of Michael, h. 75 Egbert
• Driscoll Catherine, widow of John, variety, 11 Summit, h. do.
• Driscoll James, carder, h. 208 Columbia*
• Driscoll Michael, laborer, bds. 208 Columbia*
• Driscoll John, millhand, house 23 Mangam*

1902 (Cohoes, page 689)

• Driscoll Frank, laborer, h. r lock 15 Erie canal
• Driscoll James, millhand, h. r lock 15 Erie canal
• Driscoll Catherine, h. 25 Lancaster
• Driscoll Catherine T., widow of Michael, bds. 75 Egbert
• Driscoll Catherine, widow of James, variety, 11 Summit, h. do.
• Driscoll James, (Schenectady) h 73 Reservoir
• Driscoll Michael, laborer, bds. 1Vliet
• Driscoll James, spinner, bds. 23 Mangam*
• Driscoll John, millhand, h 23 Mangam*
• Driscoll Katie, ironer, bds 23 Mangam*
• Driscoll Mary A, weaver, bds 23 Mangam*
• Driscoll Samuel, conductor, UT Co bds 23 Mangam*

Driscolls Living in Cohoes, NY between 1870 and 1900

 

In 2000, I visited the library in Cohoes, New York, and copied most pages from city directories naming Driscolls living in Cohoes. Helen Driscoll, daughter of John and granddaughter of Simon, was my husband's maternal grandmother. That same year, I transcribed these Driscoll entries and, under each year, grouped them by address to see possible families. 

In the last month, I have recopied the transcribed list, corrected many mistakes, and added a few years from directories found at Ancestry.com. The remainder of this list, from 1901 to 1935, can be found here. 

Notes: Abbreviations and punctuation were copied from the directories. Deaths and any notes can be seen in red. An asterisk [*] can be seen next to the Driscoll entries I believe MAY be the family I am researching. 

Some abbreviations found in the directories are as follows:

h. is home

n. is near

b. or bds. are boards

opp. is opposite

1870 (Cohoes, page 198)

• Driscoll Dennis, laborer, house 26 Garner
• Driscoll James, overseer, h. 28 Willow *
• Driscoll Simon, shoemaker, h. 28 Willow *
• Driscoll James, laborer, h. near reservoir
• Driscoll John, Mrs., h. 18 Congress
• Driscoll John J., Clerk, bds. 18 Congress
• Driscoll Samuel, laborer, h. Vliet n. Willow *

1871 (Cohoes, page 199)

• Driscoll Dennis, laborer, house 26 Garner
• Driscoll James, overseer, h. 28 Willow*
• Driscoll James, laborer, h. near reservoir
• Driscoll John, Mrs., h. 18 Congress
• Driscoll John J., Clerk, bds. 18 Congress
• Driscoll Samuel, laborer, h. Harmony opp. lock 16 *
• Driscoll, Simon P., shoemaker, house Harmony opp. lock 16 *
• Driscoll Simon, laborer, h. Harmony opp. lock 16 *
• Driscoll John, laborer, bds 16 Strong Pl.

Friday's Photo: Helen Driscoll of Cohoes, New York

Helen Driscoll Staubach and her daughter, Doris
January 3, 1953

Helen Driscoll was born in Cohoes, New York in 1887. She was the daughter of mill workers and one of at least eleven children. Helen worked in the mills until about 1924 when she and two of her sisters left for New York City. Helen married Charles Staubach Jr. in 1933. Their daughter, Doris, was my beautiful mother-in-law. 

This is a family I researched when just starting this life-long endeavor in the late 1990s. An increase in available online genealogical resources is allowing me to find much more about this family than in my earlier attempt. 

Watch for new posts about Helen and her family in the next few months. 

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 

Helen and Doris Staubach, photograph, 3 Jan 1953; scanned image, original photograph from the privately-held collection of Diana Bryan Quinn, Virginia Beach, VA, 2023. 

Friday's Photo: Summer at Saratoga Lake

My mother-in-law, Doris Quinn, spent parts of her summers at Saratoga Lake in New York. Here she is pictured with family and friends in 1942 at Saratoga Lake. Doris is seated next to Delores Tabner Houlihan and her son Dennis. In the back row are her parents, Charles and Helen Driscoll Staubach, and Jim Tabner, father of Delores. 

Diana

© 2014

Friday's Photo: The Driscoll Sisters

On the left - Helen Driscoll Staubach with her daughter Doris and future-son-in-law, William Quinn.
On the right - Bertha "Birdie" or "Aunt Sis" Driscoll Caccavo with daughter, Kathleen and son-in-law, Connie Sullivan.

This picture belonged to my mother-in-law, Doris. On the back was written

Mother Bill I

Aunt Sis Connie Kay

September 1951

Helen and Bertha Driscoll, were born in Cohoes, NY.  They were two of 14 brothers and sisters.  Their father, John, was born in Ireland. He was the son of Simon and Mary Driscoll. Born in New York, their mother, Mary McTighe, was the daughter of Thomas McTighe and Mary Golden. 

By 1900, only eight of the 14 children were living. Most family members spent some time working in textile mills. Two of the boys, James and Patrick, were in the United States Army in the very early 1900s, but cannot be found after that time. Helen and Bertha moved to New York City in the 1920s. Helen married Charles Staubach and Bertha married Michael Caccovo.

Please contact me if you have more information about this Driscoll family from Cohoes.

Diana

© 2013

______________________________________________________________

Sources

Marriage records found at the Vital Records Data Bases - Italian Genealogical Group. Retrieved July 1, 2013, from http://www.italiangen.org/vitalreclist.stm

Year: 1900; Census Place: Cohoes, Albany, New York; Roll: 1006; Page: 6B; Enumeration District: 0075; FHL microfilm: 1241006..

Year: 1910; Census Place: Cohoes Ward 1, Albany, New York; Roll: T624_922; Page: 7B; Enumeration District: 0109; FHL microfilm: 1374935.metery in the Bronx.

Friday's Photo: Five Mystery Photos from the Quinn Family Collection

These are photos of persons that I would like to identify. They belonged to my husbands family. I suspect that they are Quinn or Murray family pictures. However, there is a small chance that these are my mother-in-law's Driscoll / Staubach family pictures.  To see more about these families, click on the "My Families" tab at the top of this page. 

If you have similar pictures or information about these pictures, please contact me. 

These are not labeled, but this might have been taken in Ireland. Look at the stone wall in the background. Tell me what you think.  I believe that this is a Quinn / Murray photo as many other Quinn / Murray photos from Ireland had tape across the top.

This looks like the Quinn home outside of Kinvara. 

Does anyone have a picture of this child? 

Unlabeled Photo

Glenn - 9 weeks

Diana

© 2013