Family
History by Timeline
From the years 1910 to 1919
Our
government: Presidents:
William Taft (1909-1913) and Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921). New Mexico and Arizona became states. Personal Income Tax is introduced (1913); The
United States declares war on Germany Apr 6, 1917. The draft registration is established: the
first was held on June 5,1917 for men between the ages of twenty-one and
thirty-one; the second, June 5,1918, for men who had turned twenty-one since
the first registration; and the third on September 12, 1918, for men between
the ages of eighteen and forty-five. The Sedition Act of 1918 and the Espionage
Act of 1917 were passed that, some say, was to address any act of opposition to
the war. These were later appealed and
anyone imprisoned by them released and eventually granted amnesty. Herbert
Hoover is assigned to post of United States Food Administration during the war
and establishes a successful voluntary program in the US to reduce food
consumption so that it can be provided overseas (there was no required
rationing in the US). The campaign had
things like “Meatless Mondays” “Wheatless Wednesdays”. This created a surplus of food at the end of
the war which was sent to Europe to help ease starvation after the devastation
of the war.
Around
the world: World War 1 begins July 28, 1914 and ends Nov 11,
1918. There is a worldwide Spanish Flu pandemic killing over 50 million people;
Panama Canal is opened; the Titanic Sinks; first Pulitzer Prize is awarded.
Notable
events: the Tango
catches on; Triangle Shirtwaist factory catches fire killing many workers and
results in safety improvements in other businesses; Oreo cookie is first
introduced; parachutes are invented; first crossword puzzle is published; New York
Grand Central Terminal is opened; Henry Ford creates the assembly line; D.W.
Griffith A Birth of a Nation is
released; the first self service grocery store is opened in the US (Piggly
Wiggly in Tennessee); Daylight savings time is introduced in the US.
Family
Overview: During
this time our family was still spread out.
We lived in ## state; New York (city and Caroline), Rhode Island,
Massachusetts, Indiana and Oklahoma. The
families got their milk from a milkman, meat at a butcher store, eggs and vegetables
were either grown at home or bartered with neighbors or purchased at the
farmers market. When they went to a
general store, they gave their orders to a clerk who would get the items for
them (not self serve). Of course the
biggest event was World War I and the Spanish Flu Epidemic. Some member went to war as soldiers and
others as volunteers. The families would
have participated in the voluntary food rationing as “wheat would win the war”. Grandpa Pierson told the story of the
campaign poster that he thought was funny…it said “Eat all your carrots and pea
on your plate”.
The
Piersons
In 1910, Samuel (34-43), Yetta (33-42), Millard
(11-20), Albert (10-19) and Jeannett (5-14) are living in Brooklyn Ward, King,
New York (1653 T??? Place). Samuel is a
Policeman with the NY City Police Department.
He is also the Treasurer for the Shomrim Society. In 1915, they are living at East 98th
are (R2)6 and Yetta’s brother Hyman Jaffe (26) is living with them. Samuel registered for the draft in 1918 and
has an address of 113 Ralph Ave. Albert
also registered for the draft in 1918 and states he is a student at Cornell University
in Ithica, NY. Millard went to West
Point and graduated July 1920. He did
not go overseas. I cannot find any other
records for Hyman but family history says he died in World War I. Jaffe is a very common name.
The
Silsbees
In 1910, Benjamin (31); Lora (30-39); Lyman (10-19);
Helen (8-17) and Lillian (6-15) lived in Caroline, New York. Benjamin Lloyd, their youngest, is born in
1912. Their father, Benjamin dies in
1915 age 36 due to an injury on his leg.
Benjamin was well known, he was Freemason at the Slaterville Lodge,
served as Treasurer of the school board, was the post master of the Slaterville
Grange and a Justice of the Peace. Five
months before he died he announced he would run for supervisor of the town of
Caroline. The newspapers reported this
was a split in the Republican Committee since previously Benjamin was the
lieutenant and supporter for the current supervisor. He was buried in Caroline Grove
Cemetery. Lora then takes the family and
moves to Cortland, NY (145 Groton Ave). In
1917, Lyman joins the Navy as a Fireman 3rd class and left 1st
class and serves on the USS Muscatine. The
Fireman class was part of the Artificer branch of the Navy which means he
probably worked in the boiler room.
David (68-76) and Sarah (68) are living together in
Richford, Tioga, New York. They are in a
house provided by daughter Kate and husband Ford Johnson. David is still working as a farmer. He is beyond the age requirements for the
draft. Sarah dies Aug. 5, 1918 at the
age of 76 at her home and is buried in Maple Grove Cemetery. The local newspaper has the notice of this as
well as many references to the family visiting back and forth.
The
Cauchons
From 1910 to 1919, Philias (51-60) and Zelia (40-49) and
their six children Herve P (20-29), Laura (20-29), Henry (15-24), Bernard
(12-21), Joseph (11-20) and Gabrielle (9-18) are living in Cranston, Providence
Rhode Island at 282 Fountain Street. Records
for Henry and Joseph’s draft registration were found. Herve was in the Rhode Island National Guard,
Troop D Calvary. On Oct 16, 1919, this
Troop received Federal Recognition for their service during the war. They were probably part of the 26th
“Yankee” Division which included many state’s National Guard troops in New
England. Herve was promoted to 2nd
Lieutenant. He continued to serve with
the National Guard after the war was over.
The
Hulley’s
In 1910, Ernest (33-42); Estelle (33-42); Oliver (7-16)
and Loraine (1-9) were living in Allegan, Michigan. Estelle, with her adopted mother’s
encouragement, had joined the Daughters of the American Revolution. Ernest did not join the military but served
with the YMCA War Works and went overseas to France and England in 1918. This group served the troops in a wide
variety of functions so it is difficult to say what role Ernest had but the
focus was to help the morale of the troops.
To earn money, he continued his work as a book keeper. Ernest was very involved with the Allegan
Congregational Church which was founded by Estelle’s adopted father Andrew
Oliver. Estelle was the treasurer of the
Treble Clef Society and Woman History group.
Elkanah (60-69) and Amanda Jean”Jennie” (56-65) are now
living alone in Marion, Grant Co, Indiana.
Elkanah becomes Mayor of Marion in 1917.
Per the history of Grant County, few Marion families are more intimately
associated with all of the affairs of the community. Elkanah was chief usher of the Methodist
Church; superintendent of the Sunday school, and church trustee. The Neal family is all musical and Amanda and
all the sons are singers. Amanda’s voice
“has been heard in song at funerals where she hardly knew the family”. When calling together a quartet and an alto
is needed, they knew they could count on her.
The
Emdees
In 1910, Edward (35), Flora (32-41), Velma (6-15) and
Wilda (4-13) are living in Oklahoma City.
The census shows that Edward is a policeman with the Oklahoma City
Police Department. Pauline dies in 1912
in Lafayette, Indiana at the home of her cousin. She is buried in Greenbush Cemetery,
Lafayette, Indiana. Edward is in the
1913 City directory for Lafayette so they either moved just before or after his
mother’s death. In 1914 the directory
shows that Flora is a widow but no death records have been found for
Edward. When family later asked her
about Edward, all she ever did was give a sly laugh. Flora and the girls remained in Lafayette. Flora made her living as a seamstress. Aunt Jean said that she (Aunt Jean) was one
of the best dressed in college because of dresses and clothes made by her
grandmother Flora.
The
Smiths
In 1910, John (63-72) was living in Kingfisher,
Oklahoma with his new wife Carrie Ketch.
The maps show he owned about 80 acres of land right next to Omega. Family history states that he donated land to
establish Omega. In addition to farming,
he also served as the first postmaster and fought the Craven boys, local
outlaws, by pulling the town folk together.
He was also a founding member of
the Omega Baptist Church.
No comments:
Post a Comment