# 7 The Picture on my Wall—Louis Eitelbach

           

       Several years ago, I found this picture of my great grandparents, Louis and Marie Eitelbach.   They are all dressed up, maybe for a Sunday afternoon walk in the park, maybe just to have this picture taken.  I love my great grandmother’s parasol and my great grandfather’s walking cane.  The picture was framed so I added it to my gallery wall along with other pictures of my ancestors.  Louis Eitelbach is the subject of this week’s blog.

      He was born in Hagen Hamm, Germany in July 1864, one of seven children of Nicholaus Augustus and Helena (Agatz) Eitelbach.  In 1885 he married Maria Berta Huelster.  While in Germany they had four children:  Walter, Louis, Maxmillian and William. 

     On May 25, 1895 Louis arrived in New York with his wife and four children.  They sailed from Antwerp on the Red Line ship, Rhyland.  According to the ship manifest, their destination was Brooklyn, New York.  The 1900 census indicates that they were living at 1287 Greene Street, Brooklyn and two additional boys, Harry and Frank, had been added to the family.   By 1910 the family had moved to 152 Napier Street, Queens, New York and in 1920 lived at 8766 109^th Street, Richmond Hill, Queens, New York.  While it appears that the family had moved, actually Napier Street was renamed 109th Street.   The ship manifest lists Louis occupation as a lock smith; in all three censuses his occupation is given as a machinist in a tool shop.   Louis died on December 26, 1926.

     If I were able to speak to him, I would ask about the picture.  When was it taken?  Where were they?  Why did they take it?  

#6 How Do You Spell that Name? Joseph Munarzik

#6  How Do You Spell That Name?   Joseph Munarzik

            This week I am blogging about Joseph Munarzik, my 3^th great grandfather and one of my immigrant ancestors.    Joseph was born in Winweiller, Germany , probably in 1824 as he was baptized on June 16, 1824.  He was one of twelve children of Joseph and Barbara (Schroeder) Munarzik.   On September 9, 1849 in Battenberg, Germany, he married Regina Wendel.    The exact date of their arrival in the United States is not clear.  The 1860 census lists Charles, their oldest son, as born in Bavaria; however, all the other census data and Charles’s army enlist papers indicate he was born in United States in 1853.  If that is correct, Joseph and Regina emigrated between 1849 and 1853. In the 1860 census, Joseph and Regina have 8 children:  Charles, Elizabeth, Cary, Susan, John, Maria, Louisa, and Kate.   Joseph’s  occupation is listed as tailor.  On January 10, 1868, Joseph became a naturalized citizen of the United States.  His address is listed as 177 2^nd Street, New York, New York.  William Schilling of 182 Ludlow Street, New York, New York,  served as the witness.  Joseph Minarzik died on April 27, 1875 while Regina (last name spelled Minarzick) died on June 18, 1878.  In the 1880 census four (John, Maria, Louisa and Katherine) of their children are living with their oldest son Charles.  

Tracing  this branch of my family has been a challenge as Munarzik has been spelled at least six    different ways.   The LDS baptismal records from Winnweiller, Germany with one exception (Minazik) use the spelling  Munarzik.   Once Joseph moved to the United States, however, the name was spelled in a variety of different ways.   I have found members of the family having such variation as Minarzick, Minarzik, Minarscik, and Minarcik. Obviously, this has made research challenging.  Since the first three or five letters of the name are consistent, using a wild card seach of either  Min* or  Minar*  been helpful.    Since 1900, the name has consistently been spelled Minarcik. 

If I had the opportunity to talk to Joseph, I would want to know why he migrated to the United States.  Was it because his wife’s family was coming here?  Was it for a better life?  I also would like to know where he worked as a tailor.

# 5—Build Me a Palace—John Wesley Hannah

   # 5—Build Me a Palace—John Wesley Hannah

This week, rather than focusing on a person, I am blogging about a hotel and the person who built it.   After the Civil War, John Wesley Hannah (1838—1898) moved from Edgar County Illinois to Butler Missouri.  Here he established himself, marrying Jennie Sophia Willey and having five children:  Gertrude, Anne, William, Marinda and Cora.  

During the Civil War, the city of Butler was burned to the ground.  The citizens needed to rebuild and considerable effort was expended to re-establishing Butler as a city.  I had always heard that John built the Palace Hotel, but I knew very little about it.  One day, while looking for information on the web about John I came across the application that was filed by the State of Missouri to have the Palace Hotel added to the National Registry of Historic Places. 

As the picture above shows, and as described in the application, the Palace Hotel is a three story building built of brick with a flat roof.  The second and third floors have vertical bays of windows.  “Significant Italianate architectural features, such as a rectangular pediment resting on an elaborate bracketed cornice, and arched one-over-one light double-hung sash windows with segmental arches, stone sills and keystones, are visible on the facade. …”

According to the document

“The Palace Hotel was built in 1879 near the end of the Italianate period (1840-1890) and remains a fine example of high style Italianate architecture. The Palace Hotel is also locally significant in the area of commerce. It was one of the first buildings constructed on the town square and has housed a variety of different commercial concerns relevant to the city's livelihood. … He (John Hannah) partnered with T. A. Shaw to formulate a plan for building a three-story hotel. As commerce in Butler would continue to expand and attract individuals from near and far, Hannah and Shaw recognized the importance of having a first-class hotel available. According to the Bates County Record, the oldest newspaper in the Butler area, on February 8, 1879, Hannah and Shaw signed a contract with Samuel Currier for the manufacture of brick and with Messrs. McBrides and Helms (two of each) for the laying of brick for their three-story hotel.  The following week Hannah and Shaw traveled to Kansas City to consult with an architect about plans for their new hotel.  It was decided that the first floor would remain fairly open for use as a store. The second floor would house the hotel, with many smaller rooms available for tenants and larger kitchen and dining facilities as well. The third floor would feature an elaborate ballroom for dances and gatherings held by the elite of Butler society.”

 

 The Palace Hotel opened for business on February 15, 1880. Reading of the application indicates that the Palace Hotel has been used in a variety of different ways.  Its hotel rooms were used by those traveling.  When the railroad came to Butler, the Palace Hotel operated a bus service so that its patrons could easily get to the hotel.    The first floor seems to have always been occupied by a clothing store—first, M. S. Cowles clothing store, then, American Clothing House, and finally, J.C. Penney. J. C. Penny continued to occupy that space until 1987.  The citizens used the ballroom for parties and other social events, and for a number of years, a doctor maintained an office on the second floor.  As the picture above shows, an iron balcony was on the front of the hotel.  That allowed guests staying in the hotel and the residents of Butler an opportunity to view the happenings in the town square. 

Not only did John Wesley build the hotel, he also was the owner and proprietor. He died in 1898.  It is unclear when the hotel was sold; whether it was sold before or after his death.  However, the hotel was renovated in 1897 and in 1898 became the Ross Hotel.  In 1907 the hotel was again sold, this time to H. G. Cook, who rented the third floor to the Elks. 

The application for historic designation was accepted in 2002, and a plaque to that effect has been placed on the building.  Today the Palace Hotel looks like this and has been renovated into an office building.  

 

Reference

Doering, J. (2002) National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, Palace Hotel. 

http://www.dnr.mo.gov/shpo/nps-nr/02000795.pdf

# 4 John M. Hannah--I Lied About my Age

# 4 John M. Hannah--I Lied About my Age

     This week’s ancestor is John M. Hannah.   John’s parents were James and Nancy (McKee) Hannah.  While the exact date his birth cannot be verified, he was born in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania about 1799.  The 1810 census finds his family living in Sugar Creek, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania.  However, by 1820 James was living in Union Township in Brown County, Ohio. 

On April 22, 1822, John M. Hannah and Charity Mears were married by the Reverend Rankin, a noted abolitionist.  In about 1830 John M. and Charity along with their five children:  Sarah, Nancy, Elizabeth, George, and Oliver moved to Edgar County, Illinois.  By 1838, four more children had been born:  Mary Sayres,  Albertine, Catherine, and John Wesley.  In 1842 Charity Mears Hannah died and was buried in the McKee Cemetery in Edgar County. 

                Over the years, John bought land from private individuals and in the Public Domain Land Sales.  The land clustered in the northeastern section of Edgar County, mostly in Prairie and Ross Townships.  The Non-population Schedule for 1850 lists John as having 150 improved acres and 200 unimproved ones with a cash value of $2500.  That year the farm produced 3000 bushels of Indian corn, 30 bushels of wheat, and 150 bushels of other crops. 

                When the Civil War began, John enlisted in the Illinois 79^th Volunteers, Company A,   with the rank of Sergeant.  According to the Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Illinois,

The Seventy-ninth Illinois Infantry was organized at Camp Terry, Mattoon in Coles County, Illinois and mustered into service on August 28, 1862.   The men volunteered from Edgar, Randolph and Vermilion counties-Company A, Douglas County-Companies B, E, G and part of K, Edgar County-Companies C, D and H, Clark County-Company F and part of I and Coles County-part of Company K.  The Regiment was ordered to Louisville, Kentucky on September 13, 1862.  October 1 the Seventy-ninth began a march through Kentucky—Frankfort to Perryville to Crab Orchard to Lebanon, Bowling Green and finally arrived at Nashville, Tennessee on November 7.  They remained at Nashville until December 26 when they were ordered to Murfreesboro, Tennessee…”

     On December 12, 1862, John was discharged due to disability and old age.  What I find so interesting is that on his Civil War records his age at enlistment is 45, while his age on his discharge papers is 63.  63 is the correct age.  Further, the reasons for his discharge were disability and old age.  That leads to the interesting questions of what was going on.  According to “And Your Age is..” (http://emergingcivilwar.com/2011/12/01/and-your-age-is/), it was not unusual for men who were younger than 18 or older than 45 to lie about their age.  Thus, young men stated their ages as older and older men stated their age as younger.  Commons reasons were financial and philosophical.  John was a prosperous farmer so financial gains do not seem to be a viable explanation.  Philosophical reasons seem more likely, particularly when you remember that he was married by the John Rankin, a Presbyterian minister and an active conductor on the Underground Railroad.  Consequently, he may have decided to serve because he opposed slavery.  However, we will really never know.

     John died in 1865 and is buried in Paris Cemetery in Edgar County.  Probate documents from the Edgar County Court indicate that his children who were then living in Edgar County, e.g. Albertine Hannah, Mary Sayres Hannah, Catherine Hannah O’Hair, Sarah Hannah Mitchell, George Newell Hannah, and Charity Conrey (daughter of Nancy Hannah Conrey, deceased), sold 258 acres of land owned by John M. Hannah to Zachariah Riley for $3,200.  (Oliver Hannah was deceased and John Wesley had moved to Butler, Missouri.).  Whether or not John Wesley received any inheritance is unclear. 

      If I were able to speak to him, I would ask why he moved to Edgar County and why he lied about age when enlisting in the Civil War.

#3 Andrew George Cobbett Cochrane

#3 Andrew George Cobbett Cochrane  

This week’s ancestor is  Andrew George Cobbett Cochrane.  He is my great, great uncle, brother to my great, great grandfather, William.  I had heard various stories about him from my father and my aunt, particularly that he would come to Brooklyn to visit his brother and his family and how they would go to Manhattan to the theater and other performances.  I also heard that my grandmother met her husband when she visited her cousin, Lucy Cochrane, who was one of Andrew’s daughter.  I thought it would be interesting to know about him and his family.  In doing so, I was impressed with the amount of information that was available in the Buffalo city directories. 

                Andrew George Cobbett Cochrane was born on May 12, 1809 in London, England.  His parents were The Honorable Andrew James Cochrane and Ann Morgan.  Andrew had two brothers, William and George, and one sister, Anna Maria, all born in London.   In 1828, he married Emma Shaw at St. James Church, London, England.  According to the baptismal records for his daughter Emma, in 1830, the family lived on Museum Street, in London, and from the records for his son, Charles,  in 1832,  on Court Street.  Both records indicated that Andrew was an assistant overseer. 

In 1835, Andrew and his family and his brother William and his wife immigrated to the United States and settled in Buffalo, New York.  According to the census and the City Directories for Buffalo, Andrew was a bookkeeper.  From 1836 until 1855, Andrew worked for a variety of different companies, e. g,, Holt, Palmer & Company;  E. Norton; and Kinne, Davis, and Company.  Beginning in 1855 and until his death, Andrew was the general account for the American Merchants’ Union Express Company, which I believe was the forerunner of American Express. 

                Andrew and Emma had five children:  Emma born in 1830; Andrew Charles, born in 1832; Lucy, born in 1834; William, born in 1838; and Edward Chester, born in 1843.  The census for 1840 show that Andrew was living in Buffalo  in a house with 15 other people.  I suspect that his and his brother’s families were living together, but who the additional people were is a mystery.  By 1850 Andrew was living with his wife, and children, Lucy, William and Edward.  In 1860, Andrew and his wife were living with Andrew, Lucy, William, and Edward.  In addition, Emma, her husband, Amasa Kingman and their four children, were also living with them.  By 1870, all the children were married and living out of the house with the exception of Charles, who is described as away at school. 

                The City Directories for Buffalo list the associations, organizations, and churches as well as the individuals who held offices in them.   In 1837, Andrew was the recording secretary of the Young Men’s Association, a literary society, which is described as having a “well-selected” and large library of books and was the forerunner of both the Buffalo Public Library and the Buffalo Museum of Science.  A year later, he was still the recording secretary, but also on the library and by-laws committees.  In 1847-48, he was the Assistant Secretary of the St. Andrews Society, a group for those of Scottish descent; a notary public,  and the Deputy District Grand Master of Erie District #3 of the Odd Fellows.  From 1847 to 1849, he was a trustee of the Unitarian Church. 

                While I would like to have a picture of Uncle Andrew, the best I can do is the description on his passport application when he was 62.  He is described as 5 feet 8 and ½ inches tall with grey eyes, gray hair and an oval face. 

                Andrew died on May 28, 1872.  He along with his wife is buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, New York.

                If I were able to speak to him, I would ask why he and his brother decided to come to the United States and particularly to Buffalo.  I also would like him to tell me about his mother.  She is one of my brick walls.

#2--Elizabeth Mears

Elizabeth Mears/#2        

                Elizabeth Mears (abt 1770 to 1842) is my 3rd great grandmother.  I decided to write about her this week, because, while I do not know much about her, what I do know, I think is fairly interesting. 

According to the biography of J. D. Sayre, her grandson, in The History Edgar County, Illinois,

                “…his grandfather (David) came from Germany at an early date, he with his wife (Elizabeth) and two children, and a small party of others, were captured by the Indians at what is known as Three Islands on the Ohio,, and was marched across the county, to Detroit, MIch., where the “post trader” bought them of the savages to rescue them.”

Whether that is a true story or not, I have no idea, but it a good story.

                Elizabeth and her husband settled first in Kentucky, and then in Brown County, Ohio.  They had nine children:  Mary (1786—Unknow); Samuel (1791—1853) Elizabeth (1796—Unknown); Catherine (1799-1888); William (1799-1873); Nancy (1801—1883); Jane (1903-1878); Charity (1806—1842); and Sarah Jane (1808-1899).

                In 1822, her daughter Charity married John Hannah while in 1828 her daughter, Catherine, married Israel Donnelson Sayres.  In 1830, Elizabeth’s  husband, David, died. 

                As far as I can tell, in the year her husband died, Elizabeth moved to Edgar County, Illinois with her daughters, Charity and Catherine and their families.  While the husband of both daughters bought land in Illinois, shortly after they arrived, what I find most interesting is that on February 21, 1831, Elizabeth bought 200 acres of land in Brouletts Township, specifically the northwest part of Section 11 in the Public Domain Land Sales.  The cost of the land was $200.   On March 7, 1838, she bought two more parcels of land in the public domain:  first, the northeast section of the northwest quarter of Section 36 (40 acres) , in Prairie Township for $50, and second the southeast quarter of the southwest quarter of Section 35 (40 acres) for an additional $50.  From looking over the data base of land sales in Edgar County, it was extremely unusual for a woman to buy land and I wonder how she used it.  Did she have one or both of her son-in-laws farm it for her?  Did she hire men and farm it herself? 

                The last piece of information about Elizabeth that I find interesting is her will.  After the usual statements about paying for her funeral and her debts and  bequeaths of some personal possessions, she directs that all the rest of her property be sold and the proceeds divided among her grandchildren and held in trust for them until they either marry or become 21 years of age. Now that sounds fairly typical, until one realizes that the only grandchildren who will receive anything are those that are named for her husband, David, or herself.  It should come as no surprise that six of her children by the date of the will had children named David and/or Elizabeth.  It appears that Mary, William and Nancy did not name their children David or Elizabeth.  However, the will also states that should they have children of those names, those children would also share in the proceeds.  I have not read a lot of old wills, but I think that making bequeaths only to those who are named for you or your husband rather strange and pretty eccentric.

                If I could ask Elizabeth some questions, I would ask where she got the money to buy the land, who she lived with in Illinois, and why she restricted her bequeaths in the way she did.

                

# 1/ Abiathar Richards

Abiathar Richards/

Abiathar Richards, my great grandfather, was born on October 25, 1837 in Dedham, Massachusetts to Ebenezer and Catherine (Newell) Richards.  As a child, he was sent to live with his aunt and uncle, Fanny (Richards) and Seth Richards in Newport, New Hampshire.  In 1860, Abiathar was living with his older brother, Abner, and his family in Brooklyn, New York.  On October 4, 1866, probably in Brooklyn, he married Mary Jane Cochrane, daughter of William and Emma (Merrett), Cochrane.  Abiathar and Mary Jane had three children:  William Fisher, born April 15, 1869, Chester Ingersol, born September 25, 1876, and Gertrude Cochrane, born September, 7, 1874.

            The 1870 census indicates that Abiathar and Mary Jane lived with her parents at 124 Fort Greene Place in Brooklyn.  Abiathar’s occupation is given as an auctioneer. The New York City Directory for 1869 lists Abiathar Richards as in the shoe business at 7 College Place, New York, and living at 124 Fort Greene Place.  His brother, Abner, was also listed as in the shoe business at the same address.  The 1890 New York City Directory again describes Abiathar as in the shoe business at 61 Reade Street, New York.  His brother was by then decreased as the directory lists Catherine Richards of 72 West 45^th Street as the widow of Abner.

            Abiathar Richards died on Arpil 17, 1905.  The cause of death was diabetes.  Two of his obituaries were as follows: 

Abiathar Richards, wholesale shoe dealer of Manhattan, died at his home. 124 Fort

Greene Place. Brooklyn, yesterday in his sixty-eighth year. He was born In Dedham.

Mass.. and came to New York in his early youth. He was fond of horses and for years

was  known on the Ocean Parkway and late on the Speedway as one of the oldest drivers of fast trotting horses. He was a member of St. James Protestant Episcopal Church.  He is survived by a wife, one daughter and two sons.

The Sun, April 18, 1905

Abiathar Richards died at his home, 124 Fort Greene place, yesterday, after

an illness of three weeks from diabetes.  Mr., Richards was born In Dedham, Mass..

He was in his sixty-seventh year. He came to Brooklyn nearly fifty years ago.

He was a member of the New England Society and was also a member of the

Oxford Club, A widow, Mary J,  two sons. William F., and C. I., and one

daughter, Mrs. William Hannah, of Auburn, N. Y. survive him. Funeral services

 will be held at his late home Friday morning at 11 o'clock. 

The Daily Standard Union, April 18, 1905

He was buried in Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York.  His will directed that his wife, Mary Jane, should have use of all the household effects during her lifetime and upon her death those effects should be given to his daughter, Gertrude.  He left half his estate and property to his wife.  The remainder of the estate was to be divided equally between his three children, Chester, William and Gertrude.  Further, money was to be given to his executors to invest and pay the income to his daughter, Gertrude.  Upon her death, the principal was to be divided between her living children.

If I were able to talk to him, I would ask why he was sent to live with his aunt and uncle.