Native American Mystery

     I have a copy of a tintype photo of a Native American man.  Who was this somber looking man?  Where was he from?  I have no idea.  I know nothing about this man.
     This photo was one of many old photos belonging to my maternal grandmother.  I used to love sitting next to MaMa on the couch looking at all her old black/white photos and listening to the stories behind each photo.  Many of these photos had belonged to my great-grandmother then were passed down to my grandmother.  I don't remember if it was after my grandmother died or it might have been years later when my grandfather died that the photos were in my aunt's possession.  I don't think my mother had any of those photos.  My aunt had them all.  I loved those photos.  One year as a birthday gift I gave my aunt a photo album to store our family's precious photos.  I offered to put the photos in the album for her.  There were a lot of photos of my mother and aunt as young girls spending the summer upstate in the 'country'.  This album took a long time to put together or at least it seemed like it took forever.  I had all the photos spread out on the floor then I grouped them together by event or scene.  I put all the bar scenes together, summers spent in Rifton, Christmases, weddings, etc...  I studied backgrounds and faces then finally put them all in the album.  The miscellaneous photos were placed in the back.  I gave the completed photo album to my aunt who told me to keep it.  Really?  Yeah !!!  The photos are Mine!!
     Well, now, getting back to the subject of today's blog post...
     My grandmother used to tell me that we had an American Indian in our family.  She had shown me his photo many times and I was always fascinated.  I wondered what tribe he was from.  I don't think MaMa knew much about him, just that he was one of her great grandfathers.
     I hope to discover the identity of this grandfather and solve my Native American mystery.

Friend or Foe?

     In my last blog post I wrote about the Davis-Decker feud which I had read about on a genealogy message board.  I wish I could remember where I read about this feud.  It was a few years ago while I was on maternity leave and not getting much sleep.  I had put my genealogical research on hold many times over the years.  I currently have a subscription to Ancestry.com but didn't at the time of my son's birth and wasn't doing much research back then.
     The 1930 census shows my son's great-grandfather living in Marlborough, NY but the censuses before that show the Deckers in Newburgh and Plattekill.  The Davises were in Marlborough as of the 1850 census. The head of household for that census, Charles Davis was born in NY in 1800 but I don't know where.  I checked the 1850 and 1860 censuses for Deckers in Marlborough and found quite a few.  Are these my Deckers?  Are these Deckers the ancestors of my son's father?

     The Davises and the Deckers.  Were they friends or really foes?  Were they feuding neighbors?  I'd like to know.     

Ulster County

     I have the Davis and Devine families who I am researching in the southeast part of Ulster county, NY which is located on the west side of the Hudson River.  If I include my son's father's family then there are the Deckers as well.
     The Davises are my maternal grandmother, Eleanor's father's side of the family and the Devines are her mother's side.  MaMa's great-grandfather, William Davis was born in Milton, NY and his wife Emily Martin was born in nearby Lloyd which is about five miles away in a northwest direction.  I don't know where William and Emily met and married but they relocated south a short distance to Marlborough where they lived with their large family.
     MaMa's father, Samuel Davis married Josephine Duper.  Josie was born in Rosendale,NY which is about 24 miles from Marlborough, in a northwest direction.  Josie's cousin, Anna Devine was a teacher in a one room schoolhouse in Rifton which is about five miles east of Rosendale.  Anna is buried in St Peter's Cemetery in Rosendale.  Josie's mother, Teresa Devine, my great-great-grandmother, was born further north on the east side of the Hudson River in Stuyvesant Falls, NY which is located in Columbia county.  Her mother Emily moved down to Esopus in Ulster county, about 9 1/2 miles east of her granddaughter Josephine's birthplace of Rosendale.  The 1900 U.S. Federal Census shows Emily Devine living in Esopus with her son.  I'm sure that this is my Emily.  There is a plot for Emily, her husband Patrick and their son William in St Peter's Cemetery in Rosendale but according to the cemetery records, only William is buried there.  I don't know where Patrick and Emily are.  Josie and Teresa eventually moved down to Brooklyn, NY.  Maybe Emily moved there as well?  I'm sure that she isn't buried with Patrick because the 1900 census shows that she's divorced.  I guess I'll have to check the records for Brooklyn.
     The Deckers are a large family.  They had lived mostly in Plattekill, NY but some of them had relocated west to Marlborough and south to Newburgh in Orange county.  There are many Deckers buried in Friends Cemetery in Plattekill.

     There were Deckers who lived in Marlborough as well as the Davises.   hmmm...  were they neighbors?  were they friends?

     I checked my tree on Ancestry.com to see when both families (Davises and Deckers) lived in Marlborough.  I found that the Davises were living in Marlborough from 1850 (if not earlier) to early 1900's but the Deckers weren't there until approx 1930 (according to census records). I was a little disappointed that they weren't living in the same town at the same time.
     Why was I disappointed?  What did it matter where these families lived?  What's so special about these people?

     Well....

      and now comes the interesting part...

     While on maternity leave about 4 1/2 years ago, instead of sleeping when Gregory slept, I surfed the internet.  I established my tree on Ancestry.com and read the queries on the genealogy message boards.  Imagine my surprise when I read about the Davis-Decker feud.  I don't remember where I read that and had never written it down because I was tired.  Greg's father likes to tell me that there was no feud.  He tells me that I had 'baby brain'.  Hmmmm.....
     I had put my genealogy on hold over the years but now I'm back to seriously researching my roots.  I've been searching and searching but can't find any information about this feud.  Did my lack of sleep back then have me reading something that wasn't there?
     Well, I'm sure I know what I read and I will find the details.  Move over Hatfields and McCoys, we've got the Davises and the Deckers.

     To be continued...

                I hope.

What's Ailing You?

     The last time I wrote was approximately two and a half weeks ago.  I was busy cleaning and decorating for Christmas.  My son and his daddy spent the week of Thanksgiving down in South Carolina where my parents relocated after their retirement.  I'm still here in the cold northern state of New York.  I couldn't enjoy the holiday with my family because I had to work.  I guess I should be 'thankful' to have a job.  I had a headache most of Thanksgiving week and the week after (which was last week).  I went to the doctor last week and was told that I had a migraine.  I didn't think I did.  Maybe I'll visit another doctor for a second opinion because I still have pain.  Although I like my doctor, I was not happy with my visit that day.  While I was telling the doctor where exactly the pain was, she was typing what I was saying into a laptop computer.  She was not looking at me as I was speaking.  She gave me a prescription for expensive migraine medicine.  I'm glad that I have insurance.
     Flashback about 150 years to the days of house calls and life in the 19th century.  My research has taken me back to 1800, the year of birth for Charles Davis, my 4th great-grandfather. That is 'if' I have the right man.  I don't have much information on him.  I found him in the 1850 U.S. Federal Census with his wife Susan and their children.  Charles and Susan's son William was my 3rd great-grandfather.  I've been researching the Davises of the 1800's and wondered how they treated their headaches.
     I searched the internet for old fashioned remedies.  I learned that in the 1800's, headaches were primarily treated with laudanum, an extremely addictive opiate.  The American Frugal Housewife was a book written by Lydia Maria Child and published in 1829.  A person suffering from head pain who sought advice from that book might talk a half a spoonful of citric acid in half a tumbler of water.
    I've decided to try herbal remedies and aromatherapy for my headaches.  Ancient healers treated headaches with herbs like Feverfew and Chamomile.  I have a copy of a tintype photo of a Native American man who I had been told by my maternal grandmother was a great-grandfather.  I don't remember if MaMa ever told me how many 'greats' this grandfather was because she died when I was only 13.  My Native American grandfather was on MaMa's father's side (the Davises).  He couldn't have been on her mother's side because that side was Irish and Austrian.
     I wonder how my Native American ancestors cured their headaches?



"Nearly all men die of their remedies and not of their illness"  -Moliere, french playwright, Jean Baptiste Poquelin  1622-1673


Vintage ads:

Scamp

     I'm taking a little break from William H. Davis, my 3rd great-grandfather who was my brick wall.  Thanks to Ancestry.com, I found a cousin who provided me with more names enabling me to go back another generation to William's parents.  I still need to find out when and where William died so I can obtain a death certificate and then get his parents birth places.  Maybe if I step away from William for awhile and come back refreshed I might make more discoveries.
     William H. Davis' grandson, Samuel George Davis was my great-grandfather on my maternal grandmother's father's side.  I had written about Samuel in an earlier post entitled 'Sammy the Scoundrel'.  In that post I wrote about finding my great-grandfather listed as a student at the Lancaster Reform School (Boys Industrial School) in Lancaster, OH.  The 1900 U.S. Federal Census stated that he was at this school.  I checked the database at the Ohio Historical Society and found a Samuel Davis with the same birth year as my great-grandfather.  I was sure that this was my Sammy so I mailed a check for $7.00 along with the inmate name and number, volume date and page number, and his parents names.
     I had found a site which showed some of the school records with the reasons that the children were admitted.  I saw that many of the children were admitted for incorrigibility.  I ended my 'Sammy the Scoundrel' post wondering if my Samuel Davis was an incorrigible inmate.
     Well, I wonder no longer.  i received a copy of my great-grandfather's school records.  The historical society even sent me a history of the school.  It was very interesting to read about the cottage method for housing juvenile offenders.  The school record I received provided me with a physical description of my great-grandfather as well as general information such as birth date, dates of admission and release, parents names, offense committed, education,and miscellaneous remarks such as profane, tobacco, intemperate, etc.  Samuel Davis was described as a boy of 14 years with a fair complexion, hair and eyes of light brown and 4ft, 10in and 95 lbs.  His offense was being incorrigible and a truant.  This was his first offense and he was committed by the probate court.  According to the miscellaneous remarks in the third column of the second page, 14 year old Sammy did not use profanity nor did he drink or smoke. It stated that his father was intemperate, mother was not and "parents are mutes".
     Samuel Davis, my great-grandfather who was sent to reform school for being an incorrigible truant was described as pleasant with a bright face.

     Sammy the Scamp.

William's Whereabouts

     The year was 1850 and I thought I knew where my great-great-great-grandfather, William H. Davis was living.  According to the 1850 U.S. Federal Census I looked at, there was an 18 year old William H. Davis living with Edwin and Adelia Bartlet in Marlborough,NY.  I had guessed or actually assumed that this William H. Davis was my g-g-g-grandfather and was living with his sister and brother-in-law because a few yars later he named his daughter Adelia.
     I recently made a connection with a descendant of William's brother, Ferris.  It is this descendant, John Davis who confirmed my assumptions about William's brothers.  He also mentioned an 1850 census which shows William living with his siblings and parents Charles and Susan.  The last name is spelled wrong which is why I never found it.  The 1850 census I found has William H. Davis living in Marlborough,NY,  age 18, born abt 1832.  The 1850 census that John told me to look at has William H. Davis living in Marlborough,NY, age 17, born abt 1833.
     So, I see two different censuses for a William H. Davis in Marlborough,NY born only a year apart and I can see how either of these Williams could be mine.  My g-g-g-grandfather had a daughter named Adelia and the William who was born 'abt' 1832 lived with Adelia (his sister?).  The other William, born abt 1833 is listed with the Davis brothers whose Civil War records I found.  The last name is spelled wrong but I know that this is the correct family because William's brother's dates of birth on the census are the same as those in the Civil War records and the parents listed are the parents of William's brothers (from the Civil War records).
     Where was William in 1850?

♥ VETERAN'S DAY ♥

     Thank You to all the brave men, women, and dogs who have and continue to serve and protect our country. ♥






                    






                         

Another Brick

  "Thump!"    crumble...   crumble...

     I knocked another brick off the Davis brick wall.  I had written about how I couldn't get past my great-great-great-grandfather, William H. Davis.  I found a tree on Ancestry.com which had the name Ferris G. Davis.  William had a son named Ferris who was a younger brother to my g-great-grandfather, Daniel.  I sent the owner of this tree a message because the tree is private and I couldn't see it.  I asked if his Ferris G. Davis had a brother named William.  William's son Ferris was born in 1863 but this other Ferris was born in 1841 according to the Civil War records I found.  I thought it might be possible that William H. Davis named one of his sons after his brother.
     Last night I logged into Ancestry.com before going to bed and found a message waiting for me.  I was right !!!  The Ferris G. Davis born in 1841 had a brother named William H. Davis.  The owner of that private tree wrote that William was born in 1833.  What ? ? ?  All the census records show abt. 1832.  Okay, well...  if the censuses state 'abt' 1832, I guess his year of birth could be 1833 but David Davis, another brother who was listed in the Civil War records has his year of birth listed as 1833.
     Well, at least I now have William's parents names thanks to the Civil War records.  I've gone back one more generation.  I'm hoping to hear back from the owner of that private Davis family tree on Ancestry.com to learn more about my Davis ancestors.

William H. Davis

     This Davis dilemma is making me dizzy.  I had written in an earlier post about the Davis line that I am researching.  I couldn't get past my g-g-great-grandfather, William H. Davis who according to census records was born abt. 1832 in Milton, NY.  William's son Daniel was my g-great-grandfather.  Daniel had a brother named Ferris.  I had decided to broaden my search to cousins and their descendants.
     During this past weekend, while looking up a few records on Ancestry.com, I saw the name Ferris G. Davis in a city directory for Ulster County, NY.  This can't be my g-g-grandfather's brother because the city directory is dated 1871-1872 and lists Ferris G. Davis as a fruit raiser in Milton yet my Ferris was only born in 1863.  After I saw the name Ferris G. Davis in the city directory, I searched the Civil War records and struck gold.  I think... I hope...
     Ancestry.com has records of New York Town Clerk's Registers of Men Who Served in the Civil War, ca 1861-1865 with Ferris name as well as two other brothers, David and Daniel.  This record has the enlisted man's name, residence and date of birth, as well as the parents names and discharge information.  Charles Davis and Susan Lounsberry are listed as the parents of Ferris, David, and Daniel.  Ferris was single and his brothers were married.  David and Ferris returned home to their families. Daniel served in The Battle of Fredericksburg, the Battle of Chancellorsville, and The Battle of Gettysburg.  He was take prisoner at James City and died at Belle Island (prison on the James River, outside Richmond,VA) leaving behind a wife and two young sons.  I didn't see my g-g-g-grandfather, William H. Davis' name in these Civil War records.  If he didn't serve then I wonder how or why he was excused?
     What makes me think that the Davis men I just found are the brothers of my William H. Davis?  Well, I have no actual proof 'yet'.  William lived in the same town as the other Davises and had named two of his sons Ferris and Daniel.  It would be quite a coincidence to have two Ferris G. Davises, who were not related, living in the same town and born a generation apart.  William also had a daughter named Susan who I'm guessing was named after her paternal grandmother, that it, 'if' the Davis boys I found were William's brothers.
     I found on Ancestry.com another person who has a Ferris G. Davis (the elder Ferris) on his tree but I wasn't able to see if he could possibly be my Ferris because the tree is private.  I sent the owner of that tree a message inquiring about Ferris G.Davis, born 1841 and his brothers.  until I receive a reply, I am left wondering about William.


Belle Isle Prison    http://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Belle_Isle_Prison

1930

                                                                    ~  1930  ~

     Is this the year of the disappearing ancestors?  Maybe the name of today's blog post should be 'Absent Ancestors'.

     The first person I ever looked up in the 1930 U.S. Federal Census was my maternal grandmother, Eleanor.  My grandmother's year of birth is listed as 1920 on her death certificate.  I searched and searched but could not find MaMa in the 1930 census.  I did find another Eleanor Davis on the list with a birth year of 1918 and relation to head of household being granddaughter.  I clicked on the 'other' Eleanor out of curiosity and to my surprise found that she was actually my grandmother.  If I had looked up my great-great-grandmother's name I would not have found her because it is spelled incorrectly.  The last name is spelled 'Dupes' instead of 'Duper'.  Even though MaMa's year of birth is listed as 1918 and her grandmother's last name is wrong, I know this is my family.  MaMa's grandmother's first name was Teresa and her uncles (in this census) were Steven and Gerald.  This is indeed my family because the first names, dates of birth, and relationships are correct.
     When I first saw my grandmother's date of birth in the 1930 census listed as 1918 and her age as 12 years I thought her grandmother had been mistaken.  MaMa should be 10 years old in 1930.  When I looked at the 1930 U.S. Census I was not yet a subscriber of Ancestry.com but was able to view it for free because the census had just been released to the public and Ancestry.com offered it for free for the weekend.  After I became a subscriber I checked the 1920 U.S. Census for MaMa's parents Samuel and Josephine Davis.  My g-great-grandmother, Teresa provided the census taker with the correct information regarding her granddaughter.  MaMa was born June 3rd in 1918 and not 1920.
     Why was my grandmother living with her maternal grandmother, Teresa Duper in 1930?  Where were her parents and three younger brothers?  Since viewing that census I had discovered that my grandmother's younger sister died at the age of 3 in 1927 and her baby brother William was born the very next day.  If MaMa was living with her grandmother because her own mother was under stress then where were her brothers?  I checked all their names and haven't found any of the boys in the 1930 census.  That remains a mystery.
     In the 1930 census, I found two of MaMa's uncles living with their mother, Teresa in Brooklyn,NY.  Uncle Gerald was 19 years old and single.  Uncle Steven was 32 years and married.  His wife is not listed in this census; well, not in 'this' household.  Uncle Steve was married to Mary and is listed with his wife in the 1920 census.  Where was Aunt Mary in 1930?  Why wasn't she with her husband?  I know she was alive in 1930 because I remember her spending the holidays with my grandmother.  Aunt Mary didn't die until 1986.  She was predeceased by Uncle Steve who died February 23, 1969.  Maybe she had her own apartment in Manhattan?  That's where she and her husband lived in 1920.
     I always thought my g-great-grandmother, Teresa was a widow in 1930 even though the census states that she was married and she was listed with her husband in the 1920 census.  I stumbled across an obituary in the Brooklyn Eagle newspaper for my g-great-grandfather, Stephen Duper.  The obituary stated that he was the loving husband of Teresa duper and that he died at their home.  He died July 16, 1931 so where was he the year before when he was still alive?
     I guess I'll try the city directories next.  I don't know why I haven't checked those yet.  Anybody who might have known my missing ancestors whereabouts in 1930 is already dead so it looks like I'm on my own.
       

The Cousin Connection

     As I stated in my last post, I am researching the 'Davis' line and can't get past William H. Davis who was born abt. 1832 in Milton,NY.  His son Daniel was my great-great grandfather.  Daniel Davis is buried in Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery which is located in Poughkeepsie,NY.  Daniel's brother Melville is also in that same cemetery but in a different section.
     The 1930 U.S. Federal Census shows Daniel and Melville living approximately five minutes away from each other i Poughkeepsie.  Their other brother Ferris lived about 15-20 minutes north in Hyde Park,NY but Ferris' son George lived near his uncles in Poughkeepsie.
     I already knew that Ferris was not buried in the Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery so I called the cemetery back to inquire about the Davis brother' father, William.  My g-g-great grandfather, William H. Davis is not buried in the Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery.  I do not know where Ferris' final resting place is nor do I know about his father.
     I recently located a man who I believe is my fourth cousin.  I will not mention his name because he is still alive.  I'm going to contact my new discovery to find out if he is indeed a cousin and what he might know about our Davis ancestors.

~ DAVIS ~

     My maternal grandmother's maiden name was Davis.  Her father's first name was Samuel and her paternal grandfather was Daniel.  This information was verified with death certificates, cemetery records and censuses.  According to my great-great-grandfather Daniel's death certificate, his father was William H. Davis from Milton,NY and his mother was Emily Martin from Lloyd,NY.
     Before I subscribed to Ancestry.com I had looked at the social security death index online, read the message boards and even created my tree for free.  The first census I ever looked at was the 1880 U.S. Federal Census which is available for free at Ancestry.com.  This census shows a Daniel J. Davis, age 21, with an estimated birth year of 1859 and parents William H.d Davis and Emily Davis.  My Daniel Davis was born January 1, 1860.  I wrote down the details of this census.  I wasn't sure if this was my g-great-grandfather who is listed with his parents and six siblings.  After I bought my annual subscription to Ancestry.com I checked the 1870 U.S. census and found Daniel again. This time there are two more older sisters listed and also one of the questions asked is whether deaf & dumb blind, insane, or idiotic.  Daniel J. Davis is listed as deaf & dumb.  My g-great-grandfather was a deaf-mute.  I was pretty sure that I had the right Daniel Davis.  How many Daniel Davises were born in Milton,NY in the year 1860 to William H. and Emily Davis and were also deaf-mutes?  The 1860 census has Daniel's older sisters Susan and Adelia living with their parents William H. and Emily in Marlborough,NY.  The post office for this area was Milton; same town that Daniel was born in.  I don't know why Daniel Davies wasn't listed in the 1860 census.  His birth date was January 1st and the census was counting "every person whose usual place of abode on the first day of June, 1860, was in this family".  Was he not counted because he was only 6 months old?  Even with Daniel missing from the 1860 census I was still sure that these were my ancestors.  I added their names to my tree on ancestry.com and attached the census records.  The 1850 U.S. Federal Census has an 18 year old William H. Davis living with Edwin and Adielia Bortlet (Bartlet?) and their two children in Marlborough,NY.  Every census I checked for William H. Davis has the town listed as Marlborough so I'm guessing that this 18 year old is my William H. Davis and he was living with his sister and brother-in-law.  Four years later he and his wife Emily were blessed with a daughter who they named Adelia. I haven't found William H. Davis before 1850.  I don't like the censuses before 1850. There are quite a few Davises in Marlborough,NY and I don't know if any of them are mine.
     According to the censuses I've checked, William H. Davis was born abt 1832.  I have no idea who his parents were and until I find out when and where he died (to get birth info), I'll never know.

Blah............... blog

     The last time I wrote was to say that I'll be posting old photos to my 'boring' blog to make it more 'interesting'.  I must have jinxed myself because that weekend I was not feeling well.  My four year old son had an ear infection and a cold and passed his cold on to me.

     feeling to Blah.............

                           to Blog


Be Back Soon.

Boring Blog

     The only pictures on my blog are the ones that I found online and copied/pasted.  I seriously need to learn how to scan and post them online.  My blog would be so much more interesting if I had photos to accompany the stories.
     My goal for this weekend is to learn how to scan then post all photos relating to the stories I've posted so far.


                                            "A picture is worth a thousand words"

What's in a Name?

     I write my blog posts on paper then edit, edit, edit before finally putting it online.  Today's post confused me a little when I reread it or maybe I'm more tired than I thought?  I apologize in advance for confusing anyone else who might read this.  It would would probably be easier to read if you had a chart to look at.  You have been warned.
    My mother was almost named Priscilla because my grandmother liked that name.  My mother said that she's glad that MaMa changed her mind and chose the name Phyllis instead.  My mother's younger sister was born a week before Christmas and was named Carol.
     My maternal grandmother chose names that she liked but her mother and the generations before named their children after parents and grandparents.  I had read about about babies who were given the same name as an older sibling who had died.  I have not come across this in my research, thank God.  I have enough brick walls as it is and don't need anymore confusion. 
     My maternal grandmother, Eleanor Frances was the eldest child born to Josephine (Duper) and Samuel George Davis.  MaMa was probably named after her paternal great-grandmother, Eleanor Sams who was her father's maternal grandmother.  I don't know much about my g-g-g-grandmother other than she was born in Vermont and was a Civil War widow.  My great-Uncle Danny, MaMa's younger brother was named after his paternal grandfather, Daniel J. Davis.  The next baby to come along for Josephine and Samuel was another son who they named after his daddy.  My great-Uncle Sammy had another ancestor named Samuel.His paternal grandmother, Eleanor Sam' husband, Samuel C. Braught was from Ohio and a casualty of the Civil War.  Dorothy Davis was born a few years after Sammy and it appears that she was not named after anyone else.  I guess my great-grandmother, Josie just liked the name.  My grandmother's baby brother, William Howard Davis was named after his paternal great-grandfather, William H. Davis from Milton,NY.

                                                  "What's in a name?  That which we call a rose
                                                        by any other name would smell as sweet"

     This is what Juliet said to Romeo back in the late 16th century.  Is this true?  Would my great-grandfather still have found himself in reform school at the age of 15 if his parents had named him John instead of Samuel?  and what about his son, Samuel (my great-uncle), would he still have been a war deserter and a bigamist if he had a different name?  I'm thinking that the name 'Samuel' might be unlucky when it comes to my family.  Maybe 'unlucky' is the wrong word to use.  I should probably say 'unfortunate'.
     Besides the Davis', my maternal grandfather had a dog named Sam and my brother's friend Sam lived with us for awhile.  The dog was a beautiful husky who had been abused.  My grandfather found him on the street with his side badly burnt.  I remember as a little girl watching my grandfather treat Sam's burn everyday until he was healed.  Sam was a good boy who often accompanied my grandfather to the local bar.  Sometimes my cousin and I went with him.  My grandfather had two favorite bars where he was a regular.  He was a truck driver for a brewery and liked his beer.  Sam used to sit outside the bar waiting patiently for his master until one day he was stolen.  We never saw Sam again.  Years later, when I returned from college, my teenage brother had a friend named Sam who had no place to live.  His mother walked out on the family and I don't know where his father was.  My mother let him stay with us and even enrolled him in a local school to get his G.E.D.  Sam was like family and stayed until my mother had a very bad accident then he moved out.  I guess he thought he was in the way.
     The name 'Samuel' is not a bad name or unlucky even in my family.  The unfortunate events in the lives of all my Sams could have been avoided.  If Samuel Davis wasn't a bad boy then he wouldn't have been sent to reform school.  His son could have been a faithful husband who served his country proudly instead of the war deserting bigamist he became.  My grandfather's dog would not have been stolen if his thirsty owner had left him home.  My brother's friend was a nice guy and overcame his dysfunctional childhood to become a responsible man.  My great-grandfather grew up to be a man despised by his own daughter.  According to my mother, MaMa never had anything positive to say about her father.
     Juliet was right.  "What's in a name?"  If my great-grandfather had been named John, he would still have been the same person.  We create our own luck.  We choose our destiny.

                               "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet"  -Juliet Capulet

Sammy the Scoundrel

     A few months ago while looking at census records for my maternal grandmother's father's side, I discovered that her father (my great-grandfather) was a student at the Boys' Industrial School in Lancaster, OH.  The 1900 U.S. Federal Census has Samuel G. Davis, age 15, at the Lancaster Reform School.  I couldn't believe my eyes.  Did I read "Reform School"?  It was hard to read that writing.  I guess penmanship wasn't a priority for some enumerators back then.
     I checked the internet for reform schools in Lancaster,OH.  I found the history of this reform school which was actually called the Ohio Reform School and later named the Boys' Industrial School.  According to the Ohio Historical Society's website, the school was founded in 1857 by the Ohio government.  This was a reformatory for boys between eight and eighteen years of age.  The boys arrived with a certain number of demerits based on the severity of their crime.  Once they reached zero demerits, the boys were sent home (on parole I think).  In 1884, the Ohio Reform School became known as the Boys' Industrial School.  The boys spent half the day in school and the other half learning a trade in one of the vocational buildings.  This school utilized the "open system". They lived in cottages, not cells. This system worked so well that by 1901, twenty-eight states adopted this same system for their juvenile prisons.
     The Ohio Historical Society's website also has a database with the names of the students who were referred to as 'inmates'.  I'm sure that the 'Samuel Davis' who I found is my great-grandfather because the age range is the same and it stated on the census that he was at the reform school in 1900.  I called the Ohio Historical Society in Columbus,OH to inquire about ordering school records.  Yesterday, I mailed my check for $7.00 along with identifying information such as inmate name and number, parents names, the volume and page number along with the volume date which is 1897-1900.  I asked the librarian at the archives what the school record will contain. I was told that it will have the name and date of birth of the student, parents names, date of admission, reason for being admitted and the release date.  It will take 4-6 weeks to arrive and I can't wait.  I wonder why he was sent there?
     I came across another site with a history of the school and school records for some of the students.  My great-grandfather's record is not listed because he was there in 1900 and these records are dated 1860's - mid 70's.  Most of the children were sent there for incorrigibility.   hmmmmm....
     I wonder if Samuel Davis was an 'incorrigible' inmate?    


Ohio History Central > http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=2113

http://ohiohistory.wordpress.com/2007/01/27/boys-industrial-school/

http://www.witsend.org/gen/marion/badboys.htm

~ Schools Open ~

     My little boy finished his first week of school.  Where did the time go?  Gregory is in pre-k and next year it'll be kindergarten.  I love Greg's school and his teacher this year is wonderful.

Residing with Relatives

     My beautiful four year old son is spending the month with his grandparents in South Carolina.  I won't see him again until the end of the month when I pick him up.  it's a 13 hour drive one way so it's not like I can meet him for an afternoon of fun and games.
     I can't even begin to imagine my little Gregory living with anyone but me and his daddy yet some of my ancestors actually lived with different family members for one reason or another.
     I first discovered ancestors residing with relatives when I looked up my maternal grandmother, Eleanor's name in the 1930 U.S. federal census and found her living with her maternal grandmother, Theresa.  At first I was so puzzled as to why MaMa, at age 12 was living with her grandmother and two uncles.  Where were her parents and younger brothers?  I don't know when she moved on with her grandmother or how long she stayed.  I think MaMa moved in with her grandmother after the death of her younger sister three years earlier, in 1927.  her baby brother, William was born the day after Dorothy died.  I don't think MaMa moved in with her grandmother for financial reasons and she was old enough to help with the younger children.
     MaMa was 9years old when her sister dies and her brother was born.  her brother Daniel (Danny) was 8 and Samuel (Sammy) was either 7 or 6.  I seriously believe that my great-grandmother Josephine was not emotionally stable to care for her newborn and three other children after losing her youngest so tragically.  I wrote about Dorothy in an earlier post.  I can't find Josie, her husband, or the three boys in the 1930 census.  Maybe their names were misspelled or they never completed the census.  I have no idea where they were in 1930.

     I can't focus on blogging or research now because I miss Gregory so much and can't even think straight.  I'll be seeing my baby in less than two weeks.  XOXOX ♥ ♥ ♥

♥ ♥ ♥

~ DEAD END ~

     There was no justice for Professor Max Eglau who was murdered on the 10th of February in 1896 at the Institution for the Improved Instruction of Deaf Mutes in Manhattan.
     According to the New York newspaper, The Sun, dated November 2, 1898, "the police could not find the murderer".

     What ? ? ?  Is this an unsolved crime?  What about all the evidence the police found? and the astrologer who was willing to help?  Maybe the police should have looked to the stars for some answers.

     If Max Eglau were an ancestor of mine then I would pursue this further.  I just happened to stumble upon a news article regarding a murdered teacher in the deaf school and I was curious.  I am glad to learn that my great-grandmother wasn't a student yet when this tragedy occurred.  I guess i just have to sigh and move on.  I'll never know who did it.

Astrologer Offers Assistance

     On March 4, 1896, the newspaper, New York Tribune printed a latter that had been received by Assistant District Attorney Oliver three weeks earlier.

     "Kindly call at your convenience and I will explain a few startling conclusions arrived at by the science of astrology as applied to the professor Max Eglau business.
     Having studied this science for twelve years and applied it to a number of criminal cases, I have found that it is most reliable for giving information.
     Shall be glad to see you at anytime convenient to you.
     I remain yours truly,                                                 T. Backe
No. 218 West Twenty-second st."












From the Library of Congress historical newspapers: http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/1896-03-04/ed-1/seq-13/;words=Max+Eglau?date1=1896&rows=20&searchType=basic&state=New+York&date2=1896&proxtext=max+eglau&y=8&x=13&dateFilterType=yearRange&index=4

The Fitzgeralds are Free

     On February 18, 1896, the New York Tribune reported that the Fitzgerald boys are free due to insufficient evidence.

     The following day, the same newspaper stated 'Eglau Inquest Postponed'.  Although the Fitzgerald boys have been twice discharged for being arrested in the murder of Max Eglau, the police detectives apparently have not given up hope of being able to connect them with the murder.  They asked for a delay in the coroner's inquest to enable them to work up more clues.
     A chemist has been at work analyzing the scrapings from the finger nails of the Fitzgerald boys and from the soles of their shoes.  The detectives hoped to find traces of blood stains in the scrapings.  The fireman in the school has been taken into the presence of William Fitzgerald, in order to identify him as the boy who was seen going into the cellar after the murder.




I found the newspaper articles for all my posts about Max Eglau from the Library Of Congress > http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/1896-02-18/ed-1/seq-13/;words=Max+Eglau?date1=1896&rows=20&searchType=basic&state=New+York&date2=1896&proxtext=Max+Eglau&y=9&x=14&dateFilterType=yearRange&index=1

R.I.P. Mr Eglau

     The New York Tribune newspaper dated February 15, 1896 states that 'The funeral of Max Eglau, who was murdered in the deaf and Dumb Institute, took place at his home in St Mark's Place'.
     Among the visitors to the Eglau home were several public school principals in whose schools Professor Eglau had been engaged.  They all spoke of him as a kind hearted old man, against whom no one could say an unkind word.
     Max Eglau was born 1825 in Baden, Germany and was survived by his wife, a daughter and a son-in-law, John B Zink.


                                                                     Rest In Peace









Library of Congress historical newspapers
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/search/pages/results/?state=New+York&date1=1896&date2=1896&proxtext=Max+Eglau&dateFilterType=yearRange&rows=20&searchType=basic&x=14&y=9

Max's Money

So, what was the motive?  was it money?

     According to the NY newspaper, the Sun, dated Tuesday, February 11, 1896, Max Eglau's watch and chain and other valuables were found undisturbed.  He also had in his pockets three bank books which all showed considerable deposits.  There was one book for the Metropolitan Savings Bank, another for the Bank for Savings and the third for the German Savings Bank.
     Whether the $100. in bank notes which Mr Eglau was known to have had when he left home was stolen or if he actually deposited it on his way to the institution is a question which has yet to be answered.  john B. Zink, Max Eglau's son-in-law, was the last family member to see him alive.  Mr Zink said that his father-in-law had shown him $100. which he got by cashing his check for last month's work at Cooper union.  He left at 11:00am en route to the German Savings Bank to deposit the money.
     The following day, February 12, 1896, the newspaper, the Sun, stated that the statement of police Captain Casey that Eglau had no money is a direct contradiction of the statement made by his son-in-law.  The professor's friends told the reporter that it was his habit to carry a large roll of bills with him which he displayed liberally.  "If he bought anything, no matter how small, when he put his hand in his pocket to get the money he would always pull out a roll, and seemed to be proud of it.  He was careless of it, too".  About three weeks ago, Mr Eglau left an $80. roll in a closet at the institution.  It was found by one of the inmates and he got it back.  Mr Zink confirmed this story.
     On February 14, 1896, the newspaper, New York Tribune stated that the money which Max Eglau had when he was murdered was found at the bottom of the dumbwaiter shaft in the "Deaf and Dumb Institute".
     If money was not the motive, then what was?





Historic Newspapers at Library of Congress:
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/search/pages/results/?state=New+York&date1=1896&date2=1896&proxtext=Max+Eglau&dateFilterType=yearRange&rows=20&searchType=basic&x=14&y=9

More Suspects, More Clues

     On the afternoon of February 12, 1896, two more students from the Institution for the Improved Instruction of Deaf Mutes were arrested "on suspicion of being implicated in the murder" of art teacher, Max Eglau.  The new prisoners were William Fitzgerald, aged 20 and his younger brother James, 18 years old.  The lived with their parents at 37 W 92nd St and attended the institution as day scholars.
     In the coal bin of the blacksmith's shop located on the first floor of the school, the police found a handkerchief, a pair of cuffs with spots of blood and a pistol.  There was the appearance that an effort had been made to conceal the evidence.  The police found it anyway after digging through the coals and had identified it as property belonging to William Fitzgerald.  The cuffs had been shown to William's mother who said that they looked like cuffs her son had worn.  William claimed to have lost the cuffs about two years ago yet a laundry mark on the inside of the cuffs identified the laundryman and that laundry had been in existence only three or four months.  The pistol was identified as William's by another boy in school who said that he saw William have a pistol just like the one the police found.  William denied owning a pistol.
     These two new suspects had nothing to do with the three who were already arrested nor did it clear away the suspicion.  The pupils who were taken into custody on the day of the murder were still being held.  Captain Casey did not allow the boys to speak to anyone on the outside.
     Edward J. Wolfe, Peter's father, found out about his son's arrest from the newspaper.  Mr Wolfe told Captain Casey that Peter was a day pupil who studied hard, liked the school and the teacher.  He also said that his son was the kindest and most loving child who wouldn't hurt a fly.  He was sure that his boy wasn't involved in the murder.
     Mr Wolfe had barely left the police station when Adolph Pflander's brother Charles came in.  He had heard about the arrest from a fireman at their neighborhood firehouse.  He was very upset that his parents were not notified.
     Edward Eck's mother arrived soon after Charles left.  She spoke to the detectives working the case and explained that her son was home with her until 3:00pm on Monday, February 10th and not at the institution at the time of the murder.  The police questioned Mrs Eck thoroughly and seemed satisfied with her story.  They told her that she needn't be afraid.  Mrs Eck left but wondered why her boy was still locked up and why she couldn't see him.
     The police had apparently given up any thoughts that the murderer could be someone outside the school.  They had not looked for anybody else and confined their work to the students.



Library of Congress historical newspapers: http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/search/pages/results/?state=New+York&date1=1896&date2=1896&proxtext=max+eglau&dateFilterType=yearRange&rows=20&searchType=basic&x=10&y=14

Suspicious Scholars

We have the 'What'  -- Max Eglau's murder
We have the 'Where'  -- art studio on 4th floor of school
We have the 'When'  --  afternoon of February 10, 1896
We need the 'Who', 'Why', and 'How' to solve the case.

     Superintendent David Greene found professor Max Eglau lying dead on the floor of his art studio.  He immediately sent for the doctor and police.  The investigators started that afternoon and continued into the night with no one permitted to enter or exit the building except for police or any person belonging there.  Coroner Fitzpatrick, who had arrived at 7:00pm, was in the studio where the murder occurred, assisting Captain Casey until 9:00pm.  All the day scholars were permitted to return to their homes at 8:30pm, except for three of the older pupils who were placed under arrest and locked up in the East 67th Street police station under suspicion that they, or at least two of them, may have been the murderers.
      The suspects were Peter Wolfe, aged 18, a blacksmith who resided at 414 E 66th St; Adolph Pflander, aged 16, also a blacksmith who resided at 7 Extra Pl; and Edward Eck, aged 18, a vendor who resided at 154 W 25th St.  The suspicion against Peter Wolfe and Adolph Pflander were aroused from the fact that they worked for Mr Eglau in the studio.  Adolph received 50 cents a month to clean paintbrushes but was replaced by Peter when he became ill.  Adolph returned to work and he exchanged words with Mr Eglau the Saturday before the murder.  The police would not say how Edward Eck was connected with the murder or why they suspected him.
     When the police examined the studios after the murder they found in the painting room, near an easel, where Mr Eglau had been at work on a painting, part of a bone cuff button.  In Peter Wolfe's pocket they found the other part of the same button.  Nothing in the painting room had been disturbed.  There were only a few drops of blood in the painting room and those were near the door leading into the room.  Mr Eglau was found lying on his back in front of the door leading to the painting room.  On the floor beside him lay a shovel (the kind used for mixing clay).  in the modelling room a heavy short stepladder was found overthrown and among the tables was another blood smeared weapon.  This was a piece of hard wood about 18 inches long, square on one end and rounded at the other and used as a pestle in working with clay.  Right beside the door leading into the painting room in the wooden wainscoting was found a deep fresh cut and two dents beside the door, one in the wood of the door frame and one in the plaster beside it.  Coroner Fitzpatrick believes the attack started here.  The first blow struck with the shovel, missed its intended victim and cut into the wainscoting.  Then blow after blow until Mr Eglau was down and that last fatal blow kept him down.  There was blood oozing from the cuts in his head and neck, which seem to have been made by the sharp edges of the shovel, and his nose seem to have been crushed by a blow from the wooden pestle.  The wounds which seem to have been made by the shovel consisted of a long deep cut in the left side of the neck, another smaller cut just above this one, and a long deep cut which reached to the bone, almost squarely across the back of his head.  In one place on the floor was a large blood mark.  On one side of this mark was the print of a bloody right hand, and on the other side a similar print of a left hand.  Mr Eglau's thumb and another finger on the right hand were broken.
     Coroner Fitzpatrick didn't think any of the regular 'inmates' (students who 'live' at the school) had anything to do with the murder.  He said that the front door of the Institution was usually left open so anyone could walk in and through the building.  He also said that there was a fire escape to the yard opening from one of the windows in the painting room.  Coroner Fitzpatrick believed that whoever committed this murder was concealed in one of the rooms when Mr Eglau arrived and attacked him almost immediately.  The coroner also said that the murderer either entered the room from the fire escape or left that way because the window was closed but not fastened.
     It had been ascertained that all three boys under arrest were in their places at the dinner table.  The coroner suggested to Captain Casey that he ascertain whether they could have had time to have gone to Mr Eglau's room and committed the murder between the times when they left their different classes and when they appeared in the dining room.
     Coroner Fitzpatrick believed that the guilty person (or persons)was someone who had been an inmate of the school and knew their way around the building.


-these facts taken from the New York City newspaper, The Sun.

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030272/1896-02-11/ed-1/seq-1/;words=Max+Eglau?date1=1896&rows=20&searchType=basic&state=New+York&date2=1896&proxtext=max+eglau&y=16&x=18&dateFilterType=yearRange&index=5

Max is Dead !

     On Monday, February 10, 1896 at 2:15pm, Max Eglau's art students waited for his arrival.  When the professor did not appear after a few minutes the superintendent David Greene went to Mr Eglau's studio to look for him.  The elderly artist was lying on the floor dead.  It was a bloody mess.  Messengers were dispatched to nearby Mount Sinai Hospital.  The doctor arrived and declared that Mr Eglau had been dead for at least 45 minutes.  He had been killed sometime between 12:05pm and 1:30pm.  The time of Mr Eglau's arrival at the school was confirmed by Dwight L. Elmendorf, the chemistry teacher whose classroom was located immediately under the painting room.  Mr Elmendorf dismissed his class at 12:00pm and was walking downstairs as Mr Eglau was walking up, they met on the stairs.
     Sergeant Hussey along with detectives Keating and Collins arrived from the E 67th Street police station located only half a block away.  The investigation was under way.  All the outer doors were locked and guarded and the entire building searched for some type of evidence which might lead the investigators to the murderer or murderers.  The search continued until 8:30pm when the day students went home.  The Institute for the Improved Instruction of Deaf Mutes is a residential school for boys and girls between the ages of 6 and 14 but anyone older than 14 can take classes as a day scholar. 
     Assisting with the investigation were Acting Captain Casey, Detective Sergeant Weller and Detective Sergeant McCarthy.  Coroner Fitzpatrick, who arrived around 7pm joined Captain Casey in the room where the murder took place and assisted with the investigation.  He came out after 9pm and described his findings.
     The room where the murder was committed was on the fourth floor of the building on the 68th Street side.  Here, on the top floor of an extension of the main building, are two large rooms which were used as studios by Mr Eglau.  Each room is lighted from the top by skylights and by windows.  There is only one entrance to these two rooms from the main hall of that floor.  The room on the east side of the extension was used as a studio and a classroom for teaching modeling in clay.  The room to the west was a studio and a classroom for painting.  The first room which was for modelling had about five or six long tables where the pupils worked.  At the other end of this room, beside the door was a box in which the clay was wet and mixed, and beside that was a sink.  Between these and the tables, and opposite the door into the painting room, was a clear space.  It was in this clear space the the artist,  Professor Max Eglau was found dead.  Evidence showed that there was a struggle.

Investigating the Murder

     I have not forgotten my blog.  I am sifting through articles from 1896 and trying to piece it all together to find out Who Done It? and Why?  I am currently writing the draft copy and hope to post it to this blog tomorrow.




Library of Congress articles regarding the murder...  > http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/search/pages/results/?state=New+York&date1=1896&date2=1896&proxtext=max+eglau&dateFilterType=yearRange&rows=20&searchType=basic&x=17&y=15

A Canvas for Murder

     In a previous post entitled 'See No Evil, Hear No Evil', I had mentioned a murder taking place in the school that my great-grandmother attended.
     While searching the internet for any information about Josie's school, I came across an article about an artist named Max Eglau who was murdered at the Institution for the Improved Instruction of Deaf-Mutes.  It was actually just a snippet of an article from the New York Times.  I tried to view the full article but it wouldn't come up; maybe it was too old?  I was curious to know when this horrible event occurred.  Was my great-grandmother in the school when it happened?  I needed to know more.  I searched and searched the internet for any information about Max Eglau.  I mostly found art galleries featuring his work but I did find a few more 'snippets' of articles regarding the murder.  I was a bit frustrated but determined to learn who Max was.
     I finally located news about the murder from historic newspapers at the Library of Congress and will write about this tragedy over the next few days.

July 4th

                 HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY !






Thomas Jefferson (right), Benjamin Franklin (left), and John Adams (center) meet at Jefferson's lodgings, on the corner of Seventh and High (Market) streets in Philadelphia, to review a draft of the Declaration of Independence.

Remembering MaMa

          ♥ Today is 29 years in Heaven for my maternal grandmother, Eleanor ♥ 

      MaMa, you are missed so much but I know that you are with the other Angels watching over me.

See No Evil, Hear No Evil

"Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see."   -Mark Twain


     Thomas Braidwood was a teacher whose school was located in Edinburgh, Scotland then he relocated to London,England.  Mr Braidwood changed his vocation from teaching the hearing to teaching the deaf and renamed his building 'Braidwood's Academy for the deaf and Dumb'.  This was the first deaf school in Britain and taught the combined method which was speech and sign.
     Colonel William Bolling of Cobbs,Virginia was influenced by his father to begin an American school for the deaf.  His siblings (two deaf brothers and a deaf sister) were educated at the Braidwood's school and he had a son who was deaf.  John Braidwood, grandson of Thomas and also a teacher for the deaf came to America to start a school in one of the larger cities such as Baltimore or NY.  When Colonel Bolling heard that Mr Braidwood had come to America he invited him to his home in Virginia.  The colonel established the very first deaf school in the United States in March of 1815 in Cobb,VA which was located near Petersberg. Mr Braidwood ran the school and also ran into debt with the local merchants in Petersberg. He fled to the north and the school closed in the fall of 1816.
     While Colonel William Bolling was starting a school in Virginia, Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet at the request of Mason Fitch Cogswell was headed to Europe to learn a method of teaching deaf students.  Mr Cogswell's young daughter, Alice was deaf and he had asked Mr Gallaudet to help her.  Mr Gallaudet studied under Laurent Clerc and in 1816 they returned to America.  Thomas Gallaudet, along with Laurent Clerc and Mason Cogswell co-founded an institution for the education of the deaf in North America.  The 'Connecticut Asylum for the Education and Instruction of deaf and Dumb Persons' located in Hartford, CT opened its doors in April of 1817.  Mr Gallaudet was the principal of this school which became the first permanent deaf school in America and over time had its name changed to the 'American School for the Deaf'.  Mr Laurent Clerc was America's first 'deaf' teacher of the deaf and was responsible for bringing OFSL (Old French Sign Language) to America, where it would play a large part in the development of American Sign Language (ASL).
     On the 10th of September in 1851, Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet died.  In 1853, the New England Gallaudet Association of the Deaf was founded to address concerns regarding the eduction of deaf children, discrimination, and a general lack of public understanding about deafness.
     In 1864, Bernard Engelsman, a teacher from Vienna, founded the 'Institution for the Improved Instruction of Deaf Mutes' located in Manhattan, NY.  This was the first pure 'oral' school in America.  Oralism is a method of speech training and lipreading which forbids the use of sign language.  Alexander Graham Bell was in support of oralism rather than the manualism (sign language) method of teaching.
     On the 11th day of December in the year 1894, my maternal great-grandmother, Josephine Duper was born.  Josie was born healthy but at some point in her very, very young life (before age 5) was afflicted with Scarlett Fever causing her to lose her hearing.  According to the 1900 U.S. Federal Census, at the age of 5, Josephine Duper is listed as a 'pupil' of the Institute for the Improved Instruction of Deaf Mutes.  Ten years later, she is still in that school but the wording on the census is different.  In 1910, my great-grandmother is an 'inmate', not a 'pupil'.  Although Josie was in a school that focused on oralism, she also knew sign language.
     In January of 1911, a fire broke out in the school but luckily no one was hurt and everyone remained calm.  http://www3.gendisasters.com/new-york/2372/new-york%2C-ny-deaf-dumb-institute-fire%2C-jan-1911?page=0%2C0
Another tragedy struck this school 15 years earlier. In February of 1896, an artist named Max Eglau was murdered.  I will write about that in an upcoming post.  I recently discovered a book by Victoria Thompson entitled 'Murder On Lexington Avenue which takes place at this school. I just ordered it and can't wait to read it. http://victoriathompson.homestead.com/lexington-mys.html
     The Institution for the Improved Instruction of Deaf Mutes is now the Lexington School & Center for the Deaf and is located in Queens, NY.  The school that was located on Lexington Avenue in Manhattan was beautiful.  They don't make buildings like that anymore.
     After researching and writing this blog post I seriously want to enroll in a sign language class.

Bolling Hall Built before 1799. Organized education for the deaf in America had it's origins here when William Bolling brought Scottish teacher John Braidwood in to teach his two deaf children. His success led to the establishment of the nation's first formal school for deaf children. It is on the Virginia Landmarks Register. Photographed 16 Oct 2007 and Contributed by George Seitz

The Connecticut Asylum for the Education and Instruction of Deaf and Dumb Persons, Hartford,CT








American School for the Deaf, Hartford, CT





This is the school that my great-grandmother, Josephine Duper attended. Isn't it beautiful? I love the architecture.

The Institution for the Improved Instruction of Deaf-Mutes- NYC 1883

The Manual Alphabet