Showing posts with label Minnesota. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Minnesota. Show all posts

Saturday, October 6, 2018

Book Of The Week: History of Nicollet and LeSueur Counties, Minnesota


History of Nicollet and LeSueur Counties, Minnesota:
Their People, Industries, and Institutions : 
with Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens 
and Genealogical Records of Many 
of the Old Families, 
Volume 2

William G. Gresham


B.F. Bowen, 1916 - Le Sueur County (Minn.)




©2018 Anne Faulkner - AncestorArchaeology.net, All Rights Reserved

Saturday, September 29, 2018

Book Of The Week: History of Otter Tail County, Minnesota:


History of Otter Tail County, Minnesota:
Its People, Industries, and Institutions : 
with Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens 
and Genealogical Records of Many of the 
Old Families, 
Volume 1

John Wintermute Mason


B.F. Bowen, 1916 - Otter Tail County (Minn.)



©2018 Anne Faulkner - AncestorArchaeology.net, All Rights Reserved

Saturday, September 22, 2018

Book Of The Week: An Illustrated History of Nobles County, Minnesota


An Illustrated History of 
Nobles County, Minnesota

Arthur P. Rose


Northern History, 1908 -
Nobles County (Minn.) - 637 pages



©2018 Anne Faulkner - AncestorArchaeology.net, All Rights Reserved

Saturday, September 15, 2018

Book Of The Week: An Illustrated History of Lyon County, Minnesota



An Illustrated History of
Lyon County, Minnesota

Arthur P. Rose


Northern History Publishing Company, 1912 -
Lyon County (Minn.) - 616 pages



©2018 Anne Faulkner - AncestorArchaeology.net, All Rights Reserved


Saturday, September 8, 2018

Book Of The Week: An illustrated history of the counties of Rock and Pipestone, Minnesota



An illustrated history 
of the counties of 
Rock and Pipestone, Minnesota

Arthur P. Rose

Northern History Publishing Company, 1911 - 
Pipestone County (Minn.) - 802 pages



©2018 Anne Faulkner - AncestorArchaeology.net, All Rights Reserved

Saturday, August 25, 2018

Book Of The Week: Old Fort Snelling, 1819-1858


Old Fort Snelling, 1819-1858
Marcus Lee Hansen
State Historical Society of Iowa, 1918
Fort Snelling (Minn.) - 270 pages




 ©2018 Anne Faulkner - AncestorArchaeology.net, All Rights Reserved

Friday, June 9, 2017

Tools For The Dig: State Focused Research | Minnesota


State Focused Research | Minnesota


Some of my favorite research sites are slightly off-radar by today's definition.

First I'd like to talk about Genealogy Trails. From their homepage: "Our goal is to help you track your ancestors through time by transcribing genealogical and historical data and placing it online for the free use of all researchers. We are all about adding data for you to use in researching your family lines!!!We know that what you're looking for is data -- and we have LOTS of it right here.
Our hosts work continuously to bring you fresh, interesting and NEW data (well.... as new as hundred year old data can be!!!)" Pretty much everything you need to know to begin your Minnesota research is contained within the pages of  Minnesota Genealogy Trails. This is a thorough, well thought out site - and they are always looking for volunteers!

Companion Yahoo! Group: Genealogy Trails/Upper Midwest

Next up, RAOGK. Another volunteer site. A treasure trove of links, well organized and easy to understand. From this site you can request look-ups from a team of Minnesota volunteers. Or add you name to the volunteer list if Minnesota is your home-base.

MNGenWeb is an oldie but a goody! Volunteer based also, this database was founded in 1996! From their home page: "MNGenWeb isn’t an ordinary genealogy website. Ordinary websites are those where text and sometimes pretty pictures are present, but trying to get in touch with a real person to help you with your research… impossible. The strength of MNGenWeb is its many volunteers, some of whom have spent over a decade assisting others with their Minnesota research. Using our county page visit the Minnesota county your ancestors lived in and first try and find any information the county may freely provide on their pages (most have some sort of search built in). If the particular fact isn’t available online, then reach out to the county coordinator (cc) and they will try and assist you as best they can. Most county coordinators have their email address available on their website, though some will use contact forms."

Linkpendium is another all around resource hub. So What is Linkpendium, Anyway? "Linkpendium is a 10,000,000+ resource directory to everything on the Web about families worldwide and genealogically-relevant information about U.S. states and counties. We cover both free and subscription sites, with a strong emphasis upon free resources provided by libraries, other government agencies, genealogical and historical societies, and individuals. We are particularly proud of our unique indexes to online biographies."

Cyndi's List Minnesota page.

Helm's Genealogy Toolbox/Minnesota


FamilySearch:


State societies and archives include:


A comprehensive list of newspapers can be found at The Ancestor Hunt's Minnesota page.


For social context look at LOC Minnesota Collection and Minnesota Digital Library.


As I discover more resources I'll update this post. Do you have any Minnesota favorites that I've missed? Please share!


©2017 Anne Faulkner - Ancestor Archaeology.net, All Rights Reserved

Sunday, November 6, 2016

The Mysterious Jennie Whitford Faulkner (52 Ancestors #1)

Jennie M Whitford is my 2nd great grandmother on my paternal side. She, like many female ancestors, is hard to research. I have made a few discovers, but she remains largely a mystery.

Jennie was born about 1835 in either Ohio or Michigan depending on which U.S. Census  you are looking at. She first appears in the 1860 census recorded as being born in Ohio. The 1870 census lists Michigan for her birthplace and the 1880 census again lists Ohio as her birthplace.

She married Harrison Faulkner, my 2nd great grandfather, on May 1, 1856 in Grass Lake Michigan. From the Jackson Citizen Patriot dated May 15, 1856: "Faulkner, Harrison and Miss Jenni M Whitford, both of Grass Lake, m. in Grass Lake, May 1, 1856, by Rev. C. R. Pattison."

Mrs. Harry Faulkner of Faribault
So, I know she was living in Michigan in 1856. I have not been able to find any record of her prior to this wedding announcement. Her parents remain a mystery. How did she get to Grass Lake? I can find no other Whitford's listed in the early Michigan census' at this time.

By 1860 she and Harrison are living in Faribault MN with their first child, Arthur, who was born in MN in 1859. (Second son Lloyd, b. 1862 and third son Louis, b. 1864, in Faribault as well. I can find no record of any other children born to this couple.) Interestingly, in this census there are listed two additional household members. Sarah Woodford age 16 and James Nichols age 10. Both born in MI. The children's relationship is not noted. I have always wondered if Sarah might be Jennie's younger sister. And if that is true then which surname might be correct? And who is James Nichols? Neither Sarah nor James appear in the household after the 1860 census.

On May 29, 1878 Jennie is granted a divorce from Harrison. Why? I'd love to know!

By 1880 Jennie is employed as a tailoress, still living in Faribault with her three teenage sons.

In 1885 she has moved to St Paul, MN and is listed in the city directory as Jane Faulkner (wid Harrison) residing with her three sons. Harrison, apparently following his family, is found living several blocks away.

Jennie died Feb 29, 1888 in St Paul. She was only 53. Her middle son, Lloyd, had become a successful doctor by this time and she was living with him at the time of her death. There is a record of the obituary in the Dalby Database, but I have been unsuccessful at finding either the actual obituary or the death certificate. It is claimed she was buried in Faribault MN, but that has yet to be discovered. Several other family members were cremated and I suspect that Jennie was too.

Interestingly, shortly after Jennie's death Harrison returned to Faribault where he remained until his death in 1905. The three sons remained in St. Paul.

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Lloyd Anson Faulkner, M.D.: Eclectic Doctor and Mineral Merchant (52 Ancestors #27)

Lloyd Anson is the man that lit the fire under my Finding Faulkner series. After my dad died and I inherited the genealogy files he had kept, I came across a file marked "Operation Grampa". Lloyd Anson was my father's "Grampa". Seems he was trying to learn more about the man. Happy to oblige, I dug in ...... which took me on the journey of a lifetime, and concluded with me actually finding our Faulkner, our original immigrant. So wish my dad were still here to share this with. But this is a sketch about Lloyd.

Lloyd Anson Faulkner, middle child, was born in the brand new state of Minnesota on September 30th 1862. Son of Harrison and Jennie Whitford Faulkner. He was welcomed into a family that already consisted of older brother, Arthur Edward and half brother, James Nichols. His younger brother, Louis Nelson would follow soon after.

Lloyd at 16
Lloyd's parents divorced in 1878, when he was 15. He and his brothers continued to reside with their mother until her death in 1888.

511 State Chicago
In 1884 Lloyd and his mother moved temporarily to Chicago, IL so that Lloyd could attend Bennett Medical College. While Lloyd attended classes, mother Jennie worked as a nurse.

Lloyd Anson graduated on April 1, 1885 as an Eclectic Physician. According to Wikipedia: "Eclectic medicine was a branch of American medicine which made use of botanical remedies along with other substances and physical therapy practices, popular in the latter half of the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries." 
Graduation Announcement
from Chicago Tribune

The very next month Lloyd and his mother returned to Minnesota, residing in St Paul with brothers Arthur and Louis.

Dr Faulkner opened his practice in Duluth, on Superior Street. He held office hours daily, even Sunday!

In 1888 Jennie Faukner died, Lloyd was only 25. I do not know the cause of death, but it must have been hard on Lloyd, being a doctor, not being able to prevent or prolong it. (Well, perhaps he did prolong it, one can hope anyway.)

Lloyd continued to practice medicine, and in 1891 married Anna O'Connell, who had moved to St Paul from New York several years earlier.

The couple's first son Raymond Lloyd, was born before their first anniversary. Daughter Mary Edith would follow in 1894. The couple now resided in Duluth and Lloyd had opened a side business dealing in gems and minerals obtained from Lake Superior. This new venture was called the Natural Science Establishment.

Their second son James Harrison came along in 1897.

By 1900 the family was back in St Paul, where the final children, a set of twins, were born. Louis Lester and Catherine Lila, delivered, like all the other children, by their father Dr Lloyd, joined the family in 1902.

Lloyd Anson Faulkner was a lifelong member of the AOUW, Ancient Order Of United Workmen. Perhaps his father was a member as well, I have yet to discover any more on this.


1905 brought the death of Lloyd's father Harrison. For the next two decades the family seemed to move around a lot, always remaining in Minnesota. Perhaps Lloyd was a traveling physician at this time. The family moved between Blue Earth and Crow Wing, with stops in Rice and Sibley. Or, based on the dates of the census records, Dr Faulkner may have done the travelling, taking his family with him for the summer months.

At any rate, things settled down by 1920. Dr Faulkner was back in St Paul, his office was in the Baltimore building and the family resided on Hague Ave. In August of that year Lloyd's brother Louis died of a horrible disease easily curable with modern penicillin, which would not be discovered for another 9 years.

Children's marriages were celebrated on at least three occasions. The family may have traveled to Chicago in 1914 for the wedding of the oldest son, Raymond Lloyd; and again in 1928 for the marriage of youngest son, Louis Lester. The oldest daughter Mary Edith was married by 1930, most likely in St Paul.

Raymond and his wife Marion would give Lloyd a grandson and a granddaughter.

Sometime after 1930 Dr Lloyd Faulkner began to feel tired, run down. He was in his late 60's. Perhaps it was time to retire? I do not believe Dr. Faulkner ever got that chance, he actively practiced medicine until July of 1933. On December 18th 1933 at 10:51 in the morning Dr Lloyd Anson Faulkner passed away after a valiant fight with prostate cancer.

He is buried in Acacia Park Cemetery, in Mendota Heights, Minnesota.

He looks a lot like my dad.

Posthumously Lloyd Anson Faulkner became grandfather to two more grandchildren. A grandson from youngest son Louis Lester and a granddaughter from youngest daughter Catherine Lila.

"Operation Grandpa" concludes.


Saturday, January 24, 2015

Mary Dempsey O'Connell: Irish Rebellion Immigrant (52 Ancestors #3)

I have not done a great deal of in depth research on Mary. She had proved to be a bit of a brick wall, as many women ancestors can be. I have chosen her as one of my 52 Ancestors because I have had difficulty finding more than census and city directory records for her. I hope that in writing what I know I may start to discover new bits to add to her life.

Pastoral Irish Cottages c.1820
Mary Dempsey was born about 1815 in Ireland. Her parents are as yet UNK. Nothing is known of her early life in Ireland. It can be presumed that it was hard, the population at that time was soaring and the work was leaving Ireland for more industrialized England. Workhouses were being erected to house the destitute. Life was becoming extremely difficult for native Irish men and women. Their traditional way of life was being threatened. Families were being split apart as the government tried to gain control of it's vast unemployed population. I don't imagine the prospects were encouraging for a young woman in such a depressed country at this time in history.

 Mary married James O'Connell, who was at least 10, possibly 12, years her seniorabout 1838, and their first of twelve children was born in or about 1839. The Irish Rebellion was heating up and I imagine it was a time of much unrest as tradition was being pushed out by modernization and the English were imposing their ideas upon the Irish. Mary gave birth to her second child in or about 1841. By the time their third child was born, about 1842, I imagine things were looking worrisome for the new, rapidly growing family. [The alternate possibility I have considered is that Mary may have married James closer to 1843, that James was a widower and the first three children were not Mary's natural children.]

At some point between 1842 and 1844 Mary and James decide to emigrate to America.

Cutaway of ship
The trip would have taken between 6 and 14 weeks depending on time of year and weather conditions. They most likely would have travelled below decks in steerage, crammed with others who dreamed of a new life in America.. Mary quite possibly was pregnant during the voyage, and caring for 2 infants and a toddler. Conditions must have been dire at home for a young family with small children to gamble an ocean voyage to an unknown land.

Arriving in America
Upon arriving in their new country, the family lived for a time in Kings Co, New York, where Mary gave birth to four more children. New York in 1850 was most likely not a very hospitable place. The Irish immigrants were less than welcomed when they arrived. I imagine Mary, James and their young children had a tough time of it those first few years.

By 1850 Mary and James had settled in Poughkeepsie, New York. The family had grown to seven children under the age of 10. James is recorded as a cabinetmaker, Mary is recorded as unable to read or write. The neighbors in their new community were a mixture of Irish and English.

In 1860 the family has grown by another four children. James is now listed as a laborer. They do not own any real estate yet, but the value of their personal estate is equal to or greater than the neighbors. Things are going well in their new homeland. Mary is a very busy homemaker with 12 members of the household to care for, ten children and two adults. It appears that the first born son, Patrick, has left the family home.

1861. America is at war. With itself. Three of Mary's sons are old enough to fight. (To date I have found records for only one son, Hugh, who fought and survived. Hugh lived with his mother until the day she died.) If my alternate theory is correct then only Hugh would be Mary's natural son, the other two boys would be step sons. I can find no record of the first two boys after 1860.

Frame House c. 1870
1870 finds the family still in Poughkeepsie, NY. Their twelfth and final child (my paternal great grandmother) appears for the first time. James is a home owner and a U.S. citizen with voting rights. (I have not found the documents to prove this yet, but it is recorded in the census as such) Two more children have moved out of the family home. Their neighbors are Irish, English and New Yorkers. Their home is valued higher than their neighbors.

The 1875 New York census lets us glimpse at what Mary and James had accomplished since setting out from all that was ancestral and familiar, to forge a better life for their children. They are home and land owners, well, James is anyway. Their home is valued at or above the neighboring homes. The neighborhood has changed to include German immigrants and many native New Yorkers.

By 1880 Mary is widowed. She is living still in her beloved home in Poughkeepsie, NY with six of her grown children. But the story does not end there.

Mary has one final adventure ahead of her.

Sometime prior to 1888 Mary, along with two sons and three daughters, decided to leave her family home, her friends and many of her children behind in New York, and move to St Paul, Minnesota. I wish I knew why. I can find no evidence of the reason for such a long distance move so late in her life. All of her children were single. Perhaps something happened at home or perhaps one of the sons secured work.

Minnesota Street Car c.1890
The last records I can find for Mary are both in 1895. The 1895 City Directory listing and the 1895 Minnesota Territorial Census. She does not appear anywhere after this date. I have found no record of her death. no burial listing. Mary left the world as she came into it, mysteriously, quietly, unknown.

But she lived a most adventurous life. 

Mary was a strong resilient Irishwoman who left a land of poverty for the promise of a better life.

And succeeded.