Military Monday - Learning More About Capt William Nelson

A recent e-mail from a nephew contained the photo above, taken during a visit to a local historical center, and an important question: "Are we related?" After all, there are several William Nelsons in my husband's family tree. I had just finished with a big project and was looking for something different on which to focus. Learning more about Capt William Nelson seemed like a good place to start.

Using the information from the photo, I was able to find some additional military information about William Norborne Nelson on Fold3.com. At the age of 30 Nelson had enlisted as a captain in Company C of the Second Virginia Infantry, mustering in at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia in April of 1861. During the battle of First Manassas, 21 July 1861, he was wounded and was away from his unit from a number of months due to the wound he received. Finally, his health lead to his being discharged from the Confederate army on 18 May 1862.

Googling I found mention of Captain Nelson in Virginia at War, 1861 by William Davis. One snippet of information about Capt Nelson mentioned that Company C was known as the “Nelson Rifles”. The book also related that Nelson was wounded so severely in the left breast that he was never really able to return to active duty. That further explained his short period of military service.

Later, checking US census records from 1860-1900, I saw that Nelson had returned home to Clarke County, Virginia, where he was a farmer for the rest of his life.

FindAGrave provided photos of the two markers memorializing Captain Nelson. His memorial page also listed the names of his parents, siblings, wife, and two of his children.

Then, I stumbled upon something I had not ever found in any of my previous research - a poem written in honor of someone I was researching. Francis Orray Ticknor wrote "The Virginians of the Valley" in memory of William Norborne Nelson and the other Confederate soldiers who had fought at Manassas.(1)

I ended up starting a separate family tree in Family Tree Maker based on the information I had found about William Norborne Nelson. This gave me a way to keep up with the information I found using various resources. 

But, in answer to my nephew's question, no, William Norborne Nelson was not a relative of our family. I was not able to find any connection between this William Nelson and all of my husband's family scattered across North Georgia. 

My research wasn't wasted, however,  because I was able to exchange several e-mails with my nephew as we shared information and our interest in Capt Nelson. We both marveled at Nelson's recovery from a chest wound during a time period when medical practice coupled with poor battlefield sanitation would usually have lead to a soldier's death, not to his recovery. Being a retired military officer, my nephew contributed how William Nelson was most likely the company commander of the Nelson Rifles since the company bore his name. So what if William Norborne wasn't our Nelson family's relative; he was still an interesting individual to research.

Lessons learned: 

• Never be surprised at the various places in which you can find information about someone.
• Even it is turns out not to be a relative, you can still enjoy the hunt and the story.

(1) Ticknor, Francis Orray. The Poems of Francis Orray Ticknor. Neale, 1911; accessed on Google Books, Feb 2016.

Workday Wednesday : Blacksmith *

Photo taken by unknown photographer to accompany an article in the Calhoun (GA) Times, Feb 4, 1970.

Years ago almost every small town had its village blacksmith. Sugar Valley, Georgia was no exception. Jud Nelson, pictured above, was a blacksmith who plied his trade and practiced his craft for many years in Gordon County, Georgia. The photo above is one of many taken through the years picturing my father-in-law at his forge.

Judge Russell Nelson, better known as Jud, was a fifth-generation blacksmith, learning the craft from his father and adding his own unique touch to things. Jud was "discovered" in January of 1970 when he was interviewed by the late Charles Kuralt at the first meeting of the Artists-Blacksmiths of North America (ABANA). His folksy humor, ready wit, and skills made him an interesting person to be around.  For many years, Jud was a featured presenter at area fairs and craft shows in Georgia.  In 1981, he was a featured part of the Smithsonian Institute's Festival of American Folklife.

Jud's blacksmithing took many forms. He made tools, kept them sharpened, and fabricated parts for wagons.  In a more artistic vein, he designed decorative handles, holders, and fireplace tools as well as fashioning repairs for the vandalized statue of Chief Sequoyah. Then, as now, there are few limits as to what a skilled blacksmith can create.

* This is one in a series of old photos showing our family's ancestors and relatives at work.

Workday Wednesday : Looking at "The Way We Worked"(1)

"The Way We Worked"
Johnson City Public Library, Johnson City, TN

The Johnson City (TN) Public Library is currently hosting "The Way We Worked", a traveling exhibit developed by the Smithsonian Institute as part of their Museum on Main Street program. We are able to have the exhibit available locally through the sponsorship of the Tennessee Humanities Council. It was a fascinating exhibit to view, one I hope will be in your area someday.

Seeing "The Way We Worked" has also led me to look back at the variety of occupations about which I have written in some previous blogs. These include:

Gold Miner Samuel Hillhouse

Homesteader Peter Petersen Myren

Land Agent  Thomas Smiley

Minister  Albert Bell Vaughan

Musician Gertrude Andrews Myren

Painter Hans Syversen

Soldier Raleigh Spinks Camp

Surveyor Ernest Perkinson

Tax Collector (and Singing Teacher) Elijah Hillhouse

Teachers Charlotte Vaughan  and her sister Louise Vaughan

Tufted Spreadmaker  Nelson relatives

And finally, the post about the Citizens of Wildcat Cherokee County, Georgia

Over the next few weeks, I'll be sharing some photos of other relatives at work.

(1) "The Way We Worked", http://www.museumonmainstreet.org/theWayWeWorked/index.html.

Nana, why do you write stories about dead people?

Oakman-Ranger Methodist Church Cemetery
Oakman, Georgia (personal photo)

I was taking a break from the marathon of football games over Thanksgiving weekend.  Taking my laptop with me, I settled in the breakfast area, thinking I would do a little internet browsing or at least look over my various trees in Family Tree Maker.

After a few minutes one of my grandchildren popped in to see what I was up to.  She asked a simple question, one that continues to cause me to ponder, "Nana, why do you write stories about dead people?"  My answer to her was simple, so that she and others in the family would know about some of the people in our family.

As she sat in my lap, I opened my Nelson tree in Family Tree Maker and quickly guided her through looking at the tree, starting with her GreatGrandfather Nelson.  He died several years ago, but she still remembers him.  I explained that he grew up, met her GreatGrandmother, they married, and then they had a baby, her Grandfather, the one watching football in the next room.  Her Grandfather grew up, met me, we married, and then we had a baby, her father.  Her father grew up, met her mother, they married, and then they had her.  With each generation her smile grew bigger and bigger.  After a quick "Thanks, Nana", she ran off to check on the family and the football game.

But why do I write about dead people?  For a variety of reasons ...

• I've heard stories all my life and what to know more about these stories and the people they involve.  It is one thing to know that your ancestors farmed a homestead in North Dakota.  It is another to look at maps to determine its exact location and to see Bureau of Land Management information about when and how the family obtained the homestead.
• The research is making history much more personal as I see how ancestors are part of it.  Adolph Myren, my great uncle, because more to me than merely a World War I soldier pictured in his uniform.  Learning about his unit, where and when he served, and the time he was declared missing in action brought new insight into events of the first World War.
• My writing is connecting me with other family members.  I've discovered some new cousins.  And with these connections, we've also established more communication, sharing photos, information, and even speculation about certain family members or events.
• I want to help preserve the legacies left by our ancestors.  When a family clock gets passed on to the next generation, I want that person and other family members to know its history.  I also hope the new recipient will glimpse a little of the life of the individual who puchased it.
• I enjoy the whole research process and want to share what I've learned.  After years of teaching the basics of research and the evaluation of resources, it just seems natural for me to sometimes write about where I locate family information.  Other times I find that just writing about the steps I've followed to answer a personal question helps me see more clearly where else I need to look for new information.

So, as I told my granddaughter last week, there are a lot of reasons I write stories about dead people.  The primary reason. for me personally, is summed up in this quote by the late Maya Angelou.(1)

"We need to haunt the house of history and listen anew to the ancestors' wisdom."

 (1)  "Inspirational Heritage and Legacy" Family Tree Quotes,  http://www.familytreequotes.com/categories/Inspirational-Heritage-and-Legacy.

Workday Wednesday -- Working Along "Peacock Alley"

"Two Ladies Hand Tufting Spreads"
photo courtesy of Shaw Industries, Inc. (1)

Looking back at some entries for the 1930 census, I learned that some of my husband's female relatives had been part of an important cottage industry in Northwest Georgia.  The five ladies were all involved in the making of tufted or chenille bedspreads.

The New Georgia Encyclopedia has an interesting article relating how Catherine Evans Whitaker began working in this home craft in the 1890s.(2)  The making of the chenille bedspreads became a way for many woman in the areas around Dalton and Calhoun, Georgia, to work at home and supplement the family income.

The bedspreads were made using a design stamped essentially upon a sheet, much like pillowcases with stamped designs that can be purchased at craft stores today.  The threadwork (or tufting) was done by hand, stitching thick cotton thread onto the design.  After the design had been completely stitched onto the sheet, the bedspread was returned to the spread house that had initially provided the workers with the sheet and thread.  Back at the spread house the chenille bedspread would be heat set to fluff the thread.  Then it was ready to sell.

It was interesting to look at the families of the five relatives who were home spreadmakers in the 1930s.  My husband's aunts, Ozella Nelson and Aurelia Nelson, were both living with their parents near Calhoun, Georgia, at the time of the 1930 census.  Both Ozella, age 30, and Aurelia, 16, were single, but the spread making enabled them to contribute to the family's income.

One cousin, Nancy Hughes Bohannon, age 65, had been widowed in 1928.  By 1930, she was listed in the census as a spread maker, indicating that she was able to turn to spread making for income rather then having to rely solely on farming.  At the time of the 1930 census, Nancy's daughter Marietta Bohannon Underwood and her husband Claud Underwood were living with Nancy.  Marietta, 25 and the mother of two young children, was another home spread maker.

Another cousin, Minnie Caldwell Scott, 39, also turned to making the chenille spreads at home.  With three young children, the income was sure to be important to the family, and spread making was work that could be done at home while looking after her growing family.

As for the term "Peacock Alley", it was used in the 1930s to 1950s and beyond.  This was before the arrival of the interstate system when the main road between Atlanta and Chattanooga was the Dixie Highway, US Highway 41.  Many of the local spread houses and individuals displayed their wares outdoors all along US Highway 41 in the areas around Dalton, Georgia.  Peacocks were such a popular bedspread design that this strip of highway became known as "Peacock Alley".(3)  The Bandy Heritage Center in Dalton, Georgia, has an informative online exhibition, "Homemade Industry - From Chenille to Carpet", which provides photographs of some of the tufters as well as pictures of peacock chenille bedspreads.

Prior to the 1930 census I had noticed almost no employment, other than farming, listed in census records for female relatives in this area of the South.  Home tufters were paid at a rate of .25 to $2.50 per finished bedspread.(4)  The work of these relatives brought money to the family as they were living in the years following the Depression.  This cottage industry was one "work at home" plan that was legitimate.

Today chenille bedspreads can be purchased on ebay, through etsy.com shops, or found on vintage textile websites.  Photos of vintage and repurposed chenille items have been pinned to  Pinterest boards.  Periodically the fabric even makes its way to the runway or clothing catalogs.  The October 2014 Prater's Mill County Fair in Dalton, Georgia, will even feature a display of chenille work.  I'm glad these relatives pointed me toward learning more about chenille making in Northwest Georgia and revived memories of the bedspreads and pillows I saw as a child.

Looking at these five ladies showed, once again, that where and when our ancestors lived were influencing factors on their lives.

(1) "Hand Tufting." New Georgia Encyclopedia. Web. 26 February 2014.
(2) Patton, Randall L. "Chenille Bedspreads." New Georgia Encyclopedia. 19 August 2013.
(3) "Chenille Bedspreads."
(4) "Hand Tufting."

Amanuensis Monday: Confederate Pension Application for Thomas Nelson

Pension affidavit, page 1 of 2, Thomas Nelson
source: Georgia's Virtual Vault

When Thomas Nelson first applied for an indigent veterans' pension, his request was denied.  About a year later, he reapplied, making the following sworn statement.  This 2-page document is part of the Confederate Pension Files, State of Georgia, accessed online through Georgia's Virtual Vault.(1)

Georgia, Bartow County

In person appeared before me, Thomas Nelson and for amendment to his former application, on oath says that he was left in charge of Pinkney Hasty and Billie Murphy, two comrades who were wounded in The Battle of Jonesboro GA fought Aug 31^st 1864; that Major Jackson ordered him to take charge of said comrades and care for them until they got well or died.  In a few minutes afterward Major Jackson was killed; that he took charge of the wound men, carried them to a private house in the country; staid (sic) with them and waited on them about one month when they got so they could ride on the train and he sent them to the hospital in Augusta that by this time or rather before this time Gen. Hood was on his march back to Nashville; that he started on his way following Hood’s Army with the intention of rejoining his company; that when he reached Atlanta Major Proctor advised him to fall in with his command, as it would be imposs’le to reach his (Nelsons) command; that he told Major Proctor that if it was all right he would do so, and he then was put in charge of a commissary in Atlanta by Major Proctor.  This was as he now remember in October 1864.  In the meantime Gen W T Wofford came to Atlanta with his command and took charge of all the command that was stationed in Atlanta; that he remained in this command under Gen W T Wofford till the close of the war.  That he surrendered at Kingston, GA May 12^th 1865.  Applicant states that all those who knew him who could testify to the foregoing facts are dead so far as he can learn.  Both of the wounded comrades with whom he was left have long since died; that applicant served faithfully in the army for three years with the exception of a furlow of eight days; that he is now old, poor, weak – no means of support – all gone but his old woman.  Has to live hard with no comforts but the presence of his old woman who is old and feeble but who shares his poverty and want.

Sworn to and subscribed before me. Sep 4^th 1907

G W Hendricks Ordinary

Bartow County Ga

[signature] Thomas Nelson

This affidavit contained some interesting information

• Although he had signed an oath in 1863  to no longer take up arms for the Confederate cause, Thomas indicated he was part of Company B, 34th Georgia Infantry for at least another year and did not surrender until 12 May 1865.
• Pinkney Hasty and Billie Murphy, the soldiers he stated he cared for, were also members of Company B, 34th Georgia Infantry.(2)
• Gen W T Wofford was William Tatum Wofford of the Georgia 18th.  "Wofford's Confederate soldiers were the last significant troops east of the Mississippi River to surrender to the union." Their surrender took place 12 May 1865 at Kingston, GA.(3)

Thomas' statement was apparently enough to secure his Confederate Pension and the subsequent Confederate Widow's Pension received for a number of years by Hannah Hillhouse Nelson.  

My favorite part, though, is Thomas' references to Hannah.  Thomas stated that he had "no means of support – all gone but his old woman (Hannah).  Has to live hard with no comforts but the presence of his old woman who is old and feeble but who shares his poverty and want."  Hard not to smile at these words.

(1)  "Confederate Pension Applications." Database and images.  Georgia's Virtual Vault.  Georgia Archives.  http:cdm.sos.sate.ga.us:2011/cdm/

(2) Henderson, Lillian.  Roster of Confederate Soldiers of Georgia , vol. 3. www.hathitrust.org.

(3) "W. T. Wofford", New Georgia Encyclopedia, http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org.

Military Monday: Thomas Nelson, Captured at Vicksburg

Thomas Nelson, Roll of Prisoners of War card
source: www.fold3.com

Thomas P Nelson, my husband's Great Grandfather, was a soldier in the Civil War, serving in Company B of the 34th Georgia Infantry.  On 4 July 1863, Private Thomas Nelson was among the 484 soldiers in the 34th Georgia Infantry captured following the Battle of Vicksburg.(1)  He was also among over 29,000 Confederates taken prisoner at that time.(2)

Parole Oath, Thomas Nelson
source: www.fold3.com

Thankfully, Thomas Nelson's term as a prisoner of war was short lived.  Four days later on 8 July 1863, the 484 prisoners from the 34th Georgia were paroled along with virtually all the Confederates who had been taken prisoner on July 4.(2)  This mass parole of the Confederate prisoners at Vicksburg was part of the surrender terms negotiated at the conclusion of the Battle of Vicksburg.(3)  One part of the parole process required Thomas to sign an oath that he "will not take up arms again against the United States ... or serve in any military [of] Confederate States of American".

The following newspaper account appeared in the Southern Confederacy a few days after the fall of Vicksburg.  It details the terms of capitulation as well as providing additional information about the parole of the captured Confederate soldiers.

Southern Confederacy, 9 July 1863 (4)

Thomas Nelson, along with so many from his regiment, was free, free from prison, and free to fight another day, parole oath notwithstanding.  And that is another story ...

(1) "Civil War Prisoner of War Records, 1861-1865 ", database and images. Ancestry.com.
(2) "July 4, 1863." The American Civil War 150 Years Ago Today, 18 Jul 013.  http://civilwarsesquicentdaily-wolfshield.blogspot.com/2013/07/july-4-1863.html : 2014.
(3) " National Military Park,: National Park Service. http://www.nps.gov/vick/historyculture/confederate-parole-records-index.htm : 2014
(4) "By Telegraph, Jackson, July 7." Souther Confederacy, 9 July 1863. http://atlnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/atlnewspapers/view?docId=news/asc1863/asc1863-0400.xml

Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories*: December 22 - Christmas Homecoming

We're not quite sure when it started, but the Nelson family has gathered for a big family dinner one Saturday close to Christmas for probably the past thirty years. This event has even taken on its own name, "The Very Nelson Christmas", VNC for short. E-mails, texts, and conversations about it fondly use that term these days.

Besides the families of my husband and his brothers, it has also included various in-laws, cousins, and "friends". The family all knows that bringing someone really special to the VNC is tantamount to an engagement announcement.

The food is unbelievable -- turkey and dressing, ham, my sister-in-law's macaroni and cheese, vegetables from summer gardens, salads, everyone contributing something wonderful. And then, the desserts. It is so worth dieting the week before and after.

By the time everyone finally gets there, all surfaces in the kitchen and breakfast room are covered with wonderful things to eat. The 30+ of us find a seat at one of the tables around the house. These days we have The Brothers' Table (our generation), The Kids' Table (our children and spouses), and The Little Ones' Table. Regardless of where we sit, there is a lot of laughter, plus table-hopping is allowed.

Weather permitting, after the fabulous meal, there might be some football or basketball played outside while others find a quiet corner to snooze or read or continue to catch up on family news. We'll gather near the tree for family pictures. The afternoon ends with a cut-throat Christmas gag gift grab. Gifts have ranged from a goldfish to "cute" holiday lawn decorations to the sign pictured above; gone are the early days of giving Starbucks or McDonald's gift cards. Every once in a while, a really nice gift appears, and the good-natured smack talk rises to a new level. It is as much fun to watch the gift grab as it is to participate. As for that sign at the beginning of this post, it is now displayed in the home of one of my children who delighted in "stealing" it from a cousin.

Finally it is time to gather up plates of great left-overs for the road. Time for another round of hugs and Christmas wishes. Time to look forward to next year's Very Nelson Christmas.

*The Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories (ACCM) allows you to share your family's holiday history twenty-four different ways during December! Learn more at http://adventcalendar.geneabloggers.com.

Mystery Monday: What Happened to Hiram Pinkney Duck?

"Question Man" source www.mrmediatraining.com

Sometimes a name or circumstance just keeps nagging for research.  That has been the case for me concerning Pinkney Duck.  You have to admit, he doesn't have a very common name, so he should be easy to research.  Think again.

I first stumbled upon Pinkney Duck when looking at the 1880 census records for Thomas and Hannah Nelson, residents of Fair Play, District 1028 of Cherokee County, Georgia.  It seems that Pinkney was living with the Nelsons as a boarder who worked on the farm when the census was enumerated on the 9th or 10th of Jun 1880.  Pinkney caught my attention because he was listed as having diphtheria.

A second check of census records showed Pinkney  as living with his mother, Jane Duck, in the Jerusalem District of Pickens County, Georgia in a 15 Jun 1880 enumeration.  Pinkney is listed as working on his mother's farm with no illness or disability mentioned in column 15.

Then I found Pinkney listed a third time on a 16 Jun 1880 census enumeration.  For the 16 Jun counting, Pinkney is still living with Thomas and Hannah Nelson although the residence is listed as District 1008 of Cherokee County, Georgia.  Two items caught my eye.  This time Pinkney is listed as a nephew, and his illness was recorded as typhoid fever on the day of the census visit.

I can see possible explanations for the three census entries.  The two Cherokee County entries can be the result of the Thomas Nelson family living on the border of two different militia districts, District 1028 and District 1008.  A number of people show up on both districts in the same order, so apparently they were counted as being in two different districts.  As for the listing with his mother in neighboring Pickens County, Georgia, Pinkney's time with the Nelson could have been a short term stay.  His mother could have considered him to still be a member of her family and just told the census enumerator about her son.  After all, people didn't have to be physically before the enumerator when the information was recorded.  This isn't the nagging question about Pinkney.

After 1880, what did happen to Hiram Pinkney Duck?  Did he die of diphtheria?  Was he in poor health due to typhoid fever?  Did he live a long, healthy, and productive life?  I have no idea.  That's my big question, especially since he might have been a relative (if he were Thomas and Hannah Nelson's nephew).

I first started the draft for this post about two months ago.  I felt certain that I could easily learn more about Pinkney due to his unusual name.  Even using variations of his name (Hiram / Hyram / Pinkney / Pickney / H P Duck) I have nothing more to add.  So far my research log shows only where I've looked and not found any additional information, including 

• 1900 or later census records - no mention in any state
• FindAGrave and BillionGraves - no mention
• Cemetery registers found on USGenWeb sites for the state of Georgia, specifically the counties of Cherokee, Gordon, and Pickens - no mention
• Military registers listing soldiers in the Spanish-American War - no mention
• County Marriage Books as well as Death Certificates available online through the Georgia Archives
• General searches on Ancestry, FamilySearch, and Mocavo

Maybe this post will someday be read by someone who does know more about Pinkney, and I'll get some answers.  Until then I feel like a child, playing hide and seek, calling out "Pinkney, come out, come out, wherever you are".

Talented Tuesday: The Fiddlin' Farmer

Bill Nelson, ca 1930s

William Nelson, born in 1875, was a blacksmith and a farmer. This man, my husband's grandfather, spent his entire life in Cherokee and Gordon counties in north Georgia.  He was a hard worker, farming on rented land.  Together with his wife Cleo, he raised eight children.  Some years, crops failed, and twice, according to old family documents, he had to use his best cow, "the black one with horns," as collateral for a bank loan .  William's story was also the story of many of our ancestors a century ago.

But Bill, as he was known to his friends, also had a special talent.  He was a natural-born fiddle player.  As far as we know, Bill never had a music lesson in his life.  Somehow, he just knew how to play a violin, make that a fiddle.  No one was ever quite sure exactly how he learned to play a fiddle  or why or even where he got that fiddle..  He had learned the skills of a blacksmith from his father and taught them to his son, my father-in-law, but playing his  fiddle was just something special and unique about Bill.

My father-in-law used to tell how his father would spend a hard day in the field, then, come evening, take his fiddle, sit on the front porch, and play for what seemed like hours.  The old country and tradition tunes he played could be heard rolling around the Georgia pines.  Sometimes neighbors would come by to talk, and Bill and his fiddle would carry on well into the night.

None of his children seemed to have inherited Bill's innate talent, and his fiddle just stayed in a closet for years following his death.  About 15 years also, my father-in-law gave the fiddle to one of our sons, another Bill Nelson.  Maybe someday one of William Nelson's great great grandchildren will discover that spark, and  Bill's fiddle will sing again.

Treasure Chest Thursday - Keeping Time With Thomas

Thomas Nelson's clock

One day in 1878, or so the story goes, Thomas Nelson hitched a horse to his wagon and rode the six miles into Waleska, Georgia, a local center of trade.  In Waleska he walked into a store and purchased the clock that today is sitting on our living room mantel.  The story of Thomas' clock is part family lore and part history but worth knowing.

According to the 1870 U.S. Federal Census, Thomas and his wife Hannah were living with his elderly parents, John and Elvira Nelson.  Neither John nor Thomas seemed to own any real estate, and Thomas' personal estate is valued at $400.  By the 1880 U.S. Federal Census, Thomas and Hannah were living in their own household, had three sons, and Thomas was listed as a farmer.  Although their 1880 real and personal estate values are not given, the $4.50 he paid for the clock probably represented a large amount to this Cherokee County farming family.  MeasuringWorth.com calculates that $4.50 price tag to be about $105 in today's currency.

Since Thomas farmed in the days when you got up with the sun and worked until dark, why would he purchase a clock?  Was this a means of adding a touch of class to their home, like putting curtains on the windows or using a lace tablecloth?  Had Thomas had a really good crop that year and decided to purchase something for the family?  Perhaps the clock had actually been purchased in 1880, the year both Thomas and Hannah would each have celebrated their 50th birthdays as well as their 25th anniversary.  Maybe a letter will surface someday, one written by Thomas or Hannah telling us more about the clock's purchase.  Until then, we can only speculate. 

The story my husband had always heard about Thomas' Clock was that it was passed down to the youngest son.  The next recipient of the clock, William Nelson, however, was not the youngest child in Thomas and Hannah's family.  There was a younger son, Samuel, born four years after William.  For reasons we may never know,  the clock was passed on to William who in turned passed it on to his youngest son, Jud, who gave it to my husband, his youngest son.  When we received the clock about five years ago, we once again heard the story of Thomas' Clock.  Later, while traveling around Cherokee County, Jud pointed out to my husband where the clock had been purchased.  Like the clock, the old building was still around.

My husband and I both have memories of Thomas' Clock, even before it came to be in our home.  For my husband, his most vivid memories are of being a young boy, trying to sit still at his grandparents' house on Sunday visits, listening to the ticking of the clock when he would so much rather have been outside playing.  I remember noticing the clock sitting on his parent's kitchen mantel when I was visiting during our courtship days.  Later the clock was moved to a mantel in another room where it continued to sit.  Through the years something had happened to the clock, for I had never heard it ticking back in those days.  Even with some repair attempts by a friend, Thomas' clock sat silently for a number of years at Jud's house.

After we received the clock, my husband and I wanted to learn more about the clock itself.  Thanks to the Internet, especially www.clockhistory.com, and several books from our local library, we determined that the clock was a Seth Thomas 30-hour brass weight driven clock in an Ogee case.  The clock has a Thomaston dial, and the intact label printed by Thomaston Express indicates that the clock was manufactured after 1865.  One curiosity is the word or name "Horn" written in large pencil script on the inside wall of the case.  From our research we also learned that this was a fairly common style of clock, attractive with its simple case design, flat dial, and mirrored door.  We were pleased when our tentative identification of the clock was confirmed by the clock repairman to whom we took it to be repaired.  

Now the clock has been repaired.  It sits on our mantel, periodically dusted, and lovingly wound each night.  The soft ticking is part of our lives, a sound we immediately miss when we return home after being away for a few days.  Through the years it has acquired several chips in its walnut veneer, but these nicks are just another part of the story of Thomas' Clock.  Someday Thomas' Clock will have a new home with our younger son, and its story will continue.

Genealogy By The States : Georgia - The Cherokee Land Lottery

Jim Sanders of Hidden Genealogy Nuggets (www.hiddengenealogynuggets.com) has a series of blogging prompts, Genealogy By The States.  Bloggers for each week focus on a specific state.  This week I'm sharing about our fourth state, my home state, Georgia.

Museum at New Echota, Calhoun, Georgia
by Cculber007 at en.wikipedia [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons

If your ancestors lived in northwest Georgia in the mid-1800s, they may have lived on land that was distributed through the Cherokee Land Lottery of 1832.  For Georgians, that is basically the area that today is somewhat north of I-20 and west of Atlanta to the Alabama line.  The history of property in that area is also part of the history of Georgia and its land settlement.

Photocopy of original plat of lottery drawing

Among my father-in-law's papers was a copy of the original land lottery deed for the property where he lived for over 60 years.  The original owner of the property is named in the transcription below.

No. 67
160 acres
State of Georgia
The above Plat is a representation of the Tract or Lot of Land drawn by Jasper McCrary of Camp District, Warren County, situate in the 14th District Third Section in Cherokee County, containing One Hundred and Sixty Acres which is known and distinguished in the plan of said District by the ...
Given on the 2nd day of June 1832.
By Stephen Drew, Surveyor

Wanting to learn about the property's history lead us to explore several interesting resources starting with The Cherokee Land Lottery by James F. Smith, published in 1838.  The book, available as a free Google ebook, contains "a numerical list of the fortunate drawers in said lottery and an engraved map of each district" and is indexed with the list of those persons who received lots.(1)

We also consulted The New Georgia Encyclopedia where we learned about the history of the land lottery process as well as the names of the 10 original counties formed from the Cherokee Land Lottery - Cass, Cherokee, Cobb, Floyd, Forsyth, Gilmer, Lumpkin. Murray, Paulding, and Union. (2)  At the time of the lottery, all the property was considered to be Cherokee county.  Very soon after the lottery, the 10 counties were formed, and today this same area is part of over 20 counties.

Fortunately for us,  Georgia's Virtual Vault includes the District Survey Field Notebooks written as the land was surveyed in preparation for the lottery.  As we read through the notes for the lots around Lot 67, District 14, Section 3 we could imagine ourselves walking along creek banks, over hills, past a house, just as the surveyor had done.  We also found in the Virtual Vault a copy of the surveyor's map, showing the area creeks and notations as to the presence of maple, hickory, white oak, and pine trees along the boundaries of Lot 67.

According  to U.S. Federal Census records for 1840-1860, Jasper McCrary continued to live in Warren County.  He apparently did not choose to move into what was then Murray County to live on his lottery land.  The land lottery's purpose was to distribute land and contained no requirement that the individual settle or cultivate the land, only that they pay the necessary fee to register the land.  The photocopy of the back of the original deed shows that McCrary did register his property although the exact date is difficult to read due to a tear in the document.  

McCrary's original 160 acres changed hands several times and was eventually broken up and sold in smaller sections.  The Nelson family purchased over 40 acres from what had been Lot 67 in the mid-1950s.  Even the deed for this more recent purchase contained some of the picturesque surveyor's language as the plat was described as "starting at a certain old oak tree and walking"  toward other landmarks along the boundaries of the acreage.

The Mesa Arizona Family History Center has an informative PowerPoint slide show  about the Georgia land lotteries.  These land lotteries were another part of Georgia's fascinating history and might also be part of your family's history too.

1.  Smith, James F.  The Cherokee Land Lottery . 1838.  PDF download.  Google Books. http://books.google.com/books/about/The_Cherokee_Land_Lottery.html?id=4fQxAQAAMAAJ : 2013.

2,  Gigantino, Jim.  "Land Lottery System", The New Georgia Encyclopedia.  http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-3299&hl=y : 2013.

The Day the Circus Was in Town

Like so many, I was excited by the release of the 1940 US Federal Census in April 2012.  Even before any indexes were available, I did some browsing on my own.  One of the first places I looked was the census for my husband's home town, Sugar Valley, Georgia.  The census records for Sugar Valley were only 24 pages long and would be easy to browse.   I was certain I would find family listed, but nothing prepared me for the additional information I found.  

Fotokannan at Malayalam Wikipedia [CC-BY-SA-3.0
 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

As I browsed through the first 21 pages of the Enumeration District, I found the Nelson family, some relatives, and familiar names of family friends.  Page 22 was blank, but I was in for a surprise as I continued on to the next page.  There on page 23 was a listing of 39 circus performers from the Bailey Brothers Circus!  Yes, the same circus that (according to Wikipedia) eventually became part of the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus.  You can see the page for yourself here.  

Reading all the lines give a interesting snapshot of life in the circus.  Columns 2 and 3 showed the letter T for both House number and Number of Household.  According to the Instructions to Enumerators the T meant "tourist or trailer camp in which households reside in separate dwelling units (cabins, trailers, etc.)".  Besides the way in which the circus people were recorded as living, it was also interesting to see the numbers of families for whom the circus was their way of life.

The section listing Residence in 1935 was very informative.  Some people had been "traveling with [the] circus" for at least five years, while others had lived elsewhere.  The teacher in me hoped that some of the younger circus people had been living at home and attending school in 1935.  Maybe some of these same people really had run away to join the circus. 

It was also interesting to note the number of hours worked in a week (column 21).  Hours ranged from working 48 hours a week for the Foreman to 12 hours for those doing odd jobs.  Another note indicated that they were paid on a percentage basis, a good crowd meant good pay, sparse attendance, less money.

My favorite part, though, was the Occupation (column 28).  I kept remembering Water For Elephants as well as the circus I attended as a child when I read their occupations - trapeze performer, musician, chorus girl, concessions, animal trainer, cook, boss canvasman, carpenter, aerial performer, dance girl, salesman [of] novelties, mechanic.  Just about  everyone you needed to put on a show was listed on that census sheet.  Only clowns and ringmaster were not listed as an occupation.

The researcher in me wanted to know how long the circus was in town, had any of our family attended, where were the circus tents pitched in this small North Georgia town, or had they just stopped on their way to somewhere else?  My father-in-law was a world class storyteller, but none of us remember his ever relating a tale about the circus.  Perhaps the archives of the local newspaper can yield some additional information.  Something else on my Georgia To-Do-List.  

This is what I love about researching our family history.  Sometimes, I finally find that elusive fact about an ancestor or encounter a relative I never knew before, sometimes I find nothing, and sometimes I literally stumble onto something totally unrelated but fascinating, like the circus.  I'm glad the census enumerator was there on April 8, 1940 to document the day a circus was in town.  I'm also glad I went past a blank page and found this interesting record.  The whole experience just puts a smile on my face.

What Runs in Your Family?

Sitting on my piano is the metronome that used to belong to my grandmother.  She was an accomplished pianist, church organist, and piano teacher, and I often think of her whenever I hear someone playing beautiful piano music.  Grandmother Myren also had perfect pitch which meant that whenever she heard me miss a note as I was practicing my piano lessons, she would tell me, often from another room, "that should be a B flat, not B natural, Dearie".  A quick glance back at my music would always show me she was right.

It has been interesting to see how others in the family seem to have inherited grandmother's musical talents and abilities.  My parents saw that I took piano lessons once I had Grandmother's OK on this while my brother played in the band through high school and has a collection of instruments picked up at garage sales which he has taught himself to play.

Among Grandmother's younger descendants, I have a son whose self-taught guitar playing helped him meet his wife.  And then, there's the youngest grandchild who displays a gentle touch as she places her fingers on the piano keys, beaming when she hears the notes she plays.  It really seems as if some musical abilities have been passed down from Grandmother.

My husband's father talked of being a fifth-generation blacksmith in the Nelson family.  Although none of his children followed this trade for a living or a hobby, he has two sons who are mechanical engineers, two engineer grandsons, and a great grandson who looks as if he might be heading in that direction also.  The same fabrication and analytical skills of the village blacksmith just find new outlets in our current society.

As we watch our children grow, we may see similar talents from our ancestors appearing.  This could be a good time to help today's generation relate in a new way to ancestors with whom they share a common skill or aptitude.  What runs in your family?