Carl and Norma Jean

While searching for news of distant Van Doren cousins, I am easily sidetracked by other articles:



From The News-Messenger in Fremont, Ohio, Friday, February 24, 1939, page 2:



Well, that was quick: 


The "Historical New York Times" database had this among many other deaths--but no mention of WHEN published other than in 1945. I can't say for certain it is the same recently-divorced Mrs. Van Doren. The 1940 Federal Census indicates Jean W. Van Doren was born in Ohio. 


I did learn the former Miss Wright was born "Norma Jean." And when she and her first husband applied for a marriage license in New York City in 1921 she indicated she was a journalist. 


Who Operated Wiser's Ferry in Texas?

My paternal great-grandfather, a child, and his young brothers immigrated to Texas in the early 1850s with their mother. They made their home in Chambers and Liberty counties. They became farmers and laborers. 

My grandfather was born after the death of his father. His mother soon remarried. My grandpa claimed to know little about his own dad. His descendants know very little about his roots.

When a parent dies, their history can easily be lost.

And today I found an article that might involve my great-grandfather or his brothers long ago in southeast Texas. What if this was MY Wiser family? Had to check further!

While searching The East Texas Digital Archives, the phrase 'Wiser's ferry' popped up from The Houston Telegraph newspaper of August 19, 1864. You will recall this was during the Civil War and two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. The horrid practice of purchasing and selling humans was still in full swing.


It is doubtful Mr. Harry had yet heard of President Lincoln's proclamation. 

The Trinity River runs several hundred miles in Texas and connects with counties once home to my paternal ancestors. Of course I don't know for certain WHERE this ferry was located in 1864, but it piqued my curiosity. 

Wayne Gard's description of Trinity River mentions the very counties where my interests lie:        https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/trinity-river 

At the northern line of Liberty County the Trinity turns almost directly south, cutting across Liberty and Chambers counties, to drain into Trinity Bay just west of Anahuac (at 29°45' N, 94°42' W). The Trinity flows 423 miles from the confluence of the Elm and West forks to the coast, making it the longest river having its entire course in Texas.

Another man had run away in August of 1843. He allegedly was "bound for Anahuac, on the Trinity Bay" where he might possibly cross into Louisiana? Did he have family there? Many of my ancestors were living on both sides of that divide when Texas was a republic.  

via The Red-Lander paper in San Augustine, published 12 August 1843. 


A second mention of Wiser's Ferry appeared from an article on September 22, 1870. A gentleman named "R." briefly wrote of his "horseback tramp" in The Houston Telegraph paper: 


Again. Where was this ferry located? I can't assume that Texas' only "valley of the Trinity" was near Anahuac. But I'm so very tempted.

I've found no other residents in Liberty or Chambers counties with that Wiser surname until late in the 19th century. I will again check Texas censuses for the mid-1900s for Wisers who lived elsewhere and who operated ferries.

This could be a goose chase, but is one I'll enjoy.  

________________________________

UPDATE: 

The Houston Post on February 3, 1921 has this news from Huntsville, Texas regarding a farmer, Mr. March Charlie Murray, who farmed along the Wiser ferry road:


The Plot Thickens!





Proof of Native Kinship Sufficient Despite Lack of Tribal Membership In Re McGirt

"The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected Oklahoma's attempt to narrow the definition of "Indian" in criminal cases as it sought to reclaim more jurisdiction in the wake of the McGirt case.

Without comment, justices declined to review the state’s appeals in the cases of Robert Eric Wadkins and Emmitt Sam. In both cases, the state of Oklahoma wanted the high court to rule that the men should not have been deemed Indians because they were not members of a tribe when their crimes were committed.

Instead, the Supreme Court on Tuesday let stand the rulings by the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals that the men proved their Indian blood and tribal connections through means other than official tribal membership."

From Chris Casteel's article in The Oklahoman published October 11, 2022, linked below:
https://www.yahoo.com/now/supreme-court-rejects-oklahoma-attempt-140808655.html

Links to Oklahoma v. Wadkins:
https://turtletalk.blog/2022/05/31/oklahomas-indian-stats-cert-petition/

Court of Criminal Appeals' decision rendered in Wadkins - January 20, 2022:
http://www.okcca.net/cases/2022/OK-CR-2/

And,
https://turtletalk.blog/2022/10/12/scotus-denies-cert-in-oklahoma-indian-status-case/


Articles Gleaned From A Keyword Search Of "Monroe"

I never met this gentleman. But I learned his large dogs once refused to let the Fed-Ex guy leave my husband's Christmas package anywhere near his porch. The delivery receipt indicated "Barking dogs by front door. Left box near shed."

Published November 14, 1962 in The Charleston Gazette, Charleston, West Virginia, page 6.



From The Charleston Daily Mail paper in Charleston, West Virginia, page 8, May 27, 1946.


From The Charleston Daily Mail, Charleston, West Virginia, July 8, 1948, page 22. 


The Charleston Gazette, Charleston, WV, on November 27, 1955, page 47. 



The Charleston Gazette, page 43, on June 17, 1956. 



The Charleston Gazette, December 5, 1956, page 17. 



The Charleston Daily Mail, page 1 of the November 7, 1962 edition, Charleston, WV.



From The Charleston Gazette, Wednesday, November 14, 1962, page 6.


The Charleston Daily Mail, Charleston, West Virginia, on November 4, 1964, page 16.


The Charleston Gazette, on December 16, 1969, page 5. 


The Charleston Daily Mail, May 13, 1970, page 10.



The Beckley Register-Herald in Beckley, WV, August 26, 1987, page 8. 

How Sarah Jane Price Became "A Great Pioneer Mother"

My paternal 5x GGrandmother Sarah Jane was born to Susanna and Jehu Price on September 4, 1762 in Great Egg Harbor, New Jersey. She married John Parker in 1782, and had one son. Poor Mr. Parker died in 1788.

In 1790 she married Daniel Ackley with whom she had six children. But was widowed again in 1815 when Daniel drowned. One account is told of Sarah packing up and, with seven children in tow, she "traveled unescorted with her family" to what is now Greene County, Pennsylvania. 

Sarah Ackley died in September of 1851 at age 89. In 1940 she was honored with a monument placed near the Ackley Creek near where she had homesteaded. See her plaque below.

--  The Daily Notes newspaper in Canonsburg, PA, on Monday, August 5, 1940, pages 1 and 3.




-- The Daily Notes paper published this on June 21, 1938, page 1. 


The 1940 paper above mentioned Lucille Ackley Carroll. If you are my paternal 1st or 2nd cousin and wonder how you relate to her or to Daniel and Sarah (Price) Ackley, this may help.


That same Sam Ackley was buried near Lake Keystone in Pawnee County, Oklahoma. 

A Few items On Two Pennsylvania Families

          150+ years ago there were several Lydicks and McCardles in Indiana County, Pennsylvania. Many had similar names.


The Indiana Democrat paper published this September 11, 1873, page 6:



From March 12, 1874, The Indiana Democrat, page 3:



The Indiana Democrat paper on page 3, June 24, 1875:



This jail break made the paper on 22 Jul 1875  in The Indiana Democrat, page 3:



This database on Ancestry shows when Union soldier David McCardle first applied for a pension. And after his death, his wife, Barbara Ann (Lydick) McCardle then applied for his widow's pension. From:  U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934. 



I found that Mr. McCardle served in the Civil War with Co. E, 177th Regiment PA Infantry and also with Co. F, 206th Reg. PA Infantry. 

This was copied from Ancestry's Pennsylvania, U.S., Veterans Burial Cards, 1777-2012:



His birth year was recorded as 1817.  He was 81 when he passed. Two local papers carried death notices for Mr. McCardle on their front pages. From March 23, 1898 of The Indiana Gazette and The Indiana Democrat:


-- With appreciation to volunteer photographers Debi and Rob Felten who shared this on Findagrave in July 2015. Nice work!



At age 77 Barbara Ann McCardle died at her daughter's home in Missouri. From The Sedalia Democrat, page 1, November 5, 1906:



The Indiana Democrat paper, page 9, on November 7, 1906:








1950 Federal Census With John W and Dorothy (McCormick) Coffee

Happy to find my ancestors living in Dinuba, Tulare County, California in the newly-released 1950 Federal Census. Woo hoo! 

          FROM:  https://1950census.archives.gov/  at ED No. 54-8

          Line 20 - Coffee, John W, head, age 75, married, born in Texas  

          Line 21 - Coffee, Dorothy E, wife, age 74, married, born in Illinois


Now drop down to the questions asked at the bottom of the page, Mr. Coffee is one of six residents who was asked further questions. See No. 20 that is circled?  That line shows his replies. 

via URL:  https://1950census.archives.gov/search/?county=Tulare&name=Coffee&page=1&state=CA

NOTE:  I had earlier posted an incorrect link and image that has since been corrected. Thank you, Carolyn