America at 250 Jeremiah Jenckes

George Washington Really Slept Here

by Janice Moerschel

Jeremiah Jenckes, my four-times great grandfather, was born 22 Nov 1739 in Smithfield, Providence County, Rhode Island.

On 25 Feb 1776, Jeremiah married Lucy Whipple. Soon after, the newlyweds traveled on horseback to Newport, New Hampshire, with Lucy riding on a pillion behind him and carrying her wedding trousseau in the saddlebags. Family legend says that, as they rode through the woods, Jeremiah uprooted a small elm tree and gave it to Lucy for a riding whip. They planted it at their new home, where it flourished for many years.

That same year, Jeremiah signed the Association Test for the colony’s Committee of Safety. On 24 July 1776, he was chosen Lieutenant in the Newport Volunteers, and on 9 June 1777 he left to take part in the capture of Fort Ticonderoga.

While Jeremiah was away, “Madam Jenckes” (as Lucy was called) opened their old colonial home as a wayside tavern for the entertainment of “man and beast.” During the first year of his presidency, George Washington toured New Hampshire and spent a night at the Jenckes’s tavern. In the morning, he commented to her, “Madame, your bread is very beautiful.”

Image generated at Chat GPT of the tavern as it may have looked

Jeremiah was unusually tall for his time – over six feet – as were Lucy, three of their sons, and three of their daughters. Altogether, Jeremiah and Lucy had eight children.

Jeremiah died in Newport, New Hampshire, on 4 Jan 1810. Lucy Whipple Jenckes died on 14 May 1820.

Heritage Quest Research Library Norwegians in America

Jul14 by Charles Hansen

Let’s Talk About: Summer Jokes

Jul14 by Donna Phillips

JOKE: A Russian and a Czech bear scientists came to the Rocky Mountains to study bears; they chose the mating season, a bad time for bear encounters. They were warned about the dangers but headed off into the woods anyway. After four days with no word from them, the rangers followed their tracks. They found a female Grizzly bear; shot her and opened her up and sure enough, inside was the Russian guy. So, said one ranger to the other….. ARE YOU READY? “The Czech must be in the male.”

*** *** *** ***

This from a newspaper clipping of which I did not note the paper nor the date, sorry: “Denver, Colo. March 6 — “Here is a dead man,” was the comment made by a parcel post clerk here as he held up to the view of his fellow clerks a package nine inches square and weighing seven pounds.

The package contained the ashes of Edward E. Knotts of California, who died here a few days ago following an attack of appendicitis. The package was addressed to the widow, Mrs. Ada Knotts, San Francisco. It cost 51cents and bore a ten-cent insurance stamp.”

Just for fun, I did a bit of research to learn more about Edward and Ada Knotts but found nothing. If it’s your family, do go for it!

Let’s Talk About: Washtucna, a Tiny Town

Jul10 by Donna Phillips

Thanks to an article in The Spokesman Review last April, I learned about a tiny town in the southeastern corner of Adams county that has a great big heart.

Folks are trying their best to save their piece of Washington history, the Bassett Hardware building, which is 125 years old, according to the folks at the Washtucna Heritage Museum and Community Center. Michelle Plumb, officer in that society, shared “I don’t know how many things in this area are that old. It would just break our heart to lose this building.”

Built in the town’s center in 1901 by George W. Bassett, the building has survived through “boom and bust, storm and sunshine” and remains a fixture of the town’s frontier past. “The upper part of the building was always some sort of community space,” Plum said. Several fraternal organizations held their meetings there over the decades. In the 1910s and 1920s, plays and movies were shown there.

Fear not, lovers of old historic buildings. This building has been placed on the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation’s list of Most Endangered Places which hopefully will guarantee its future.

Why the spotlight today on an old building in a nobody-knows-where town? Because the people who built the place, used the place and loved the place are collectively all our ancestors. That’s why.

Website www.FindAGrave.com has this photo of GWB and information on his family. He was a pioneer for many. He and his wife Alice were parents of seven children.

Heritage Quest Research Library July Happenings

Jul7 by Charles Hansen

From Heritage Quest Research Library on 2026-07-02 06:25

America at 250 Hugh McManus

Jul7 by Charles Hansen

Revolutionary War soldier, Lt. Hugh McManus, was an ancestor of Jan Wells. He served South Carolina. He served for 206 days as Private and 161 days as a Lieutenant in the Militia receiving 81 pounds, 3 shillings and six pence three farthings sterling. For a mare used in 1780 and 1781 for 193 days, he received 69 pounds and 15 shillings sterling on May 19^th, 1785.

He was born in 1747 in Northampton County, South Carolina to Capt. James M. McManus and Mary Frohock Rollins. He married Mary Elizabeth “Betsey” Campbell in 1770 in Chesterfield, SC. She was born in 1752.

Their children were John (married Rebecca Terrell), Nancy (married Henry Yater), Elizabeth, Jane, Robert Thomas (married Mary Polly Cain), Sarah Sally, Rebecca (married Albert Arthur Stacks), Tabitha Floyd (married Joseph York), Pleasant, and Samuel (married Martha A. Evans).

He died in 1831 in Chesterfield, SC and is buried in the Old Mount Olive Cemetery in Chesterfield county, SC.

Hugh’s DAR ancestor number is A078145. He has 12 female descendants who were DAR members.

Jan Wells is a member of the Mason County Genealogical Society

Columbia Gorge Genealogical Society Oregon Trail Collection

Jul7 by Charles Hansen

Dear Members and Friends,

This month is a milestone for history preservation, the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center Museum and the William G. Dick Library uploaded two very special databases that is in the interest of both historical and genealogical research.
Long time coming, with a grant from the City of The Dalles, the photo archive and the Oregon – California Trail Inscription Database is now online and is available for the public.

Over 30,000 photos from the Wasco County Pioneer Association and thousands of donated photos from area residents and journalists and the Jim Henderson Oregon – California Trail Emigrant Inscription Collection with over 5,000 trail inscriptions from Missouri to Oregon. We hope everyone will enjoy and utilize these in their family research.

Links to these databases –

https://www.gorgediscovery.org/oregon-trail-collection

https://www.gorgediscovery.org/photo-archives

America at 250 William Tatum

Jul7 by Charles Hansen

Revolutionary War soldier, William Tatum (Tatom)Sr., served Virginia in the war. He was in the 3^rd regiment of Capt. John Ashby’s company under Commander Col. Marshall and Lieut. John Tibbs. He was on the payroll for July 1777 as a private receiving 6 2/3 dollars for the month for pay. He received Bounty Land Grant No. 1472 for 274 acres in North Carolina on Dec. 17, 1802. His pension number was W2270.

He was born on January 11, 1760, in St. George Parish, Spotsylvania County, Virginia to Stephen Tatum and Mourning Melton. He married first Margaret Wright on December 29, 1781, in Granville, NC, and 2^nd wife was widow Mrs. Mary “Polly” Wright on October 27, 1813, in Dickson Co., TN.

His children were Richard (married Levina Hartley), William (married Elizabeth Rose Richardson), Nancy (married Thomas Griffin Dedmon), John C.(married Delila), Benjamin Marshall (married Sarah Dotson), James (married Ann Baker), Ann Shilby (married James A. Tatom), George William (married Sarah Logan), Genetta (married George L. Smith), and Thomas Richardson (married Martha Jane Hudson and Winnie Fredonia).

He died on September 24, 1847, at age 87 in “Tatom Hollow” in Dickson, Dickson County, TN. He was buried in the Tatum-Coleman Cemetery in Houston County (previously Dickson County), TN.

His DAR number is A208894. He has 4 female descendants who were DAR members.

Jan Wells is member of the Mason County Genealogical Society

Tacoma Pierce County Genealogical Society Monthly Education Meeting

Jul7 by Charles Hansen

Tacoma Pierce County Genealogical Society Monthly Educational Meeting
Tuesday, July 14, 2026, starting at 6:00 pm

This month’s presentation: Free RootsTech 2026 video presented by David Ouimette titled FamilySearch Full-Text Search – Your Golden Path to Ancestral Discovery.

“In this session, we show how FamilySearch applies generative AI to read historical handwriting and produce complete transcripts of billions of pages of historical manuscripts in a variety languages and scripts. We describe how FamilySearch identifies names, dates, and places in the text distilled from these documents. We then demonstrate techniques for searching the resulting full text by keyword, name, date, and place. We show how to leverage filter and search features in tandem so that you can readily find the records that reveal your ancestors and tell their stories. Sponsored by FamilySearch”

This month’s meeting will be Zoom Only until we can find a new physical location to meet in person.

Attend virtually via Zoom:
Tacoma-Pierce County Genealogical Society is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.
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Passcode: 630507

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Let’s Talk About: Yesterday’s Swimsuits

Jul7 by Donna Phillips

This was an ad in The Spokesman Review from days long, long ago. If you cannot read it, here goes:

First Showing of Bathing Suits

Tomorrow we place on sale our new line of ladies’ misses’ and children’s bathing suits. The line includes many new styles never shown before. Come in mohairs, brilliantines and the new jersey goods that is all the rage this season. Suits have the new collars and staple sailor collars and the new vestee effects. Come in tans, browns, red, black and blues, trimmed with braid.

Prices for ladies’ suits…. $6.60 to $2.75

Misses’ and children’s………. $4.00 to $2.50

Children’s One Piece Suits….. All sizes from 2 to 6, in blue, at…. $1.50

Bathing caps… $1.00 to 25cents

Bathing shoes…. 50 cents

Aren’t you shaking your head and saying good grief?? Can you imagine “bathing”…… which really meant wading in perhaps to your waist, never jumping in……. wearing a woolen dress and SHOES? And of course black stockings, heaven forbid bare legs would be viewed. Did you catch that they’re not called “swimming suits?”

This is a photo of my great-grandmother, Viola Belle Evans Gurney, 1872-1962, and was labeled “her school outing.” She’s the fourth from left, dark hair with braid-bun.

No wonder they didn’t jump in and swim around! They’d surly have drowned in those heavy “bathing suits.”