Tuesday Trivia

by Charles Hansen

 

You can really get a good deep look into an ancestor’s life by reading the inventory of his/her possessions when the estate was probated. EVERY single little thing was apparently listed…….. and it surely shows how very little they had by way of possessions. (Think how long YOUR list would be???) Below is the inventory of an ancestor of mine dated 1774:

  • 3 beds and furniture
  • 2 bedsteads
  • 7 chairs
  • 1 safe
  • 1 chst
  • 2 tables
  • 1 gunn
  • 1 saddle
  • 1 horse
  • 1 teakettle
  • 1 set of tea ware
  • 3 stone potts
  • 4 iron potts
  • 1 pr handirons
  • 1 looking glass
  • 1 brass kettle
  • 13 casks
  • 1 iron pot-rack
  • 2 reap hooks
  • 3 plow hoes
  • 3 broad hoes
  • 2 axes
  • 1 hatchett
  • 1 grubbing hoe
  • 1 skillett
  • 1 pr wedges
  • 2 augors
  • 2 chizzells
  • 2 handsaws
  • 1 hammer
  • 1 tub
  • 3 water vessels
  • 1 jack plain
  • 1 dish
  • 2 basons
  • 6 plates
  • 1 earthen jar
  • 2 earthen plates
  • 6 spoons
  • 1 trunk
  • 1 spinning wheel
  • 2 pr cards
  • 1 pr tongs
  • 1 frying pan
  • 4 punch bowls
  • 1 flax hackle
  • 13 head of cattle
  • 8 head of sheep
  • 11 head of hogs
  • 1 bee hive
  • 1 Bible
  • 1 Hymn Book
  • 3 trays

What I found quite fascinating, as I typed this list, was the mixed-up nature of it….. outdoor tools mixed in with kitchen stuff. And he had a Bible! (Where else did the family obtain new-baby names?) Another bit of interesting trivia, as I understand, all this stuff did not automatically go to the wife…… My, my, my how times have changed for the better. 

 

Black History Month Art Exhibit

by Charles Hansen

You Are Invited to the Opening Reception of Our

7th Annual Exhibit Honoring Black History Month!!!!

 

It is my pleasure to invite you to this year’s highly anticipated exhibition as we celebrate and explore “blackness” through art. Featured artist JeremyGBell.com explores personal growth expressed through metaphor. Using roses, he examines self worth and personal potential.
What can powerful evocative art do for you and your organization?
Let us build relationships with art as a vehicle that spring boards discussion, advocation, awareness, promotion and fundraising. Let’s work together, to build together.

This year we are excited to share masterful and thought provoking artwork by: JeremyGBell.com, Hiawatha D., Roosevelt Lewis, Cheryl Zahniser, and Warren Pope!

SEE THE SHOW: FEB 1-28th!

Michael Birawer Gallery
1003 1st Avenue
Seattle, WA 98104   (Click for google map)
206.624.7773

Opening Reception!
DATE: February 1 (Thursday)
TIME: 5-8pm

Additional Dates of Interest:
February 8 (Thursday)
5-8pm
Altruist Partners Host:
Nonprofit Professionals Mixer

February 15 (Thursday)
6-8pm
Live Music in the Gallery
featuring Elijah Dhavvan

Monday Mystery

by Charles Hansen

“Mr. and Mrs. C.B. Brown were awakened at night by the “violent ringing of the doorbell.” Mrs. Brown ran to the door, but saw nothing except a big pasteboard box. “Fearing it might be a bomb, she called her husband to investigate,” said the article in The Spokesman Review back on 11 July 1917.

Inside the box “they found a baby boy, wrapped up in a clean little pink blanket.” An attached note said, “Please take good care of me. My birthday was June 20. Buster.”

The box also contained a bottle of milk and a package of baby food. Mrs. Brown telephoned all of the neighbors, as well as the police and a doctor. The doctor arrived and reported that Buster weighed ten pounds and was perfectly healthy.

Mrs. Brown said she was willing to keep him. Mr. Brown, railway mail clerk, said, “it’s all right with me, if the boy is healthy, I guess.”

The mystery is: Whose family tree includes a Buster Brown, son of C.B. Brown, whose birthday is June 20, 1917 in Spokane???

P.S. I found nothing positive in the 1920 census. Ah, the mystery!

John Hayes Awarded 2017 Outstanding Volunteer Honor

by Roxanne Lowe

Since 2003, the Washington State Genealogical Society has recognized over 500 outstanding volunteers and teams, nominated by their local society or genealogical organization for their service and dedication. These volunteers are the backbone of their local society, giving their time and expertise, to the organization and the field of genealogy. In the coming months, you will be introduced to each of the 2017 award recipients and learn why they received the 2017 WSGS Outstanding Volunteer and Team Award.

John Hayes

Today we’re introducing John Hayes of Mount Vernon, Washington, who was nominated by Skagit Valley Genealogical Society (SVGS). He was recognized for his leadership and guidance of the society.

Mr. Hayes has been a member of the SVGS for more than 20 years, joining in 1997 to improve his skills as a genealogist. Since 2014, he has served as the society’s president. From 2003 – 2006, he served as vice president for programs.

Mr. Hayes was born in Sedro-Woolley in 1937 and raised in Acme, Washington. After 35 years as an engineer with the Washington State Department of Transportation, he retired in 1995. While enjoying the challenges and discoveries of genealogy, square dancing with his wife Rosie is his first love.

With a twinkle in his eyes and subtle sense of humor, Mr. Hayes has led his local society in facilitating their meetings, programs and seminars in the most quiet, confident manner. He is a respected and diligent member of the SVGS, and richly deserved being a recipient of a 2017 WSGS Outstanding Volunteer Award.

For more information on the WSGS Outstanding Volunteer Award program, visit the Recognition page of the WSGS website or contact Roxanne Lowe, Interim Recognition Chair, at Roxanne@thekeeffes.com.

GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Thursday Evening E-News

by Charles Hansen

THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s

Thursday Evening

E-News, Edition

25 January 2018

For more information visit www.gfo.org, contact us at info@gfo.org, or call our library at 503-963-1932. We love hearing from you!

For a complete GFO CALENDAR click here.

Also, if you missed your free copy of our monthly Insider for January 2018, you’re in luck because we saved you a copy HERE. NOTE: The Insider issues are now located under the “Learn” > “Our Publications” menu at www.gfo.org.

Curious about the status of your GFO Membership?? We’d love to have you as a GFO Member!
***

Smile with us! Donate to GFO while shopping Amazon!
amazonsmileprime

Did you know you can contribute to the success of GFO while SHOPPING on Amazon? WOWZERS!

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, remember to lend a helping hand to GFO by shopping as smile.amazon.com.

Don’t want to deal with the hassle of searching for us at Amazon’s Smile website? Simply click our unique AmazonSmile link HERE to go directly to amazon, sign into your account as you normally would, and let the magic take hold!

Once you’re at this link, GFO will receive 0.5% of the price of all your eligible smile.amazon.com purchases, regardless of whether you use the unique AmazonSmile link to return to the site.

Thank you again!

 

Continue reading →

Friday Serendipity

by Charles Hansen

Hi Donna, I finished up the six bound volumes of Stevens County Commissioners Minutes and they are now online at the Washington State Digital Archives.  Pass the word along,     Sue Richart
Stevens County Commissioners’ Minutes include authorization for roads, schools, election precincts, the appointment of officials, income and expenses of the county including court costs, coroner expenses, early assessment information, and miscellaneous expenses.  The images are arranged by date and available online at the Washington State Digital Archives.
Book A covers from 1860 to 1887.  This includes the original Spokane County with its courthouse at Pinkney City covering from the Columbia River, north of the Snake River and to the summit of the Rocky Mountains encompassing Adams, Ferry, Franklin, Grant, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Spokane, and Stevens, Whitman, northern Idaho, and briefly western Montana.  In January 1863, Stevens County was created from the Columbia River to the summit of the Cascade Mountains north of the Wenatchee River, but it never organized.  In January 1864, Stevens County and Spokane County were merged and the new Stevens County covered the area between the Idaho Territory and the Cascade Mountains north of the Snake and Wenatchee rivers encompassing current counties of Adams, north half of Chelan, Douglas, Ferry, Franklin, Grant, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Spokane, and Stevens.  In November 1871, Whitman County was created and it included current Adams, Franklin, and Whitman counties.  Stevens County then encompassed the current north half of Chelan, Douglas, Ferry, Grant, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Spokane, and Stevens.  In October 1879, Spokane County was re-created.  Stevens County then consisted of the current north half of Chelan, Ferry, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, and Stevens counties.  In late 1883, the Stevens County Courthouse moved three miles from Pinkney City, previously renamed Colville by the Washington State Legislature, to the current City of Colville.  Book A is fully extracted and copies of the extraction are available through the Stevens County Historical Society, Northeast Washington Genealogical Society, and Eastern Washington Genealogical Society.
Book B covers from 1887 to 1893. In February 1888, Okanogan County was created. Stevens County then consisted of the current counties of Ferry, Pend Oreille, and Stevens County.
Book C covers from 1894 to 1899.  In February 1899, Ferry County was created.  Stevens County then consisted of the current counties of Pend Oreille and Stevens.
Book D covers from 1899 to 1905 and the county area encompassed by current Pend Oreille and Stevens County
Book E covers from 1905 to 1909 and the county area encompassed by current Pend Oreille and Stevens County.
Book F covers from 1909 to 1911. In March 1911, Pend Oreille County was created leaving only current Stevens County.
How to get to the images.
Collections tab
Under Collections Online click on Minutes and Meetings Records
Go to Stevens County Board of Commissioners, Meetings, 1860 – 1913
You can browse the collection or search for a date range.

Eastern Washington Genealogical Society February Meeting

by Charles Hansen

Saturday, February 3
African Americans in Spokane  (EWGS Meetings)
12:30 pm to 3:00 pm
Spokane Public Library Auditorium, Downtown Spokane
Presenter –  Jerrelene Williamson.
Jerrelene has collected photographs and artifacts of Spokane’s early black population as part of “A Centennial Tribute to Northwest Black Pioneers.” She has awards from Rogers High School – Distinguished Alumni, from the Editorial Dept. of the Spokesman Review – Gold Pen Award, African American students of SCC – Service of Excellentce Award and she is the recipient of the 2003 Jefferson Award.
Please join us to hear about African Americans in Spokane. We will learn how the Northern Pacific Coal Company recurited blacks from the South to break the coal strike in Roslyn, Washington in 1888. It was the greatest migration of blacks to the Northwest. It was years later when the mines closed in Roslyn that the black workers and their familes went to Spokane, Seattle, Portland and other parts of the Northwest.
Cookies & Social Time: 12:30 PM
Meeting starts at 1:00 PM

Yakima Valley Genealogy Society February Meeting

by Charles Hansen

The Yakima Valley Genealogy Society is holding its monthly general meeting and program at 10:00 am on Saturday, February 3.  The society is located at 1901 S. 12th Avenue, Union Gap.  Sue Ericksen will be the program presenter “DNA- Which Should You Choose?”
The public is welcome.  Refreshments will be served.  Call 248-1328 for further information.