Beautify Lincoln Part 1

This is a collection of shots from a walk last Friday along Lincoln Boulevard in Santa Monica. The walls in these photos were created in 2013 as part of the Beautify Lincoln project (read more about it here and here). I missed a quite a few walls so I'll have to do a Part 2 in a future trip to LA.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Lincoln Blvd in Santa Monica.

Photo by Patrick Jones. 25 Jul 2014.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Lincoln Blvd, Santa Monica.

Photo by Patrick Jones. 25 Jul 2014.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Santa Monica, CA.

Photo by Patrick Jones. 25 Jul 2014.

Pension File of Patrick Cain

Last week I had the chance to view the Civil War pension file of Patrick Cain (introduced last Saturday in the post The Irish Soldier). Unfortunately the file did not provide any connection between him and my second-great-grandmother Mary Alice Cain or her brother Harl Cain.

Photo by Patrick Jones. US National Archives, Washington DC.

Patrick Cain's disability was reported in October 1863, which clears up why he was absent from service in November and December 1863 as he was being treated for an eye infection. Soreness in his left eye became a chronic case of sore eyes, eventual blindness in his right eye and partial blindness in the left.

After the Civil War, Cain received treatment from a hospital in Louisville, and later worked on the railroad in Marion County, Kentucky. Before the war, Cain resided for five years in Glasgow, Barren County, working as a common laborer on farms and in gardens. Perhaps this fact will lead to information on Cain's arrival in the US, and other relatives.

The file confirms the marriage of Patrick Cain to Julia (maiden name mispelled as Downing in the file, it was Downey) on 16 June 1891 in Marion County, Kentucky. The ceremony was performed in a public church by Rev. William Buchanan. It also says Cain was not previously married and had no living children.

The 1910 US Census states that Patrick Cain arrived in the US in 1849. There is a Pat Cain who arrived at the Port of Baltimore in May 1849 from Liverpool at the age of 17, with Catherine Cain and Alice Cain (ages 15 and 23). More research to look into!

Marco Polo Mural

Photo by Patrick Jones. Marco Polo mural, Santa Monica, CA.

The painting above was created in 2009 by muralist Keith Blum, on the exterior of Marco Polo Imports in Santa Monica, California. The mural can be seen at the corner of Colorado and Lincoln Avenues.

I've returned from a short few days of meetings in LA. On this trip I took a walk yesterday along Lincoln Avenue, which isn't known to be the most scenic part of town but is full of walls that were painted in 2013 and early 2014. I'll feature some of the findings in an upcoming post, and hope to catch some walls that I missed in a future trip to LA.

Portrait of Harley Cain

In continuing to search for the identity of parents for my second-great-grandmother Mary Alice Cain and her brother, Harl P. Cain, I have found some new information that may help clear up this brick wall. It appears that Harl (also known as Harley Cain), married Leeta V. Gordon (maiden name Cralley) in Washoe County, Nevada, about 1950. I ran a search for Harley Cain, and found a reference to him in the Oregon Marriage index for 14 September 1912 in Lane County, Oregon. This led me to check the Lane County Historical Society website, and a photo of Harley Cain dated either May 1934 or 1944 (I am guessing 1934).

Source: Lane County Historical Society

There's more to this lead, so hopefully this will shed some light on the Cain family origins.

Update - As I look into this Harley Cain further, it looks like unfortunately it isn't the same person I am tracking. The photo above is Harley Orville Cain, a logger from Lane County, Oregon, not Harl P. Cain from Barren County, Kentucky. So I'm not connected to Mr. Cain above, but there may be others who are. There are more photos related to his Cain family with the Lane County Historical Society museum website.

Wordless Wednesday - Torpedo Factory Mural

Photo by Patrick Jones. Alexandria Torpedo Factory, Waterfront Entrance.