Friday Photo - Bomba Estéreo

These photos are from last Saturday's Bomba Estéreo concert at the historic Howard Theatre in Washington DC. The Colombian band is touring in support of their new album Amanecer (it is excellent & I highly recommend it). They have a high energy show mixing tropical beats, Afro-Caribbean, rock, electronic and Latin sounds. Awesome band to see perform live.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Bomba Estéreo, 25 Jul 2015.

Photo by A. Jones. 25 Jul 2015.

Paddling on the Potomac

These photos are from a recent weekend sail/paddle on the Potomac. My sister and daughter were on stand-up paddleboards near our parents' home. My sister is riding a paddleboard that she and my Dad designed and built this summer. I took the photos while riding in a small sailboat that my Dad built.

Photo by Patrick Jones. L. Jones & S. Jones on the Potomac. 

Photo by Patrick Jones. L. Jones on a custom built SUP.

On this day we also saw a bald eagle looking for fish. It is always an inspiring sight to see bald eagles in their natural habitat.

Neighbors and Family

Earlier in the month I viewed the Civil War pension file of Thomas W. Thornhill. His file included affidavits of support from fellow members of the 1st Tennessee Cavalry, Benjamin Hickey and Joseph Wesley Cox. On Monday I was able to view the Civil War pension file of Wesley Cox, and as expected, his file included affidavits of support from Thomas W. Thornhill and Benjamin Hickey.

These men were neighbors in Valley Home, Hamblen County, Tennessee. They attested that they were personally acquainted with Wesley Cox for 35 years. They were more than neighbors, they were family. Wesley Cox was married to Benjamin Hickey's sister, Margaret Adaline Hickey. They married on 2 June 1858 in Jefferson County, Tennessee. Benjamin Hickey's second wife, Louise Paralee Thornhill, was a cousin of Thomas Thornhill.

Joseph Wesley Cox died on 15 March 1904, five days after his wife Margaret. The pension file lists the following children of Wesley and Margaret:

- Edward Cox, born 15 June 1859

- Martha Jane Cox, born 16 Apr 1862

- Rachel Savannah Cox, born 18 July 1866

Source: US National Archives

I am posting this in case researchers looking for Wesley Cox stumble on the blog based on the earlier posts.

Waiting Game

I am currently in waiting mode as I look forward to the SS-5 application for Harl Cain and the Civil War pension file of Pleasant Morgan. I was hoping that a lunch time visit to the US National Archives in DC would reveal important family information and highlight connections with the family of Pleasant Morgan.

The National Archives in DC looked for his pension, but reported back that his file is with the National Archives in St. Louis. I am hopeful this file is not among those lost in the devastating fire of 1973.

Pleasant Morgan married Nancy Flatt on 3 October 1884 in Barren County, Kentucky. This could be the same person as Jane Flatt who appears to be Harl Cain's mother in his Social Security application. If Pleasant Morgan's pension file still exists, perhaps the identity of Nancy Flatt Morgan will be confirmed.

Mappy Monday - Central Kentucky-Tennessee Border

This map shows the border counties of Central Kentucky and Tennessee. This is helpful to see the proximity between Barren and Metcalfe Counties in Kentucky and Jackson and Overton Counties in Tennessee.

Source: David Rumsey Map Collection. 1891 Map.

The Flatt family was in Jackson and Overton County before some of them moved to Metcalfe County, Kentucky. This area will feature prominently in the blog while I cover a branch of family connected to my 2nd-great-grandmother Mary Alice Cain Read and her brother Harl Cain.

Potential Break in a Brick Wall

My most frustrating brick wall to date has been trying to uncover the identity of the parents for my 2nd-great-grandmother Mary Alice Cain Read and her brother Harl Cain. I have renewed hope of solving this mystery after Ancestry published a new database this week.

Ancestry recently added a database titled US Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007. I entered Harl Cain to see what would show up in the results. It appears that Harl submitted an application in March 1942. Harl's birth location and birth date match, 16 June 1879 in Glasgow, Barren County, Kentucky. The startling find on this entry was for the Mother's Name - Jane Flatt.

Since finding this entry I have spent some late evenings pouring through the records for Barren and Metcalfe County. I think I may have a strong theory on the identity of my 3rd-great-grandparents. Before I dive into writing up the theory, I need to view additional records. This may happen next week. I have ordered a copy of the original SS-5 using this information, so hopefully soon I will be able to publish a follow-up.

What I have so far...
In the 1870 US Census, 15 year old Jane Flat appears in the household of John W. Rose in Metcalfe County. A few doors down, is the household of Pleasant Flat.

Ancestry: 1870 US Census, Metcalfe County, Kentucky

In the 1860 US Census, Pleasant Flatt appears in Overton County, Tennessee. Nancy J. Flatt is shown, 5 years old in this entry. I think Nancy J. Flatt and Jane Flatt are the same person.

Pleasant Flat appears again in the 1850 US Census in neighboring Jackson County, Tennessee.

There's more to the story on Pleasant Flatt, which I will save for an upcoming post. If my theory is correct, he was my 4th-great-grandfather.

There are many connected families, wives and children to sort through. What is interesting is that I checked my AncestryDNA results for hits with the Flatt surname. There certainly is a connection to the Flatt family of Jackson County, Tennessee which shows up in all of the DNA tests that have been done by myself, my sister, my Mom and her sisters. More to come on this.

Maria Jesus

After finding the death record for my 3rd-great-grandfather Gabriel Vasquez in the Civil Registration files for Pitiquito on FamilySearch, I found the entry for my 3rd-great-grandmother Maria Jesus Suastegui. She passed away on 3 April 1890, in the home of her mother Ana Maria Orosco.

Source: Getty Digital Collection

Source: FamilySearch, Image 166 of 368.

The document lists her parents Pedro Suastegui and mother Ana Maria Orosco, noting her father was dead by 1890 but her mother was still alive. Her son Pedro Vasquez is listed at the beginning. The entry states that she was 42 years old, but she may have actually been 44. Either way, Maria Jesus died young, like her husband Gabriel. They were survived by my 2nd-great-grandmother Maria Jesus Vasquez, son Jose Pedro Vasquez, daughter Maria Carmen Vasquez and son Jose Francisco Vasquez.

A tough loss for Vicente and Maria Jesus

While going through the Mexico, Sonora Civil Registration files for Pitiquito, I stumbled on another reference to my 2nd-great-grandparents Vicente Campuzano and Maria Jesus Vasquez. This document points to a sad loss of a young daughter on 18 June 1893. Concepcion Campuzano was only 3 months old.

Source: FamilySearch, Image 224 of 368.

The document shows Vicente as a carpenter, 32 years old (from other documents he was 31). Maria Jesus is shown as 27 years old. Vicente and Maria Jesus later had another daughter, also named Concepcion. Both children were likely named after Vicente's mother, Maria Concepcion Amado.

Concepcion Amado passed away in May 1898. Her death record was found in the Catholic Church records for Altar (recorded 6 May 1898). It says she was 75 years old.

Source: FamilySearch, Image 246 of 361.

An early end for Gabriel

My weekend search through the FamilySearch files ended another mystery which brought a close to the life span for my 3rd-great-grandfather, Gabriel Vasquez. From my earlier research, I knew Gabriel was born in Valparaiso, Chile, and he came to Altar, Sonora, Mexico around 1858. He met and married Maria Jesus Suastegui in February 1864, and the couple had at least four children. Gabriel died on 12 November 1873 in Pitiquito, a small town located west of Altar in Northern Sonora. A copy of his death record is located in the Mexico, Sonora Civil Registration files for Pitiquito (image 32 of 368).

The record states that he was 34 years old, and again confirms he was Chilean. I am hoping to find documents on other members of his family.

A witness on this record was Jesus Vasquez, who appears to have been a leader in the town at this time. I do not yet know of his relationship, if any, with Gabriel.

Request for a new presidio

After the 1853 Gadsden Purchase formally transferred southern Arizona to the United States, including Tucson, a group of prominent citizens of Altar petitioned the government of Sonora to establish a new presidio in Busani. This was to provide defenses for the valuable mines in northern Sonora and help discourage the emigration from Sonora to California. The letter was signed on 7 February 1856. I received a copy of this document from distant cousin and fellow Suastegui descendant Raclare, who copied this from the Arizona Historical Society. The document includes the signature of my 4th-great-grandfather Pedro Suastegui and others in the family.

The signature of Pedro Suastegui appears near the bottom of the first signature page:

I think the second signature page also includes my 5th-great-grandfather Ramon Orosco (see the middle of the image, next to the signature of Bartolome Suastegui).

I am hoping to find similar documents from Sonora that may list other members of the family during this time period.

Confirmation

This is from the Mexico, Catholic Church Records on FamilySearch. It is a screen shot showing the confirmation of my 3rd-great-grandmother Maria Jesus Suastegui, with her parents, Pedro Suastegui and Ana Maria Orosco in Altar, Sonora, Mexico. The date listed was 1 June 1859.

Source: FamilySearch Mexico Catholic Church records.

Digging through the unindexed records on FamilySearch this morning yielded several new finds. Just four months after Maria Jesus' confirmation, her 10 month old brother Joaquin Suastegui died in Altar. Ana Maria Orosco is listed on the death record, which was signed by Father Bartolome Suastegui. The date on this record is 23 October 1859.

Source: FamilySearch, Mexico Catholic Church Records.

1859 must have been a tough year for Ana Maria. In February 1859, she lost a younger sister, Josefa Orosco. She was just 23 years old.

Source: FamilySearch, Image 192 of 361.

Friday Photo - Forever Does Come

Photo by Patrick Jones. Wynwood Walls, Miami. 16 Jun 2015.

Bridge over the Rappahannock

In 1826, James Wheatley and James Bradshaw Beverley filed petitions and counter-petitions over the creation of a bridge on Wheatley's land over the Rappahannock River. I previously covered James Wheatley's 1828 petition to create a mill town along the river (see my post from 4 July 2014). A copy of Beverley's counter-petition is online via the Library of Virginia. This sketch from the Library of Congress also provides a view of the river (showing Kelly's Ford, Wheatley's Mill would have been around the corner and across the river).

Source: Library of Congress. Kelly's Ford on the Rappahannock. 1864.

Beverley argued against Wheatley's chosen crossing point, and in favor of a bridge next to his own land. The petition included other statements from neighbors on the suitability of a bridge.

Green Family in Jefferson County

Back in November 2012, I wrote about my 3rd-great-grandmother Mary Catherine Green Jones, and her parents Thomas and Sarah Green. This post goes into additional detail on my 4th-great-grandparents. Thomas was born about 1807, and according to census records, he came to Jefferson County, Tennessee from South Carolina. I have not yet been able to identify parents for him, but I do have various census and non-population schedules listing Thomas.

Source: Tennessee Marriages 1780-2002 on Ancestry

Thomas and Sarah Sally Hickey were married on 12 December 1833. She was the daughter of Thomas D. Hickey and Rachel Cannon, and would have been about 19 years old when she and Thomas were married.

On 18 April 1842, Thomas acquired 50 acres in Jefferson County (see North Carolina and Tennessee Early Land Records on Ancestry):

By 1850, Thomas appears in the Non-Population schedules of the US Census with 60 acres of improved land and 33 acres of unimproved land (valued at $500). He had 4 horses, 4 milk cows, 1 "other cattle", 7 sheep, and 20 pigs. He also had 122 bushels of wheat and 500 bushels of Indian corn.

By 1860, Thomas had increased his land holdings with two entries, 30 acres improved land, 43 acres unimproved land, followed by a second entry with 40 acres improved land and 60 acres unimproved, for a total value of $1600. The 1860 Non-Population schedule also lists his neighbor as Richard Thornhill. Wesley Cox lived close by Thomas Green as well. On this property, Thomas had 2 horses, 2 milk cows, 4 other cattle, 17 sheep, 20 pigs. He also had 125 bushels of wheat and 500 bushels of Indian corn.

In the 1860 US Census, Thomas Green and family are listed as living next door to Rachel Hickey and to the household of Richard Thornhill. By 1870, the Green family was still listed in Jefferson County, but a few of the children had moved on to create their own households.

Thomas and Sarah appear in Panther Springs, Hamblen County, Tennessee in the 1880 US Census. They did not move, but their lands transferred into Hamblen County when it was formed in 1870.

In the 1880 Non-population schedule, Thomas' land remained steady at 70 acres of improved land, with 15 acres of woodland. Thomas continued to raise small numbers of sheep and pigs. The 1880 schedule included numbers on poultry, bushels of Indian corn and oats. Interestingly, Thomas also had a 1/2 acre of sweet potatoes, and orchards, containing a 1/2 acre of apple trees and a 1/2 acre of peach trees.

Thomas and Sarah Sally Green had at least the following children:
- Rachel Jane Green (born about 1835. She married Charles Campbell Cline. Died in 1872)
- Mary Catherine Green (my 3rd-great-grandmother, born 12 April 1839)
- Nancy Green (born about 1840)
- Twins Elizabeth and Sarah E. Green (born 1845)
- Martha A. Green (born 4 May 1846, died 26 January 1919)
- Margaret E. Green (born in 1849)
- Roena Francis Green (born 16 September 1854, died 17 January 1926)
- Melissa Green (born in 1858)

I have not found Thomas in Jefferson or Hamblen County records after 1880. I have an inquiry in with the Jefferson County Archives to see if he appears in the land deed index there.

Friday Photo - Iceland Sunset

This photo is from my Frequent Traveling sister, taken last week during her vacation to Iceland. This was on the last sunset before returning to the airport.

Photo by L. Jones. Reykjavik, Iceland. 5 Jul 2015.

Travel Tuesday - A look back at Istanbul

This is a set of photos from my trip to Istanbul in May. The first photo is of the Istiklal Caddesi tram to Taksim Square. These were taken over two days of walking through central Istanbul.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Istiklal Caddesi tram. Istanbul, 16 May 2015.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Galata Tower, Istanbul.

Photo by Patrick Jones. An alley off Istiklal Caddesi.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Street musician on Istiklal.

Photo by Patrick Jones. On the Bosphorus. 16 May 2015.

Photo by Patrick Jones. On the Bosphorus. 16 May 2015.