Thomas Whitley and some on his parents

Continuing with my Grandma Lois' parents, this post is on my second-great-grandfather Thomas Whitley. Thomas was the son of Robert Jackson Wheatley and Melissa Catherine Grinstead. As it appears that Thomas spelled his last name Whitley, that's what I will use for him. It is difficult to capture the story of one's life based on census records and a death record alone. For Thomas, I have also included his mother in this entry and a bit on his father Robert.

Thomas Whitley

Thomas was born on 5 August 1861, in either Warren or Barren Counties. His death record lists his county of birth as Barren County, but with the Wheatley/Whitley family living in the borders of both counties, it is difficult to be certain. Thomas was the first son (and possibly the only child) of Robert and Melissa, born less than a year after they were married in Warren County on 14 September 1860.

I assume that Melissa died prior to February 1864, because Robert Wheatley appears as "unmarried" in the US Civil War Draft Registrations Record in Warren County.

US Civil War Registrations, Ancestry.com

In the 1870 US Census, Robert and Thomas are shown as "living here" in the household of Robert's father, Richard Wheatley, in the Elk Springs District of Warren County, Smiths Grove Post Office.

Thomas would have been about nine years old at this time, living with his grandparents and their children.

On 21 March 1872, Robert married his second wife, Martha T. Hays. Robert and Martha had two daughters, Laverna V. Wheatley and Donna M. Wheatley, and were in Smiths Grove, Warren County, Kentucky in the 1880 US Census. Thomas was still living at home with his father, step-mother and step-sisters. Robert, Martha and family later moved to Mills County, Texas.

I do not have a marriage record for Thomas and Elizabeth Hayden Matthews at this time, but I assume they were married in 1885 or early 1886, given the birth date of their first daughter, Martha Bell 'Mattie' Wheatley (born 3 December 1886). Thomas, Elizabeth and family are found in the 1900 US Census in the Elk Springs District of Warren County.

They were in Rocky Hill, Barren County, Kentucky in 1910 (see record from my entry on Elizabeth Hayden Matthews). After Elizabeth died in 1915, Thomas remained in the Rocky Hill District of Barren County. See the record from the 1920 US Census:

I do not have a record for Thomas in the 1930 US Census. The next record I have is his death record, from 7 January 1940 in Glasgow, Barren County, Kentucky.

Thomas' daughter Mattie Whitley Goff (listed as Mrs. H.C. Goff) was the informant on this death record.

Melissa Catherine Grinstead Wheatley

Thomas' mother, Melissa, was the daughter of Thomas Grinstead and Mary Petrie. She was born on 8 February 1843. I suspect she died before her 21st birthday in Warren County. In the 1850 US Census, the Grinstead family was in District 2 of Warren County.

The Grinsteads lived a couple of houses down from the Wheatleys, so Robert and Melissa grew up as neighbors.

In the 1860 US Census, the Grinsteads were still in Warren County, neighbors of Robert Lawrence and Richard Wheatley & family.

At the time, Robert Wheatley was living nearby in the home of William McMurry, neighbors of the Lawrence and Goodnight families. When they were married a year later, Robert would have been 22 years old, and Melissa age 17.

At this time, I do not have much else for Melissa Grinstead Wheatley or Thomas Whitley. There is more to Robert Jackson Wheatley's story, as he left Kentucky for Mills County, Texas, and later died there in 1922. I am hoping some Wheatley and Whitley cousins can help fill in these gaps.

Rech Farm to Table

This entry continues the story of the Rech family in Indiana, as written by Marie Elizabeth Freyling. Earlier entries were posted on the arrival of the Rech family at New Orleans in March 1854 and in Vanderburgh County.

"When neither George (then 19) nor Jacob (then 17) showed any interest in farming, Grandmother Rech traded the farm for a smaller, 18-acre farm in Center Township, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, owned by Peter Bonenberger. George became an apprentice at Molls, wagonmakers in Mechanicsville (later known as Stringtown), and Jacob became an apprentice at blacksmithing at the Martz Blacksmith Shop located across the street from Molls. In addition to George and Jacob, Susanne (age 13), William (age 7) and Carrie (age 6 months) were living with their mother. Mary, who had been working in the homes of neighbors, had married George Kratz, a gardener of Center Township. Elizabeth (age 16) was "living out" (as domestics were referred to in those days).

For awhile, Grandmother [Susanna Euler] Rech managed to produce small crops of wheat, corn, and hay. Later, she rented most of the land and devoted her time to raising and selling chickens and eggs, and fruit and garden produce. These products were taken, once or twice a week, to the early morning outdoor markets in Evansville, on Fourth Street and First Avenue (near the intersection of Market and Pennsylvania Streets). To get a good place to set up a stand on which to display the produce, it was necessary to arrive by six o'clock in the morning!"

Source: U. Southern Indiana Digital Archive, about 1880

The photo above is of the Fourth Street Market, about 1880, and around the time when Susanna Euler Rech would have been selling her produce at the market. This picture comes from the University of Southern Indiana Digital Collection, http://library2.usi.edu:8080/cdm/singleitem/collection/RLIC/id/4528/rec/40.

Source: EVPL Digital Archive, photo dated 1924

The photo above comes from the Evansville Public Library's Digital Archive, showing the Farmer's Market on Fourth Street. (If you have family from Evansville, check out their site).

Our family loves farmer's markets and frequently visit the Del Ray Farmer's Market and the Old Town Alexandria market. We generally receive fruits and vegetables weekly from Washington's Green Grocer, and try to do our part by eating locally.  Our daughter attended farm camp this summer and learned to feed chickens and tend vegetables in the historic gardens. She really enjoyed that, so maybe this was passed down from her 4th great-grandmother Susanna. I hope this will give her some appreciation as she gets older that farmer's markets have a long history in the family.

Tuesday's Tip - Reach Out to Local University Collections

Here's a tip that may result in big finds in your family history research. If you are researching in a particular area, try the closest university library to your location of interest to see what special collections they may have. In many cases, their special collections are searchable online. And if they are not, you can send an inquiry to a research librarian to see what may be available.

I've recently received some great sources by checking online with Arizona State, the University of Arizona and West Kentucky University. I have some brick walls that I am hoping trying the university special collection route in the Cincinnati, Ohio area will help.

In one example, I'm tracking down my elusive third-great-grandmother Mary Ann Hise (or Haise), who married Samuel Oyler. I'm going to check the Special Collections with the University of Cincinnati, and also the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Ohio. I also need to check Miami of Ohio and neighboring Dearborn County, Indiana.

I'd be interested in hearing from others their own tips for getting to local special collections and newspapers when one is remote. Checking with local universities has worked well for me lately, and may for you too.

Mappy Monday - Southwestern Corner of Indiana

The following image is of the southwestern tip of Indiana, from an 1876 map published by Baskin, Forster & Co. of Chicago found on the David Rumsey Map Collection. I'm featuring this here because Vanderburgh, Gibson, Warrick and Harrison Counties feature prominently for my wife's family and for my Lamon and related lines.

Source: David Rumsey Map Collection, 1876 map of Indiana

Upcoming posts will pick up the story of the Rech family in Vanderburgh County, and how they connect with the Freyling family. I will also cover the family of Uriah Lamon, John Muck and Ursula Fellme Muck, and many others.

77% Incomplete

Judy Russell's post More Lost Than Found prompted me to look up my own number to see how my percentage matched up going back 10 generations. I'm at 23% found, which means that I'm also 77% incomplete through 7th-great-grandparents.

This graphic comes from Ancestry.com's blog by Crista Cowan from 16 August, titled "Family History All Done? What's Your Number?":

So here's how I compare:
Generations 1-5: 31 of 31 (100%)
Generation 6: 25 of 32 (78.1%)
Generation 7: 35 of 64 (54.7%)
Generation 8: 45 of 128 (35.2%)
Generation 9: 49 of 256 (19.1 %)
Generation 10: 52 of 512 (10.2%)
Total: 237 of 1023 (23.1%)

This is just my own side of the tree, not counting my wife's side, which I am also researching for our kids. Clearly, I have a long way to go. This also means there are a lot of great stories out there waiting to be told again.