Sex, lies and microfilm
Well I went to the Library today and Minerva Jones has preserved her honor!
It turns out that Minnie Jones Kelly is her neice. She is the daughter of Minerva's younger brother Horace P. Jones. She married a guy named Kelly and had a son and a daughter. Horace A. Kelly who is buried beside her is actually her son and not her brother. I guess his sister got to pick out the stone marker.
Amazing what you find out at the library. While I was there I looked at some microfilm of the 1864 Dayton Newspaper. You know, just in case Samuel Edgar placed an ad for a new wife! There are lots of lawyer advertisements. Did you know that they had refridgerators, ice boxes and beer coolers in 1864? I also read an interesting story about a man with a horse cart who tried to beat the train at a crossing. The cowcatcher struck the cart splintering into fragments, the man was severely injured and the horse was unhurt! Fine homes sold for between $3500 and $5500 in Dayton at that time. Whiskey was $1.30 a gallon. General Grant was attacking Richmond and there were always lists of dead soldiers.
So, I will leave the story about Minerva alone for the time being. At least until I have another lead. One day I will have to tell you the story about Samuel's oldest daughter, Margaret and her husband's 50,000 acre land deal in South Dakota.
Anyway, here is the end to another story. My pigeons are gone! Must have been the stringged up cans attached to the underside of the roof BUT the mice are back on the third floor. If it isn't pigeon poop it is mice poop!
From log house to farmhouse. Farmhouse to townhouse. Townhouse to apartment house. Apartment house to crack house. Crack house to our house. Our house to our home.
3 comments:
What a great story you've got developing there. There's a bit of a mystery about the husband in the family that built our house. He is with the family in the 1910 and 1920 census but not in the 1930 census. The wife is listed as a widow in 1930, but I found a record for a guy with the same name dying in 1954 a couple of counties over. Wonder if he left and she just called herself a widow instead of a divorcee?
Wow great story. I was just checking out your house and the story pulled me in. Fun reading. I wish we knew more about our PO family. Our neighbors won't tell us much more than "they we're special" (not the good special but the sarcastic special) We have seen old pictures of them on the steps in postcards/photos of our old street. I'll have to dig a little deeper. You've inspired me.
These are the stories about the "Edgars"! Just wait until I tell you about those wacky "Volkenands"!
I have been extremely lucky in that the descendants of the primary families living in the house have been great with providing me with information and pictures.
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