Last Day Local: Battle Creek, The TV Show

CBS premiered a new show in March, Battle Creek, televised on Sunday nights at 10:00 p.m.  Since this is up against "Who Do You Think You Are?" I watch it later in the week.  Is Battle Creek the television show anything like the real Battle Creek, my hometown?  Not really!

The opening credits of Battle Creek were filmed in Battle Creek, Michigan, but the show itself is not. The opening credits show places such as, St Philip's Catholic Church; C.O. Brown Stadium, where the Battle Creek Bombers play baseball; Con Agra plant; Full Blast Recreation Center; downtown streets and more.

The show stars Josh Duhamel and Dean Winters as partners.  Winters is a Battle Creek police detective and Duhamel is a FBI agent, who become unlikely partners. Although, the show isn't filmed in Battle Creek, references are made to the city. One scene held at a street corner showed the street being Emmett, which is in Battle Creek. Occasionally, one will see a take out menu from a local business.  All in all it is fun to try and catch where in the show they will showcase a piece of Battle Creek.

The main actors visited Battle Creek this past summer and met with the local police department, even shadowing them for a day.  In addition, they visited local businesses trying to get a feel for the city and its people.

The first episode was big news for the local area.  There were two launch parties. One, a red carpet affair, was held at W.K. Kellogg Auditorium with attendees getting a sneak peak at the first episode. The second was held at McCamly Plaza Hotel and was a watch party for the show.  The local CBS station, WWMT, had numerous live shots and interviews leading up to the show. It was Battle Creek's 15 minutes of fame.

The show isn't like the real Battle Creek, but it is fun to watch and look for references that are real.  If you want a glimpse of what my hometown is like, check it out.

Online Primary Sources of the Salem Witch Trials

There was some buzz on Facebook, last week, about HBO's, The Devil You Know, series that is in production. Normally, I would be excited about a historical television show, but I am skeptical about the portrayal of this period in American History.  The last portrayal via television was disappointing and I don't have high hopes at this time for HBO's. If you want something based on fact and thorough research, the book, A Storm of Witchcraft, is one of the finest.  I have written about the book, here.

Baker's book provides excellent notes and references that enables the reader to find out more about the witch trials, many with primary sources.  One, I was especially interested in, was found at the website, 17th Century New England, with special emphasis on Essex County Witch Hunt of 1692 compiled by Margo Burns.

First, I went to the witchcraft section, which has 109 links to explore.  I was interested in the "Guide to Online Primary Sources of the Salem Witch Trials. One will find many primary sources pertaining to the Salem Witch Trials at this website.  Next, I was interested in finding more on my ancestor, Mary Clements Osgood, which I did on the List of Accused People, which is shown below. Mary Clements Osgood was found on page 5 of 7.

Screenshot from http://www.17thc.us/primarysources/accused.php?pg=5

The information provided on this chart shows Mary Clements Osgood involvement with the Salem Witch Trials.  Checks for Mary Osgood are examination, imprisonment, grand jury or indictment, jury trial and restitution.  No checks for complaint or arrest, evidence, conviction, and execution. The website provides more information on the meaning of each category below the chart.

Additional information can be found by clicking on Mary (Clements) Osgood's name. Ten links of sources and images are available for Mary Osgood. You access this information by clicking on the Numbers to the left.  If an image is not available of the actual document, a thorough source citation is provided for further research.  I have spent many hours looking at documents pertaining to the Salem Witch Trials.

Screenshot from http://www.17thc.us/primarysources/accused.php?id=117&pg=5

If you are looking for primary sources for the Salem Witch Trials, look no further than the Margo Burns 17th Century New England website. It is a comprehensive website with lots of excellent resources.

Sunday's Obituary: Emma Fredrick Chalmers

The obituary below is for Emma Louise Fredrick Chalmers, my grand aunt.  Emma was the daughter of J. August Fredrick and Louise Zastrow Fredrick.  The obituary was given to me by Emma's granddaughter, Mari.

Transcription:

OBITUARY
RESIDED IN ACTON FOR PAST 32 YEARS
Many friends were saddened to learn last week of the death of Mrs. James B. Chalmers, for, although she had been in ill health for some time, her passing was sudden.  Mrs. Chalmers lived in Acton for the past 32 years, coming here with her family from Durham.  She came to Canada in 1905 from Manistee, Michigan as a bride and married in Toronto.  Her husband survives.

She was a member of Knox Presbyterian church and before her illness was active in the Ladies' Aid and Missionary Society.

Rev. Armstrong conducted the funeral service at the Rumley funeral home on Wednesday, March 2. Pallbears were Tom Watson, Frank Jones, Lorne Norton, Grant Withers, Earl Cooper and Ollie Stapleton.  Interment was in Fairview cemetery.

Left with Mr. Chalmers to mourn her loss are five daughters and one son, Mrs. Catherine Bell, Guelph; Robert J. Blyth; Miss Mary Chalmers, Toronto; Mrs. Oral Norton and Mrs. Audrey Grischow, Acton; Mrs. Margaret Valby, Winnepeg; brothers William Frederick, Grand Rapids, Mich; Otto Fredericks, Brethern, Mich; Leonard Frederick, Grand Rapids and a sister Mary Bruce, Grand Rapids, Mich

Social Media for Genealogy

My local genealogical society, Calhoun County (MI) presented a program on Social Media for Genealogy tonight.  I tapped my daughter, Kirsten Agnello-Dean, to present.  Kirsten is a Chicago based Social Media Strategist and Creative Copywriter. She is currently working as the Social Media Manager for Artisan Talent; Social Media Strategist and Creative Copywriter for Blue Chip Marketing Worldwide; and Copywriter for Liquid Thread.  I couldn't think of a better presenter than Kirsten. Plus, I get to spend some time with her and she showed her mom some blog love in her presentation.

Kirsten did an excellent job sharing her passion for social media with a group of genealogists.  She has given me permission to share her handout on my blog. Thank you, Kirsten, for helping your mom and my society out. Thank you to my son-in-law, Chase Agnello-Dean, who created the promotional flyer for the program.

Social Media for Genealogy

Resources

Kirsten Agnello-Dean

Facebook.com/KirstenAD

Twitter.com/Kirsten_AD

Recommended Reading

The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users by Guy Kawasaki

Social Networking for Genealogists by Drew Smith

Facebook:  www.facebook.com

Find over 4000 genealogy groups and pages here:   https://moonswings.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/genealogy-on-facebook-list-mar-7-2015.pdf

Search for:

·         USA-National and Regional areas

·         States

·         Countries

·         Cultures: African American, Hispanic, Jewish and more

·         Cemeteries

·         DNA

·         Lineage Societies

·         Military

·         Surnames and more.                       

Twitter-www.twitter.com

·         # means hashtag in twitter

·         Search #genealogy to find people to follow

·         Search areas of interest, libraries, societies, etc. and follow them.

Blogs

·      

·         http://www.familytreemagazine.com/article/Top-40-Genealogy-Blogs-2013  a list of the top 40 blogs honored by Family Tree Magazine.

·          http://www.journeytothepastblog.com/ One of the above top 40 blogs, written by CCGS President, Brenda Leyndyke

Other Social Media Platforms

·         Pinterest- www.pinterest.com

o   Look for genealogy related materials, resources, libraries, areas of interest,etc.

·         Instagram-available for ios (i-phone) and android devices. View-able on computers.

o   Follow libraries, National Archives, and more to see great pictures on topics that are of interest to genealogists.

Sunday's Obituary: Estelle Fenn Shaw

You never know what you will find when searching newspapers for family obituaries!  I was at my local library, Helen Warner Branch of Willard Library, searching for Battle Creek Enquirer news articles.  I was looking for an obituary for my great grandmother, Hattie Fenn Glover.  I didn't find Hattie's obituary, but I found her sister's, Estelle Fenn Shaw.

LOCAL WOMAN'S SISTER SUCCUMBS IN JACKSON

Mrs. Estelle Shaw Was Member of Prominent, Mother of Publisher.

     Mrs. Estelle Shaw, member of a well known family of Jackson and sister of Mrs. Hattie Glover of Goguac lake, died at 2:30 o'clock Friday afternoon at the home of her daughter, Mrs. R.H. Rossman, in Jackson. Mrs. Shaw was the widow of the late James F. Shaw, who was a prominent shoe merchant of Jackson. She had been ill about two weeks according to the message received by her Battle Creek relatives.
     Mrs. Shaw is survived by two children, the daughter at whose home she died and a son, Arch Wilkinson Shaw of Chicago, well known publisher.  She is also survived by the sister, Mrs. Glover, who lives with her daughter, Mrs. Victor Tyson, 103 Lakefront, Goguac lake and two brothers, Tully D. Fenn of route five, Battle Creek and George Fenn of Hersey, Osceola county. Mrs. Shaw had often visited in Battle Creek.
     Funeral services will be held Monday afternoon at 2:30 from the daughter's home in Jackson.  All of the Battle Creek relatives will motor over to attend the service.  Burial will be in Jackson cemetery.

Source:  Obituary: Local Woman's Sister Succumbs in Jackson, Battle Creek Enquirer, Battle Creek, Calhoun, Michigan, United States, 15 July 1934, page 3; column 6.

Military Monday: S.S.Glover, Jr. Compiled Military Service Records

Samuel Stillman Glover, Jr. Compiled Military Service Record Cards

My excitement is slowly dissipating from the phone call I received from my daughter, Kirsten, when she was visiting the National Archives in Washington, D.C. and asked if she could do any research for me.  Kirsten wrote about her visit here.

Kirsten provided me with my Civil War veteran, Samuel S. Glover, Jr's compiled military service record (CSMR).  I had been thinking about ordering the record ever since I ordered Samuel's pension file.

The CSMR contained seventeen cards and a certificate of disability.  I knew from Samuel's pension file that he had been injured while carrying dispatches to General Buell.  He was shot in the knee and spent time in a military hospital. The cards in his compiled military service record document his time spent in the hospital.  I have a copy of the cards and decided to take the information from those cards and create a table of dates and places.

Date	Place	Information
1861
Nov/Dec 1861	Louisville, Kentucky	Enrolled Dec. 7th in Hanover. Mustered In Dec 25/61 at Louisville, for 3yrs.
1862
Jan/Feb 1862
Mar/Apr 1862	Nashville, Tennessee	Detained in University Hospital without descriptive list
May/June 1862	Nashville, Tennessee	Detained in Hospital
July/Aug 1862	Nashville, Tennessee	US. Hospital No 12 June 8th 1862
Sept/Oct 1862
Nov/Dec 1862	Nashville, Tennessee	Absent in Hospital since Nov 20th 1862
1863
Jan/Feb 1863	Nashville, Tennessee	Left sick in Nashville Feb 13 1863
Mar/Apr 1863	Nashville, Tennessee	Left sick in Nashville Nov. 20, 1862
April 10 1863		Left sick Nov 30, 1862
May/June 1863	Nashville, Tennessee	Sick in Nashville since Nov. 20/62
July/Aug 1863	Nashville, Tennessee	Sick in Nashville since Nov 20, 1862
Sept/Oct 1863	Nashville, Tennessee	Sick in Nashville since Nov. 20, 1862
Nov/Dec 1863	Nashville, Tennessee	Sick in Nashville since Nov. the 20th/62
1864
Jan/Feb 1864		Discharge and final statement Dec. 8, 1862

David Watt's Passport

Source: "U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925," [database on-line], Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 3 March 2015), entry for David Watt; Passport Applications, 1795-1905; (National Archives Microfilm Publication M1372, 694 rolls); General Records of the Department of State, Record Group 59; National Archives, Washington, D.C.Passport Applications, January 2, 1906-March 31, 1925.

David Watt was planning a visit to England and Scotland in August of 1920 to visit relatives. He applied for a passport for this trip.  I found his passport application at Ancestry.com in the database, "U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925.  David's application was filled with information that genealogists love to find.

This form was filled out by David himself.  He swears to the following information:

• Birth: 25 September 1858
• Birth Place: Methil, Scotland
• Father's Name: John Watt
• Father's Birth Place: Scotland
• David's Emigration Date: about 28 April 1879 from Glasgow
• Residence: Marquette, Michigan from 1882-1920
• Naturalization: Marquette County, Marquette, Michigan on 5 December 1886
• Occupation: Locomotive Engineer
• Signature: See Document
• Description of Applicant: 
• Age: 61 years
• Stature: 5 feet, 7 1/2 inches, Eng.
• Forehead: high
• Eyes: blue
• Nose: straight
• Mouth: medium
• Chin: round
• Hair: brown, partly gray
• Complexion: fair
• Face: long
• Distinguishing marks: left ear partly gone

And the best part of the whole application:  THE PICTURE!  

I had known some of this information, but it is always nice to have a second source that confirms it. It amazed me how one document could provide such rich information and description of my great grandfather, David Watt.

Next steps for me was to 1) look for his naturalization papers-which I found at the Archives of Michigan and 2) look for David Watt on a passenger list-I found the passenger list for his return to the United States from this trip. I am still looking for the passenger list when he emigrated from Glasgow.  

David arrived back in the United States on the 23 October 1920 having sailed from Southhampton, England to New York, New York aboard the Mauretania.  Images of the Mauretania can be found here, at ancestry.com.

Who knew that a two page document would provide such rich genealogical information.

Those Thursday Places: Rockenhausen, Germany and My Graf Family

Google Maps

The Graf side of my family comes from Rockenhausen, Germany, seen above at point A.  The first Rockenhausen immigrant was Johann Caspar Graf, the son of Johann Philipp Graf and Sophia Kolter. Caspar was baptised on 19 October 1827, in Rockenhausen. He emigrated aboard the Bremen vessel, Roland, in 1859.  Caspar settled in Miami county, Indiana.

Google Maps

Currently, Rockenhausen is a town in the Donnersbergkreis, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. There isn't much geographical information found online, but a Fredrick cousin of mine visited the area and shared the following pictures with me.  Thank you, Bob, for sharing and showing me the homeland of my Graf family.