Dennis E Austin Again

So I've been working on family a little closer on the time line than John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon.  I started dabbling a little with Dennis E Austin who would be Illda's dad.  He died when she was quite young and she adored him until the day SHE died. 

In broad strokes, Dennis was born in Michigan to Leman Austin Jr. and his wife Elizabeth.  He eventually went to work for the railroad, and Illda lead me to believe that he was an engineer.  Sometime in the early 20th Century, while still living at home with his folks and two brothers, they moved from Michigan to Texas.  Eventually, he would move back with Minnie and Illda.  I believe he was speculating in building in Houston Heights. 

Before I forget, Leman Jr. and his family lived next door to the James Moore family.  A little girl named Elizabeth was part of that family.  Leman and Elizabeth would end up getting married. 

Dennis died of malarial fever in 1912. 

Here is a letter that he wrote his parents.  It is transcribed by me, exactly as written, although, I have broken it into paragraphs for easier reading:

"Oct 2 1910

My Dearest Parents  I am going to surprise you with a good long letter to pay for the long wait.  I expected to get the money every day + would then write but I was stood off with $236.00 until I began to think I would never get it.  If I did not have help to pay + materials to pay for I could have met this sum almost any time but I had lots of work and then buying the $600 lot at Oak Lawn + Building the cottage got me a little close to the edge.  But I finished it up at last Friday + it is sold for 2075 it cost $1750.00 all complete.  I wanted to make $500 to the good, + will do it again just as soon as I find an idle time, at present I have three jobs contracted for one at $270 + one at 170 and one at 152 which will hold me till Nov 15th.

Well we had  nice shower today + I am going to get busy and get in my winter garden as it makes one feel that way when the Mocking Bird begin to sing in the morning.  We got your pa of seed ok. + Illda enclosed some palm seed which I suppose you had batter wait until spring to plant.

We are all well + strong this fall + everybody is hitting the ball for we begin to see a little farm in Mich now.  It has been quite dry here this summer + of course everyone says this is the worst one yet.  They say the same about the cold weather.  So you can draw your own conclusions.

I have not told you but the lot at San Leon that we bought for the kid in July at 240 we can take 480 for now.  All other property going up same way + as the ship channel is sure things are going up fast (even eating).  I had to buy a pair of $1.00 trousers a couple of weeks ago + it nearly broke my heart.  I am enclosing a p.o. order for $50 + int so make a not for the other 100 + I bet you will get it on time, hoping this reaches you in time to be of use I am with bets love and kisses to you both

Your Dennis

 

Dennis E Austin

Dennis E Austin was my great grandfather, father of Illda Martha Austin and husband of Minnie Martha Austin.  I don't ever remember anybody ever even talking about him. I think he was rather handsome.

That moustache would later be waxed and curled in a typical handle bar style.

Dennis E Austin was born on 04 January 1867 in Michigan and died 02 Aug 1912 in Harris County, Texas from malarial fever. I believe Dennis, Minnie and Illda were living in Houston Heights.  He grew up on a farm, but also lived in Texas as a youngster. As an adult, he made a living as a railroad conductor and later as a decorator, painter and paper hanger.  From the letters I have that he wrote him, I think he was speculating in real estate in Houston around the turn of the century.

His father was Leman Austin, his mother Elizabeth "Lizzie" Moore Austin.  He had two brothers:  WM Austin (aka Wibur, aka Will) and Claude Austin (aka Claudie, Clauddie).  Dennis and Minnie had one daughter, my granny Illda Martha Austin -- who was born in Toledo, Ohio.

I have transcribed a letter he wrote home to his parents.  Some of it is difficult to read.  I am typing it exactly as it is written, with bad spelling and punctuation.  It is written on hotel stationery.

"Summit House
        J.B. Taylor, Proprietor
                   
First Class Accommodations
        Headquarters for Traveling Men
                 Located in Central Part of City
                            Rates $1.50 to $2 per day

Saturday, May, but March

                                                          Marquette, Mich., May 5/88

Dear Parents,

              I came to Marquette last night.  I am feeling quite well, for all I am 500 miles from home.  We went to Battle Creek that night and had to stay there until 10 O clock next day for the west end local and by so doing we had no fare to pay until we got to Allegan.  We got there at noon and went north on the GR (unreadable word) Road at five o clock and got in Grand Rapids at 7.  we had to layover until 11.00 before we got out of there.  got to Macinaw City at 10.30 staid all night and crossed the straits at seven o clock.  it is 8 miles across to st. I______.  We (unreadable word) an ore train at 1 o'clock in the afternoon and came another 120 miles further north.  got here 3.30 this morning.  I struck another pardner at st Ignace and as I could get a ride (unreadable word) could not I came ahed.  So Fred telegraphed for a pass yesterday and will get here today and I will meet him here and go on to gether 125 miles further. When we get there we will be about 600 miles from home.  I am writing before my breakfast so I will have to close.  Give my love to Will & Pearl.  Tell them to write when I get there I will write again so you will know where to write.

                                                                  Yours son,
                                                                      D.E. Austin
When we came across yesterday morning the straits was (unreadable word) on each side full of ice.  It was terrible rough so everybody said the wind blew like a hurricane but I thought it was fun.  Some of them were pucking they probably didn't see any fun in it.

                                                                      D.E.A."

I found out today that Wilbur M Austin, Dennis' little brother had married Pearlie Sheeler in 1889.

Ella O Mallison Mallison Hughes Griffith Hollibaugh Ashbaugh

Louis, Ella, Cleo and Thelma Hughes

So I decided to quit obsessing for a bit and work on another family member, my great grandmother Ella O Mallison.  I actually remember her as well as her last husband Llwelyn Ashbaugh.

First off, she married her cousin Edward Mallison on 4 Jul 892 in St. Joseph, Michigan.  They had one child, named Charles.  I have not yet looked into just how close a cousin Edward was, but I'm thinking that it was way closer than it should have been.

Ella O Mallison's father was Samuel Lee Mallison and her mum was Permelia (spelled many different ways) Hortense Smith.

Her one marriage that is pertinent to me is her marriage to the widow Alfred Joseph Hughes.  The marriage date was 3 July 1900 in Dorrance, Michigan.  The 1900 United States Federal Census has her listed in the Alfred Hughes household as the housekeeper.  Besides Alfred and Ella, there are 3 children from Alfred's first marriage:  Alfred Leroy (14 years old, born in March 1886), Bertha V (11 years old, born August 1888) and Fray A (5 years old, born December 1894).

On the marriage license with Alfred J Hughes, the witnesses were Fred and Eva Kayce from Quincy, Michigan.  I am guessing that Eva is Ella's younger sister.  Not for sure yet, but it gives me a place to check out.

Ella was born in Quincy, Branch, Michigan on 07 Sept 1874.

After Ella O Mallison, married her cousin Edward, and Alfred Joseph Hughes, she then married a Orison Hollibaugh or Halibaugh on 25 Feb 1911.  I can't find anything about that marriage but I did notice that it was only 7 months after Alfred died.  She shows up in a lot of directories still carrying the name of Ella Hughes.  So I don't know if the marriage was annulled or what.  I'll have to look into the law and social mores regarding name changes back in those days.  She married Charles Griffith on 27 December 1922 and she kind of vanishes.  Don't know if she was divorced or widowed from Charles.  She marries Llewelyn Ashbaugh in 1930.

If you are researching Ella O Mallison, you will find her married to a Floyd Hughes in the 1910 United States Federal Census.  If you'll click all the way in to view the original document, you'll see that it is Alfred Hughes, but whoever wrote "Alfred" down made quite a mess of it.

Besides Charles, Ella had three other children:  Louis or Lewis -- my grandpa called him Red, my grandfather Cleo and Thelma.  I've found a few random clues that I have not followed up on.  Louis or Lewis was named after Alfred's dad, Louis Hug.  I have read that Thelma's middle name is Permillia which would be after Ella's mom and Cleo's middle name (this I know for sure) was Mallison, his mother's maiden name.

Permilla Mallison had given birth to  children, but as of 1900 only 8 were alive:  Ella, Eva, Melinda I, Settie or Lettie, Myrtle, Howard and John.  That's 7, and I believe that there was another boy, Lee who was born after 1879 and old enough to leave home by 1900.

Ella worked as a housekeeper, a cook and a "packer" for the Kellogg Company.    

James Cahoon of Wayne, Michigan

I hate it when I start obsessing.  Going over and over and round and round.  I can't seem to let go of Lucia Cahoon Drake, wife of John Stout Drake.  I'm researching her brothers and sisters and parents.  Sometimes you get a little random information that you can use, but most of the time I am banging my head against the wall.  Then I write it all out to see what I'm missing...which is everything.  Shoot, the people that are researching Lucia can't even agree on the spelling of the last name.  Is it Cahoon?  Cohoon?  Cahoone?  Calhoun? 

The 1840 United States Census shows James Cahoon living in Wayne, Michigan.  In 1840 Lucia would have been about 15.  There is 1 female recorded between 10-15.  In the 1850 United States Census all the households names are listed.  Comparing 1850 with 1840 -- in 1840 there is a female between the ages of 15 and 20.  1850 reveals that her name was Mary J.  Lucia names one of her daughters Mary.  There is another girl, under the age of 5.  Her name is Mellisee. There are also two boys in the house:  one that was born between 1820-1825 and another born between 1825-1830.  I am guessing that the oldest -- the once closest to the age of Lucia is James A.  There is a James A Cahoon business man in Hillsdale at the same time Lucia is there.  I believe the youngest boy is Albert. 

James Cahoon, the dad, has two wives.  The first is the mother to Mary J., Lucia, Mellisee, Albert and the other boy I think is James A.  James marries Jane Ann Sloan in 1838.  They have Alice, Florence, Flora, Robert and Cora.  There is a 7 year gap between Albert and Alice.  I'm guessing mom died, one year of mourning, a couple of years to find another wife, 2 years for the next baby. 

There seems to be two distinct Cahoon families.  There are the Cahoons from New York.  Most of these boys settle in Michigan and then there are the North Carolina Cahoons.

James Cahoon's parents were Joseph Cahoon and Nancy Parr.  And I will spell "Cahoon" as I've found it in other family trees -- just make note that these are NOT errors.  Their children are:

• David Cohoon 1783-1858
• Thomas Cahoon  1786-1858
• Heman Cahoon  1788-
• Stephen Cohoon  1789-1858
• Henry Cahoon 1790 or 1796
• William Cohoon  1791
• John Cohoon  1791-
• Charles R Cohoon  1795-1876
• Samuel Cohoon 1797-
• James Cahoon  1800-1872
• Lidick Cohoon  -1802-1888
•  There might be a girl added to this mix.

Scribble Scrabble Chicken Scratch

I've got a lot of books about genealogy.  When I first got into building my family tree, only the libraries had great collections of "how to" books. Then bookstores started carrying a half a dozen titles.  And then came the Internet.  And let me tell you how THAT changed the face of genealogy.

Along with the Internet came Ancestry.com and that's a tremendous place to be once you get that far into it. But, don't neglect your own education.  You need to learn to do your own research -- how to find it, how to interpret it and how to cite it.

Every once in a while I break out one of my beginner books and flip through it.  It helps remind me of how far I've come, and also reminds me of basic thoughts and techniques that I almost forgot.  Today I am going through The Complete Idiot's Guide to Genealogy by Christine Rose and Kay Germain Ingalls.  On page 27 is a great tip:

"Always try to take notes in a manner that minimizes recopying.  Each time they are copied, the chances of error multiples."

Usually I find errors happen when I am in a hurry or I'm so aware of making mistakes that I over compensate and screw up.

I like to keep my handwritten notes in a three ring binder.  However, I hate to carry around a big old binder. I like writing in spiral notebooks with a full size sheet of paper, that has the spiral across the top.  This page HAS to have 3 holes punched in the margin.  I only write on one side of the paper.

Actual writing  -- well, this presents a problem.  I like to write with mechanical pencils.  But pencil smudges.  But I'm one of those people that can't stand to see any mistake scribble scrabbled out -- although back in the '60s we were taught the acceptable method for correcting errors made in ink.  I was ecstatic when the came up with erasable pens.

The point is, if you scribble scrabbled your notes, and scratched things out and didn't use your best handwriting -- even though you were in a hurry -- there's a good chance that you might have to copy those notes  over -- at least part of the notes...like dates, the correct spelling of a name, a middle initial  -- the list goes on and on.  It's kind of like the telephone game -- how you start things one way and they go so far in another direction when it gets back to you.  Scribble scrabble notes can really screw up not only your family tree. but if your tree is on line -- it will screw up their trees too.  I know, people need to do their own research or at the very least their own validation, but they don't.

Just to drive this point home, get into any of the Federal Census and don't stop at the extracted information but go all the way into the page itself.  And read it.  See the letters and numbers that look confusing because they were scribble scrabbled by a tired census worker.  Take that to heart and try to make your own handwriting clearer.  Remember that some of this information is going to survive after your gone.  Be THAT person who everyone loves because they wrote so clearly.

A Letter from Dennis E Austin to His Folks

Transcribed by me:  Martha Ellen Drake Bishop  1 Sep 2012

Note:  This is transcribed exactly as it was written.  I have taken the liberty of breaking this into paragraphs so it is more easily read.


11 am Sunday June 19-10

My Dear Parents

We rec'd your Dear letter + was so glad to hear you were both well.  I am sorry you are feeling so blue though mother.  And for your sakes you should try and throw it off.  For don't you know any time you can't live in old Mich in comfort -- you still have a home + care coming in the only Houston Tex.  Now please don't forget that while I live you will always find me ready to make this good too. 

I expect to buy two more lots soon + if on any of the 6 vacant lots you would like to have a garden the whole year round with a cow and chickens + fruit why I guess we could find a chance to put up a nice cozy 4 room and bath cottage + you won't need to have the blues at all for since I am by myself I could make a painter of father I know.  With your chickens eggs + milk at 10@ (sic) per quart + garden I don't believe you would ever feel but what you had plenty. 

I cannot imagine what the matter can be up there for I feel that Claude should be all that thru boys would be to you located right next door as it seems to me when I feel how far away I am.  I am going to write him today although he has not answered my last letter + I don't want to wait any longer.  I shall take it myself to talk to him just as an older bro has a right, for I know that he little appreciates the natural responsibility that is his + would be mine were I located so near you.  I have never asked you nor have you told me of your deal in the place whee he lives + I cannot think he would do anything but right by your.  And if it is anything of this nature you must tell me + if I cannot advise I can at least have the chance to help you. 

I wish so much I could have a good visit + help you see the bright side.  I am glad to say I don't have the sour stomach I used to have.  I think the climate + being busy all the time that I just work eat + sleep + don't think at all.  I have been rushed some for the last two weeks, but tomorrow I put on another man + get caught up a little.  There is lots of work in sight + now that I am by myself + (unreadable word) to look after it.  I can make much more than I could with a partner.  I got up this am at 5 + done my garden work befor the sun got up.  I tore out root + branch 8 hills of cucumbers that were bearing fine.  I bet there was a wash tub full of all sizes of them but I had to take them in two armfuls and put these around the peach plum + fix trees in the chicken yard, then I took the sickle and went around the tomato vines + I pruned there sure so a little more sun could get in.  I have 8 tree tomatoes that stand up nice + the fruit has a chance to ripen all I have to do is to drive a stake and tie the stalk to it. 

I wish you could come to dinner today.  Roast veal new potatoes green corn sliced tomatoes.  Sliced onions and cucumbers.  Ice tea, but no pie or cake.  Now I happen to think when is that note due + do you want it renewed with int at 8 per.  Write and let me know in your next letter more about your business affairs + also if your int with what you raise on the little place keeps you.  I don't know but it seems to me that when I see men with no business ability with the price of $200 lot build a @600 cottage on it + sell the whole thing for from $1500 to $1800 that there are better things than digging.  That's why I am (unreadable word) into lots any time some one wants that particular location I will finish paying for them in a lump sum + negotiate a lone with the lumber Co + double my money + get 8 per cent on the bal of purchase price even if one has to hold the lots the int + taxes are not 1/4 of what the regular rise in price is, when $1 a foot is tacked on to them regularly twice a year helps some. 

Well I have written a whole lot + said nothing + I must save a little room for the women folks.  So I will say good bye.  Try and cheer up.  With best love + kisses to you both I am always your Dennis.

What Did I Miss?

I am looking at a transcription from FamilySearch.org fromthe "Michigan, Births and Christenings, 1775-1995," for Lucia M. Drake.  The reason I printed this out was because it was a record for Lucia stating that she was born in Amboy, Hillsdale, Michigan.  I have also found a document that said she was born in Ohio.  It was just something to think about as the folks in that part of Michigan went back and forth across the state line all the time, but I was looking for more information about my great grandfather Allison Royce Drake. 

Anyway, on this birth record, it says her mother is Jane Drake, but the father's name is Henry Drake.  Now I don't think that Jane had a child with a Henry Drake, but I'm wondering if the reason I can't find any death records, or newspaper articles or anything like that is because he went by the name Henry.  His son Royse Allison went by the name "Bill."  Apparently his uncle, Frank Converse (Lucia Melissa's daughter) husband, that said Royse was too pretty of a name and he was going to call him Bill ... and it stuck. 

So maybe Allison went by Henry. I think he was a shady character and maybe he was looking to disappear.  It's something to check out, at least.  Leave no stone unturned.