The Cousins Next Door- Ferguson & Mills

Robert Ferguson, Mary Mills holding young Thomas Fountain McGinnis and Charlie Mills at the right,

circa early 1925

(The above photo, and the one of Charlie Mills that follows were provided by Molly McGinnis Wright, saved from her grandparents collection. This group photo serves to verify the identification of the elder gentleman on page 36 of the Album Mary Ellen McGinnis left behind that was never validated as being Robert Ferguson)

Mary Mills and her younger brother Charlie lived on the farm to the east of where Mother grew up in Florence. Neither of them ever married and I never, ever heard a word of anger come from either one of them. Politically or when discussing the ethics of other local citizens, Charlie could become very animated in his discussions, but Mary was always just the opposite. Soft spoken and with very gentle mannerisms. Some of my fondest memories are of these two. The one year we lived on the farm beginning in the summer of 1950 I believe through early fall of 1951 really is the time that my most warm and lasting memories of the two really are traced to.

They were friends, neighbors and relatives all in one. Mary was known to us as “Mamie”. Looking back I look on her almost as if she were my own Grandmother. Since she was 18 years older than Mother, looking back I can see how that came about. By the time I was born, all my grandparents had been long departed. Mamie seemed to fit the bill to me but I never ever expressed that openly. It was just an internal thing with me.

Actually Mother and Mamie were cousins and when tracing the family line, Mother, Mary and Charlie, can be traced back to a common great-grandfather. This patriarch of the McGinnis family has never been formally identified by name or place but it is assumed he was born and died in Ireland, probably in County Monaghan.

We grew up always knowing that Mother and Mary were cousins but just how they were related as second cousins was never explained and only in recent years due to interest in family history have I been able to define the relationship. Granted, perhaps there are other ways through marriage that created the relationship but all available evidence really traces the connection back to one unknown McGinnis great-grandfather of the two, a man whose given name we do not know, a man that most certainly lived his entire life in Ireland.

The following abbreviated family tree and table identifies the relationship of various family members to that one unknown man in Ireland. This connection is what establishes Mary Agnes McGinnis and Mary Mills as Second Cousins to one another. To my generation, the children of Mary Agnes and Charles Jones Sr., we are “Second Cousins Once Removed” to Mary and Charlie and to the unknown McGinnis ancestor from long ago Ireland, we are labeled as “Second Great-Grandchildren” to him.

The McInnis surname in the table is a branch of the McGinnis clan in New Brunswick. This branch comes from another child of the unknown ancestor, a daughter Catherine that married an Andrew McInnis, of Scotch descent, in Nelson, New Brunswick, in the vicinity of Chatham. A McGinnis marrying a McInnis makes looking through old church records a virtual nightmare when first coming across the marriage. No data tracing the McInnis descendants to current times has been found as yet. Another daughter, Mary, married into the Ferguson clan in Chatham which provides the relationship link to Mary and Charlie. In summary, the unknown ancestor had three children that we know of, son John, our great-great grandfather, as well as the two daughters described above. All the known descendants of these three siblings are included in the table.

Mary and Charlie lived on the ten acres of land inherited from their Uncle Robert Ferguson after he died in 1927. They continued tending their small herd of milking cows also left to them and through hard work on both their parts they managed to support themselves up until their deaths in the 1960’s. An album left behind by our grandmother Mary Ellen contains two photos on a page, side by side, of an older gentleman and another photo of Mary. This is what might be considered strong evidence that the gentleman is Robert. Our grandfather James McGinnis and his next door neighbor Robert Ferguson were first cousins. The two purchased the land for their farms, side by side, the very same day and began their life of farming in Florence together in 1891-1892.

Robert Ferguson (1845-1927) and Niece Mary C. Mills (1878- 1968)
Page 36 of the Photo Album Assembled by Mary Ellen McGinnis

Mary and Charlie were born in Chatham, New Brunswick, Canada where all the McGinnis family originated. Mary was born in 1878, Charlie in 1890. Their father Luke Mills married Catherine Ferguson, sister of Robert Ferguson. Catherine and Robert’s mother was Mary McGinnis and all evidence points to the fact that Mary McGinnis was a sister of our great-grandfather, John McGinnis. Difficult to put into words and thus a family tree is inserted here. Begin with the unknown McGinnis and the connection can easily be seen.

Mary and Charlie were but two of seven children with the birth years ranging from 1877 when William Mills was born to Charlie’s birth in 1890. Using census data it can be established that Mary left home in the early 1900’s and traveled to Boston to work as a domestic in homes in and around Boston. Her Boston destination was established through later anecdotal facts passed on to friends in Florence, namely from Ivy Hansen as related to her by her mother-in-law, Stella (sometimes spelled Estella) Hansen. Mary is not in the 1901 Canadian census nor has she been found in the 1900 U.S. census and the 1910 census states she immigrated in 1902. This establishes that she left New Brunswick at about age 24 or 25 when Brother Charlie was around 12 years old. As a rough estimate Mary was probably working in the Boston area as a servant of some sort beginning around 1900 or 1902 through about 1907 or 1908 when she came west to Florence to the farm of Robert Ferguson, her uncle.

Uncle Robert Ferguson had been farming about ten years when Mary left home and was probably well established. A single man, he rather than his sister Catherine Ferguson, now Catherine Mills, far away in Chatham, took on the responsibility for caring for their aging father, John Ferguson. John Ferguson is found in the 1900 Florence census living with his son Robert and his data states he immigrated in 1891 but had been in the States for 8 years meaning he immigrated in 1892. The latter is the most likely year he arrived in Florence for his son was still establishing his farm in 1891 and he probably would not have traveled all that far until some sort of a living accommodation was available.

John Ferguson died in March of 1908 in Florence, at the age of 88. His death certificate indicates a sudden but non-suffering end. From the document: “Cause of Death-Senility” followed with a statement: “He was not sick. Walked outside and came back and sat in a chair and died in a moment. Duration: 0 days.” No pictures of the senior Ferguson exist. His son Robert is buried beside him in the Florence Cemetery.

The facts tend to establish that Mary may have been asked to come west to Florence, assumedly from Boston, to help care for her grandfather whose health may have been failing. If not that reason, certainly the aging Uncle Robert was also soon to be in need of help around the farm and Mary in her late twenties in 1908, still single, may have been encouraged to come west and eventually fall heir to the farm since Robert had no other direct heirs. The exact year Mary arrived in Florence is not known but since she is in the 1910 Florence census the timing of her arrival to care for her grandfather is highly probable making the year she may have arrived in Florence as 1908, perhaps 1907.

Based on the 1930 Florence census data, brother Charlie Mills arrived from Chatham in 1925 to also help out on the farm. Their Uncle Robert died but two years after Charlie came on the scene and presumably the uncle’s health had begun to fail in the early 1920’s meaning more and more work was falling on Mary and she definitely needed help.

Charlie Mills, about 35 years old

Holding Young Thomas Fountain McGinnis (1923-1995)
Tommie probably about a year old (born November 20, 1923) making this photo date to be at least November 1924. Charlie’s 1930 census states he immigrated in 1925. If so then this might be very early 1925 making Tommie just about 14-16 months old. Regardless, this photo of Charlie had to have been taken just about the time he arrived from New Brunswick.

As stated both Charlie and Mary remained on the small farm of ten acres the rest of their lives managing a small dairy herd that I recall was always around ten cows. This was about three or four more than cousin John McGinnis next door always maintained alone.

Mary remained a devout Catholic all of her life and was active in maintenance of various church needs of St. Cecelia’s parish in East Stanwood that fell on the members of the Altar Society, a traditionally woman’s role in any Catholic parish. During our stays on the farm Mother did not always attend Mass on Sundays and many times Mary would take Don and me in tow and be off to Mass with us on foot to ensure that we completed our weekly obligation.

Mary and Charlie both would often relate stories to Don and me as we sat in the dining room of the Mills home as they told of the cold winters of their upbringing in New Brunswick. Of course these sessions were usually accompanied with milk from the mornings milking and fresh baked bread rolls or cake. Their stories always fascinated me as they acquainted us with a land so near yet so far away with a climate that seemed unimaginable. Obviously they were both pleased to have found sustenance for themselves in a much milder climate in North America. These early stories remained with me always and served to help arouse my curiosity in later years to pursue early family history in the Chatham area of New Brunswick where all these first generation Irish were raised.

Charlie preceded Mary in death by two years when he died on February 24, 1966 at the age of 76. Mary lived to the age of 90 when she passed away January 2, 1968. Just who the heirs were is unknown but perhaps their property passed to some distant Seattle cousins of the Gagner or Bagnall families. It is felt that these families maintained contact with Mary and Charlie over the years. The graves of Mary and Charlie are yet to be found and photographed but all indications are that they were both laid to rest in Anderson Cemetery in Stanwood, the same resting place for cousins John and Jim McGinnis.

The memory of Mary and Charlie Mills by Ivy Hansen, a long time friend and neighbor, as recently related to Molly McGinnis in a letter reveals Ivy’s memory and opinion.

"They did not inherit the McGinnis good looks, but were so jolly and smiling. Mary was a long time friend of my mother-in-law. She told me that before she came west she worked in wealthy homes in Boston, which was a train ride south of her home town. I can't remember whether she lived in the U.S. or Canada. She made strong tea. They had no car and on Memorial Day I would take her to the Florence cemetery where she tended the graves of her uncle Bob Ferguson and his father (her grandpa)."

Grave, Luke (1848-1919) and Catherine Ferguson Mills (1850-1915)
Parents of Mary and Charlie Mills

St. Michaels Cemetery, Chatham, New Brunswick




Mary Agnes McGinnis and Mary Mills
On the McGinnis Back PorchCirca 1911-1912, Mom about 15 years old, making Mary about 33 or 34. The earliest picture found of Mary.



Mary Mills and a Seattle Fitzpatrick Cousin
Feeding Chickens on the Mills Farm




Mary Mills and Marie McAteer
At The McGinnis Front Gate
Marie Was a Long Time Family Friend of all the Florence Families, From Seattle




Mary Ellen McGinnis, Mary Mills and one of the Seattle Fitzpartick Cousins
Oat Harvest in Progress





Mary Ellen McGinnis Standing on the Right, Next to Mary Mills, Sitting Second From Right
Even Mary liked her hats





Mary Agnes and Mary Mills
Circa late 1920’s to early 1930’s, Mary about 50 years old perhaps. No pictures of Mary later in life than this photo have been found.




At the Roadside in Front of the House

Mary Mills on the left next to James McGinnis Jr. Molly McGinnis has identified the two people on the left as Cecil and Clarence James brother of Aunt Marie and his wife. Joe Lyons is in the car and the little boy to the left is Clarence and Cecil's eldest son, Alva

Ivy Hansen Recollections-

Chuck Jones and Ivy Hansen

April 2008, Stanwood, Washington

Taken by Mike & Louanne Jones in the Stanwood Historical Museum

What follows is the summary of a reply from Ivy Hansen of Florence, the small island in the delta of the Stillaguamish River, near Stanwood, Washington, wrote to Molly McGinnis Wright, a McGinnis cousin in the Newberg, Oregon area. Molly had written Ivy in early 2008 asking what she may remember about the McGinnis families during the early history of Florence. A few weeks later Ivy graciously replied.

Ivy is the wife of Howard Hansen, now deceased. Howard was raised on a small farm along the river road to the west of the McGinnis farm and the lives of the families intertwined over the years. The Hansen farm was adjacent to the Hall or Jorgensen acres probably less than half a mile from where our Mother, Mary Agnes McGinnis was born and raised. Howard was also a member of St. Cecelia’s parish in Stanwood and remained a good friend of the McGinnis clan for many years.

Howard and Ivy married sometime in the late in the 1940’s and I have but a vague recall of Ivy. Howard I remember very well.

Molly wrote Ivy inquiring on various family history questions she had primarily regarding her own Grandfather, our beloved Uncle Tom. Molly’s summary follows:


Ivy said she never met Grandpa Tom and Grandma Marie that she could recall, unfortunately. She did have a few memories of Uncle Jim, Uncle John and your mother, however.

Here's what she said about Uncles Jim & John:

"They lived together on the small family farm until they had a disagreement; then Jim moved to town where he worked as a bartender at Stanwood Hotel & Tavern. (It is still a thriving business). Though John lived very near, I seldom saw him; I was very busy as I had 6 children and didn't get out much. I do remember that he served on the grand jury in Seattle. He would get dressed up, walk to town (about 1 1/2 miles) and take the bus to Seattle. I admired him for making the effort, when he must have been in his sixties."

Do you know what the disagreement may have been she was talking about? I asked my Mom and she thought it may have been Jim's drinking.

Here's what Ivy had to say about your Mom:

"Aggie spent summers at John's farm along with her two youngest children. Charlie worked at the Bremerton Navy yard and came up weekends. In the depths of the depression, Juanita and Franklin went to Florence school for a few months where I went through 8 grades. Maybe their dad was temporarily unemployed (I'm guessing)."

I then asked about Gertrude Hall Jorgensen and her children. Here's what she had to say:

"Marie [Marie was the oldest Jorgensen child. She was the daughter of next door cousin Gertrude Donahue Hall, later Jorgensen] was my 2 year older sister's friend and I went with her to visit Marie. I'm sure I was quite young at the time. I took my sweater off in the house and laid it on the front room table. Mrs. Jorgensen [Gertrude Donahue Hall] came rushing from the kitchen and swept my sweater off the table with her hand. I was so scared by her action that I started to cry. Marie said, "Don't worry, she won't hurt you.". Did you know that Mrs. J. was insane? It started before Myrtle [Marie's sister] was born (Molly note: Myrtle was born in Dec 1929 according to census), so the children had a difficult early life. Andy was in the Army in WW2 and lived in Seattle afterward. I heard he was a dance instructor at a studio. Marie married and had 2 sons; she lived in Florence until she died suddenly at 55. Myrtle moved to the S. Oregon coast soon after she married. She had 2 daughters and a son. I didn't see her again until the kids were adults. She said the girls worked their way thru the U of O by modeling clothes. They must have been tall and slim like Myrtle was."

[I have very warm memories of Marie. Whenever Mom came to the farm in the summer Marie always stopped by to visit].

So, here's another story about poor Gertrude's problems. What a sad life she must have lead with no professional help available at the time.Since I wasn't sure exactly how old Ivy was, I asked if she remembered anything about Mary Ellen or [sister]Catherine, or Catherine's husband, Hugh.
Here's what she said:

"No, she knew nothing of them. I was born in 1923; we moved to Florence in 1930. As a child in depression years I walked to Stanwood at times to movies or on errands for my Mom. I had to walk past "Catholic Row"; 5 houses, so I knew who the McGinnis's and Mills's were. Also, Mrs. Estella Hansen's who became my mother-in-law."

Now, I'm assuming these 5 house of "Catholic Row" (what Alice Koffel said she remembered as being called "Irish Town) would have been James McGinnis, Hugh McGinnes, Mary Mills (old Ferguson place), James Hall/Jorgensen place, and the Hansen place. Is that how you read that? When I look at the 1930 census, you see these five residences listed all in a row. Do you think it is worth a try for me to send her some copies of the photos from say, pages 14, 17, 18 to see if she might be able to identify some of them? I'm pretty sure about Tom Hall, Tom McGinnes, Hugh, Jr. & Arthur but she might be able to identify some of the others even though she would have known them from a much later time. Since they were so close with their neighbors, she might be able to say if that's who some of these fellows are since we can't really identify them as relatives. Let me know what you think.

I then asked her about Hugh and Catherine's children and what she remembered about [Cousin] Tom McGinnes:

"My dad served with Tom in the army in WWI. They were sent east to Hoboken, NJ but armistice was declared then. Tom played baseball with the Florence team when he was young. They had uniforms and played against other teams (I've seen pictures). He planted a vegetable garden, but not until July 4; said it caught up with our garden planted a month earlier. He helped my husband with haying. Tom had no teeth and I tried to cook a noon dinner that he could "gum".

"He salvaged floating logs from the Stillaguamish river (out front, and across the road). He made them into a raft or boom and sold them."

About Marguerite McGinnes Garrison:

"I never saw Marguerite. I heard she worked at a Bartell store in Seattle. Her son, Bob, came to live with his uncle Tom when he was about 16; attended and graduated from Stanwood High School. I believe he remained in this area but I never saw him. His brother, Art also moved to Florence and lived with another man. I think he was helpful to Tom in his old age."

About Alice McGinnes Koffel:

"I saw her once, a pretty, and friendly lady. My brother-in-law knew the Koffels. When he was a young man in the Mount Vernon farming area, he knew the family. Alice and daughters would bake a cake, make sandwiches and invite him and other friends in. He had very good memories of that time."

Gosh, my years of corresponding with Alice sound just like what she described. She was so open and friendly and very giving. Such a sweetheart....About Arthur McGinnes:

"He, his wife and 2 daughters [Mary Catherine and Rosemary] were neighbors in the late 30's. I baby sat a few times at their house. They moved to Mount Vernon; later to Everettt where Art worked at Everett Plywood. My parents visited them as they got older."

I then moved on to the Mills family--Mary and Charlie. I loved her initial response. Read on....

"They did not inherit the McGinnis good looks, but were so jolly and smiling. Mary was a long time friend of my mother-in-law. She told me that before she came west she worked in wealthy homes in Boston, which was a train ride south of her home town. I can't remember whether she lived in the U.S. or Canada. She made strong tea. They had no car and on Memorial Day I would take her to the Florence cemetery where she tended the graves of her uncle Bob Ferguson and his father (her grandpa?)."

Okay, so they weren't as handsome as the McGinnis's....what a hoot! However, wasn't it interesting about the fact that she had gone to Boston to work as a domestic in homes in Boston before coming to Florence? I tried seeing if I could find anything in the U.S. for 1900 for Mary, but I couldn't find anyone I thought might be her. She wasn't at home in Chatham in 1901 and I think the 1910 census said she immigrated in 1902 (but it was pretty hard to read), so I tried 1900 just to see if I could find her.Lastly, I asked if she ever recalled any relatives or friends that came to visit the McGinnis/Jorgensen/Mills families from Seatlle and she said she had no recollection of any.So.....that's it. Not a huge amount of info but some nice memories and stories as well as a few insights. I noticed that Ivy's mother-in-law was born in Wisconsin so I'm going to to a bit of digging to see if her parents, the Carlsen's, had some connection to the Donahue's back in Wisconsin. I'll let you know. Drop me a line when you can.

Molly

Spring Has Arrived- Mother Would Be Pleased-

A Beautiful Spring in Florence
A Practical Use for a Rare, Unique and Lasting Family Antique

I suppose that only Don and I might really appreciate this, but Dale Slyngstad, the current Matriarch of the James McGinnis abode of early Florence, Washington, so happily continuing the use of the land that Mother and her Uncles grew up on, has found a practical use for one lasting relic left on the land. A very unusual relic indeed.

It has been so heartening to view the current home and acreage through pictures Dale has generously shared with me via the internet. She is a very warm person with a loving respect of the property and she seems to have formed a definite attachment to it. Dale and her husband are good stewards of the land and house where we spent so many wonderful summers as we grew up. If Mother were alive, she would be overjoyed to see her old home today after the several years of abuse it went through from renters after Uncle John died in 1952. My viewing it today really reverses the sadness I always had that came from Dad having to eventually sell the farm. To see it go out of the family was so sad but now the feelings are mended. That means so much to me personally.

Knowing that not all the trees and out buildings survived, only the house in a restored and remodeled condition, it occurred to me that one item would have been difficult to discard or even destroy. That one item would be the old watering trough, built so sturdily of cast concrete. It served the family dairy cows so well, for so many years, especially through the warm and sometimes even hot summers. The small herd of maybe five to seven would gather around the trough and the nearby salt block during those hot days and stay for hours in the shade of the barn but a few feet away.

A casual inquiry to Dale this past February brought back a totally unexpected selection of photos of the trough and its current resting place. It was a pleasant surprise to find that it still exists. Most surprising though is the enterprising and clever way that the Slyngstads are utilizing it. So practical and very ornamental to say the least. What might be considered an ugly piece of concrete has been turned into an asset, something that most people might have considered a liability, something to destroy. It’s difficult to determine for certain but it does appear as if it was dragged a very short distance from its original position bringing it nearer to the house and apparently now a part of the back yard although it appears to be in its original east west orientation,

Tulips In Full Bloom

May 5, 2009

This really warms my heart to see this and I know that all those souls that lived on this land in the past are smiling as well.


The following photo shows the trough earlier this year. Dale really was so helpful in providing the pictures. The tree in the background made the most delicious pies and applesauce. It is a Transparent variety and I am really astonished that it still survives. It had to have been planted in our Grandmother’s time of her heavy cooking and baking days. I would bet it was planted in the early 1920’s if not before for in my memory of the mid to late 1940’s it was well established and always a heavy producer of fruit. I can smell the wonderful pies it made even today.

And yes, before City Water arrived, a hand pump and a wooden trough as demonstrated here by Uncle John.

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Donahue's Begin Life in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin

Land Acquisition, and The Farming Begins

Thomas and his young bride obviously had a plan in mind as they stepped off the boat in Sheboygan that day. The first step was to sell the original Bounty Warrant for 160 acres when on July 8, 1850 Thomas affixed his mark to a bill of sale assigning the right of ownership of his original land patent for 160 acres to John Stevens. Their first child John was born some nine months later in April 1851 and proper shelter and a way to sustain themselves may have been an immediate requirement.


The notarized transfer document shown below does not reveal the amount of the sale. This makes it difficult to really determine how much cash Thomas received, if any. It certainly was not stolen nor was Thomas cheated out of the document. This was somewhat of a problem due to all the Bounty Warrants being issued as a method of settling pay obligations due to the soldiers coming back from Mexico. The folklore surviving from these times tells stories of many young men losing all due them. Even after being warned by their Company Officers, arriving back in New Orleans from Mexico, their first stop on U.S. soil, and heading immediately for all the bars and entertainment of the large city only to become drunk and being coerced into signing over their Bounties for pennies on the actual dollar worth. Thomas escaped that eventuality.

The First Step, Selling or Transferring the Bounty Land Warrant

How the Land Was Acquired- One Explanation

At this point just how the land transaction of the eventual 80 acre farm was completed becomes a bit clouded. In looking over the pension file documents previously it was easy to conclude that Thomas sold his Bounty Warrant for 160 acres and used part of the cash to finance a smaller parcel of land. The original deed for the smaller parcel has recently been found and in essence Thomas did finance the purchase as previously thought but the details of the transaction are really not concise as to how exactly the purchase was made.

Thomas signed an indenture for 100 dollars on 80 acres of land on the very same day he signed over his Bounty Warrant. In reading the original deed he clearly became sole proprietor of the land that day. The deed reflects the owner or seller of the land was one John Stevenson and his wife Elizabeth. Now to literally accept the names on the two documents, the Bounty transfer as well as the Deed, as being absolutely accurate is problematical. Perhaps an error was made in transcribing the actual signed document into the County Register. The County records do not have the actual notary seals attached implying that the County only copied the originals when the transaction was officially filed. A reasonable assumption for surely the original document was maintained by Thomas as the absolute proof of title. I tend to believe that John Stevens and John Stevenson are one and the same person but others do not.

Based on this transaction it appears that Thomas exchanged his Bounty Paper good for 160 acres for the smaller parcel. This leads me to believe that the 80 acres was probably a working farm complete with a home, barn and equipment, and maybe even livestock. All conjecture at this point but in reading the deed one might deduce that there were enough improvements and other value that may have been included in a trade that made the land acquisition a fair exchange. The use of the word “appurtenances” is the key here for it can be interpreted to confirm the above possibility although some dictionary sources provide a single definition i.e. “including any easements previously granted by the seller”. Other dictionary sources give two meanings, covering easements, and implying all current buildings and equipment present on the property at the time of sale. At this point it is quite reasonable to conclude that the Donahue’s purchased property that allowed them to begin farming immediately. It was probably tillable land, maybe even with the seasons crops already planted.

A Partial Copy of the First Page of the Donahue Deed to 80 Acres as Found in the Manitowoc County Records

The Provider of the Copy Failed to Copy the Entire Deed Recording. This However is Sufficient to Validate Land Descriptions Found in Other Documents.

Another Viewpoint- The Most Likely Conclusion

Another cousin currently active in tracing our Donahue roots is Floyd Billings Jr. of Orem, Utah. Floyd has contributed a wealth of information reflecting his some 50 years of gathering all his ancestral information, the Donahue line of course only involving a portion of his research. Floyd presents another likely possibility that Thomas did not trade his Bounty for the lesser 80 acres, instead he received cash on his sale and immediately, on the same day, purchased the land that he settled on. He then saved the remaining cash for several years and later purchased other land in the county. A very likely possibility in all likelihood for if he had acquired land through a trade he probably would not have had remaining cash to operate on if it was considered an even trade. In short Floyd believes that the two names I consider as being the same person really are two different individuals.


Floyd’s comments,

I had also noticed that both of Thomas Donahue's land transactions -- the selling of the soldier's land warrant and the purchase of the 80 acres -- took place on the same day 8 July 1850. I also had noted the similarity in the names John Stevens and John Stephenson and had also wondered, like Allison, if they were somehow the same person and that one of the names was recorded in error. I have now concluded, however, that they were probably not the same person and that the similarity in names is only a coincidence.

Concerning John and Elizabeth Stephenson who sold the 80 acres to Thomas Donahue: They appear (as Stevenson) in the 1850 census of Newton Township (part of which later became known as Liberty) on page 89 with seven children. Joh. Stephenson appears in the 1855 census of Newton, page 46. In 1860. John and Elizabeth Stephenson appear in the census of Buchannan township (an early name for Liberty after it was divided from Newton) with five children, page 204. So it appears that there really were some people named Stephenson.

Since the land warrant papers include the signature of John Stevens, I have concluded that John Stevens and John Stephenson are in fact two different people. It is all a bit strange though.

He concludes with:

Like you, I also assume that the 80 acres, since they were previously owned, were probably at least partially cleared and developed and that Thomas and Mary could begin at least some farming as soon as they arrived. The fact that Thomas was able to pay $480 for an additional 120 acres in July 1855, at the same time supporting a wife and three small children, would certainly indicate that they had a fairly good source of income by that time.

I must admit that it would have been wise to retain cash left from the Bounty sale in order to deal with any unforeseen future needs. Based on that and the fact that he did pay cash at a later time makes me want to agree with Floyd that the land was not acquired as a one to one trade for the Bounty Warrant.

Where They Settled

All this took place about ten or twelve miles to the Southwest of Manitowoc, a city very much in it’s infant stage during these early years. On current Wisconsin maps a small dot denotes the location we are interested in as Osman. It cannot be very large today, if it ever was, but it was the location of the local Post Office for many years as mentioned often as the mailing address for different individuals in various documents found in the Donahue Pension file. Osman is where the local Catholics came together to pool their resources in order to build a church for the Irish, the German and other descents to worship in. That church, St. Isidore’s, no longer functions as a parish but the adjacent cemetery still exists in good condition. Many of the Donahue’s were buried there over the years although Thomas and Mary were buried in Calvary Cemetery in Manitowoc proper after their move to the city in the late 1800’s. At least one of their son’s as well as a brother, a sister and nephew and nieces are documented as being laid to rest in the St. Isidore Cemetery.

Donahue Land Notations
A partial view of the Osman and Meeme areas of Manitowoc County, Wisconsin

The above map is really a copy of a page that was used to make notes on while accumulating all the land property descriptions for various Donahue family members. It is crude in fashion to say the least but all the properties and dates were noted as I came across them. The Thomas Donahue 80 acre farm is the focus here but others need a brief explanation as well. That property is identified on the left of the map in Liberty Township.

The 160 acres claimed by John Stevens on his legally acquired Bounty Warrant  some six months after purchasing it from Thomas is located at the upper right on the map. On the right below that is property acquired later in the 1850’s by Thomas and a portion of which he sold to his brother Patrick.

At the bottom center of the map is the location of the farm of Arnold Siehr and his wife Mary Donahue, sister of Thomas and Patrick. You can see how all the families are all centered around the small community of present day Osman. Osman very well may have had the early name of Meeme, another nearby township. If not, Meeme has long disappeared but for certain it was near today’s Osman.

The details of Arnold Siehr and his wife Mary Donahue, as well as later property transactions of Thomas and his brother will be posted at another time.

Donahue Original Land Bounty Claim and the Process Involved

The original Land Bounty claim is shown below which details the precise location of the claimed 160 acres, claimed by one John Stevens after he became rightful owner of the acreage granted in the warrant. What Stevens did with his newly acquired right for a tract of 160 acres really did not affect the Donahue’s. Since the Pension file is so complete with all the details tracking the actual life of the Bounty from beginning to end they are included here in order to reveal more of how the Government actually dealt with the Bounty process.

The location of the 160 acres of land that Stevens eventually filed on is but a short distance from the land Thomas and his wife actually acquired. There were two documents in the Pension file that were subsequently filed by John Stevens involved in the process of recording his property claim with the Federal Land Office in Green Bay Wisconsin and they follow here. The first dated January 4, 1851 the apparently filed as an application for a deed and the second, actually recorded in Green Bay on January 9, 1851, approving the Bounty Claim. Why two documents were required is puzzling but both were included in the Donahue file in order to bring closure to the Bounty Claim process. A formality I am sure, but probably a procedure to document that Thomas no longer had a legal claim on any property due to his Mexican service.

Bounty Land Warrant, a Duplicate Copy


Back of the Bounty Warrant

John Stevens Claim Application to the Green Bay Federal Land Office

The Final Approval for John Stevens and the Last Step in the Process

The Donahue's Head West to Begin Their Life of Farming-

Travel West

Events began to happen rather quickly after the marriage of Thomas and Mary for the next record of the location of our ancestor was in Wisconsin on July 8th, 1850 when he filed the sale of his land warrant. This was but 53 days after his discharge in New York. They must have been very busy during this short period. It was no minor feat to travel 1200 miles or more to Wisconsin and then to plan out their future. They obviously had a plan knowing just when to sell and soon after, just where to purchase other land in order to establish a farm of their own and begin raising a family and living off the land.

The Probable Route And Method Of Travel

Since it is known by his obituary notice in 1898, as well as affidavits contained in his military pension files, the Donahue couple traveled to Wisconsin via Great Lakes steamer.

Years later when Mary Donahue applied to the Pension Bureau for a Veterans Widow pension following the death of her husband Thomas, the following affidavit was submitted to Washington D.C. during the process of the application. It is an attempt to provide legitimacy of the application to some degree. The Pension Bureau had rules and regulations to follow and judging by all the affidavits for various reasons that are contained in the pension file for Thomas, a picture emerges as to just how complex the steps to procure a pension really were.

Only a part of the affidavit that describes how the journey to Wisconsin was made is inserted below. The mental picture of the route is the journey began in New York City and by either train or steamer along the Hudson River to Albany where a connection to travel west to Buffalo was made. This second leg of the journey at the time may have been by train since these were the days of rapid railroad expansion but in reality the method of travel for this segment may have been by packet boat along the famed Erie Canal. The canal was nearing the end of it’s heyday due to the new railroad competition but it would have still been a viable method of travel for Thomas and his new wife. We really don’t know but having always been intrigued with the construction of the canal my tendency is to favor the possibility that our ancestors actually did travel on this early monument to construction and engineering capability, achieved with such limited equipment, so early in our country’s history.

As the affidavit explains the remainder of the journey from Buffalo, New York, was by steamer across Lake Erie, through Detroit and then north into Lake Huron to traverse the Mackinac Straits into Lake Michigan and then south to Sheboygan on the western shore of the lake and less than 20 miles from where they soon settled on their land in Manitowoc County.

State of Wisconsin
Manitowoc County

On this 7th day of March, AD 1899 personally came before me a Notary Public in and for the county and State of aforesaid, Henry Mulholland, aged 57 years, a resident of the City of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, who being duly sworn according to law on his oath declares that he is now and has been well acquainted with Thomas Donahue and Mary his wife, now his widow, for about 49 years last past. That this affiant became acquainted with said Thomas Donahue and Mary his wife under the following circumstances:

That this affiant came with his parents, came from the old country (Scotland) landed in New York and while on the way to Wisconsin on a Steamer from Buffalo, N.Y. to Sheboygan, Wis, he became acquainted with said Thomas Donahue and Mary his wife , now his widow. That they continued their journey together to Wisconsin. Said Thomas Donahue had been married to now his widow Mary Donahue but a short time before.

That this affiant settled in the Town of Meeme, Manitowoc County Wisconsin and said Thomas Donahue and Mary his wife settled in the Town of Liberty, Manitowoc County, Wisconsin about one mile distant from where this affiants parents settled; That friendship so gained continued and does to this day.…………………..


Henry Mulholland was but a child when he met Thomas and Mary Donahue on the boat during that trip across the Great Lakes. He was traveling with his parents.

By the time this journey was completed the 34 year old Thomas had managed to establish himself as an experienced traveler considering his original journey out of Ireland to somewhere in North America, perhaps through the Canadian Maritimes, then his travels during his five years in the military. The military brought him west out of Maine, probably to the Cincinnati area, to access the Ohio River, thence down the Mississippi to New Orleans, followed by the journey across the Gulf to Veracruz, Mexico and eventually on to Mexico City. Of course the route was reversed sometime in 1848 or 1849 as far as New York City to his point of discharge from the Army. All this occurring in a time period between about 1842 in Ireland, the year of the birth of his first child, Amelia Bridget, and his stepping on to Wisconsin soil in the early summer of 1850.

Were the Donahue’s Farmers in Ireland ?

Did he have a background of farming in Ireland? Was he one that had to leave the family farm because he could not inherit, the inheritance going to the oldest son of the family? Hopefully these questions will be answered someday.

Most likely, Thomas and maybe even his wife were from a family of farmers. The fact that he and his brother farmed somewhat successfully in Manitowoc County the rest of their lives indicates they probably settled right into the life and were able to provide enough income to support their families. If not they were smart and adaptable regardless of their illiteracy. Of course during these times with rich land available in North America perhaps it was not difficult with outside advice for even a novice to train himself to become a farmer. When one had to feed a family there was strong motivation to become successful.

Why Wisconsin?

The area of Manitowoc County where the family finally purchased land and began to farm may have been chosen due to prior settlement by Irish immigrant farmers. This is mentioned in a clipping found on the Manitowoc Historical Societies web page. The desire to be among others with common background might have been a strong influence in making the decision of where to settle. By word of mouth while in New York awaiting discharge the area of settlement may have been determined long before their marriage even. Land certainly had to have been available in other areas of our expanding country at the time so it is quite possible that the facts of being near other family members or even distant cousins, or at least something in common with other settlers worked into the final decision.

Considering the deliberate route of travel the entire plan in my mind did not come out of mere serendipity. Other influences most certainly were at work suggesting that the young couple had a plan in place in order to completely settle and begin farming in such a short amount of time. Personally I feel that the plan did come together with the aid of family or friends from Galway previously settled in the area. It did not have to be an exclusive Donahue family influence for even his wife Mary may have had some prior connection to Wisconsin as well. Judging from census data of the times the Donahue name stands out as more likely however.

Census and Cemetery records of Manitowoc and other nearby Counties present some very strong evidence of other Donahue’s in the same area of Eastern Wisconsin near the shores of Lake Michigan. The relationship of these families is yet to be established. Something influenced the couple to come to that particular area of the country. If some connection with other relatives in Wisconsin can ever be made, then from the aspect of researching family roots, this might eventually lead to uncover documents for other individuals that reveal exactly where in Ireland our Donahue’s originated. Wishful thinking for certain, but it must always be left open to consideration.

Irish, Germans and Polish, Settle In Manitowoc County

As it turned out the area was eventually settled by two or three primary ethnic groups, i.e. Irish, German and Polish. The Irish and the Polish are known throughout history to have strong ties to the Roman Catholic faith but looking through the names of those buried in the graveyard of the small parish church of St. Isidore in Meeme, there is a strong mix of Irish and German names and local history reflects the many years that the Irish and the German families lived their lives in a small community, on adjacent farms as loyal friends and neighbors. The succeeding generations intermarried and that can even be attested to within our own family tree.

From here the story leads into the details of the Donahue’s purchasing their land and begin farming very soon after arrival. The condition of the land and the events leading up to the eventual purchase is still being researched and brings on new questions to be detailed later.

Joe Lyons, 1873-1949- Not of Family, but Still Uncle Joe

Fritz & Joe Lyons

Earliest Photo of Joe Found

He must have been a sweet man. In retrospect it seems that in order for so many to welcome him into the McGinnis family suggests that he must have been a warm and gracious person. Based on this fact alone it is easy for me to imagine just what his personality was like for knowing the McGinnis family as I experienced them allows me to form a warm and respectful opinion of the man.

The story of Joe Lyons and his connection to the family beginning in Florence is best explained in the words of Molly McGinnis as related to her by her own parents. From Molly’s e-mails:

“They took pity on him” ………………….”Dad always said that Grandpa Tom and his brothers found Joe drunk in the gutter in Seattle and brought him home to the farm to dry out--nothing more specific than that.”
“ Mary Ellen, 'dried' him out and gave him a place to stay and got him back on his feet again. He thought the world and all of her for her kindness.”

“Because of her kindness, he idolized her.”

“He lived on the farm until he came to live with Tom and Marie, I believe, in the 40's. Marie's father died in 1933 while living with them, then her mother came to live with them after Alva Gore died in 1939. Her mother died in 1946. The obit states he had lived with them for four years so that would have been around 1945.”

“Dad always loved the stories Joe told about the sea and sailing around the horn in the Great Ships. Now that may be why we don't find many census records for him. Perhaps he had been a sailor in his younger days. Dad said that Joe and he made plans for the two of them to go sailing after he got back from the war, but Joe's age and the fact Dad had a family put that plan on the back burner.”
Just what year Joe was adopted by the family is only speculation. Joe looks quite young in the photo compared to later photos that have been saved over the years. It is difficult to estimate his age other than perhaps he is maybe in his mid 40’s. According to his obituary he was born January 1, 1873 and based on that the date of this photo is sometime around 1918 if the guess of his age here is correct. Uncle Tom was away from home working in the McAteer Shipyard in Port Blakely around this time as revealed in his draft registration. Just which brothers brought Joe home to Mom is but a guess. James McGinnis Sr. died in 1914 and due to the stress of probably watching her husband slowly waste away in his later years it is doubtful that Joe came into the family before that time. A good guess then is the 1918 period.

A copy of Joe’s WW-I draft registration document reveals that he is calling Florence home in September of 1918. Tom and his brother John were both in the Army in that month, John having left for Ft. Lewis two months before in August and Tom reported for induction, also at Ft. Lewis, in October of 1917. That would have left Brother James as the only one to help out with the dairy cows and perhaps that is when Joe took up residence in Florence as well. He may have been the only help which is a problematical assumption since his draft information also states he was employed in a timber mill in Pilchuck, some ten or fifteen miles distant from the McGinnis farm.

Uncle Jim’s whereabouts isn’t known but based on his employment information on his draft registration of June 1917 he was employed as a cabin boy on a snagboat stationed in the Mt. Vernon area suggesting that he was not near home much of the time. Snagboats had living accommodations for the crew which suggests that Uncle Jim may have been away from home for several days at a time thus the need for Joe Lyons to step in to help.

The possibility remains that Uncle Jim may have been un-employed in the fall of 1918 or even before and very well may have been living at home at the time. It’s all guess work at this point. James McGinnis Jr. is found two years later in the 1920 census in two different locations, both in Utsalady, on Camano Island, working as a waiter in a logging camp dining hall as well as on the farm in Florence living with his mother, sister and brothers. Joe Lyons is not included in the household.

Draft Registration, Joseph Adam Lyons

September 1918

Joe was in his mid forties in 1918 when draft registrations for older men commenced. All the younger men had been registered a year or more earlier. The form reveals his birth place and date of birth. The interesting fact that certainly was not passed on to our generation is the fact that Joe had a son, Theodore, living in Buffalo, New York. A search of census data fails to reveal any definite information about the son for any available census year.

Joe did have family in the Seattle area. That fact is also best left to an explanation from Molly:

“It's interesting that Joe stayed with the McGinnis family even though he did have a sister. This sister and her family obviously came to visit a lot as you have a photo of the two nieces (Martha and I'm not sure of the other girl's name) with Joe and Mary Ellen and I have several of Joe's family coming to visit in Newberg”

A photograph was found in the collection of our family photos that depicts a visit to the farm in Florence by these same two nieces sometime before the death of Mary Ellen in 1929. Judging by the age of Mary Ellen the photo may have been taken very near the time of her death in May of that year and very close to the time of the above photo judging from the age of the individuals.

Mary Ellen McGinnis & Joe LyonsWith Two of His Nieces and Their Children

It is believed Joe’s sister and her family lived in Seattle but her given name is yet to be found so for now she is only known as Mrs. John Sass. A search of census data in order to find more on the family has been unsuccessful. Joe as related by Molly McGinnis wrote on the back of a family photo shown below identifying his sister at front left with her husband standing on the far left behind her. A niece is standing next to Joe with her husband and another niece, Martha, in the front with her children. The given name of the other niece remains unknown.

Joe & His Family
about 1930

Fritz is even more of a mystery although the friendship between the two probably originated during their employment by the Corps of Engineers. The Corps operated shallow draft, paddle wheel driven, snag boats that worked all the rivers leading into Puget Sound to keep them clear of obstructions to navigation. Uncle Tom talked of this friendship quite often. Fritz wasn’t adopted into the family as Joe was.

A brief anecdote involving Fritz passed on to Molly from her parents follows:

“When Joe was still living in Stanwood, he would take my dad as a youngster out to visit the snagboats. Fritz would always welcome them for lunch. He always liked my dad (Dad thought probably because he was the only one shorter than Fritz!). Fritz would serve up big roast beef sandwiches on thick bread slices with lots of milk with huge strawberry shortcakes for dessert. Since Dad always liked to eat, he loved to visit Fritz on the snagboats!”
Some photos left behind by Joe and saved by Uncle Tom and Aunt Marie has been shared by their granddaughter, Molly. They follow here:

Snag Boat Crew
Joe Lyons, Far Fight, and His Small buddy, Fritz, the Boats Cook, in White on the Left. Probably Taken in the Mid-Thirties





Snag Boats at Work

Clearing a Snag

A discussion of the above photos with the present day Preston Museum in Anacortes, Washington is excerpted from some of Molly’s e-mails and included here:

From: Molly McG

Sent: Thursday, July 12, 2007 2:51 PM To: coa.museum

Subject: Photographs of the W.T. Preston

Dear Sirs,
While going through many of my grandparents old photographs I came upon several I believe may be of the W. T. Preston and I wondered if they would be of interest to your museum. One snapshot is of the crew. I have scanned these photographs and attached them to this email for your review.

My grandfather, Thomas McGinnis, was raised in Florence in Snohomish County and he had befriended several of the snagboat crew. One gentleman, Joseph Lyons, lived with my grandfather and grandmother in the final years of his life.

Another gentleman, known as "Fritz", was a cook on a snagboat. Both men were great favorites of the McGinnis family. In the photo of the crew, Fritz is the short gentleman in the white shirt and Joe is the gentleman on the far right.

I would appreciate anything you could tell me about these photos if they are not of the Preston. If you are able to identify any of the other crew, I would be interested to know that information as well. Please advise if you would like to have the original photos for your museum as I would be happy to send them to you.

Thank you for your interest.
Sincerely, Molly Wright


From: Adams, Evelyn

Sent: Monday, July 16, 2007 1:05 PM
To: Lauridsen, Vernon

Subject: FW: Photographs of the W.T. Preston

Vernon, would you like to take a look at these pictures and see if you can identify anyone for her (Fritz is easy!) or pass on any other info, then let her know we'd love the photos. Thanks,

Evelyn

From: vernonl@cityofanacortes.org

To: mcgmolly

Subject: RE: Photographs of the W.T. Preston

Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2007 08:33:59 -0700

Thank you for the photo's. I believe the top two are of the Preston. I recognize the configuration of the pilot house and office. The photo the crew depicts another boat, perhaps one of the earlier snagboats. I am still working on the research. I will contact you again when I have more information.

Thanks again.
Vernon Lauridsen, Curator.

Joe apparently went to work on the Snag Boats sometime after 1920 based on his 1920 census entry. He was living and working in a lumber mill in Pilchuck in that year, the same place he was working as reflected on his draft registration two years earlier.

1920 Census,

Pilchuck, Snohomish Co, WAJoseph L. Lyons, boarder, 46, single, born NY, parents born NY, boom man in lumber millHe boards with a Fred Kaye, 69, single, who immigrated from England in 1873, along with two other gents.
Apparently Joe began living with the McGinnis family in Florence during or after 1920. This conflicts with the address he gave during his 1918 draft registration so it may have been a gradual event that was not completed until he began working for the Corps of Engineers, apparently sometime after the 1920 census. The Snag Boat he worked on over the years was stationed on northern Puget Sound and when not living on the boat he was living in Florence. This apparently continued even after Mary Ellen McGinnis died in 1929.

Joe apparently had a car from the earliest times; at least the photos left behind certainly suggest so. The following photo taken in Florence some where near the back porch of the house very well may be the vehicle Joe left behind in a lean to garage on the Florence farm. The car was there from my earliest memory and was eventually sold by Dad to a young teenager from Arlington after Uncle John died in 1952.

Joe and an Unknown Visitor to the Farm
Perhaps a member of his own FamilySometime in the 1920’s

Another description of Joe passed on to Molly from her parents is worthy of mention here:

“Joe couldn't read or write other than a few words and he hadn't a tooth in his head. Even without teeth, he could eat an apple as well as any other person. Mom said she remembered him biting right into an apple using just his gums. Marie referred to him as her 'human garbage disposal'. Every little scrap of food she had leftover he happily ate.”

“Mom always said that Joe was very highly regarded within the McGinnis family as if he really was "Uncle Joe".

The need for the Snag Boats working the rivers along the Sound eventually for some reason became less and less over the years. Eventually Joe, from my memory of the stories, was transferred to Seattle and was somehow employed in the Ballard Locks also operated by the Corps of Engineers. A Snag Boat, the Preston, was moored at the Locks, in my memory, well into the 1980’s. Joe may have performed a dual function during his late working years by working as a locks attendant as well as working on the Preston when it was in operation. That is but speculation but he was definitely working at the locks in the late 1940’s as I remember one visit he made to Bremerton from Seattle at that time. That visit is really my only memory of meeting Joe.

Joe eventually retired and was taken in by Uncle Tom and Aunt Marie to live out his final years. He died in Newberg, Oregon in October of 1949. His obituary as furnished by Molly follows:

“The remains of Joseph Adam Lyons, 75, who died October 17 at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas McGinnis, Wynooski Street, were shipped to Stanwood, WA, by the Hodson mortuary for the funeral. Lyons lived with the McGinnis family for the past four years. His relatives lived in Stanwood.”

The "relatives in Stanwood" is in error, at least not dirct relatives. But he was loved by many in Stanwood.

In the Back Yard in Newberg

Joe was buried in Anderson Cemetery in East Stanwood. A listing of his grave can be found on the internet but without a photo of the grave marker. John and James McGinnis are also buried there. Just how the decision was made to bring him back to the Stanwood area is not known but it seems more than appropriate and it very well may have been his last wishes. He must have loved the area and the people. Regardless, he was brought home to rest.

WW-I And The Boys From Florence

Battalion Drill, Camp Fremont, California

1918

Established on July 18, 1917, to serve as a training camp for the 41st Division, National Guard, consisting of troops from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Wyo ming, it was located at Menlo Park, near Palo Alto, and named in honor of Major General John C. Fremont. Later, orders directed the organization of the division at Camp Greene, and the 8th Division was concentrated here. Construction began on July 24, 1917, and included 1,124 structures. The 7,203 acre reservation was ordered salvaged on December 19, 1918, and the buildings were sold at auction. The camp was abandoned in September 1919.

The above photo according to web sources was taken at Camp Fremont in California. The camp was located adjacent to the Stanford University Campus in Menlo Park, near Palo Alto, California. Uncle John spent some if not most of his training time in the camp before the Division was transferred to Camp Mills in New Jersey to await transport to France. The war ended while he was in camp on the East Coast in 1919.

The source for most of what follows was taken from "Snohomish County In The War" published in the 1920's and available on the internet. It is interesting to read through for it gives a brief statement for each Snohomish County man that served in the war as well as small excerpts from local newspapers as to what the people at home were doing to help the war effort.

Thomas Arthur McGinnis

Draft Registration, Thomas Arthur McGinnis

June 1917

History of the 91st Division in WW-I

The following history chronicles the involvement of the division. The source book also gives more detailed information of the major battles that are too lengthy to include here.

John Joseph McGinnis

Draft Registration, John McGinnis
June 5, 1917

History of the Eighth Division

Cousin Tommie and Uncle Jim

The record of service for Cousin Thomas Joseph McGinnes, Tommie, has not been found within the source volume that has been used here for much of the information for Thomas and brother John. The different spelling of the surname may have contributed to the omission from the source.

However, all the service records held within the Washington State Archives for all WW-I personnel have recently been made available for internet access. That record is copied below and it does show that he also was still on U.S. soil, probably on the East Coast, when the war ended.

Draft Registration, Thomas Joseph McGinnes

June 5, 1917

Draft Registration, James McGinnis Jr.
June 4, 1917

Uncle Jim to the best of my recollection never was drafted. No mention of him is made in the WW-I Snohomish County history used here as a source.