My Trails into the Past

Happy Presidents Day! I have completed one hundred two (102) weeks of semi-lock down due to Covid-19. I went out to the History Center twice this week, the meadow for phenology, library to pick up a book, and train club for a show. Genealogy Blog Writing : Courting – The Courtship and Marriage of Amos Gorrell Jr & Catherine E Sayre in Ross County, Ohio I wrote about my husband’s great-grandparents’ courtship, based on Amos’s diary. 1950 Census Prep: Norman’s Maternal Relatives I located the Enumeration District numbers for my husband’s mother’s family. 1950 Census Prep for Maternal Relatives . I found the Enumeration District numbers for my mother’s side of the family, both in California and in Texas. O nline Study Groups & Meetings Attended: I met online with Jacqueline, my AppGen partners, Amigos, RootsMagic SIG, Peer group, and a group trying to start up the APG NorCal chapter again. Jacqueline and I were the only Amigos to meet. I am becoming frustrated wit...

I have begun locating the Enumeration Districts (EDs) for our relatives who were living in 1950. Lisa’s paternal relatives can be found here . Her maternal relatives here . In order to locate the EDs, I need to know the address of each person. I begin by checking my genealogy database for a clue to their address and if I don’t have one near the 1950 time-frame, seek out a source on Ancestry or FamilySearch, using such sources as city directories, voter registrations, newspaper articles, and other records that give addresses. These are the relatives I expect to find on my husband Norman’s maternal side of the family. Nilsen Family Arthur N. Nilsen is Norman’s maternal grandfather. I know he and his wife, Lena, were living at 2114 X Street in Sacramento around 1947 from a city directory. When he died in 1954, he was living in Rio Linda on their chicken ranch. But when did they move there? Rio Linda is a small town in the county of Sacramento and there are no Sacramento County dir...

Amos Gorrell, Jr. and Catherine E. Sayre were married on 6 February 1866 in Chillicothe, Ross County, Ohio and, following their ceremony, returned to their respective homes. [1] The day started out “cold and cloudy in the morning” but “clears up about 10 o’clock.” [2] These words have come from the diaries kept by Amos Gorrell, Jr. Copies of the diaries dating from 1862 to 1872 have been transcribed and handed down to Amos Gorrell’s grandchildren. The story of the courtship between Amos and Catherine, who lived not far from each other in Huntington Township, Ohio, in a community called Hooppole, can be found in the 1865 and 1866 diaries. Amos Gorrell, Jr. was born 12 February 1837 in Beaver County, Pennsylvania to Amos Gorrell, Sr. and Leah Wollam. [3] The family, including his younger brother, Joseph, moved to Ohio in 1843, first settling in Jackson and then in Ross County. [4] Catherine Elizabeth Shotts was born 18 February 1835 in Ross County to Daniel Shotts and Mary Ann Bi...

Happy Presidents Day! I have completed one hundred one (101) weeks of semi-lock down due to Covid-19. I went out to the History Center twice this week, the meadow for phenology, Susan’s for Monday Morning Genealogy, and got a haircut. Genealogy Blog Writing :  Landed – My Parent’s First Home I wrote about my father buying his first home just before my parents were married. I am fortunate to have a photo of them standing of the lot before the house was built. 1950 Census Prep: Paternal Relatives I located the Enumeration District numbers for my parents, their parents, and some aunts and uncles. O nline Study Groups & Meetings Attended: I met with Jacqueline, my AppGen partners, Amigos, and Peer group online, and with the CCCGS Monday Morning group in person. Amigos hadn’t met in a few weeks and it nice seeing everyone. Three of us in the Peer group discussed our locality guide we created for the Research Like a Pro book we’re studying. I also met with my Geno-Stu...

Everyone in the genealogy world is talking about the upcoming release of the 1950 federal census records on April 1. I will not be listed in the census, as I was not yet born, but both of my parents will be listed with their respected families. I need to know the address of each person in order to locate them in specific Enumeration Districts. At first, we will be browsing the records until indexes are completed. To find their address, I used city directories, voter registrations, newspaper articles, and other records that give addresses. The direct ancestors I expect to find that were alive in 1950 on my father’s side of the family. Concord, California William J. Hork , born 1930, will be 19 years old. He is likely living with his mother and maybe working at a service station or the local race track. I have documentation that he graduated from Mt. Diablo in June 1950, but he told me he graduated after the first semester. So, it is likely he won’t be listed as a student. Anne ...