Calling all Genea-Musings Fans:
It's Saturday Night again -
Time for some more Genealogy Fun!!
Randy Seaver of Genea-Musings’ assignment for us tonight:
1) Our ancestors had to work to support themselves and their families. Do you know what occupations your 2nd great-grandfathers had? Tell us about them. If one intrigues or mystifies you, ask a free Artificial Intelligence tool to tell you more about the occupation in that place and time.
Here's mine:
On my father’s side:
Joseph Heinrich Horoch (1804-1857). I cannot read what his standing is on his death records.
Vincent Sievert (1823-1890) first worked as a farmer and then as a stone cutter.
Jeremiah Sullivan (1811-1888) first worked as a miner and then as a farmer.
John Gleeson (1835-1915) first worked as a farmer and then as a hotel keeper.
On my mother’s side:
Reuben Johnston (1841-1924) worked as a farmer.
Peter Hutson (1853-1930) worked as a farmer.
William Carlton Lancaster (1873-1946) worked as a farmer.
Ebenezer Loveless (1851-1929) worked as a farmer and a Baptist preacher.
I asked ChatGPT what a stonecutter did in Joliet, Illinois: What did a stonecutter do in Joliet in 1870?
ChatGPT said:
In 1870, a stonecutter in Joliet, Illinois, would have been involved in the local stone industry, which was a major part of the region's economy. The area was known for its high-quality limestone quarries, especially along the Des Plaines River. Stonecutters worked in these quarries to extract the limestone, which was used for a variety of construction purposes, including building foundations, roads, bridges, and large structures like courthouses and prisons.
Joliet was home to a significant stone-cutting industry due to the vast limestone deposits in the area, and stonecutters would have carefully shaped and carved these stones for specific construction needs. This skilled work required precise knowledge of the stone, tools, and techniques for cutting and finishing the limestone. Additionally, the stonecutters might have worked as part of a larger labor force in quarries and stonecutting shops, which were physically demanding and dangerous.
In the 1870s, as industrialization progressed, stonecutting in Joliet also became more mechanized, but it still relied heavily on manual labor. Stonecutters could have been part of a growing labor movement, advocating for better working conditions as industries expanded in the region.
This answer is generic, so I would do much more research into the quarry and stonecutting activities in Joliet and not take ChatGPT’s word for it.
Stone cutter, miner, hotel keeper, and Baptist minister are all interesting! For Herr Horoch, have you asked a genealogist who is a native German speaker and/or a German specialist to try looking at the record? I have a couple of people I can ask for you if you want.
ReplyDeleteI should ask someone and I hadn't thought of it until this meme.
DeleteYou have quite a variety of occupations in your family. My 3X great grandfather owned a granite quarry. Your AI buddy said stonecutting could be physically demanding and dangerous. Another big issue, like with mining and working in mills, was breathing in all the dust, which caused all kinds of lung issues.
ReplyDeleteThat's another thing think about - how their work affed their health.
Delete