Mystery photos - Solved?

Remember these folks from a past post?

This is the photo I had the Photo Detective, Maureen Taylor take a look at. She was able to approximate the date of the photo and judge their approximate ages. It wasn't enough for me to even make a guess at who they were though, as I wasn't even sure they were actual family members - no identifying marks on the back of the photo. It came to me as a framed print, so I figured it had some importance to someone in the family.

But now, I think I know who they are. While looking into the Dikeman family (my grandmother was Mildred Russell Dikeman) on Ancestry.com, I came across Julia Dikeman - whose photo I have with identification on the back in my collection. 

Julia Dikeman b. 1866 dau. of Henry Botsford Dikeman and Emily Camp

(She is my 1st cousin twice removed according to Ancestry.com)

I didn't know where she fit into the family, but I did know she came from Newtown, Connecticut. I didn't really know much about the Newtown family members before yesterday, but I do now - at least enough to make possible identifications of people in photos and explain some of the photographs in my collection. 

On a whim, I clicked on the search the web link found on the lower right hand corner of a person's profile page. This time it brought me to a book in Google Play Books - "Newtown's history and historian, Ezra Levan Johnson" prepared by Jane Eliza Johnson The Historian's Life Companion. Newtown Connecticut, 1917.

What an interesting book! It covers the history from the first settlers to 1917. Freeman Oath lists, businesses in town, churches and groups. My mother is listed in the Dikeman genealogy. Oh, yes! Genealogies of some prominent families - I found a slew of relatives. I'm still unsure of all the actual relationships, but I was able to connect people in the Dikeman family bible with other families from Newtown; the Tyrrells, Fairchilds, Botsfords, Sanfords, Curtises and even Platts (!) 

The single best feature of the Newtown book for me is the photographs. I think the gentleman and lady above are Silas Norman Beers and his wife Sarah Nichols Beers. There is an etching of Silas N. Beers who looks very much like a younger version of the gentleman above. Silas Beers was an architect who worked on the fourth Church edifice in 1870. Mr. Henry Sanford was on the committee with him. I'm wondering if that Mr. Sanford and my Elizabeth Ann Sanford are related? It might explain why we had the pictures of the Beers and this man:

There is no marking on back of the photograph, but he bears striking resemblance to the Rev. Newton E. Marble D.D. in the Newtown book. And here is the church:

This was marked on the back "Church at Newtown"

I believe with a bit more careful reading of the Newtown history I will find some more answers. What a gift Google Play Books are - I downloaded this book for free. Now, I know my job isn't finished yet, I still need to find vital records for these folks, but what a wonderful starting point I now have.

I also am looking forward to later in the year when I will take a trip to Newtown to see where my Dikeman family lived, and find out more about the area. 

It pays to read everything, no matter how...

Obscure.

More than just about anything, I enjoy searching through Google Books to see if I can find anything relevant to any of my ancestors. Names and dates are fine for pinpointing people in place and time, but I want to know more about these folks. These three books have given me a sense of what it was like back in the days that my ancestors lived, and what it may have looked like (I have a good imagination - that helps too).


Abstracts from the New London Gazette by Richard B. Marrin, published by Heritage Books Inc. 2007.

Samuel Mack has mail waiting at the post office ca. 1765. But more than that, it is a wonderful glimpse into life during the period that my ancestors were living in East Haddam, CT. An enjoyable read.

...

Collections of the New Haven Colony Historical Society, New Haven, Connecticut Published by the Society in 1907.

These entries are family related:

37 SAMPLES of the first friction matches made in this county. They were first made by Thomas Sanford in that part of town of Bethany now called Beacon Falls (Conn.). Soon after, Mr. Sanford moved to Woodbridge, where he manufactured them until 1860, the time of his decease. After manufacturing them for several years a Boston firm attempted to procure a patent on them, and served an injunction preventing him from making them; he and his brother (who assisted him in their production) were summoned to New York at the hearing; it was proved that Thomas Sanford made the first friction match, but neglecting to obtain a patent, he and others were debarred from procuring one under the statue of limitation. Presented by Mrs. Laura A. (Sanford) Smith, daughter of Thomas Sanford.

38 OLD-FASHIONED TINDER-BOX. Presented by Mr. W. S. Sanford, September 12, 1882

...

Statistical Account of Middlesex County of Connecticut, David Dudley Field, 1819 Published by the Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences. Printed in Middletown CT by Clark &Lyman, April 1819. This copy was reprinted for J.D. Kelsey of Haddam, CT. It is currently available as a pdf download to read through www.godfrey.org.

Everything mineral, vegetable, geographical, medical and genealogical from the first settlers until 1819. A good read if your family lived in Middlesex County in Connecticut. 


I'm off to the Connecticut Society of Genealogists, Inc. 2012 Family History Seminar, Enhancing Genealogical Paths this weekend. I will be listening attentively, absorbing information like a sponge and enjoying the company of my nearest and dearest cousin.

The Champion Boys

Stephen and John Champion

cousins of Mildred Dikeman Stoddard

Thanks to Diana Gill who commented on the posting of the photos of Elizabeth Sanford that were added last year, I now know how these little charmers fit into the family.  I am so pleased to know who these boys are!

You really made my day!

Who is this fine fellow?

Shhhhh.
I've started a new project (don't tell Alex!).

Yesterday, I scanned the photos from Mildred Dikeman's photo album. Yay grandmother Mildred! She actually identified every photo but two. So, now we know who these fantastic people are.

Or do we? His name is Rufus G. Russell. I did not even know he existed until I started the photo project. So, last night I started poking around in ancestry.com and found out that he is Mom's great grandfather:

Marcia Stoddard (Mack) Ahlefeld > Mildred Dikeman Stoddard > Lillian Adella Russell > Rufus G. Russell.

Rufus was married to Elizabeth, and they lived in New Haven, Connecticut in 1880.

Lillian's brother is Byron G. Russell:

He was a minister in Rockport, Massachusetts in 1877. He was married to Sarah E.

It is so tantalizing to learn a few little facts... but even with these tidbits of information we can now dig a little deeper and find out more about them...

Elizabeth Ann Sanford Russell.

I wonder if this is Rufus's wife Elizabeth? I'm thinking it might be, but I haven't found proof of her other names. I need to find the marriage and death records - places where the parent's information would often be listed. The only identification of the photo was her name.

And does anyone know where this lady fits into the Russell family?

Loly Tirrell Russell wife of Ransom R Russell.

The inscription on the border of  the album said Mildred's great-grandmother. Rufus's mother I suppose. Unfortunately I can't tell from the U.S. Census reports from 1850, Prospect CT. The family is listed as:

Ransom Russell, 54
Lola, 48
Edwin, 20
Henry, 19
Caroline, 15

My guess is that Rufus is already out of the house - he would be about 22 at this time. I found Rufus on an 1880 U. S. Census, New Haven, CT ...

R. G Russell, 51
Elizabeth, 55
Oscar Dikeman, 33
Lillian A. Dikeman, 30

So let's do the math. 1880-1850 = 30 years ... Lillian is 30 years old. So it is likely that Rufus Russell is married to Elizabeth by 1850 and probably enjoying fatherhood as well. If we add in the birth dates of Byron was born in 1846, and Lillian born in 1849... well, I believe we have our answer.

It would be good to get the marriage and death records to verify this information. They are probably located in New Haven, or maybe the records are old enough to be in the Connecticut State Archives Library in Hartford.

Do you see why I'm hooked?