An Independence Day for Henrich Horn

Military Stables and Barracks in Lancaster, Pa, at 307 N. Duke St., Lancaster. Continental troops used this building as a barracks during the Revolution, and Hessian prisoners were kept in barracks across the street. Wikipedia, public domain.

McMurray Family, Horn Family (Click for Family Tree)

Today is Independence Day in the United States of America- a fantastic way to celebrate our democracy that we have held dear for 246 years.

Two hundred and forty-five years ago, our ancestor, Henrich Horn, was to find his own sort of Independence Day.

We last left our ancestor, Henrich Horn, a Hessian prisoner of war in the Lancaster Barracks in Pennsylvania. The 900+ Hessian POWs had been captured by George Washington and his rag-tag Continental Army at their surprise attack on Trenton, New Jersey, on December 26th, 1776.

“Return of Prisoners taken at Trenton the 26th, December 1776 by the Army under the command of his Excellency General Washington.” Heinrich Horn was in Kniphausen’s regiment and included in the 258 men listed as “Rank and File.” [Click to enlarge or see link below.]
Paraded through the streets of Philadelphia, the officers had been in covered carts but the rank and file Hessian soldier- our Henrich was listed  as a “Gefreiter” which is the rank just above a Private- had been pelted with rocks, rotten tomatoes, spit upon, pushed, and cursed at by the Americans supporting the Revolution, which included almost all of the city. The mob was growing out of control so the Hessians were quickly put into the American barracks to protect them. Washington had many options for the disposition of these valuable prisoners, so he wanted to keep them alive.

As the Hessians did not speak the English language they could not know entirely what was going on, and they had seen, and possibly participated in, the horrible brutality regularly practiced by the British on their prisoners and even the local citizenry- was retribution by the Americans in store for them? They would have been exhausted after the harsh weather conditions of their Trenton garrison duty and then travel after their capture- crossing the raging Delaware, marching through snow, sleet, and rain over snow-covered, icy roads for hours and hours and hours to get to Philadelphia and their ordeal there, and then, for Henrich and many others, the march to Lancaster over four more days. (Other Hessians were moved to York or Reading, Pennsylvania.) While the Hessians were a highly trained and disciplined army, as POWs they must have greatly feared for their lives, and whether death would come from cold and exhaustion or at the hands of the rebels.

While in Philadelphia on 5 January 1777, the commanding officers of the Hessian regiments had made a list of the prisoners taken at the Battle of Trenton, and our Henrich Horn was among those enumerated, included in the numbers for “Knyphausen” above. (Still trying to determine if there is a list that provides names.) The Hessian list of 868 prisoners was the number actually taken at Trenton, and did not include the 22 killed, 28 wounded who were left in Trenton on parole, totaling 918 per George Washington’s report. Of those who were moved from Trenton, 56 were considered wounded, but we do not know if our Henrich Horn was one of them. There were even a few women and children who were family and regimental camp followers included in the Trenton prisoners.

The Hessians were housed in their own wing of the Lancaster barracks, but still had some contact with the British POWs, who treated the Germans poorly. It was tradition that an army supply pay, clothing, blankets, etc. for their troops who were POWs, thus the von Knyphausen Quartermaster visited the troops to fulfill these needs. He described their quarters as a, “… beautiful barracks a little outside of town.” Some members of Congress were infuriated by the comfortable quarters offered the Hessians while their own troops were dying of disease, starvation, poor conditions, lack of clothing, etc. in New York while in the hands of the British.

General George Washington had insisted on good treatment of the prisoners. In addition to being far from the battle lines, Lancaster was chosen to house the POWs because the area was full of Germans who had settled the area years before and become successful farmers, merchants, and tradesmen. Language would not be a barrier between the groups, and seeing the prosperous life of a German in America might sway some of the POWs to desert. The many skills of the POWs would benefit the community, also helping the prisoners ‘earn their keep.’ The Pennsylvania Council of Safety thus sent a letter to Lancaster’s committee, stating,

“It is in our interest to improve the present opportunity to make them our friends, and sow the seeds of dissension between them and the British troops. The Germans [who had already settled in PA], by treating them as brethren and friends, may do the most essential service to our cause.”

Even the newspapers, where horrific tales of Hessian cruelty had filled the headlines, began to take a softer approach:

“The wretched condition of these unhappy men, most of whom, if not all, were dragged from their wives and families by a despotic and avaricious prince, must sensibly affect every generous mind with the dreadful effects of arbitrary power.”

The Americans were hoping that if the Hessians were exchanged for American POWs, they would then help to turn the minds of the other Hessian and British soldiers in their regiments. Alternatively, any Hessians that would desert and fight on the side of the Americans would be a huge benefit as well- trained and -disciplined soldiers were desperately needed to win the war for freedom from an oppressive monarchy.

After arriving at the Lancaster Barracks, a survey was taken concerning the trades of the Hessian soldiers. As of 10 January 1777, the soldiers included:

38 shoemakers 17 smiths 12 masons 9 butchers
50 tailors 15 carpenters 10 joiners 6 bakers
82 linen or wool weavers 12 stocking weavers 7 plasterers 6 millers
7 plasterers 15 wagon-makers 4 locksmiths 4 coopers

There were two soldiers who were trained in each of the following trades: pipe maker, lime burner, window maker, nailsmith, tanner, bookbinder, dyer, and musician. One soldier had worked as a barber, another a distiller, and one each had practiced as a gardener, hunter, knife maker, rifle maker, silversmith, Slater, stonecutter, tile maker, thatcher, and a bomb maker- the latter was probably from the Hessen-Kassel artillery. These skilled men came to a total of 315- a considerably rich source for the community to prosper with the use of their skills, plus the rest of the unskilled POWs working as laborers. Traditionally, German soldiers in Europe had hired themselves out on the side while in the military to make extra money during off-time and furloughs, so working in Pennsylvania was not that unusual a concept to them, and most embraced the opportunity for better food, shelter, and a little bit of cash. Although the men were required to report to the barracks twice a day if working in town or twice per week if working out in more rural areas, the freedom from being in a barracks 24/7 was likely quite a plus to the soldiers.

We do not know what trade/skills Henrich may have had, if any. Although he likely had been conscripted from his home at the age of about 16, he would likely have apprenticed or at least been used to working on a farm or in some other capacity in his town by that age. The Town Committee of Lancaster used this list to begin using POWs as laborers, and set up an area for shoemakers to manufacture desperately needed shoes for the Continental troops. Prisoners were also used to build a magazine (to store ammunition) and a stone house in Lancaster. Despite Congress and the Board of War not wanting prisoners to have the freedom, Lancaster also decided to ‘farm-out’ Hessians to the locals who would house and feed them while the soldiers worked at farming, mining, or other trades, and they would receive pay for their labors. These men also helped to replace the Americans who had gone off to fight, especially important with planting season coming soon. We suspect Henrich was farmed-out as a laborer since he was healthy and young but there are probably no records to confirm that. One record from about a year later that still needs confirmation as ‘our’ Henry Horn states he was a waggoner, a skill that would have been in great demand at the time.

The Americans used the Hessians as a pawn with the local citizens, too- only supporters of the revolution such as those who had donated materials, food, etc. to the army or militia, such as a team of oxen, could hire out POWs.

Throughout the war, from the moment the Hessians landed, there had been attempts by the Americans to get the German troops to desert. This continued with the POWs at Lancaster and other locations. Hessians were offered land, livestock, jobs, and other incentives. Because the war was not going well for the Americans, though, the Hessians had to weigh the prospect of an American loss and what would happen to them if they did desert and were captured. Hanging was the usual punishment for deserters in the German Army at that time, and the soldier’s family in Germany would be punished and the soldier’s lands and property confiscated. Very few Hessians deserted because of these harsh consequences, per some historians, however other researchers report that desertions in the field were rampant on both sides throughout the war. Heinrich likely had no property due to his youth; we do not know anything about his family in Hesse but if he had none living, his decision would have been easier. Rather than deserting and farming as an American citizen, Henrich made a life-altering choice- he enlisted in the Continental troops. It was a choice that would allow him to help win victory for the Americans so that he would not have to face the consequences of becoming a British POW who had been a Hessian, or be sent back to deal with the fury of the Landgraf (Prince) of Hesse for his desertion.

Henrich Horn’s pension application was dated the 28th of August 1832 and tells us of his service:

“… he enlisted some time in the year 1777 into the Legionary Corps of Gen’l Pulaski and served in the troop of horse of said Corps -& That he enlisted in Lancaster Pennsylvania.”

Henrich was 74 years old at the time of the application, and stated his discharge had been lost in the last few years and that “… owing to his advanced age many particulars of his service, especially dates and names have lapsed from his memory.”

This is likely true, as Count Casimir Pulaski’s Legion was a cavalry-infantry Continental Army regiment raised March 28, 1778, however Pulaski did command troops as early as September of 1777 so Henrich could have fought with them that early. With the campaigns he listed in the pension application, we are more assured of his claim that he was in the Corps at least later, as he took sick in a campaign in South Carolina.

Additionally, there was a Henry Horn who appears on a Muster Roll as a Private in Capt. John Stith’s Co., 4th Virginia Regiment of Foot, and some of our family researchers feel this could be our Henrich. The record states that he was a member of the Virginia company in September of 1777, with numerous muster rolls dated after that time. This could possibly be our ancestor Henrich as well, or instead- it would have been logical for Henrich to anglicize his name due to the sordid reputation of Hessians among the Americans. Virginia and many other areas had significant German populations by the war years, so Henrich could easily pass as the American Henry Horn if he wished. Our Henry married in 1782 in Virginia to a woman born there, Elizabeth Pretzman (1759-1840), so this particular set of records deserves a more detailed look.

There is much more research to do in pinning down our Henrich/Henry’s actual enlistment and service, as some of these records may have been for a man who enlisted from Washington County, Maryland, not Lancaster, Pennsylvania as noted in Henrich’s pension application. The timing for our Henry to have served one enlistment from Lancaster and then re-up in Maryland does not align with the stated service time in the pension, nor the engagements Henry remembered.  After more reviewing and more research (shouldn’t that be spelled “re-search” ??), what is found will be presented in an upcoming post.

For today though, Independence Day, we honor Henrich/Henry Horn for choosing his independence from the Hessian/British Army and the Prince of Hesse-Cassel. His oath and service to the fledgling government that would become the United States of America helped us gain the freedoms that all so richly deserve.

[NOTE: This post has been slightly modified on 7/15/2022 with some new information recently found or to clarify some specifics.]

Notes, Sources, and References: 

  1. Washington’s Crossing by David Hackett, 2004. Winner of the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for History, this tells the story of the crossing of the Delaware and the Battle of Trenton, mostly from the American point of view. This is an excellent book, and very well-written.
  2. The Hessians and the other German Auxiliaries of Great Britain in the Revolutionary War by Edward J. Lowell. Harper and Brothers Publishers, New York, 1884.
  3. AmericanRevolution.org: “The Hessians,” chapter VIII, by Edward J. Lowell, 1884, an excellent read- http://www.americanrevolution.org/hessians/hess8.php
  4. Journal of the Fusilier Regiment v. Knyphausen From 1776 to 1783, possibly by Lt. Ritter? See http://freepages.military.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~amrevhessians/journal1.htm#navbar
  5. Henrich Horn http://freepages.military.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~amrevhessians/oh/hwardhorn.htm
  6. Hessians Remaining in America: http://freepages.military.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~amrevhessians/a/amhessians10.htm#navbar
  7. Wikipedia articles:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President%27s_House_(Philadelphia)
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Trenton https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_battle_of_the_Battle_of_Trenton https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_von_Knyphausen
  8. The Hessians. Mercenaries from Hessen-Kassel in the American Revolution, by Rodney Atwood, Cambridge University Press, 1980.
  9. The Hessians and Other German Auxiliaries of Great Britain in the Revolutionary War, by Edward J. Lowell, Harper & Brother, New York, 1884 Republished by Forgotten Books, 2012.
  10. A Generous and Merciful Enemy. Life for German Prisoners of War during the American Revolution, by Daniel Krebs. University of Oklahoma Press, 2013.
  11. “Document for December 26th: Return of Prisoners taken at Trenton the 26th, December 1776 by the Army under the command of his Excellency General Washington.”
    https://www.archives.gov/historical-docs/todays-doc/index.html?dod-date=1226
  12. Pennsylvania Evening Post, 31 Dec 1776, quoted in “The Hessians” by Rodney Atwood p. 99, from Stryker in “Battles of Trenton and Princeton” p. 369.

 

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Original content copyright 2013-2015 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted.
 
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In Honor of Memorial Day… some ROBERTS family soldiers

#48- Two unknown soldiers from the Roberts Family Photo Album. These soldiers were serving in World War I. [Click to enlarge.]
ROBERTS Family (Click for Family Tree)

On this Memorial Day, like every Memorial Day and every single day, there are no words rich enough with meaning to truly say “Thank You” to those who have fought for our freedom. There is an even bigger hole in our language to express our feelings for those who gave all, and absolutely no words powerful enough to soothe their bereaved families. Our soldiers, sailors, aviators, and marines were young, with a whole life ahead of them, yet they put it on the line to help our citizens continue to live fully with the freedoms guaranteed in our Constitution, our Bill of Rights, and the additional Amendments to our Constitution.

Many of them lost that promise of a full life, and we honor them today.

#49- Unknown soldier from World War I, circa 1918. Portrait from the Roberts Family Photo Album. [Click to enlarge.]
Those of us who nervously and proudly raised our right hands and swore the sacred oath to protect our democracy as we entered the service of the United States of America (“I,____, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same…”) can begin to feel what some of those lost young men and women felt as they literally fought to protect the rights of each and every one of us, sometimes knowing their death was imminent. But we must only say “can begin to feel”- we cannot truly know it in the same way that they did. Those who have survived combat have an even greater depth of understanding, because they were very close to making that ultimate sacrifice, and may have been a part of a fight as their friends and comrades did sacrifice it all, for our freedoms.

#50- Unknown soldier with horn, WWI. Seeing this picture, it is hard not to hear the plaintive notes of “Taps” swirling around this field, around any battlefield, and around the fallen in their graves. From the Roberts Family Photo Album. [Click to enlarge.]
So how can we say “Thank you” to our soldiers?

#51- Soldier at Camp Meigs, World War I, circa 1918. From the Roberts Family Photo Album. [Click to enlarge.]
How can our gratitude not be trite?

First, we can thank those who served and survived, and the families of those who gave the ultimate gift to maintain our democracy. We can help them with their needs, whether emotional or financial.

But we must also live our deep appreciation for their service through our commitment to upholding a truly free democracy for every US citizen. We do this by educating ourselves and voting, by supporting our leaders, caring for our neighbors, and working so that none have their Constitutional or human rights infringed upon. This is what they fought for, this is what they died for.

#52- World War I soldier at Camp Meigs, circa 1918. From the Roberts Family Photo Album.

To say “Thank you,” and really mean it, we must help preserve what our military has fought for since 1776- our liberty, our democracy. That is the best way to honor our military.

Today we can honor the young men in these photos. The pictures (other than Camp Meigs barracks) are from the Roberts Family Photo Album, but we do not know the names of these soldiers. They could have surnames of Roberts, Murrell, or Daniel, as we do have pictures of those intermarried families within this album and some of the boxes of photos.

#53a- Four WWI soldiers at Camp Meigs, circa 1918. From the Roberts Family Photo Album. [Click to enlarge.]
#53b- Reverse of four WWI soldiers at Camp Meigs, circa 1918. From the Roberts Family Photo Album. [Click to enlarge.]

Transcription:

Some pictures (Eh?)
3 of my pals & my self at Camp Meigs
Some bunch (Eh)

#54- World War I military equipment, probably at Camp Meigs, circa 1918. From the Roberts Family Photo Album. [Click to enlarge.]
Camp Meigs was northeast of Washington, D.C. and established in 1917 to provide training for the Quartermaster Corps. About 25,000 soldiers passed through this camp during the war, and it was a separation center for soldiers who returned. The camp was abandoned in 1920, and has since been overbuilt.

Birds eye view of U.S.Q.M.C. Barracks, Camp Meigs, Washington, D.C. Published the 4th of July, 1918. Via Fortwiki.com, from Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. [Click to enlarge.]
#55- Military vehicle likely at Camp Meigs near Washington, D.C., circa 1918. From the Roberts Family Photo Album. [Click to enlarge.]
We forget the tedium of war.

#56a- Mealtime at Camp Meigs, circa 1918. From the Roberts Family Photo Album. [Click to enlarge.]
This ode was penned on the reverse of the above picture, found when taking it out of the album:

#56b- Caption on the reverse of “Mealtime at Camp Meigs, circa 1918.” From the Roberts Family Photo Album. [Click to enlarge.]

“I know this thing
is horrible, and
so is the water
hot so when you
look at this, please
forget me not.”

Not like mom’s cooking on the farm, for sure. Note that some of the men had a plate, others carried a skillet to eat out of. How nutritious was this food for physically active and still growing boys/young men? We have to think of other aspects of our soldiers’ health too- the 1918 Influenza Epidemic was decimating people throughout the camps, the country, and the world during these years. World War I also saw the first use of chemical weapons, and soldiers who survived those attacks had health issues throughout the rest of their life; the addition of biological and nuclear weapons puts our soldiers today in harm’s way to an even greater extent. Over all wars, a huge number of our military died or were debilitated for years by the diseases they picked up in camps or on the battlefield, in addition to the injuries. We all know, too, that the injuries were not just physical, but mental as well. Too often our soldiers must continue the fight through those horrors.

While the Army did have motorized vehicles, animal power was still used in World War I:

#57- Ox cart used in World War I. Likely at Camp Meigs, circa 1918. From the Roberts Family Photo Album. [Click to enlarge.]
#58- Oxen used to pull a wagon, likely at Camp Meigs, circa 1918. From the Roberts Family Photo Album. [Click to enlarge.]
#59- Oxen likely at Camp Meigs, circa 1918. From the Roberts Family Photo Album. [Click to enlarge.]
Since we do not know the names of the soldiers in these photos from our Roberts Family Album, we do not know what happened after these photos were taken- did these young men fight in Europe? What battles did they fight in? Did they come home? In what shape were they when they did come back to family and their homeplace?

Some of these soldiers look similar to young boys in previous pictures we have posted from this photo album, so please add a “Comment” to this post if you can identify any of them or share information so that we can more fully honor them on this Memorial Day, and the Memorial Days to come- and every day.

We must always remember that freedom is not free.

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

  1. All photos from the Roberts Family Photo Album.
  2. Each image is numbered to help with identification, since most have no names or places noted on them.
  3. Enlistment Oath, U.S.C. Title 10, Sec. 502. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2011-title10/html/USCODE-2011-title10-subtitleA-partII-chap31-sec502.htm
  4. Camp Meigs information and photo: http://www.fortwiki.com/Camp_Meigs_(3)

 

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Original content copyright 2013-2022 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted. 
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Prairie City High School, circa 1914, in Jasper County, Iowa??

#42- Is this Prairie City High School in Prairie City, Jasper County, Iowa? This image may be from about 1914.

Roberts Family (Click for Family Tree)

More pictures without names to identify them! While frustrating, it is a sort of fun puzzle, trying to fit dates and places and people together. Thankfully many of the images were together in photos albums, so that helps us to at least group some of the images together, tentatively, of course. Whether we ever determine exactly who is who in the images, we still know they are related to our family, and they are a glimpse into the life of out family, whether at work on a fam, gathering with family, or studying at school. We do ask your help if you can ID any of these people or places, or know someone who can. Please let us know in the “Comments” or “Contact Us” section of the blog! Even an ‘educated guess’ can steer us toward more research and understanding.

Here is another view of this large building:

#43- Is this Prairie City High School, Prairie City, Iowa, about 1914?

We believe this may be PCHS because this photo was found with other Roberts family treasures:

#44a- “Prairie City High School, Nov. 1914” group picture; Edith ROBERTS (later McMURRY, then LUCK) is 2nd from the right, kneeling, in second row. [Click to enlarge.]
This image looks very similar to the doorway seen in picture #43 above, and the windows look similar although it is hard to tell if there is another window behind the tree in the building picture.

And then we turned over this picture…

#44b- Reverse of Prairie City High School group photo. Written in pencil in what appears to be the writing of Edith Roberts.

This was not written in recent years- note how the extender of the ‘g’ in “High” has cracked with the board. More recent IDs on the Roberts pictures are in pen. This also looks similar to other handwriting we believe to be Edith’s in her younger years- it got much more difficult to read as she aged!

#43- Edith ROBERTS on right with unknown friend in front of building that may be Prairie City High School, circa 1914.

The following was an image in the same photo album as the large building and high school pictures:

#44- PLAY BALL!! Unknown student likely from Prairie City High School (see shirt) baseball team, circa 1914.

Could this young man be a Prairie City High School (see shirt) baseball team member, circa 1914? People back then did not wear shirts with big logos generally, unless as part of a sports team.

#45- Three young women- or two young women with a teacher? that appear to be in front of Prairie City High School about 1914.

The above image seemed similar to the larger building front steps, but then we noticed the columns. Maybe we just can’t see them on the smaller picture of the large building? Or perhaps this is another part of the building- or even somewhere completely different. Edith did attend the State University of Iowa in Iowa City (now the University of Iowa), so perhaps this is later than high school.

To throw a wrench in all this surmising, here is a photo from the same album:

#46- Edith ROBERTS, far right, standing, with a school group. “1920 P C” is on the sign.

What? How is this group from 1920, and why does it say “P C”? We know Edith graduated from Prairie City High School in 1918, so is this a group at college of students from Prairie City? Or a group at college in a club, such as a debate team? Or is this a group that came back to PCHS for a reunion in 1920? This part of the building does not have a high foundation like the above large building pictures, but it could have been taken at a part of the building that was not raised as much.

This image was under the above on the album page:

#47- Edith ROBERTS, farthest left, with school group, probably her physical education class, possibly circa 1920.

Was this taken in Prairie City when Edith was in high school, or once she got to the State University of Iowa? We have no clues, other than it being under the image that states 1920 was the year, but there is that confounding “P C” on the above sign.

We would truly appreciate any information that could help us identify some of these images. Please add a “Comment” or use our “Contact Us” page if you know anything about these bygone days. Your message will wait for approval and your email address will never be visible to others visiting the blog, only the website administrator who vows to never use it other than to reply to you.

Thanks for looking and pondering with us!

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

  1. The numbers by the photos are for reference since we do not know many of the people in this album.
  2. “Roberts Family Photo Album” circa 1910-1925 or so. Images may have been taken in Jasper County, Iowa.
  3. “Mystery Monday: The Children of Mary Jane (Roberts) [French] Blount” https://heritageramblings.net/2016/05/16/mystery-monday-the-children-of-mary-jane-roberts-french-blount/
  4.  “Edith M. Roberts and the Prairie City High School Class of 1918” https://heritageramblings.net/2021/11/15/edith-m-roberts-and-the-prairie-city-high-school-class-of-1918/

 

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We would love to read your thoughts and comments about this post (see form below), and thank you for your time! All comments are moderated, however, due to the high intelligence and persistence of spammers/hackers who really should be putting their smarts to use for the public good instead of spamming our little blog.

Original content copyright 2013-2022 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted. 
Descendants and researchers MAY download images and posts to share with their families, and use the information on their family trees or in family history books with a small number of reprints. Please make sure to credit and cite the information properly, i.e, reference this blog.
 Please contact us if you have any questions about the copyright or use of “Heritage Ramblings” blog material.



Roberts Family Photo Album- Teens and Adults

#28- “Pals”- two men on a bench.

Roberts Family, Daniel Family, Murrell Family (Click for Family Tree)

Here is yet another of those photos- a story we would love to know! Father and son? Friends? Please do let us know if you know the story or can identify these men, or any of the people in the following photos from the Roberts Family Photo Album put together some time around 1910 to the 1920s, likely in Jasper County, Iowa. It was passed down to the descendants of George Anthony Roberts and Ella V. Daniel Roberts.

#29- A man and possibly his son?

And now that young man has a girlfriend:

#30- Unidentified young man and young woman.

Here is the same young woman, but is it the same young man? His ears and nose seem quite a bit different.

#31- Same young woman, but different man?

#32- Same young woman.

Here is another young couple:

#33- The reverse of this photo states “Herbert and Gladyce, Nov 1919.” There is a picture of a “Herbert Burns” in another group of photos- the same man?

There are a number of young women in the photo album, one with maybe her mother:

#34- Young woman with striped skirt.

#35- Unidentified young woman.

#36- Two women, possibly a mother and daughter.

While the cameras of that time apparently had some problems with light leaks and did not always advance film properly, having even these not-perfect pictures helps us imagine life for our ancestors.

#37- Woman and baby outside on farm.

The back of the above photo states, “Mar. 24, ’18 Ivan Axlell.” (Spelling is hard to decipher on second name.) We do have an Ivan Chester Murrell, born 1899 in Roseville, Illinois, so this would not be the same person. There were no children listed in the 1930 census when Ivan Chester was listed with his wife, Lillian Lukens Murrell, as living with her parents.

#38- Two women by a fence in fields.

#39- A woman sitting, possibly waiting for a train since dressed up and a telegraph pole is in the background? (Telegraph/phone lines often ran along railroad tracks.)

And a few more men to add to our “unidentified” listing from the Roberts Family Photo Album:

#40- Two men in suits. They do look familiar… but who are they??

Plus a hard-working man in front of a barn:

#41- A man in front of a barn in work clothes.

Do you recognize any of these people? If you do, please scroll down to “Leave a comment” and let us know who they are! Even if you also have an unidentified copy of this photo, knowing what other family has it may help us narrow the possibilities. We each have different pieces of the puzzle… Thanks in advance.

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

  1. The numbers by the photos are for reference since we do not know many of the people in this album.
  2. “Roberts Family Photo Album” circa 1910-1925 or so. Images may have been taken in Jasper County, Iowa.

 

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Original content copyright 2013-2022 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted. 
Descendants and researchers MAY download images and posts to share with their families, and use the information on their family trees or in family history books with a small number of reprints. Please make sure to credit and cite the information properly, i.e, reference this blog.
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Roberts Family Photo Album- Babies and Families

#19- A man, two boys (sons?), a dog, and some milk cans, circa 1920s.

Roberts Family, Daniel Family, Murrell Family (Click for Family Tree)

There is always a story behind a photo, and it would be so wonderful to know them all!

This snapshot of a time, a place, and three people is so intriguing. Is this a man and two sons, with one grown even taller than he was? Is this a man and his younger brother and a son of one of them? Or a three generation picture? All are in nice clothes, with the older two having ties, so were they dressed for a picture or some other occasion? And where were they, with milk cans on a grate alongside- a dairy perhaps? Did one of them work there? A closer look at the bricks suggests the right side of the building was added on… so many unanswered questions. We are hoping that some of our readers can help us to identify some of the people in this post, as well as some of the previous posts from unidentified photos that were found in the Roberts Family Photo Album.

The Roberts family was living in Indiana, then Illinois before their migration to Iowa around 1868 in a covered wagon. Edith ROBERTS (later McMURRAY, then LUCK) (1899-1982), told in a letter about how her father, George Anthony ROBERTS, Sr. (1861-1939), at age 5 ran behind the wagons on the long trek west. George’s parents, John ROBERTS (1832-1922) and Elizabeth Ann MURRELL family met the Robert Woodson DANIEL (1843-1922)-Margaret Ann HEMPHILL (1839-1915) family in Roseville, Warren County, Illinois, and their children married.

A letter to a Bedford County, Pennsylvania newspaper may have been picked up by other papers read by our ancestors in Illinois, or word of mouth stories of the richness of the prairies may have inspired our ancestors to make such a life-changing move.

“Here I am after a long, but rather pleasant ride. [The author had taken the train west to Iowa City and then a coach to Des Moines.] I had formed many big notions of Iowa: but, I tell you that every one of them came short of the reality… I presume that many of the emigrants whose wagons dot the road over the Prairies and whose family fires at night light up the woods along the roadside, don’t know that such a thing as a money crisis has come upon us… Capitalists in the East now have their eyes on the fertile, rolling, black lands of Iowa… In my travels so far, I have never been out of sight of timber and often passed large bodies of it. I have frequently crossed fresh running streams. Coal mines frequently occurred and game abounded… the prairie hens… fluttered up from about the coach wheels as they rolled along.”

While this was written about ten years before our families made the trek west, it could take a number of years to accumulate the money to buy and outfit a wagon, plus plan a trip of 200 miles after selling any farm, livestock, or other property owned and purchasing new at the destination. While today the trip would take 68 hours on foot per Google maps, it probably took 2-3 weeks by wagon with family, rivers to cross, broken wagon wheels, oxen to feed, poor weather, etc. Sometimes babies were born on the way too! So not a trip to undertake lightly.

It is no wonder people loved to show off their family and possessions in pictures and share with friends who were across the county or back home where they came from. The hand-held camera was such a wonderful invention!

#20- A mom and sweet baby girl. (Could this be Ethel G. ROBERTS ROBISON?)

And here is that sweet little one, about to take off walking into her future:

#21- What a great smile on this little girl!

Perhaps this is the same little girl in her rocking chair?

#22- A little girl in a rocker on a porch.

These children appear to be from a different family:

#23- Two children with a baby.

#24- Young boy in front of a porch.

Here is a gentleman who may have made that trek from Roseville. He probably never saw himself as a baby in a photo since photography was not really available until the 1840s, and then used mostly for portraits in a studio.

#25- An older man with a baby on his lap and a little girl with her dolly.

We have other pictures that include this man, so it would be great to learn who he is! (Please leave us a comment if you have a picture of him and/or know who he is.)

And here is one more cute baby in a little wicker chair with a bottle:

#26- Unidentified baby from Roberts Family Photo Album.

And of course, our contractually obligated picture of a little one with a dog:

#27- A toddler with an unhappy dog and big sis keeping them all together. Roberts Family Photo Album_c1910s-1920s. [Click to enlarge.]
This photo album is such a treasure trove… and there are still MORE pictures of our wonderful family. Stay tuned for pictures of the teens and adults.

And please let us know if you have seen these pictures or know any of the family in them. The “Leave a comment” link is at the very bottom, under the date in the grayed footer of the post. Thanks for reading, and maybe even commenting!

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

  1. Roberts Family Photo Album put together in the 1910s-1920s era, probably Jasper County, Iowa.
  2. “Correspondence, Des Moines, Iowa, Oct. 5, 1857.” Bedford Gazette, Bedford, Pennsylvania, 10/23/1857, page 2.

 

Click to enlarge any image. Please contact us if you would like an image in higher resolution.

We would love to read your thoughts and comments about this post (see form below), and thank you for your time! All comments are moderated, however, due to the high intelligence and persistence of spammers/hackers who really should be putting their smarts to use for the public good instead of spamming our little blog.

Original content copyright 2013-2022 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted. 
Descendants and researchers MAY download images and posts to share with their families, and use the information on their family trees or in family history books with a small number of reprints. Please make sure to credit and cite the information properly, i.e, reference this blog.
 Please contact us if you have any questions about the copyright or use of “Heritage Ramblings” blog material.