Top row, from right: Sam Stampfer, ? Bess Dorothy Green?, Herman Green?
Green Family Photo Album- page 12.
This page thankfully had names written in pencil- Woohoo! They show up much better on the scan than in real life, so try scanning items and looking at them carefully- you might find more than expected.
The bottom right young woman with glasses is Bess Green.
The four pictures on the diagonal are Edith Shepard- wonder how she is related?
Green Family Photo Album- page 14.
Green Family Photo Album- page 9.
Estelle Green in bottom left oval, Rose Brave Green in right bottom photo with young girl.
Green Family Photo Album- page 8
On left, Violet ___y; on right, “Mrs. Abraham Green” or Rose (Brave) Green.
Green Family Photo Album- page 7.
Unknown children of the Green Family.
Green Family Photo Album- Front CoverGreen Family Photo Album- Back Cover
Notes, Sources, and References:
1) Oops! Published a Friday post on Thursday. I could say, “Wow, that makes me ahead of the game!” Sadly though, I meant to finish this post for publication last week…
2) Green Family Photo Album, in possession of the author.
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Copyright 2013-2014 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.
We would love to read your thoughts and comments about this post, 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.
The above handsome couple- if they were, indeed, a couple, are just two of the many persons in this Green family photo album that we cannot identify. Please let us know if you have any of these same pictures- maybe yours will have names on them! (A genealogist’s dream.)
Green Family Photo Album- page 35.A Green Family Photo Album- Page 6.
The picture on the left may have Bess D. Green on the right- what do you think?
Green Family Photo Album- page 37.
Top left picture is Esther Stampfer on the left with long ringlets. The girl with her may be Sarah “Jane” Ledwidge. Would love some help to identify the others on this page.
Green Family Photo Album- page 39.
Notes, Sources, and References:
1) Green Family photo album, probably owned by Bess Dorothy Green.
Not sure why WordPress is calling this 8 of 3 in this series. Another technical glitch to figure out…
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Copyright 2013-2014 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.
We would love to read your thoughts and comments about this post, 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.
Israel I. COOPER- Headstone- Hebrew. From Find A Grave, posted with permission of photographer.
The headstone of Israel I. Cooper in Franklin Street Cemetery, Elmira, Chemung, New York, USA took a very long time to find- many years. Finding the burial place of Israel and his wife Bessie was a wonderful collaboration of family, a local library, interested volunteers that aren’t even related, Find A Grave, and those who own the cemetery.
Israel I. COOPER- Headstone- English. From Find A Grave, posted with permission of photographer.
It is a peaceful feeling to know where ancestors are “quietly resting.”
Israel Cooper belonged to the Modern Woodmen of America. They are (still) a fraternal insurance society that also provides fellowship and service through their many chapters throughout the country. The following was in an Elmira newspaper on 24 Jul 1904:
Modern Woodmen Tribute to Israel. I. Cooper. Elmira Telegram, 24 Jul 1904.
Bessie lived 28 years after Israel’s death, living with their daughter and son at various times. She died at the home of their son, Joseph Cooper, at Montgomery, Lycoming, PA, on Saturday, 28 May, 1932, at 1 o’clock, per her obituary that was published in the Elmira Gazette on 29 May 1932. The obituary states that she was a former resident of Elmira for 35 years. She was survived by 4 daughters: Mrs. Harry Tatelbaum and Mrs. Israel Kremer of Rochester, NY; Mrs. Joseph Oppenheim of Elmira; Mrs. Samuel Blostein of Worcester, MA; and 3 sons: Joseph Cooper of Montgomery, PA; Joseph B. Cooper (should be Jacob B. Cooper) also of Montgomery, PA; and Samuel Cooper of New Haven, CT. She had 27 grandchildren at her death, and 8 great grandchildren. The funeral took place at her son Jacob Cooper’s home at 165 Washington St, Elmira, on Sunday at 2 pm.
Bessie F. (MEYER) COOPER- Headstone- Hebrew Inscription. Posted with permission of Find A Grave photographer.
Bessie F. (MEYER) COOPER- Headstone- English inscription- Franklin Street Cemetery, Elmira, Chemung, New York, USA. Posted with permission of Find A Grave photographer.
It would be nice to have the Hebrew section of their headstones translated.
Israel I. COOPER- Headstone_Hebrew DetailBessie F. (MYER) COOPER- Headstone_Hebrew Detail
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“Old Cochran” in Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1862-1863, p. 52.
This entry in a Pittsburgh City Directory made me stop and think about how tough life was back in the day- today too, but even fewer safety nets then like Social Security or food stamps. Manual labor was the only job available for many throughout their lifetime. Poor “Old Cochran”- not even known by his first name, just his age- was still working as a laborer at that point in his life. Still living on his own maybe, but sadly I did not notice other Cochrans nearby on his street. A daughter may have been nearby but we wouldn’t know because she, if even listed, would be under her husband’s name.
OK, that was another Heritage Rambling… on to the topic at hand.
Logo of Cochran [Photography Studio] in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, c1895. (Front)I came upon the “Old Cochran” entry while looking for a R. D. Cochran, Artistic Photographer in Pittsburgh. Old City Directories are a great way to find family, friends, associates, and neighbors (the “FAN Club”), as well as nearby businesses, for those from times long gone. I have been trying to find a date for the photos discussed in this week’s “Mystery Monday” post:
Since we have a photographer’s name/studio listed on the portraits, finding when the photographer was in business would help to narrow the date range of the photos. Unfortunately, Pittsburgh, PA does not have a listing of photographers (some other cities do have lists that family historians or archivists have compiled). The knowledgeable folks on the Allegheny County, Pennsylvania RootsWeb group suggested that I search the many City Directories online for Pittsburgh at http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/text-idx?c=pitttextdir;page=browse;key=date
GOLOMB Family? Pittsburgh PA, c1895? RD Cochran, Photographer- Reverse (Click to enlarge or for a sharper image.)
There is a search function on the page so I put in “R. D. Cochran” and got 16 hits. I had previously seen a photo of an African-American Civil War soldier posted online that was taken by R. D. Cochran (similar design on the advertisement), so checked the early directories first. My results:
Title: Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1863
Publication Info: Pittsburgh, Pa.]: G.H. Thurston, 1863, p. 58
“Cochran, Robert D., of R D Cochran & Co., n Woods’ Run”
Title: Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1865-1866, Pittsburgh, PA: G.H. Thurston, 1865
Collection: Historic Pittsburgh City Directories, p.80
“Cochran R. D., of R. D. Cochran & Co., McClure tp”
Title: Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1867
Publication Info: Pittsburgh, Pa.]: G.H. Thurston, 1867, p.96
“Cochran R. D. of R. D. Cochran & Co. McClure tp”
Title: Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1869-1870
Publication Info: Pittsburgh, Pa.]: G.H. Thurston, 1869, p.100
“Cochran R. D., of R. D. Cochran & Co., res McClure tp”
There are other R. D. Cochrans listed for many later years, mostly in the oil business. I was unable to find the studio listed in the business section of the city directory, but often a business would be required to pay for the privilege of being listed under “Photographers” in the directory, and many were not able to afford the advertising.
So if “R. D. Cochran & Co.” was a photography studio, we may have narrowed the date of the photos. Probably not though, as the Green and Golumb families did not immigrate to the United States until the 1880s, so the time frame is not correct for our image.
I did a US Federal Census search for R. D. Cochran, and found a Robert D. Cochran listed as a steamboat captain in the 1860 census for McCluer Twp, Allegheny, PA- so that might be the “R. D. Cochran & Co” I found in the City Directory in that same township. I searched through other censuses in Allegheny Co. for our photographer, but little luck in finding him or her.
We definitely need more information.
Probably the next step is dating the photos by clothing, hairstyles, and props. There are a number of books available to use for this research, so those will be bedtime reading this week. I also have an email out to a person who includes the Golomb family on their tree, though they have not posted any photos. But I am really hoping that a cousin will see these photos and remember they have an acid-free storage box with the same photos, with individuals positively identified on them in archival ink. (A family historian’s dream…)
As always, suggestions are appreciated.
Notes, Sources, and References:
1) “Old Cochran- lab” may be found in the Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1862-1863, p.52, Collection: Historic Pittsburgh City Directories at
2) The “FAN Club” is a way to help break through brick walls. By researching Friends, Associates, and Neighbors, you may find something about the ancestor you seek. I wish I could give credit to the researcher who originated the acronym, but do not know who came up with it as a quick way to explain what experienced genealogists have been doing for a long time. Researching siblings is another way to break through brick walls- especially helpful if one of the siblings had an unusual name whereas your direct ancestor might have had a common name. Siblings are often listed in obituaries, parent’s names may be on birth or death records, etc.
5) Robert D. Cochran: Source Citation: Year: 1860; Census Place: McClure, Allegheny,Pennsylvania; Roll: M653_1065; Page: 379; Image: 386; Family History Library Film: 805065. Accessed on Ancestry.com 1/18/2014.
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Green Family Photo Album- page 14.
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