Tuesday’s Tip: Max Broida’s Head

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Max Broida, circa 1894, so about age 9; cropped from a family picture.
Max Broida, circa 1894, so about age 8-9; cropped from a family picture.

Broida Family (Click for Family Tree)

Tuesday’s Tip:

Look at data- and images- in context.

Look at data- and images- in sequence.

And look again.

 

We have had the pictures in this post for many years, and the new image we found on eBay of Max Broida makes a total of five (if you don’t count his film images). It wasn’t until after writing the Sunday post, however, and looking at the other four images we have of Max, that a new thought presented itself. So make sure you revisit old data and pictures periodically, since you have new information (hopefully) that will help you understand more about an ancestor.

We know that the picture posted Sunday of Max was most likely taken around 1924, because that is when he lived at 1020 W. Pico St. in Los Angeles per the City Directory, and that is the same as what he wrote on the back of the picture. Max/Buster signed himself as, “The Hairless Man”- had he performed in the circus under that guise? In vaudeville? He certainly had many Hollywood roles where his bald pate featured prominently.

Well, then what do you think of the two images in this post? Although they have been posted before, it didn’t click until now that Max had hair in these images. Max apparently was not born without hair, unless they had purchased a wig for him as a boy in the above picture.

Lucy and Dave's Wedding
Max Broida at the wedding of his brother Theodore “Dave”Broida and Lucy Shatzke, 20 Aug 1916. Family photo.

Max was born in 1885 or 1886, so was about 30-31 when his brother Dave got married. Again, unless that was a wig in the above picture, he had hair- receding quickly for a young man, but nevertheless, he had hair.

What was Max doing and where was he living in 1916, when the wedding picture was taken? We have found a ‘Max. M. Brodie’ in Los Angeles, age 30, noted as a salesman and  Republican on the Voter’s Rolls. He was living at 651 W. 42nd Place. Is this ‘our’ Max? We posted previously about this mystery and still cannot determine if these are two different men or just one with an alter ego, or in the process of becoming an actor. Having the same address on his publicity photo as what we expect might be a different man is now quite puzzling.

BROIDA_Max-as Buster Brodie_portrait_reducedWill Max’s slightly-more-than-Mona-Lisa-smile in 1924 give us more of a clue?

Here’s Max on 25 July 1930:

John Jacob/Zelig Broida and his seven sons. From left- front sitting- Max Broida, standing- Phillip Broida, Joseph J. Broida, Morris Broida, Louis Broida, Theodore Broida, Harold Broida. Sitting on right- John J. "Zelig" Broida.
John Jacob/Zelig Broida and his seven sons. From left- front sitting- Max Broida, standing- Phillip Broida, Joseph J. Broida, Morris Broida, Louis Broida, Theodore Broida, Harold Broida. Sitting on right- John J. “Zelig” Broida. Taken 24 July 1930 when John “Zelig” Broida returned from Israel for a visit. Family photo.

Sure hope there are some California family members out there who can give us a bit more insight into the life of Max Broida and/or Buster Brodie.

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

  1. Use our search box to find other posts about Max Broida/ Buster Brodie.
  2. Photos from the Family Treasure Chest.

 

Please contact us if you would like higher resolution images. Click to enlarge images.

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 2013-2015 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.
 
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.
 
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Matrilineal Monday: Susan B. Anthony and our Family

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Women's Suffrage Postcard set, 1 of 3- Susan B. Anthony. Anna Howard Shaw and Frances Willard are the other two. Issued c1890-1910?
Susan B. Anthony, 1 of 3 in a Women’s Suffrage Postcard set. (Anna Howard Shaw and Frances Willard are the other two honored.) Issued c1890-1910?

McMurray Family, Payne Family (Click for Family Tree)

Today is “Susan B. Anthony Day” and we should all be celebrating her birth that occurred 15 Feb 1820. She was a tireless worker for women’s rights, so any of us who are female, our mothers, and their mothers, plus the mothers of those mothers, (depending where you are on the generational spectrum) all owe Susan B. a big “THANK YOU!!”

Various bills have been put forth to make 15 February a National Holiday. A number of social activists already have National Holidays honoring their work- Martin Luther King, of course, and even Ceasar Chavez recently got an official day. But Susan B. Anthony was passed over- again, by Congress and the President. How can that be, when her work benefits 51% of our population, and cuts across economic status and race??  Wherever she is, she is probably just shaking her head… women fought for abolition too, and hoped that they would get the right to vote when African-Americans did. She and her sisters wanted the government to make all Americans truly equal, as stated in the Declaration of Independence. Apparently the “all men” in that document meant that literally- black men got the right to vote, white men already had it, but all women had to fight for many more years to get the “right” to vote. We should not have to fight now to get a day for Susan and the other women who worked so tirelessly for women’s equality.

Okay, you might say, Susan B. Anthony was put on a coin- shouldn’t that ‘count’? (Bad pun- sorry.) They put her likeness on the front of a silver dollar, BUT left the same reverse as on the previous silver dollar, an eagle landing on the moon. They couldn’t design a coin reverse for her too? How does an eagle on the moon relate to woman’s suffrage?

And who wants to use a heavy silver dollar when they can use a lightweight paper bill? Another problem was that the new smaller silver dollars looked so similar to quarters that the public did not want to use them, and vending machine companies fought it. Thus the demand was small and Susan’s coins were only minted for a total of four years; they are no longer available from the US Mint. Congress has, however, authorized the US Mint to issue  a “First Spouse” series- all the wives of US Presidents. While First Ladies have done a lot of good work, it pales in comparison to what the suffragists did, endured, and accomplished. Where is our set of coins for women who worked for a social and political revolution?

It seems that our government just does not want to honor the women who worked for social and political justice.

Even Fox News thinks that Susan B. Anthony should be honored with a National Holiday. There are five states where Susan B. Anthony’s birthday is a state holiday: California, Florida, New York, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.  Oh wait- West Virginia celebrates it on election day but only in even years (??), so does that really count?

Edward B. Payne
Edward B. Payne, probably circa 1910. Family treasure.

Edward Biron Payne (the grandfather of Dr. Edward A. McMurray) may have met Susan B. Anthony; at the least he most likely heard her speak, and read her articles. (He read everything.) In 1895, suffragists in California invited Susan B. Anthony and Anna Howard Shaw of the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) to attend their Woman’s Congress. They were pushing to get woman’s suffrage passed by voters in California, and needed help. (A woman’s suffrage bill was passed in 1893 by the CA state legislature, but the governor vetoed it, saying that women voting was unconstitutional.) The Woman’s Congress was held in San Francisco in May, and Edward B. Payne probably took the ferry across the bay and listened to Susan B. Anthony’s words. Edward himself was very committed to equality- he was a Christian Socialist, a Unitarian minister, and journalist. He also had founded a Utopian colony called Altruria, where it was required that the Vice-President be a woman. We don’t know if he knew Ninetta (Wiley) Eames by this time, but Berkeley, California was a small town, so he may have known her. Ninetta was a suffragist, and would later become his second wife.

Susan B. Anthony spoke around the state in support of women’s suffrage, including at a Unitarian Church in Berkeley. We have no proof that Edward was in attendance, but it would be very surprising if he was not sitting in the front row at that meeting or others. We know he regularly attended lectures, and he also gave a series of lectures to support woman’s suffrage. Rev. Payne loved a great philosophical discussion, and a social revolution for the people. I do hope that he got to meet with her and discourse!

Berkeley's Citizen Suffrage League thanks Edward B. Payne and others for their aid in the suffrage movement in California. San Francisco Call, 19 Nov 1896, page 11, column 2, via ChroniclingAmerica.com
Berkeley’s Citizen Suffrage League thanks Edward B. Payne and others for their aid in the suffrage movement in California. San Francisco Call, 19 Nov 1896, page 11, column 2, via ChroniclingAmerica.com

A thank you to Rev. Payne and others was published after the vote was defeated. Southern California had passed it, but San Francisco, more populous, defeated the bill. Saloonkeepers and the liquor industry, more prevalent in San Francisco,  were afraid that if women got the vote, a prohibition of alcohol would be next.

All women today in the US should honor Susan B. Anthony on her birthday, and really, every day. Men need to as well- when women have equality, men benefit economically, socially, emotionally. Having the vote is powerful, and we need to honor the suffragists by using that vote in every election.

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

  1. “Make Susan B. Anthony Day a national holiday” by Phyllis Chessler.
    http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2015/02/13/make-susan-b-anthony-day-national-holiday.html
  2. Susan B. Anthony Day- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_B._Anthony_Day
  3. “Brief Berkeley Notes,” San Francisco Call, 19 Nov. 1896, p11, c2, via ChroniclingAmerica.com.
  4. National Susan B. Anthony House & Museum- http://susanbanthonyhouse.org/her-story/biography.php
  5. Gayle Gullett has done some excellent writing on the California Woman Suffrage movement. She has an article on JSTOR: “Constructing the Woman Citizen and Struggling for the Vote in California, 1896-1911.” Gayle Gullett, Pacific Historical Review, Vol. 69, No. 4, Woman Suffrage: The View from the Pacific (Nov., 2000), pp. 573-593. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3641225
    She also wrote a book on the topic: Becoming Citizens: The Emergence and Development of the California Women’s Movement, 1880-1911.Urbana and Chicago:  University of Illinois Press, 2000. See a review at https://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=4314
  6. Here is a good resource on the California Suffrage Movement:
    The California Plan: California’s Suffrage Strategy and Its Effects in Other States and the National Suffrage Campaign” by Lauren Abel
    http://journals.chapman.edu/ojs/index.php/VocesNovae/article/view/636/887

 

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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 2013-2015 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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Sentimental Sunday: Max Broida

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BROIDA_Max-as Buster Brodie_portrait_reduced
Max Broida as Buster Brodie- “The Hairless Man,” c1924. In possession of author.

Broida Family (Click for Family Tree)

Sometimes, one falls in love with an ancestor.

Probably, only die-hard family historians truly understand this statement.

But it happens.

For me, Max Broida is one of those ancestors.

It started out as one of those quiet relationships. A casual acquaintance, when as a newly married-in, I asked about the family history.

The picture of “The Seven Brothers” was brought out, and there sat John Broida, the patriarch, surrounded by his dashing seven adult sons. They all looked so handsome in their suits, all of them tailored to a “T” since so many of them were in the men’s fine clothing business. They were serious looking- Max too. But his professional demeanor totally belied what I would learn many years later.

Gertrude (Broida) Cooper, the daughter of one of those dashing sons (Philip Edwin Broida), could name all her uncles, and tell about their family life: wives, children, grandchildren, where they lived, and even businesses. She had an astonishing memory, and attention to detail. She too always looked ‘dashing’- if that word can be used for a woman- as she also was in the clothing business, but fine women’s clothes. She always dressed up and put on her makeup and her heels; she colored her hair a bright red until her very later years, when she softened the color but she would always be a beloved carrothead to me.

Gertrude did not know much about her Uncle Max. She told us that he had worked in movies in Hollywood using the name Buster Brodie, and that he was completely hairless- did not even have eyebrows. She didn’t know the names of any films he was in. He was very short, but so were the majority of the family, being Eastern European. He did not marry. That was about all to the story.

Other family members did not know much about Max either- some even thought that their ‘movie star’ relative was a figment of their father’s imagination! (You doubting children know who you are.)

As a good family historian, of course it is important to document collateral relatives, plus sometimes you can find more information about your direct line. So I delved into the history of each of the seven brothers and their families. And when I got to Max, it happened.

Not much came up in the Google search years ago, but that made him more intriguing, a bit mysterious. Of course, that also made him a challenge- you know, hard to get. Others might have backed down, but not me- Max became more attractive, and it became hard to stop running after him. (Yes, my husband does know…)

It was probably about 2 or 3am one research session when I realized what had happened. I was putting together a filmography for Max, and began watching clips or even whole movies where he might have had just a bit part. He was little and cute. He was enthusiastic. He played silly roles with a completely straight face. He had a funny little voice. Sometimes he seemed an underdog. But he was mesmerizing to me. I couldn’t stop watching. It seemed like he wanted his audience to laugh and be happy, and that was happening to me.

I was addicted. I had to know more about him. The passion ramped up.

So I wrote posts, and the blog became cousin bait. Well, actually we didn’t find cousins, but people who had pictures of Max, knowledge of Max, and interest in Max found us. (Putting a portrait on Max’s Find A Grave memorial helped too.) These folks so kindly shared! I felt like we were breathing life back into Max.

I did more research, and wrote more, and was so pleased to hear back from cousins that they were excited to learn that Max was REAL! They were amazed to learn that he had run away to be in the circus as a young boy or man, and did vaudeville after he tried working in business with family. Apparently a settled family business life just didn’t work for him, so he headed west, to Hollywood. The movie studios were becoming a big business in the 1920s, and talkies appeared; Max wanted to be a part of it all. With a bald head, he probably was happy to get to sunny SoCal and leave the miserable Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania winters behind.

Max never had big parts, usually not even big movies. One of his two most memorable movies is the “Wizard of Oz,” where he was a Flying Monkey, so we can’t even tell which one was Max. He also was in what is still a cult movie, Paramount’s 1932 film, “Island of the Lost Souls.” He had an amazing makeup job in that film so again, as ‘The Pig Man,’ Max Broida would be unrecognizable. Part of the reason the film is still popular is because it was the first to use sophisticated ‘monster’ makeup. It is also macabre, and even friends who like scary movies say it was creepy and scary. I could never get through it. In fact, the above portrait found on eBay had another offered by the same seller showing “The Pig Man” in makeup but in a regular shirt. That picture sold as well (but not to me), as did a number of other stills from the movie.

Reverse of Max Broida, as Buster Brodie. Probably a publicity photo.
Reverse of Max Broida, as Buster Brodie. Probably a publicity photo and probably in his own hand, c. 1924. His birth and death dates were written in more recently, as was the date of his obituary in Variety, the stage and film periodical. Owned by author.

I was really excited to see this delightful portrait show up in my automatic eBay searches, since we really don’t have any decent images of Max as an adult other than the “Seven Brothers” picture. The seller had a ridiculous price on it, but all week Max let me know I needed to procure this for the family.  I was just compelled… and I won it.

I was so thrilled to get the picture, and turn it over. The eBay listing had not included an image of the back, nor even mentioned that there was anything on the reverse. (I hadn’t wanted to ask questions and risk others deciding to bid.) I felt like I had won the lottery! I had Max in my house, and with all the info on the back, I knew a whole lot more about him.

This was likely a publicity photo that Max shopped around, trying to get even bit parts. The handsome man in the picture with the slight smile completely hides the zaniness he could exhibit in some of his acting roles, such as in,”Groovy Movie.” To think of him as Buster Brown (advertising shoes), or a circus clown… well, I just can’t call him ‘Buster’ even though that is how he reported himself to census takers. And I don’t want to think of him as “Pigman” at all.

So thanks, Max, for being a crazy family historian’s passion for a while now, and for surprising me with a treasure every now and then. Happy Valentine’s Day to you, wherever you are. xoxoxo

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

  1. Thanks to Steve Cox, who wrote, The Munchkins Remember, EP Dutton, 1988, and documented that Max was a Flying Monkey in “The Wizard of Oz.” Steve also shared what he knew about Max and ‘the little people.’
  2. Thanks also to Frank Reighter and his compadres at the Three Stooges Fan Club, who provided some obits and Max’s death certificate.

 

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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 2013-2015 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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Shopping Saturday: Abram Springsteen and His Civil War Drum, Part 1

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"On the Potomac," 1861. Courtesy of Indiana Historical Society- see notes for details.
“On the Potomac,” 1861. Courtesy of Indiana Historical Society- see notes for details.

Helbling Family, Springsteen Family (Click for Family Tree)

What is generally called ‘shopping’ became ‘foraging’ of the hunter-gatherer style once a man became a soldier. This was true for Abram F. Springsteen as well. Mary T. (Helbling) McMurray, his great-niece, told her descendants the story she had been told about his foraging. Since he was so little at about age 12, Abram could get in and out of little places easily, like through a broken fence, board, or hole and into a barn or chicken house. He used to hide eggs inside his drum as he departed, and calmly leave the area with ‘only’ his drum. Abram’s comrades were always happy to see that their enterprising young comrade was out looking for a tasty supplement to the generally awful Army grub.

This is one of the many family stories that rings true. Abram included some of his ‘shopping’ escapades in his diary. He did not specifically note the ‘appropriation’ of eggs by the Union Army from the Confederates (or even Union sympathizers), but that most likely happened as well.

Abram’s diary describes a cold January ‘shopping’ trip with fellow soldiers:

“On the 17th we joined in the pursuit of Hood’s, going as far as Clifton on the Tenn river where we remained until the 16th of Jany 1865. During which time our rations ran out and one morning after reveille I proposed to one of the drummers by the name of John Ellis, that we start out on a foraging expedition. He being much older than I, we started after providing ourselves with a musket and some cartridges. After going about a mile from camp, we saw a house across a field from which we made a break but before reaching it we heard some firing to our left and upon looking around saw three men coming along a lane near by one of which was leading a mule and supposing them to be rebels, we hid behind a stone fence until they came out of the lane when we recognized them as being Yanks. Upon seeing us, they called to us to join them but Ellis would go no further, so bidding him good bye I joined the party who proved to be of the 24th Ky. Inf. [Kentucky Infantry] of our Brig. [Brigade]”

Abram was fearless, to take off from camp with just one other soldier- and a drummer at that! Back in those days, the boys were likely to have experience with a rifle, as they would have gone hunting or just out to shoot back home. But  then to join up with other Union soldiers by himself- he was either brave, very trusting, or possibly, foolhardy. (Men are not always so nice in war- even to their fellow soldiers.)

"Land of milk & honey" by Forbes.Courtesy of the Indiana Historical Society. See notes for details.
“Land of milk & honey” by Forbes.Courtesy of the Indiana Historical Society. See notes for details.

“After going about a mile further, I was put upon the mule to ride which suited me exactly. We soon sighted a house near where we found nothing save a few dried pumpkin parins’. Soon after leaving the place, we came across a pig rooting by the road side, one of the boys sent a bullet thro him and after cutting him up, hid the parts wanted in the bushes and started on and after traveling about a mile sighted another house situated about a quarter of a mile from the road. Here we found chickens, hams, bacon, Tobacco and a general assortment of provisions and were compelled; in order to carry all we wanted , to enlist the services of an old family nag [horse] we found on the place.”

Although Abram and the Kentucky soldiers spoke to the woman of the house and learned that her husband was “a loyal union man,” they decided they would confiscate food. Also, the woman had “a little babe in her arms”- so they knew they were taking food from a family who sorely needed it, despite being on the Union side. (Or so the woman said. Since homes and farms were raided by both sides, it would be smart for a family to claim they were on the side that was on their doorstep; survival was paramount.)

The soldiers knew that Hood’s forces were likely close by, so they needed to expedite their ‘shopping’ trip before they could get caught. They loaded up the mule Abram had been riding on plus took the old nag- probably the only horse the family had for plowing by that point. They started back to camp in the late afternoon, and stopped to pick up the parts of the pig they had butchered earlier. They wanted to reach camp after dark anyway, so others would not know what they had brought.

By the time Abram got to his tent, which he shared with Major Pickard, he heard the voice of Ellis, the fellow drummer he had started out with that morning. He also heard the Major giving Ellis,

“… a severe turning over for allowing me to go on with the parties we had met as they supposed me either captured or killed and just then I popped my head in the tent and then there was a time. I told the boys to keep quiet and just follow me. I then took the hungry dogs over to the 24th Ky. where my share of the proceeds of our trip were awaiting me. The boys having given me more than an equal share of what we had captured.

Well, to say the boys were delighted at the sight of all the good things would be drawing it entirely too mild, they were perfectly overjoyed and for the time being I was the hero of the camp as I divided the provisions up as far as they would reach.”

Another time, near to when he was discharged at Greensboro, North Carolina, Abram took a number of foraging expeditions with  his “chum” Bruce Hardy of the 112 Illinois (whose father was an officer, also in the 112 Ill.). During one of the ‘expeditions’ they  fired their guns within a few miles of camp, probably trying to hit some birds or possibly a wild hog- Abram doesn’t say why. The two boys were actually arrested by the Union pickets (guards) for that offense, as they would have feared that the enemy was nearby. (There were still southern enemies even after the Civil War officially drew to a close.) The boys were taken to General Stiles’ headquarters, and severely reprimanded before being released.

“On another occasion, we got an old mule and started out in search of something good to eat. After going about 6 miles, we … having been informed there lived a beautiful daughter of a Rebel officer, we decided to have a peep at the young lady and, hitching the mule to a little bush, we proceeded with the use of a small pocket mirror, to arrange our toilet and while thus engaged our mule, who by the way was loaded down with butter, eggs, chickens, milk and a general assortment of provisions [from their ‘shopping’ trip], pulled the bush out of the ground and before we could realize what had happened was on his way back to camp.

“We made a grand attempt to catch him but he was too much for us so we gave up the chase and also the idea of taking a peep at the beautiful maiden we had heard about. We arrived back in camp about dark where we found the mule plastered from head to tail with butter, eggs, milk, etc. and looking as though he had been run through a thrashing machine.”

The mule must have high-tailed it back to camp, smashing the provisions on his sides as he trotted through dense woods.

Abram reported that a few days later, they returned to the home of the beautiful maiden,

“… and this time saw the young lady but she hated the Yanks and would have nothing to say to us.”

The fact that the young lady would not even speak to them likely made the loss of all those good victuals doubly disappointing.

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

  1. Images from the Indiana Historical Society are low resolution for uses such as in blogs. Higher resolution images can be found on their website, with links to each image provided below.
  2. “On the Potomac” courtesy of Indiana Historical Society. Their description: The tintype shows members of the Twelfth Indiana Infantry eating around a campfire. The men posed for the camera, holding plates and cups. One soldier appears to be feeding another with a spoon or fork, and another holds a tin cup above a coffee pot. Identifications scratched on the back of the tintype state the photograph was made “On the Potomac, 1861.” The list of names derived from an examination of the tintype under a microscope is as follows: Lieut. Wm. W. Angel; Sargt. Jacob Kenagu [Kenagy, Private according to Terrell]; Corp Nat ?reenfield [Greenfield, Recruit according to Terrell]; Privt Geo Burwell; Jno Campbell [John S. Campbell according to Terrell]; Sanford _arns [Karns, Recruit according to Terrell]; ?; Drummer Gilly [Gilmore Hollingsworth, Musician, Company H?]; Jas St ?. via http://images.indianahistory.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/dc008/id/190/rec/1932
  3. “Land of Milk & Honey” by Edwin Forbes, 1876. Plate 32. Indiana Historical Society description: In 1861 Edwin Forbes was hired as a staff artist by “Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper.” He covered the Army of the Potomac from 1862-1864, and was known for his ability to draw quickly. His primary interest was in recording the everyday activity of soldiers. Plate 32, is from his publication “Life Studies of the Great Army.” The sketches are titled: Gone Off for the Yankees; A Land Flowing with Milk and Honey; A Scouting Party; An Old Campaigner. http://images.indianahistory.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/dc008/id/573/rec/1974
  4. “Diary of Abram F. Springsteen” transcription, completed by family members. Thank you for sharing!

 

Please contact us if you would like higher resolution images. Click to enlarge images.

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 2013-2015 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.
 
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.
 
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Friday Funny: “Says She’s a Widow Lady”

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1914 G.A.R. Parade in Detroit, Michigan, via Wikipedia. Public domain- Library of Congress.
1914 G.A.R. Parade in Detroit, Michigan, via Wikipedia. Public domain- Library of Congress.

Helbling Family, Springsteen Family (Click for Family Tree)

Earlier this week we looked at the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) and how it was a large fraternal organization with political clout. A number of our ancestors were GAR members, such as Abram F. Springsteen and Samuel T. Beerbower. (Both would be some-number-of-great uncles in Anna May (Beerbower) Helbling’s line, the number depending on your generations from Anna May.)

An encampment of the GAR was a great time for camaraderie amongst the old Civil War veterans. It was also an opportunity for a sweet but enterprising “widow lady” searching for a little camaraderie of her own.

A headline of “SAYS SHE’S A WIDOW LADY, And Wants a Husband Who Is In High Social Standing” was found in the Elkhart Daily Review, Elkhart, Indiana on 31 August 1899 on the front page. The committee in charge of the September 1899 GAR encampment in Philadelphia received a letter from a 34-year old woman from Marion, Indiana, asking them to give her letter to a widower “high in social standing.” She states that she will be in attendance at the encampment, “…and it would be so lonely for not to know any one there.”

She was pretty specific in her needs [transcribed as written]:

“I would like a jeantleman 38 or 40. He knead not fear me. I am a dressmaker here.”

“Please let it be some who can show me over the city and enjoy myself.”

“I want to have a husband to take me to Chicago next year.”

This was one serious lady! But smart too- there would be a lot of “jeantleman” at the encampment from all over the country, so it would be a big pond to fish in, as they say. They would be like-minded men, too- Northern sympathies, patriotic, and committed to the work and social aspects of the GAR.

Her letter was taken seriously, as the committee knew there would probably be some widowers at the encampment who would be pleased to find a spouse there too. The GAR was a family-based organization, so grown children would sometimes be there as well as the veterans themselves. This was a good thing for the ‘widow lady,’ since it was 34 years since the close of the Civil War- the vets attending would be at least 50 or more. To find her a 38-40 year old husband, it would have to be the son of a veteran- not even our youngest drummer boy, Abram F. Springsteen, would fit her requirements.

The ‘widow lady’ was in luck. The committee replied to her letter with the address of “the Texas farmer who says he has two sons he wants to marry off here…”

We don’t know what the outcome was, and can’t really research it since we do not have the name of the lady. This was, however, a very determined lady, and people married more for economic reasons back then than for love (“you can learn to love him/her”).

The GAR Encampment Committee was hoping for a public wedding to add to the festivities, and my guess is that it probably happened. I suppose we need to add “matchmaking” to the list of missions of the GAR.

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

  1. Military Monday: Abram F. Springsteen and the G.A.R.
    http://heritageramblings.net/2016/02/01/military-monday-…en-and-the-g-a-r/
  2. “Says She’s a Widow lady” in the 31 August 1899 Elkhart Daily Review, Elkhart, Indiana, p1, via GenealogyBank.com.

 

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