John Wiggins Leary, Helena, Texas 1880s

John Wiggins Leary, the young boy in this cabinet card, was born in Texas on February 19th, 1880, to parents Fanny Manning and Edgar Leary. He had four siblings: Stephen, Edward, Vivian, and Mary.

John’s father, Edgar Leary, was a salesman in Galveston before moving to Helena and becoming the sheriff of Karnes County, Texas. The previous sheriff had resigned after being threatened by a group of men known as the “Butler Boys,” whom he had openly accused of murdering a prominent Mexican stockman. On December 26th, 1884, Emmett Butler and his gang rode into Helena  “flourishing their pistols and causing women and children to take fright and hurry into their houses,” according to the Galveston Daily News. Sheriff Leary attempted to arrest them for disorderly conduct, and the men opened fire. The Sheriff was struck in the chest, but not before shooting Emmett Butler in the leg as he tried to escape. A group of onlookers from a nearby saloon was ultimately able to take Butler down. Sheriff Leary died, leaving behind a widow and five children, including four-year-old John.

Article on the death of Sheriff Edgar Leary.
The Dallas Daily Herald, Dec. 30th, 1884

In the aftermath of the tragedy, the Learys received financial support from the community, including from the Sheriff’s Association. In 1891, John’s 11-year-old brother Stephen wrote a letter to the children’s section of the Houston Daily Post, which gives insight into their childhood:
“My name is Stephen Mullen Leary…My father, Edgar Leary, was killed while holding the sheriff’s office in Helena six years ago the 26th of last December. We miss him all the time. He was so kind to us and loved us more than he did himself. I hope we will meet him in heaven some day. I have a mamma, two sisters and two brothers. My mamma teaches school. When my papa was living I had a horse and a pair of Angora goats, but they have been sold. I hope I will hurry and get grown so I can support the family.”

Their mother remarried in 1898 to James Milton McGinty. In May of that same year, John enlisted in
the army to serve in the Spanish-American War. He joined the 2nd Texas Volunteer Infantry, Company B, about which there is little surviving information. Some of the Texas Volunteers remained in Texas, while others were stationed in Miami and Jacksonville, Florida. Newspapers like the Houston Post described the relentless rain, illness, overcrowded hospitals, and lack of supplies in Miami during the summer of 1898. He was discharged in November of that year. I should also note that John’s grave marker says “Texas / SGT BTRY C 5 Field ART / Spanish American War,” though I have no further information on this.

John married Tillie Elizabeth Walters at her parents’ home in 1915. They had 10 children: Walter, Fannie, Alice, Arline, Edmund, Thelma, Jaunita, Clifford, Timothy, and Marcella. The family lived in Galveston, where John was a dairy farmer, and later in Alvin.

John Leary died of lung cancer on December 18th, 1952, at the age of 72.

The next post will focus on John’s daughter, Fannie, and her husband, Howard, who I also have photos of.

If you know who this may be, let us know in the comments!

Jennie and Lawrence Crouch, Rockville, Connecticut, 1910-20s

Writing on back reads: "Mr + Mrs L.E. Crouch and ?
Rockville, Conn.
Jennie Castello - Crouch 
(Given to me in 1920)"

In this photograph, a windswept trio stands outside a farmhouse. The couple on the right are identified, while the third man at the far left remains a mystery.

Jennie Castello, the woman in this photo, was born in Wahoo, Nebraska, around 1875. She was the daughter of Irish immigrants William and Elizabeth Castello. William, a farmer, immigrated to the United States in 1857 and soon after served in the 17th Regiment of the Ohio Infantry during the Civil War.  Jennie had six siblings: Thomas, Carrie, Willie, Minnie, Ida, and Johnnie. Sadly, both Willie and Johnnie died in childhood.

In 1904, Jennie married Lawrence Egbert Crouch, a laborer and mill worker. Lawrence was born in New York around 1879. In the 1910 census, Jennie and Lawrence are living with Lawrence's mother, Elisabeth, and his step-father, Henry Kelsted, in Tolland, Connecticut. By 1920, they were living on their own.

According to the inscription, this photograph shows the couple's home in Rockville (the census records say they lived in Tolland, though the two towns are so close together either could be accurate). 

The couple never had children. Lawrence passed away in 1951, after which Jennie stayed with friends Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Hill. Jennie was eventually moved into the Rockville Convalescent Home, where she passed away in March 1969. She was buried at North Cemetery in Tolland.

Jennie's obituary states that she left behind no relatives, but I hope she still has family out there that might like to have this photo.

If you know who this may be, let us know in the comments!

Ruth Gordan McArdle, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1860s

Ruth Gordan was born in Ireland in 1798. Her husband was William McArdle, born in 1787. They had at least two children: Arthur, born in 1830, and James, born in 1839. Church records show that James was baptised in Drumgoon, Ireland, giving us a clue as to where the McArdles were living at the time.

Sometime after James's birth, the family immigrated to America. This was likely a result of the Great Famine that devastated Ireland from 1845 to 1852. During this period, more than 1 million people left Ireland to seek a better life in the United States. Once in the States, the family settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where there was already a large Irish population. William died there in 1859, aged 71, and was buried in Cathedral Cemetery.

In the 1860 census, Ruth is living with her sons, Arthur and James, Arthur's wife, Ann, and two grandchildren, Ruth and Charles. Both Arthur and James are listed as blacksmiths. Living next door is Michael Smith, an Irish drayman, and his family. By 1870, Ruth had moved in with the Smiths and was working as a domestic servant for the household. It is unclear what led Ruth to leave her home to work for her neighbors. Without a husband, Ruth may have struggled to support herself, especially once her sons moved out. The census tells us that Ruth could neither read nor write, so her employment options were limited. 

Just two months after the 1870 census was taken, Ruth McArdle passed away at age 72. Like her husband, she was buried in Cathedral Cemetery in Philadelphia.

If you recognize Ruth, please let us know in the comments!

Sylvia Wisehart, Clayton, Illinois 1900s

Writing on the back reads:
"Sylvia Wisehart(???) Taken at Clayton, Ill."

In this Real Photo Postcard from the early 1900s, Sylvia Wisehart of Clayton, Illinois, sits in a rocking chair while perusing what looks like a fashion magazine. She is casual and comfortably dressed, and one might assume this is a candid moment if not for the sheet hung up as a backdrop. I have to wonder who snapped this photo and what the sitter thought about it.

Sylvia was born Sylvia Harriet Johnson in Adams County, Illinois, on August 12th, 1886. Her parents were Eli Bishop Johnson, a farmer, and his wife, Josophine. Eli was a veteran of the Civil War, having served with the Union Army in the 2nd Illinois Light Artillery as a young man. Eli and Josophine had eight children: Julia (b. 1868), Charles (b. 1870), William Lyman (b. 1872), Loren (b. 1874), Solon (b. 1875), Francis Marion (b. 1878), Cyrene Eli (b. 1881), and Sylvia. By the time Sylvia was born, her only two sisters, Julia and Loren, had died. She was left the sole girl in a family of boys.

In 1903, at age 16, Sylvia married 28-year-old Albert Franklin Wisehart. Their first child, Eli Bishop, was born the next year. He was followed by Luella Violet in 1906, Theresa Josephine in 1908, and Delma Catherine in 1910.

At 20, Sylvia lost her mother. At 31, she lost her father. At age 33, she suffered yet another blow. On January 22, 1920, she gave birth to twins. Her daughter, Albertha Mae, survived, while her son, Albert Franklin, Jr, lived only two days. 

By the time she was 40, Sylvia was already a grandmother. Her husband, Albert, died in 1935 at age 60, leaving her a widow at 49.

Sylvia Wisehart spent the entirety of her life in her home state of Illinois. She lived to be 84, passing away on December 15th, 1970. It is remarkable to think how much life she lived in those 84 years, and how much she would have seen the world change around her.

If you know who this is, let us know in the comments!

Robert, James, and Samuel Stephens, Randolph County, Alabama 1897

Writing on back reads:

"Jim Rufus + Bob Stephens
Sam died 1919
flu     
typhoid
1897
James Oliver  Sam  Robert Wesley"
       14?              9            16?

(Note: Though the writing on the back of the photo says "Rufus," I do believe the boys shown here are James, Samuel, and Robert Stephens. Rufus Stephens would have been 21 in 1897, too old to be in this photo.)

These brothers, photographed together in 1897, were three of Stephen Samuel Stephens and Susanna Elizabeth Liles Stephens' nine children. All nine were born in Randolph County, Alabama, where the family resided. The first three born were girls: Alice Estelle in 1870, Rebecca Isabelle in 1871, and Melissa Ozier in 1872. The first boy, William Anderson, arrived in 1874, followed by Rufus Whitten in 1876, Sarah Croma in 1879, Robert Wesley in 1883, James Oliver in 1884, and Samuel Marvin in 1888. 

Here we see James, Samuel, and Robert, the youngest three siblings. Around the time the photo was taken, Robert was working with his father on the farm. By 1910, however, Robert was living in Georgia with his wife, Clara, and working as a dentist. Robert and Clara had three children: Jewell Irene, Catherine Frances, and Robert Marvin. He died of a heart attack in 1940 at the age of 57.

James also worked on the farm with his father as a teenager. Sadly, James died of typhus in 1902 at the age of 17. This came just six months after the death of his older sister, Rebecca, who may have passed from the same illness. He was laid to rest at Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church Cemetery in Wadley, Randolph County, Alabama.

In 1910, at age 20, the youngest brother, Samuel, was still at home on the farm. Soon, he left Alabama to join his brother Robert in Manchester, Georgia. There, he worked as an operator for the Atlanta, Birmingham, and Atlantic Railway. In December 1918, around his 30th birthday, Samuel became ill with the flu. It developed into severe pneumonia, and he passed on January 6th, 1919. He was buried with his brother, James, in Randolph County. They share a beautiful headstone. 

If you know who these folks may be, let us know in the comments!

Harriet Millard Mahurin and Alice Mahurin, 1910s, Oklahoma

Inscription on back of photo reads:
"Harriet Millard Mahurin- oldest sister
of Isaac Millard- and her only 
daughter, Alice."

The somber-looking women in this portrait are Harriet Millard Mahurin, seated, and her daughter, Alice, who stands beside her. Harriet Millard was born around 1857 in Tennessee to parents George and Elzira Millard. George Millard was a farmer at the time of Harriet's birth, but in 1862, he enlisted in the 63rd Tennessee Regiment of the Confederate army. On July 4th, 1863, he was captured and held as a prisoner of war following the Siege of Vicksburg. After his release, George fought in the Battle of Proctor's Creek in Chesterfield, Virginia, where he was fatally wounded. He died on May 18th, 1864, leaving behind a wife and six children, including 17-year-old Harriet.

In 1866, at age 19, Harriet married her first husband, Henry H. Breedlove. The marriage was cut short, likely by Henry's death, though I can't seem to find record of it. She remarried the very next year.

Harriet's second marriage was to Henry Grim (sometimes written as "Graham"), a shoemaker in Greene County, Tennessee. Together they had three sons: George, Charles, and Edwin.

It's unclear what became of Henry, but Harriet married a third time in 1879, this time to William Mahurin. In 1880, the family was living in Hill, Texas. Harriet and William had six children: Elangia, Minnie, Alice, Samuel, Lina, and William. 

In 1897, the Mahurins lost their 13-year-old daughter, Minnie. Then in 1907, they lost two more children. Their eldest daughter, Elangia, passed away in February at age 26, leaving behind a husband and son. Just a few months later, Lina, their youngest daughter, passed away at age 14. When this photo was taken in the 1910s, Alice was the only remaining daughter. I can't imagine the grief Harriet felt. I understand why she would want a photograph of them together.

In 1918, Alice married James E. Langley, a farmer, in Carter, Oklahoma. James brought with him children from his two previous marriages. He and Alice had three children together: Lois, George, and Bill.

Harriet lived out her remaining years in Oklahoma, close to her daughter. She passed away in 1920. Shortly after her mother's death, Alice and her family moved to Wellington, Texas. They lived there for 17 years until Alice's death in 1938 at age 52. Her obituary describes her as having "made many friends, who loved and respected her for her many good qualities and for her kindness and thoughtfulness."

If you know who these ladies are, let us know in the comments!

Lillie Ethel Woodward, Hillsdale, Michigan 1897

Writing on the back reads:
"Lillie Ethel Woodward 7 years
1897"

Lillie Ethel Woodward was born in 1889 or 1890. She was the adopted daughter of carpenter Elijah Woodward and his wife, Elizabeth. Elijah had four children by his first wife, Mary, before she passed away in 1872. He married Elizabeth the next year. The couple never had biological children and it's unclear when Lillie was adopted.

In 1900, the family lived in Hillsdale, Michigan, along with three young female boarders who were students at the nearby Hillsdale College. In 1910, 20-year-old Lillie Ethel lived with her aging parents and was listed in the census as a student. Perhaps she, too, attended Hillsdale College?

Elizabeth died in 1917 at age 75, followed by Elijah in 1919 at age 85.

What became of Lillie Ethel after the death of her parents? I wish I knew. After the 1910 census, her trail goes cold. I found the grave of an Ethel L. Woodward, born 1890, who died in Michigan in 1980. Without further information, it's difficult to know for sure if this is the same woman. 

If you know who this may be, let us know in the comments!