Forgive me for it has been 4.5 months since
my last blog post!
At last this intrepid family history blogger
writes once more. Today’s post centers on my ever-favorite brick wall ancestor:
Silas W. Cobb. Here is a recap of my great, great, great, great ole’ granddad’s
life.
I first discovered Silas W. Cobb in the
Northfield Oakwood Cemetery located in Northbrook, Illinois. Back in 1852 the
area was known as Northfield Township. The cemetery is a rather small one and
is home to many of Silas W. Cobb’s and my maternal kin. His gravestone
provided a birth date of about 1777 and a death date of 13 April 1852 at the
age of 75 years.
The year 1777 is an enticing birth year, at
least for me as “1777” potentially brings my maternal line closer to The
American Revolution. In the 1850 Silas W. Cobb was living with his eldest
child, Adeline Stiles nee Cobb in Columbus, Columbia County, Wisconsin. In that
federal census Silas W. Cobb reported his birth location to be Massachusetts. Naturally
the birth location of Massachusetts peeks my curiosity even more.
“Silas W. Cobb, age 64, male,
Profession/Occupation/Trade: Farm, Birthplace: Mass.”
Here is the first inconsistency. Silas W.
Cobb’s tombstone reports a death in 1852 and age 75 years. In 1850 Silas is
reportedly 64 years of age. The math doesn’t add up. Where does the “ten year
error” lie in the 1850 census record or on the tombstone? To complicate the
matter further, Silas W. Cobb appears in the 1855 Wisconsin State Census Index.
I believe that Silas W. Cobb did die 13 April
1852. In addition to the gravestone, an
obituary appeared in the 15 May 1852 issue of the North Star Newspaper of Danville, Caledonia County, Vermont. The
same person most likely provided death information for the headstone and
obituary. However, that person went to the effort of reporting his death in his
home of Montpelier, Vermont.
 |
| North Star Newspaper: 15 May 1852 courtesy of Janice Boyko Vermont Northeast Kingdom Genealogy nekg-vt.com |
How did a man from Vermont
end up in a cemetery in Northbrook, Illinois? I believe that Silas W. Cobb was
visiting his children. In 1850, Silas W.
Cobb lived with his daughter, Adeline Stiles nee Cobb in Columbus, Columbia
County, Wisconsin. Sometime after 20 July 1850, Silas headed towards Chicago
where his sons resided.
George Whitman and Silas
Bowman were successful Chicago residents. Edwin was a farmer and lived in in Northfield
township not far from the Northfield Oakwood Cemetery. I believe that Silas W.
Cobb was staying with his eldest son, Edwin, at the time of his death. Edwin
owned the plot that Silas is buried in.
Silas W. Cobb’s gravestone is
the only stone that decorates the Edwin Cobb family plot. Edwin’s family graves
are unmarked. It is my guess that George Whitman or Silas Bowman provided the
headstone and the obituary in the North Star Newspaper. If an obituary was
published in Chicago it most likely will never be found. The Great Chicago Fire
of 1871 destroyed many a Chicago record.
Please stay tuned for more
Cobb insights….
Linda
