It’s All In a Name

For the longest time, I believed that my Mr. and Mrs. Silas W. Cobb of Vermont had one daughter, Adeline, and three sons: Edwin, George Whitman and Silas Bowman. I have always been struck by the Cobb children’s names as the oldest two children are known by their first names only while the younger sons are known by their first and middle names. I am sure the older two children were given middle names, but the middle names were not found on records.

Examining the lives of the Cobb children shed light on the Silas W. Cobb and his family. When looking Adeline Cobb’s life, I discovered new family information. Her obituary was found in the 13 June 1885 issue of the Columbus Republican Newspaper of Columbus, Columbia County, Wisconsin. Adeline Cobb Stiles’ obituary provided evidence of another, unnamed sister. Brothers Edwin, George and Silas were mentioned by name. I sure wish their sister had been named!

“Mrs. Adeline Cobb Stiles, wife of Mr. Reuben Stiles, was born at Montpelier, Vermont, Feb. 21, 1802, and died at their home on section 29 of the town of Columbus, Columbia County, Wisconsin, May 30, 1885, aged 83 years, 3 months, and 9 days. She was the oldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Silas Cobb, whom providence blessed with five children, three boys and two girls, all of whom have lived to a good old age.  The oldest brother, Edwin, died a few weeks ago. George and Silas, and their sister, still survive, and are quite vigorous for their age.  The brothers with their wives, of Chicago, were at the funeral.  These brothers were among the first settlers on the site of that great city.  Adeline was married to her now bereaved husband, then a strong, healthy and industrious young man, and also captain of a home guard of that place, in the year 1822, at the age of 20, and immediately began housekeeping in a little cottage, which was characteristic of those days, and which was in the course of time made bright and cheerful by the addition of five happy children, one whom died in infancy; but the others still survive her, and were all present at her bedside at her death.

In the year 1846, father, mother, and their four children, with other friends, left the place of their nativity and came to this state, and settled on the homestead above named, where they have lived in peace and prosperity for thirty-nine years, and endeared themselves to all around them.  For the last three or four years old age has been clearly visible, and before her death she became quite helpless; but willing hands and loving hearts of husband, children, and friends, cared for her.  She was in every sense of the word a true type of womanhood, and we trust that their loss is her gain.   The following verse expresses the deep feelings in their hearts:

"Thou art gone, most precious mother

But we, thy children, love thee still;

And have in our hearts a mother

Thy beloved place can fill!

Every path thy foot that trodden

To us is hallowed ground

And we feel our spirits sadden

As each new momentos found

E'ne the Book of Books is dearer

And the place and hour of prayer

Heaven itself to us seems nearer

Now, dear mother, thou art there!

Oh, that we again may meet thee,

In that brighter world above;

May our joyful spirits greet thee

In that home of light and love."

The funeral service was held at the house Monday, June 1st, by Rev. Thos. James, of Fall River, his text being 2 Cor. 5: 8, a very large and appreciative audience being in attendance.  We deeply sympathize with the bereaved family, and especially with the bereaved husband who now must endure the breaking of that conjugal tie which has bound husband wife together in the closest affection for sixty-three years.  May the blessings of Heaven rest upon them all.

Thos. James. “

I find Adeline Cobb Stiles’ obituary very interesting. First, it gives her home section number in Columbus, Wisconsin. I have never seen that before. Adeline’s obituary also gives proof of another Cobb daughter/sister though she remains a mystery. I have learned if you wait long enough, small puzzle pieces appear. I will keep my eye peeled.

 

Adeline Cobb Stiles Obituary, Columbus Republican Newspaper, 13 Jun 1885.

A New Discovery Rocks my Cobb Research

Ahh, census records tell us much about our ancestors’ family lives. My instructors from Boston University’s genealogy research class have repeated the idea that all records lie; which is why it is so important to look for evidence from a variety of sources. Silas W. Cobb’s recorded evidence is full of conflicting evidence. The question is what to believe.

Silas W. Cobb’s tombstone was an early piece of evidence in my Cobb Research. It reports his death as 13 April 1852. This date and his age were most likely given to the gravestone engraver by family members.  

The Bennington Museum was able to supply Silas W. Cobb’s death information that was recorded in Town Clerk’s Office in Springfield, Vermont. This left me wondering about the location of his death. Did he pass away in Vermont or Illinois?

The 15 May 1852 issue of the North Star Newspaper of Vermont confirmed his death date and location. The death notice reads,

“In Northfield, (Illinois), April 13, Mr. Silas W. Cobb, aged 75, formerly of

Montpelier, Vt.”

To add additional validation, I contacted the president of the Northfield Oakwood Cemetery Association. He kindly sent me information regarding the cemetery and the names of others buried in the same lot. According to the cemetery records the following share the lot with Silas W. Cobb: Mary Cobb, Mrs. Cobb, two children and an unknown Cobb.  This appears to be a family cemetery lot with a single gravestone belonging to Silas W. Cobb.

I have been secure with my interpretation of Silas W. Cobb’s death. I know from 1850 census records that Silas W. Cobb was living this his daughter Adeline in Columbia County, Wisconsin. Based on death information, I concluded that Silas W. most likely was visiting his son, Edwin, at the time of his passing. Edwin was the contact person for the cemetery lot.

I have lost confidence in my thought process. About two days ago, I discovered the 1855 census index for Wisconsin on Ancestry.com. Who should appear on that index? Yes, Silas W. Cobb was listed on the index and recorded as living in Columbia County where daughter Adeline resided.

One of these records must be lying to me.  Should I believe the wealth of death information that was most likely supplied by family members? Or should I believe the Wisconsin census for 1855? Either way, this new discovery makes me question the validity of my previous conclusions. 

Indexing of the 1940 Census

To expedite the 1940 U.S. Census Indexing Project, I became an indexing volunteer. After registering on Family Search, I watched a short indexing video, read the directions and downloaded my first batch. Today I indexed a page of 1940 census page for New Rochelle, New York. I am now waiting to submit my work. The servers are busy with eager genealogists working to complete each state’s records. Oh, come on servers, I need to submit my batch before I can download a new batch.

My work will be re-indexed by a second volunteer. If both indexers work matches the batch is accepted. Should each indexer record conflicting information, an arbitrator will review and make the final decision.

I am slow to jump into the indexing fever but never the less here I go.

Puppy Love

My daughter is getting a puppy and I must admit that I have been smitten. Our home has been so quiet since the passing our sweet dog, Charlie, and I have been seriously considering getting a dog. In a round about way I found a poodle breeder in New York who has the most adorable puppies. What a temptation they are. Family gatherings with two little puppies would be double fun until I do the math. When considering the life span of a small dog in comparison to my age, I fear my puppy and I would enter old age together. I have been told to live for the moment and not to worry. I also have been told that I would be crazy to get a dog. What to do???? Here is a photograph of our Sweet Charlie napping on our armchair. Oh, how he loved to sleep on top of that chair! He brought us so much joy. I will keep you posted on my decision.

Back to the 1940 U.S. Census . . . It is a good thing that I did not wait for those Illinois census records to load onto my computer. If I had, I would still be waiting. I thought the entire census would be available on April 2^nd. In reality the census is being rolled out state by state. Those looking for Illinois records will need to be very patient.

The 1940 U.S. Census Has Arrived!!!!

For those involved in the genealogy world, the long awaited day has arrived. The National Archives released the 1940 census for viewing. Naturally, the servers are overworked with anxious genealogists trying to get a peak at the newest census records. 

I was working on Ancestry.com last night and as the clock turned to a new day Ancestry posted an announcement about the 1940 census being opened. What an opportunity! I thought I might be the first one to actually perform a search. That was not to be as the census went live at 8:00 a.m. not midnight.

As with anything new, there will be a learning curve in finding ancestors in this census for records have been organized by enumeration districts. Enumeration districts are divisions within a township or county. Census takers were assigned an enumeration district. Each E.D. has a number. If you know the enumeration district your ancestor resided in, it should be pretty easy to locate their census records. However, if their residence is unknown, the task will be much more difficult.

My grandfather, George William Meyer, lived in the enumeration district 16-2200.  I entered his name, state and enumeration district number into the appropriate places at The National Archives website thinking I would receive information on one E.D. Naturally, this district is divided into two sections. As I don’t know which section he lived in, finding his information would require searching on a map of the area. The National Archives browsers are swamped with eager genealogist research requests and I couldn’t pull the information in a timely way. Patience will be required.

Please meet my grandfather, George William Meyer. His sons and two of his future daughter-in-laws surround him in their family home. Alvin leans against the door frame. Paul kneels and is wearing the reindeer sweater. My father sits on the floor with my Auntie Betty's arm around his shoulder. Grandpa sits in his rocker happy to have his sons safely home from war. Bob and his future bride, Arlene, are in the right hand corner of the photo. This photo was most likely taken by George, the family's photographer.

Where In The World Is Silas W. Cobb?

I am unable to locate Silas W. Cobb in 1840 U.S. Census. Being about 62 years of age, Silas W. could be living with one of his children? After checking records of his children: Adeline, Edwin, George W. and Silas Bowman, I know he was not with them. The only child he might be with is his youngest child whose name and location is unknown.

Another thought is that Silas W. Cobb may have been traveling and was not home when the census taker knocked on his door. His whereabouts continue to be a mystery.

Silas W. Cobb does appear in 1850 U.S. Census. He was living with his daughter Adeline Stiles nee Cobb. Reuben and Adeline Cobb farmed in Columbia, Wisconsin.

It is in that 1850 census where I learned Silas W. Cobb’s birthplace was Massachusetts.

So, where in the world do you think Silas W. Cobb was in 1840?

The Cobb Family Grows And Shrinks

The marriage of Silas W. Cobb and Olive Throop must have been a good match. In 1817, the couple gave birth to twin daughters. One twin’s name is unknown at this time, but the other twin was named Mary. 

A family of twelve must have kept Olive very busy. Silas W. Cobb was also busy providing for his large family. In the 1820s Silas was the proprietor of The Cobb Tavern of Moretown, Vermont. 

In the 1820s New England Taverns were considered “hotels” where overnight guests could receive a breakfast and dinner. As with any restaurant, the quality of food could vary but it was usually plentiful as stagecoaches might stop for the night.

Good, plentiful food is only part of the New England tavern life. Men gathered at the local tavern for drink.  In the 1820s American men consumed a great deal of alcohol much more that today. The Cobb Tavern may have been home to the Cobb Family and a meeting place for the gentlemen of the area.

Silas Bowman Cobb’s biography reports that the large family had little money. Silas Bowman tells of receiving a limited education due to family finances; which suggests that all the Cobb children had limited educational opportunities as well. Perhaps they worked in their father’s tavern or were “bound out” as Silas Bowman was.

The Cobb Family most likely experienced hardship. In 1828 and 1830 two family members passed away. The Vermont Watchman & State Gazette reported Mary Cobb’s death.

Cobb, Mary; age 11; 29^th ult., twin daughter of Silas W. Cobb, Esq.; Moretown;

Issue Date:  8 April 1828

The paper also reported the death of Olive Cobb.

Cobb, Olive; age 52; 16^th inst; wife of Silas W. Cobb; Montpelier; 

Issue Date:  23 November 1830

I would like to extent a thank you to the Janice Boyko and The Northeast Kingdom Genealogy Group of Vermont. This nonprofit organization is run by volunteers and has been a great source for my Vermont genealogy research.