A Chicago Cemetery Adventure: Seeking John and Borden Scott

This post is, in part, a love letter to the genealogical community. It's also evidence that family historians will take any opportunity to squeeze in a little research!

The author (center) with sisters Lisa Fox (L) and Saundra Shelley (R).

 

During the Great Migration, as millions of Black Americans moved north and west out of the Deep South, my 2x great-grandmother Scoatney (Scott) Cooper remained in Georgia. However, her two younger half-brothers, John William Scott and Sydney Borden Scott, made their way to Chicago in search of better opportunities.  

What I Did On My Summer Vacation: Pittsburgh and Steubenville, Part 3

I guess I should finish writing up my summer genealogy adventure, right? Pardon the delay – as happens, I’ve been a bit fried lately, but thanks to another vacation (and the genealogical adventures that came with that – stay tuned), I’ve got a bit of juice in me again and am ready to finish this series! Brace yourself; this is a long one, and there aren’t many photos.

Steubenville: A Short Family History

 

Market Street, Steubenville, Ohio, ca. 1905. Credit below.

Sometime between 1887 and 1891, Sarah Flowers and her husband Harvey walked, or rode, into Steubenville, Ohio. So, too, did Sarah’s three children, John, Elizabeth (known often as Lizzie), and Flora, products of her earlier marriage to a man named Henry John (or possibly John Henry) Woods. Lizzie was the oldest, around 22 years old. John was close behind, perhaps 21 or a bit younger. Flora was the baby, maybe 15. They may have arrived together, or perhaps one forged a path and the others followed, trailing one another from Bellaire, in the neighboring county of Belmont, Ohio. This was a shorter journey than the one before, which had brought Sarah, Lizzie, and John all the way from Hampshire County, West Virginia (or just Virginia, when Sarah was born there in the 1840s) to Bellaire sometime between 1870 and 1880. These are my earliest Steubenville ancestors; Sarah was my 3x-great-grandmother, her daughter Flora my grandfather’s grandmother.

What I Did On My Summer Vacation: Pittsburgh and Steubenville, Part 2

 

The Cathedral of Learning at the University of Pittsburgh, seen from the Carnegie Library's Main Branch

 

After one last trip down The Strip – and a stop in the candy shop – my parents and sister headed back to Philadelphia and left me behind.Why? I’d planned an additional few days in the area to conduct some family history research, knowing that despite how close Pittsburgh and Philly are on a map, the logistics of getting and staying there meant research trips weren’t easy to just make happen. Getting to Steubenville, 45 minutes west of downtown Pittsburgh, nearer to Wheeling and Weirton, WV, would mean even more effort from Philly, but would be easy to do since I was already in the area. In fact, that was the purpose of my extended stay.

What I Did On My Summer Vacation: Pittsburgh and Steubenville, Part 1

 

View from the Monongahela Incline

It’s been quiet around here, I know, but I’ve actually managed to do a fair amount of research behind the scenes these past few months – what else are weekends for? Throw in a vacation or two and a girl can learn a lot! In fact, I just returned yesterday from a trip to western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio to learn more about my Whaley roots. And in the spirit of back-to-school season, here’s a “What I Did on My Summer Vacation” trip report.

James Solomon Scott: A Timeline

James Solomon Scott is the younger brother of my 2x Great-Grandmother, Scoatney (Scott) Cooper. His name has showed up a number of times on the blog, but mostly as he relates to other people – either as I was trying to figure out “The Case of the Second Masonia” or as I was beginning to learn about his brother, Sydney Borden Scott. He’s never had his time to shine! Well, creating a timeline for his life to lift him out of the shadows has been on my list for a while. Now, I’m making it happen. As usual, continue to expect more posts about him in the future, which will be linked as relevant to various points on the timeline below.

Signature from his WWI Draft Registration Card. Credit below.

Sydney Borden Scott: A Timeline

Sydney Borden Scott, or Borden, as he seems to have preferred being called, was the younger half-brother of my maternal 2x Great-Grandmother, Scoatney (Scott) Cooper. Because he left so many records behind, he has been an absolute joy to research, and if you’ve been following my blog for a while, or have seen my Facebook feed, you know I’ve written more than a few posts about him, exploring his life as a student, doctor, and post office employee. As usual, those posts are linked in their appropriate places on the timeline below, and as additional ones are written, I’ll drop them in as well.

Image Credit Below