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.

Too Many Eliza Scruggses!

Back in January, I began a series of posts diving into my research on the question of who were the parents of Laura Ann (Scruggs) Evans, my 2x great-grandmother. I didn't get very far though - I was splitting my time between this project, work, and some other cool genealogy and research projects that I'll maybe write about at a later date. But I'm circling back today!

In one of my recent posts, I noted that I had a hypothesis: that Eliza Scruggs was Laura Ann’s mother. The only problem was, I didn’t really know who Eliza Scruggs was. Eliza and Laura Ann only show up together in one document that I’ve found so far, and that’s the 1900 Census. They were a household of 3, under the surname “Scriggs”: 

 

1900 U.S. Federal Census, Alabama, pop. sched., Precinct 8, Dooley, Montgomery County, ED 111, Sheet 3B, Lines 88-90, Eliza Scriggs and Family. National Archives and Records Administration, via FamilySearch.org.

New Books on My Shelf: February/March 2025, Part 2

 

About two months ago, I stumbled upon a podcast called The People’s Recorder, hosted by public historian, actor, and nephew of Alex Haley, Chris Haley. Through contemporary conversations and original audio from the thousands of interviews conducted by the Federal Writers Project during the Great Depression, the podcast takes deep dives into fascinating stories from regions and communities across the U.S. at a pivotal moment in the nation’s history. The first few episodes lit a spark in me – or perhaps re-lit, as I’ve definitely been fascinated by this era and its sources before, have even found a related interview of one of my family members! - and I headed (back) into the rabbit hole. And, of course, the deeper I went, the more money left my pockets, because, of course, I bought some books! Here’s what I got:

DNA Seals the Deal? An Evans Family Connection

Have you taken a DNA test? If so, you’ve probably sorted your matches into people you know, people you don’t know but you do know how you’re related to them, and people for whom you strike out on both counts – you don’t know ‘em and you don’t know how you’re related to ‘em. The more distantly related you are – 3^rd and 4^th cousins and such – the harder it might be to know where and specifically through whom you connect, especially if you have enslaved ancestors. I’ve got more than a few DNA matches in this latter category. 

But I just moved one match out of this category, and, in doing so, I think I’ve made a DNA connection to Daniel Evans and Jennette (aka Anna Jane) Welch, the subjects of most of my recent posts.

The Many Names of Laura Ann Scruggs

In genealogical research, some names are more difficult to track than others. Unique names, ones with a variety of consonants, ones where spelling and pronunciation don’t necessarily seem to match. These all make sense – you’re probably going to have to be creative in your research techniques to find the person or people that you’re looking for. (See my maternal great-great-grandmother Scoatney (Scott) Cooper and her sister Masonia (Scott) Worthen for two examples.)

But I didn’t think “Scruggs” would be one of those names. Sure, maybe the “c” becomes a “k,” maybe there’s one “g” instead of two, maybe the “s” even becomes a “z,” or the “gg” becomes a “ck,” but none of those should make the name particularly difficult to research; how many different ways could people really hear or write the name? 

A Treasure Trove of Family and Community History

Family, I‘ve been in genealogy heaven for a little over a month now, and I have to tell you why! (Or, at least those of you who haven’t already been cornered by me. Sorry/Thanks!)

 

ONE stack of funeral programs from the Willie Mae Davis Allen Genealogical Collection, generously shared by Cousin Barney Allen.

Back in February, I had to head down to DC for a work event. Now, I love visiting DC for so many reasons – the museums, the libraries and archives, the architecture, the history, and just strolling through some of the fun and funky neighborhoods. But one of the best things about visiting the city is that I have family there, and a lot of it. You see, my mom was born in DC, and through her mother, father, and step-mother, there are cousins upon cousins upon first- and second- and half- and step- and twice- and thrice-removed cousins there. So, when I head down, I’ll often make an effort to hang with family.

Mystery Monday: Seeking Philip and Susie Sheppard in the 1940 Census

This past summer, I poked around in my research related to the ancestry of my maternal grandfather, Louis Shepherd, as I prepped to see some of my family at an upcoming reunion. Louis’s father is currently a mystery to the family, but I’ve been learning more and more about his mother, Katherine Shepperd’s, people over the years. Still, it’s not voluminous, and there are lots of holes.

One such hole was a seemingly simple one, regarding Katherine’s paternal uncle, Phillip Sheppard, and his wife Susie (née Blackston/Blackson). I just wanted to find them listed in the 1940 U.S. Census. I had them in 1920 and 1930, and had recently found them in 1950. Why couldn’t I find them in 1940?

1920: Phillip and Susie Sheppard on Fennimore's Bridge Road in New Castle County, DE. 1920 Census. National Archives and Records Administration, via FamilySearch.org.

New Books on My Shelf: 2023 Edition

Sometimes when I want to feel like I’m really doing something, but don’t actually have the time, mental energy, or focus to actually do the thing, I buy books about the thing. How many of you all do that, too? It's not the worst habit in the world - I still feel connected to whatever the thing is (genealogy - it's genealogy, y'all), and since I’m often buying reference material, when I’m ready to dig into a topic, I already have some of the resources I need.

A Trip to the Archives: Researching Boggs Academy

What do you do when you find out that the records of a Georgia school that several of your maternal cousins attended are actually located in a building just a few minutes from where you go to work every day in Philadelphia?

 

What Am I Up to When I’m Not Posting About My Family History?

Sometimes I go weeks or even months without putting a new post up on this blog. Sometimes that’s because I’m just very busy at work and/or with my other responsibilities and don’t have the time or mental energy to write and illustrate a new entry. But that doesn’t mean that I’m not doing genealogy! So what are some of the things I might be up to? Here’s a list, along with some hopefully helpful suggestions if you want to do the same or learn more: 

Schooling Sunday: New Books on My Shelf!

I’ve added some books to my bookshelf, y’all!

 

My recent acquisitions.

A Wild Ride With the Scotts Through Atlanta City Directories!

The process of writing a blog post often forces me to go back through my research to double-check my research steps, assumptions, and conclusions. If I’m going to be wrong publicly, I’d at least like to be wrong earnestly! Sometimes a new idea will occur to me, and I’ll test it out, or I’ll try an unlikely path, just to be sure.  Often this all lands me right back where I was, but, sometimes, fascinating things pop up. And that’s what happened when I was preparing to write my post on the probable death of my 4x great-grandfather, Solomon Scott.

Nellie Little Scott's Date After the Dash

My last three posts have all been connected. When I wrote of Borden Scott’s graduation from Meharry Medical College, I wondered if anyone from his family had ventured to Tennessee to attend, but noted that his father had likely already passed away. The next post followed up on this topic. What about his mother, Nellie Little Scott – was she still alive at the time of his graduation, in 1908? I needed to write about Lula Scott Crew’s correspondence before I could get to that. Which brings us to this post.

To Spelman, With Love: A Lula Scott Crew Update

Fam, I’ve been holding out on you. I got something really, really cool – actually, something pretty darn amazing – in my email over a year ago, and I am only just getting to write about it. But now that I’ve had some brain space to pick up my research and writing again – taking vacation days is so necessary if you can, y’all! – I am so excited to loop you in. 

The Writing Lesson, by Morris Shulman. Citation Below.

 

Mystery Monday: Is This When Solomon Scott Passed Away?

Sometimes in my random pokings around in the genealogical corners of the internet, I get lucky. I wander along random paths, checking out new - or new-to-me - record sets, typing in a name here or there just for kicks, and then, voila! I find something interesting.

That’s how I ended up in the Georgia, County Voter Registrations, 1856-1909 record set on FamilySearch.org. And that’s how I may have discovered when my 4x Great-Grandfather Solomon Scott (Scoatney’s father) passed away. 

Finding Gilbert Wilkerson: My 3x Great-Grandfather

We all know we “come from people,” but to learn their names and to begin to imagine their lives is a powerful thing. They become real.

I’m excited to have one more name to speak aloud, one more life story to dig into: my newest 3x great-grandparent, Gilbert Wilkerson.

Mystery Monday: What Did Borden Scott Do for the Panama Canal?

I came across something interesting while I was tracking Sydney Borden Scott through the catalogues of Atlanta Baptist College. In addition to providing all sorts of basic information about the school and current students, the catalogues also list what all of their alumni are up to during the year being discussed. And when the catalogue for the 1904-1905 school year was published, here’s what they had to say about Borden:

Catalogue of Atlanta Baptist College, 1897/98 - 1911/12. (1904-1905, p. 30). Found on HathiTrust: https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uiug.30112004585920

Yes: Scott, Sidney B. - Isthmian Canal Commission – Cristobal, Panama.

The Education of Borden Scott: What's In A Name?

Before I dig into Borden Scott’s time at Atlanta Baptist Seminary (which became Atlanta Baptist College while he was a student, and then Morehouse College later on), I have to address a bit of a mystery. Otherwise, it may seem like I’m playing fast and loose with the records!

I mentioned in an earlier blog post, almost as an aside, that Sydney Borden Scott seemed to prefer to go by his middle name, Borden, rather than his first. Both his World War I and II Draft Registration Cards, for which he would have provided the information, list him as “Borden Scott.” 

 

Mystery Monday: Where Was Sydney Borden Scott Born?

When Sydney Borden Scott registered for the draft for World War II in 1942, he listed his birthplace as Petersburg, Virginia. When he applied for a Social Security Number twenty years later, in 1962, he again gave Petersburg, VA as his place of birth. Yet, when he passed away just 3 years later, in 1965, his Certificate of Death stated that his place of birth was Sparta, GA. 

Crop of Social Security Number Application for Sydney Borden Scott, 1962. Social Security Administration.

Paging Dr. Scott!

Many moons ago, I decided that I wanted to learn more about the siblings of my 2x great-grandmother, Scoatney (Scott) Cooper. The hunt took me (digitally, at least) from rural Georgia to Washington State to Portland, Oregon, as I traced her sister Masonia (Scott)Worthen. There I uncovered another Masonia Scott, which led me to discover that a second Scott sibling had also migrated to Oregon: James Solomon Scott. And it was through James that I “met” another Scott sibling, the man I’ll introduce you to today.

We’ll start with a death.