Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Ancestral Homes 150 Years Ago

Yesterday, Randy Seaver of GeneaMusings issued the following challenge for Saturday Night Genealogy Fun:

1) Determine where your ancestral families were on 1 June 1863 - 150 years ago.2) List them, their family members, their birth years, and their residence location (as close as possible). Do you have a photograph of their residence from about that time, and does the residence still exist?3) Tell us all about it in your own blog post, in a comment to this post, or in a Facebook Status or Google+ Stream post.

So here goes!

On my father’s side:

1. My 3rd great-grandparents Hugh Hammontree (1807-1866) and Rachel (Caskey) Hammontree (about 1802-before 1864) were likely living in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, where he owned land. I do not know the exact date of death for Rachel; Hugh married a second time on November 29, 1864. I do not believe the residence still exists.
   
2. My 2nd great-grandparents Ransom Spurlock (1807-1896) and Ellender (Vickers) Spurlock (1817-1906) were likely living in Bienville Parish, Louisiana. The 1860 census for the parish is lost and they do not appear in the 1860 census for Claiborne Parish where Ransom purchased land from William Modgling in September 1863. The household would have included my great-grandfather John Fedrick Spurlock (1850-1945). I don’t believe the residence still exists. The street sign in the photo at the left is at the intersection of Highway 580 and Spurlock Road in Claiborne Parish; I believe Spurlock Road marks one of the boundaries of the land Ransom acquired through the Homestead Act. 
3. My 2nd great-grandparents Houston T. Owens (1816-1895) and Sherreldia Jane (Hammontree) Owens (1825-1896) were living in Claiborne Parish, Louisiana. I do not believe the residence still exists. Their household would have included my great-grandmother Dialtha Jane Owens (1847-1893). 
4. My 2nd great-grandparents Howell B. Martindale (1814-1866) and Mary Elizabeth (Eaton) Martindale (1817-1873) were likely living in Sevier County, Arkansas, where they were enumerated in the 1860 census. I do not know if the residence still exists. Their household would have included my great-grandfather Ambrose B. Martindale. 
5. My 2nd great-grandparents James B. Forshee (1810-1878) and Sarah A. (Parker) Forshee (1816-1896) were likely living in Washington County, Missouri, where they were enumerated in 1860. I do not know whether the residence still exists. Their household would have included my great-grandmother Sarah Belle Martindale. 

On my mother’s side:

1. My 2nd great-grandparents Andrew Yawman (1810-1891) and Catherine (Sitterly) Yawman (1813-1889) were living at 101 N. Clark, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois; this information is from a city directory listing. I believe the residence was likely destroyed in the Great Fire. Their household would have included my great-grandfather Michael Yawman (1842-1913). 
2. My 2nd great-grandparents James H. Burton (1822-1901) and Margaret (Parsons) Burton (1825-bef 1910) were likely living in Floyd County, Kentucky. I don’t know if the residence is still standing. Their household would have included my great-grandmother Nancy E. Burton (1845-1919). 
3. My 2nd great-grandparents David Snider (1810-1892) and Nancy (Caldwell) Snider (1814-1887) were living on the family farm in Taylor Township, Union County, Ohio. I do not know whether the residence still exists. Their household would have included my great-grandfather David A. Snider (1848-1929). 
4. My 3rd great-grandparents Arad Franklin (1802-1897) and Nancy (White) Franklin (1802-1882) were living in Union County, Ohio. I do not know if the residence still exists. 
5. My 3rd great-grandfather Ephraim Cary (1790-1878) was living with his son George W. Cary in Leesburg, Union County, Ohio. I do not know if the residence still exists.
6. My 2nd great-grandparents Joseph Franklin (1826-1895) and Rhoda (Cary) Franklin (1833-bef 1877) were living in Leesburg, Union County, Ohio. I do not know whether the residence still exists. Their household would have included my great-grandmother Ruth Franklin (1851-1914).

In summary, I had the following ancestors living on 1 June 1863:

• 5 3rd great-grandparents
• 16 2nd great-grandparents
• 8 great-grandparents

They lived in Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky and Ohio.

I would like to take the information I have on the properties owned by my ancestors and locate it on maps, but just have not had the time to learn how to do that yet!


© 2013 Denise Spurlock