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Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Glad to record history

I was sitting here  thinking this morning and realizing how much importance I put on recording history of our family.  Sometimes it is places that need to be recorded as well.  This last week, I received notice that one of the high schools that I attended was completely torn down... How sad... BUT when I was in Indiana this last time (2 years ago) I did take time to revisit and share with my husband some of my early childhood places.  Let's start with this one.
This is a picture of Fairmount High School in Fairmount, Grant, Indiana.  I attended this school for a year and a half, then we moved to Marion, Indiana.  This High School has a lot of history to it.  In my family, my sister Alice, graduated from there.  Several of my Brattain cousins attended and graduated from there.  The most famous family member (and yes he is a part of our family) was James Byron Dean.....  I remember the day that I first realized I was going to go here and how excited I was.  Mom had taken me to get school books for the year.  When we got there, I got even more excited because I spotted a friend I had from 1st grade.  WE WERE GOING TO BE IN THE SAME SCHOOL AGAIN.

June Trice and I had started school together in this little school in Fowlerton, Grant, Indiana.  She and her mother actually came to our farm and visited with us.

This building is now the Fowlerton Lines Club in Fowlerton but then it was a small school.  Nellie J. Barnhart was the 1st and 2nd grade teacher.  She taught us to write cursive among other subjects (such as learning to read about Dick, Jane and Spot).  We had to "take" our lunches because there was no school kitchen at that time.  Our class picture was taken on the side of the school with our teacher.   I wish I still had mine or could find a copy of one.  Many memories came flooding back the day we took this picture.  One of the very memoriables is the last day of the school year.  Our mothers would put together a BIG DINNER.  It seemed to us kids that this was more food than could be imagined... it was a pot luck dinner but it was wonderful.  I attended this school for all of the first grade and half of the second, when we moved from Tony Spence's farm on State Road 26  to Bob Gimmell's farm on State Road 37.  There I attended Liberty Twp. School and was away from my early "friends".

Liberty Twp. School.... I started here in my 2nd grade.  My teacher was Leona Shugart.  What a wonderful teacher she was.  She had the most beautiful handwriting.  Which was also a source of my embarrassment.  You see, I was taught to use cursive in the 1st grade.  Well Mrs. Shugart had just started teaching the 2nd graders cursive and here I was doing all my work in cursive.  She called me to the desk and told me that I would have to print my lessons.... PRINT, what was that????? So while the rest of the 2nd graders were learning cursive, I was learning to print.  She was kind about it but it didn't help that I was shy and was embarrassed, because I did not know how to print.

One of my favorite teachers was a lady by the name of Rozella Buroker.  She was not popular with a lot of people (as I found out years later), but she took me under her wing and when she would see that I had all my work done and had nothing to do, she would send me down to the library and let me read any of the books there, until I ran out of things to read.  Then she decided she would teach me to crochet.  I really appreciated her.  She was our Music and Art teacher.  In one of her classes she introduced us to stereo music... she played "The Grand Canyon Suite" and one of the pieces was called "Thunderstorm in the Canyon".  In that piece was a donkey walking in the canyon... with the stereo, it sounded like he was walking across the desk... I still love this music to this day.  

One of the exiting things that happened while I was at Liberty, is one day, we were told we were going to be going outside and to line up along the school yard on State Highway 37 side.  As we are watching a motorcade came by... we all waved although we could not see who was in the car.  The motorcade was for President Kennedy.  We were so excited even if we could not actually see him... We got to wave at the President of the United States

I met a lot of future friends and had a lot of fun in this school.  BUT the most exciting thing for me was knowing that some day I would get to go to Fairmount High School... that was my dream.... and then the day finally came.  I graduated from the 8th grade at Liberty and the next year I would get to go to Fairmount... reunited with my Fowlerton friends and my cousins... What joy!!!!

Fairmount High School, What a great school to go to.  I had hoped to graduate from this school, just like my sister Alice.  Not going to happen but while I was there, I had some interesting experiences.  As I stated before, I met up with an old friend of mine and we started to compete for grades.  We would see who could get the higher grades.  And then there were a couple of boys too.  One was Gary Stoffer and the other was David Brubaker.  So the 4 of us kind of formed a group and competed.
The result of this action led to the biggest surprise of my life... I knew I had been on the "A" honor roll most of the school year but at the end of the Freshman year, I was chosen for National Honor Society.  My Sophomore year started with the same group of us competing again and it looked as though all of us would, again, make Honor Society... that was until I moved to Marion, Grant, Indiana.... I only got to go to Fairmount High School until the end of the 1st semester of my Sophomore year.  

When we moved to Marion, I didn't know anyone and so being shy, I didn't make too many friends.  On top of that, I was taking some classes that were considered Junior classes in Marion and still were Sophomore classes in Fairmount... so I wound up going to the North Campus of Marion High in the morning and then boarding the city bus and going to South Campus is the afternoon.  This did not allow me to get to know many kids... BUT I did have one friend that stuck with me all thru my Marion High School days and remains my friend today.  We actually were more like Sisters than just friends.  Her cousin had gone to Fairmount and she and I were friends there so when she found out I was going to go to Marion.... she called her cousin and told her to look for me... and she did.  

Fairmount High School is now a pile of rubble... having been torn down this last week.  I watched the video of it being torn down and had a sadness that cannot be described.  If you look at the row of windows just above the ones on the left... that was Mrs. Adaline Nall's room.  That was the drama room with a stage and everything.  That is also the room that James Dean performed in.  If you went in the school through the arch... and up the stairs and just continued on straight, you would find yourself in the Auditorium, where many perforances were produced.. If this building could have talked it would tell you of many notables that passed thru it's halls, including Jim Davis, who is famous for being "Garfield's" papa... and Phil Jones who was a CBS New Correspondent... just to name a few.  The High School is gone.... but for sure not the memories... Liberty Twp. School is no longer a school... it is all closed up... I always knew I was home when I passed that school.. now it is no longer a school.  Yes it important to preserve our memories... someday these places will only be "just memories".     

Sunday, February 21, 2016

More on the Solomon family

Got an email from yet another cousin and she too is a Family Historian.  With that said, pardon the rantings of yet another of those crazy ladies but I feel the need to share what I know about my family. Because Dad was raised by his grandparents, he didn't get to share a lot of the stories that I would have loved to hear.  Dad died at the age of 57 and most of my research on the Solomon side of the family started just shortly before he died.  I had been working on the McClish side and filling in whenever I found something to connect.  That was over 36 years ago and I was still considered a "newby" in this field.  I have learned a lot since then.  So now is my time to share what I have.

 This is a copy of Fielding Bailey Solomon's death certificate (my Great grandfather)  As you can see by this certificate Grandpa Solomon died of Cardio-renal-vascular disease.  I decided to research this to find out more about it.  This is what WIKI says:  Cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) is an umbrella term used in the medical field that defines disorders of the heart and kidneys whereby “acute or chronic dysfunction in one organ may induce acute or chronic dysfunction of the other”.
I have always been interested in how my ancestors died, as that provides a medical history for all of us.  My dad (William Everett McClish) died of a heart attack.  He also had bouts of malaria, that he got when he was in Basic Training for the Navy at Great Lakes Training Center.  As noted earlier, Dad always had a tendency to health problems but it never let it stop him.  

Grandma and Grandpa Solomon were buried in Hillsboro Cemetery in Hillsboro, Henry County, Indiana.  Their stone is a simple one (like they lived their lives) but still important. 


This is George Franklin Solomon (Frank).  He was born 24 Aug 1890 to Fielding Bailey and Alma Albertha (Glines) Solomon.  Frank married first to Eva Marie Welch.  This marriage ended in divorce on the grounds that Eva was found guilty of adultery.  On a visit to the New Castle Library, a newspaper article was found confirming the information (a copy that I have in my files).  


Frank died 18 Feb 1951 in New Castle, Henry, Indiana.  He is buried in Hillsboro Cemetery, Hillsboro, Henry, Indiana





This is Ada Johnson, Frank Solomon's 2nd wife.  She was born in Mississippi and was the daughter of  James R. Johnson and Nancy V. Turner.  There are several pictures of her and Frank with their daughter Anna.  I didn't know Frank well,


 This is Frank Solomon, Ada (Johnson) Solomon and baby Anna Solomon.

Anna Solomon This picture was taken with Fielding and Bertha Solomon... her grandparents.   
 Anna Albertha Solomon.  Not sure when this was taken but It is a nice picture of her.  She married 1st Claude Robert Scott on 28 Jan 1942 in Lebanon, Boone, Indiana.  She later married Earl R. Humes
Anna is buried in Hillsboro Cemetery, Hillsboro, Indiana.  


This is the list of known descendants of George Franklin Solomon and Ada (Johnson) Solomon

1-George Franklin SOLOMON [L8SX-HRG]
born: 24 Aug 1890, New Castle, Henry, Indiana
died: 18 Feb 1951, New Castle, Henry, Indiana
buried: 21 Feb 1951, Hillsboro Cemetery, Hillsboro, Henry, Indiana
     +Eva Marie WELCH
       born: 10 Jan 1899, , , Ohio
 marr: 20 Jan 1915, , Henry, Indiana
           parents: Alexander Marion WELCH [M43Y-H8C] and Sarah Catherine McCLISH [M43Y-                H86]
     +Ada Lucille JOHNSON [L8SX-CD9]
       born: 8 Jul 1900, , Leake, Mississippi
 marr: 30 Apr 1916, , Leake, Mississippi
       died: 21 Dec 1983, New Castle, Henry, Indiana
       buried: Hillsboro Cemetery, Hillsboro, Henry, Indiana
       parents: James R. JOHNSON and Nancy V. TURNER
                 2-Jane SOLOMON
                     born: Abt 1917
                 2-Anna Albertha SOLOMON [9VT7-L6V]
                    born: 2 Jul 1918, New Castle, Henry, Indiana
                    died: 1 Oct 1992, New Castle, Henry, Indiana
                    buried: Hillsboro Cemetery, Hillsboro, Henry, Indiana
                      +Claude Robert SCOTT [L2FN-3SY]
                        born: 17 May 1903, , Shelby, Indiana
                 marr: 28 Jan 1942, Lebanon, Boone, Indiana
                       died: 17 Dec 1975, Fairland, Shelby, Indiana
                      buried: New Palestine Cemetery, Hancock, Indiana
                      parents: John Steven SCOTT [L2FN-3HM] and Bertha Ann PARISH [L2FN-388]
                                  3-Gilbert Gene SCOTT [L2FN-3XZ]
                                  3-Betty Ann SCOTT [L2FN-36G]
                                      +Mr. DUDLEY 
                                           4-Nancy Ann DUDLEY
                                             +Mr. BOYLAN
                                  3-Harold Wray SCOTT [L2FN-3X2]
                        +Earl R. HUMES [L2FN-7MY]    
                          born: Abt 1917, Westchester, , New York
                          died: 19 Mar 1983, Westchester, , New York
                2-James Fielding SOLOMON
                    born: 11 Jan 1920, New Castle, Henry, Indiana
                   died: 22 Jun 2003, New Castle, Henry, Indiana
                   buried: 24 Jun 2003, Hillsboro Cemetery, Hillsboro, Henry, Indiana
                        +Loma Hazel DELK
                         born: 29 Nov 1911, Jamestown, , Tennessee
                        died: 30 Jul 1999, New Castle, Henry, Indiana
                        buried: Hillsboro Cemetery, Hillsboro, Henry, Indiana
                        parents: Lewis DELK and Mandy Jane FLOWERS
                2-Emmett Earl SOLOMON
                   born: 7 May 1923
                  died: 25 Mar 1945, , , Germany
                  buried: 18 Aug 1948, Hillsboro Cemetery, Hillsboro, Henry, Indiana
                    +Bonnie BURTON 
                            3-Gloria SOLOMON
                2-Linnie Louise SOLOMON [LXBF-9HH]
                   born: 2 Aug 1925, New Castle, Henry, Indiana
                  died: 2007, , Henry, Indiana
                     +William Francis MATNEY [L2Q4-7QP]
                        born: 6 Aug 1920, New Castle, Henry, Indiana
                       marr: 3 Jan 1942, , Henry, Indiana
                       died: Nov 1996
                      parents: Floyd MATNEY [L2Q4-34G] and Beatrice HARRIS [L2Q4-3HR]
                2-Donald Phillip SOLOMON
                    born: 31 Mar 1933
                   died: 29 May 1993
                    buried: Hillsboro Cemetery, Hillsboro, Henry, Indiana
                         +Joyce MILLER
                           born: 7 Oct 1935
                                   3-David Allen SOLOMON
                                                  4-Nicole SOLOMON
                                   3-Sharon Kay SOLOMON
                                        +Rick HUNNICUTT
                                                  4-Debbie HUNNICUTT
                                                  4-Rick HUNNICUTT, Jr.


Now as you can see there is a lot of work to be done on this family.  So.... if anyone knows anymore info or would like to share info... feel free to contact me.  Oh and those letter and numbers following the name means that they are listed in Familysearch.org.  You can locate them by that ID #.  More pictures later. 

Saturday, February 20, 2016

More family pictures...

I am hoping you can see this because this is Fielding and Alma Albertha (Glines) Solomon.  These are my great grandparents.  When their daughter (Olive Alice) died in Mississippi, Grandma and Grandpa Solomon went down there to help move the family back to Indiana.  In the process they had to make some decisions regarding raising the kids.  Dad was just 18 months old and "sickly".  Since Grandma (Olive Alice) had TB it is no wonder that he had health problems.  All of his siblings were placed with other families but no one wanted to take him, so Grandma said she would take him and raise him, and she did.  Grandpa Solomon died in 1934 which left Grandma Solomon to raise my Dad.  Grandma Solomon died in 1952.  I actually met her and know what a special lady she was.  

This is Olive Alice (Solomon) McClish.  She is Fielding and Alma's daughter and my grandmother.  When Olive was younger she kind of sowed her oats and became pregnant and not married.  Her mother was very strick about that sort of thing and (so the story goes) she threw her out of the house.  When Grandma (Olive) went looking for a place to stay, she knew there was a widower that had several children and would probably need some help.... so she asked him for a job.  Well he told her that no "respectable young lady" would live in a house with a man and not married to him.  He told her that if she would marry him, he would give her unborn child his name and raise it as his own.  She accepted, even though there was 26 years difference in their ages.  He kept his promise, but the baby only live about 6 weeks.  After Olive got married, her mother made up with her.  When George took his family to Mississippi, Olive kept in touch with her mother.  I found a letter some years ago that was written shortly before she died, describing how my Dad was becoming quite active.  Dad never really knew his mother, but he loved his Grandmother a lot.  He had respect for her and when she died,  I think a piece of him went with her.  

This was my grandfather's second marriage.  But I really think that he really loved my grandmother.  From the stories that I have been told... when she died... he just about "gave up".  He worked on the railroad and was working there when he had a heart attack and died.  This is a man that I admire so much for being the kind of person he was.  

There is a good possibility I have told these stories before... but I plan on sharing more of the pictures that bring this to life as well.  I am hoping that family members will contact me and share more of their stories too.  The picture at the bottom of this page was taken about 1920 in Mississippi.  The baby is George Fielding McClish....later adopted by Forrest Kirk and his wife who gave him the Kirk name.  My dad wasn't born until 1922 so it is an incomplete picture of Grandpa and his 2nd family.  





Friday, February 19, 2016

Family pictures

I decided that I am going to share more of the pictures in my collection.  I am a firm believer that pictures are for sharing and since a lot of these are very old.. I figure that the family might like to see them.

Yeah, I know I haven't posted in a few years and now I am posting two days in a row.... A lot has happened... What can I say.
 This is Anna Turner and John Franklin McClish.  Sharon Turner has been doing a lot of research on this family and has uncovered some interesting history.  On the back of their wedding picture in a handwritten note it stated that John burned to death.  They had one child, Charles Henry McClish.

This is his obit: STEUBEN REPUBLICANANGOLA, INDIANAJANUARY 16, 1946 Frank McClish Burned To Death In Fire      Frank McClish, 71, was burned to death when fire destroyed his home in the southwest part of Hudson at about midnight on Wednesday night.  Mrs. McClish has employment in Fort Wayne and Mr. McClish was alone in the house.  His body was found in a downstairs bedroom after the fire had subsided.  No cause for the fire could be ascertained, according to County Sheriff, Paul Duguid, who had been called to investigate.     The fire was discovered shortly before midnight by Jay Clark, a neighbor, who turned in the alarm.  He attempted to enter the blazing building but was unable to get in because of the intense heat and raging fire.     The Hudson Fire Department soon brought the flames under control and entrance was made through a window to the bedroom where the body was found.  It is thought that McClish probably was overcome by heat and smoke and was unable to get out of the house, but in some way either fell out of bed onto the floor or attempted to get up and then fell to the floor.  The clothing was completely burned off the body, the head, shoulders, and arms were the most severely burned.     Besides his wife, Mr. McClish is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Dorothy Hendrickson of Fort Wayne and Mrs. Mabel McClain of Waterloo. There are also nine grandchildren and two sisters, Mrs. Matilda Stemm of Ashley and Mrs. Alta Reinoehl of Fort Wayne; two brothers, William of New Haven and Clyde of Hudson also survive.     Funeral services were held at the Kistler Funeral Home in Hudson at 2 o'clock Saturday and burial was in Circle Cemetery in Hudson.

 This is Barney Marcelle McClish.  I don't have a lot on him but in his Findagrave info it was said Devoted husband, father and grandfather, he served in the U.S. Navy aboard the Ticonderoga in World War II as a radio man, and he was also an aerospace engineer. He was an honorable man, and is dearly loved and sorely missed by his family.   His parents are Dr. Thomas Barney McClish and Hazel Belle Langlitz.

Clifford Earl McClish the son of John Leonard McClish and Laura Carver.  The bottom of this also lists L. J. McClish which was his brother.  



These are just a few of the pictures that I have.  I will be posting more as the days go by.  
Any information that I have,  is freely shared.  Family History is written by families and shared by families.  This is my firm belief.  I grew up not knowing my family so this is to honor the memory of my Dad, Willliam Everett McClish, and letting our family know the history so that no other member has to go thru life, not having a clue.  


Thursday, February 18, 2016

Updates on what has happened

Well it has been a while and a lot has happened.  One of the big things is I have published another book on the McClish family. This one is on George C. McClish.  Several of his descendants added information to this book as well as pictures.  It really makes for interesting reading.

After I got this book published, I ventured out and went to Michigan to meet many of my new found cousins.  There was one there that I had corresponded with when we were working with Kay Gabel and Wayne McKean on "McClish Kith and Kin".  So I got to meet approximately 150 new cousins.  This was so much fun.

Some of my cousins took me out to several of the cemeteries and we got pictures of tombstone to add to the book.  Now you know when you publish a book of families, by the time it comes out, it is out of date.  Someone had a new child, someone got married, someone got a divorce, someone died, So when I do these books, I try to make them so information can be added without to much difficulty.

At present I am working on another branch of the family to publish yet another of the books.  I was contacted today, by another cousin.... with more info... so now I am working on that as well.

I want to share some of the newer pictures that I have on this blog so that you can get an idea of how much information flows out of just a little investigation.  No family history book is written by just one person.  It is after all a "family" history.



This is just a few of the pictures I have on this man.
This is my favorite picture of the twins...

I can assure you that in the next few days you will be hearing more of what I have been up to.

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Some incredible stories featuring Lt. Col. Ernest Edward McClish"

This week I have been pleased to make contact with the family of Lt. Col Ernest Edward McClish. This name is not familiar in many areas but should be up there with the likes of George Washington, John Adams and any other patriot.  Because of his actions 12 men escaped from the inescapable prison of Davao in the Philippines during WW II.  A part of his story is told in the book "Escape from Davao".  If you haven't read this book, you should.  It is available on Amazon.com and is not expensive.  I can tell you now that when you read the book, you will see what I mean about this man.

He was a Choctaw.  He believed in this country and he fought for it.  From one of his sons, I received a bit more info on this man... He had a son who died in Vietnam and he did discourage his youngest son from joining the military, but taught him survival skills all the same.  From this same son, I am told that even though he knew that the Japanese had killed and mutilated soldiers (including many of his friends) he retained a very high respect for them.  I would like to think that this is because of his heritage.  Braves respected Braves.

Chris tells me that his dad "at one point he had malaria and endured horrific fevers.  He walked for miles through forest eating bark and bugs and was nursed back to health in a tribal hut-then once well, went back to fight.

Chris was his son.  His father was 60 years old when Chris was born.  Col. McClish died he 1993.  "He spent the latter years of his life in nursing homes and eventually an Alzheimer's unit."

I have to say, this is another of my HEROs in my family.  Although I have not completed a link directly to me... I am proud of this man who shares my surname.

In this time of supporting our troups over seas, I am taking time to salute a true WW II hero.  The sad part of this, is that he went unrecognized for so many years.

I am sharing just a little of what is written about him on the internet.


Like many of their fellow citizens, Indians have long served in the National Guard and Organized Reserve units in their respective States. Lt. Col. Edward E. McClish, a Choctaw from Oklahoma and a graduate of Haskell Institute and Bacone College, was called to, active duty in the National Guard in 1940 and sent to the Philippines. In 1941 he commanded a company of Philippine Scouts, then helped mobilize units of the Philippine Army and was commanding a battalion at the time of Pearl Harbor. Wounded and hospitalized on Mindanao in the early weeks of the fighting, he escaped capture and went underground to organize a guerrilla force.

By the fall of 1942, McClish had organized and armed some 300 men on Mindanao and consolidated his force with a similar one on the other side of the island. He then undertook to organize the guerrilla forces in the four eastern provinces of the island into the 110th Division. The organizational task was complicated by the presence of not only Japanese but of unorganized rival bands and bandit gangs. Potential soldiers also had to be educated as well ,as trained. By the spring of 1943, McClish had organized three regiments and part of a fourth, and a division staff had been formed. To overcome a shortage of food and supplies, agricultural and industrial projects were launched throughout the division zone; vegetables and sugar cane and pigs and poultry were raised, and sugar, soap, alcohol, and coconut oil were produced.


When you think about the sacrifices that people have given for our freedom.... remember Lt. Col. Ernest Edward McClish.


















   

Sunday, October 28, 2012

One of our ancestors who was the 1st Military Commander-in-Chief




October 28 1800: Revolutionary War Commander Artemas Ward Dies
On This Day...
      ...in 1800, the man who commanded the ragtag American force that chased the British Regulars back to Boston following the battles of Lexington and Concord died at home in Shrewsbury. Trusted and admired by the volunteer militiamen who made up the first American army, General Artemas Ward was severely criticized by George Washington, who assumed command of the Continental Army in July 1775. Accustomed to serving with professional officers, Washington and his fellow Virginians dismissed Ward as "a fat old church warden." Washington was also appalled by the lax discipline among Ward's New England soldiers. After two years, Artemas Ward resigned and returned home to Shrewsbury. The Massachusetts general faded from national memory and from the history books.
Background
Artemas Ward at mid-life was not an impressive looking fellow; his biographer described him as "a man of medium height; . . . too stout for his forty-seven years, and . . . showing the effects of . . . illness." He had neither great wealth nor high social position. But in the spring of 1775, as crisis loomed in Massachusetts, the colony's Committee of Safety chose Ward to be the Commander-in-Chief of the "Grand American Army," as the newspapers referred to the collection of local militia units that were preparing for war.
The revolutionary leaders trusted Ward's judgment. He was a Puritan, a patriot, and a man "fully convinced that 'those of Massachusetts were the Chosen People.'" He had proved his mettle through 24 years of public and military service. More important, Ward had the trust, respect, and affection of the militiamen, and they were willing to follow him. In the spring and summer of 1775, Ward's ability to command their loyalty would prove critical.
Artemas Ward was born and grew up in the Worcester County town of Shrewsbury, which his parents, both of old Puritan stock, had helped found. In 1748, at the age of 20, he graduated from Harvard and took a position teaching school in Groton. There he met his future wife, Sarah Trowbridge. After their marriage in 1750, the couple settled in Shrewsbury. While his wife bore eight children, Ward kept a farm and a busy general store. He was elected to numerous offices, including representative to the General Court in Boston.
In 1758 Ward was commissioned as a major in a provincial regiment raised for the French and Indian War. Meritorious service earned him promotion to lieutenant-colonel, but the difficult campaign in the Adirondacks ruined his health. He never fully regained his strength.
His reputation, however, did not suffer. On his return to Shrewsbury, he was appointed colonel of his militia regiment, and in 1762, a judge of the Court of Common Pleas. For the next decade, he distinguished himself with his dogged opposition to royal authority, drawing the wrath of crown officials and the admiration of patriots.
In the fall of 1774, as British troops occupied Boston and the sense of impending hostilities grew, the Massachusetts Provincial Congress ordered each town to train a militia. By February of 1775, as tensions increased, it was clear that the local militia units could no longer report only to their own officers. They would need a general commander. Artemas Ward got the job.
When fighting broke out on April 19th, Ward lay sick at home in Shrewsbury with a painful attack of "bladder stones." The next morning, despite his condition, he rode 35 miles to Cambridge to take command of the various militia that had chased the British Regulars back to Boston. Ward maintained the siege of Boston in its initial months and fortified the patriot position by taking the strategic high point of Bunker Hill.
Ward faced formidable challenges. Not only was he confronting the world's most powerful army, but he was doing so with a force of volunteers who had agreed only to turn out for a single battle. Once the British had been driven back to Boston, many militiamen wanted to return to their farms. They had not enlisted, and had little enthusiasm for camp life, especially given the rough and unhygienic conditions of their impromptu camp at Cambridge. Ward had the daunting task of creating an army.
He appealed for volunteers to become the first enlistees. Men from Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Rhode Island began to fill the ranks. Critics complained that Ward was a lax disciplinarian and that his "Grand American Army" was anything but grand. But Artemas Ward understood his volunteer Yankee soldiers. He knew that they would not tolerate, and that he had no legal authority to impose, strict discipline. He had to lead by consensus and mutual respect, for, as one patriot wrote to Samuel Adams, "our soldiers will not be brought to obey any person of whom they do not themselves entertain a high opinion." Ward's deft management helped his raw recruits hold the siege.
On June 17th, the Continental Congress in Philadelphia debated who should be appointed supreme commander of the American forces. John Adams reported that "the greatest number" wanted the job to go to Ward. However, an overriding concern was to persuade delegates from the South that this was not just New England's war. The Congress chose George Washington of Virginia and made Ward his second in command.
Two weeks later, Washington arrived in Cambridge; he immediately began criticizing Ward publicly and in writing. Artemas Ward was deeply offended, and relations between the two men never improved. Two years later, suffering from ill health, Ward resigned his position and returned to Shrewsbury. He served for the next 20 years as representative to the Continental, First, and Second Congresses.
After his death in 1800, Ward faded into obscurity. Historians remembered him mostly as the inept commander portrayed by Washington or not at all. Even the central Massachusetts town named in his honor eventually changed its name to "Auburn." A great-grandson donated Ward's Shrewsbury home and $5,000,000 to Harvard University on the condition that the university work to restore the general's reputation. Recently, graduate students have begun to use the home and its collections as a scholarly resource to learn more about the life and times of the nation's first military commander-in-chief.
Links
  • Shrewsbury Historical Society <http://www.shrewsburyhistoricalsociety.org/>
If You Go

The Artemas Ward House in Shrewsbury is open to the public on a limited basis. <http://wardhouse.harvard.edu/>

Sources

The Life of Artemas Ward, by Charles Martyn (1921; reprinted Kennikat Press, 1970).


Dictionary of American Biography, Vol. X.

The Auburn Eagle, April 24, 2003.
Harvard University Gazette, May 22, 2003.

Online at: http://www.massmoments.org/moment.cfm?mid=311

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

October 2, 2012

This past month has been full of surprises, in some ways and yet other ways I kind expected some of it.  We did get to both reunions and had a really good time connecting with family that I hadn't really gotten to know.  One of the big reasons I wanted to go was to collect some family stories.  My dad died young, 57 years old, and he really never gave us much in the way of what his life was like when he was young, so these reunions helped in some ways.

One story the Junior had told me years before was concerning my dad throwing him thru a window.  Getting to see Junior this time, I found out that Dad had come to live with Julius (dad's brother and Junior's father) for a while.  One night dad and Junior were horsing around and as a result dad did indeed throw Junior thru a window.  It seems that Dad was tossing Junior around by putting his feet in Junior's chest and flipping him over his head..... well they weren't paying much attention and Dad "flipped" him right out the window.  I asked Junior if they got in trouble and he said "No, cause it was an accident."  Junior then replied that he got even with dad though.  I asked him how and he said the Dad was supposed to take him to the movies, but dad didn't want to..... so resourceful as Junior was and has always been, he decided to put shellac on the seat of Dad's bicycle.  He said that Dad got really mad because it tore the seat out of pants.  I can just about see this... lol

It seems that Dad did have a bit of orneriness in him as did Junior.... I know my dad had a sense of humor but he never did tell us this story... I wonder why... lol

When we went to the Solomon reunion, Mary Alice, Junior and Bev and her husband Joe McCord decided that they would go too.  It was nice because we didn't know any of the others except for Don Solomon, who we had met last year.  He was the one that told us about the reunion.

I think one of the things that impressed me the most at the Solomon reunion was that I had a book there with a picture of my Great grandfather and Great grandmother Solomon.  A lady walked up to it and said "I know this lady, she is my Aunt Bertha".  The lady was Madaline Young who was the Great niece of my Great grandfather Fielding Solomon.  Madaline is 94 years young and still very clear of mind.  Not only was she there, but her sister Susie as well as well as their brother David.

It seems that James /Washington Solomon was not to nice to his son, Frank Fielding Solomon (father to Madaline, Susie and David) and so Frank ran away from home when he was in the 5th grade and went to live with Fielding and Bertha Solomon (my great grandparents).  From the stories, I gather that my great grandfather protected Frank from his father.  One of the stories that David told me was that Frank went to work, and his father tried to get his wages, but my Great grandfather put a stop to it... how I am not sure but he did manage for Frank to keep his money.


This picture was taken in Bedford, Indiana.  Junior told me that I had to make sure that you notice the 1931 Model A.  On the mule is Bud Smoot, Chester Smith and Junior.  

One other thing that we did was to visit some of the cemeteries in the area.  Now it was stated to me by people in Pennville, Indiana area that they could not find the stone for my grandfather's first wife, Alma Rettie Knapp McClish.  I had given them a description of where I remembered it to be when my ex-sister-in-law, Sharon McClish and I found it.  No one seemed to find.  So when we went to Pennville we checked it (partly to prove I wasn't totally nuts) and low and behold, Norm found it.. 

This is not the original stone, I am sure but it is the stone that Sharon and I found when we were checking out cemeteries.  It is out by itself with no other stones around it.  

I use Findagrave.com a lot in my research and one of the contributors suggested that if I was in Winchester, to visit the Randolph County Museum while there.  He said that there was a lady there that had a wealth of information, and any person that was working on genealogy should visit with her.  He was right.  

Mary Alice and I went to the Museum on Friday and visited.  The lady there was amazing.  I told her who had suggested I visit and about that time this gentleman walked in the door.  She said have you ever met him.... I told her, only on the internet... she smiled and said... well here he is... That was so nice to be able to connect like that.  When Mary Alice and I left, we had about 20 obits and a lot of other information to support our family history in Winchester.  I also left a copy of my book "Descendants of Robert McClish" with her, so now there is even more in the museum to document our contribution to the area.  

If anyone reading this blog would like a copy of the book it is available on Amazon.com.  

There is more to tell but at this point, I need to gather my notes and pictures and organize them so that I can share more with you.  









Tuesday, September 4, 2012

McClish Family Reunion Sept 3, 2012

Well one reunion down and another to go.  I goofed and thought that the McClish reunion was on the Saturday before Labor Day, so Norm and I got to Winchester on Saturday all ready for the reunion.  Lucky for me that I called Mary Alice and got the straight of it.  We spent the weekend with her and Junior (my brother that I wished I had).  Norm and he hit it right off (he got to meet him last year when we came thru).

I have been taking notes about a lot of things because I have a little knowledge of the younger days of my dad but not a  lot.

One thing I found out was that when Mom's due date came up to have me, Dad and Mom brought Alice Ann to Julius's to stay until after I was born and Mom got out of the hospital.  From what Bev and Mary Alice said, they thought it was close to a month that she was there.  When Julius took her back, of course I was there and that was a surprise for her.  Bev told me that "Alice took her place" because Bev was the baby in her family.  Alice's place as the baby was taken by me, so guess that is why she really never liked me... lol

Mary Alice also took us out to Fountain Park Cemetery.  We got pictures of a lot of the stones and I was able to verify quite a bit of info, and I added more to the Morris side.

At the reunion, Norm won several prizes and my prize was updating info.  I sold one of my books and hopefully some of the other family members might buy some before we leave.

This is one of my prized pictures.  One the left is Junior McClish, the middle is my Aunt Frances and then on the right is Mary Alice Hunley.  I only had the picture of Aunt Frances with dad.  I really appreciated this picture and my cousins sharing it.

I am hoping to gather more "stories" before I leave here as Junior is one of the best ones to remember happenings.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Thursday Aug 23, 2012

Well we are getting things ready to go to Indiana in about a week.  First to Winchester and the McClish reunion and then to New Castle for the Solomon reunion.  Should be an interesting time.

We first thought we would drive our pickup truck but have a few problems with that so Dutchess is back in action. (for those who don't know, Dutchess is the name for our RV).  We figured it would be easier on our little Teddy to go in the RV rather than to worry about him in a motel room or someone's home.  We won't be able to do as much as we wanted to though because of the cost of gas, but we will have the RV so we won't have to worry about a lot of things.

I have been working on the Solomon family info so that I can print out a copy of the info I have and hopefully get some feedback so that I can eventually publish that book.



"Descendants of Robert McClish" is out and on Amazon.com so that is underway.  I already have some more info for that book.  One of our family bought the book but I didn't have them in there.  They are in the database now though.  So when I go to reprint they will be in the book.  That won't be for at least a year and maybe more.

If anyone buys my book and lets me know that they are connected to the family I have published, I will send them their pedigree chart via email for free.  It just helps when you are looking up info and it is so easy to do.

I am also still collecting family stories for the other book I am working on.  I will probably publish that by Christmas time.  I hope anyway.

As things progress, I will post more.  If you haven't gotten your book yet, feel free to go to Amazon.com and check it out.




Sunday, August 19, 2012

Sunday Aug 19,2012

I am hoping that you are now aware that the first in a series of books on the McClish family has been published.  The title is "Descendants of Robert McClish" and is available on Amazon.com.

This book is NOT complete, as family history books never are, but it does give you a lot of information on the McClish family.  I am hoping that when you see it,  if there are blanks, please fill in what you know and send me the info so that I can update my records and then republish at a later date.

Today I was asked to be the Family History Consultant for our church. It won't become official until next Sunday but just to be asked to do this, is special to me.  As you may or may not know, as a member of the LDS church, it is my responsibility to do a four generation chart and to know these special people.  I passed this years ago and now have probably 25 or so generations and getting to know my ancestors is a blessing.  I have collected several stories and will be publishing those in the future as well.  That series is called "Gathering the Fragments".  I am trying to preserve the stories of our families as well as the recipes.  I think this is something that future generations would love to know.  I know, as a child, I didn't listen to the stories as much as I should have, so of course a lot has been missed, BUT, I am trying to group them now and do what I can to keep them alive.  This family of mine is VERY interesting.

One of the stories that I haven't quite proven but sounds logical is concerning my Great Great grandmother Catherine McClish.

I had heard that there was a possibility that she might have been "raped" by an Indian and became pregnant with the child David McClish (my great grandfather).  I think the story might have been that she was captured by the Ottawa and may have married into the tribe and became pregnant.  When the US government required the Indians to give up their white captives, she might have been one of them.  Not wanting to accept the possibility that she willingly became pregnant with an Ottawa, the story was that she was raped.

I have done a lot of research on the nature of the American Indian and found the act of rape was considered to be a violation of their laws and was dealt with usually by banning the guilty one from the tribe.  In effect "outcasting".  If that were the case and Catherine was raped, then the guilty one would have been banished.  If she married and it was not rape it is possible that when the government required the return of the white prisoners, the Ottawa released her and she was returned to her family.

Now, in this case it is possible that when she married Samuel Croy, he did not want to accept a "half breed" and that was the reason that David was raised by his grandfather and grandmother.  It is obvious that Catherine had limited time with her son until after her divorce from Samuel, so that is a possibility.

This is not to blame Samuel, as it was a custom of the day for people to look down on the Indians.  This was due to misunderstanding of this race.   So far, I admit I have no proof of all this, only a research into the nature of the American Indian.  BUT it does make for some speculation and I welcome anyone who has more information on this to contact me and educate me on what happened.

This is one of the big reasons I am trying to preserve our heritage... the stories are very important and I want to pass this on to our next generations.

If you haven't ordered you book yet, please do go to Amazon.com and take a look.  There will be more I promise.


Thursday, August 16, 2012

Thursday August 16, 2012

Since the last post, a lot of things have been going on.  I have finally published "Descendants of Robert McClish" which is my direct line.  There are 286 pages to this book so you know there is a lot of information.  However, let me assure you that it is NOT a complete listing of the descendants.  Many families have not responded so are not represented fully in the book.  However this is an ongoing project, and I hope that when people see it, and realize they can add to it, they will contact me with their information so that I can update this in the future.  I am really excited for this book.  It is available on Amazon.com now.  

My next project is to complete my book "Gathering the Fragments".  This is a book of stories from my family (both sides) along with some favorite recipes and some funny and some sad stories.  I am hoping that others will let me know their favorite stories from their family so that I can include them.   

The thing I like about my publisher is that they list my books on Amazon.com really quite rapidly.  This makes it easy for people to get the books without having to wait till I get them.  If anyone wants them signed, I suggest that you send me your order and I will then order your books sign them and send them to you.  I do ask that you pay postage for this, I will have to let you know how much when my books come in so that I can be fair about it.  I can assure you that by getting them this way it is less expensive.  

Norm has begun to get odd jobs to help with our finances and of course the book sales do too. We are planning on going to the two family reunions the first part of September.  These are always pot luck so I am planning on what we can make and bring.  I am probably going to make my oatmeal cake for one of them (that recipe is found in my "Friends of Gold Point Nevada Cookbook" ) and maybe some ice cream cone cupcakes.  Haven't really figured it out yet... lol I know I will have fun though.  

While we are in Indiana, we are planning on going up to Jay County and see if we can solve some mysteries.  One of which is WHERE in the heck is David McClish buried????? Maybe we will meet some of our other relatives there as well, I hope so. 

Yesterday would have been my dad's 90th birthday.  He died at the age of 57 and at the time he and I were not speaking to each other.  He was upset with me and I was with him.  Now I am a lot like my dad and sometimes I can get just as stubborn as he could.  So needless to say that was the situation when he died.  I have had family members tell me that he hated me... That I know is untrue.  He might have been upset with me but one thing I know is that my dad loved all his children as well as his grandchildren.  I honestly think dad was glad that I stuck up for myself as I was the one that usually gave in and got bullied by my siblings.  I think it just took him by surprise that I would stand my ground where he was concerned.  I respected my dad and his opinions but I did have opinions of my own and sometimes it was not the same as his.  That was and is my right.  

I do miss my dad, as there were a lot of things that he did and said that made a lot of sense.  There are lots of time that I wish I could just hear his voice and I would know things would be alright.  Guess that is just the little girl in me... My dad was my hero and he will always be my hero.  

My siblings do not realize that I started researching our family history BECAUSE of dad.  I continue to research it for Dad..... I know that there are times that he is there in spirit helping me and for that I am eternally thankful.  

Just a bit of stress relief.... UPS still has not shown up....... I know they have until the end of day but I am getting anxious... I want to see my books... lol