SierraBella

A Search For My Family History

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Location: "The Mother Lode" region, California

I retired in 2002, and I'm still loving it!

Thursday, March 24, 2005

Sally Smith, You Devil You!


Mrs. Sally Smith- Posted by Hello
I found Sally's photo, along with pictures of her husband Hiram and daughter Jerusha, among my 'antique' photographs from Ohio.
I don't believe we're directly related. My ancestors from Athens County apparently collected pictures of their friends much like we now collect trading cards.
I've pieced together their story through census records only.
Sally (aka Sarah) Congrove Smith was Hiram's second wife, the first died before 1868. By the 1870 census, about when the photo shown above was taken, Sally and Hiram had a two year old daughter.
Hiram passed away before 1880, where I find Sally and daughter Jerusha living in the town of Troy. Sally is about 37 years old, and we now find she has a 22 year old named Russel Wheeler living in the household. His occupation shows "working on the farm."
I'll bet he was busy plowing the fields!
The next available census is 1900, and as you probably guessed- Sally and Russel are married.
I wonder if this was the cause of some local scandal?
By 1920 Sally was widowed once again, and I'm afraid to look any further into this matter. Period. There may just be another young man "working on the farm" in the next census.

4 Comments:

Blogger shana p. said...

Thanks for stopping by my blog...

I find your pictures and stories fascinating. Being a first generation American (my mother is from Switzerland, but even though we have a family tree that goes back to the 1400's she is very circumspect in the stories she tells - basically next to none, and they are all in German!)I am riveted by early pictures of people and life in the United States. My grandparents on my father's side passed away long before I was born, I wish I knew more of my history.

9:37 PM  
Blogger SierraBella said...

cheesecakey-
My early history education was chock-full of names and dates, which you were pushed to retain as there was "going to be a test!" There was nothing to catch one's interest.
(Bless you History Channel!)
I believe what I'm trying to do is find the stories behind the names.
Thank you for visiting!

10:51 AM  
Blogger Susie said...

ooh, a hint of scandal... You go, Sally.

11:00 AM  
Blogger SierraBella said...

susie-
Like I tell my spouse "You're my favorite husband... so far!"
He'd better watch out, I might need to hire a farmhand some day!

4:55 PM  

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