TSGS Cruiser Blog

Saturday, September 26, 2009

RIVER DEBRIS –
TSGS Dock of Shame

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Murder of a Census Taker...


A part-time Census Bureau field worker was found hanged in Kentucky 12 Sep 2009 with the word "fed" scrawled across his chest, according to a law enforcement source. Bill Sparkman, 51, was found at the Daniel Boone National Forest in rural southeast Kentucky.

Let us remember Bill Sparkman with prayers or just some reflective thoughts. The task of a Census Taker has always been a tough job as many have felt the Census is an invasion of their privacy. This murder seems to be more of hate.

- submitted by JGWest

Friday, September 25, 2009

"Bureau of Indian Affairs 1906"

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Application for share of money appropriated by Act of Congress 1906 (Bureau of Indian Affairs). This one was rejected, but look what all is provided for us genealogists!

Reuben Poe
A transcription of the Cherokee
claim of Calpernia Cicero Whitely.
By Jose Luis Mendoza Jr.

No. 15074
Eastern Cherokees.
Application of Calpernia Cicero Whitely.
For share of money appropriated for the Eastern Cherokee Indians
by the Act of Congress approved June 30, 1906, in accordance with
the decrees of the Court of claims of May 18, 1905.
Indian office
Eastern Cherokees.
Rec. Jan. 31, 1907
No. 15074
Name: Calpernia C. Whitely
With No. 9192
Remarks:
Commissioner of Indian Affairs
Washington, D.C.

Sir:

I hereby make application for such share as may be due me of the fund appropriated by the Act of Congress approved June 30, 1906, in accordance with the decrees of the court of claims of May 18, 1905, and May 28, 1906, in favor of the Eastern Cherokees. The evidence of identity is herewith subjoined.

1. State full name
English name: Calpernia Cicero Whitely
Indian name:
2. Residence: Short Creek, Ky.
3. Town and post office:
4. County: Grayson
5. State: Ky.
6. Date and place of birth: Oct. 14, 1841, GladesVille, Tn (now Tatesville, Wilson co., Tn)
7. By what right do you claim to share? If you claim through more than one relative living in 1851, set forth each claim separately: Mary Ellen Wood whose grandfather was an Indian named Reuben Poe.
8. Are you married? Widow
9. Name and age of wife or husband: John Whitely deceased.
10. Give names of your father and mother, and your mother’s name before marriage.
Father-English name: Luke Wood
Indian name:
Mother-English name: Mary Ellen Wood
Indian name:
Maiden name: Mary Ellen Thornton
11. Where were they born? 6-624
Father: In Virginia in 1805
Mother: In South Carolina in 1811
12. Where did they reside in 1851, if living at that time?
Father: Grayson co., Ky.
Mother: Grayson co., Ky.
13. Date of death of your father and mother-
Father: Aug. 1879 Mother: Jan. 26, 1891
14. Were they ever enrolled for annuities, land, or other benefits? If so, state when and where: No
15. Name all your brothers and sisters, giving ages, and if not living, the date of death.:
Name Born Died

39728 (1) Wm. G.H. Wood Oct. 23, 1833 Living
Mrs. Eliza A. Craig Oct. 16, 1835 Jan. 14, 1903
13429 (2) Melissa H. Spurrier Dec. 26, 1837 Living
Mrs. Irena E. Spurrier Feb. 11, 1839 ``
(3) Mrs. Ellen McCullough 1843 1901
(4) Mrs. Amanda Caplinger 1845 1886
(5) Uriah Paly Wood 1847 1891
9192 (6) Mrs. Nancy C. Kipler 1851
16. State English and Indian names of your grandparents on both father’s and mother’s side, if possible:
Father’s side Mother’s side

Wm. Wood Nancy Thornton
Elizabeth Wood Seth Thornton
17. Where were they born?
18. Where did they reside in 1851, if living at that time? Nancy resided in Wilson co., Tn
19. Give names of all their children, and residence, if living; If not living, give dates of deaths:
(1) English name: James Thornton deceased.
Indian name:
Residence: Wilson co., Tn
(2) English name: Mary E. Thornton deceased
Indian name:
Residence: Grayson co., Ky
(3) English name: Sallie Thornton deceased
Indian name:
Residence: Wilson co., Tn
(4) English name: Mathias Thornton deceased
Indian name:
Residence: Wilson co., Tn
(5) Ranson Thornton died in Tn.
Huston Thornton ``
Joseph Thornton ``
Irene Thornton ``
Eliza A. Thornton `` 6-624
Danise Thornton ``
20. Have you ever been enrolled for annuities, land, or other benefits? If so, state when and where: No
21. To expedite identification, claimants should give the full English and Indian names, if possible, of their paternal and maternal ancestors back to 1835: Maternal: Reuben Poe lived and died prior to 1835. His daughter was Nancy Poe and her daughter was Mary Ellen Thornton, my mother.
Remarks:
(Under this head the applicant may give any additional information that he believes will assist in proving his claims.)
Reuben Poe through whom or by whom I submit my claim was an Indian. I can’t say whether Reuben Poe was English or Indian name. That is only name held sacred. He was a Cherokee Indian.
Note.-Answers should be brief but explicit: The words “Yes”, “No”, “Unknown”, etc., may be used in cases where applicable. Read the questions carefully.
I solemnly swear that the foregoing statements made by me are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.
Witnesses to mark
B.M. Tilford her
Lillian P. Tilford (signature) Calpernia Cicero X Whitely
mark
Subscribed and sworn to before me this 28th day of January 1907
My commission expires January 21, 1908
R.W. Tilford
Notary Public.

Affidavit.
(The following affidavit must be sworn to by two or more witnesses who are well acquainted with the applicant.)

Personally appeared before me B.M. Tilford and Lillian P. Tilford, who, being duly sworn, on oath depose and say that they are well acquainted with Calpernia Cicero Whitely who makes the foregoing application and statements, and have known her for 25 years and 20 years respectively, and know her to be the identical person she represents herself to be, and that the statements made by her are true, to the best of their knowledge and belief, and they have no interest whatever in this claim.
Signature of witnesses
B.M. Tilford
Lillian P. Tilford
Subscribed and sworn to before me this 28th day of January 1907
My commission expires January 21, 1908
R.W. Tilford
Notary Public.

Note.-Affidavits should be made, whenever practicable, before a notary public, clerk of the court, or before a person having a seal. If sworn to before an Indian agent or dispersing agent of the Indian service, it need not be executed before a notary, etc. 6-624

No. 15074 Action: Reject.

Name: C.C Whitely and X children. Residence: Short Creek Ky.

Reasons: Sister of # 9192

Copied from: http://poefamilyresearch.net/NC/Studies/ReubenPoeApplication.htm

Don Counts sent this link for the Bureau of Indian Affairs: http://www.doi.gov/bia/ia_genealogy.html

- Submitted by JGWest

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Tombstone Thursday - McCoy

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Maria McCoy...
...wife of
Henry Rodenhouse

McCoy Cemetery, Knox County, Indiana

[Click to enlarge photo to better read poem]

- Photo taken and submitted by JGWest

[Tombstone Thursday is dedicated in memory of Donald G. West 1952-2000]

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

From the FIRST MATE's
PHOTO ALBUM...

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The William H. Natcher Bridge...
... a cable-stayed bridge that crosses the Ohio River just northeast of Rockport, Indiana on U.S. Highway 231 connecting Rockport with Owensboro, Kentucky. It was named in honor of William Houston Natcher a U.S. Representative serving the Second Congressional District of Kentucky from 1954 to his death in 1994. The bridge was opened to four-lane traffic on 21 Oct 2002 and is 4,505 feet in total length (1,373 meters).


View of bridge from Indiana Highway 66 (that intersects with U.S. Highway 231 just in front of the bridge).
View of bridge from U.S. Highway 231 on the Kentucky side just south of the approach to the bridge.


Kentucky side view looking north toward Indiana showing the bridge and the smokestacks of the Rockport Indiana power plant.
- Photos taken & submitted by JGWest

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

NAVIGATING ALONG the RIVER -
Research Tips

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I have been busy on personal genealogy...

Sunday night after 10 PM, I got a message about Mom's maternal line of WOOD... talk about brick walls (very, very little advances on this line for 50 years!). Someone found a rejected application for benefits under the Bureau of Indian Affairs dated 1905-6. Lots of known facts, suspected facts and totally new information!!! Of course, this is assuming that the affadavit is not full of inaccurate or false data. The part that I am interested in only identifies the family and not of concern to the validity of the claim. I can attempt to verify the facts listed; and I, now, have where they were on their journey between Virginia & Grayson Co., KY - they stopped off in Wilson Co., TN!!!

I keep telling fellow researchers & my WEST cousins, that just because we can not find documented proof of our ancestry, that we should not conclude that there is & never will be documentation found to prove our theories - we just have not looked in the right places, yet! Who would think to search the Bureau of Indian Affairs... unless you suspected the family thought they were part Indian.

I have decided that if you finally conclude that you have checked everything you know to search... just wait a fews years and the evidence will find its way to you! That is my tip to all of my fellow genealogists whether beginners or advanced. - JGWest

Sunday, September 20, 2009

TSGS Board Member is Editor for a Special 911 Edition

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TSGS Board Member, Don Counts, is one very busy man. In addition to all of the acivities that he is involved with, he is a reporter for The City-County Observer and was recently appointed Editor of a "Special Edition" called "Heroes" for Veterans, Police, & Fire Fighters.

CITY-COUNTY OBSERVER

A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR... A well-deserved honor and acknowledgment of our heroes. When I was first asked to be the editor of the HEROES edition, I was excited and the excitement continued to mount the more information I gathered as I worked on this edition. Please take the time to read and look at all the pictures of the area HEROES. As most of you know, I am a Marine veteran with 24 years’ service and welcomed this opportunity. I have found through the years Veterans, Police and Fire HEROES get very little coverage in the local media. This has provided the City-County Observer and me an opportunity to pay credit where credit is due. I hope all of you enjoy reading this edition as much as I did in working on this special edition and putting it together. As a member of the Editorial Board, I plan to have more information of interest to veterans in the upcoming issues. Don Counts

This first link will take you to the online version of the City County Observer with 3 videos about service men & women... very stirring and patriotic (for all 3 videos total time is less than 20 minutes).
http://city-countyobserver.com/?page_id=588
This second link takes you to a PDF file of the articles of local people that are featured for this special edition.
http://city-countyobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Heroes2009.pdf