“So, It Is Really True!”

IT WAS THE SPRING OF 1958...
...when I was in the fifth grade and was made aware for the first time that many, many generations of ancestors came before I was even born. I realized, that year, that the stories of long ago were based upon real times and real people, in spite of the fact that the actual story was fiction. It was truly a difficult thing for me to just accept – although Mom and Dad, my teacher and others were trying to convince me that things actually happened before my time or even my parents' time. So, my parents took me to several areas in Kentucky to visit the graves of some of my more recent ancestors (my great grandparents). They must have existed because they no longer existed. Now, that was hard for Dad to explain, but he said he knew these people and they were his grandparents. I saw no reason for Dad to lie about this. My West great grandparents were John William West & Hettie (Hester) Martin. Whoa! On their tombstone was a picture of them!!! They must have lived because there was their photo and Dad made a positive ID of them... he claimed that was exactly how they looked. Also, I was named after my great grandfather. This was proof that they existed and my father verified that it was true! [Us genealogists call that "documentation," something I needed to have then and still insist upon today!] Dad said boldly and with pride, “These are my grandparents!” I thought that if I had grandparents and Dad had grandparents, did my grandparents have grandparents and did these people (my great grandparents) also have grandparents. Dad said that, indeed, that was true. Well, who were these people; and, sadly Dad said “I do not know!” Well, I have been searching ever since for who these people are. That was over 50 years ago!

By the way, we went to see my great grandfather's grave in Owensboro, Kentucky. It was a Civil War Marker for James Tobias Long. I looked at Mom and Dad and stated with my newfound wisdom and experience - “So, the Civil War really happened!”

- Written & submitted by John G. West

NEWS FLASH... Murray, KY Man Develops Major Invention of Recent Times!

I loosely say “recent times” as most of this man's inventions came in the 1890's through the early 1900's; however, his inventions: the radio and the electric battery and his many other developments have made it possible for the further creations of telephones, television, cell phones, the Internet and much, much more. I suspect everyone of us that, at least, attended the fifth grade in school knows that a man named Marconi is given credit for inventing the radio and TV, and more.

Well that is not quite correct... a Calloway County, Kentucky farm boy by the name of Nathan B. Stubblefield grew up to invent the radio and much more. The first known radio broadcast was in 1892 by “Old Nate” about 33 years old (this when Marconi was only 18 years old!). In fact, after failing to get a timely patent on his invention (to work out the “bugs” and attempt to better perfect the “wireless” radio), Stubblefield still has the first patent on the invention of the radio, but the delay allowed others to take the credit and rake in the fortunes for its use.

Nathan is another American “hero” who received little recognition or compensation for his major contribution to the world. He died, alone, of starvation in 1928 in a dirt-floored shack!

Don Counts sent me this link to write this article: “A Man of Sorrow and Defeat” by Joe Aaron of the Evansville Courier. Here is another story found in the Browning Online Database: “Bill Drury Wants to Preserve Kentucky's Broadcast History” by Sandra Knipe 29 Oct 1987 Evansville Courier. Google or Yahoo “Nathan B. Stubblefield” for a lot of very authoritative and interesting articles on this basically unknown great inventor and his other ideas and inventions! - Written by JGWest

"1917 Naturalizations in Evansville"

The Evansville newspapers are chock full of information. The following article on recent newly naturalized citizens appeared in the 17 February 1917 issue of the Evansville Courier.

Citizenship Sought By Six

Five Germans and one Swiss applied for naturalization papers in superior court yesterday. The number is the largest for a single day ever recorded by Naturalization Clerk Herman H. Holtmann and is thought to be the largest number reported in a single day since the civil war.

Joseph Heggin, age 40, who came to this city about 11 years ago from Canada, is the first native of Switzerland to apply for citizenship papers at the local naturalization bureau for several years.

Heggin, a blacksmith living at 12 Florida street, was born at Menzingen, Switzerland, and sailed from Havre, France Apr. 24, 1905 for Canada, but a few months later came to the United States, which he had heard was a better country in which to live. This assertion was the truth in every respect, according to the Swiss when he applied for his citizenship papers.

Several different lines of trades were represented by the five Germans applying for naturalization. John Christian Ambacher, age 52, a minister at Inglefield, applied for his first papers after living in this country for 46 years under the impression that he was an American because of his youth when he arrived in this country form Germany with his parents.

George Adam Trapp, 61 years old, a farmer of Armstrong township, came to America in 1859 from his birthplace, Doernbach, Germany, but only recently discovered that he is still a German subject.

Henry Rosenberger, age 65, park custodian, has lived in America as a German subject since 1860, when he came to this country from Bremen. His present address is 811 St. Joseph avenue.

Bernard Diedrich, 56 years old, a collar maker living at 110 East Franklin street, left Hanover, Germany, the place of his birth in 1863.

The fifth laborer, Michael Darling, age 60, of 201 State street, came to America in 1880 from Schneidermill.

The six applicants and many others, including Henry Reis, president of the Old State National Bank and one of the most prominent business men in the city, will be heard by Judge Hostetler of the superior court on March 7, the next naturalization day. - Submitted by Brenda Joyce Jerome, CG

RACING DOWN the RIVER -Brief Genealogical Notes

The second Tuesday of the month is the meeting night for the Tri-State Genealogical Society. This month's meeting is: 10 Feb 2009 at 7:30 PM at Willard Library with Guest Speaker Larry Goss, retired Professor from University of Southern Indiana and serves on the TSGS Board of Directors. He will give his presentation on “Grandma's Photo Album.” At the 6:30 PM HELP Session, Rena Goss will present some information on Ohio Research in the Bayard Room. Come and visit with us. Everyone is welcome... you do not need to be a member to attend our meetings or HELP Sessions.

Don Counts sent this link for us: VA Nationwide Gravesite Locator http://gravelocator.cem.va.gov/j2ee/servlet/NGL_v1

Virginia L. Aldridge, a former TSGS President, has done a very significant job of posting the images of Volume 25 of the Vanderburgh Co., Indiana marriage applications beginning on 18 April 1905 which has the parents' names and more. She has the images of the volume's index and pages 1 thru 206. This site is worth looking at even if you do not have anyone marrying in Vanderburgh County in 1905! A lot of hard work & time went into this project. Here is the link: http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~thetiethatbindsour/van_mar/vol_25_index.htm

TSGS is becoming known around the world through our regular web site:
[http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~intsgs/index.html] Since 14 Dec 2008 (less than 2 months) we have had over 670 unique visits by people all over the United States and, now, from 21 countries outside of the USA with six Continents represented. Six countries have recorded visits more than once according to our ClustrMaps Counter. Ireland has visited 11 times! We got a visit from one of the seven or so states that had not visited the last update I gave... welcome aboard, Wyoming! We still have not had visits from Mississippi, Maine, West Virginia, Hawaii, New Hampshire, North Dakota. If you know someone from any of these states ask them to come visit our TSGS regular web site and then check out this TSGS Cruiser Blog!

"Global Interest in TSGS"

With 18 countries outside of the United States visiting out TSGS Web Site, there seems to be sufficient evidence that we have a global interest in our web site. I suspect that being named "User of the Month" by ClustrMaps has led quite a few to our site. We were selected for the month of January 2009 and when the Feb. winners are announced we will still be listed! A visitor (or visitors) of Ireland have clicked onto our web site 10 times since 14 Dec 2008. Since that same date, we have had 606 unique visitors. Five countries have visited us more than twice: Ireland 10, United Kingdom 6, Canada 4, Russian Federation 3, France 3.

In the USA, we still have not had any visitors from Wyoming, North Dakota, West Virginia, Hawaii, Mississippi, Vermont & Maine. Check the USA map for our web site with our ClustrMaps Counter . - JGWest

NAVIGATING ALONG the RIVER - Research Tips

“What's in a Name?”

Sometimes when we are researching our family, we run across clues that can possibly lead us to lost family and maybe the elusive family Bible or find the records that will lead us to learning more about our ancestors. This summer I had learned more about Abram West, the grandson of Ignatius who is the brother of Thomas West (b. abt 1738) in my direct line. Abram left Orange Co., NC area to live in Hendricks Co., IN (next county to Indianapolis). William (Abram's father) first married a Cook and second married a Lacy. Several of the West men married Brewers. Many of these three families lived in Guilford Co., NC adjacent to Orange Co. and migrated to Christian Co., KY where Ignatius brother, Thomas, migrated into. In fact, Abram's father, William, moved to Christian Co. Anyway what I learned was that Hendricks county has a Guilford Township named after the many Quaker families of Guilford Co., NC that had migrated to Indiana. Abram West married Sina Hadley of the most prominent Quaker families of Guilford Twp. of Hendricks Co., IN. Were some of the NC West families Quaker?

Recently, someone had a photo online of an old school bus that was driven by a Billy West and they mentioned that the road was narrow, but flat. That it was good the road was not as hilly as like the roads where they lived. The area was in Orange Co., IN and I knew by personal experience that most of Orange Co. is full of narrow, curvy & hilly roads... very bad to drive at night. Since Orange County is the home of Larry Bird (NBA Boston Celtic Basketball player). And, of course, the famous mineral springs with its special healing powers in French Lick drew Franklin D. Roosevelt, the infamous Al Capone and many well-to-do people from around the world. The once renowned "Eighth Wonder of the World" (West Baden Domed Hotel where the famous boxer Joe Lewis practiced) is here, too. I decided to do a little research before I responded to the roads of Orange Co., IN. The first thing I learned was the fact that Orange Co., IN was named after Orange Co., NC because so many of its early inhabitants came from the North Carolina county of the same name. I do not know if Billy West is related, but if families came there from North Carolina's Orange County, there may be some that are related to me.

My point of these stories is that migration patterns can sometimes be found by location names and following up on these family members might help you find a cousin who has a different slant on your family lines that could remove that “brick wall” to your research. - by John G. West