Category Archives: Photos

Will and Maude Stout in Happier Days

Will and Maude Stout did not always fight. Perhaps Maude doesn’t look terribly happy in these childhood photos, but it is heart warming to see that they traveled together with their spouses and individually they knew how to have a good time.

Will and Maude Stout

Will and Maude Stout, circa 1877

Will and Maud Stout

Will M. Stout and Mary (Maude) Stout, May, 1881

The three siblings were together, presumably in New York City in 1900 or 1901.  Here you see the three siblings on the right hand side and the two spouses on the left. Maude looks so sweet in this picture compared to her youthful pictures, and her later reputation.

Vera (center) had graduated high school In May 1899 when she was sent to New York to go to secretarial school and live with her brother Will. The school did not last long, as she was listed on the 1900 census as living at home with her parents.  However, her brother Will, was also at home in Killbuck on June 4 when the census was taken. Perhaps they both returned to New York that month, because surely Will and Jean were married by the time this picture was taken.

At any rate, this beautiful photograph captures what was probably the most joyful time in the lives of all five of them.

The Stout siblings and spouses

Jean Stout, Vera Stout, Maude Stout Bartlett, Carlos Bartlett and Will Stout 1900 or 1901 in New York City

Will and his wife Jean even traveled with Maude and Carlos. Here is a fading tintype from Niagara Falls. It is speckly because I enhanced as much as possible.  Will  and Jean  married in 1900 and Carlos and Maude married in 1898, and the photo was presumably taken not long after Will and Jean’s marriage. I think this photo is interesting because I believe it is taken in a photographer’s studio with the quartet posed against a painted background.

 

Stout visit Niagara Falls

Jean and Bill M. Stout, Maude and Carlos Bartlett at Niagara Falls Circa 1905

And just for fun, here are a couple more vacation pictures–these on the beach.

This picture of Maude Stout Bartlett might have been taken on her honeymoon.  I have no concrete information, but this must be Florida, and her bathing dress indicates very late 1800s or early 1900s.

Maude Stout Bartlett

Maude Stout Bartlett at beach in Florida Circa 1898 (Honeymoon?)

And here are Will and Jean Stout at the beach –probably close to New York City–with a group of friends.  Jean wrote on the back that the photo was taken by Mr. Benedict. There is a couple named Benedict in the photo of Bill and Jean’s dinner party in New York City, which I showed on this post. , Ancestor Tracking: Bill Stoutl.   Someone has circled Will in the back row and Jean in the next row down.

The other thing that intrigues me about this photograph– besides the wonderful bathing costumes–I wonder who the children are.  For sure one of the girls in the front row must be Jean’s daughter from her first marriage. Which one, I wonder?  I have no other  photos that show her, so would love to know.  In case you know her, I’m looking for  children or grandchildren of Margaret Rogers (born Oct. 1893) Owens. She married in December 1916. Her husband’s name: Temple Hubert Owens. They lived in New Jersey, but in 1952 lived in Georgia. Her husband died and was buried in Earlville New York in 1957, but I do not have information about Margaret Rogers Owens death. [ NOTE: Information found. She died in 1965.]

Will and Jean Stout at beach

Will and Jean Stout at beach with friends

Now you know that Will and Maude Stout did know how to have fun!

Visiting Cemeteries to Bring Life

Three years ago, some members of my family gathered in Sudbury Massachusetts to pay homage to ancestors–where they had lived and where they now lie under weathered gray stones. While there, we stayed at the  Longfellow’s Wayside Inn–in the building first built by our ancestor David How.  Numerous How/Howes,  Stones,  Bents, and other pioneers in this land were our ancestors and we discovered their names carved in stone again and again as we went visiting cemeteries.

I am terribly behind in the 52 Ancestors challenge from Amy Johnson CrowBetter late than never might not be a really good excuse when we’re talking about visiting cemeteries (Ha, Ha)–but it is the best I can do at the moment.

Sudbury Cemetery

Our little group of relatives visited the Sudbury old cemetery, where we saw a memorial to those who battled during King Philip’s war. Visiting New England cemeteries will teach you the history of the area. If you don’t come from New England, you may not even have heard of King Philip’s war, but here in one of the Puritan villages of New England that was tragically affected, the memories are as fresh as are the battles of the Revolution. Our ancestor Samuel How’s house and barn were burned down and other ancestors lost family members in the battles around Sudbury.

Sudbury Cemetery

Memorial to those who lost lives in Indian Wars Sudbury Cemetery

The wording of the memorial hints at the devastation.

“This monument is erected by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the town of Sudbury in grateful remembrance of the services and sufferings of the founders of the state and especially in honor of Capt. S. Wadsworth of Milton. Capt. Brocklebank of Rowley. Lieut. Sharp of Brookline. and twenty-six others, men of their command, who fell near this spot on the 18th of April 1676, while defending the frontier settlements against the allied Indian forces of Philip of Pokanoket.  1852.”

Sudbury Cemetery

Monument to Sudbury men who died in King Philips War

Old Burial Ground in Rutland Massachusetts

I later took a side trip to Rutland where I discovered a forest of old gray stones.  Here while visiting cemeteries, I found more  familiar names and a memorial to those who had given their lives in the French and Indian war or the Revolution, the list included two ancestors, both named Samuel Stone.

Rutland Cemetery

Rutland Cemetery with old tree. The stones stretch back into the surrounding woods.

Memorial to Rutland's war dead

Rutland Cemetery Memorial to those who died in French-Indian War and Revolution.

“Killed or Died in Service. Not All Interred here.

French-Indian War  J. Phelps, I. Stone

Revolutionary War R. Forbus Jr., N. Laughton, I Metcalf, W. Moore, A. Phelps, B. Reed, G. Smith, S. [Samuel] Stone, Jr., S.[Samuel] Stone 3rd.”

The final two names are Samuel Stone Jr. and Samuel Stone 3rd.

Lt. Samuel Stone, 3rd , my 1st cousin 6 times removed also had a son who served in the Revolution. There are so many Samuel Stones and so many served in the militia pre-Revolution or during the revolution, that the “Jr.” and numbers are not much help. I have a Samuel Stone Jr. on my tree, but he died in Lexington rather than Rutland, so may fit the description of “not all interred here.” The Samuel Stone Jr. may refer to the son of “the 3rd,” and I have very little information on him.

On the other hand, I am quite familiar with another Samuel Stone Jr. Our 6th great-grandfather, Capt. Samuel Stone lived and died in Lexington, Massachusetts, and is the grandfather of Lt. Samuel Stone 3rd.  And you think YOU are confused???

Confusion aside, I did, however, find the gravestone in Rutland for the one designated here as “3rd.”

Lt. Samuel Stone

Lt. Samuel Stone, who died in 1775, probably not in battle, although he fought in the Revolution.

The gravestone reads:

“In memory of Lieut. Samuel Stone who decd December the 10th 1775 in the 40th year of his Age. A Kind husband and Tender Parent. Reader Behold as you pass by, as you are living so [was I], as I am now, so you must be ___________ ____ ____ Death [&] Follow [me].”

Sudbury Revolutionary War Cemetery

Sudbury Evolutionary War Cemetery

One of our family members at the entrance to Sudbury’s Revolutionary War Cemetery.

Our family group visited the Sudbury Revolutionary War cemetery where our family of Howe descendants, including a newly discovered cousin, the director of the Sudbury History Museum, gathered around the grave of our 1st cousin, 6 times removed, Col. Ezekiel Howe.

We felt close to this Ezekiel because he was the son of David Howe, our 6th great-grandfather who built the Howe (later Wayside) Inn where we were staying. Ezekiel took over the Inn when David Howe died.  His son  Ezekiel Jr., grew up at the Inn.  There is a story that Ezekiel Jr. ran the entire distance from Sudbury to Concord when the alarm went up about the battle at Concord Bridge. He was 19 at the time.

Ezekial Howe

Sudbury Historian,and family members visit Ezekiel Howe.

Unfortunately, other than his name, and death year–1796–this stone is unreadable.

My sister and I and our cousin could not resist paying a separate homage to Ezekiel Jr.’s wife Sarah, also known as Sally. We thought about the poet John Milton’s line,”they also serve who only stand and wait,” which applies to so many of the women of these villages of New England during the 1770s.

Sarah Howe

3 cousins gather with the stone of Sarah (Sally) Howe, wife of Ezekiel Howe Jr.

“Erected in memory of Mrs. Sarah How wife of Mr. Ezekial How who died July 13, 1812 in the 53 year of her age.”

Old North Cemetery, Sudbury, Massachusetts

Expecting to find some of my oldest ancestors, I also visited the Sudbury Old North Cemetery (now located in the town of Wayland). I particularly wanted to visit the grave of (Leut.) Samuel How, my 7th great-grandfather, and the father of David How. Samuel had his fingers in many pies in the development of Sudbury and surrounding communities–you can read about his wheeling and dealing here. Unfortunately, I did not locate his grave, although I have a picture of his stone from Find A Grave.com.  Samuel How was one more ancestor who was a soldier in the pre-Revolution days.

Samuel How

Samuel How, Old North Graveyard, Sudbury, MA. Photo by Charles Waid on FindaGrave.

“Here lies the body of Lieutenant Samuel How Aged 70 years Died April Ye 15th 1715.”

Old North Cemetery

Old North Cemetery, Sudbury/Wayland.

Despite the disappointment that sometimes accompanies visiting cemeteries, I found Old North fascinating.The interesting things I discovered included a separate burial ground for Native Americans–not seen in many cemeteries, and stones so old that a tree that grew between them, enfolded them in its trunk.

Old North Cemetery

Old North Cemetery, Sudbury Tree grown into tombstones

I am grateful for the nudge from the 52 Ancestors prompts to look back at my ‘visiting cemetery’ pictures.  I realized that I had a treasure trove of photos (there are many, many more than I had room for here) and I had not done anything with them.  By “anything” I mean I intend to transcribe the inscriptions, label them properly in my computer files, add them to the gallery of ancestors on my family tree at Ancestry, and check at Find a Grave to see if I have photos or information to add there. For too long, I have been a freeloader at Find a Grave–using it for my research, but rarely making additions to the information.  Now I have a chance to add some value.

I have submitted the two memorials–Sudbury’s to those who served in Kind Philip’s War and Rutland’s to those killed in the French-Indian Wars or the Revolution to the Honor Roll Project. Follow that link to see this effort to keep the names alive that are listed on the many memorials in this country and others.

That’s how visiting cemeteries can help you bring life to a cemetery.

Killbuck School Pictures Go Home

Through a Facebook group for people who live or have lived in the small town of Killbuck, Ohio, I learned that the Killbuck Museum is assembling an exhibit on Killbuck School and looking for artifacts and Killbuck School pictures.

I shared a few  Killbuck school pictures here in the past.  My direct family had a long association with the Killbuck School, beginning probably about 1888 and reaching to 1956, so in memory of our mother, Harriette Anderson (Kaser) and grandmother Vera May Stout (Anderson), our family is donating Killbuck school pictures to the Killbuck Museum.

The Oldest Killbuck School Pictures

My grandmother attended the old Township school in elementary school, and sat beside the teacher in this 1893 picture when she probably had reach 6th or 7th grade.

Killbuck School, Vera Anderson to left of teacher. 1893

Killbuck School, Vera Anderson to left of teacher. 1893

Her father, Doc Stout was one of the community leaders who fought to establish a high school. Before the town had a high school, education stopped at 8th grade unless the family could send the student to a private academy.  My great-aunt and uncle both went away from home to high school. My grandmother graduated in the first class of that new Killbuck School–the first high school–one boy and one girl comprised the entire class, although four people went on a class trip to New York City about 1898.

Vera Stout, 17

Vera Stout, 17, top right on class trip to New York City in 1898

My Mother in Killbuck School Pictures

My mother tagged along with her brother to attend first grade and although she was not old enough, the teachers gave up trying to make her go home.  She attended all twelve grades at Killbuck and graduated in 1923, at the age of 16. (She would turn 17 three months after graduation and head off to Columbus to attend Ohio State University.)  My mother and Uncle Bill Anderson show up in several Killbuck school pictures. Here they are the second and third from the right in the bottom row in this picture.

School Days 1916

Killbuck School, Harriette and Bill Anderson Jan 24 1916, Miss Helen Williams Teacher

In 1923, Harriette Anderson (my mother) graduated from Killbuck High School.

Harriette Anderson

Harriette Anderson 1923 Killbuck High graduation class, dark dress, lower left corner.

Mother, a baby-faced 21-year-old. returned to teach at Killbuck High school in 1927, after starting her teaching career in Clark, Ohio. Here she is 2nd from left in bottom row in the portrait of the Killbuck High graduating class of 1928. This photo is one of many of the Killbuck School pictures when she was a teacher.

Harriette Anderson, teacher

The very young-looking Senior class advisor (21) at Killbuck High School for the class of 1928, is seated second from left.

Mother taught off and on at Killbuck through the years, and in 1951 a new era started for our family connection to the school when we moved back to Killbuck and my brother and I (and later our sister) started attending Killbuck school.

I graduated in 1956.

Killbuck High School 1956

Killbuck H. S. Seniors, 1956. I am 2nd on left.

I am mailing these pictures (with the exception of the class trip picture and the digital image of a page from the 1956 yearbook) and several more school pictures to Killbuck so that more people can enjoy them.

You can see more of our collection of Killbuck School pictures (and Millersburg School) here.

*A note on donating pictures.  Most museums and libraries are not interested in unidentified photographs. Fortunately, most of the school pictures we inherited have lists of names on the back.  Be sure you check with the repository before sending heirlooms to them.  Some specialize or have specific rules about what they can accept.