Friday, January 07, 2011

Mystery Solved #3


Scan00000010134, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Mr. Woodcock's enterprise in New Mexico.
As I understand it he had an asthmatic condition that compelled him
to spend part of each year in a climate other than Arkansas.
Also in Portales was Clarence Messer a Lutheran Minister sent into the
hinterlands to help establish the Lutheran Church.
Mr. Messer's wife, of French and Indian descent, died while giving birth
to my father and already encumbered with two older sons, he decided to
allow the Woodcock's to adopt him since they were childless.
No idea who Blankenship might be.

Posted by Buckles at 1/07/2011 06:15:00 AM

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

In 1910 there was a 62-year old retail merchant [dry goods and gropceries] named Benjamin Blankenship in Portales. He came from Alabama, wife was Maggie, from Tennessee, 42 years old. They had four kids, oldest was 19-year old Lou [or Lon?]. No related listing in 1900 or 1920 censuses.

07 January, 2011 10:00
Buckles said...

How do you know all these things?
Do you operate a Boiler Room?
I've a good mind to have my man Ingrassia check you out!

07 January, 2011 10:36
Anonymous said...

Buckles, We all love the Blog, but in your "spare time" you sure as shootin' ought to be writing your autobiography !!

Paul Gutheil

PS Put me down for two autographed copies.

07 January, 2011 11:27
Buckles said...

I would hold off on anything like that for the time being.
No need taking the thunder out of "Water for Elephants".
Those people are entitled to make a living too.

07 January, 2011 15:46
Dick Flint said...

"Anonymous" went to the online census reports where occupation, age, where you and your parents were born, children and ages, as well as other data is available. Most public libraries subscribe to one of these services (and generally with your library card number you can access them from home) or you can subscribe to one of the online genealogical websites such as Ancestry.com. Once in a while you'll discover a census taker who had a show in his town and he records all the people on the show! He wasn't supposed to do that (you record people at their permanent address even if not home) but for circus historians it can be a delightful mistake to discover! Needless to say, lots of people get missed and in Europe for "traveling people," as they are called (showfolks and gypsies, among others), most lived in vans ("van dwellers") and often were not recorded.
Dick Flint
Baltimore

08 January, 2011 00:10

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