An Unexpected Find Thanks to Google Books

In the evening when I am half-watching TV, I often search for the names of family members on google books. (Have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE google books)? Last night I was searching on my grandfather, Charles F. Jones. Up came a reference to The News published by the Cincinnati Transit Company where both my grandfather and father were employed. Thanks to our wonderful Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton Co., I was able to "Ask A Librarian" to find this article on microfilm and email me a digital image free! So here is today's piece of gold.

In truth, The News labeled the picture incorrectly. From left to right it should read Pfc. Charles F. Jones, Jr., Sgt. Robt. L. Jones, and Cpl. John T. Jones.The article refers to two of the sons meeting in England, and I have a picture of that. It also references a separate article in The News and a picture in the Enquirer -- so I guess I have more hunting to do.

John and Bob in England

Update: Here is the same picture as it appeared in The News, periodical published by the Cincinnati Street Railway, July/Aug.1945, p.7.

The Marriage of Fred and Norine Jones

St. Rose Church

On December 16, 1909 my grandparents, Charles "Fred" Jones and Norine Cronin married.  St. Rose Church played a central role in the life of my grandmother.  She was a devout Catholic.  

Based on the collage of the interior of the church below, I'd love to imagine my grandmother walking down the aisle of this historic church dressed in a beautiful dress that she undoubtedly sewed.  The reality is that they most probably were married by the priest in the rectory and never set foot in the church.  My wonderful, religious grandparents were a "mixed" marriage.  When both potential spouses were not Catholic, they had to be granted a "dispensation" to marry and the non-Catholic spouse had to agree to raise all children Catholic.  I have several relatives on both sides of my family who got "married in the rectory."

There are so many interesting connections between the location of this church and my Jones family ties to the river.

• My gg-grandmother, Elizabeth Kinley Jones, had a "cottage" located behind the church on the river bank.  The family lived there for at least 10 years after she was widowed.
• Her son, Charles Henry, lived in that home and probably contributed to his family's support.  When he married in 1882, he and Rachel moved into a home on Gladstone.  This location was pretty much "up the hill" from St. Rose.
• Charles died on September 9, 1909.
• My grandparents married at St. Rose on December 16, 1909, a couple of months after his father's death.  I believe they were initially living on the Gladstone property.
• On February 7, 1910 (102 years ago today), Edith Jones Hodges filed a lawsuit forcing the eventual sale of the property.
• Fred and Norine became borders of the Zins family on Eastern where they began their new lives together.
• Following the birth of their first-born, Edith, John and Caroline Zins became the Godparents of Edith who was baptized (where else) at St. Rose Church.

It doesn't look like we will be leaving the East End and the Ohio River any time soon.

Alwilda Collins Jones

Before I move on to the next generation, I must tie up one lose end -- the marriage of my g-grandfather, Charles Henry, to Alwilda Collins in 1898.  There is pretty solid evidence that although it may have been a good decision for my g-grandfather to marry someone 16 years his junior, it was not perceived so well by his children and extended family.

I have written extensively about Alwilda on Jones Family Matters and you can read about it here.  (Great read if you haven't already read it). My grandfather, Pop, certainly didn't care for her.  I believe the picture at the right may have been from Charles' wedding to Alwilda, but no picture of Alwilda survives.  She was cut right out of the picture!  Secondly, I only discovered recently that her stepdaughter, Edith, sued Alwilda to get her portion of her inheritance by forcing their home to be sold and the proceeds divided among the heirs. My Aunt Margaret Ann's notes say that my grandfather swam out into the river at about the age of 13 to be a cabin boy on river boat.  It was said that this was in response to the death of his mother, but I think it was in all probability a reaction to the remarriage of his father to Alwilda.  He would have been 14 years old when his father remarried.  It was at this time that John and Caroline Zins befriended this young boy and later were to become landlords to Fred and his wife Norine.  John and Caroline were also Godparents to their first-born, Edith.

Alwilda survived her husband by 27 years. She never remarried and there is no evidence of much of a relationship with her stepchildren.  Even in her death notice there was no mention of her stepchildren. In a time before Social Security, life could not have been easy.  She died in 1937 and is buried next to her husband in Walnut Hills Cemetery.  It seems, in hindsight, that she got more respect in death than Rachel who is buried across the river in Kentucky with a grave marker that very much immortalizes the stresses in the family.

ERECTED BY HER MOTHER AND CHILDREN

What Can Be Learned from a House

Remains of the 2316 Gladstone Ave. Home

I've been researching our family history for eleven years now.  I never knew how much information I could get from researching a HOUSE!  My geneabuddy, Liz Stratton, has tried to convince me that property records can contain valuable clues related to your family's history.  Taking her at her word, I decided to see what I could learn from this one house.  As it ended up, the property records did not disappoint.

The two-family that became known as 2314/2316 Gladstone was originally 632 Gladstone before the streets of Cincinnati were renumbered.  I traced it back to 1878 when the house was owned by George C. Spiegel. Here is what the records showed:

December 25, 1878, William Adelmann filed suit against George C. Spiegel for the mortgage + 8% interest totaling $1356.65.  Judge ordered the house sold.

Ownership of home transferred to William Adelmann and his wife on May 15, 1881.

Charles H. and Rachel Jones purchase the home for $1100.00 on June 16, 1882.

Rachel dies in 1892.  Charles continues to live in the 2-family with his three children and mother-in-law.

Charles marries Alwilda Collins December 26, 1898.  Mother-in-law moves out to a house around the corner at 405 Collins.

Charles dies on September 9, 1909.  Property is to be divided as follows:  one-half to Alwilda (wife) and the other half to be divided equally among three children (Edith, Fred and Leo).

And this is where it gets interesting -- on February 7th, 1910, the oldest daughter, Edith Jones Hodges, filed suit against everyone who has a claim on the property in order to get her share. Defendants include:  Emery Hodges, Charles F. Jones, Norine Jones, Leo W. Jones, Melissa Jones and Alwilda Collins and the Columbia Bank and Savings Co. asking the Common Pleas Court for "partition."  It was decided that the "premises could not be divided without manifest injury." The property was then appraised and assigned a value of $2750.00 and ordered sold by the sheriff. On September 1, 1910 the house was sold for $1850.00 to Charles Ulrich.  At the time of the sale, Fred and Norine and Leo and Melissa were sharing one part of the house and Alwilda was living in the other.  Based on Cincinnati City Directories, the new owners must have allowed Alwilda to rent her part for the next couple of years, as this continued to be her residence.

The house was owned by Charles Ulrich and his wife, Elizabeth, following her husband's death in 1922 for 44 years.  In 1930, the City of Cincinnati purchased part of the back of the property from Elizabeth for Columbia Parkway.  She received $9000 in this transaction.  The house was sold in 1954 to Ben Simkin for $1.00 and other considerations. Three other owners purchased the home in 1975, 1985 and 1991.  In 1984, the value of the home and property for tax purposes was $12,915.

To our knowledge, the home was torn down in 1996. My brother Tim was working for a company that was asked to bid on the demolition.  All that remains now is overgrown brush, a stone wall and front steps, railroad tracks, and a great view of the Ohio River.

Dusty and Tim at the top of the front steps

What I Know

I know that my great-grandparents, Charles H. and Rachel Jones, married at Emanuel Protestant Episcopal Church on January 25, 1882.  On June 16, 1882, Charles and Rachel purchased the two-family duplex that would eventually be known as 2314 and 2316 Gladstone.  This was probably a good move because Rachel was pregnant with Mary Edith who would be born on October 29, 1882.  Charles was 32 and Rachel was 31 when Edith was born.

I've written extensively about Rachel because I've found her story to be so fascinating.  She was the daughter of Britton Wainright and Mary Elizabeth Darby.  You can read all about the challenges her family faced following the death of her father while marching to confront John Hunt Morgan of Morgan's Raiders here and here.

Lillian's letter described Rachel this way:

Rachel was a very refined, intelligent woman who was slightly crippled, I think, walking with a little limp. Her health was delicate and she died early. Charles Jones remarried, but his second wife was not a good mother to her stepchildren, mother said. Charles was a kind man, very easy-going, but the children needed Rachel's guidance. Had she lived she would have insisted on a good education for Fred, Leo, and Edith.

Rachel developed what was then described as "consumption," now known as tuberculosis.  From Census documents I know that Rachel's mother, Mary Elizabeth Darby Wainright, lived with the family and assisted in the raising of the children.

 Cincinnati Birth and Death Records, 1865 -1912

It had to be a difficult time for the entire family.  In the ten years that Charles and Rachel were married they had three children, she was suffering from tuberculosis and Charles was trying to support a family of five plus his mother-in-law.  I wonder if Rachel was consoled at all by the view of the Ohio River from their home.  

Mary Edith, Leo, and Fred

Since Edith was 10, Fred was 8 and Leo was 5 at the time of their mother's death, I have to assume that this picture was taken close to the time of their mother's death.  Recent research has enabled me to get a much better picture of how this family was able to move forward after Rachel's death.

Note:  I want to acknowledge the contribution of Betty Arnett, granddaughter of Edith pictured above.  Although we've never met, Betty had these and other PRECIOUS pictures in her possession and graciously shared them with me.  Her mother had saved them in a box. Fortunately for all of us, they were labeled.  I will be forever grateful.  You can read about "Betty's Box" by searching for it in http://Jonesfamilymatters.blogspot.com

Marriage of Charles H. and Rachel A. Jones

With a surname like Jones, someone new to genealogy could have more than his or her share of difficulty sorting through the available information.  Fortunately for all of us, I am not the first "Jones" to be interested in our family's history.  Were it not for the records provided by Lillian Mears, granddaughter of Alexander and Elizabeth, and additional records kept by my Aunts, Edith and Margaret Ann, my task would have been much more difficult.

In 1978, Lillian wrote a letter to Edith summarizing what she knew about the family.  She included information about the marriage of Charles and Rachel and the baptismal information for their three children.  Here are scanned copies of parts of her letter:

Mr. Charles Henry Jones and Rachel Wainright were married at the Emmanuel Episcopal Church by the Rev. H. O. Waller 1-25-1882.  


Children:
Mary Edith born 10-29-1882 Sunday P.M. in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Baptized in spring of 1884 by Rev. 
Waller.  


Charles Fredrick Jones born October 15, 1884 Thursday A.M. in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Baptized March 1885 by Rev. James Foster.  Died August 19, 1968 buried at Walnut Hills Cemetery (Victory Parkway).

Leo Wainright Jones born February 28, 1887
Baptized 5-6-1888 by Rev. Leo Bendit.




We are so lucky that Lillian kept these records because the original marriage record was lost in the Court House fire of 1884. There was only one published announcement of their marriage published in the Cincinnati Freie Press on January 26, 1882, p. 4.  This announcement was also noted in Volume 2 of the Restored Hamilton Co. Marriages, 1870-1884.  This book was compiled by Jeff Herbert and is published by Heritage Press.  Note that the announcement was in the German newspaper of the time.

Since so much of the family history of this generation seemed to revolve around Emanuel Episcopal Church, I just had to see what I could find out.  The next post will discuss my discoveries.

Occupations of Charles Henry Jones

Charles Henry Jones

City Directories can be compared to phone books without phone numbers. We are fortunate in Cincinnati because the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County has digitized and put online all of the available directories from 1819 - 1934. You can find them at this link. More recent volumes are on the shelves of the Genealogy and Local History Department.

In most cases, the occupation of the listee is included as well as the address.  Scanning several volumes, the earliest listing I could find for Charles H. had him living at 1534 E. Front St. in 1873.  He is listed as being a "sawyer" probably working at one of the lumber yards so common in the area.

Clarification:  On January 30, 2012, I went to the Recorders Office to research the Gladstone property.  I now have a copy of the deed and know that Charles and Rachel purchased the Gladstone house on June 16, 1882.  In later descriptions of the property, it specifies that "Gladstone" was formerly known as "Fulton."  I believe that Collins Ave., which also had more than one name, may have once been Woodburn.  This fits with the information above that lists the family on the north side of Fulton, east of Woodburn in 1882.  I now know that this was the family home from 1882 - 1910 when the house was sold following Charles' death..


From the above listings, it appears that Charles started out as a sawyer working in a lumber yard.  Over the next year, it seems as if his skills increased allowing hims to work as a machinist, carriage maker and car repairer.  Charles was 24 years old before he has his own listing in the City Directory.  A comparison of the listings for his widowed mother, Elizabeth, shows some overlap. I believe that Elizabeth moved in with her son at the house on the river bank near St. Rose Church because Charles listed the address as his residence five years before Elizabeth did.

1887 was a significant year.  Charles and his wife, Rachel, and his mother, Elizabeth, are all listed in the same residence with his sister Elizabeth and her husband John L. Amiss.  Both Rachel and her sister-in-law, Elizabeth, gave birth to children that year.  It was probably time to look for a home of their own.

It wasn't until 1890 that Charles and Rachel moved into their two-family at 632 Gladstone (later changed to 2316 Gladstone). By this time, Charles and Rachel were parents to three children and appear to have settled in for the long haul in their home with a fantastic view of the Ohio River. (I since researched the property records and know that they purchased the house on June 16, 1882.  What's even more surprising is that they were not the first owners).

Unfortunately, the house was torn down shortly before I became interested in researching the family.  My brother, Tim, sister-in-law Dusty and I tried to investigate where the house was located.  The surrounding houses were also built in 1890.  We took pictures of the area where we believe this two-family had been located.  I will update this post if I am able to located a picture of the house.

Update:  Picture below is the exact location of 2316 Gladstone.  I've since researched this house history and my brother, Tim and I, took a tape measure and measured the stated distance from Collins Ave.  This confirmed our belief that we had identified the correct location.  More to come on this in a later post.

Back of Property in Probable Location

Dusty and Tim

Overgrown Front Steps

"The Finest Man Ever . . ." Charles Henry Jones

Charles Henry Jones

" . . . He was the finest man who ever walked Eastern Avenue."

In a letter chronicling our family history, written by Lillian Mears first cousin of my grandfather, my great-grandfather was described this way:

Charles Henry Jones was a handsome, fair man, much like your Bob.  Everyone liked him and people said he was the finest man ever walked Eastern Avenue.  He looked something like your father, except his coloring was different.

"Bob" is the grandson of Charles Henry and the "father" she is referring to was his son, Charles F. Jones.  He is described as having blond hair and blue eyes.  So what do we know of him?  Charles was:

• Born January 23, 1849 and died September 8, 1909.
• He was married twice -- first to Rachel Adela Wainright on January 25, 1882 and later to Alwilda Collins on December 26, 1898 following the death at age 43 of his first wife.
• He was the father of three children:  Mary Edith (1882), my grandfather Charles Frederick (1884) and Leo Wainright Jones (1887).
• He started his career as a "sawyer", became a machinist/handyman and later was listed as a carriage maker/car repairer.
• He owned a two-family at 2316 Gladstone off of Collins Ave.
• He was actively involved in the Knights of Phythias, even having symbols of that fraternal organization engraved in his grave marker.
• He suffered from "chronic nephritis," a kidney disease that eventually was responsible for his death at the age of 59
• Charles died in 1909 and is buried next two his second wife in Walnut Hills Cemetery.

But there is so much more to this man than the "facts." I've tried over the years to put "flesh on those bones," but I'm afraid I must rely too much on conjecture.  In the next post, I'll give you my best guess about Charles Henry.  If you see it differently, please leave a comment.

Joneses in the 1870 Census

Joneses in the 1870 Census

Source Citation: Year: 1870; Census Place: Cincinnati Ward 17, Hamilton, Ohio; Roll: M593_1215; Page: 261A; Image: 525; Family History Library Film: 552714.

There are a lot of clues about the Jones Family in the 1870 U.S, Census.  We can see that Elizabeth, wife of Alexander, is listed as a widow, keeping house.  Her net worth is listed as $100.  She lists her birthplace as Pennsylvania and fudges on her age.  She claims to be 44 years-old but is actually a couple of years older.  The mark in the box to the right is under the column that suggests that she cannot write.  It says that she can read although I recall other documents that did not make that claim.

In 1879, five children are living with her:  Martha (age 22), Charles H. (age 19), John (age 18), Thomas (age 14), and Elizabeth (age 8).  William (age 28) is no longer living with the family and may be married.  Although the document lists their residence as the 17th Ward, no specific street is listed.  For this information, I checked the Cincinnati City Directory.  As of 1868, the family is living in a two-story frame house right on the banks of the Ohio River.

See area shaded in pale yellow in the bend of the river.  Click to enlarge.
Pictured is part of the 17th Ward taken from a Titus Map of the area in 1869.

1868 Cincinnati City Directory

By 1870 the two older boys, Charles and John, were working in a saw mill.  Thomas and Elizabeth are in school, and Martha (the oldest girl) is "living at home."  According to a letter written by Lillian Mears to Edith Breving outlining our family history:

Your grandfather (Charles) and Uncle Tom (Charles' brother) worked for the Crane Lumber on Eastern Ave.  They manufactured caskets, and every noon the men would stretch out in a nice clean casket before the satin linings were put in and take a nap!

It is hard to know the exact location of the Crane Lumber Yard where they worked because the company was located in several locations on Eastern Ave. over the years.  Lumber was needed to support the steamboat-building industry as well as housing for the rapidly-expanding population.  It is at times a bit shocking to see how the Cincinnati hillsides were stripped of their virgin forests in an area prone to mudslides.  One of the Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps pictures one Crane Lumber Yard in the area currently occupied by LeBlond Park, less than a quarter of a mile downstream from the home on the "River Bank."

The home highlighted in blue would eventually become the home of Charles Henry Jones.  If you look carefully at the picture below, you can see one of the hillsides that has been stripped of vegetation.  This picture in entitled "boatbuilding" and is From the Collection of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.

Charles Henry Jones is my great-grandfather.  He is now of marriageable age.  Our Jones Family History is about to take another turn.

The Second Generation - Children of Alexander and Elizabeth

As far as I know, Alexander and Elizabeth were parents to six children born between 1842 and 1860.  I know little about the first-born son, William, who was born in 1842 in Kentucky. The other children were: Martha (1848), Charles H., (1852), Johnny (1854), Tom (1857) and Elizabeth (1860).

The City Directories of the time first list Alexander as a carpenter living on Race Street between 14th and 15th Streets.  In 1846 the family is living on the south side of Court St. between Race and Elm. The west side of Elm St. 3 doors south of Cooper is the address listed for 1850.  Front Street (later known as Eastern Ave. and now known as Riverside Drive) was home after 1856.  This street was located in a neighborhood known as Fulton and was probably home for numerous laborers who made their living as part of the steamboat-building industry.



Riverfront Neighborhood of Fulton in 1848

Alexander died in 1862 from "inflammation of the bowels."  This information is recorded in a letter written by Lillian Mears, granddaughter.  Lillian's mother, Elizabeth, was only two years old when her father died, so the information about Alexander's death was passed down through the generations.  There were no death records in Cincinnati at this time.  It should be noted, however, that many people died from cholera and other illnesses related to the poor quality of drinking water. You can read about this issue here.

I wish I knew more about how this family supported itself following Alexander's death.  The next time Elizabeth, now a widow, is listed in the City Directory is 1870.  She is listed as living on the south side of Front Street (Eastern/Riverside) east of Torrence.  This is very close to St. Rose Church and would serve as the "hub" for the family for four generations. Notice that daughter Elizabeth was not yet born at the time of the Census.  She was not born until August 30th.

1860 U.S. Census

Charles Henry was my great-grandfather.  I will discuss what I know about him and his realtionship to the river in the next post.