Squawkers and other regionalisms

I was talking to a lady in Pennsylvania the other day and I was asking about her family’s roofing business. She stopped dead in her tracks and said suspiciously, “Are you from Wisconsin?” Of course, I’m not from Wisconsin. Except for a brief stint in West Virginia during my freshman year of college, I’ve lived in Northwest Ohio all of my life. I’m not bragging, I’m just saying. She told me I said the word “roof” just as her Wisconsin cousins did which according to her was wrong, wrong, wrong.

I had said the “oo” in roof like someone saying the word "foot." She said the sound “oo” like some saying the word "boo." It’s not the first time I’ve been taken to task by a Pennsylvanian on how I said the word roof. A tax teacher, a transplant from Pennsylvania, told me that we locals also say the word “wolf” incorrectly. Our wolf rhymes with our roof, and their wolf rhymes with their roof. Big deal, right? 

I looked the words up in the dictionary, and it turns out their way of pronouncing those words is the preferred way, but our way is listed in the dictionary as well. So take that Pennsylvania! 

I began to think about other regionalisms that we might have. The biggie that I came up with is one that most of us will deny doing, but if we aren’t thinking about it, we do it anyway. Simply put, instead of saying Washington, we add an “r” so it comes out Warshington. I was in sixth grade before someone pointed this extra “r” out to me. We also “warsh” our hands, dishes, and clothing. People who don’t add the “r” get all creeped out by this and take on an oh so superior attitude on this. (See http://ctbob.blogspot.com/2008/02/mccain-please-stop-saying-warshington.html.) 

Like saying, Washington without an “R” adds sixty IQ points automatically. Whatever! Most of us also say the word “aunt” the same way we say the word for the little bug that you squish between your fingers with a Kleenex if you find one in your house, and WARSH out all the cupboards and then spray insecticide if you find more. 

Locally we say the word “creek” two different ways. Some of us say the word so that it rhymes with leak, while others say the word so that it rhymes with brick. I’m not sure which way I say it. I think I do it both ways – I don’t like to be too predictable.

Many of us call the little maple seedlings that blow all over during the spring “squawkers.” It was such a common term with all the people I grew up with that I was startled when I mentioned the word while working in another county and they looked at me as if I was crazy. I was insistent that they needed to look it up in the dictionary. They did. To my chagrin, it wasn’t there.

Why “squawkers” you ask? Because when you pick them up off the ground, put them in your mouth, and blow on them, they make a squawking sound. Okay, put like that I can see why people looked at me incredulously. You know what those people in the other county called them, helicopters. Helicopters? At least we get points for originality. 

If often takes outsiders to show you what your regionalisms are. If you think of any more oddball things that we do in this neck of the woods, please share. You know how odd things appeal to me. 

Until Next Time – Happy Ancestral Digging! Note this post first published online, February 21, 2008, at Desktop Genealogist Blog at The News-Messenger Online http://www.thenews-messenger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=BLOGS02

© 21 February 2008, Desktop Genealogist Unplugged, Teresa L. Snyder 

Confessions of a Three Year Old Descendent

“Papa Al is cwazy,” the three-year-old whispers to me just loud enough for his grandfather in the front seat to hear. 

“Hey!” his grandfather says loudly with mock sternness. 

This starts a giggle fest with the boy in the back seat. “I can’t stop waughing,” he tells me between gasps. “When I keep waughing I get da hiccups and den I frow up!” Um … Papa Al … consider yourself WARNED! 

Note this post first published online, February 21, 2008, at Desktop Genealogist Blog at The News-Messenger Online http://www.thenews-messenger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=BLOGS02

© 21 February 2008, Desktop Genealogist Unplugged, Teresa L. Snyder 

A Question of Race: The U.S. Census - Part 2

Note that the 1930 and 1940 instructions are written in the past tense. All other instructions are given in present tense, indicating that the 1930 and 1940 directions may be a summarization instead of the actual instructions.

1890 census

Whether white, black, mulatto, quadroon, octoroon, Chinese, Japanese, or Indian.

Write white, black, mulatto, quadroon, octoroon, Chinese, Japanese or Indian, according to the color or race of the person enumerated. Be particularly careful to distinguish between blacks, mulattoes, quadroon, and octoroons. The word “black” should be used to describe those persons who have three-fourths or more black blood; “mulatto,” those persons who have from three-eighths to five-eights black blood; “quadroon,” those persons who have one-fourth black blood; and “octoroon,” those persons who have one-eighth or any trace of black blood.

1900 census

Write “W” for white; B for black (negro or negro descent); Ch for Chinese; Jp for Japanese, and In for Indian, as the case may be.

1910 and 1920 census

Write W for white; B for black; Mu for mulatto; Ch for Chinese; Jp for Japanese; In for Indian. For all persons not falling within one of these classes, write OT (for other), and write on the left-hand margin of the schedule the race of the person so indicated.

For census purposes, the term black (B) includes all person who are evidently full blooded negroes, while the term “mulatto” (Mu) includes all other persons having some proportion or perceptible trace of negro blood

1930 census

A person of mixed White and Negro blood was to be returned as Negro, no matter how small the percentage of Negro blood; someone part Indian and part Negro also was to be listed as Negro unless the Indian blood predominated and the person was generally accepted as an Indian in the community.

A person of mixed White and Indian blood was to be returned as an Indian, except where the percentage of Indian blood was very small or where he or she was regarded as White in the community. For persons reported as American Indian in column 12 (color or race), columns 19 and 20 were to be used to indicate the degree of Indian blood and the tribe, instead of the birthplace of the father and mother.

In order to obtain separate figures for Mexicans, it was decided that all persons born in Mexico, or having parents born in Mexico, who were not definitely White, Negro, Indian, Chinese, or Japanese, would be returned as Mexicans (Mex).

Any mixture of White and some other race was to be reported according to the race of the parent who was not white; mixtures of colored races were to be listed according to the father's race, except Negro-Indian (discussed above).

1940 census

All of the same procedures as in 1930 but “With regard to race, the only change from 1930 was that Mexicans were to be listed as White unless they were definitely Indian or some race other than White.”


It's tempting to conclude that our national obsession with race has been fueled in part by the government's obsession with classifying each of us into the appropriate category, all in the name of science and economics. It's also possible that the government has acted as a mirror for what was happening in society at large at any given time. So which came first — the chicken or the egg?

Until Next Time!


Note this post first published online, February 20, 2008, at Desktop Genealogist Blog at The News-Messenger Online http://www.thenews-messenger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=BLOGS02

References:
“The Color Line in Ohio,” Frank U. Quillan, PH.D., (Quillan's Thesis for the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor) 1913.
United States Census Bureau, “Measuring America: The Decennial Censuses From 1790 to 2000,” 2002.
“The Seventh Census of the United States: 1850,” J.D.B. DeBow, Superintendent of the United States Census, 1853
1830 US Fed Census, Ohio, Ross County, Chillicothe, Vincent Curtis, HOH
1840 US Fed Cen, Ohio, Sandusky County, Lower Sandusky, Vincent Curtice, HOH
1850 US Fed Cen, Ohio, Sandusky County, Rice, Vincent Curtis, HOH, Visit 1538.
1860 US Fed Cen, Ohio, Sandusky, Fremont, Thomas Reese, HOH, Visit 96.
1870 US Fed Cen, Ohio, Sandusky, Fremont, Thomas G. Reese, HOH, Visit 133.
1880 US Fed Cen, Ohio, Sandusky, Sandusky Twp, Thomas Reese, HOH, Visit 50.
1900 US Fed Cen, Ohio, Sandusky, Fremont, T.G. Reese, HOH, Visit 151.
1910 US Fed Cen, Ohio, Sandusky, Fremont, T.G. Reese, HOH, Visit 48.
State of Ohio, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Death Certificate, Thomas G. Reese, File 50507

A Question of Race: The U.S. Census - Part 1

Roy Wilhelm wrote a newspaper column the other day called “Slavery Brought Blacks to Area.” It was a nice piece and I enjoyed reading it. I love a good historical story and I was particularly interested in the first African-American born in Sandusky County, Mary Jane Curtis. 

According to Wilhelm, Curtis was born Oct. 2, 1833. Her husband Thomas George Reese voted in 1867 which was three years prior to the 15th Amendment being ratified. The genealogist in me couldn't resist taking a couple quick peeks at the couple in the U.S. Census, so I logged onto Ancestry.com and found Mary J. Curtis listed with her parents in the 1850 census. They were living in Rice Township, family number 1538. 

Vincent Curtis Age 47 

Jane Curtis Age 46 

Charles Curtis Age 23

Mary J. Curtis Age 16

Ellen L. Curtis Age 15 

William E. Curtis Age 8

Peter Thompson Age 7

Vincent was listed as a farmer and his birthplace given as Delaware. His wife, Jane, was born in Pennsylvania. When I searched for them in Sandusky County in the 1840 census, the family was indeed living in Sandusky County but the last name was spelled “Curtice.” 

They were not living in Sandusky County for the 1830 census, but a Vincent Curtis of the correct age and listed under “Free Colored Persons” was found living in Chillicothe, Ohio. I could not locate the family prior to 1830. 

Thomas George Reese is not found in any census until he shows up in the 1860 census in Sandusky County as a barber. Thomas was born in Mississippi and though I looked for him in the 1850 enumeration, I was unable to find him. For the record, in the 1850 census Mississippi enumerated 295,718 whites, 930 “free colored” and 309,878 slaves. 

Mary Jane and her family were listed as mulattoes in the 1850 census, she and Thomas were both listed as such in the 1860 and 1870 census. In the 1880 census, and thereafter until Thomas's death on September 13, 1911 the family is listed as black. (The death certificate, however gives the race as mulatto.) 

The mulatto status was important distinction because two separate cases before the Ohio Supreme Court in 1842 held that if a man was more than 50 percent white and less than 50 percent black, he was considered white and therefore had the right to vote in Ohio. This was repealed in 1859 by a statute that held in part, “That the judge or judges of any election … shall reject the vote of any person offering to vote at such elections, and claiming to be a white male citizen of the United States, whenever it shall appear to such judge or judges that the person so offering to vote has a distinct and visible admixture of African blood.” 

This statute is what makes Thomas Reese's vote in 1867 an impressive occurrence in the state of Ohio. The whole mulatto/black issue made me wonder about the criteria for enumerating race. Below are the instructions given to the enumerators for each census 1850 through 1880. 

1850 and 1860 census Under heading 6, “Color,” in all cases where the person is white, leave the space blank; In all cases where the person is black, insert the letter B; If mulatto, insert M. It is very desirable that these particulars be carefully regarded. 

1870 census “Indians not taxed” are not to be enumerated on schedule 1. Indians out of their tribal relations, and exercising the rights of citizens under state or Territorial laws, will be included. In all cases, write “Ind.” in the column for “Color.” Although no provision is made for the enumeration of “Indians not taxed,” it is highly desirable, for statistical purposes, that the number of such persons not living upon reservations should be known. It must not be assumed that, where nothing is written in this column, “White” is to be understood. The column is always to be filled. Be particularly careful in reporting the class Mulatto. The word is here generic, and includes quadroons, octoroons, and all persons having any perceptible trace of African blood. Important scientific results depend upon the correct determination of this case in schedules 1 and 2. 

1880 census By the phrase “Indians not taxed” is meant Indians living on reservations under the care of Government agents, or roaming individually, or in bands, over unsettled tracts of country. Indians not in tribal relations, whether full-bloods or half-breeds, who are found mingled with the white population, residing in white families, engaged as servants or living in huts or wigwams on the outskirts of towns or settlements are to be regarded as a part of the ordinary population of the country for the constitutional purpose of the apportionment of Representatives among the states, and are to be embraced in the enumeration. It must not be assumed that where nothing is written in this column “white” is to be understood. The column is always to be filled. Be particularly careful in reporting the class mulatto. The word is here generic, and includes quadroons, octoroons, and all persons having any perceptible trace of African blood. Important scientific results dup upon the correct determination of this class schedules 1 and 5. 

Tomorrow's post will have the instructions for enumerators of the 1890 through 1940 census. 

Until Next Time!

Note this post first published online, February 19, 2008, at Desktop Genealogist Blog at The News-Messenger Online http://www.thenews-messenger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=BLOGS02

© 19 February 2008, Desktop Genealogist Unplugged, Teresa L. Snyder 

OK, Northwest Ohio, where are your poems?

Okay, Northwest Ohio - WHERE ARE YOUR POEMS???? I can only conclude that: 

1. People who read this blog are poetically challenged. 

2. The subject of the poem (genealogy blogs) left you cold. 

3. You were way too busy to bother with something so silly. 

4. You're shy.

I don't know which one of the above, but you forced me to twist the arm of a loved one so I could have a poem to put in this blog today. The person who wrote this wanted to remain nameless and signed it “your sad uncreative parent.” (Definitely NOT true.) The nameless person said I could “feel free to tweak this, destroy, burn or any mode of destruction you wish.” I love it — would-be poets are so apologetic. 

To write a poem with rules so just 

Makes one's attempt a royal bust 

It takes some thought and some trust 

Putting ancestry and history to a test 

And weave a story together at best 

Makes rhyme, reason, and research a must. 

I love you, nameless uncreative parent. I'm not sure if you saved Northwest Ohio's honor but your poetic skills are definitely several notches above those of your your poetically challenged daughter! My friend Terry Thornton also took pity on me and gave me these two beauties. As he correctly points out, “I should have points given for even attempting to rhyme kisser.” So true, Terry — there is something heroic (?) in that effort. 

At the desktop sits Ohio Terry, 

Writing, blogging often weary, 

Genealogy tomes never blurry —

A quick post of the blog

A quick walk of the dog . . . 

Writing never in a hurry. 

Says the Ohio Desktop, "I'm a kisser!

As a car hop, I was a spiller 

Which ruined many a'tipper. 

Serving root beer to any old dear. . ." 

Got her to genealogy, she's a winner. 

I love it! Thanks Mississippi Terry — I'm framing these babies! This concludes our little poetry challenge. I bet you're just kicking yourself for not playing. Let’s never speak of this again. No really, I mean NEVER!

Until Next Time! 

Note this post first published online, February 16, 2008, at Desktop Genealogist Blog at The News-Messenger Online http://www.thenews-messenger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=BLOGS02

© 16 February 2008, Desktop Genealogist Unplugged, Teresa L. Snyder 

A Sunday with Sandusky County Kin Hunters

One of the perks of doing an online blog for the local newspaper is that I have gotten to know some really nice folks. One of those nice people is my new friend, Phyllis (Hi Phyllis!), who belongs to the Sandusky County Kin Hunters, which is the local chapter of The Ohio Genealogical Society. They meet at 2 p.m. the second Sunday of every month (except December) at the Sandusky Township Hall on Oak Harbor Road. Phyllis invited me to meet her at the township hall on Sunday to attend the February meeting. 

I have to admit it was nice going to the meeting knowing that I would have a friendly face to greet me. It’s not easy walking into a strange place where you don’t know a soul. I bet some of you feel that way too. Not to worry. As it turns out, the Kin Hunters are all friendly people, and they make you feel right at home.

Their speaker was John Tate, who talked about using various records to fill out a family group sheet. John kept the discussion lively and interesting (translation – John is knowledgeable and even better, he has a wicked sense of humor, just my kind of guy!). He will return in March when he will lead the group in a question and answer session. Members and guests can bring in their questions, and hopefully, John or someone in the group will have faced a similar challenge and have the answer. The March meeting should spawn some interesting discussions! 

That meeting will be March 9. The cost of an annual membership to the Kin Hunters is $10 for an individual and $12 for two people with the same address. A student membership is $8. All dues are paid for the calendar year.

If you are interested in knowing more about the Sandusky County Kin Hunters, you can stop by their Web site at http://www.kinhunters.org/default.htm. I walked into the meeting with just a pen and a notebook, and I walked out with an arm full of old Kith and Kin newsletters, a bunch of notes, an old picture (thanks Bob), and I hope, some new friends. Thanks guys! 

Until Next Time – Happy Ancestral Digging

Note this post first published online, February 15,2008, at Desktop Genealogist Blog at The News-Messenger Online http://www.thenews-messenger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=BLOGS02

© 15 February 2008, Desktop Genealogist Unplugged, Teresa L. Snyder 

Some neat ways to waste time

As usual, I am way behind on mentioning some interesting blog posts. Today I am going to be very bad and give you a heads up on some posts that are guaranteed to have you lose track of time and exclaim, “Whoa, I haven’t got a darn thing done!” You can thank me later. 

Sometimes you already know about a fabulous website but for whatever reason you simply forget about its existence. Lee Drew of “FamHist Blog,” recently reminded me of this with Lee’s recent blog post of February 3 entitled, “Zoom, Write and Learn” (http://famhist.wordpress.com/2008/02/03/zoom-write-and-learn/).

In the post, Lee talks about both Google Earth and Microsoft’s Live Search Maps. I admit I had visited the Google Earth website a year or so ago, and then just forgot about it. I’ve spent the last week zooming in on my house, a company I work with in Baltimore, the Outer Banks, the St. Louis Arch, my friend KC’s house in California and just about any other place that came to mind.

The coolest place I visited was Budowo, Poland where my great-grandparents were both baptized. I now know that they were about an hour away from the Baltic Sea, and close to four hours away from Berlin. This might not be tops on your list of need to know things, but they have been the subject of an ongoing discussion between dad and I. 

Hey Dad, Budow was a lot farther than we thought from Berlin. 

Even better, on Google Earth (http://earth.google.com/) they had pictures loaded onto the website, and by clicking on a specific icon, I could see the countryside where my great grandparents grew up.

Google Earth and Live Search Maps (http://maps.live.com/) both get thumbs up from me. Thanks Lee for the nifty reminder. 

Okay if you managed not to waste time on that one, here’s one that will get you daydreaming. The premise was proposed by Robert Ragan, “What would you do if an Eccentric Rich Old Uncle offered You a Million Dollars to Do Your Family’s Genealogy Research?” (http://amberskyline.com/treasuremaps/cool-genealogy-stuff/a-million-dollars-to-do-your-family%E2%80%99s-genealogy-research.html). Well two bloggers answered that question themselves. Schelly Talalay Dardashti of “Tracing the Tribe” answered the question here: http://tracingthetribe.blogspot.com/2008/01/million-dollars-for-your-research.html.

I loved Schelly’s answer. “Well, I’ll assume I could use some of the million to pay household bills …while I’m traveling the world for research.” I laughed aloud when I read that because it was the first thing I thought of too. However, I was most intrigued by the answer of Becky Wiseman at “Kinexxions.” Becky had this all thought out, right down to hiring a driver for her newly decked out motor home. (One suggestion though, Becky, make it a masseur/driver position. That way if you get a knotted up neck from all that traveling, he/she can take care of that too. Just a suggestion.) 

I also noticed that many of the places Becky wants to visit are the same places I’d like to go. So Becky, if I promise to be good, would you consider swinging on by my house on your way to Virginia? How ‘bout it Becky? (Does anybody know- does Becky take cookies or brownies for bribes?) Okay, you’re all daydreaming about the million aren’t you? You can read all of Becky’s details here: http://kinexxions.blogspot.com/2008/02/million-dollars-just-for-genealogy.html. 

 “The GenLady” has posted her “Where Were You” Carnival on the census, which you can read at http://www.genlady.com/2008/02/11/where-were-youblog-carnival-1/. Her next topic for the Where Were You carnival is where were your ancestors during the Great Depression. Hmm – I’m already thinking. 

Finally, last weekend Terry Thornton put together a “Harvest from the Blog Garden” http://hillcountryofmonroecountry.blogspot.com/2008/02/harvest-from-blog-garden-february-9.html. He had a baker’s dozen, and I confess I whiled away one whole Saturday afternoon. Each post was different from the other, and all were satisfying. Okay, I know people always say that, but you have to go check these out. Not only did he link these posts, but he also included each of the blog banners. This was a mighty pretty post, Terry.

Feel free to have your family and friends drop me an irate note asking me what I was thinking when I gave you these fine time stealers. Enjoy! 

Until Next Time – Happy Ancestral Digging! Note this post first published online, February 14,2008, at Desktop Genealogist Blog at The News-Messenger Online http://www.thenews-messenger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=BLOGS02

© 14 February 2008, Desktop Genealogist Unplugged, Teresa L. Snyder