(From a book called "When My Grandmother Was a Child" by Leigh W. Rutledge, which begins, "In the summer of 1900, when my grandmother was a child...") The average life expectancy in the United States was forty-seven. Only 14 percent of the homes in the United States had a bathtub. Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone. A three-minute call from Denver to New York City cost eleven dollars. There were only 8,000 cars in the US and only 144 miles of paved roads. The maximum speed limit in most cities was ten mph. Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa, and Tennessee were each more heavily populated than California. With a mere 1.4 million residents, California was only the twenty-first most populous state in the Union. The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower. The average wage in the US was twenty-two cents an hour. The average US worker made between $200 and $400 per year. A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year, a dentist $2500 per year, a veterinarian between $1500 and $4000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5000 per year. More than 95 percent of all births in the United States took place at home. Ninety percent of all US physicians had no college education. Instead, they attended medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press and by the government as "substandard." Sugar cost four cents a pound. Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen. Coffee cost fifteen cents a pound. Most women only washed their hair once a month and used borax or egg yolks for shampoo. The five leading causes of death in the US were: 1. Pneumonia and influenza, 2. Tuberculosis, 3. Diarrhea, 4. Heart disease, 5. Stroke. The American flag had 45 stars. Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii and Alaska hadn't been admitted to the Union yet. Drive-by shootings -- in which teenage boys galloped down the street on horses and started randomly shooting at houses, carriages, or anything else that caught their fancy -- were an ongoing problem in Denver and other cities in the West. The population of Las Vegas, Nevada was thirty. The remote desert community was inhabited by only a handful of ranchers and their families. Plutonium, insulin, and antibiotics hadn't been discovered yet. Scotch tape, crossword puzzles, canned beer, and iced tea hadn't been invented. There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day. One in ten US adults couldn't read or write. Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school. Punch-card data processing had recently been developed, and early predecessors of the modern computer were used for the first time by the government to help compile the 1900 census. Eighteen percent of households in the United States had at least one full-time servant or domestic. (My How Times Have Changed)

From: "Bruce Cardner" <[email protected]> >To: [email protected] >Subject: Re: [NJUNION] Plainfield NJ MCMAHON Pub, Bar or Restaurant >Date: Sat, Feb 26, 2000, 1:22 PM > > Pat's posting brought something to my husband's mind, though he does not > remember that McMahon Pub. > > His remembers a little about a bar and sandwich place owned by his uncle, > Leon Touchon. It was either in Sterling or Watchung. > It was called Touchon's Grove. > > > Well, I certainly got side-tracked! Sorry about that, but I am just so > excited about the cards, etc. Again, if anyone remembers Touchon's Grove, > please contact us! > > Best to all on the list, > Sydney Cardner (the Sydney is female) > Florida SEE NEXT: TOUCHONS yes, I danced there many a Saturday night in the 50s and my parents likewise in the years before! Here's how a Warren Township Historical Society newsletter (Vol. II, No. 1, Spring 1994 issue) reads, and there also is 1930s pixture of bar and dancehall with Sunoco Station in front: "Leon Touchon, whose ancestors were French-speaking Swiss, opened his general store and gasoline station on Stirling Road in the early 1930s. The area, then known as South Stirling (or Sterling) was sparsely populated except for nearby Plainfield Gardens: the presence of this new de4velopment and the many autos it brought to Warren, probably explain's choice of location. Touchon's general store, which he dubbed "The Lone Oak" and gas station were joined in the 1940s to begin in a second life as Touchon's Bar and Grill. Mary, his wife, prepared the food while Leon and his son, Lion Jr. tended bar. The gas pumps remained outside for many years; even after Touchon sold the bar and grill, he kept the gas station. Touchon's was a popular watering spot for Warrenites for over two decades. In 1944 the Touchons donated the land on which American Legion Post 293 later built its club house. Leon (b.January 9, 1898) and Mary Touchon retired in the 1950s to Florida, where they both died." end of article... So perhaps others of that NJ area and of nostalgia will enjoy that ! By the way, Bruce Cardner, I believe I may have gone to school with you or at the same time, maybe...Watchung...I remember your name. Jan in California ---------- >>> >> > >

I am searching the following family names from Elizabeth: Fennessy Searle Laurie McSweeney I would appreciate any information that anyone could give me on any of the family's above. Thanks, Rich Fennessy [email protected]

I just came back from the Elizabeth Public Library, which is going under renovations on the third floor, where the reference dept is located. They have put all the city directories on microfilm and only have 2 microfilm machines working with a limit of 1 hour per machine. If your planning a trip there you may want to wait a few months till the renovations are over. Researching: Matthews, Shelley, Addy, Eddy

I continue to search for my family connection to the ROSS family. In the book entitled: "The Ross Family of NJ" by Robert L. Ross, 1990, p. 584 my Eliza ROSS is one of the disconnected ROSS family members. Eliza ROSS m Enoch MILLER, s/o Enoch & Hannah (BAKER/BACKER) MILLER. These families lived in Westfield. Their daughter, Mary "Polly" MILLER, m Joseph DUNHAM and they (Joseph & Polly) emigrated to Hamilton Co., OH along with their (DUNHAM) children. Joseph is said to have died and then it is said that Mary, as a widow, married Jacob MILLS in Hamilton Co., OH, but I have only found one mention of this and no confirmation of this late-in-life marriage for Jacob & Mary. Joseph & Polly had a son named Ross DUNHAM...my ancestor. I am also descended from the MILLS family of Westfield, NJ, so I am anxious to discover if this Jacob MILLS could be connected with my known MILLS Family. The MILLS FAMILY of Westfield can be found at: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Prairie/5096/ Dave KANE's site under "FIRST FAMILIES" then "GENEALOGIES" The parentage of Joseph DUNHAM is a mystery also, as their were a number of DUNHAM families of different lineages in Elizabeth and Westfield in that era. See: http://home.att.net/~davehancock/DUNHAMhis.html It is believed he is descended from the DUNHAM (alias SINGLETARY) line.

Also, don't forget to check out Dave KANE's site at: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Prairie/5096/ First Families of Westfield, New Jersey and vicinity The GREAVES Papers are at his site. Audrey -----Original Message----- From: Alice & Gary Caggiano <[email protected]> To: [email protected] <[email protected]> Date: Saturday, February 26, 2000 8:46 AM Subject: [NJUNION] Early Union/Essex County Families >Just deleter and forgive me if this is a repeat of this message. My provider >has been having problems sending and receiving and I didn't see my message >on the list, so here goes again. > > I would like to offer another site to look for answers in finding your >ancestors. Long before I was "internet literate" I used a pen and paper and >found many of my ancestors at the Genealogy Society of the West Fields. They >keep their records at the Westfield Library and are a wealth of help with >all these "old" families. > Now you can go to http://www.westfield-nj.com and get to their site. >Don't leave the dash out between westfield and nj.

Hello to all out there - There is a wonderful site out there, and getting better every day, i.e., http://www.census-online.com/links/index.html But can someone please tell me more specifically what old area(s) "Newark Township" took in, and a second question, what was a "quit deed" about? My appreciation for any help... Jan in California

Thank you, Helaine, for the additional information. Does anyone know the address for the Union Historical Society? We were told that one did not exist for Union, NJ. Audrey in Michigan -----Original Message----- From: Dwight Golann <[email protected]> To: [email protected] <[email protected]> Date: Saturday, February 26, 2000 7:51 AM Subject: [NJUNION] Union/Conn Farms >Audrey, > >I also found the Union Library lacking - their directories only go back to >about 1943, but had a little more luck next door at City Hall where I was >able to get copies of tax maps going way back (but only the corner that had >my Hopkins family, unfortunately so I can't hunt for Dunham on them). They >do have a historical society though. Perhaps you could write to them. Good >luck! > >Helaine ([email protected]) > >

Sydney-Sorry But I think you are a little Greene Too. See the Middle Name it reflects to me that there is a Greene Connection from RI. The RI people came into the Plainfield NJ Area and started a Seventh Day Baptist Church. One of the names was Cardner which I always thought could of been from Gardner. Spelling was often a little off in those days. I descend from the RI Greene Family and I do know that they married other people by this name. I'll look a little further don't have time this weekend and get back to you. But don't worry being Greene isn't all that bad. If they had any SDB they did not go to the Pub. I often wondered how they felt when my GrGrandmother married and Irish Immigrant and so did her daughter. I liked your Story. and will be in touch. Pat

> > I had another ancestor who came from this area of > NJ, Benjamin > Freeman Bird who was the son onf Jeremiah Freeman > and Elizabeth Marxh > Bird. > > Ruth in MO Dear Ruth: For info on Jeremiah and Elixabeth Marsh Bird, check my website at http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~birdnj Judy ===== Judy Jamieson Pisano [email protected] "The Bird Families of New Jersey" <http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~birdnj> __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com

Audrey, I also found the Union Library lacking - their directories only go back to about 1943, but had a little more luck next door at City Hall where I was able to get copies of tax maps going way back (but only the corner that had my Hopkins family, unfortunately so I can't hunt for Dunham on them). They do have a historical society though. Perhaps you could write to them. Good luck! Helaine ([email protected])

Lydia Williams was born in 1791 probably in Unioin County, NJ. She married Amos Ross in Westfield,NJ in 1810. Around that time they moved to Butler County, Ohio along with Amos's father Ezekial Ross and most of Ezekial's children. Lydia was the daughter of Henry Williams. I have been told that Henry's wife was Mrs. Bercount, but have no proof. Henry Williams lived in the ELizabeth-Westfield area and was in the Rev. War. Can anyone tell me anything about Henry? Thanks Sheri in Ohio

Is there anyone out there who would look up and see if there was a McMahon Pub, Bar or Restaurant in Plainfield NJ about late 1930's and 1940's. My Uncle who I just barely remember Martin McMahon "Marty" ran such a Place and I'm trying to determin where it was located. Thank you Pat McMahon Regan

Hi Audrey, Have you by any chance contacted Robert Ross recently? I know he is working on a second book, and perhaps has found something of Eliza's ancestry. I don't have his email handy, but he is on the Ross-l list and has posted on the Ross genforum board. Kathleen Pantano >From: "Audrey Shields Hancock" <[email protected]> >Reply-To: [email protected] >To: [email protected] >Subject: [NJUNION] ROSS-MILLER-DUNHAM-Families from Westfield >Date: Sat, 26 Feb 2000 11:43:08 -0600 > >I continue to search for my family connection to the ROSS family. > >In the book entitled: "The Ross Family of NJ" by Robert L. Ross, 1990, p. >584 my Eliza ROSS is one of the disconnected ROSS family members. Eliza >ROSS m Enoch MILLER, s/o Enoch & Hannah (BAKER/BACKER) MILLER. These >families lived in Westfield. Their daughter, Mary "Polly" MILLER, m Joseph >DUNHAM and they (Joseph & Polly) emigrated to Hamilton Co., OH along with >their (DUNHAM) children. Joseph is said to have died and then it is said >that Mary, as a widow, married Jacob MILLS in Hamilton Co., OH, but I have >only found one mention of this and no confirmation of this late-in-life >marriage for Jacob & Mary. Joseph & Polly had a son named Ross DUNHAM...my >ancestor. > >I am also descended from the MILLS family of Westfield, NJ, so I am anxious >to discover if this Jacob MILLS could be connected with my known MILLS >Family. >The MILLS FAMILY of Westfield can be found at: >http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Prairie/5096/ >Dave KANE's site under "FIRST FAMILIES" then "GENEALOGIES" > >The parentage of Joseph DUNHAM is a mystery also, as their were a number of >DUNHAM families of different lineages in Elizabeth and Westfield in that >era. >See: http://home.att.net/~davehancock/DUNHAMhis.html >It is believed he is descended from the DUNHAM (alias SINGLETARY) line. > > > > > ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

Hi Sheri, According to the book "The Williams Families of New Jersey, (Descendants of Matthew Williams of Wethersfield, CT)" by Lyle Keith Williams, 1998, your Williams line is as follows: Matthew Williams m 1) Elizabeth Conant/Condit (or unknown wife) and had 3 possible children, including b. c. 1630 Thomas. Matthew m. 2) Susannah Cole, they had 5 proven children. Thomas b. c 1630 m. Rebecca Waterhouse. Thomas died 2/5/1692, Wethersfield, CT. They had 10 children, among them Samuel b. 6/11/1659 Wethersfield, CT. Samuel, b. 6/11/1659 had 2 children. Miles b. 1696 and Jonathan (dy). Miles, b. 1696, m. 10/9/1720 Phebe __ . Miles d. 10/27/1747 Westfield, Essex Co., NJ and is buried at the Presbyterian churchyard there. They had 5 kids, among them John b. 1722. John b. 1722 in Elizabeth m. Rachel __ b. c 1731 d. 2/19/1794. John d. 4/11/1782 Westfield. 10 kids, among them Henry. Henry m. 1) 3/13/1780 in Westfield, Lydia Yeomans and m. 2) Elizabeth Scudder. Henry d. 1808. 4 kids by Lydia, among them Lydia bp. 1/23/1791 at the Presbyterian church at Westfield. There is some controversy in this line as to whether Thomas is a son of Matthew, and the wives and children of Samuel. It is pretty far from my own, so I really don't know. The Williams book says Hist. of Wethersfield supports Thomas as son and has a whole appendix on it. Samuel seems to get confused with another Samuel, and children and wives frequently attributed to him are really the other Samuel's. The keeper of the database is Fred Williams at [email protected] and I'd suggest contacting him for further info. I am interested in your Ross lineage - would you be so kind as to tell me what it is? hope this helps, Kathleen Pantano >From: Sheri Iamele <[email protected]> >Reply-To: [email protected] >To: [email protected] >Subject: [NJUNION] Henry Williams >Date: Sat, 26 Feb 2000 07:13:19 -0500 > > Lydia Williams was born in 1791 probably in Unioin County, NJ. She >married >Amos Ross in Westfield,NJ in 1810. Around that time they moved to Butler >County, Ohio along with Amos's father Ezekial Ross and most of Ezekial's >children. Lydia was the daughter of Henry Williams. I have been told that >Henry's wife was Mrs. Bercount, but have no proof. Henry Williams lived in >the ELizabeth-Westfield area and was in the Rev. War. Can anyone tell me >anything about Henry? >Thanks >Sheri in Ohio > ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

Hi, I talked with a cousin in Elizabeth today. She does not recognize the name SCHAUBLE. I'm sorry. Ruth Joe & Ruth Ryan

Jan in GA thanks for the information, I will try to find John Litteels book. I have that he comes from the line of Richard. We got some of our informaion for Valentines of America. I don't remember who wrote that book. I have to dig in my information but I think Joanna and William were married in a Dutch Reform Church. Bill Magie, thanks for your information on Joseph Crane. I felt that he had possibly been a victim of the Am Rev War by the date he died but never found anything to back this up. I have the same birth date for Joseph, not sure right now where we got his death date. Where did you find this information? We have never made it back to NJ to do research but hopefully someday we will. I had another ancestor who came from this area of NJ, Benjamin Freeman Bird who was the son onf Jeremiah Freeman and Elizabeth Marxh Bird. Ruth in MO

Hello List, For everyone who is looking for the most information on Connecticut Farm's you can find many books at the DAR in Washington DC. I also went to Union , NJ in Sept. Chruch yard was locked and no one was at the Church. DAR has a Tombstone Inscription Book ( which I only copied my Headley's). I did copy " Manual of The Presbyterian Church of CT Farms NJ" Which list Church members from 1801 to 1859. I have a brief History of CT Farms from "Union Yesterday and Today". History of Union County NJ "In the year of 1667 the Rev. Abraham Pierson, with the families of Bonnel, Meeker, Creane, Headley, Wade, Townley and others from Branford and Guilford, Connecticut, settled in that portion ot the township know as Connecticut Farms. We also find the names of Ball, Bonnel, Meeker , Headley, Crane, Wade, Miller, Woodruff, Potter, Jaggers, Littell, Searing, Earls, Mulford, Terrill, Winans, Hays, Williams, Thompson, Bond and a few others in this part ot the township in an early day. The family of Jaggers came from Long Island and settled at what is now known as Lyons Farm. Their tract of land was allotted to them by the Elizabethtown Associates. Of the other early settlers should be mentioned Thomas Terrill, a blacksmith, who died in 1725. Thompson, one of the deputies of Elizabethtown,was spoken of in the legislature in 1672. He was active in opposing the arbitrary measures of the Governor Cartaret and was renowned for his patriotism. He owned lands on the Rawack meadows, also on Morris creek. his three sons were amongst the original settlers. Their names were Moses, Aaron and Hur. Aaron came into possession of the homestead at his father's death , September, 1676." Vicky Sutton [email protected] Headley, McAfee, Piatt

Hi All, Connecticut Farms (now Union) Cemetery Inscriptions were published in the Proceedings of the New Jersey Historical Society, 4th Series, Vol. IX and vol. X (c. 1923 or so?); vol. IX pp. 167-169, 275-280, 381-388, and Vol. X pp. 59-68. I requested copies through interlibrary loan with no problems. No Dunhams though! Kathleen Pantano >From: "Audrey Shields Hancock" <[email protected]> >Reply-To: [email protected] >To: [email protected] >Subject: [NJUNION] Connecticut Farms...Union, NJ >Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2000 11:58:48 -0600 > >Went to the Union, NJ Library last September, too, but they didn't have >much >that wasn't available elsewhere. Hunting our DUNHAM family said to be from >Connecticut Farms. They did have a couple of old maps which showed where >families lived. Tried to get into the Presbyterian Church Cemetery there, >but the gates were locked and the office was closed. Just not our day to >be >lucky...at Scotch Plains or Union. > >Doesn't appear to be much on Connecticut Farms either. If anyone can offer >me additional information also, I would be grateful. Such wonderful >historical area, but with little available information. Westfield Library >has the most information. > >Audrey in Michigan with lots of roots in Union Co., NJ from both my >paternal >& maternal sides. > > >-----Original Message----- >From: [email protected] <[email protected]> >To: [email protected] <[email protected]> >Date: Friday, February 25, 2000 9:06 AM >Subject: Re: [NJUNION] Re: The Genealogy of Elizabeth and Union County > > > >Gary, > >Thank you very much. Now if you can tell me how I can get records about >CT. > >Farms ( now Union, NJ) I'll be very happy. > >Thanks so much, > >Margaret c. Hunt > > > > > ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --------------B3C74707F8A683464B7725EF Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; x-mac-type="54455854"; x-mac-creator="4D4F5353" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi Arlene, I'm looking to find more on Abial Hedden 1757-1841 m Betsey,daughter Sarah Low Hedden abt 1792 in this area.Anything familiar? Leslie Arlene & Tom Dunkum wrote: > My brick wall is Olive Hedden, born 1891 in Plainfield, Union Co. > daughter of Anna Belle Parker Hedden and my grandfather Frank Hedden. > Anna Belle died in 1904 and Frank married my grandmother, Gussie. > Gussie didn't want Olive around to remind her of first wife (so the > story goes) so sent her off to live with an aunt or grandmother. After > 1905 we lose track of Olive. > > Anyone having any knowledge of Olive, please contact me. Thanks. > > Arlene Dunkum -- http://genweb.net/gedcom/Ameliablue/Ameliablue.html --------------B3C74707F8A683464B7725EF Content-Type: text/x-vcard; charset=us-ascii; name="peas32.vcf" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Description: Card for leslie Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="peas32.vcf" begin:vcard n:; x-mozilla-html:FALSE url:http://genweb.net/gedcom/Ameliablue/Ameliablue.html adr:;;;;;; version:2.1 x-mozilla-cpt:;1 end:vcard --------------B3C74707F8A683464B7725EF--