Lars, I found this lawsuit that mentions Roman Oil Portrait Co. as one of the competitors. I didn't read the whole lawsuit, but it sounds like they "colorized" black and white photographic portraits. http://leagle.com/decision/19247634F2d759_1443.xml/CHICAGO%20PORTRAIT%20CO.%20v.%20FEDERAL%20TRADE%20COMMISSION The Chicago Portrait Company The company, the largest concern of its kind in the United States, for more than 30 years has been engaged in taking orders for and making portraits of parents and other near relatives of its customers by coloring and finishing photographs enlarged from old photographs furnished by the customers. In the years 1919 to 1921, it did a business annually of from $2,500,000 to $4,000,000; the smallest business being in 1921. It had annually 250,000 to 300,000 customers, some in every state. Among its competitors are the Syracuse Portrait Company, of Syracuse, N. Y., and the Roman Oil Portrait Company, the Commercial Portrait Company, the Ætna Copying Company, and the Pacific Portrait Company, all of Chicago, two or more of which do similar business along similar lines in the various states of the United States." If he was a traveling salesman, he may not have been counted in the census. My grandfather was skipped in 1930 and 1940. He had to be somewhere, but I assume he was living in hotels and didn't have a permanent address. I would have expected the hotel to show records for the census date, but apparently that didn't happen. Annette On 4/2/15, Lars E. Oyane via <norway@rootsweb.com> wrote: > Dear Listers, > > I have another apparently "hopeless brick wall" to share with you today. I > have a feeling I have tried everything, but still it is a big "mystery" > where this gentleman resided and what he did between 1905 and 1940, when he > shows up in Los Angeles, CA? > > John Silvan MORGAN > born July 10, 1881 in St. Paul, Ramsey Co., MN > son of Frank M. Morgan (1852-1929) and his 1st wife > Severina "Susie" Peterson (Ovrebo) (1858-1887) > > John grew up with father and stepmother in Anoka Co., MN moving about 1903 > to Minneapolis, MN. > > The last time I see John living "at home" is in the 1905 census for > Minneapolis, MN. He does NOT show in any Minneapolis, MN city directories > between 1906 and 1912! > > The next note I have on him is from 1916 when he supposedly resided at Terre > Haute, Vigo Co., IN, but I have no source for this information, and he does > not appear in the Terre Haute , IN city directory for 1915. > > The WW1 draft record from Sep. 1918 shows him with address c/o Arlington > Hotel, Marinette, Marinette Co., WI with a brother Myron Morgan of St. Paul, > MN as his "nearest" relative! His occupation was a salesman for Roman Oil > Portrait Co. on 1554 Ogden Ave., Chicago, IL > > Then he shows up in the 1940 census for Los Angeles, CA residing on 432 W > 88th street, where he remained until he died on July 7, 1962. In 1940 he's > called a peddler in dried fruit (the WW2 draft says he worked for Sterling > Food Products), but when he died in 1962 it says about him that he had been > a photographer for 50 years and a resident of Los Angeles Co., CA since > 1941! Marital status in 1940 is given as married, which is over-lined and > replaced by single. In 1962 at the time of his death it says he was > divorced! Like everyone else on the same census page he lived at the same > place in 1935! > > In 1940 he lived at this address with a cousin Julia Sewell. She is later > referred to as Julia Marguerite Morgan, born in Kansas City, Jackson Co., MO > Sep. 1, 1905. She was indeed a 1st cousin of John's, and she died "single" > in South Gate, CA Dec. 5, 1968. Julia's death certificate shows she had > resided in CA since 1928, and she had been a telephone company accountant > for 30 years. She was single both in 1940 and when she died, although in > the 1930 census she shows up as married since 1928 to Frank Sewell, born in > NH 1896! > > Many years ago I talked to a niece of John's in Minneapolis, MN, and she > told me that John came from California to visit in Minneapolis, MN some time > in the 1950's, and he "dragged this woman along with him". Obviously she > wasn't very "welcome"... They apparently lived in some kind of a > "common-law" union! > > An online family tree shows a "possible" discovery of John in the 1910 > census for Minneapolis, MN, born in MN about 1884 with both parents born in > MN, married to a Jennia and with a son Frank, 4 months old. He was a > salesman. And there is also a single salesman Johnnie Morgan in St. Paul, > MN in 1920, born in MN 1881 with parents born in IL and WI. "Our" John > Silvan Morgan's parents were born in Ohio and Norway, and I am not too sure > that these census entries are really for "our" John! > > I wish to "narrow down" my questions to the following: > > * Does anyone recognize the company name Roman Oil Portrait Co. on 1554 > Ogden Ave., Chicago, IL for which John was a salesman in 1918? > > * How about the company Sterling Food Products which employed John in 1942? > > * John Silvan Morgan appears to have acted more-or-less like a "travelling > salesman", and I feel he must have travelled between Indiana and Minnesota > until finally removing to California. Then there is a question, can > NEWSPAPER ITEMS be found to tell us more about him, about his marriage and > professional activities? > > Thanks a million in advance for any suggestions that can help us locate more > facts about John Silvan Morgan! > > Very sincerely yours, > > Lars E. Oyane > > > > > Norwaylist > Archiveshttp://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/index?list=norway > > RESUBSCRIBE UNSUB > http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/index/intl/NOR/NORWAY.html > > guidelines http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~norway/guidelines.htm > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > NORWAY-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes > in the subject and the body of the message >