Posted on: Niagara Co. NY Queries Reply Here: http://genconnect.rootsweb.com/genbbs.cgi/USA/NY/Niagara/338 Surname: Hanan, Wilson ------------------------- I am looking for a Samuel Hanan. All I know is that he married a Abagial Wilson and they had a son Rueben Wilson Hanan, born in 1822. Any information would be most helpful.

Looking for Fahmer and Redemske who lived in the Tonawanda area in the early 1900s. They married into the Moss, Soldwish, Gerkie, Klish, Sweetman, Howe, and Brochert families. Thanks Jean Youngson San Antonio, Texas

Posted on: Niagara Co. NY Queries Reply Here: http://genconnect.rootsweb.com/genbbs.cgi/USA/NY/Niagara/337 Surname: Canham, Mileham, Brown, Ellnor, Swann ------------------------- My husband's lines connect with Milehams and Canham in Niagara County. If you would like to share information on these lines, please e-mail me. Thanks! Holly Canham, Founding Presidnet Orleans County Genealogical Society "Brick Walls Broken Down Here!"

<sigh> I've been away from my mail for a few days, so I missed this thread, but: This also means absolutely no "urgent alerts" (virus warnings, chain letters, charity solicitations, and anything else that tells you to pass it on to everyone you know). If you have doubts about whether something is appropriate here, please check with me first. That's from the welcome message for NYNIAGAR. I'm glad to see that this thread died quickly, but in future let's please try to leave virus warnings/discussions to forums devoted to them; they really tend to take over lists, and generate more heat than light. Thanks for understanding. Ellen (NYNIAGAR list manager)

Am interested in knowing about the Spirella Company and their "Decade Club", in Niagara Falls. This company was supposed to have had a branch in Meadville, PA in the 1910s. Could you recommend any books I could interlibrary loan? Susanne shieber@aol.com

Dear Group, A number of you have written to me privately letting me know that you're concerned with my wellbeing and giving me encouragement regarding my recuperation from breast cancer surgery. Thanks a GREAT big bunch to all of you. I know that I didn't respond to each and every one of you but I hope you understand. You're a very dear group. Under the circumstances, I thought you might like to read what I wrote last night. I'm just now getting around to sending it to you. It looks like I'll be comin' around the mountain shortly! It's very late at night, I had already shut my computer down, but I knew that I just couldn't go to sleep without writing this message to you. You see, within the past two days it seems that my brain and thinking ability have finally surfaced above the nastiness of having to cope with all of the physical stuff that has been going on in my life over the past number of months. And it appears that I didn't suffer any permanent "brain damage" due to the ordeal. It looks like I may actually get back to normal!! WHOOPEE!!! And that's when the old folk song, "She'll Be Comin' Around the Mountain,'" popped into my head. And that's the way I feel right now. As the song indicated to me, I had hoped that eventually I would find myself comin' around the mountain, and then when the song goes, "she'll be driving six white horses when she comes," I guess that's when I put it all together. I feel like I'm finally coming around the mountain and By George, I feel like I'm driving a team of six white horses full steam ahead as I'm dashing down the other side of the mountain! WHOOSH! It's an exhilarating feeling! But, pssst! don't expect a whole big bunch of stuff out of me right this very minute. I still have visiting nurses to contend with on a daily basis to change the dressing over my "wound." I know that I'm not out of the tunnel yet, but I shur can see the light at the end of it!! But, hey, I've got a team of six white horses just waiting for me to take the reins! The light just gets brighter and brighter!! luvya, vee

Posted on: Niagara Co. NY Queries Reply Here: http://genconnect.rootsweb.com/genbbs.cgi/USA/NY/Niagara/336 Surname: ------------------------- Dear Sally, Back in 1997 I had some email correspondence with Lon McCullum who descends from Stewart MCCULLUM and although I can't give you a single clue that will help you with your Stewart Lafayette McCullum's relationship, I can only confirm what the census taker recorded in the 1850 census of Town of Porter regarding their youngest son. In the census he shows up as John, age 3 [born ca 1847]. However, at some point in my corresponding with various descendants of the McCollum family, it appears that one of the descendants mentioned Lafayette (versus John) also. But for the life of me I can't find the reference that I used in my scribbled "family tree" in which I have Stewart's name and underneath that I scribbled the name John Lafayette, died MI, and under that I scribbled the name Mary, died MI. I probably can't help you with any further research here in Town of Porter, but I still have some old email addresses of people who are interested in the same line of the MCCOLLUM family. Good luck in your research. Vee L. Housman Youngstown, NY

Posted on: Niagara Co. NY Queries Reply Here: http://genconnect.rootsweb.com/genbbs.cgi/USA/NY/Niagara/334 Surname: McCollum, Shutters, Shulters ------------------------- I am searching for MCCOLLUM, SHUTTERS, SHULTERS, Surnames in Niagara County NY. My MCCOLLUM family came from Niagara Co NY just after the 1850 census. They came to Genesee Co area in Michigan. I have Stewart McCollum family in the NY 1850 census. His wife, Elizabeth, died in Michigan in 1852. We are trying to prove that his last son on that census was perhaps Junior and our gr grandfather. They are all buried together but we have no proof that our Stewart Lafayette was their son. Any information will be appreciated.

Re: NY State Library and NY State Archives. Forgot to add in last message re: newspapers on microfilm... that... you can do an online search via "WebCat" on the contents of both the library and the archives. Much genealogy and local history material available! Here's the url showing how to use the online search engine at the site. http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/faq/wcguide.htm And here's the url to the WebCat search page. http://nysl.nysed.gov/uhtbin/cgisirsi/Fri+Sep+22+13:16:33+EDT+2000/0/49 Happy searching. debbie CAhobbies@aol.com

<< ... <snip> ... obituaries in Lockport NY - will the Lockport Union Sun & Journal provide copies of obituaries from years prior to 2000 or do I need to write to the Lockport Library and request their help? Is there another way to obtain copies of obituaries for Lockport? ... <snip> ... Kim Cornstubble email address: kcornstub@aol.com >> Hello Kim and everyone. Thought this might be useful for everyone so sending to the list. Hope this helps you, Kim! A great resource is the New York State Library. Below are some starting points to address the immediate question re: newspapers in Niagara County. However, take a look around the site.. and many hours can go sailing by! Here is the general info on the NYS Newspaper Project: http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/nysnp/ Then - you can check to see which are held at the NY State Library. (This is a good thing, since they can be ordered via ILL at your local library). http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/nysnp/nygcty.htm Going one step deeper - take at look at newspapers on microfilm at NYSL for Niagara County, NY... http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/nysnp/132.htm Note that you see exact years and months that are available. I'm creating a list to order myself right now.. comparing "what they have" with my "family death dates", so I can search for obituaries when the microfilms arrive here locally. Hope this helps!! debbie CAhobbies@aol.com

Have a question about how to obtain copies of obituaries in Lockport NY - will the Lockport Union Sun & Journal provide copies of obituaries from years prior to 2000 or do I need to write to the Lockport Library and request their help? Is there another way to obtain copies of obituaries for Lockport? I live in Texas so any help would be appreciated. Kim Cornstubble email address: kcornstub@aol.com

October 22, 2000 In this evening's 15-minute viewing of Danny Schisler's videotaped interview with Cora Gushee in early May, 2000, these are some of the things they talked about regarding our early Town of Porter history. During the years after the War of 1812-from around 1815 to 1840-Youngstown grew rapidly. During those years the hamlet of Ransomville was also growing. The Curtiss family of Ransomville had been in that area since prior to 1820 [settled in 1819]. [The Ransom family had settled in that area around 1829] Gilbert Curtiss was an early tavern/inn keeper in Ransomville. And in the early years of Youngstown there were about four taverns doing a thriving business-similar to today's number of taverns! Both Youngstown and Ransomville eventually had cold storage buildings to store the abundant supply of fruit that continues to be grown in this area. For the most part the cold storage businesses were run by people who owned shares in them, but at some time they may have been private enterprises. One of the people who was important to the establishment of the cold storage business in Youngstown [in 1931] was [Louis] Silberberg who had a farm in this area [and also was a successful merchant in Niagara Falls]. Regarding Fort Niagara, prior to the time of the Civil War the fort was almost abandoned and there was only one soldier stationed there. He was Sargent [Louis] Leffman. He and his family lived in what is called the "castle" [or in a wooden building nearby that has long since been torn down]. He eventually purchased a lot on Main Street in Youngstown across from St. John's Episcopal Church [which he helped found-he donated the land where it now stands.] In the later 1800s, Youngstown saw a greater growth. By the 1890s the large Hotel Eldorado had been built and a thriving Opera House had been established. Much of the money that supported such culture came from very successful local farmers and from successful merchants such as [Bradley] Davis, [his son-in-law, Nelson] Haskell, and [his other son-in-law, Albert] Dutton. Other merchants were [David] Burge [in the leather and shoemaking business], [William] Hutchison [dry goods and groceries], [Lewis] Beals [owned lake vessels and had a grain business] and [William] Eaton [son-in-law of Lewis Beals]. Although they were successful merchants, they also owned large farms in the area around Youngstown. Farming was definitely profitable. The reason for Youngstown's growth had much to do with its location. It had an advantage because of the importance of nearby Fort Niagara, it was on the banks of the Niagara River, and because of the river it had easy access to Niagara-on-the-Lake in Canada as well as Toronto. The traffic between Youngstown and Niagara-on-the-Lake began early and [James] Marshall was one of the early ferry owners who operated his ferries out of where [George] Wagner used to live-on the river bank below where the present gazebo is on Main Street in the village. The Wagners were commercial fishermen [and for several generations afterward]. They shipped a great quantity of fish by railroad out of the village well before and after the turn of the century. vee

Dear Group, Back in late May I started to take down scribbled notes as I watched the videotape that Danny Schisler of Youngstown made as he interviewed Cora Gushee, our Town of Porter Historian. Cora was/is 97 years old and she continues to be a gold mine of historical information. I typed up my notes and I posted them to the group at that time. Well, it was also around that time that I had serious concerns about a lump that I had discovered and because of subsequent events that led to radical surgery, the videotape has been gathering dust ever since then. Tonight, I wasn't in all that great of a mood--I'm still recuperating--but when the phone rang and it was Danny on the line, he got me all excited again about the interviews he continues to videotape of old local people who really have great personal memories to share about our local history. And as a result, I dug up the tape of his interview with Cora, popped it into my VCR and took scribbly notes about what they talked about after the last time I had viewed it. As I mentioned in one of my earlier postings on the subject, I was prompted to insert a few first names and add a bit of facts of history that wasn't precisely mentioned in the interview. It's all in the name of local history. I'll follow this message with the next segment in the original series--Oral History, Pt. 5. Hopefully, I'll be able to keep up this level of mental excitement to follow it with Pt. 6. vee

From another list Scranton Republic 1/5/1903 PECKVILLE Harry B. Sitgreaves, Niagra, NY, was called here by the death of his brother-in-law, William James. Wyoming Co. John Turn, wife and son, of Buffalo, NY have been visiting. He formerly lived at Falls and later was a trombone player with Bauer's band at Scranton. 1/6/1903 DUNMORE At her late home on Cherry street, Mrs. Adeline E. Ketcham Smith died yesterday. Born in Oakland Valley, Sullivan county, NY, and was 78 years and 8 months of age. Daughter of James and Harriet Ketcham. Married in 1848 to D. J. Smith and settled in 1850 in Dunmore. Husband and children surviving: Spencer Smith, Buffalo, NY; Andrew C. Smith, Wilkes-Barre; Mrs. Edward Gagle, West Haven, CT; Mrs. G. W. B. Allen, Dunmore. Funeral Thursday, Rev. W. F. Gibbons to officiate. [Meeting of the Ladies' Aid society of the Presbyterian church was postponed due to her death.]

Posted on: Niagara Co. NY Queries Reply Here: http://genconnect.rootsweb.com/genbbs.cgi/USA/NY/Niagara/333 Surname: ------------------------- Could someone tell me where (or if) I could get a birth certificate for the period 1855 to 1861 in Lockport, NY. Thanks.

Posted on: Niagara Co. NY Queries Reply Here: http://genconnect.rootsweb.com/genbbs.cgi/USA/NY/Niagara/332 Surname: KENDRICK, KINGSTON, DEAN ------------------------- I'm looking for James W. KENDRICK(wife Jane DEAN/KINGSTON) who were in Lockport, NY from 1854 to 1862. They were from Toronto, Ontario, Canada and returned there in 1863. Their three children were born in Lockport, NY, William James b 1855, Josiah b 1858 & Rebecca Jane b 1861. Has anyone come across any of these names in their research? I would like to know what took them to Lockport for eight years. Karen Woodworth, Vancouver, B.C. Canada

Looking for the Patrick and Mary Grier Powers family in Lockport, New York area in about 1850. They were Irish immigrants. Any info greatly appreciated. Thanks, Ray

I am researching Thomas L Lewis of Lockport, NY. He married Harriet Mighells, b 2/24/1827 in Lockport, m 2/27/1861 in Lockport. Ed in CA

The following site list the "residents". (I lost the URL and just refound it that is why I haven't listed it before now.) <http://members.tripod.com/~wnyroots/index-1812.html> Digging up Roots! Ellen Colangelo

Posted on: Niagara Co. NY Wills Reply Here: http://genconnect.rootsweb.com/genbbs.cgi/USA/NY/NiagaraWill/18 Surname: sibley, hazen ------------------------- LOOKING FOR INFORMATION ON A FAMILY NAME SIBLEY IN ROYALTON, N.Y. FATHER EBER,. WIFE CAROLINE REBECCA,. CHILDERN ORRIN, JONATHAN BORN 1809.1810.