To answer a query made earlier: Scranton was not incorporated as a city until 1866 and Lackawanna Co. was not formed from part of Luz. Co. until 1878. Any records prior to that date would be in Luz. Co. PA vital records were not centralized until beginning in 1906. There was a short-lived period, 1852-4, in which all BMDs had to be registered, but it was by each county and most of the entries are those who lived near the county seat. A farmer or other person living in the countryside could not afford to take off a full day or two to travel to the court house to register the event. However, these records are on microfilm from the LDS FHCs, and have been transcribed in the NE PA Gen. Soc. newsletter a couple of years ago. The marriage license dockets begin in 1885 by state law, kept by each county, and there is nothing that could have happened to have changed that historical fact. Doug Nicol, Harvey's Lake PA

ANTHONY AND JUILIE LESZKOWSKY LIVED IN AUDENREID/MCADOO AREA

My great grandparents adopted a child, possibly from an orphan train, sometime between 1896 and 1900 in Luzerne. The child was born in 1896, probably in New York. Does anyone know if there were such things as adoption papers in those days? If so, would they be available and where would I find them? His name was Joseph Amott, which was changed to Joseph Lyons after adoption. Thanks, Lois in Malibu

I agree with Thyme. It maybe has just helped me with a brick wall, although it's on a TX relative. My gr-grandmother's death cert listed her mother as Mary Wells, when in fact I've discovered it was Luiza Jane Hufferd. I knew that by the time my ggm was 10, she'd lost both parents, but couldn't figure how her daughter who gave the info on the death cert could have been so wrong on the name. Thanks for the clue. Kay in MT ----- Original Message ----- From: <Thyme1954@aol.com> To: <PALUZERN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, February 05, 2001 12:39 AM Subject: Re: [PALUZERN] Ward of the Orphans Court-early 1800 > This has been great! Alot

There is a T. Emerson shown on the 1873 Atlas in Scott Township. If you go to this index page and click on Scott, you can see the map. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/maps/pa/county/luzerne/1873/ Ed McClelland, Alexandria, Virginia.

Where would I go to find out if 2 familys in Hazelton were Naturalized please...is there a book with the list of people in it at library ...this would be the yrs 1870's and 1880's..... My cousin will go and look at the library if she knows what books to look for...if there are no books where would we go to find out ? Thank you SLC

--- Helen S Gammon <hsmithg@doitnow.com> wrote: > Some became family members, including taking that > person's name for his own. This helped farmers who > had no natural children. Some census records list a > child as a "son" for a child they raised -- but not > blood related. This happened if it was the mother who died as well. After her mother died in 1919, my grandmother is listed as an O'Malley daughter in the 1920 census even though her father, Peter McClymer, was still alive. I haven't been able to figure out yet if the O'Malley's were relatives or just friends. Her brother John became John Hines. After Morgan Harris' mother died in 1895, he lived with her parents and took their name, becoming Morgan Edwards. He referred to them as his parents & his aunts and uncles as his siblings, even though his father, Morgan Harris Sr, was still alive and nothing was ever done officially. His sister, Gertrude Harris, went to live with their paternal grandmother, who had been widowed and remarried to a Morgan, and she used the name Gertrude Morgan and was listed as a daughter. Only the oldest, their brother John, who continued to live with their father, used the name Harris throughout his life. Alaine __________________________________________________ Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/

This has been great! Alot of you have have volunteered valuable information. Even tho it was of a general information basis it has helped me atleast, in fitting together more realistic answers to some of my ancestry research. The one that stands out the most, is the possibility that I should consider looking up an ancestor either/or by his "guardian" or his given name and surname (that of his guardian) if records by his own (birth) surname seem to stop or disappear. I had also wondered why a son, who was a "minor" had petitioned the court for a guardian when his birth mother was still living at the time of his father's death. Also when his older step/half siblings were also still living, and living in the area. More of his situation makes more practical sense and I understand why that was. Now, something that is probably obvious, what were the usual terms in the early 1800s if a man(widowed) remarried a widowed/widdower (I get that terminolgy mixed up) ? I mean the legal aspect to that? Did legal matters of her estate have to be settled before she remarried? Did her betrothed "husband to be" become the one who handled her legal affairs from her previous marriage? This is probably again the obvious, but then again as we have seen, the times in the early 1800s were "slightly" different than then now. But some of these explanations can really open up "brick walls" and make it clearer which direction to go in our research. It has been a great help to me! I had narrowed my field of research with this one ancestor of mine and now have several other possibilities to turn to. Thank you everyone for your imput! Thyme

There is a Carbon County site for Viola Seward who was interested in Mauch Chunk. e mail "subscribe" to CARBON-D-request@rootsweb.com. I've heard the name was an Indian name for Bear Mountain. Lois in Malibu

Several years ago Luzerne County courthouse had marriage records beginning 1885. Possibly that has changed, but I doubt it. Scranton is in Lackawanna County. If you know the religion, you might have better luck looking for a church entry for your period of time. Maybe someone in the Scranton area has a better idea or more current information. Val In a message dated 2/4/01 7:56:05 PM Central Standard Time, kujawski@marywood1.marywood.edu writes: << Hi, Does anyone know if a marriage that took place in Scranton in 1854 would have the records in the Luzern Courthouse? How far back does the records go for this county? what are the charges for copies of a record there? Thank you for your time. >>

From: <Thyme1954@aol.com> To: <PALUZERN-L@rootsweb.com> Subject: Re: [PALUZERN] Ward of the Orphans Court-early 1800 In that era when women did not have the right to vote, there were many other rights they did not have. Women did not automatically own the estate when the husband died. Unless the husband specifically stated in his will what he was giving to her, in Penna. and many other states, the complete estate went to the oldest son; the other children received nothing unless specified in the will. I have seen wills where the wife was given one cow and a place for that cow to graze for one year. After that she had nothing. And the rest of the estate went to the oldest son. I have seen numerable wills where if the wife remarried she got very little. The husband was protecting himself and making the rules even thought the wife may have brought a dowery to the marriage. Many wills stated the wife had the right to live there the rest of her life unless she remarried and stated the amount the son (who inherited most of the estate) had to supply her with for her yearly needs even including the firewood being split ready for her to put into the stove. Wills are very revealing -- some showed much love, others the wife almost appears to be part of his property. Usually a guardian was appointed when the father left an estate. Children under 14 had guardians under one ruling and those over 14 could choose their guardian. Again it was to protect the money. Since women could not go to court a man needed to be appointed guardian. Usually it was a family member or close friend who could afford to put up the bond to cover the amount of the estate. And the case was not settled until the youngest child reached his/her maturity. Later the mother was often appointed guardian when her husband died. Also remember there was no welfare then, only the poor house where the man was sent when he could not pay his bills. So the mother would need to find relatives, friends or neighbors who were willing to feed and clothe one or two children in return for "helping" around the farm or house. Here again there were good and also bad conditions. Some became family members, including taking that person's name for his own. This helped farmers who had no natural children. Some census records list a child as a "son" for a child they raised -- but not blood related. Hope this helps Helen Smith Gammon

Dear Friends, I would like to know if anyone is related to the following person(s) or know of his/their association with an Irish organization in Scranton? He was a sponsor on some of the Declarations for Naturalization of some of my Irish ancestors and he doesn't seem to be a relative. I've gotten this info from City Directories; Occupation, address. 1870-73, Mullen, Jas, lab., D Mine, h. Diamond Flats 1873, Mullins, James, helper, RR Mach. shop, h Railroad Ave, B 1876, Mullen, James, lab. h. r. Mineral, S.B. 1877, Mullen, James, butcher, h. alley n. Hemlock 1879, Mullen, James, lab., h. Washington Avenue, n. Hickory S.F. 1880, Mullen, James, lab., h. Mineral ab Carbon, S.B. 1880, Mullen, James, lab., h 512 Washington Ave., S.F. I don't know if this is one person or more than one. Any help would be appreciated. Mary L. Casey

Hi, Does anyone know if a marriage that took place in Scranton in 1854 would have the records in the Luzern Courthouse? How far back does the records go for this county? what are the charges for copies of a record there? Thank you for your time. R.J. P.S. Please respond to this query via my email, not this newsgroup(to make room for more important queries from other searchers out there). kujawski@ac.marywood.edu

Posted on: Luzerne Co. Pa Bios Forum Reply Here: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Pa/LuzerneBios/1537 Surname: SCALLION, WENZEL ------------------------- Hazleton Plain Speaker, Thurs. Nov. 5, 1942 Nicholas Scallion of 532 Hayes street, this city, and Miss Gertrude Wenzel, of New York, were married in New York. Mr. Scallion was graduated from the Hazleton High School, class of 1935, and the Bellevue Hospital School of Nursing in New York. He is now serving as petty officer in the Merchant Marines located at Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, N.Y. Mrs. Scallion is also a nurse at the Bellevue Hospital.

Hello. Me again with a question. Would a birth and death be shown in 1855 in Pa.? My William Mack and wife Sarah/Sally Straight Mack had a son and two daughters in Pa between 1853 and 1856. Their only son Richard Charles Mack was born and died in 1855. Sure do wish i could find some thing that would tell me what county they lived in. Cannot speak for any other state but in Minnesota all death records are kept at the state capital buildings or some thing like that. Any little hint or clue that would work would make my whole day!!! Thank you. Viola.

Hello everyone... I've checked through the Luzerne Co. website before subscribing to this list but I am unable to locate what I'm looking for. I have just located an ancestor, Robert Emerson, who appears on the 1850 Federal Census as a resident of Luzerne County, Scott Township, p. 205, PAS6a963399. Can anyone tell me where this township is located? Many thanks... Linda Emerson Coordinator - Union Township, Erie County, Pennsylvania http://www.rootsweb.com/~paerie/townships/Union.htm

Looking for any info on the following: Kresgeville School on Bald Mountain in Bear Creek. Hairpin Curve/Old Bear Creek Boulevard in Bear Creek/Plains. King's Farm on Bald Mountain in Bear Creek. Lwellyns Corners in Bear Creek. Doc Harrison's farm in Bear Creek. Any info, stories, leads, at all would be a great help. Trying to learn more about where my grandparens came from. Wendy __________________________________________________ Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/

HI Here is directions from Shickshinny: Coming from Nanticoke route 11 make a right at the Shickshinny red lite, go about 2 miles (give or take) as you are coming you will see a country store called Wolfs, next to Wolfy's is a beauty shoppe when you pass Wolfy's there is a bridge over a small creek. Make a left turn and stay on this road about 4 miles give or take. You will go down a longsteep winding hill. When you get to the bottom of the hill there is a creek on the right side of the road. You will go over another bridge and up a slight hill. There at that point there is a road left to right make a slight right and go up a winding hill about a half mile you will see a house on the right. It has glass hot house which can be seen from the road. The very next building is a house on the left just beyond this house make a left (you are now going on a dirt road). The next crossroad is Municipal Rd (I believe) pass it and go to the next intersection and make a left turn. You will go down a hill and up. Just beyond these hill is the Dodson Cemetery. As a child I lived in this area and went to a one room school in Town Hill. If you have any questions send me an email. lorie shirley zimmerman wrote: > > Hi Everyone > Can someone help me locate the Dodson Cemetery, Huntington Twp., Luz. > Co. I would be driving from Sweet Valley. I believe it is near Waterton > a small town near Muhlenburg. I am searching for the Cemetery that my > husbands ancestors are buried. the surname is ZIMMERMAN. Grandparents > are Dail K. (1888-1977) and Mary Warner Zimmerman (1890- ). Great > grandparents Ezra C. Zimmerman (1842-1900) and Susan Kline Zimmerman > (1840-1934). The cemetery is known to be on the top of a hill. > Any help locating this cemetery appreciated. > > Shirley > > ==== PALUZERN Mailing List ==== > USGenWeb PA Tombstone Transcriptions (NEW): > http://www.rootsweb.com/~cemetery/pennsyl.html

I have a family reference in Indianna. My ggggrandfather died leaving second wife and 4 young girls and older son (teen) from 1st marriage. He died in October. The girls were warded out in November. Next fall the older son was warded out til he turned 18. I researched the reasons and came to this conclusion: They lived on a farm. The girls were warded out to neighbors (men who agreed to be financially responsible for them as in food and clothing) I do not know if they lived at home or with the neighbors. I think the wife and older son tried to farm the next year but could not make it on their onw, so he was warded out the next fall. She returned to her birth place in KY and after about 4 years came back to get the girls. This was an early form of welfare to make sure the children did not starve and does relate to women's rights and who could sign as being legally responsible. If you are researching orphan's court records, try looking at deeds to locate your ancestor and/or deeds of men mentioned as "warders". You often find they are related or neighbors. Marti Wethington

Hello List, Dose anyone have the name of the School on Larksville Mountain that closed down about. 1952? The school was located at the end of Warman Street and across the street from St. Vincent Cemetery? I attended that school when it became closed and I realized now I didn't know what the name of the school was. I think I called it the mountain school.It had 2 class rooms The first room comprised of First, second and Third grade and Mrs. Margaret Grimes was the teacher at that time. The other room was fourth, fifth and sixth and the school teacher at that time was Miss Stella Seminovich and later became McCann. Our class relocated to the Washington Avenue School. The teachers relocated with us. A little trivia. Take Care Phyllis ===== Phyllis Fisher Hoofish1@yahoo.com __________________________________________________ Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/