Many years ago I corresponded with Harold Via. He said that Margaret Via and George Washington's wife had a tea room across from the White House. I don't know if he had any proof of this or not. I have been doing genealogy since 1971 so I probably still have his letters, but finding them would be hard. He never sent any proof of anything. He was going to do a book and ask me to send $5.00 as a down payment on the book and I sent it to him, but never heard from him again. Carolyn in Oklahoma Jlmaupin@aol.com wrote: In a message dated 2/10/2006 3:27:00 AM Pacific Standard Time, Jrv10ec@aol.com writes: I talked to the Via researcher Harold Via in St. Petersburg, FL in about 1967. At that time, he told me there were two Via brothers and a sister that immigrated to Virginia from France. Has anyone been able to review his research papers to verify or discount his statement? Jim, Oh how I wish I could have seen Harold's research papers. I have seen bits and pieces and what I've seen for the most part does not include documentation. Harold started his research before the ease of the Internet. He did have a computer but I'm sure not as sophiscated as ours are today. Nor were the software programs as good. I'm afraid that a lot of Harold's research is lost to the rest of us. I do know that he had deeds, wills, etc. But I also know some of his information was family "lore." I've read so many things written by Harold that I'd love to be able to prove or disprove. When I come across some of his material I try to use it as a hint to look further. But to answer your question, no one that I know of other than Eddie Via (Harold's son) really has a good grasp of what Harold's research papers contain. Judy

Carolyn Clark wrote: >Harold Via. He said that Margaret Via and George Washington's wife had a tea room across from the White House. I don't know if he had any proof of this or not. > > It doesn't seem likely. The White House didn't exist during George Washington's lifetime. In fact, the national capital was still in Philadelphia when he died. When Washington left office in 1797, he and Martha Washington returned to Mount Vernon. He died there in 1799; she died there in 1802. She and Washington were both rich, she would never have had to operate a tearoom, and she isn't mentioned in history as having done so. Besides, the White House wasn't completed until the end of 1800, at which time she was already 69½ years old. Before then, the newly created city of Washington was virtually a mudhole. Bill Kelley, Chicago