Cyrus Wells - From Canada to New Mexico by way of Vermont, New Hampshire and Kansas

One of my Vermont ancestors was Cyrus Wells, the son of  William Wells (1794 - 1855) and Martha Myrick (1798 - ?). They were from New Hampshire, but settled in Canada by the time Cyrus was born. He had at least four sisters ( Sarah, Mary A., Caroline Calista, and Helen Naomi) and one brother (C.J.Stuart Wells) I know he was born December 22, 1817 in Hatley, Canada, when his dad was 23 and his mother only 19. His Great-grandfather Ezra Merrick was in the American Revolution, and died at Fort Ticonderoga in 1777.

When Cyrus Wells was 22, he married Susan Garvin in Charlotte, Chittenden County, VT on March 3 1839.  They would eventually have 10 children, perhaps more. 

Marion Missouri Wells their first child was my ancestor, born July 17, 1840 in Plattsburgh, Clinton County, NY. They must have lived there for a while as their first son, Marshall William Wells was born there as well on May 7 1843. In 1847, their son Eugene Charles Wells was born March 24 in St Armand, Canada East. Caroline Melissa Wells was also born in St Armand, Canada East on June 16, 1848.

Their next child, Paulina Mary Wells, was born Sept 16, 1850 in Essex, Chittenden County, VT. This is the town where Susan's parents lived, and Cyrus and Susan show up in the 1850 census there.  The US census lists another child, Helen Wells, age 3. I am not sure where or when she was born as I have no other birth information on her. Cyrus is listed as a Cloth Manufacturer. In the 1900 Census Cyrus states he did not  immigrate to the United States until 1859, perhaps in 1850 they weren't living permanently in Vermont yet. In the 1851 Canadian Census there is a Cyrus Wells listed in St Armand Quebec, which could indeed be our Cyrus.

The next  three children are recorded as being born in St Armand, Canada East. Byron Edwards Wells was born on Oct 24, 1853; Genieveve Wells on April 13 1855; and Susie Wells on 10 Dec 1856.  Their last child I know of is Harriet Abigail Wells, born September 17 1860 in Waterville, Lamoille County, Vermont. They are also found in the 1860 Federal Census living there. By this time, Marion had married William B Smith, and they were living with her parents at that time.

Lamoille, Newsdealer, Hyde Park, VT 18 May 1869

Another newspaper clipping from July 27, 1869 that gives a glimpse of Cyrus's life  - The railroad was apparently coming to Waterville, and Cyrus was renovating an large factory which furnished water power for the town. He intended to start manufacturing flannels as soon as the times allowed it. - So apparently Cyrus was still involved in cloth manufacturing 20 years later. In 1870 Census the family is still living in Waterville although Marion and William are not listed as living with Cyrus and Susan anymore.

Burlington Weekly Free Press 22 March 1878

In the 1880 Census records we find Cyrus & Susan are living in Kinsley, Edwards, Kansas with their son Byron and his wife Sarah.  Cyrus' occupation is listed as Coal Mining. He must have been on the move, as he was also listed in the 1880 census as a Mine Broker, living by himself in Los Cerillos, Santa Fe, New Mexico. (Remember at this time New Mexico is a territory, not a state.)  August 24, 1888 Cyrus Wells was elected postmaster in Turquesa, New Mexico until May 12 1899. 

 

Cyrus is mentioned in the St. Johnsbury Vt, Caledonian paper, even though he has moved away. 3 April 1890.

His wife Susan Garvin Wells, daughter of Thomas Garvin and Abigail Warren, dies July 15th, 1891 after a long illness. Their daughter Helen Wells Wilson nursed her mother through that illness and continued to live there after her mother passed away. 

Helen and her father Cyrus are in the 1900 census living in Cerrillos, Santa Fe, New Mexico. Cyrus is listed once again as a manufacturer, widowed, born December of 1817, and says he immigrated in 1859. Cyrus died shortly thereafter on Oct 30th, 1901. Cyrus & Susan are buried in  unmarked graves in Los Cerrilos.

Albuquerque Citizen, New Mexico, 9 Nov 1901.

I am the great-great-great-great-granddaughter of Cyrus Wells. If you are a relative or have more to add to his story, please feel free to contact me. I am always looking to learn more about the life of my ancestors.

Sources for the above include:
US Federal Census Records 
 Canadian Census Records 
Vermont, Michigan, and Quebec Vital records
Anglican Church Records of Frelighsburg, Quebec
The descendants of James Garvin
NH Forests and Clearings
Roster of Vermont Volunteers during the War of the Rebellion
The records of Clifford Ryea Jr, Linda Mayberry, and Nancy Garvin

My Ancestor, Helen Amelia Beattys Dykeman.

There are many Helen Dykemans in my family, and this is the story of just one of them - my great-great-grandmother Helen Amelia Beattys Dykeman


The Civil War was a month old when Helen was born  on the second of September 1861 to Charles S Beattys  and Georgiana Howes in the town of Southeast in Putnam County, New York.  She was about a year old when her dad went off to join the union army. A baby brother Daniel soon joined their family. Home life is not easy as her father is injured in the war, and returns just before her three year old brother dies. Just 9 months later, in 1866, Charles dies in a work related accident.   Her mother Georgiana remarries  in 1871 to Oliver Gay, but Helen remains the only child in the home.

Just shy of her 16th birthday, Helen (called Nellie) marries Junia Dykeman on Jul 2 1877.  They reside in  in Southeast, Putnam County, NY where Junia's family had been settled for many years.  A small article was published in the Brewster Standard: announced “marriage of Junia W Dykeman and Nellie Bettis was very quietly celebrated on Sunday, July 1 1877 at the brides mother’s residence. The reception was held on evening following.” They have Junia Jr about a year  later, when Helen is almost 17 and Junia Sr is 22, giving a start to what will become a large family.

In the 1880 Census we find the family living in Southeast, Putnam County NY. Junia is 24, born in NY and a farmer. Helen is listed as Nellie H, 19, Born in NY and Keeping House. Also listed is Junia Jr, 2 years old born in NY and the newest member of the house, baby Emma, at 11 months.  Junia's mother Emma had died a few months before baby Emma's birth, which may be where the name comes from.

Four boys are born to the family by 1890; Charles R in 1881, Lewis H in 1885, William G in 1887, and Frederick S in 1890.  There is no 1890 census, but all data points to Helen and Junia Sr still living in the family homestead in the town of Southeast, Putnam County NY.  No 1892 state census has been found yet for this community. The railroad is established shortly after, going closely by the Homestead. The railroad stop there leads to the establishment of the hamlet of Dykeman's Station  and in 1894 Dykemans gets a post office, putting it on the map.

Two more children are born, Arlene B in 1892, and Helen L in 1994.  Helen's daughter Emma B Dykeman marries a cousin, Henry J Dykeman in April of 1897, moving out of the house.  Helen and Junia have a son, Elbert Leslie Dykeman, born in late 1897  bringing their family to 9 children.  In January of 1898, Helen's first grandchild is born, a daughter, Florence, to Emma and her husband Henry.  In February of 1899, Helen's son Elbert dies. He is the only child they have that dies young, which is unusual for the times.

In the 1900 Census We find the family living in Dykemans Station, town of South east, Putnam County NY. Junia Sr is not listed.
Junia, Head,  b July 1878  a Farmer, B NY listed as single (this is Junia Jr)
Helen A, Mother,B Sept 1861, Married, 8 of 9 children living, B NY.  Father born in CT.
Lewis H, Brother, B Dec 1885, 14, Single B NY
William G, Brother, B Oct 1881 12, Single, B NY
Frederick S, Brother, B April 1890, 10, Single, B NY
Bessie A, Sister, B May 1892, 8, Single, B NY (Arlene Bessie)
Helen L, Sister, B Sept 1894, 5, Single, B NY
Georgiana A Gay, Grandmother (Helen's Mother) B Sept 1837, 62, Widowed, 1 of two children still living, B NY
also some servants and boarders are listed.

In August of 1900, Harold Horton Dykeman, my ancestor,  is born to Helen and Junia. In October, their son Junia marries and in 1902 has a daughter, Ruth.  At some point after Harold is born  Helen and Junia move to Manhattan. This was before their son Ralph is born in March of 1903,   There are records that Junia's father Daniel had lived part time in Manhattan, so they may have moved to a Family owned apartment, or they could have found a new location of their own. Between 1900 and 1910, Helen sees her sons Charles, and Lewis marry. They each have a daughter shortly thereafter, Doris and Alice,  Her mother Georgiana Howes Beatty Gay dies in 1909 in Schenectady.

In the 1910 Census, the family is living on West 96th street in  Manhattan.
Junia is 53, B in NY, on his first marriage of 31 years, Manager of a Milk Dairy.
Wife Helen is 48, B in NY, a housekeeper, married for 31 years.
William, Son, is 22 and single, B in NY, working as a bookkeeper in a Milk Dairy.
Daughter Arlene B is 17, B in NY, single and working as a bookkeeper in a Milk Dairy.
Daughter Helen L is 14, B in NY, single, no occupation.
Son Harold H. is 9, B in NY, Single, no occupation.
Son Ralph I is 7, Single,B in NY, no occupation.

Between 1910 and 1920, Frederick and William both get married. The grandchildren list grow to include Daniel, Helen, Frederick, Robert, Thelma, Kendall, Una, and Robert. World War one expands to include America, the Spanish Flu happens, and women in American gain the right to vote. Helen's son Charles, a state trooper, dies of Pleurisy in the beginning of 1920.

In the 1920 Census, we find the family still living on West 96th street in Manhattan, all born in USA with parents born in USA.
Junia (listed as Junius) Head of household, 63, Married, renting his home, a Manager in a Milk Company.
Helen (listed as Ellen) Wife, Married, 56, at home.
Son Harold,19 and Single, not working.
Son Ralph, 17 and Single, not working.
Son-in-law Charles Jagemann, 27 and Married, a Traffic Manager.
Daughter Helen Jagemann, 25 and Married, not working.
Kendon Jagemann (listed as Kenton), 3 months old.

 Helen and Junia are living at 166 West 96 Street in New York city when Helen goes to have an operation for a intestinal blockage. Unfortunately at the age of 59, in May of 1920, Helen Passes away from complications. In the Brewster Standard  June 4, 1920 her obituary is published: Sunday Morning 11 o’clock at St. Vincents Hospital, Helen Bettis, Wife of JW Dykeman died in her 59th year of age.  Her death followed an operation for relief of strangulated Hernia. Helen was born in South East Center Father Charles H Bettis Mother Georgianna Howes, Daughter of late JO Howes.

 Helen is buried in the Milltown Cemetery in Putnam county NY. Her husband Junia passes away in 1934. She is surrounded by the graves of many of her children and grandchildren.

Joshua A Cornell 1849 - 1943

When you're big into Genealogy, you find yourself becoming very familiar with people in your family tree who died long before you were born. So although Joshua Cornell is actually my great-great grandfather I tend to refer to him as "Grandpa Josh"  because its just simplier.  My very tolerant family apparently has gotten used to this because they know exactly who I'm referring to. I've heard some Grandpa Josh stories over the years which I kept in  mind while looking at his genealogy.

Joshua A Cornell was born on June 30, 1849 to Jacob G Cornell and Mary McCord.  He joined at home two brothers, Aaron and Willett, and a sister Sarah. His brother Ezra was born three years later.  There's little known about his mother, Mary McCord, and speculation that she was Jacob's second wife. If so, Joshua was her first child. But thats a whole other story to tell some other time. Joshua's brother Aaron had a blacksmith shop, which was in the exact spot the new Croton Dam was built, which is why many refer to the dam as the Cornell Dam. The family farm and where Joshua was born is now under water, one of many homes flooded when the dam was completed.

Joshua was taught the trade of a wheelwright at first, according to his obituary. However he also is listed in the census throughout the years as a carriage maker, a blacksmith, and a carpenter with his own shop. Joshua married Alice Chase on Oct 22 1871.  Their son Ira J Cornell was born in May of 1874, Wright Benjamin Cornell in November of 1878. It was much later, in November of 1889, Lester Albert Cornell was born.

 Here they  are all together:  Lester being the younger one on the left, behind him is Wright, with Wright's wife Lizzie (Elizabeth Titus) besides Lester. Standing in the back is Grandpa Josh with his wife Alice on the right. Ira is in the right front with his wife Allie (Almira Fisher) just slightly behind and to the left of him. Date of photo unknown, but Wright married in 1903 and Ira died in 1905, which gives us a small window when this photo could have been taken. Lester would marry much later  - in 1923, to Florence Purdy.

One of the stories I've heard told about Grandpa Josh  was that he had a temper and sometimes he & Alice fought. Matter of fact, (they would say) he lived out in the garage for a time. The garage they referred to was once Grandpa Josh's shop. he bought it in 1885 and then began to build their house next to it. I thought this a funny story growing up.

Wright, Joshua and Ira

 Then, as I began to research the family tree an odd thing happened. I found Alice & Lester in the census, but not Grandpa Josh. He was alive, so why wasn't he there? Family reminded me he lived in the garage for a while... apparently not for a night or two, but for a year or more.  Sure enough, looking around the neighborhood in the census, there Grandpa Josh was, living by himself in the Garage.  It wasn't the last Census I found him listed living alone either. no one seems to know how long he lived out there, or if it was an on and off type of thing.









Grandpa Josh, along with his sons Lester and Wright were well known for their carpentry skills. Some of the buildings for Trinity-Pawling, a private boys school in Pawling, NY, were built by the three of them.  The family also hunted. In 1926, at 77, Joshua was mentioned in the paper for getting some squirrel and a pheasant.

Alice Chase Cornell died in July of 1939, after being ill for a few weeks.  Grandpa Josh however lived a long time. When he turned 91 his family threw him a big get-together to celebrate. Joshua was the last of his siblings to pass away, in 1943 at the age of 94.

Lois Albee and Joshua Cornell  April 8,1942 at Grandpa Josh's home

   

Ira J. Cornell - May 30, 1874 - March 29, 1905

My Great Grandfather Lester Cornell had two brothers, Ira and Wright Cornell. Ira was the oldest, and he died young of tuberculosis, or so I’d been told, so he's been a bit of a mystery...

Then one day I was gifted with some old pictures. You know the kind, grey or sepia pictures of people on cardboard backing, usually they are faded and worn around the edges. Often there’s something somewhat familiar about their faces, but you’re not sure what.

The photographer is someone you never heard of in a place you’re not sure your relative ever went to; and to top it off, when you turn them over there’s no name on the back. Downright frustrating to be given a ton of great granny’s pictures… only to find out she was the only one who know who was in them.

This time it was different – I turned them over and there in spidery pencil was written names – some with question marks, but names all the same. I promptly started asking questions of anyone from that branch of the family and in that way I discovered many things from those few pictures.

Great Grandpa Lester was much younger than his brother - 15 years younger – and since Ira didn't have kids and died young not much was known about him. Other family members seem to recall his wife lived in CT in her later years after he died, but they’d lost track of her over the years. So, armed with a couple of old pictures and some sketchy data, I began the hunt.

First – the census. In 1880, I find Ira is 6, living with his brother Wright with his parents Joshua and Alice in Yorktown, Westchester Co, NY. In 1900, I find his family all in Yorktown, but Ira requires some more searching. There are 9 Ira Cornells in the census for that year, He is the one living with his wife Almira with her parents Henry and Jennie in Manhattan.

 

This sort of goes with a family comment that he did “some photography down near the city” at one time. In 1910, I find lots of Iras, But not the one I’m looking for. In CT I find an Almira Cornell, the correct age, widowed, living with her mother – So by this I believe Ira has died. I find his mother, father and Lester living in Yorktown again. Alice is listed as having borne 3 children, 2 of which are living and this backs up my hunch that Ira has died. in 1920, I find no Ira that fits this family... so I move on to other records.

In some cemetery listings for Westchester county I do some more searches for the missing Ira. I find a possible one in Mahopac and reach out to a cousin who might know if this is the correct one. Jeanette and her mom Lois (Lester’s daughter) going for a drive one weekend and find the stone I mentioned in Mahopac. They find a full death date and he is buried among the Fisher family – His Wife, Almira’s family. There’s a marking for the Masons on his stone, which adds a bit of information too.

Online at the Mahopac Library I find copies of the Putnam county paper dating way back… and give it a few looks to see what I can find on Ira Cornell. Sure enough,. A few days after his death I find a column describing his death and where he’ll be buried. He was 30 years old and died of consumption.

Knowing Almira's full name and the fact Ira married by 1900, I began to look for marriage records. Nothing is found in Westchester county where Ira was born. However now knowing he was in NY city in 1900, I look at the NY city indexes and find success. Ira J Cornell married Almira Fisher in Manhattan, NY on February 21, 1899. I wonder if any of the family traveled to the city that day to celebrate with them.

So by looking in several places and some help from other family members I've been able to piece together a bit of information to fill in the mystery of Great-Grand-Uncle Ira.  Ira didn't have any children, so my search doesn't go much further with his story. But finally we know a little more of one of Lester's brothers.

William Nelson Dykman

William Nelson Dykman  was  born  October 11 1854 in Cold Spring, Putnam County, NY.  His Parents were Jackson O'Dell Dykman and Emily Lucille Trowbridge.

William was one of three children: his brother Henry Trowbridge Dykman was born in 1856 and his sister Elizabeth was born in 1859.

William went to West Point Academy starting on 1 Sept 1871 and graduated in 1875. He graduated a Second Lietenant in the 22nd Infantry, and served until October of 1876. One of his last posts was at Fort Porter, in Buffalo NY.  He is often listed in the Newspapers as Colonel William N Dykman, but that doesn't seem to be reflected in the military Records.

After William left the military he studied the law at Union University in NY and graduated in 1878.  The law firm (Cullen and Dykman) he had with Edgar Cullen  still exists today. William became a very well  known lawyer in Brooklyn, taking many high-profile cases. William also headed the NY BAR Association for a time.

William married Isabelle Annan in June of 1885, daughter to Edward Annan.  William and Belle had a son, Jackson Annan Dykman  on July 11 1887.  Jackson married Susan B Merrick on 3  Feb 1915 in New Orleans.

By 1897, William had applied for passports for himself, Belle, and Jackson so they could travel overseas.  They travel to Southampton, England and to France by boat many times over the next 25 years, despite the fact Belle's niece was on the Titanic when it went down.  William and Belle also were active in Horse club circles, attending shows and Polo games.

 "White Acre", a large estate in Glen Cove, NY was established as William and Belle's home around 1912, designed by Harrie T. Lindeberg of Lindeberg's Domestic Architecture. It still stands today at 1 Meadowspring Rd on Long Island.


William Dykman died July 20  in 1937, and his wife Belle died March 31 1941.

Sources include:

New York and Ohio Newspapers

Johannes Dyckman of Fort Orange, Vol 2

The Trowbridge Genealogy

West Point Military Records

Federal Census Records

NY & UK Passenger Lists

US Passport Applications

Union University Record

Cemetery Records

The 1940 Census is here!  Find your family in the census April 2 at 1940census.archives.gov today.

Help for Beginners

Some basic rules:

1)Start with yourself and go backwards generation by generation.

2)Find some way to keep track of your info. I use FamilyTreeMaker on the computer now, but started with a plain spiral notebook.

And here's one way to start the process:

First, ask questions of all living relatives. A good time for this is holiday gatherings, as one person might answer and another will add information. They might conflict, but take it all in. You never know when a clue will appear to the truth. Don't believe everything you hear. write it down and confirm it with a records or two.

See what kind of documents the immediate family has. You might see a gold mine appear before your eyes.

Go to the Town records, County Records, State records. Look in the indexs, remeber to find the sibilings of your main search, as they may als have info to help you. Sometimes sibilings will give you enough clues to find out more on your direct line. After the indexes, look at the actual records. Some records are missed when making an index. Some facts on the record are not in the index. Some records are not copied correctly in an index. Be open to the idea the name is spelled differently.

Make a timeline. Even if it is estimated dates, see if you can place your ancestor at specific times in specific places. This can give you clues on where to look next.

Go look at the census. Take the timeline and names of sibilings with you. Look in the census for family members. Don’t be taken in if the name is not spelled exactly right. Often they are misspelled. You may need to look in several neighboring towns to find the people you are looking for. the ages might be off by a yerar or two too.
Look in the land records. You now have family stories, vital records, your timeline, and census items to tell you where your ancestor was when. See if you can find a land record or city directory to tell you what they where doing where wnd when. Land records might describe people in terms of their family.

Look at wills. See if you can find patterns between land exchanges and when people died. Sometimes land is gifted from one genration to another. is this the case with your family? Who else is involved? How are they related?

Start asking new questions of family. Send out inquiries through the internet. Ask for information from others studying the same town/family. Read local histories…county and town. See if the town has a local library. Read the newpaper… do they have archived papers? Where? Can you get to them. Look for obits and wedding announcements.

Go to the cemeteries. Look for the plots. Who is buried around them? What church did they belong to? Are there GAR, DAR, mason, etc markers? What markers are there and what do they mean? Can you find the cemeteries records, which would tell you who paid for the plot… and the heirs if there are open spaces in the gravesite.
Keep a record of where you have looked… and for what.

Keep a record of what was found… and where

When you are stuck, start with the timeline… and look at the resources you’ve used.

Ask. Ask others where to go, what might be found, what do they think?

Good luck… and happy digging!