West Virginia History

Today in WV history... (which impacted us all)

Abraham Lincoln signed the West Virginia Statehood Bill on December 31, 1862, making WV the 35th state in the Union.

http://www.wvculture.org/history/thisdayinwvhistory/1231.html

Happy Birthday, wild, wonderful West Virginia!

Another interesting Ray Hammack tid-bit...

Since my post yesterday about Hazel Graham Hammack I have found a marriage certificate for Ray Martin Hammack for 16 June 1913 to an Alice Gravely of Wyoming County, WV. ????
I believe this is the same Ray Martin Hammack we are tracking because it lists his parents as Van & Mary Hammack. AND when I first started this blog I noted that on Ray Martin's obituary it stated his parents as VanBuren Hammack & Mary Givens. ??? But according to the information I am finding in the US Census reports and other documents his parents are Benjamin Hammack & Georgia "Samantha" Boughman (whose mother's maiden name was Given.) I've tried to search the WV Culture site for more info on Alice Gravely or her mother Chloe and I get nothing.

Hazel Mystery...solved?

At least I've stumbled on another piece of the puzzle. Here is her death certificate:

Hazel's maiden name was Graham. Her father was Robert Graham, and her mother's maiden name was Mckenna. I;m not sure if this Death Certificate is indicating that she was born in Wyoming, the state, or Wyoming, WV the county. Especially since the mother's birthplace doesn't appear to be a state or country as requested. It looks like McDowel, which is a WV county right below Wyoming County (see the southern end of the state.) This genealogy search has made a real detective out of me! LOL

Oh, and if you read the cause of death on Hazel's death certificate, she had a miscarriage. I have not deciphered the first line, but the second begins with "influenza..." and the third says "Then misscarriage 7 1/2 months." She died November 7, 1918 in Webster County, WV.

Merry Christmas!

The Hazel Mystery continues...

After receiving an email from a cousin about some of the missing pieces in my search, I searched for a Hazel Grayham, Hazel Graham, Hazel Greyham, Hazel Grayhem, etc. - nothing! I know for certain that she was the first wife of Martin Ray Hammack (1893-1968) and the mother of my Grandma Sylvia and Great-uncle Harry. I know she died of "consumption" not long after Harry was born, but that's all I know.

I previously posted the records I have Martin Ray Hammack and his father, Benjamin.

Benjamin's father was Martin A. Hammack (1841-1890). I have only found the 1880 census for him and his wife Anna E. Givens (1841-1916). They had 10 children. I found a photo of their son and Benjamin's brother, Amos Webster Hammack (1880-1965). (Courtesy of "randydym" to Randal M. Shirbroun Family Tree Ancestry.com)

I was able to trace Benjamin's wife, Georgia Samantha Baughman (1873-1940) back a few generations. Her father, Morgan Davis Baughman born 13 March 1842 and her mother, Margaret Ann Dodrill was born 24 Feb. 1843 both in Nicholas County, WV (Incidently, that is where I was born in 1963!) However the 1860 US Census shows them living in Webster County. They had 6 children. She died the 29 Sept 1899 in the Nicholas County.

He lived with his son James and his wife Maggie and a 9 year old girl, Elizabeth Jackson who is listed as a boarder in 1900 according to the US Census report for Webster County, WV.

According to the 1920 US Census, he was 77 years old and lived in Braxton County with his son-in-law & daughter Benjamin & Georgia Hammack, their 3 children (Ernest, Delta & Elsie) and 2 grandchildren (Sylvia & Harry). He died 19 Jan. 1921.

Morgan David Baughman's parents were John Baughman (1814-1897) and Susanna B. Dyer (1814-1869). John was born in Nicholas County, WV and died in Braxton County. Susanna was born in Charlotte, VA and died in Webster County, WV. They had 11 children.

Let me end here on a disturbing note. Susanna B Dyer Baughman's parents may have been related to one another prior to marriage...I will have to research this more. What I have found shows her parents as James Dyer II and Margaret Dyer (that is her maiden name and married name!) They had 6 children together.

opps missed a couple of photos

These are Delta's children Ernest and Georgia Bell.

I also found this photo that had "Geo. N. Terney; 106 Camden Ave; Buckhannon, WV" written on the back. Maybe this is the couple who had the "not good looking" children in the previous entry!

Benjamin Van Hammack (1870-1949)

Martin Ray Hammack's father was Benjamin Van Hammack (1870-1949) and his mother was Georgia Samantha Baughman (abt.1877-? sometime after 1930). They were married in 1898.

In 1900 (according to the US Census report) they lived in Fort Lick, in Webster County, WV with 2 of their children. They had a total of 5 children: Martin Ray (1893-1968), William B. (1899-?), Ernest (1901-1982), Delta Ellis (1904-1993), & Elsie (Carr) (1907-1996). I do not have birth or death certificates for any of them.

According to the 1920 US Census report they lived in Otter, in Webster County, WV. Ernest, Delta & Elsie were still at home with their parents and my grandma, Sylvia and her brother Harry and Georgia's father, Morgan Davis Baughman (77 year old widower) resided with them as well. Sylvia was almost 4 years old and Harry was almost 1 year old.

This photo must have been taken at that time because Grandma couldn't be much more than 4 here. She is with Elsie Carr.

I am not sure which is which but this is Delta & Elsie in 1953.

The back of this photo said "Everett, Clyde, Roy and Aunt Elsie." These were her children with her husband Van Buren Carr 91901-1995). They were married in 1924. Everett was born in 1924. Clyde was born in 1927 and died in 1995. Roy was born in 1929 and died in 1968.

I am not sure if this photo belongs with this group or not since this Elsie was married to Van Buren not a George. I've checked both parent's siblings and found no Elsie but did find a George Hammack??? So anyway I'm including it here, just because I think the back of the postcard is interesting...

The back of this postcard was marked up but best I can tell these are George and Elsie's children. here is the back:

I show this only to say this is what I can decipher it says..."Dear sister and brother, here are our children. They are perfectly natural, not good looking but we love them all the same. We started home the Sunday you all were home but the rain ??? us before we got half way so we stopped at one of George's brothers..."(I can't read the rest.) You have to flip it around to see the signatures (at the top currently) ..."from Geo. and Elsie ???" (I can't read the rest.)

Do you think they really felt their children were ugly or was that their way of saying they did not get them all gussied up for this particular photo????

Martin Ray or Ray Martin Hammack??

Today I did some digging on the Hammack family, trying to find out just who great-granddaddy Hammack was married to and when. I've learned alot about the man today. Here are some of the artifacts I discovered: This is a copy of his US World War I Draft Registration Card (1917-1918). Unfortunately it is partially cut off but you can see he was married and living in Skyles, WV. He was employed as a laborer for the Davis Eakens Co. (I'm not sure what they did but I'll keep digging.) Interesting note, he was tall and had blue eyes. This card says his full name in Martin Ray Hammack unlike the one for World War II (1942), which says Ray Martin Hammack. (see below)He was married to Lulu when he filled out this card. He worked for Mountain Fuel Co. They lived in Brownton, WV where he still resided when died in May 1968. Below is a copy of his obituary that was in some old photos my dad gave me.I confirmed today that he was married twice.

This is him and Hazel in the photo above and I assume the little girl is my grandma, Sylvia. His first wife and the mother of both my grandma, Sylvia and Harry Hammack died young.

He married Lula or Lulu as it was written on one of the above draft registration cards. This is her with my Uncle Ray Watson.

Martin Ray & Lulu had two children, Van and James. Sylvia was the eldest born in 1916 and then Harry in 1918. I assume Hazel died shortly after that because Van was born in 1922 (and James in 1923) to Lulu and Martin Ray. So in that 4 year stretch Martin Ray or Ray Martin lost a wife, remarried and had another son.

This is the US Census report from 1930 for Summit, Ohio. Ray(37 years old & head of household), Lula (36), Sylvia (14), Harry (12), Van (7) and James (6) are listed in the household as well as Edgar Hoover (46). He is listed as the brother-in-law. So would Lulu's maiden name be Hoover? Also another column listed the "Age at first marriage," Ray's was 23 and Lula's was 27, which would mean around 1921 she and Ray were married. Also note that Edgar's age at first marriage was 28, so he must have been a widower in 1930.

My heritage search has made me start thinking more about the past and the extended family I only saw a couple of times a year.

I remember when Uncle Van died in 1984. Here is the card from the funeral I had saved. It seems I had only just gotten to know him and his family a few years before he passed. I had become close to his son Mike during my senior year of high school (1981)before he died of cancer.

Gone but never forgotten!

Question for the day: On the back of this picture was written: "1945 Mother Sylvia" The lady on the right is my grandma Sylvia so is "mother" Lulu?

7 generations of Watsons

I have now gone back 7 generations (8 if you count my son) of the Watson family. Here is what I have:

1. Me (1963- ) Married to F. Glenn Padrick (1984) - one child

2. Henry P (1940- ) Married to Marilyn Lewis (1962) - 2children

3. Henry P (1914-1977) Married to Sylvia Hammack (1935) - 6 children

4. Henry Clay (1883- ??) Married to Grace (??) - not sure how many children yet

5. Henry Clay (1858-1939) Married to Elizabeth A. ?? (??) - 7 children

6. James A. (abt. 1827-1863) Married to Mary Ellen Gibson (??) -not sure how many children. He was a POW during the Civil War, held at Camp Chase Prison in Columbus, Ohio where he died. (See pics below)

7. Isaac Scott (??-??) Married to Susannah Roberts (??)

Here are so pictures of Camp Chase where James Watson died:

POWs at Camp Chase. Courtesy of www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Quarters/5109/

Cemetery at Camp Chase courtesy of: www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Quarters/5109/

Unknowns...

I have scanned old pictures into my computer to post on this blog and ran across several I don't know anything about. A couple had dates, others had names and many had nothing on the back. I assume most come from my Grandma Watson's collection of pictures, not my Granny Lewis's, but I could be wrong. Anyone recognize any of these people or names???

"Sept. 1945"

"May 1950 JoAnn Roy"

"May 1950 Laura Tait"

"May 1951"

"Sept. 28, 1953 Garnett, Ruth, Mary & Jane"

"Marshell Lacy & Vick Ware"

"Blair & Stellena"

"Merta & Ray Waggon"

"Lucille Jack"

The following had nothing written on the back:

James & Jesse Watson

On the back of this picture was written "James & Jesse Lee Watson" So I am making the assumption that they are the brothers of Henry C., Jr. I am basing that on the 1900 census report for Upshur County, WV under the listing for Henry C., Sr. which has the following listed under his name:

• Elizabeth A. - wife - 37 yrs old - married 19 years - mother of 10 children 7 living in 1900.
• James L. - 17 yrs old
• William W. - 15 yrs old
• Jesse J. - 12 yrs. old
• Henry C. Jr. - 10 yrs old
• Elsa B. - 6 yrs old
• Emma J. - 4 yrs old
• Juley E - 1 yr old

Henry was a farmer. They owned the farm free of a mortgage.

Elizabeth could not read or write, but all the boys and Henry C. Sr, could read. Only Henry C. Jr could not write according to the census report. Each of the boys had attended school for 5 months. Neither mother or father had attended school.

One more generation back!!!

This is so exciting! I believe I have found one more generation (my great-great-great-grandfather). The 1860 census list abbreviated his name as Jas. A Watson (I assume this means James). He was 33 years old and married to 26 year old Amanda. They had 4 children: Andrew J. age 8, Jas. F. age 6, Martin L. age 4 and Henry C. age 1. Of course this was before WV was a state so they are listed as Virginians. Jas. was a farmer with assets valued at $100. but does not show any value to his real estate.

I also found death information on Amanda Watson. Who died in June of 1892 of "consumption" (which according to http://www.dictionary.com/ used to mean pulmonary tuberculosis) in Albemarle County, VA. She was 58.

I found that on www.lva.lib.va.us/whatwehave/vital/

I have found some Civil War listings for numerous James Watsons, so will have to do more digging to see if I can figure out which one he may be. One interesting note, some of this information divides West Virginia from Virginia but there are just as many confederate soldiers listed for the Watson family as there were union in WV. All those I found in VA were confederates. The war between the states divided families and obviously states and counties! It will be interesting to find out where old Jas.'s loyalties were placed.

Some Cousins

Some of my "Watson" cousins probably mid-1970's??

More Watson-Hammack Family Photos

Henry Paul Sr. (Can you believe this is Grandpa?)
.

Elsie Carr & little Sylvia. Anyone know who Elsie is?




















I know this is Ray Hammack but the lady and child I don't know. Is this his wife Lula that I have no other info on? .









My Grandpa & Grandma Watson: Paul & Sylvia (no date on the back)

I love old pictures, don't you?

(Sorry about the formatting, I can't seem to get this one situated!)

Days 1-3 of my Watson Heritage Quest

This is my first attempt at a genealogy search. My Granny (Bernadine Lewis) died earlier this year and I've just realized all those things I wish I had asked her about her life. Like where was she born, what was her childhood like, who were her boyfriends and why did she choose Grandpa over all the others...She wasn't much of a writer so I don't have a journal to guide me, now what?

As for the Watson side of my family I am plugging along (thanks to my grandmother, Sylvia Hammack-Watson, who kept some newspaper clippings and other odds and ends.) I've been checking US Census reports and following a nice neat path to the past until I hit a road block, either my great-great grandfather was orphaned or sent to live with an uncle in Virginia for a while.

I've basically been organizing the information I have so that I know where to begin my search. Many of the genealogy tips web sites say to begin with Census reports, so I think I have accessed all the "free" info I can get, except for calling all my aunts, uncles and cousins. I'm hoping by starting this blog, any one with information of the following people will post me a note or shoot me an email message. Pictures, copies of birth, marriage and death certificates are always welcome.

So far my search has uncovered the following Watson family lines for:

Henry Paul Watson, Sr. (my grandfather) born 4/3/1914 in Elkins, WV & died 1/18/1977.

He was married to Sylvia Hammack (place and date unknown for now.) The first pic to the left is of Paul and Sylvia in Sept. 1935.

Henry Paul, Sr.'s parents were: Henry Clay Watson Jr., born October 1883 and Dema Grace Harris (no further info yet) Second photo.

Henry Clay, Jr's parents were: Henry Clay Watson Sr. born 9/1958 and Elizabeth L. ??? born March 1863. Both of their parents live in Virginia.

From here the US Census reports get confusing, in 1870, 11 year old Henry Clay, Sr. was living with another family, the John Wentz family, in Upshur County, VA.

As for the Hammack's, here is what I have:

Sylvia Hammack was born in Braxton, WV 3/2/1916, and died on 9/28/1985.

Her father Ray Martin Hammack (pictures here) was born in 1893 and died on May 24, 1968 in Barbour County, WV. He was married to Lula (??) according to his obituary. His parents were VanBuren Hammack & Mary Givens Hammack. I come up with blanks in my search for any of these people in the US Census reports I can access from the computer.

Anyone know of some good "free" sites to aid in my Heritage Quest? I will pay for www.ancestry.com or a similar site once I gather more names and dates from my relatives.

I am also searching my mother's family: Calvin Lewis & Bernadine Harper from WV and my in-laws family history (mostly in NC) too. Any and all help is appreciated! Thank, Tonia