Weddings in my Ancestral Line: December 8th through 14th

Two of my known direct ancestral couples were married during the second week of December:
maternal 6X great grandparents Moses Cooper and Mary Mathewson were wed in Glocester, Rhode Island, on December 10, 1732; and maternal great grandparents Lewis Logan Slater and Rufina Tomlinson in Severy, Kansas, on December 13, 1885.

[Lewis Logan Slater & Rufina Tomlinson Slater-undated double portrait

courtesy of Olive Slater-Kennedy]

The following two couples also married during the second week of December but I'm less certain of my relationship to them: paternal 10X great grandparents Thomas Ford and his first wife Joan Way wed in England on December 13, 1610*; and maternal 5X great grandparents William White and Jemima Wright were married on December 13, 1781 in Adams, Massachusetts, by my 6X great grandfather Elder Peter Worden.**

*This is a line that I haven't looked at in years and so I'm not certain of my connection. In any case, I would be descended from his second wife Elizabeth Charde.
**This couple's relationship to me is entirely speculative and not to be relied on. If it's true they are the grandparents of Hannah Leonard, the wife of Porter Worden (my 3X great grandparents)



© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

My Great Grandparents Visited the St. Louis World's Fair - 1904

St. Louis celebrated the centennial of the Louisiana Purchase by hosting an international exposition* which was officially opened by President Theodore Roosevelt on April 30, 1904.**

[1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition poster showing area covered by the purchase-image found at Porter Briggs.com]

Before it closed on December 1st, nearly 19.7 million people visited the site, including my great grandparents Lewis Logan Slater and Rufina Ellen Tomlinson accompanied by their 14-year old daughter Opal. 

[13 Oct 1904, 8 - Democratic Messenger at Newspapers.com]

Since the railroad line goes right through Severy I'm sure they traveled to St. Louis by train.

[Kansas railroad map - Kansas Memory. Kansas Historical Society]

The Exposition fairgrounds sprawled over 1,270 acres:

[Panoramic aerial view of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition (St. Louis World's Fair) held in St. Louis, Missouri, from April 30 to December 1, 1904. View was probably made from a tethered balloon at the Aeronautic Concourse in the northwest corner of the fairgrounds, looking roughly southwest. Source: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum]

[Ground Plan Of The Louisiana Purchase Exposition St. Louis, Mo. 1904. Buxton & Skinner Stationery Co. Publishers, Fourth & Olive St. St. Louis, Mo. Copyright, 1904 By Parker Eng. Co. Source: Davis Rumsey Historical Map Collection]

This daily program for the Exposition dates from a few days before the Slaters arrived, but it gives us an idea of the kind of event to be seen by visitors.

[An Official Daily Program from the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition for Saturday, October 8th

found at the National Park Service-Gateway Arch site.]

[Order of the day from an Official Daily Program from the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition for Saturday, October 8th

found at the National Park Service-Gateway Arch site.]

I wonder if they brought home one of these?***

[Souvenir book of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, © 2017 The Wolfsonian—Florida International University]

*Here's a French poster:

[Poster for the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the St. Louis World's Fair, painted by artist Alphonse Mucha.

Wikimedia Commons]

**And a bust of President Roosevelt sculpted in butter was a featured exhibit.

[Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print]

***You can see the rest of the pages of this book here.

© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

A Bit More Information about the Slater-Tomlinson Wedding - December 25, 1885

We've already seen this maternal great grandparents' marriage license but thanks to a small item in a local newspaper we now know where their wedding took place:

[25 Dec 1885, Page 1 - The Eureka Herald and Greenwood

County Republican at Newspapers.com]

I wasn't able to locate a picture of the hotel but here's an ad for it a few years later:

[9 Jun 1888, Page 4 - The Severyite at Newspapers.com]

A reminder:--here's a portrait of the happy couple that was probably taken at about the time of their marriage:

[Courtesy of Olive Slater-Kennedy]

© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Gone for Soldiers: United States Formally Declares War on Germany - April 6, 1917

President Wilson declared war on Germany 101 years ago today. Newspapers in Greenwood County, Kansas, where my Slater kin were living at the time, were weeklies published on Thursdays but their readers wouldn't have been surprised because of articles like this one from the preceding day's Democratic Messenger:

[5 Apr 1917, Page 1 - Democratic Messenger at Newspapers.com]

Seven months later a letter from my maternal grand uncle George Logan "Pete" Slater was published on the front page of the Severyite:

[8 Nov 1917, Page 1 

The Severyite at Newspapers.com]

I've written several posts about Pete's military record which you can find here and here. He had joined the U.S. Marines in 1915 at the age of 29 and had been just promoted to Corporal around the time of this letter.

I haven't found any more reports from Corporal (later Sergeant) Slater so I don't know what he experienced during his tour of duty abroad.

This is the man who ran for the U.S. Congress as a Socialist several times in the 1930s.




© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

L.L. Slater & Hamlin's Wizard Oil - 1890

When I found the following paragraph which included a reference to my great great grandfather Lewis Logan Slater the lucky winner of " the silver cake basket" at a free concert on the streets of Severy, Kansas, I just had to find out what was going on. 

[24 Oct 1890, Page 2 - Democratic Messenger at Newspapers.com]

Hamlin's Wizard Oil claimed to be able to cure just about any ailment* and spread the good news around the continent not just through print advertising but alto through its traveling concert tours. Here's a description of a Canadian troupe I found on Linda Knight Seccaspina's blog

Drawn by four white stallions, it served as a mobile performance stage, with a built-in parlour organ and lockers crammed with Hamlin’s medicines. Wizard Oil was emblazoned in gigantic letters across the sides. The troupe consisted of a driver, a lecturer and a male quartet. Hamlin enforced a rigid dress code. Some competitors posed as Indians, Quakers or mysterious healers from distant lands, but Wizard Oil president John Hamlin wanted his wagons and employees to project an image of professionalism. All employees were contractually bound to dress identically in high silk hats, frock coats, gray vests, striped trousers, spats and glossy patent-leather shoes.

[Source: lindaseccaspina.wordpress.com]

Through Google Books and HathiTrust I located a promotional song book printed by the company featuring "humorous and Sentimental Songs as sung throughout the United States by Hamlin's Wizard Oil Concert Troupes." Here's the cover and a couple of pages.

It all must have been as exciting for the residents of small towns throughout North America as the circus coming to town.


*Link to Wizard Oil and cancer cure claims


© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Another Male Slater Behaving Badly in Kansas: Pete Slater - "The arrest was a surprise."

In November of 1911 twenty-five year old Pete Slater fell afoul of the strict alcohol laws in Kansas.

[2 Nov 1911, Page 2 - Democratic Messenger at Newspapers.com]

[18 Jan 1912, Page 1 - The Eureka Herald and Greenwood County Republican at Newspapers.com]

Further research reveals that his partner in crime "Tice" was Civil War veteran Mathias A. Costin (1836-1922) who's buried in Severy's Twin Groves Cemetery. You will note in the last item of this newspaper cutting, he's the one who paid the $100 fine.

[25 Jan 1912, Page 4 - The Severyite at Newspapers.com]

P.S. Peter Slater is my great uncle.


You can read about the Kansas version of Prohibition here.




© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

J.E. Slater Pulled His Revolver Out...

Mild mannered school teacher or gun-toting troublemaker? It appears that James Everett Slater (1869-1914), my maternal 2nd great uncle, was both (though probably not at the same time).

[Courtesy of Olive Slater-Kennedy]

Actually, at the time of the 1901 newspaper article below, J.E. may not have been teaching school.

[The Eureka Herald and Greenwood County Republican

Eureka, Kansas; 21 Feb 1901. Source: Newspapers.com]

Although we know he was hired to teach in several neighboring towns beginning as early as 1895, in the 1900 U.S. Census his job was listed at "Hotel Keeper." Further research shows that J.E. took over the management of Severy's Clifton Hotel in May of 1900.

[18 May 1900, Page 1 - The Severyite at Newspapers.com]

That career change didn't last and by November of 1901 the same newspaper reported that J.E. had taken a bookkeeping job at P. Ludvickson & Co.

[27 Sep 1901, Page 1 - The Severyite at Newspapers.com]

However next year J.E. was back in front of the blackboard--in Severy this time.

[12 Jun 1902, 1 - The Severyite at Newspapers.com]

His obituary notes that he spent the last ten years of his life as a principal of several schools.

[7 Jan 1915, 1 - Democratic Messenger at Newspapers.com]

© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

A Few Local Newspaper Items Regarding Lewis Logan Slater (1855 - 1905)

Let's begin with a portrait of this maternal great grandfather, looking all steely-eyed and lawyer-like:*

[Courtesy of Olive Slater-Kennedy]

I don't recall any personal stories about him shared with me by our Slater kin so I took particular notice when I found references to him in Greenwood County (Kansas) newspapers while searching for his mother's death date. I'm including some of them here.

This 1883 note in the Severy Section column of The Eureka Herald and Greenwood County Republican provides the most accurate date of the Slaters' move to that town.

[26 Jul 1883, Page 4 - The Eureka Herald and Greenwood County Republican at Newspapers.com]

Two years later Logan*** was named Severy's postmaster which seems to have put his legal career on hold. However when his postal job ended in 1889 he returned to the law.

[31 May 1889, Page 4 - The Severyite at Newspapers.com]

Soon the papers were filled with references to the Logan's partnership with B.F. Blankenship, the editor of a local newspaper The Kansas Clipper. The pair had grandiose plans.

[21 Jun 1889, Page 1 - The Severyite at Newspapers.com]

Although that partnership (and its $40,000.00 farm loan fund) garnered mentions in the local newspapers during June and into July of 1889, by the end of that month Logan' made no reference to it on his published business card.

[19 Jul 1889, 1 - The Severyite at Newspapers.com]

From the next bit, we learn something about several recreational opportunities available in Severy.

[16 Aug 1889, 4 - The Severyite at Newspapers.com]

That's right--my great grandfather raised fighting cocks and made a name for himself in that world apparently. As this piece published in The Severyite 30 years after its original publication demonstrated, Logan appears to have been nationally known, at least in certain circles.****

[18 Dec 1919, Page 4 - The Severyite at Newspapers.com]

Until my foray into Severy news I never realized that the town had a history of horse racing (and that my ancestor obviously followed the sport).

[5 Jun 1891, 4 - The Severyite at Newspapers.com]

[29 May 1891, 4 - The Severyite at Newspapers.com]

I wonder what his wife Rufina thought of that?

*Here's a link to a previous post about him.
**The Mr. Slater referred to here is his father George W. Slater.
***He was continually referred to either as Logan or L.L., never Lewis.
****Here's a sample of a cover from that year. The local paper seems to have gotten the publication name wrong, but Richard K. Fox was the editor of the National Police Gazette.

© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Monday Is for Mothers: Sarah M. Matthews (1832 - 1915)

I may have spent literally hours today combing through historic newspapers from Greenwood County, Kansas, in what appears to have been a vain search for Sarah Matthews Slater's obituary* but I did learn more about her there (and also some other Slater kin). For instance, she was a continuing subscriber of

[The Severyite, 11 Jun 1914. Source: Newspapers.com & made available by the Kansas Historical Society.]

Two month later the Democratic Messenger of Eureka, Kansas, printed this item**:

[Democratic Messenger, 27 Aug 1914. Source: Newspapers.com

& made available by the Kansas Historical Society.]

But whatever Sarah's illness was, it wasn't immediately fatal because she's listed among the family members who survived J.E. Slater's death on Christmas Day of that year.

[Democratic Messenger, 7 Jan 1915. Source: Newspapers.com

& made available by the Kansas Historical Society.]

Although her name appears the delinquent tax list in July 1915, I'm not certain that's a proof of life.

[Democratic Messenger, 8 Jul 1915. Source: Newspapers.com

& made available by the Kansas Historical Society.]

And from them on her name in the records (at least searchable one) end.



*We don't have a date of death for this maternal great great grandmother, the widow of George W. Slater--The woman sitting of the porch in this group shot of various Slaters in Severy is probably the last picture we have of her. (Here's a link to a previous post with all the images we have.)

[Courtesy of Olive Slater-Kennedy]

**This is James Everett Slater--the H. middle initial is a typo.


© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Monday Is for Mothers: Lulu Hayes Hilyard Slater (1871 - 1948)

This lovely portrait of Lulu Hilyard Slater and her two daughters Faye Virginia (1896-1968) and Helen Louise (1902-1984) looks like it was taken about 1905.

[Originally posted to the Bright/Carriker Family Tree on Ancesty.com by my 5th-8th Cousin Jeremy Bales]

Lulu married James Everett Slater (1869-1914)* in 1891 which makes Faye and Helen my first cousins, twice removed.

[James Everett Slater - Courtesy of Olive Slater-Kennedy]

["Kansas, County Marriages, 1855-1911," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-16091-17579-98?cc=1851040&wc=M6VS-868:166157501,166216001 : accessed 21 May 2014), 

Greenwood - Marriage records, 1887-1894, v. D - image 143 of 241.]

Neither Faye or Helen ever married and both are buried in Twin Groves Cemetery in Severy, Kansas, as is their father (along with several other Slater relatives**).



*James was the brother of my great grandfather Lewis Logan Slater.
**Including my great grandfather Lewis Logan Slater, his wife, my great grandmother Rufina Ellen Tomlinson Slater and their daughter, my great aunt Opal May Slater.



© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.