Henry J Kampe, 1916-1983, was this his sled?

 

“The sled belonged to your father.” This message has been passed down to me for years. Is this true or false?

 

Maybe it was not a dream; I remember seeing tracks down the hill at grandpa’s home in Frankfort, Will County, Illinois. The photo included in this blog is me on a sled in February 1943. Since I was born 1 August 1939, I would have been three and a half years old. The dream or memory in my mind plays out of descending down the long, to a child, gentle hill. I remember various tracks in the snow from numerous trips up and down the side yard.

 Is it possible that my dad had a flexible wooden sled? Yes, according to Wikipedia.com, “Samuel Leeds Allen patented the Flexible Flyer in 1889…” 

“Flexible Fliers are flexible both in design and usage. Riders may sit upright on the sled or lie on their stomachs, allowing the possibility to descend a snowy slope feet-first or head-first. To steer the sled, riders may either push on the wooden cross piece with their hands or feet, or pull on the rope attached to the wooden cross-piece. Shifting the cross-piece one way or the other causes the flexible rails to bend, turning the sled.”  Comparing my sled model with online photos, this sled may have been designed in the 1920s.

  The Photo Detective, Maureen Taylor, reminds us to wring out every detail in a photo. My dad’s hand writing provides the date as February 1943. Selma on the sled is the subject. This leaves only the location in question. Concrete blocks, tires and wood scraps appear in the upper half of the original photo. HINT: scan ALL of the original photo, keep original scan, crop for publication.

family

With my family staying in Will County, Illinois, the following are three possible locations:

• 1.    My maternal grandparents, the Schuler family lived at 815 Madison Street, Lockport. The garage was wooden. In the front yard was a short steep hill ending at the curb.
• 2.    My dad had purchased an old house at 56 Herkimer Street, Joliet. He remodeled this into six apartments. It would have had a back porch that may have had blocks, but doubt the tires. I doubt this was the place, very small yard, no hill. I attended first grade 1945-1946, so I doubt he owned the building in 1943.
• 3.    My paternal grandfather, William Kampe, lived at the edge of Frankfort. My dad grew up on this farm. The buildings consisted of the original barn with adjoining equipment shed, summer kitchen, garden, chicken house and home. All the buildings appeared to be the same vintage. Except, a large concrete block garage looked out of place at the end of the gravel turnaround between the garden and the chicken house. The garage was definitely more modern than the rest of the buildings.

 With these three choices, I would choose Frankfort. We visited often. It would be the safest for a three and a half year old child to slide down the grassy hill and stop safely with no traffic. Dad and his father were probably out working in the garage when I stopped at the bottom of the hill.

If this is my dad’s sled, they could have been cleaning out the garage as many of us are attempting to do today. Thank you, Deborah; the sled has a great new home. May this article be a tribute to the sled, my dad, my grandparents and many fond memories!!!

 Comments, Selma Kampe Blackmon, sbgenealogy@gmail.com.

Carrie S. Couch, 1856-1927, from photographer to inventor

 

Carrie S. Couch, Sarah Caroline Couch, or Sarah C. Couch, her life is full of conflicting information. Was she born in Rome, Oneida County, New York, or Rochester, Monroe County, New York? Carrie’s death certificate and obituary agree on a birth date of 2 October 1856. The obituary reads Rochester and her death certificate reads Rome. As the family arrived in LaSalle County, Illinois, in approximately January 1857, she was a very young baby.

 1860 – Brookfield Township, LaSalle County, Illinois, U.S. Federal Census

1870 – unable to find her as of this article

1880 – unable to find her as of this article

1896 – Kankakee, Kankakee County, Illinois, city directory lists Elisha T Couch, farmer, Carrie A, photographer, George H Couch, farmer, all reside at 230 Locust Street

1898 – Kankakee, Kankakee County, Illinois, city directory lists Jane A. Couch (widow of Elisha T) resides at 230 Locust, George H. Couch boards at 230 Locust,  Carrie S. Couch retoucher for C E Voss  boards at 230 Locust,

1900 – Crotty [Seneca], LaSalle County, Illinois, daughter of Jane A., occupation photographer. Also, in the home is George, son of Jane A. U.S. Federal Census

1904 - Kankakee, Kankakee County, Illinois, city directory, Carrie S Couch, retoucher, boards  192 Rosewood Ave

1906 – Marseilles Plaindealer, 20 April, page 2, newspaper notice of mother [Jane] ill and returned home to Seneca after living with her daughter [Carrie] in Kankakee

1910 – Crotty [Seneca], LaSalle County, Illinois, Main Street, Carrie and George living together (sister and brother), Carrie, own income [no occupation given] U.S. Federal Census

1912 - Bumble Bee newspaper, quoted from TheStory of Seneca, Illinois, page 4-15 “In 1912, Couch’s touted their new art studio with ‘fine photographs and reasonable prices’ opposite the post office in Seneca.”

1917 – U.S. patient for flour sifter   

1920 – Crotty [Seneca], LaSalle County, Illinois, Carrie and George living together (sister and brother), Carrie occupation photographer, U.S. Federal Census    

1927 – Republican-Times, Ottawa, Illinois, 5 July 1927, obituary. Carrie went to the hospital in Joliet for surgery on 19 June. She was doing well, yet passed away 4 July 1927.

 Couch family photos have been printed on card stock from C. E. Voss. Carrie apprenticed and worked for Charles E Voss. Mr. Voss was a well known Kankakee photographer. His studio was located downtown next to the train station, great access for tourist traffic. The studio location would be within walking distance of Carrie’s home. My research trip to Kankakee many years ago did not produce success with finding further information on Mr. Voss. 

MaureenTaylor, The Photo Detective, thank you!!! Without your encouragement, I would never have attempted to follow Carrie all these years. We met years ago at a national conference. Your comment stuck with me for years; “the faces and the hands do not match.” You explained that the faces appeared the appropriate age, but the hands were way too young. This blog introduces my attempt to explain the photographer and the photograph. Would Carrie, age about 20, be working for Mr. Voss as early as the late 1870s in Kankakee? The photo in question is labeled Grandma and Grandpa Dunaham [Dunham]. These people would be Carrie’s grandparents. This photograph of grandma and grandpa deserves a blog of its own.

What is Carrie S Couch's relationship to me? Carrie is my great-grandaunt. She is the daughter of Jane A. Dunham, 1823-1906, and Elisha T. Couch, 1820-1896.

Sarah Raesbeck Woodin 1831-1908

Who is Sarah Raesbeck Woodin? According to the photo she is “Dad’s Mother.” This photograph is one on many from the Wilma Woodin Collection. Wilma Woodin Morey, 1922-2016, was my mother’s cousin or my first cousin once removed. So, “Dad’s Mother” would be the mother of Martin Luther Woodin, 1873-1931, or the wife of Abel Woodin, 1827-1887.

With the use of online computer digital images, I was no closer to identifying Sarah than the paper copies I received in the early 1990s. Maureen Taylor, The PhotoDetective,  tells me that every photograph wants to tell me a story. So, Sarah what is your story? What records are now digitized that Wilma did not have access to years ago?

Sarah Giles was baptized 2 November 1831 in Bromsgrove, Worcester, England according to the Family History Library Film Number 321128. The index for the baptism date is 1831 and several census records agree. The 1841 and 1851 English Census records approximate 1832. So, when the quarantine is over, this will need to be verified (May 2020). Her father is listed as James Giles; her mother is listed as Mary Giles. The 1861 English Census reads that Mary’s father is Richard Lewis.

Sarah Giles married Abel Woodin on 9 June 1851 in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, England. According to digital records, the family crossed the Atlantic in 1880. Abel died 1887 and was buried in LaSalle County, Illinois. Sarah married a second time to John Raisbeck on 17 September 1890 in Grundy County, Illinois, Illinois Marriages FHL film 001415756. View the 1900 United States Federal Census, John, Sarah and Thomas were enumerated in Bureau County, Illinois. Thomas was born in 1881 in Illinois. Thomas’ obituary reads that he was born in Braceville, Grundy County. At this time, my further research reveals that Elizabeth Wilson was the mother of Thomas and Rachael Raisbeck. Sarah was still married to Abel Woodin in 1881. Family papers reveal Sarah’s death date as 1908, as of May 2020 I am unable to find an obituary or any document.

For me, the photo question has been answered, Sarah was born Giles, married first time Abel Woodin, married second time John Raisbeck.

My connection, Sarah Giles was the mother-in-law of my great aunt, Eugenie Luella COUCH 1878-1959. See my tree, Roots Digger (Under Construction), on Ancestry.com for the source citations; or, see my tree, Roots Digger 2020, on MyHeritage.com.

Thank you Wilma for your many, many hours putting together this family for future generations!