Edna – Our Casbon Journey

A Letter from Jesse Casbon

March 31, 2020April 15, 2020 admin4 Comments

(Updated 1 Apr 2020 based on comments made by Carol Cook—see below)

Personal letters can occasionally be a good source of genealogical information, but more often, they simply give us insights into the lives of the people who wrote and received them. If nothing else, they can help us to understand the everyday concerns of those who lived in a different era.

I’m indebted to John N. Casbon, who found this letter in the personal papers of his deceased grandmother, Anna Mae (Casbon) (Kitchel) Fleming.

Letter from Jesse Casbon to Anna; courtesy of John N. Casbon (Click on image to enlarge)

Here is a transcription (I have marked where I believe sentences end):
(updated based on Carol Cook’s comments, below)

march 27
anna this is a good nice
moring no clouds | we had
a bout 6 inches of snow
last week | we are all
well | i think the banks
2 of them are geten beter
and times times will
get work | will be more
wen we ge beer more
work | I am like you i
don’t like it but lots do
so let them have it | thay
get my money | lill don’t
get not much money out
of her store building
and taxes high | if it
was not for me and
that wont last long so
we cant tell | Edna is
doen good | she as a big
teritory to draw from |
so good by Jesse Casbon

This letter was written by Jesse Casbon (1834–1934) to his daughter Anna (1876–1957). It also mentions his daughters Lillian (“lill,” 1880–1967) and Edna (1885–1957). Although we’re given the date of March 27, we don’t know the year. My best guess is that it was written sometime between 1911, when Anna, who was divorced and living with Jesse, remarried and moved to Michigan, and 1934, the year of Jesse’s death (possibly 1933 – see Carol Cook comments, below). Lillian and Edna, who never married, were apparently living nearby. Jesse was living with them during much of this interval. A fourth daughter, Maude, was married and living in Michigan. Jesse’s wife, Emily (Price) had died in 1893 (see “Last Words”—a very touching letter from her).

The fact that Jesse uses no punctuation and makes numerous spelling errors tells us that his education was rudimentary. In the 1850 census of Wayne County, Ohio, we are told that six-year-old Jesse “attended school within the year.”^[1] However, by 1860 his education was complete and he was listed as a farmhand.^[2] Jesse’s older brothers, Sylvester and Charles, probably had more years of education; Sylvester even worked as a teacher for a few years. Their younger sister, Emma, probably had about the same education as Jesse.

Jesse’s spelling is so bad that it is difficult to make out the meaning of everything he says. Other than the weather, his main concern seems to be the family’s finances. He has apparently been helping Lillian cover expenses for her unnamed business. Edna is doing better financially.

I wish I knew what Lillian and Edna were doing to support themselves when the letter was written. The descriptions in the letter don’t match the information I have about them from various points in time. In 1908 and 1910, they were both working as nurses in Kansas City, Kansas.^[3] In the early 1920s, they operated a grocery and delicatessen in Valparaiso, Indiana, together.^[4] In the 1930 census, Lillian was living in Valparaiso with Jesse, and Edna was working as a hotel housekeeper in Chicago.^[5] They ran a floral business together after 1934, but that was after Jesse’s death.

Why did Anna keep this letter decades after it was written? Did it have special meaning to her or was it casually set aside and then forgotten? (See Carol Cook’s comments, below)

In these days of email, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (and now, Zoom!), it’s easy to forget that people used to keep in touch by writing letters. Getting a letter in the mail was an emotional experience because it brought news of loved ones. That’s probably the most important thing about this letter. It doesn’t really help to fill in any blanks in what we know about Jesse and his family; it simply tells us that staying connected was important to them.

[1] 1850 U.S. census, Wayne County, Ohio, Clinton Township, dwelling & family 8 (FamilySearch).
[2] 1860 U.S. census, Holmes County, Ohio, Washington Township, dwelling 1534, family 1556 (FamilySearch).
[3] Gould’s Kansas City, Kansas Directory (St. Louis, Missouri: Gould Direcotory Co., 1908), p. 378; and 1910 Kansas City Directory (Kansas City: Gate City Directory Co., 1910), p. 81 of Kansas City, Kansas section; “U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995,” (Ancestry).
[4] Bumstead’s Valparaiso City and Porter County Business Directory Including Rural Routes (Evanston, Ill.: Bumstead & Co., 1921), p. 71 (Ancestry).
[5] 1930 U.S. census, Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana, enumeration district (ED) 4, sheet 4A, dwelling 89, family 94; and 1930 U.S. census, Chicago, Illinois, ED 1802, sheet 5A, dwelling 22, family 89, line 46 (FamilySearch).

Last Words

September 18, 2018April 15, 2020 admin5 Comments

In my previous post I described the enjoyment Emily (Price) Casbon derived from keeping bees and extracting their honey. Today’s post looks at what might have been Emily’s defining characteristic: her Christian faith.

Emily was the wife of Jesse Casbon (1843–1934), who with his father Thomas, mother Emma, two brothers and one sister (born after their arrival in America), emigrated in 1846 from Meldreth, Cambridgeshire, England, first to Wayne County, Ohio, and then in the 1860s to Porter County, Indiana. Jesse and Emily had four daughters: Maud Elma, Anna Mae, Lillian, and Edna.

On April 25, 1893, Emily wrote a letter to her sister Catherine “Kate” (Price) Winslow, who was possibly living in Kansas at the time. John Casbon found a handwritten copy of the letter when he recently sorted through mementos belonging to Anna Mae (Casbon) Fleming, Emily’s daughter and John’s grandmother.

The copied letter has two explanatory notes at the top. One says, “Copy of Ma’s last letter, written the day before she died.” The other says “She made a mistake in her date. It was Apr. 25, as May 1^st her body was at rest in the cemetery.”^[1] I’m not sure who made the copy – I can’t tell if it’s Anna’s handwriting.

Photograph of handwritten copy of letter written by Emily Casbon, 25 Apr 1893. (Click on image to enlarge)

Here is my transcription of the letter.

Dear Sister Kate,-

You think I have forgotten you, but I have not. I just got around from another attack of Grippe, the Dr. called it Am very weak yet.

O! How hard it is to give up to die, and then be compelled to come back to the old life and gather up the broken and tangled mass of thread which our nerveliss hand so gladly let fall. I do not know how you feel, but I welcome death with a joyous heart and gladly lay all cares aside to welcome it. After all it is but a passing from darkness into light The transition may be blinding for our tired eyes for a time, but we shall rest, have sweet peace. What a blessed thought. Then shall we receive the new sight which failith not. Our tired eyes shall be bright, for shall we not see the great white throne and gather with the redeemed to sing the praise of the Lamb, and last, but not least, we shall

[p. 2] see the dear Redeemer of this wicked world and realize the depth of his love for us.

These are beautiful and restful thoughts, but how to intermingle them with every day life, every little trial which beset our sensitive hearts, for the human heart when compared with the golden harps we often hear played very much resemble each other when touched by the master hand, produces sweetest harmony. But let a rude or careless hand attempt to produce the simplest cords, and discord is the result.

Further more, the human heart will shut its self up so closely when a thoughtless or cruel hand may pierce its tender membranes that one would never dream of the beauties within.

But sister mine, I am not writing on this subject exclusively. So we will leave room for others and abler pens than mine.

Maud graduates next month. Annie is having the work to do, while I am sick. Maud, Jesse and Annie are going over to (line cut off) …

[p. 3] Maud will get her graduating dress and will feel so relieved when the whole thing is over.

I have not seen Mary for a long time. Netta was here to see me not long ago. And now, dear sister, how are you getting along. Has John sent Daisy to you yet. I have tried every avenue to help you. So far have failed. Do you hear from Uncle Henry? I have tried to interest him in your behalf.

Well, good night and God bless you.

Your loving sister

Emily Casbon
Valparaiso, Ind
Box 924

Besides her sister Kate, the addressee of the letter, Emily mentions several people. They are:

Maud – Emily’s eldest daughter, age 20, preparing to graduate from Valparaiso
High School
Annie – Emily’s second daughter, age 16
Jesse – Emily’s husband
Mary – Emily and Kate’s sister, Mary Jane, married to Godfrey Nimon
Netta – Emily and Kate’s sister, Annette, married to John Arnold
John – unknown, unless this refers to John Arnold
Daisy – Kate’s daughter, apparently not living with her at the time
Uncle Henry – unknown

Emily’s letter tells us that she has been ill with Grippe – a lay term for influenza.^[2] She seems to be recovering but is still very weak. She must have suffered a serious relapse – perhaps pneumonia – to have died suddenly the next day.

Apparently, she had come close to death in the days preceding the letter, since she talks about giving up to die and then coming “back to the old life.”

Her letter is a testimonial of a deep and abiding faith. She has clearly accepted and even welcomes death “with a joyous heart” as a passage to a new life. Her language is filled with biblical metaphor. This tells us much about Emily and how she approached life. Although many might have shared her faith, I doubt that many could have expressed it with as much confidence.

After giving witness to her faith, she writes a little bit about her immediate family, and then inquires about Kate’s well-being. It’s apparent that Kate has been going through some kind of personal difficulty. The letter does not say what the difficulty is, but I suspect it is related to Kate’s marriage. Kate married Harrison Winslow when she was 16 years old.^[3] Shortly afterwards, they moved to Kansas, where they had (at least) three children, one of whom was Daisy, mentioned in the letter. Sometime between 1885 and 1900, Kate and Harrison were divorced and living in different states.^[4]

It’s amazing to me that Emily could have written such a profound and lengthy letter one day before her death. It must have been important to her to keep in touch with her distant sister. Having already been close to the brink, I don’t think she realized that her life would end so quickly.

We are lucky to have so much information about Emily. Clearly, she was a woman who loved life, but because of her faith did not fear death. This is also reflected in her obituary.^[5]

Click on image to enlarge

With that we’ll say farewell to Emily. It has been nice making her acquaintance!

^[1] Emily Casbon (Valparaiso, Indiana), to “Dear Sister Kate,” photograph of handcopied letter, 1 May 1893 (with note stating correct date was 25 Apr 1893); privately held by Jon Casbon. Given to Jon by John N. Casbon, 2018.
^[2] George M. Gould, B.A., M.D., A New Medical Dictionary: Including All the Words and Phrases Used in Medicine, with their Proper Pronunciation and Definitions (Philadephia: P. Blakiston, Son & Co., 1890), p. 211, “Influenza”; online image, Hathi Trust Digital Library (https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/100140156 : accessed 13 September 2018).
^[3] “Michigan Marriages, 1868-1925”, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NQWF-V93 : 15 May 2018), Harrison Winslow & Catharine Price, 30 Dec 1868, New Buffalo, Berrien County; citing Secretary of State. Department of Vital Records, Lansing.
^[4] 1900 U.S. Census, Woods County, Oklahoma Territory, population schedule, Waynocka Twp., enumeration district 242, sheet 3A, p. 136 (stamped), dwelling 56, family 58, Harrison Winslow; imaged as “United States Census, 1900,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DTKQ-VLX?i=4&cc=1325221 : accessed 13 September 2018), Oklahoma Territory > Woods > ED 242 Waynoka Township (east half) > image 5 of 14; citing NARA microfilm publication T623, roll 1344.
^[5] “Death of Mrs. Jesse Casbon,” The (Valparaiso, Indiana) Porter County Vidette, 4 May 1893, page no. unknown; photocopy, privately held by Jon Casbon, 2018. Handwritten note gives publication and date.

What’s the Buzz?

September 11, 2018 admin6 Comments

It’s often difficult to learn more about our ancestors than the basic facts of their lives: when they were born and died; who they married, where they lived, and who were their children. I’m always happy when I find something that tells me more about what someone did with their life. Such is the case with Emily (Price) Casbon. Her story gives us insight into an activity that brought her joy and fulfillment.

Emily Price was born about 1855 in Benton County, Minnesota, the daughter of William and Mary (Rose) Price.^[1] In the 1860 census, she was living with her mother and siblings in her maternal grandparents’ home in Pleasant Township, Porter County, Indiana.^[2] Her father died in 1863.^[3] The date of her mother’s death is unknown, but it appears that Emily was an orphan by 1870, when she and two younger sisters were living with another family.^[4]

Emily’s life took a positive turn when she married Civil War veteran Jesse Casbon on April 23, 1872.^[5] Every indication is that their marriage was a happy one, blessed with the birth of four daughters: Maude, Anna, Lillian, and Edna. They lived on a farm of 160 acres, about one mile southwest of Valparaiso. She was active in her church and community.

Emily had a somewhat unusual hobby—beekeeping! I learned of her interest in bees when I found articles that she had written for The American Bee Journal. In the first article, she describes her early experiences with, and enjoyment of, beekeeping.

Source: The American Bee Journal, vol. 24, no. 47 (21 Nov 1888), pp. 762-3; MyHeritage (https://records.myheritagelibraryedition.com/research/record-90100-32622591/american-bee-journal-vol-24-january : accessed 10 September 2018), image 590 of 660 (Click on image to enlarge)
In her next report, written a little more than one year after the first, she writes with confidence about her success with the bees.

Source: The American Bee Journal, vol. 26, no. 3 (18 Jan 1890), p. 44; MyHeritage (https://records.myheritagelibraryedition.com/research/record-90100-32615041/american-bee-journal-vol-26-january : accessed 12 Aug 2016), image 40 of 656. (Click on image to enlarge)
Besides being a contributor, it’s clear that Emily was an avid reader of the Journal. She must have eagerly awaited each week’s edition in the mail, and then savored the articles, with their expert advice, reports on new developments, letters from other readers, and advertisements for beekeeping supplies.

It’s refreshing to see that beekeeping was an acceptable avocation for women in Emily’s day. Although not as frequent as men, several women wrote articles and correspondence for the Journal. Miss Marcia A Douglass, speaking at a beekeepers’ convention held at Burlington, Vermont in January 1888, read an essay on the question: “Should Women Keep Bees and Join the Bee-Keepers’ Association?” A summary of the convention proceedings reported that:

She could speak from experience, that while there was much hard labor in connection with the business, she saw no reason why a woman could not keep bees, to a greater or less extent, as successfully as the sterner sex, provided that she was adapted to the calling, and in love with it. If men were benefited by associations and interchanging of ideas and methods of work, why not women?^[6]

Emily was obviously “adapted to the calling, and in love with” beekeeping. She sounds like a delightful person to me. Unfortunately, death took her at the age of thirty-eight, in April 1893.^[7] It’s too bad that her obituary makes no mention of her interest in bees, since it obviously made her life more fulfilling. I wonder what happened to the bees after she was gone?

I found this entertaining about bees and honey on YouTube: enjoy!

Title page of The American Bee Journal, vol. 24, no. 1. (https://records.myheritagelibraryedition.com/research/record-90100-32622541/american-bee-journal-vol-24-january : accessed 11 September 2018), image 7 of 660.

^[1] Minnesota Territorial Census, 1857, Benton County, population schedule, township 38, range 31, p. 27 (stamped), dwelling & family 20, William Price: online image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939Z-YG9X-6F?cc=1503055 : accessed 14 Jun 2017), Benton > Township 38, Range 31 > image 1 of 1; citing NARA microfilm publication T1175, roll 1.
^[2] 1860 U.S. Census, Porter County, Indiana, population schedule, Pleasant Township, p. 110, dwelling 838, family 818, Henry M Rose; imaged as “United States Census, 1860,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GB9J-S8M2?i=7&cc=1473181 : accessed 24 March 2017), Indiana > Porter > Pleasant Township > image 8 of 12; citing NARA microfilm publication M653, roll 289.
^[3] Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=70625904 : accessed 17 June 2017), memorial page for William W. Price (1822–1863), no. 70625904, created by “Jackie & Ralph”; citing Spencer Cemetery, Kouts, Porter, Indiana.
^[4] 1870 U.S. Census, Porter County, Indiana, population schedule, Pleasant Township, p. 14, dwelling 103, family 102, Emely Price in household of William Carr; imaged as “United States Census, 1870,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-D5GG-RL?i=13&cc=1438024 : accessed 11 September 2018), Indiana > Porter > Pleasant > image 14 of 16; citing NARA microfilm publication M593, roll 351.
^[5] Porter County, Indiana, Marriage Record no. 4 (Sep 1871-Jan 1875), p. 88, no. 173, 23 Apr 1872, Jesse Casbon & Emma Price; imaged as “Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9TM4-RD8?i=78&cc=1410397 : accessed 11 September 2018), Porter > 1871-1875 Volume 4 > image 79 of 246; citing Porter County Clerk.
^[6] The American Bee Journal, vol. 24, no. 6 (8 Feb 1888), p. 91; online image, MyHeritage (https://records.myheritagelibraryedition.com/research/record-90100-32622541/american-bee-journal-vol-24-january : accessed 10 September 2018), image 79 of 660.
^[7] “Death of Mrs. Jesse Casbon,” photocopy of clipping from The (Valparaiso, Indiana) Porter County Vidette, 4 May 1893; privately held by Jon Casbon, 2018. (Handwritten note gives publication and date).

1905, Red Lake County, Minnesota

January 8, 2018April 15, 2020 admin2 Comments

The word serendipity means “the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.”^[1] I was browsing through various census results the other day, not looking for anything in particular. It was through serendipity that I chanced upon this entry in the 1905 Minnesota state census.

Minnesota State Census, 1905, Red Lake Falls, entry for Lillian Casbon.^[2] (Click on image to enlarge)

At first, I thought this might be a misspelling, because I was not aware of a Lillie Casbon living in Minnesota. The closest Lillian I knew of was the daughter of Jesse Casbon (1845–1934). She was born and raised in Porter County, Indiana. I began to compare the details in the Minnesota census with Jesse’s daughter: she was born in February 1880, which would have made her 25 years old in June of 1905.^[3] This doesn’t exactly match the age of 23 in the census, but it’s close. Her place of birth (Indiana) and those of her parents (father – England, mother – Minnesota) as written in the census match the information I have about Jesse’s daughter. So far, so good.

Then I noticed something else in the Minnesota entry: Lillian’s entry is sandwiched between those for Annie Kitchen and two children, Jessie and Steven. Annie, age 27, was also born in Indiana, and her parents were born in the same states as Lillian. It appears that Lillie is living in the same household as the Kitchens.

Now things started to snap into place. Lillian Casbon, of Indiana, had an older sister, Anna Mae, who was born in December 1876.^[4] This would have made her 30 years old in 1905. Anna Mae Casbon married Newton Kitchel in 1898,^[5] and had two children, Jesse John (b. 1898) and Steven (b. 1900).^[6]^,^[7] Anna divorced Newton Kitchel and eventually changed her surname back to Casbon. She was apparently still going by Kitchel when the Minnesota census was taken in 1905, but her name was misspelled as Kitchen.

The 1905 census has a little bit more information to give us. We can see that both Anna and Lillian were employed as bakers. Anna had been a resident of Minnesota for 1 year, 1 month and a resident of Red Lake County for 10 months. Lillian came to Minnesota after her sister; she had only lived there for 3 months. As we have seen, both women “fudged” a couple of years on their true ages.

It turns out, Anna and Lillian were not the only Casbons living in Red Lake County at the time. George W. Casbon and his stepmother/aunt Emma (Casbon) Rigg, were living in nearby St. Hilaire, as seen in this image.^[8]

Minnesota State Census, 1905, St Hilaire, entries for Emma Rigg and GW Casbon. (Click on image to enlarge)

I’ve written about George and Emma in the post “Introducing the Iowa Casbons! Part 1.” Anna and Lillian were George’s first cousins, and Emma was their aunt.

St Hilaire and Red Lake Falls are only about 8 miles apart. Is it a coincidence that these cousins were in such close proximity? It’s impossible to know for sure, but it seems unlikely. George’s occupation in the 1905 census was listed as “farming,” but his obituary tells us that he operated “a bakery (my emphasis) and farm in Minnesota for two years” before moving back to Iowa.^[9] How interesting that Anna and Lillian were both listed as bakers!

We know that George and Emma maintained contact with their Indiana relatives.^[10] We also know that when Emma died in 1910, she was staying with her brother Jesse, Anna and Lillian’s father, in Indiana.^[11] Anna was living in the same household, and cared for Emma during her final illness.^[12] Emma expressed her gratitude to Anna in her last will and testament with a bequest of 500 dollars.^[13] So, it seems likely to me that Anna, Lillian, George, and Emma would have know of each other’s presence in Minnesota.

Why were they all in Minnesota? George might have been there to be close to his future bride, Maud Carpenter.^[14] Other than that I don’t have any clues about their reasons for being there. From the residency information in the 1905 census, it looks like Anna arrived in Minnesota first, then George, then Emma, and finally Lillian. I know from the obituary quoted above that George, and presumably Emma, only stayed in Minnesota for two years, but I don’t know how long Anna and Lillian lived there.

It seems like their time in Minnesota was just a small footnote in their life stories. George and Emma returned to Iowa. Anna and Lillian returned to Indiana. Anna eventually remarried. Lillian never married, but eventually started a flower shop in Valparaiso, Indiana, with her other sister Edna. My father recalls them and their shop, located across the street from the Pioneer apartments, and just behind the present-day Porter County Library (now a vacant lot).

^[1] “Serendipity,” Oxford English Living Dictionaries (https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/serendipity : accessed 8 January 2018).
^[2] “Minnesota State Census, 1905,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:9Q97-YSB7-M72?cc=1503056&wc=M8SL-WT1%3A67006601%2C67115001 : 21 May 2014), Red Lake > Red Lake Falls, Ward 02 > image 8 of 10, entry for Lillian Casbon, schedule sheet 28 (versa), p. 344 (penned), no. 1080; citing State Library and Records Service, St. Paul.
^[3] “United States Census, 1880,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHS7-ZZV : accessed 8 January 2018), entry for Lilly E Casbon in household of Jesse Casbon, Center Township, Porter County, Indiana, enumeration district 141, sheet 516C, p. 39(penned), household 273, family 275; citing NARA microfilm publication T9, roll 305.
^[4] “Deaths … Mrs. Anna Mae Fleming,” The (Valparaiso, Indiana) Vidette-Messenger, 21 Dec 1957, p. 2, col. 5; database with images, Newspaper Archive (accessed through participating libraries : accessed 31 May 2017).
^[5] “Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9R15-4M4?i=253&cc=1410397 : accessed 18 June 2017), image 254 of 286, Newton Kitchell/Anna Casbon, 9 Jul 1898; citing Porter County Clerk, Marriages 1895–1899, vol. 11, p. 430.
^[6] “United States Census, 1900,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MMKK-WJ6 : accessed 25 July 2017), Jesse Kitchel in household of Neuelan Kitchel, Cavour town, Forest, Wisconsin, enumeration district (ED) 39, sheet 5B, family 90; citing NARA microfilm publication T623, roll 1789.
^[7] “United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K6Z8-GQZ : 12 December 2014) >Virginia > Warwick County no 1, A-C > image 1862 of 2615, Steven Casbon, 1917-1918; citing NARA microfilm publication M1509.
^[8] “United States Census, 1880,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:9Q97-YSBQ-11S?i=17&cc=1503056 : accessed 3 August 2017), G W Casbon, Saint Hilaire, River Falls township, Red Lake, schedule shhet 17, p. 173, line 677; citing State Library and Records Service, St.Paul.
^[9] “Deaths – George W. Casbon,” Waterloo (Iowa) Daily Courier, 25 Feb 1944, p. 2, col. 5; online archive, Newspaper Archive (accessed through participating libraries: 16 January 2016).
^[10] Jon Casbon,“Introducing the Iowa Casbons! Part 1,” Our Casbon Journey, 5 Oct 2017, para. 4 (https://casbonjourney.wordpress.com/2017/10/05/introducing-the-iowa-casbons-part-1/ : accessed 8 January 2018).
^[11] “La Porte City Resident Dies,” Waterloo (Iowa) Evening Courier, 5 Aug 1910, p. 5, col. 5; online images, Newspaper Archive (accessed through participating libraries : accessed 29 June 2017).
^[12] Jon Casbon, transcriber, letters written by Emma Casbon to George & Maude (Carpenter) Casbon in 1910, transcribed 2017; privately held by Casbon. The letters were provided to him by Claudia Vokoun, who received them from her mother, Emma Elizabeth (Casbon) Eldridge.
^[13] Last will and testament of Emma E. Rigg, Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana, 1909, photostatic copy in scrapbook compiled by Claudia Vokoun, Aug 2017; copy privately held by Jon Casbon.
^[14] Casbon,“Introducing the Iowa Casbons! Part 1,” Our Casbon Journey, 5 Oct 2017, para. 6.

Children of Thomas Casbon (1803–1888): Jesse

June 20, 2017April 15, 2020 admin1 Comment

Jesse Casbon was the fourth surviving child of Thomas and Emma (Scruby, 1811–1870) Casbon, and the last one born before their departure for America. Jesse was born November 23, 1843 and baptized May 26, 1844 in Meldreth.^[1],[2]

Detail of Meldreth Parish register, baptisms, 1844. (Click on image to enlarge)

Jesse would have been less than 3 years old when the family boarded the Parkfield, so he probably remembered little, if any, of the voyage. His earliest memories would be of the family homes in adjacent Wayne and Holmes counties, Ohio. The 1850 census shows 7-year old Jesse along with the rest of the family in Clinton Township, Wayne County.^[3]

Detail from 1850 U.S. Census, Clinton Township, Wayne County, Ohio. (Click on image to enlarge)

This small section of the census is a great example of how valuable information can be gleaned, and connections made, from limited census data. We see from the marks in column 11 that Jesse and his two older brothers attended school within the past year. Had they remained in England this might not have been possible. On line 2 of the census form we see the name Rachel Paine, age 20, living in the household of Emmett Eddy (he is listed on the previous page of the census). We met Rachel in “From England to Indiana, Part 8,” where we learned that she was Emma (Scruby) Casbon’s niece, who traveled from England to Ohio with Thomas Casbon and his family. Her story is interesting, and worth reading in the earlier post.

The name Eddy is also significant. The History of Porter County, Indiana tells us that Thomas Casbon, after arriving in Wayne County, “bought eighty acres of land near Wooster on the Columbus road at the village of Eddyville, where the stages between Cleveland and Columbus then changed horses.”^[4] Eddyville cannot be found on maps today, but it may well be the site of “Eddy’s Inn,” established by Emmett Eddy’s father in 1830 along the Cincinnati to Cleveland stagecoach line.^[5]

One final note about this page of the 1850 census: the last name shown is that of James Wing, misspelled as “Ying,” age 26. I used this same census entry in “From Labourer to Landowner” and explained how Thomas Casbon and James Wing jointly bought their first parcel of Ohio land in 1850. Who sold them the land? Emmett Eddy!^[6]

I’ve gotten off track from the subject of today’s post, so it’s time to get back to Jesse. After his older brothers Sylvester and Charles moved to Porter County, Indiana, Jesse remained at home with his parents and sister Emma. He was 17 years old when the American Civil War broke out in April 1861. Jesse enlisted for one year of service in September 1864.^[7] He was assigned to the Ohio Volunteer Infantry, 178th Regiment, Company D.

Detail of roster, Ohio Infantry, 178th Regiment, Company D. The roster gives Jesse’s age as 19. He would have really been 20 in September 1864. (Click on image to enlarge)

The 178th Regiment was sent to Tennessee, going first to Nashville, then Tullahoma, and then Murfreesboro.^[8] They helped defend the town during the siege of Murfreesboro, and during that time participated in the Battle of Wilkerson’s Pike.^[9] In March 1865, the regiment fought in the Battle of Wyse Fork.^[10] Afterwards, they joined General Sherman’s advance towards Raleigh, N.C..^[11] Following the surrender, the unit was assigned to garrison duty in Charlotte, N.C. until they mustered out June 29, 1865.^[12] The regiment’s losses were relatively light: 2 killed in combat and 63 died of disease.^[13]

Jesse’s father Thomas bought his first land in Porter County, Indiana, in January 1865 while Jesse was still serving in the Army.^[14] Jesse must have joined him in Indiana shortly after the war. He bought 80 acres adjacent to his father’s farm in 1867.^[15] Although a landowner and farmer in his own right, he was still single and living in his parents’ house when the 1870 census was taken.^[16]

This situation changed when he married Emily Price in April 1872.^[17] Jesse was 28 years old and Emily was 16 or 17. Emily probably became an orphan in her childhood or early teen years; her father died when she was about 8 years old, and I haven’t found any records of her mother after the 1860 census.^[18],[19] In the 1870 census, 15-year old Emily was living with her married older sister in Pleasant Township, just east of Porter Township, where Jesse lived.^[20]

Jesse and Emily had one son, who died in infancy, and four daughters: Maude Elma (1873–1962), Anna Mae (1876–1957), Lillian E. (1880–1967), and Edna (1885–1957).^[21] In 1879, Jesse bought about 160 acres in Center Township, just southwest of Valparaiso, and relocated there with his family.^[22]

Detail of 1895 plat map, Center Township, Porter County, Indiana, showing Jesse’s land.
(Click on image to enlarge)

He was widowed and left with daughters ranging from 8 to 20 years old after Emily died in 1893.^[23] Daughter Anna Mae married (John) Newton Kitchel in 1898.^[24] Maude married Myron Dayton in 1901.^[25] Lillian and Edna remained spinsters and lived with Jesse until his death on January 24, 1934.^[26]

Jesse’s obituary reflects his Civil War service and summarizes much of what I have described above.^[27]

Jesse’s obituary – from The (Valparaiso) Vidette-Messenger, August 25, 1934.
(Click on image to enlarge)

Jesse and Emily are buried in Maplewood Cemetery, Valparaiso.^[28] Even though they only had daughters, the Casbon surname lives on today in their branch of the family, owing to the fact that Anna Mae divorced Newton Kitchel, and had her name, and that of her two sons, legally changed to Casbon.

^[1] “Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011,” Jessie Casbon, 24 Jan 1934, Valparaiso, Porter, Indiana; image copy, Ancestry Library Edition (accessed through participating libraries : accessed 13 December 2016); citing Indiana State Board of Health. Death Certificates, 1900–201, microfilm, Indiana Archives and Records Administration, Indianapolis, Indiana.
^[2] Parish of Meldreth (Cambridgeshire, England), “Register of Baptisms in the Parish of Meldreth in the County of Cambridge [1813–67],” p. 59, no. 469, Jesse Casbon, 26 May 1844; accessed as “Parish registers for Meldreth, 1681-1877,” browsable images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/search/film/007567609?cat=210742 : accessed 28 April 2017); citing Family History Library (FHL) microfilm 1,040,542, item 5.
^[3] 1850 U.S. Census, Wayne County, Ohio, population schedule, Clinton Township, p. 2 (written), dwelling 8, family 8, Thos. Casban; image, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-XHRS-K7M?i=1&cc=1401638 : accessed 4 July 2016); citing NARA microfilm publication M432, roll 739.
^[4] “Sylvester Casbon,” History of Porter County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests (Chicago: Lewis Publishing Company, 1912), 2: p. 483; online image, Hathi Trust Digital Library (https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89067919191;view=1up;seq=139 : accessed 13 June 2017).
^[5] Ben Douglass, History of Wayne county, Ohio, from the days of the pioneers and the first settlers to the present time (Indianapolis, Indiana: Robert Douglass, Publisher, 1878), p. 787; online image, Internet Archive (https://archive.org/stream/cu31924028848765#page/n825 : accessed 13 Jun3 2017).
^[6] Wayne County, Ohio, “Deed books, v. 34, 36 1850-1852,” v. 34, pp. 293-4, Emmett Eddy to Casbon & Wing entry, 2 November 1850; browsable images of FHL microfilm 420,933, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/search/film/007900918?cat=295246 : accessed 26 November 2016), images 164-5.
^[7] Ohio Roster Commission, Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1866 (Cincinnati: The Ohio Valley Press, 1889),” 9: 584; image copy, Internet Archive (https://archive.org/stream/ohiowarroster09howerich#page/584 : accessed 28 October 2016).
^[8] “178th Ohio Infantry,” Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/178th_Ohio_Infantry : accessed 14 Jun 2017), rev. 24 Sep 16, 19:52.
^[9] “178th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry,” Ohio Civil War Central (http://ohiocivilwarcentral.com/entry.php?rec=488 : accessed 14 June 2017).
^[10] “178th Ohio Infantry,” Wikipedia.
^[11] “178th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry,” Ohio Civil War Central.
^[12] “178th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry.”
^[13] “178th Ohio Infantry.”
^[14] Porter, Indiana, “Deed records, 1836-1901,” Deed Index Grantee, Casbon Thos from S.O.M Lee, 15 Jan 1865; Family History Library (FHL) microfilm 1,703,895, item 4.
^[15] Porter, Indiana, “Deed records, 1836-1901,” Deed Index Grantee, Casbon Jesse from David Jones, 1 Apr 1867; FHL microfilm 1,703,895, item 4.
^[16] 1870 U.S. Census, Porter County, Indiana, population schedule, Porter Township, p. 7 (written), dwelling 52, family 52, Jessie Casbin in household of Thomas Casbin; image, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-D5GG-R5?i=6&cc=1438024 : accessed 14 June 2017); citing NARA microfilm publication M593, roll 351.
^[17] “Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007,” Porter, 1871–1875, p. 89 (stamped), no. 173, Jesse Casbon & Emma Price, 23 Apr 1872; online image, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KDH3-54P : accessed 20 Jul 2016), image 78; citing Porter County Clerk’s office.
^[18] Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=70625904 : accessed 17 June 2017), memorial page for William W. Price (1822–1863), memorial no. 70625904, created by “Jackie & Ralph”; citing Spencer Cemetery, Kouts, Porter, Indiana.
^[19] 1860 U.S. Census, Porter County, Indiana, population schedule, Pleasant Township, p. 110 (written), dwelling 838, family 818, Mary Price (age 36) in household of Henry M. Rose; image, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GB9J-S8M2?i=7&wc=7QK5-RG3%3A1589426070%2C1589426630%2C1589423641&cc=1473181 : accessed 14 June 2017); citing NARA microfilm publication M653.
^[20] 1870 U.S. Census, Porter County, Indiana, population schedule, Pleasant Township, p. 14 (written), dwelling 103, family 102, Emely Price (age 15) in household of William Carr; image, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-D5GG-RL?i=13&cc=1438024 : accessed 14 June 2017); citing NARA microfilm publication M593, roll 351.
^[21] “Jesse Casbon, War Vet, Dies at Age of 90,” The (Valparaiso, Indiana) Vidette-Messenger, 25 Jan 1934, p. 1, col. 3; online archive, Newspaper Archive (accessed through participating libraries : accessed 22 August 2016).
^[22] Porter, Indiana, “Deed Index 6, Grantee, Mar 1876—Dec 83,” Casbon Jesse from John T Derrit, 20 Mar 1879; FHL microfilm 1,703,896; citing Recorder’s Office, Porter, Indiana.
^[23] Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=109806539 : accessed 14 June 2017), memorial page for Emily Price Casbon (d. 26 Apr 1893), memorial no. 109806539, created by Alana Knochel Bauman; citing Maplewood Cemetery, Valparaiso, Porter, Indiana.
^[24] “Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007,” Porter, 1895–1899, vol. 11, p. 430 (stamped), Newton Kitchell & Anna Casbon, 9 Jul 1898; online image, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9R15-4M4?i=253&cc=1410397 : accessed 18 June 2017), image 24; citing Porter County Clerk’s office.
^[25] “Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007,” Porter, 1898–1901, vol. 12, p. 504 (stamped), Myron R. Dayton & Maud E. Casbon, 23 Oct 1901; online image, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9R15-CL4?i=319&wc=Q83F-4HT%3A963055701%2C963108501&cc=1410397 : accessed 18 June 2017), image 320; citing Porter County Clerk’s office.
^[26] “Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011,” Jessie Casbon, 24 Jan 1934, Valparaiso, Porter, Indiana; image copy, Ancestry Library Edition (accessed through participating libraries : accessed 13 December 2016); citing Indiana State Board of Health. Death Certificates, 1900–201, microfilm, Indiana Archives and Records Administration, Indianapolis, Indiana.
^[27] “Jesse Casbon, War Vet, Dies at Age of 90.”
^[28] Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=109806484 : accessed 13 Jun 2017), memorial page for Jesse Casbon (1843–1934), memorial # 109806484, created by Alana Knochel Bauman; citing Maplewood Cemetery, Valparaiso, Porter, Indiana

From England to Indiana, Part 5

November 4, 2016 admin4 Comments

This the fifth in a series of posts examining a handwritten family history of Isaac Casbon and his descendants. The date and authorship of the manuscript is unknown. So far we’ve looked at Isaac Casbon’s family in Meldreth, England; his son Thomas’ marriage, family, and emigration first to Ohio and later to Porter County, Indiana; and Thomas’ death in Indiana. We continue with…

Silvester Casbon Lives at the present time at Deep River Lake Co Ind has married 3 times having lost the two first wives He had two children by the first wife Adeline Aylsworth a daughter and son by the last Harriett Perry three sons no heirs by the last
Charles Lives near Valparaiso had born to him four children first born died in infancy two more daughters wer born to them Lodema and Sina Jo Casbon then one son Lawrence
Lodema married Highram Church
Jesse Married Emily M. Price of Koutts to them wer born four daudhters and one son who died in infancy

This section provides a more detailed look at the third generation of Casbons in the manuscript, with Isaac being the first and Thomas the second generation. The events mentioned in this section provide valuable clues about when the manuscript was written.

Let’s look first at Sylvester, Thomas Casbon’s oldest son. Sylvester married Adaline Aylesworth on October 30^th, 1860, in Porter County. [1] Sylvester and Adaline actually had three children, not two. The first was a daughter named Bertha, who was born in December 1860 but died when she was six months old. [2] The other two children were Cora Ann, born June 1861, [3] and Lawrence Leslie (my great grandfather), born March 1865. [4] There are anecdotal reports of a fourth child, Deete, but for various reasons, I’m certain she was not their child. She’ll be the topic of a later post. Sylvester’s wife Adaline died March 1868 in Deep River, Lake County, Indiana. [5]

Sylvester married Emmeline Harriet Perry in October 1869. [6] They had three children: Thomas Sylvester, born July 1870; [7] Charles Parkfield, born October 1872; [8] and George Washington, born August 1874. [9] Harriet died just a few months after George’s birth, in November 1874. [10]

Sylvester’s third wife was Mary M Mereness. They were married in December 1877 and had no children. [11]

Sylvester and Mary (Mereness) Casbon, about
1905. Photo from author’s collection (Click on
image to enlarge)

Shortly after his first marriage, Sylvester bought a small farm in Boone Township, Porter County, [12] but later moved to Deep River in adjacent Lake County, Indiana. [13] In 1892, Sylvester and his third wife left the farm and moved to Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana. [14] When this family history was written, Sylvester was still living in Deep River. Therefore, the latest date it could have been written would be in 1892, before he moved to Valparaiso.

After telling of Sylvester’s marriages and children, the manuscript turns to his brother Charles. Charles returned to Holmes County, Ohio to marry Mary Evelyn Marrell in December 1868. [15] It’s interesting that the author fails to mention the name of Charles’ wife or that of Sylvester’s third wife. I suspect this was just an oversight, or it didn’t seem important to the author of the document.

Charles and Mary had four children. The first daughter, Lillie May, was buried in September 1871, when less than a year old. [16] Lodema Evaline was born October 1871. [17] Their third child was also a daughter, Sina Jane, born March 1874. [18] Lawrence John, their only son, was born August 1875. [19]

Charles Thomas Casbon in front of his home at 203 Monroe St., Valparaiso, Indiana, about 1912. The two women are probably his wife Mary and daughter Sina. Photo from History of Porter County, Indiana: A Narrative Account of its Historical Progress, its People and its Principal Interests. Lewis Publishing Company (1912) p. 458 (Click on image to enlarge)

The statement “Lodema married Highram Church” is the other piece of the puzzle for dating the manuscript. Lodema Casbon married Hiram Church in February 1890 in Porter County. [20] This gives the earliest date that the family tree could have been written. Combined with the fact that Sylvester was still living in Deep River, the manuscript must have been written sometime between 1890 and 1892.

The last of Thomas Casbon’s children to be summarized in this document is his youngest son Jesse. Jesse married Emma Price in April 1872, in Valparaiso. [21] Jesse and Emma had four daughters, Maude, born March 1873; [22] Anna Mae, born December 1876; [23] Lillian E, born in February 1880; [24] and Edna, born December 1885. [25] A son, Ivan, died in infancy. [26] I haven’t been able to locate any records pertaining to him.

With Jesse Casbon and his children, the family history concludes its discussion of Isaac and Thomas Casbon’s descendants. One noteworthy omission from this document is the marriage of Thomas and Emma Casbon’s youngest daughter, Emma. Emma’s birth was mentioned earlier in the document, and that was the last we heard of her. She married Robert Noel Rigg of Porter County in 1869. [27] In 1876 Robert and Emma moved to Tama County, Iowa. [28] I wonder why Emma was left out of this document?

Detail of a photo taken at a Casbon family reunion about 1901. This is the only photo I’m aware of showing all four of Thomas’ children. Photo from author’s personal collection (Click on image to enlarge)

It’s also interesting that the author mentions the marriage of Charles’ daughter Lodema, but not that of Sylvester’s daughter Cora Ann, who was married to John Sams in 1880. [29] Perhaps Lodema’s marriage was fresh in the author’s mind, or perhaps the author was closer to that side of the family.

[1] “Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007. FamilySearch. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KDH3-L4L [accessed 21 January 2016]
[2] Shook, S. “Cornell Cemetery, Boone Township”, database, Porter County, Indiana http://www.inportercounty.org/Data/Cemeteries/CornellCemetery.html [accessed 22 Aug 2016]
[3] “Cora Ann Casbon Sams”, Find A Grave, http://findagrave.com), http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=143588545 accessed 22 Aug 2016
[4] “85-Year-Old Resident of County Dies.” Vidette-Messenger, 16 Jun 1950. Valparaiso, Indiana. Newspaper Archive Academic Library Edition http://ezproxy.ppld.org:2083/us/indiana/valparaiso/valparaiso-vidette-messenger/1950/06-16 [accessed 29 Oct 2015]
[5] Shook, S. “Cornell Cemetery, Boone Township” [accessed 22 Aug 2016]
[6] “Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007,”, FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KDH3-PGM [accessed 21 January 2016]
[7] “Thomas S Casbon.” Find A Grave http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=116217116 [accessed 22 Aug 2016]
[8] “World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards”, FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZ25-59G [accessed 22 Aug 2016]
[9] “World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards”, FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZ2K-WY9 [accessed 22 Aug 2016]
[10] Goodspeed, W.A. “Sylvester Casbon.” Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana : Historical and Biographical Illustrated 1882. Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/countiesofporter00good [accessed 22 Aug 2016]
[11] “Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007,”, FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VNTD-TQS [accessed 4 Jul 2016]
[12] “Sylvester V. Casbon” History of Porter County, Indiana: A Narrative Account of its Historical Progress, its People and its Principal Interests. Lewis Publishing Company (1912), Pages 482-484. Hathi Trust Digital Library: https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/011679885 [accessed 20 Aug 2016]
[13] “Sylvester V. Casbon” History of Porter County, Indiana…
[14] “Sylvester V. Casbon” History of Porter County, Indiana…
[15] “Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013.”, FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XZN8-G9Z [accessed 8 December 2014]
[16] “Lillie May Casbon.” Find A Grave http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=19252732 [accessed 22 Aug 2016]
[17] “Lodema E Church. Find A Grave, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=92361867 [accessed 22 Aug 2016]
[18] “California Death Index”, FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VG51-BB5 [accessed 22 Aug 2017]
[19] “World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards”, FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZ2T-BTH [accessed 22 Aug 2016]
[20] “Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007.” FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KDHQ-WJ5 [accessed 22 Aug 2016]
[21] “Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007.” FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KDH3-54P [accessed 20 Jul 2016]
[22] “United States Census, 1900.” FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M9MG-LNV [accessed 4 November 2016]
[23] “United States Census, 1900.” FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MMKK-WJX [accessed 4 November 2016]
[24] “United States Census, 1900.” FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M9MG-LNV [accessed 4 November 2016]
[25] “United States Census, 1900.” FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M9MG-LNV [accessed 4 November 2016]
[26] “Jesse Casbon, War Vet, Dies at Age of 90.” Vidette Messenger, 25 January 1934. http://ezproxy.ppld.org:2083/us/indiana/valparaiso/valparaiso-vidette-messenger/1934/01-25 [accessed 22 August 2016]
[27] “Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007.” FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KDH3-Y6X [accessed 20 July 2016]
[28] “Robert N. Rigg.” History of Tama County, Iowa, together with sketches of their towns, villages and townships, educational, civil, military and political history., (1883), Page 739. Internet Archive https://archive.org/stream/historyoftamacou00unio#page/738/mode/2up [accessed 13 Aug 2016]
[29] “Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007.” FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KDH3-B2X [accessed 11 July 2016]

Minnesota State Census, 1905, Red Lake Falls, entry for Lillian Casbon.[2] (Click on image to enlarge)