Mary Mereness – Our Casbon Journey

Color!

March 26, 2020 admin6 Comments

At this moment, most if not all of my readers are practicing some form of “social distancing” because of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. I hope you are all staying well and coping with the difficulties associated with this historic situation.

With today’s post, I have a suggestion that will hopefully lift your spirits and alleviate any boredom you might be experiencing. The suggestion comes courtesy of the MyHeritage genealogy website. Back in February (it seems so long ago!), MyHeritage introduced MyHeritage in Color™, a feature that automatically colorizes black and white photographs. As an introductory offer, users could upload and colorize up to ten photos. Once the limit was reached, a user would need a paid subscription to continue using the feature. I tried it out and was impressed with the results. However, I did not opt for the paid subscription.

A few days ago, I was surprised to receive this email message from MyHeritage.

Yes, they are offering “free and unlimited access” to this feature. I took them up on the offer and went through my collection and colorized about 200 photos. More importantly, if you have old photos stashed away, you might want to try it out yourself. It’s a good way to stay active if you’re stuck at home. This shows what a photo looks like before and after colorization.

Sylvester and Mary (Mereness) Casbon, with Sylvester’s descendants; about 1905,
Valparaiso, Indiana; author’s collection (Click on image to enlarge)

The results are impressive. The process uses artificial intelligence (AI) to decide which colors to use and where to place them. The computer algorithms are very good, but not perfect. If you look carefully at the photo above, you’ll see that the right hand of the girl standing in the front row is still gray. The AI failed to identify it as a body part. You can see a more extreme version of this in this detail from a photograph of Amos and Carrie Casbon’s family.

Detail from photograph of Amos and Carrie (Aylesworth) Casbon’s family and
home near Boone Grove, Indiana, about 1911; courtesy of Ron Casbon

The AI has missed two of the children altogether, making them look like clay sculptures.

On the other hand, some of the results are amazing. The AI seems particularly good at producing flesh tones, hair color, and vegetation. In most cases, it seems to do a good job with clothing as well. I would think that better quality scanned images are more likely to fare well, but I’ve had good results with poor quality originals.

Jesse John II and Elizabeth (Ryan) Casbon, Cocoa Beach, Florida; adapted
from an iphone photo of the original; courtesy of John N. Casbon

You can also see that the MyHeritage logo gets added to the colorized image—a small price to pay, in my opinion.

Do you have old black and white family photos or snapshots? I encourage you to try this out. Visit https://www.myheritage.com/incolor, where you’ll need to sign up for a free account. You’ll need to scan your black and white photos to make digital copies so you can upload them to the web page. I suggest you use a scanning resolution of 300 dots per inch or better.

Here are some of the favorites from my collection.

Left: Sylvester and Mary (Mereness) Casbon, courtesy of Ilaine Church;
Right: Reuben and Elizabeth (Neyland) Casben, courtesy of Phil Long

Lawrence and Kate (Marquart) Casbon and family; seated on the horse, L to R, are Lynnet, Loring and Leslie; about 1898 near Hebron, Porter County, Indiana; courtesy of Don Casbon (Click on image to enlarge)

Left: James Casbon; Right: Amos and Carrie Belle (Aylesworth) Casbon; both courtesy of Ron Casbon

Left: Donald Glen Casbon (L) and Herbert Aylesworth (R) Casbon, undated; courtesy of Michael J. Casbon;
Right: L to R—Herman, Harriet, and Floyd Casbon; courtesy of Claudia Vokoun (Click on images to enlarge)

Lynnet Casbon and an unidentified man delivering a refrigerator in
Valparaiso, Indiana, about 1940; courtesy of Dave Casbon

Margaret (Donovan) Casban (second from left), her daughter Nell (third from left),
and others, hops picking in Sussex, England, early 1930s; courtesy of Alice Casban

Sunday School

January 31, 2020 admin4 Comments

This is my eighth post in the Guild of One-Name Studies blog challenge 2020.

Many genealogy researchers have learned that old books can be a valuable source of information about their ancestors. Many books that are no longer protected by copyright have been digitized and are available online. The three book sources that I use most often are Internet Archive, Hathi Trust Digital Library, and Google Books. You can go to any of these sites and type in a search term, such as a surname, and then get a list of books containing that search term. A regular Google search will also find these references, although they may be scattered throughout the search results.

A recent search turned up a source, titled The Sunday Schools of Lake: An Account of the Commencement and Growth of the Sunday Schools of Lake County, Indiana, from about 1840 to 1890.^[1] The book was written to commemorate the 25^th anniversary of the Lake County Sunday-school Convention, an interdenominational annual meeting of many of the county’s churches, as well as “the 50^th Anniversary of Sunday-school work in Lake County.”^[2]

In addition to giving a detailed history of Sunday schools in the county, the book provides a listing of students enrolled in the Convention’s Sunday schools in 1890. A few Casbon names turned up in this list.

Detail from pages 161-2 of The Sunday Schools of Lake, showing students enrolled at the Deep River Union School in 1890; (note: “1888” next to the name of the school is the year the school was organized)
(Click on image to enlarge)

The three names on page 161, Charles, Lawrence and T. (Thomas) Casbon, are all known to me. They are the sons of my second great-grandfather, Sylvester Casbon. Sylvester had moved to Deep River from Porter County in about 1865. Lawrence was born in 1865 to Sylvester’s first wife, Mary Adaline (Aylesworth), who died in 1868. Thomas and Charles were born in 1870 and 1872, respectively, to Sylvester’s second wife, Emilene Harriet (Perry), who died in 1874. In 1890, Lawrence, Thomas, and Charles would have been about 25, 20, and 18 years old, respectively. All three were still unmarried.

I must admit that I am completely baffled by the name on page 162—Stella Casbon. There is no other record of a child with that name. She does not appear in vital records, census reports, family histories, newspaper articles, or photographs. The fact that she was enrolled in the Boys’ and Girls’ class tells us that she would have been younger than the three Casbon sons. But there are no records of a younger daughter being born to Sylvester. Nor was a child of that name born to any of Sylvester’s siblings. There is no record that Sylvester’s third wife, Mary (Mereness) had any children. There were no other Casbon families living in Lake County at the time. So, who was Stella? I just don’t know.

The fact that the Casbon name appears in this book led me to reflect upon the religious beliefs and practices of the early Indiana Casbons. I’ll say at the outset that there is insufficient information to draw any firm conclusions. The Indiana Casbons are all descended from Isaac Casbon of Meldreth, Cambridgeshire, England, who lived from about 1773 to 1825. The baptisms, marriages, and burials of Isaac’s family were recorded in the parish registers (i.e., Church of England) of Meldreth and nearby parishes. Since this was the near universal practice of the time, it tells us nothing about the family’s religious beliefs or practices. The baptisms of two of Isaac’s children, Joseph and James, were not recorded, which suggests that the sacrament was not a high priority. As a poor agricultural laborer, Isaac was at the lower end of the social order. Putting bread on the table was probably a higher priority than religious practices.

Of Isaac’s son Thomas, my third great-grandfather, nothing is written about his religious beliefs. The few biographical references I have seen do not mention religion. If he is mentioned in church records in the U.S., I am not aware of them.

However, I do have a little information about Thomas’s sons. An 1882 biographical sketch of Sylvester Casbon, the father of the three sons mentioned above, states that “he is liberal in politics, attends church, and is much esteemed by his neighbors.”^[3] The 1912 History of Porter County Indiana includes sketches about Sylvester and his brother Charles. Of Sylvester, the book says “he and his wife are members and liberal supporters of the Christian church [of Valparaiso, Indiana], with Rev. Hill as their pastor.”^[4] Charles and his wife, Mary (Marrell) were also said to be liberal supporters of the same church.^[5] Sylvester’s obituary also mentions his membership in the Christian church.^[6] The fact that Sylvester and his brother were members of this church tells us that they considered themselves to be Christians, like the majority of Americans at the time. However, it tells us nothing about how important their Christian beliefs were to them.

The Christian church referred to above is now known as First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and was founded at Valparaiso, Indiana, in 1837.^[7] A modern source describes the denomination in these terms: “the Disciples of Christ, also known as the Christian Church, has no creed and gives its congregations complete autonomy in their doctrine. As a result, beliefs vary widely from individual church to church, and even among members of a church.”^[8] Thus, it is hard to tell exactly what the members of The Christian Church in Valparaiso believed.

First Christian Church, Valparaiso, Indiana, 1950 (https://www.fccvalpo.org/our-building-over-time)

Going back to the Sunday school roster of 1890, The Sunday Schools of Lake tells us that the Deep River Union School was organized “in August, 1888, by the evangelist ‘Christian’ minister of this district, Rev. Ellis B. Cross.”^[9] I haven’t been able to find out anything more about the school or its founder. Were the three Casbon sons there because of their Christian beliefs or was it more of an acceptable social outlet—something young men in Deep River were expected to do (especially since there was also a young ladies’ class!)? How was their Sunday school experience reflected in their later lives?

I was always under the impression from conversations with my father that his family in Indiana wasn’t very religious. His grandfather was Lawrence Casbon—the one listed on the Sunday school roster above. Lawrence’s obituary mentions his membership in the local Masonic Lodge but says nothing about church membership.^[10] Likewise, the obituaries of his three sons, Leslie, Loring, and Lynnet, mention their memberships in the Masons, Scottish Rite, American Legion, and similar organizations, but say nothing about church membership. Perhaps these social organizations became their surrogates for participation in an organized church. [Update: see comment from Dave Casbon, below.]

Of Lawrence’s two brothers, Thomas’s obituary describes him as a member of the same Christian church as his father.^[11] Charles’s obituary says that he belonged to the Elks lodge but does not mention a church affiliation.^[12]

As I said earlier, there isn’t enough information to draw firm conclusions. The Indiana Casbons described above were all respected members of their communities. They fit in with the norms and expectations of their fellow citizens. Church membership and Sunday school attendance was probably one of those expectations in the late 1800s.

I will be eager to hear from any of their descendants whether they have different recollections or opinions.

[1] T.H. Ball (Crown Point, Indiana: T.H. Ball, 1891); Google Books (https://books.google.com/books?id=g5A_1QM4wVAC : accessed 21 Jan 2020)
[2] The Sunday Schools of Lake, p. 5.
[3] Weston A. Goodspeed, Charles Blanchard, Counties of Porter and Lake Indiana: Historical and Biographical, Illustrated (Chicago: F.A. Battey & Co., 1882), p. 707; Hathi Trust Digital Library.
[4] History of Porter County Indiana: A Narrative Account of its Historical Progress, its People and its Principal Interests (Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co., 1912), p. 484; Hathi Trust Digital Library.
[5] History of Porter County Indiana, p. 461.
[6] “Death Calls S.V. Casbon; Reached 90,” The (Valparaiso, Indiana) Vidette-Messenger, 10 Dec 1927, p. 1, col. 1; Newspaper Archive (accessed through participating libraries).
[7] “Our Story,” First Christian Church (https://www.fccvalpo.org/our-story).
[8] Jack Zavada, “Disciples of Christ Beliefs and Practices,” Learn Religions (https://www.learnreligions.com/disciples-of-christ-beliefs-and-practices-700019).
[9] The Sunday Schools of Lake, p. 86.
[10] “85-Year-Old Resident of County Dies.” The Vidette-Messenger, 16 Jun 1950, p. 1, col. 5; Newspaper Archive.
[11] “Deaths … Thomas S. Casbon,” The Vidette-Messenger, 16 Mar 1955, p. 6, col. 3; Newspaper Archive.
[12] “Death Takes C.P. Casbon,” The Vidette-Messenger, 1 Feb 1949, p. 1, col. 1; Newspaper Archive.

Writing the Book, Part Four

January 5, 2020April 15, 2020 admin7 Comments

This is my second post in the Guild of One-Name Studies 2020 Blog challenge.

In the previous post, I discussed the process of writing the text for The Descendants of Isaac Casbon in America. Today I’ll talk about three important steps needed to get the text ready for printing. These are use of illustrations, editing, and layout. These steps don’t necessarily fall into chronological order. In fact, they were ongoing throughout much of the writing process.

Illustrations. These are not strictly required for traditional family history books, but they certainly make them more appealing. I knew from the start that I wanted to use illustrations in the book. Over the years, several Casbon relatives have shared family photos with me, so I had a good selection to choose from. When I started writing the book, I created an “Illustrations” folder on my computer to store photos that I thought I might use. As I wrote the text in Microsoft Word, I inserted the photos at appropriate points and wrote captions for them.

Photographs weren’t the only type of illustrations. I also wanted to use maps to illustrate important places in the family history, notably Cambridgeshire (England), Ohio, Indiana, and Iowa. I found good examples of period maps on public-domain websites. Then I did some additional editing, such as shading or highlighting certain areas of the maps to show where the Casbon ancestors lived. I created nested maps that allow the reader to “zoom in” to see certain areas in more detail. Here is an example of one.

Example of a nested map showing England (top), Cambridgeshire (center-left), and detail of
southwestern Cambridgeshire (bottom). The villages of Meldreth and Melbourn are circled.
John Cary, Cary’s new English Atlas: Being a Complete Set of County Maps (London: John Cary, 1809);
David Rumsey Map Collection, https://www.davidrumsey.com. (Click on image to enlarge)

Other illustrations included a chart of Isaac Casbon’s ancestors, images from parish registers, censuses, and other online document collections, excerpts from newspapers,
a handwritten family history, and pages from a family Bible.

Most of the images needed some kind of modification before they were ready to insert into the book. For printed books, a resolution of 300 dots per inch (dpi) or higher is recommended. Most of my images were lower resolution—some as low as 72 dpi. Although this resolution looks fine on a computer screen, it isn’t detailed enough for a print publication. I won’t go into details, but I was able to use image-enhancement software to increase the resolution of my pictures. I also used the software to adjust the lighting and contrast, to sharpen the images, and to crop them. Most of the photographs were originally printed in black and white or sepia-toned. Color photographs would have greatly increased the cost of the book, so I converted all the images to greyscale.

A photograph of Sylvester and Mary (Mereness) Casbon, before and after image enhancement;
Courtesy of Ilaine Church

Editing. I was blessed with a “secret weapon.” My daughter worked as a copy editor for a New York publishing company for several years. She graciously accepted my request for her to review my text. She happened to be on maternity leave during the time that I needed her skills. Although taking care of a newborn child was her first priority, she managed to keep up with my writing.

I usually sent her one or two completed chapters at a time by email. She returned them to me with comments which we then discussed over the phone. Even though I had carefully proofread what I had written, she invariably found errors and made helpful suggestions on ways to improve the text for readability. We had good discussions about the finer points of grammar, such as use of commas and when to spell out numerals.

For those who don’t have an editor in the family, I strongly suggest finding someone with a good grasp of grammar and composition to edit your text for you. It’s important to have another set of eyes read what you’ve written, not only to find typos and grammatical errors, but to make sure your target audience will understand what you are trying to say with your words.

Layout. This is the process of placing all the elements of the book—text, illustrations, headings, page numbers, etc.—into the final form needed to make it print-ready. Up to this point in my life, the only experience I had in publishing was some professional correspondence and my annual Christmas letter. I had a lot to learn!

The first step in layout was deciding what size I wanted the finished book to be. This is known as the trim size of the book. I decided upon a trim size of 6 by 9 inches—the most common size for paperback books in the United States. Based on this I changed the page size in Microsoft Word to 6 by 9 inches. I also set the margins, leaving room for a header on top, page numbers on the bottom, and a gutter. The gutter is the additional space added to the inside page margin to account for the binding. The page layout was set for mirror margins so that the outside and inside margins would match on odd and
even pages.

I learned that chapters should always begin on odd-numbered pages. This means that an extra blank page must sometimes be inserted at the end of a chapter so the next one can begin on an odd number. I set up headers so that the book’s title would appear on even-numbered and the chapter title on odd-numbered pages. I set footers so the page numbers would be placed at the outside bottom margin of each page. I found headers and footers to be very frustrating. They seemed to keep moving to places I didn’t want them or disappearing from places I did want them. It took a lot of time, trial and error to get
them right.

Once the page size and margins were set, it was time to fill the pages with my text and illustrations. Of course this required a number of decisions as well: typeface, or font (Times New Roman), type size (16-pitch for chapter headings, 12-pitch for body text, 11-pitch for child lists, 10-pitch for bibliography and index, 9-pitch for captions and endnotes), use of small caps for names, line spacing, justification, and placement of headings. I didn’t find many rules for these decisions, so I looked at a lot of examples and made my best guess.

Another aspect of layout is making sure your pages don’t break at undesirable places. For example, you don’t want your reader to have to turn the page to read the last word or two of a paragraph (a “widow”). Likewise, a single line of a new paragraph or section should not fall at the bottom of a page (an “orphan”).

Placement of illustrations greatly complicates the layout process, You have to decide where to place them and what size they should be. They should be in close proximity to the relevant text so your readers don’t have to flip pages trying to find them. Microsoft Word isn’t an ideal program for illustrations and it takes quite a bit of fine-tuning to adjust spacing and how words and paragraphs flow around pictures.

One other aspect of layout is the creation and placement of the front- and back-matter of the book. Front-matter is everything that goes before the main text of the book: half title page, title page, copyright page, dedication, preface, etc. Front matter is numbered with small roman numerals, beginning with the half-title page. However, these page numbers are not printed until the table of contents, which was page vii in my book.

The back matter is everything that comes after the main text. In my book, these included the Notes, Bibliography, Index, and About the Author.

My table of contents, showing the front matter, main text, and back matter

Obviously layout is complicated and makes the difference between having a professional versus home-made appearance to the book. Many people pay professionals to help with this part of self-publishing for good reason.

At this point in the process, other than proofreading a few more times, the book was ready to publish. Stay tuned for the next and final post in this series!

Cora Ann (Casbon) Sams (1861–1940)

May 25, 2018 admin4 Comments

Cora Ann was the first child born to Sylvester V (1837–1927) and Adaline (Aylesworth, 1842–1868) Casbon. She was born September 1, 1861 in Porter Township, near Hebron, in Porter County, Indiana.^[1] Her parents may well have been living with Adaline’s family at the time, as they had just recently been married, and Sylvester did not make his first land purchase until a few months after Cora’s birth.^[2]

Cora’s mother, Adaline, died in 1868, before Cora was seven years old.^[3] She was thirteen when her “second mother,” Harriet (Perry) Casbon died in 1874.^[4] She was sixteen when Sylvester married for the third time, to Mary Mereness.^[5] The loss of two mothers must have been very difficult for her. I suspect she had to “grow up fast” and take on many of the household and child care duties.

She was eighteen when she married John Sams, a labourer working on a farm in nearby Boone Township.^[6] John seems to have come from an itinerant family. He was born in Tennessee, but moved to Kentucky before he was six years old and then came to Porter County while still “in his youth.”^[7] Eventually, John became “one of Porter county’s most Influential and progressive farmers.”^[8]

John and Cora had four children at widely spaced intervals. The first, a daughter named Vina Mae, was born in June 1881.^[9] The next child was a son who died shortly after birth in 1892.^[10] Goldie was born in 1898 and Lester in 1904.^[11] Cora became a widow in 1916 when the automobile John was in was struck by a train.^[12] She continued to live in the Hebron area until her death on March 16, 1940.^[13]

I received this photograph a number of years ago from the wife of one of Cora’s grandsons.

Portrait of Cora, Mae and John Sams, 1892; back of the photo is on the right. Courtesy of Rosemary Sams.
(Click on image to enlarge)

I hope you will take the time to study the photograph. It is lovely by itself, but is even more remarkable because of the written description in Cora’s own hand.

Mae was 11 years old and could not walk. Taken 1892
My dress was dark green water-wave silk (soft) with plain green silk
ribbon was pale pink – 2 piece dress know then as a basque with croquette ball buttons
Mae dress green navy and orange wool plaid with navy blue plush white collar, green bow, gold chain with gold purse as a charm
Dads suit black and high top black boot which were very stylish those days also wore a vest
Cora Sams

That’s an amazing dress! The description really brings it to life and highlights how important written communications were in the days before telephones and color photography. Given that Mae was eleven years old, the photo must have been taken in the latter half of 1892, within a few months of the birth and death of their son. From their clothing it seems that John must have already been well on his way to becoming a prosperous farmer.

It seems that Cora’s words were written several years after the photo was taken, since she talks about “those days.” Was she writing to someone in particular, or just recording her memories for posterity? Whatever the answer, we are lucky today to be able to share this link to the past.

^[1] “South County Woman Dies,” The (Valparaiso, Indiana) Vidette-Messenger, 16 Mar 1940, p. 1, col. 5; online image, Newspaper Archive (accessed through participating libraries: 11 July 2016).
^[2] Porter County, Indiana, Deed Record Book N, p. 12, Giles Aylesworth to Sylvester Casbon, 19 Dec 1881; imaged as “Deed records, 1836-1901,” FamilySearch(https://www.familysearch.org/search/film/008070782?cat=609009 : accessed 19 Sep 2017), image 378 of 880; citing FHL microfilm 1,703,772, item 2.
^[3] Weston A. Goodspeed and Charles Blanchard, Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana: Historical and Biographical: Illustrated (Chicago: F.A. Battey & Co., 1882), p. 706: online image, Internet Archive (https://archive.org/stream/countiesofporter00good#page/706/mode/2up : accessed 22 Aug 2016).
^[4] Ibid.
^[5] Lake County, Indiana, Marriage Record D, 5-10-1877 to 8-19-1885, p. 31 (stamped), 2d entry, Sylvester Casbon and Mary Mereness, 13 Dec 1877; imaged as “Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9PXK-VZ?i=53&cc=1410397 : accessed 15 April 2018), Lake > 1877-1885 Volume D4 > image 54 of 329; citing FHL microfilm 2,414,589.
^[6] 1880 U.S. Census, Porter County, Indiana, population schedule, Boone Township, p. 10 (penned) B, family 98, John Sames in household of A.W. Smith; imaged as “United States Census, 1880,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYYY-92WS?i=9&cc=1417683 : accessed 19 April 2018), Indiana > Porter > Boone > ED 145 > image 10 of 17; citing NARA microfilm publication T9, roll 305.
^[7] “More About Accident That Shocked City, The Porter County (Indiana) Vidette, 23 Feb 1916. p.3; online image, Newspaper Archive (accessed through participating libraries: 10 Jul 2016).
^[8] Ibid.
^[9] “United States Social Security Death Index,” database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J2B8-24X : accessed 11 Jul 2016), Mae Felty, Mar 1973 (b. 9 Jun 1881); citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File.
^[10] Find A Grave, database with images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/183415597/sams : accessed 25 May 2018), memorial for “infant son” Sams, b. 22 May 1892, Find A Grave memorial no. 183415597, created by “Jim”; citing Cornell Cemetery, Hebron, Porter, Indiana.
^[11] Indiana, State Board of Health, death certificate no. 190 (stamped), Porter County, Boone Township, Goldie M.A. Sams, b. 5 Feb 1898, d. 1 Mar 1913; imaged as “Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011,” Ancestry (https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=60716 : accessed 25 May 2018), Certificate >17 >1913 >image 238 of 1793; citing Indiana Archives and Records Administration; Indianapolis. “United States Social Security Death Index,” FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JP9L-M28 : accessed 11 Jul 2016), Lester Sams, Sep 1984 (b. 9 May 1904).
^[12] Indiana, State Board of Health, death certificate no. 134 (stamped), La Porte County, La Porte Township, John Sams, 17 Feb 1916; Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/60716/44494_350789-01795?pid=4748495 : accessed 19 April 2018), Certificate >1916 >09, image 1796 of 2137.
^[13] “South County Woman Dies,” The (Valparaiso, Indiana) Vidette-Messenger, 16 Mar 1940.

Mary (Mereness) Casbon (1850–1932)

April 17, 2018April 15, 2020 admin5 Comments

I’ve been writing about the wives of my second great-grandfather, Sylvester V Casbon (~1837–1927). The deaths of Adaline (Aylesworth, 1842–1868) and Harriet (Perry, ~1840-1874) must have been very hard on him and his children. Sylvester was 37 years old when Harriet died. Once again, the children needed a mother and he needed a wife. He was prospering as a farmer and, from that standpoint, would have made a good match for many a daughter or young widow. However, in the eyes of the local women, the outcome of his first two marriages might have diminished his prospects as an eligible bachelor. It would be another three years after Harriet’s death until he remarried. Her name was Mary Mereness. and they were married in Lake County, Indiana, on December 13, 1877.^[1]

Marriage record of Sylvester Casbon and Mary Mereness, Lake County, Indiana. (Click on image to enlarge)

Mary was the daughter of John I and Eva (Zea) Mereness. Her birth date is recorded in several sources (including her grave stone) as April 15, 1851, but this can’t be correct, since she is listed as being four months old on the 1850 census, which was enumerated on August 16, 1850.^[2] So, I think the correct birth date is actually April 15, 1850. The records do agree that she was born in Schoharie County, New York.^[3] Sylvester’s biography in the History of Porter County tells us that John and Eva Mereness

were natives of New York, and emigrated to Indiana when their daughter Mary was six years old, becoming farmers in this county. The other children in the family were Abram, Harrison, Peter, Catherine, Ann and Margaret. Their schooling was obtained in New York and Indiana, and some attended the school at Blachley’s Corners and others at the Deep River school.^[4]

Sylvester didn’t have to look far to find Mary. On the 1870 census, we find Sylvester and Mary, then nineteen and living with her parents, on the same page, just a few entries away from each other.^[5]

Detail from 1870 Census, Ross Township, Porter County, Indiana. (Click on image to enlarge)

In fact, they were neighbors. An 1891 plat map shows land that formerly belonged to John Mereness abutting against Sylvester land. The two families must have known each other for quite some time, probably well before Harriet Casbon died in 1874.

Upon their marriage, Mary instantly became “mother” to four children: Cora Ann, age sixteen; Lawrence, twelve; Thomas Sylvester, seven; and Charles Parkfield, five. Sylvester’s youngest son, George, had presumably already moved to Iowa with Sylvester’s sister, Emma, and her husband, Robert Newell Rigg. Henrietta Chester, the daughter of Sylvester’s deceased wife, was probably already married by that time.^[6] Although having a wife and mother in the household must have greatly eased the burden on Sylvester, it could easily have been a difficult adjustment for the children. However, the History of Porter County reassures us that “Mrs. Casbon became a loyal mother to her husband’s children, and to her they owe much of the training which helped them attain worthy positions in life.”^[7]

Although only 27 when she married, Mary never had children of her own. Given what had happened to Adaline and Harriet, perhaps this was a good thing.

This photograph, from about 1889, shows Sylvester, then about 52 years old, and Mary, about 39.

This is the earliest photograph I have of either Sylvester or Mary. Is that a bustle?
(They were still in fashion, though declining in size by then.) (Photo courtesy of Ilaine Church)

This photo, taken about 1905, shows Sylvester and Mary with their children and grandchildren.

Sylvester Casbon and extended family, about 1905, Valparaiso, Indiana.
(Jon Casbon private collection; click on image to enlarge)

Mary and Sylvester moved to Valparaiso when Sylvester retired from farming in 1892.^[8] They certainly had a long (50 year), and hopefully happy, marriage, which ended with Sylvester’s death in December, 1927.^[9] Mary survived him by a little more than four years, passing way on February 28, 1932, age 81.^[10]

Mary’s obituary from the Valparaiso Vidette Messenger.^[11] . (Click on image to enlarge)

Mary is the only one of Sylvester’s wives to have been buried alongside him, in Graceland Cemetery, Valparaiso.^[12]

^[1] Lake County, Indiana, “Marriage Record D, 5-10-1877 to 8-19-1885,” p. 31 (stamped), 2d entry, Sylvester Casbon and Mary Mereness, 13 Dec 1877; image, “Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9PXK-VZ?i=53&cc=1410397 : accessed 15 April 2018), Lake > 1877-1885 Volume D4 > image 54 of 329; citing FHL microfilm 2,414,589, item 1 (image 61 of 919).
^[2] 1850 U.S. Census, Schoharie County, New York, population schedule, Sharon Town, n.p., dwelling 392, family 393, Mary Mereness in the household of John J. Mereness; imaged as “1850 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/8054/4203565_00357?pid=8418705 : accessed 11 April 2018), New York >Schoharie >Sharon, image 54 of 63; citing NARA microfilm publication M432, roll 596, p. 376B.
^[3] 1855 census of New York State, Schoharie County, Sharon district, , n.p., dwelling 427, family 454, John I. Mereness; imaged as “New York, State Census, 1855,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9BLJ-654?i=30&cc=1937366 : accessed 15 April 2018) >Schoharie >Sharon >All, image 31 of 50; citing FHL microfilm 868,878.
^[4] History of Porter County Indiana: A Narrative Account of its Historical Progress, its People and its Principal Interests, vol. 2 (Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1912), p. 484; online image, Hathi Trust Digital Library (https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89067919191;view=1up;seq=140;size=150 : accessed 15 April 2018).
^[5] 1870 U.S. Census, Lake County, Indiana, population schedule, p. 431 (stamped), dwelling 68, family 69, John Marinus; imaged as “United States Census, 1870,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-64PS-5W7?i=10&cc=1438024 : accessed 11 April 2018), Indiana > LaGrange > Ross > image 11 of 44; citing NARA microfilm publication M593, roll 333.
^[6] Personal communication, Jon Casbon with Linda Pearson, 13 September 2016.
^[7] History of Porter County Indiana, p. 484.
^[8] Ibid.
^[9] Indiana, State Board of Health, Certificate of Death, no. 36661 (stamped), Valparaiso, Porter County, Sylvester Casbon, 10 Dec 1927; imaged as “Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/60716/44494_350059-01166?pid=4786046 : accessed 15 April 2018), Certificate >1927-1927 >15, image 2675 of 4752; citing Indiana Archives and Records Administration; Indianapolis, Death Certificates, 1926–1927, roll 15.
^[10] Indiana, State Board of Health, Certificate of Death, no. 5742, Valparaiso, Mary Casbon, 28 Feb 1932; “Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/60716/44494_351221-02752 : accessed 15 April 2018), Certificate >1932 >02, image 2753 of 3010; citing Indiana Archives and Records Administration; Death Certificates, 1932, roll 2.
^[11] “Death Claims Mary Casbon.” The (Valparaiso, Indiana) Vidette Messenger, 29 Feb 1932, p. 3, col. 8; online image, Newspaper Archive (accessed through participating libraries: 16 Jun 2016).
^[12] Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/116217328/mary-casbon : accessed 15 April 2018), memorial for Mary Casbon (15 Apr 1851–23 Feb 1932), Memorial ID 116217328, created by “Kathy”; citing Graceland Memorial Park, Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana.

501 Academy Street, Valparaiso, Indiana

August 15, 2017April 15, 2020 admin1 Comment

My trip to Indiana earlier this month for a family reunion was a great time to meet people, dig into old records, and see many of the places associated with Our Casbon Journey in America. It was the first time I had spent any significant time here since childhood.

The best part was being able to spend time with family and friends, visiting their old haunts, and listening to stories of days gone by. One of the most noteworthy places I saw was the house at 501 Academy Street in Valparaiso. 501 Academy was home to four generations of my Casbon ancestors.

The house at 501 Academy Street, located at corner of Haas (left) and Academy (right) Streets.
Photo taken August 5, 2017.

The History of Porter County tells us that “in 1892 Mr. and Mrs. Casbon removed from their country estate to Valparaiso, and have since enjoyed the comforts of a pleasant city home on Academy street.”^[1] “Mr. and Mrs. Casbon” were my second great-grandfather Sylvester (~1837–1927) and his third wife Mary (Mereness, 1851–1932) Casbon. They had been living at their farm near Deep River in adjacent Lake County for the previous 15+ years. Sylvester was only 55 years old when he retired from farming and moved to “Valpo.” He did not sell his land in Lake County for a number of years, so I suspect he was letting someone else do the work and still getting income from the farm. The house was originally numbered as 21 Academy Street (and later renumbered in the early 1900s), as shown in this 1893 Valparaiso City Directory.^[2]

Detail from 1893 Valparaiso directory. (Click on image to enlarge)

I think Sylvester was the original owner of the home, although I don’t know for sure. The plot of land containing the lot, known as Pierce’s Addition, was added to the city plat in 1854.^[3] I don’t think any homes were built on the addition for many years. Fire insurance maps of the city don’t show any buildings on the site until 1905, when the present structure can be seen.^[4]

Detail of 1905 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, showing Haas and Academy
Streets. 501 Academy Street is outlined in red. (Click on image to enlarge)

You can see in the 1893 directory that Sylvester’s oldest son, Lawrence, was also living at 21 Academy Street. Lawrence (1865–1950), my great-grandfather, would have been 28 years old in 1893. I believe this portrait of him was taken in about the same time frame.

Lawrence L Casbon (undated photo)

I have no idea why he was living with his father or what he was doing for a living in 1893. This period of his life is a complete mystery to me. The 1890 U.S. census was lost in a fire, so it is of no help. By January of 1894 he was married to Katherine (“Kate”) Marquart; and somewhere along the line he took up farming in Porter township, in the southern part of the county.^[5] So, his time at Academy Street must have been of short duration.

As the patriarch of a fairly large family, Sylvester would likely have used his house for family gatherings. This photo, which I’ve dated to 1905 or 1906, shows such a gathering.

Is this the house on 501 Academy Street? Look closely at the detail of the double window casing.
It looks identical to me. The siding is different (more about that in a bit) and the current house no
longer has a front porch. If you look at the fire insurance map, however, you can see that the
original house had a front porch in this location. I’m confident that they are the same house,
with an entryway built out from the original porch. (Click on image to enlarge)

Sylvester was still living in the house when he died in 1927.^[6] His widow, Mary, continued to live there until her death in 1932.^[7] Mary’s death heralded the arrival of two more generations of Casbons to the house on Academy Street. This article appeared in the April 26, 1932 Vidette-Messenger.^[8]

(Click on image to enlarge]

Leslie Casbon (1894–1990) was my grandfather, the son of Lawrence. You can see him in the previous photograph seated on the ground, second from the left. The article says he would be commuting to work in Chicago. He must not have done so for very long. This was during the depression, and his business (jewelry, radios, musical instruments) was failing. Soon afterwards he gave up on the Chicago business and joined his two brothers in the new Casbon Brothers Electric Company, which was to become a well-known and successful Valparaiso business for another five decades or so.

The two children mentioned in the article were my father Lewis and his brother Don. They grew up in the house on Academy Street. During my visit, they shared their recollections of the house with me.

Both mentioned the fact that wakes or funerals were held in the house. Don remembers the death of his great uncle Ed Lewis, a wealthy businessman from Chicago. He remembers going down the stairs late at night & seeing Ed’s body in the coffin – the first dead person he had ever seen.

Don also remembers when his dad, Leslie, put asbestos shingle siding on the house – that’s right, asbestos! It was a popular material in home construction in those days. They would cut it to size and then attach it to the house. According to Don, this kind of asbestos wasn’t believed to be harmful. From what I’ve read, that’s true, unless the shingles are damaged (or cut!). Look closely at the picture of the house as it is today. Those asbestos shingles are still there – just painted yellow!

Lewis and Don walked to school, a block west and four blocks south of the house. The alley behind the house was a popular thoroughfare and probably the starting point for many adventures.

Dad remembers a time when a neighbor called his mother while she was working at the draft board, and told her, “I just saw the back end of a jack ass in your front door. ” Don and his friend were bringing a pony into the house! He also recalls that his father dug a basement beneath the house and eventually installed a furnace there. At one point he had to crawl into the basement through a window to tend the furnace, because the house was quarantined due to scarlet fever.

My dad’s best friend was Jim (“Jimmy”) Brown, whose dad ran a grocery store on the first floor of their house, about four doors down the street on Academy. Dad & Jimmy have remained good friends for their entire lives. During our visit, we were able to surprise Jimmy on his birthday and share good memories of past times.

Jim Brown (left) & Lewis Casbon (right), Valparaiso, August 2017.

My grandparents sold the house in the early 1940s, probably in the early years of the war. It had been in the family nearly fifty years. There must be many more stories, yet untold. I’m glad the house is still standing, a silent witness to the family’s history.

^[1] History of Porter County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests (Chicago: Lewis Publishing Company, 1912), vol. 2, p. 484; online image, Hathi Trust Digital Library (https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89067919191;view=1up;seq=139;size=175 : accessed 14 August 2017).
^[2] Valparaiso Porter County, Ind. City Directory 1893 (Chicago: Kraft & Radcliffe, 1893), unnumbered p. 59 of 130; PDF image, Internet Archive (https://archive.org/stream/valparaisoindian1893polk#page/n57/mode/2up : accessed 9 Aug 2017).
^[3] History of Porter County,” vol. 1, p. 195; Hathi Trust Digital Library (https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89067919183;view=1up;seq=229 : accessed 14 August 2017).
^[4] Insurance Maps of Valparaiso Indiana (New York: Sanborn Map Company, 1905), p. 17; PDF image, “Maps,” Porter County Indiana (http://www.inportercounty.org/maps.html : accessed 14 August 2014) >Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps >Valparaiso >1905.
^[5] “Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007”, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KDHQ-H68 : accessed 10 March 2017), Lawrence L. Casbon & Kate E. Marquart, 31 Jan 1894; citing County Clerk, Porter, Indiana.
^[6] “Death Calls S.V. Casbon; Reached 90,” The(Valparaiso, Indiana) Vidette Messenger, 10 Dec 1927, p. 1, col. 1, online image, Newspaper Archive (accessed through participating libraries: 16 June 2016).
^[7] “Death Claims Mary Casbon.” The Vidette Messenger, 29 Feb 1932, p. 3, col. 8; online image, Newspaper Archive.
^[8] “Local Brevities,” The Vidette-Messenger, 26 Apr 1932, p. 3, col. 1, para. 27; online image, Newspaper Archive.

Children of Thomas Casbon (1803–1888): Sylvester V

May 15, 2017April 15, 2020 adminLeave a comment

After the birth of Mary Ann Casbon in 1833, Thomas and Emma (Scruby) Casbon named their second child, a son, “Sell.” He was born about August, 1835, baptized July 1^st, 1836, and buried July 24, 1836 at the age of 11 months. [1],[2] Their third child was also a son, and as was common at the time, Thomas and Emma also named him Sell – a nickname for Sylvester, which is how he came to be known as an adult. He is my second great grandfather.

Sylvester V Casbon was born in Meldreth (Cambridgeshire) June 6, 1837 and baptized August 6^th of the same year.[3] His life has been well-documented, thanks to two books describing the early history of Porter (and Lake) counties, along with biographies of many of its citizens. The first of these books is titled Counties of Porter and Lake Indiana: Historical and Biographical, Illustrated, published in 1882.[4] The second is History of Porter County, Indiana: a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, published in 1912.[5] Sylvester’s biography from the latter reference has been transcribed and posted on the Porter County, Indiana INGenWeb site and can be found here. I am quoting many excerpts from the 1912 biography in this post. Sylvester was also the subject of two previous posts: “From England to Indiana, Part 5,” and “Sylvester on a Cart.”

Regarding the family’s voyage from England to America in 1846, we are told the following:

At that date one of the few passenger railroads in England was the line from London to Southampton, and many other remarkable changes have occurred in England since then. The streets of London which they passed over were paved with cobblestones, and the modern pavements and subways were undreamed of…. Sylvester was then eight years old and retains many vivid recollections of the eventful journey. At Niagara the family made the transfer in the horse cars then in use, and all had time to enjoy the spectacle of the mighty falls. From Buffalo they took another boat to Cleveland, where they arrived in the month of May.[6]

Like his sister Mary Ann, the long voyage must have made a profound impression on young Sylvester. He was the oldest son, but probably too young to engage in the hardest work while his father established a household and started farming in the new land. Of his childhood and early adulthood, the following is written:

The Casbon children obtained their education in an old stone schoolhouse near Nashville, Ohio, and by diligent study Sylvester fitted himself for teaching, and taught one term at Mt. Ollie, Ohio. Then acting under the persuasion of a friend Mr. Ellsworth, who had settled in Porter county, Indiana, and also from his own wish to locate further west, Mr. Casbon came to this county in 1859 and began teaching in what was then known as the Ellsworth school, which he conducted successfully for three terms. He also taught one term in Boone Grove and one term in the House school, as it was called then, but later known as Boone Grove school.[7]

“Ellsworth” is a misspelling of the name “Aylesworth,” a family strongly associated with the Casbon family both in Ohio and Porter County, Indiana. The identity of “Mr. Ellsworth,” mentioned above, is unknown. Presumably he was close in age to Sylvester. He might have been one of the sons of Ira or Philip Aylesworth, who lived in Wayne County, Ohio. Or perhaps he was a son of Sylvester’s future father in law, Giles Aylesworth, who moved to Porter County in 1842. If the latter, Sylvester might have met “Mr Ellsworth” when he came back to Ohio to visit relatives.

Although not university-educated, Sylvester was apparently schooled well enough to teach others, and was probably better educated than many of his contemporaries.

I’ve tried to identify the locations of the schools mentioned in the biography. Unfortunately, there is insufficient detail to know exactly where they were located. The one exception might be the so-called Ellsworth school. An 1876 plat map of Boone township, Porter County, shows a school located on one corner of a large tract of land owned by Ira Aylesworth in section 9, township 33 north, range 7 west.[8] Since this was located on Aylesworth land, it might well have been called the Aylesworth (or “Ellsworth”) school.

In 1860 Mr. Casbon established his own home by his marriage to Miss Mary A. Ellsworth, a daughter of Giles Ellsworth, of Boone township. Their wedded life was begun on a farm of eighty acres in Boone township, which he had purchased. There was a small house, but few other improvements, and on this place their youthful enthusiasm and industry soon were rewarded with substantial prosperity. The three children born of their marriage were Cora A., Bertha (deceased) and Lawrence A. In 1868 Mr. Casbon lost his wife by death, she being only twenty-six years of age at the time.[9]

Sylvester’s bride’s full name was Mary “Adaline” Aylesworth (1842–1868), daughter of Giles and Mary (Jones) Aylesworth.[10] I’ve speculated in an earlier post that Mary Adaline might have had a daughter out of wedlock at a very young age. If so, the marriage to Sylvester would have helped her and her parents out of an awkward situation.

With his marriage, Sylvester gave up teaching and took up farming. Perhaps his earnings as a teacher helped him to make his first land purchase. This was recorded in 1861, when he bought portions of land in sections 9 and 16, township 33 north, range 6 west (Boone Township) from his father in law, Giles.[11]

Sylvester and Adaline’s marriage was marred first by the loss of their child, Bertha, who lived only 6 months, and then by the tragic death of Adaline herself.[12] The cause of Adaline’s death is not recorded, but it does not appear to be related to childbirth, unless the birth of the child is also unrecorded. Their third child and first son, Lawrence, was my great-grandfather.

Sylvester married Emmeline “Harriet” Perry in October 1869, one and one-half years after Adaline’s death.[13] A fellow blogger has described Harriet’s earlier divorce from Henry Chester, something unusual for the times.[14] The 1870 census shows Sylvester living in Ross township, Lake County, Indiana with his new wife Harriet, his two surviving children, and Harriet’s daughter Henrietta Chester.[15]

Detail from 1870 United States Census, Ross township, Lake County, Indiana. (Click on image to enlarge)

Sylvester’s biography tells us that he had traded farms with his brother in law, Porter Aylesworth, which explains why he was now living in Lake County.[16] After this move,

“by his thrifty industry he became the owner of a fine estate of two hundred and sixty acres. On this he erected a brick house which at the time was considered one of the finest country homes in this region.”[17]

Sadly, his marriage to Harriet was also shortened by her death.

There were three sons by this marriage, Thomas S., Charles P. and George W., who were still in childhood and infancy when deprived of the care of their mother, whose lamented death occurred in 1874. After this loss Mr. Casbon kept his home and children and was both father and mother to them for several years.[18]

What the biography does not tell us is that Harriet’s death occurred less than 3 months after the birth of their son George. This was another terrible tragedy for the family. The cause of her death is also unrecorded.

An important consequence of her death is also not mentioned in the biography. Faced with the responsibility for six motherless children ranging in age from 3 months to 14 years, Sylvester gave up his youngest son George to be raised by his sister Emma and her husband Robert Noel Rigg. Emma and Robert had been married in 1869 and were childless.[19] During the 1870s, they moved from Porter County, Indiana to Tama County, Iowa, where George was raised. George either retained, or took back the Casbon surname. His story will be the subject of a future post, but for now suffice it to say that the Casbon name was established in Iowa by George and his descendants.

Sylvester married Mary M Mereness, 14 years his junior, in December 1877.[20] According to Sylvester’s biography, “Mrs. Casbon became a loyal mother to her husband’s children, and to her they owe much of the training which helped them attain worthy positions in life.”[21] Despite her young age, Mary never had children of her own.

Detail of 1880 United States Census, Ross Township, Lake County, Indiana. Only sons Lawrence, Thomas and Charles were still at home. Cora married John Sams that year, and George was living in Iowa with his adoptive parents. The family entry immediately below Sylvester’s is that of John Mereness, Mary’s father. Apparently Sylvester did not have to look far for his bride!
(Click on image to enlarge)

In 1892, Sylvester and Mary sold their fine brick house in Lake County, and moved to Valparaiso.[22] He was only 55 years old. Had he prospered so much that he was able to retire at this early age? The record does not say. However, his biography does say this:

Mr. Casbon is one of the fortunate men upon whom age sits lightly, and he lives with the interests and activities of a man much younger. Daily his genial figure is seen on the streets, and from nothing does he derive more pleasure than his associations with old friends. He has been known and esteemed in this county for more than half a century, and he has a large circle of firm friends.[23]

This photo, taken at a family gathering about 1905, shows Sylvester and Mary with their children (except George, in Iowa) and grandchildren.[24]

(Click on image to enlarge)

Sylvester lived a long, and it would seem, fulfilled life, finally passing on at the age of 90 in 1927.[25] Mary died at the age of 81 in 1932.[26]

Sylvester and Mary Casbon’s obituaries in
The (Valparaiso, Indiana) Vidette-Messenger.[27],[28]
(Click on individual images to enlarge)

Sylvester’s obituary mentions his recollections of the famous Lincoln-Douglas debate in Chicago. His lifetime encompassed momentous changes in history, technology, and transportation. I wonder how much he recalled of his early years in England. What a contrast that must have been!

By the way, I have no idea of what the “V” of his middle name stands for.

[1] Parish of Meldreth (Cambridgeshire, England), “Register of Baptisms in the Parish of Meldreth in the County of Cambridge [1813–67],” p. 46, no. 366, Sell Carsbon, 1 Jul 1836; accessed as “Parish registers for Meldreth, 1681-1877,” browsable images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/search/film/007567609?cat=210742 : accessed 28 April 2017), image 220; citing Family History Library (FHL) microfilm 1,040,542, item 5.
[2] Church of England, Meldreth Parish (Cambridgeshire, England), “Parish registers for Meldreth, 1681-1877,” Burials, Sell Carsbon (age 11 months), 24 Jul 1836, FHL microfilm 1,040,542.
[3] Parish of Meldreth, “Register of Baptisms in the Parish of Meldreth in the County of Cambridge [1813–67],” p. 49, no. 388, Sell Casbon, 6 Aug 1837; FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/search/film/007567609?cat=210742 : accessed 28 April 2017), image 221.
[4] Weston A. Goodspeed & Charles Blanchard. Counties of Porter and Lake Indiana: Historical and Biographical, Illustrated. Chicago: F.A. Battey & Co., 1882. Online image, Internet Archive (https://archive.org/details/countiesofporter00good : accessed 12 May 2017).
[5] History of Porter County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Company, 1912. 2 volumes. Online image, Hathi Trust Digital Library (https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/011679885 : accessed 12 May 2017).
[6] History of Porter County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests (Chicago: Lewis Publishing Company, 1912), 2: 483; online image, Hathi Trust Digital Library (https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89067919191;view=1up;seq=139 : accessed 12 May 2017).
[7] History of Porter County, 2: 483.
[8] Map, “Boone” [township] ; imaged as “1876 Plat map” on “Boone Township maps,” Porter County, Indiana (http://www.inportercounty.org/Data/Maps/1876Plats/Boone-1876.jpg : accessed 12 May 2017).
[9] History of Porter County, 2: 483.
[10] “The Aylesworth Family of Porter County Indiana: Seventh Generation – Adaline Aylesworth Casbon,” Aylesworth.Net (http://www.aylesworth.net/Confidence_family_DWT_CSS/Porter/porter_7.html : accessed 12 May 2017).
[11] “Deed Index Grantee, Jan 1860¬Oct 1868, entry for “Casbon Sylv from Aylesworth Giles;” imaged as “Indiana, Porter, Deed records, 1836-1901,” FHL microfilm 1,703,895, Item 4.
[12] “Cornell Cemetery, Boone Township,” Porter County, Indiana (http://www.inportercounty.org/Data/Cemeteries/CornellCemetery.html : accessed 12 May 2017), entry for Casbon, Bertha (d. 22 Jun 1861; “aged 6m, 6d”).
[13] “Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007,” Porter, Indiana, Sylvester Casborn & Emeline H Perry, 11 Oct 1869; database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KDH3-PGM : accessed 21 Jan 2016).
[14] “The Mystery of Harriet,” 12 Dec 2014, Ainsworth, Indiana (http://ainsworthindiana.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-mystery-of-harriet.html : accessed 12 May 2017).
[15] Unites States Census, 1870, Ross, Lake [mislabeled as “LaGrange”], Indiana; database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-64PS-5W7?mode=g&i=10&cc=1438024 : accessed 4 Jul 2016), entry for Sylvester Casbon (age 31); citing p. 11, family 71, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); Family History Library microfilm 545,832.
[16] History of Porter County, 2: 483.
[17] History of Porter County, 2: 483.
[18] History of Porter County, 2: 483.
[19] “Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KDH3-Y6X : accessed 20 July 2016), R N Rigg and Emma E Casbon, 15 Apr 1869; citing Porter, Indiana, United States, various county clerk offices, Indiana; FHL microfilm 1,686,156.
[20] “Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VNTD-TQS : accessed 4 July 2016), Sylvester Casbon and Mary Mereness, 13 Dec 1877; citing Lake, Indiana, United States, various county clerk offices, Indiana; FHL microfilm 2,414,589.
[21] History of Porter County, 2: 483–4.
[22] History of Porter County, 2: 484.
[23] History of Porter County, 2: 484.
[24] Scanned image, personal collection of Jon Casbon.
[25] “Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011”, database and images, Ancestry Library Edition (accessed at participating libraries : accessed 10 August 2016), entry for Sylvester Casbon (age 90), 10 Dec 1927, Porter, Indiana; citing Indiana State Board of Health.
[26] “Death Claims Mary Casbon,” The (Valparaiso, Indiana) Vidette Messenger, 29 Feb 1932, p. 3, col. 8; online image, Newspaper Archive (accessed at participating libraries : accessed 16 Jun 2016).
[27] “Death Calls S.V. Casbon; Reached 90,” The Vidette Messenger, 19 Dec 1927, p. 1, col. 1; Newspaper Archive: accessed 16 Jun 2016.
[28] “Death Claims Mary Casbon,” The Vidette Messenger.

Sylvester on a Cart

March 28, 2017 admin7 Comments

This photograph is courtesy of Ron Casbon.

(Click on image to enlarge)

The older man is Sylvester V Casbon, my second great grandfather. The man sitting next to him is unidentified – does anybody recognize him? The photograph is undated and location unknown. I wonder if it was taken near his farm in Deep River.

Sylvester was born June 6, 1837 in Meldreth Cambridgeshire, England, the eldest living son of Thomas Casbon (1803-1888).[1] Sylvester was the first Casbon to settle in Indiana, after moving from Ohio.[2] He had three children with his first wife, Adaline Aylesworth (1842–1868) and three with his second, Harriet Emiline Perry (1842–1874).

After moving to Indiana, he initially settled in Boone Township, Porter County, but later moved to Deep River, in Ross Township, Lake County.[3] In 1892 he moved to Valparaiso, Porter County, where he remained the rest of his life.[4]

Although there is little detail in the photo, I’m guessing that Sylvester was in his 50s or 60s at the time. This would date the photo to the late 1880s or the 1890s. Compare to this photo, taken at a family reunion in October 1901.[5]

Group photograph taken at Casbon family reunion, Valparaiso, Indiana, October 24, 1901. Sylvester is standing just to the left of the left-hand porch column. Names added by Jon Casbon. (Click on image to enlarge)

Or, compare to this photo of Sylvester and his living descendants, taken about 1905.[6]

Undated photo of Sylvester Casbon and extended family ca. 1905. Sylvester is sitting next to his third wife, Mary Mereness. Location is not indicated, but I believe this was Sylvester’s home on 501 Academy Street, Valparaiso. The home is still standing. (Click on image to enlarge)

Referring back to the original photo of Sylvester on the cart, I believe this kind of cart is known as a buckboard. It is a simple cart, with a seat place on a platform of planks. The platform is not suspended on springs. On some buckboards, the seat may be placed on springs.[7] That does not appear to be the case in the photograph.

[1] “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), vol. 2, p. 482; digital images, Hathi Trust Digital Library (https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/011679885 : accessed 24 March 2017).
[2] “Sylvester Casbon,” History of Porter County, Indiana, p. 483.
[3] “Sylvester Casbon,” History of Porter County, Indiana, p. 483.
[4] “Sylvester Casbon,” History of Porter County, Indiana, p. 484.
[5] Casbon family reunion photograph, 24 Oct 1901; digital image ca. 2001, privately held by Jon Casbon [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE], Colorado Springs, Colorado. The location, condition, and characteristics of the original are not known.
[6] Sylvester Casbon family photograph ca. 1905; digital image ca. 2001, privately held by Jon Casbon [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE], Colorado Springs, Colorado. The location, condition, and characteristics of the original are not known.
[7] “Buckboard,” Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckboard : accessed 24 March 2017), rev. 27 Oct 16, 09:01.

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]

The house at 501 Academy Street, located at corner of Haas (left) and Academy (right) Streets. Photo taken August 5, 2017.

Detail from 1893 Valparaiso directory. (Click on image to enlarge)

Detail of 1905 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, showing Haas and Academy Streets. 501 Academy Street is outlined in red. (Click on image to enlarge)

Lawrence L Casbon (undated photo)

(Click on image to enlarge]

Jim Brown (left) & Lewis Casbon (right), Valparaiso, August 2017.

Detail from 1870 United States Census, Ross township, Lake County, Indiana. (Click on image to enlarge)

“by his thrifty industry he became the owner of a fine estate of two hundred and sixty acres. On this he erected a brick house which at the time was considered one of the finest country homes in this region.”[17]

(Click on image to enlarge)

Sylvester and Mary Casbon’s obituaries in The (Valparaiso, Indiana) Vidette-Messenger.[27],[28] (Click on individual images to enlarge)

(Click on image to enlarge)

Group photograph taken at Casbon family reunion, Valparaiso, Indiana, October 24, 1901. Sylvester is standing just to the left of the left-hand porch column. Names added by Jon Casbon. (Click on image to enlarge)

Undated photo of Sylvester Casbon and extended family ca. 1905. Sylvester is sitting next to his third wife, Mary Mereness. Location is not indicated, but I believe this was Sylvester’s home on 501 Academy Street, Valparaiso. The home is still standing. (Click on image to enlarge)

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

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)

The house at 501 Academy Street, located at corner of Haas (left) and Academy (right) Streets.
Photo taken August 5, 2017.

Detail of 1905 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, showing Haas and Academy
Streets. 501 Academy Street is outlined in red. (Click on image to enlarge)

Sylvester and Mary Casbon’s obituaries in
The (Valparaiso, Indiana) Vidette-Messenger.[27],[28]
(Click on individual images to enlarge)

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