Shaking the Branches

We were hoping that some of us might have access to photographs that maybe haven't been viewed in a while.  This one is so beautiful, I think.  Terrie Sue Baker Bruce emailed this photo of the entire Alcott family (William Reynolds' parents and siblings) all dressed up in their Sunday finest, looks like.  That would be mother, Louisa Elsworth Toy Alcott, and father, James Franklin Alcott, with children, left to right, John Wesley Toy Alcott, Raymond Francis Alcott (w/dapper hat), Ethel Dorothy Alcott (Vint), William Reynolds Alcott, Benjamin Franklin Alcott.  I'm taking a guess on the date, thinking it's around 1906 - 1908 or thereabouts.

We know these complete full names (plus tons of other Alcott information) thanks to cousin Ruth Adele (Alcott) Holman who has done momumental family researching her whole life (and is still doing).

This is a photocopy of a photo of the first four Alcott children, undated, but young John in the ... umm... dress (!) was born in 1895.  I'm guessing this is 1897 or 1898.

 

I spent a whole evening puzzling over this photo of the "Bindery Bunch."   Remember to click on the photos to magnify them a bit. We know from a newsclipping that William said his father had worked for Curtis Publishing Company, a Philadelphia firm that published the Saturday Evening Post and the Ladies Home Journal.  This photo definitely shows William Reynolds Alcott with the small penciled x-mark - he would have been 17 in 1907 - we just didn't realize he had worked there as well.   A little research on the company finds that the Curtis Publishing business began in Philadelphia in 1891, but doesn't say where; the current "Curtis Center" building had its cornerstone set in 1911 at the intersection of Sixth and Walnut. So was the Curtis Building at 418 Cherry Street in Philadelphia in 1907?  A mystery.  However, the company (now defunct) does have its records archived at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.  Ha!  I've always wanted to visit the history-lover's mothership.  Think I'll just gather up my curator's white cotton gloves and dust jacket and get back to you in a couple months on this one.

Below is maybe one of the last photos we have of William's parents together.  Louisa died September 27, 1944, at 80 years of age.  J. Frank died on January 26, 1952, at 92.

--cds

Let's Switch To Color

While we organize more notes, I thought we'd move into the 1950's for a little picnic pictorial:

 

Delores (Alcott) Trout - pregnant, Thelma (Countiss) Alcott [please correct my spelling if I've messed up] and daughter Jackie standing behind her, Lois (Alcott) DeHart.

Let's see, foreground - Thelma (Sis) (Alcott) Humphrey, Ada (Carroll) Alcott, Claudine (Carroll) Marks, Claudia Alcott, Delores.  Jackie Alcott is standing.  Background - George Humphrey and Carole Alcott. Try clicking on these to make them bigger.

Poker!  Left to right, Carl Alcott, Jack Alcott, William Alcott, Stephen (Bud) Marks, the back of Chet Clifford (argyle socks), Douglas DeHart, George Humphrey in the chaise.

More pregnant ladies - Marion (Godfrey) Alcott and Ginny, Virginia? (Pike) Alcott.  I think this is a different picnic now.

 

Delores and Sis with son, Donald Humphrey.

 

Our picnic hosts, Thelma and Jack Alcott - Ethel (Alcott) Clifford sunning in the background.

Claudine (Carroll) Marks, Jack Alcott and Ada (Carroll) Alcott.

 

Aunt Claudine Marks.

 

Chet Clifford and Carl Alcott.

Heavy-duty poker.  William Alcott, the elder, son William Alcott, Uncle Bud Marks, Chet and Carl.

I think, Aunt Ethel holding Doris Alcott, Susan Trout, smiling Janet Alcott and Jackie Alcott.

The only kid I recognize in this one is my brother, Doug DeHart - no mistaking that strawberry blonde head.

Lastly, a picnic at the DeHart fireplace -- sack races!  peanut scrambles! so much fun. The kids are fuzzy with jumping, but standing to the side are Carole Alcott and Bill Alcott.  This is early 1960's I'd say.

Ada (Carroll) Alcott, Jack Alcott, Jeff DeHart, Susan Trout in the background.

 

George Humphrey and Morris Trout (Uncle Morrie catching fish wherever he went).

Our Alcott patriarch, William Reynolds Alcott, putting his feet up in the oak tree shade. --cds

So Many Questions

These are some of the oldest group photographs we have access to at the moment.

We're so lucky with this particular grouping because one is dated (Carney's Point, 1916), and the people have been identified on the reverse, though done at a later date.  The above picture, left to right standing, Robert Lugar (Harriet Carroll Lugar's husband), Ethel Alcott (William's sister), Sara Carroll (Nicholas Carroll's wife), Laura Lugar (Harriet and Robert's little daughter), Harriet Carroll Lugar (Ada's sister),  and Frank Alcott (William's brother) -- I should mention that one picture identifies him as Frank Alcott and one says John Alcott.  Lois says this is Uncle Frank.  Seated in front, Ada Carroll Alcott, a girlfriend (?), Laura E. Burgit Carroll, mother of the Carroll brood.

Reverse of the above photo - is this Ada's handwriting?

The guys, with little Laura Lugar, wearing a sweet flowered bonnet and coat or dress - I love vintage baby clothes.

And this last photo is Laura Elisabeth Burgit Carroll, we believe; an old one for sure, but is undated and not identified. 

As always, there are more questions than answers.  What was the occasion for the Carrolls and the Alcotts to get together -- Ada and Bill were newly wedded or about to be, could that be it?  Who lived in Carney's Point, NJ, in 1916?  Who took these photographs?  What kind of camera was available for everyday use in 1916 (yoo-hoo! camera people!).  And just where did Grandma Carroll get that hat? xo--cds/ck/ld

Ada's Parents

Laura Elisabeth Burgit and John E. Carroll

 

Known to most all of us living now as Grandma and Grandpa Carroll.

 

Let me just say a word here about our spelling of names.  It is unbelieveable how official records in the 1800's and early 1900's have played fast and loose with name spellings -- we've seen Burgit spelled Burget, Burgett, Bergot, Burkett, and on and on, but we believe we're correct with Burgit.

 

Laura Elisabeth Burgit was born on October 13, 1869, in Northumberland, Point Township, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania.  She died of pneumonia on November 30, 1953, 10:30 pm in the Salem Memorial Hospital, Salem, New Jersey; she was 84 years old.

 

John E. Carroll was born on February 18, 1865, probably in Baltimore County, Maryland -- we're still working on confirming lots of interesting information, so we'll come back to the Carrolls a bit later.  I have a note that he died in 1956, aged 91, but that's all I know at the moment.

 

Laura and John were married on September 8, 1887, at the home of Laura's parents (Harriet and Henry Coleman Burgit) in Northumberland, Pennsylvania. Laura would have been 17, one month shy of 18 years old and John was 22.

 

These old photos are wonderful to study - this looks like an early spring day to me.  I can't date any of these precisely, but if anyone can place them, perhaps we can figure out the rest.  This is John and Laura Carroll with daughters Thelma (Carroll) Gemberling, though I'm not sure if she was married then or not, Claudine (Carroll) Marks and Stephen Marks (Uncle Bud).

 

This is Laura and John with their children then living: Claudine (Carroll) Marks, on floor left, Nicholas Carroll, Laura, Ada (Carroll) Alcott, John, and Thelma (Carroll) Gemberling, seated on floor right.  Probably can be dated 1946 or 1947, judging by the next photo.

Same sofa, same doilies, same lamps.  I'm estimating the 1946-47 date based on the bare-footed, curly-locks Jackie (Jacqueline Alcott Kupsey, born 1944 -- sorry Jackie, but we're all fair game here!) She looks to be about two or three years old. Identifications starting with those standing in the back, left to right: Carl Lugar, Laura Lugar, Bill Lugar (Ada's niece and nephews--Harriet Carroll Lugar's children), Jack Alcott, Thelma (Sis) (Alcott) Humphrey, Leonard Alcott, Edward Still (Ada's nephew--Lillian Carroll Still's son); front, left to right: Lois Alcott DeHart, Delores Alcott Trout Athis, Carl Alcott, Junior Still holding Charles Still (Ed's sons) (I hear Claudia used to boss poor little Charles around--are we surprised?), Jacqueline Alcott Kupsey, William Alcott, and Claudia Alcott Kohl in the front (looking a lot like her granddaughter Abigail).

Does anyone know what the occasion might have been for all these Carrolls to have gathered together?  Lois believes this was taken at one of the Bridgeport homes. 

So, this is how sidetracked I get.  Just a couple of pictures lead me off in all different directions.  And I still have Grandma and Grandpa Carroll anniversary clippings to share.  Maybe tomorrow.  --cds/ck/ld

A Charming Young Lady

This (above) is probably the oldest photograph we have of Ada Estelle Carroll. She is said to be 16 years old here which dates the picture at 1911 or 1912, depending on the month it was taken.  A studio-type photo like this would seem to mark some special occasion, but maybe it could have been just a visit to another town.  The back of the original has Post Card markings imprinted; perhaps photos like this were taken to mail to far away relatives.

The above is one of my favorites.  Those are some very snappy-looking garments.  The hat bears a monumental hatpin, the coat has a black velvet collar, there is lace at the wrists and those gloves must be kid or calfskin.  Daughter Claudia Kohl reminds us that Ada taught dance classes and traveled to Williamsport, Pennsylvania, probably by train, to do so.  She would have dressed in her best for these trips, I'm sure.  I'm thinking if she was 16 in 1911 and married in 1916 at age 20, then the above picture falls somewhere in between, 1913, 1914 or 1915.

These next two are photos from the ten-day honeymoon in Atlantic City.  Atlantic City in 1916!  Some background I've read on the Boardwalk indicate that it had been washed away by storms three or four times prior to 1916, but from that year on it had been rebuilt with those diagonal boards and steel railings and has pretty much remained the same since -- except for the casinos, of course.

Very sweet - love this photo.  Risking indelicacy, I've gotta ask -- what did these kids do in Atlantic City for ten whole days!  Ada is not exactly wearing beach-walking attire.  I suppose they probably stayed at a boarding house, sat in big rocking chairs on the open porch sipping cool beverages, strolled the Boardwalk and ate ice cream cones. Probably talked about what superior children and grandchildren they would have.  That's what I think, anyway.

Big hugs.  --cds/ck

Let's Start Here

The family of Ada and Bill Alcott:

If we start with the little ones in the front, left to right: Carl, William (Bill), Claudia; second row: William Reynolds Alcott, Ada Estelle (Carroll) Alcott, Delores, Lois; back row: Leonard, Jack, Ethel, Thelma (Sis). While our tendency is to label the people in old photos with the comfortable names we knew (Mother and Daddy, or Aunt Sis, for example), for the most part we'll be identifying using formal names -- first, middle, and last -- putting the nickname in parentheses so that younger family members will know who we're talking about. By the way, you may click on most any picture to enlarge it; also with a right-click and Save As, any photo may be saved to your own computer.

Our future posts may not stick to any particular order, but for starters we'll follow the mother line and look at Ada Estelle Carroll. We'll try to be consistent and post daily - it's always good to know there might be something interesting to read on the web while enjoying a nice cup of tea, or whatever. --cds/ck