Thriller Thursday ~ Watchman Shot With His Own Gun

My great great uncle George Day was shot while on duty as a watchman on the Duluth docks here in Minnesota. This took place October 26, 1928.

I knew about his tragic death from family history and a distant cousin of mine had found one article at the Minnesota History Center which she shared on ancestry. I have been spending some time at the library to find newspaper articles about the shooting.

Duluth Minn Friday October 26 1928

Duluth Herald

Dock Watchman Slain Defending His Charge

George Day Murdered in Early Hours

On D., M. & N. Coal Dock

   George Day, aged 59, night watchman at the D. M. & N. coal dock, Twenty ninth avenue west and the bay front, was killed early this morning by bandits, who attempted to rob the tool house in the plant transformer building.

   Day was either shot in the left temple or clubbed to death with a large file in a desperate fight, which resulted in the apparent wounding of one of the bandits, who left blood trails over the dock. Two empty chambers in Day's gun gave evidence of his firing on the bandits in his attempt to drive them from the dock. Two empty chambers in Day's gun gave evidence of his firing on the bandits in his attempt to drive them from the dock.

   Evidence collected by the police indicated that Day surpised the bandits after they had broken the lock to the transformer shed and had removed a number of tools.

   Blood trails over the dock indicate that the things made their escape in a boat which evidently had been left by them at the end of the dock to be used to carrying away the loot.

   Police Find Clues

   Definite leads that may result in arrests were announced by police with the finding of two caps evidently lost by the bandits during the fight with the watchman; part of the rope which was used to tie the getaway boat to the dock a large heavy file and the right shoe of one of the bandits. The shoe covered with blood was further indication police believe, that Day succeeded in wounding one of the assilante. The rope was cut, giving indication of a hasty getaway in the boat.  

   Authorities are combing the water front seeking a boat with blood stains and other indications that may assist in locating the killers.

In Early Hours

   The murder of the night watchman occured some time between 3:30 and 4:30 o'clock this morning . Day had pulled his Western Union patrol box at 3:30 o'clock. When he failed to make his 4:30 pull Ray Murray, roundsman for the Western Union went to the dock and found Day's dead body lying near the transformer house.

   Joseph Kreisel, another watchman in the vicinity of the office buildings heard nothing of the fight or shots. He was informed of the death of Day by Murray after the latter had investigated.

   The murder and attempted robbery is believed by police to be the work of the same gang that robbed the tool house at the Elliot Packing company yesterday morning.  That the gang consisted of two or more was evidenced by signs left following the killing of Day.

   Dr. C. P. McComb, county corner, who investigated the murder this morning said that he could not determine whether Day had been shot or clubbed to death. The body was taken to Crawford mortuary pending an investigation. Dr. McComb was of the opinion that an inquest would not be necessary.

   The dead watchman had been employed on the coal docks as a watchman for ten years. He is survived by his wife and two daughters who make their home in St. Paul, and one son Curtis Day, employed as a craneman at the plan of the Minnesota Steel company in Morgan Park. For several years he made his home at the Western hotel, West End.

Come back to read other articles about my great great uncle George Day that I will be sharing in the days to come.

Thanks for stopping by.. Grace



TREASURE CHEST THURSDAY ~ Family Photo Of President John F Kennedy

For treasure chest Thursday I am sharing a family picture of President John F Kennedy that was taken in Duluth, Minnesota while he was campaigning for President. He visited Duluth in September 1960.
My family would of voted for President Kennedy and one of them took this picture.
I do not know who the other gentlemen are in this photo.
I found this picture among the family photos and know have it displayed among other family photos.

Hope that you enjoy seeing this great casual photo. Thanks for stopping by.. Grace

Amanuensis Monday 06 Thomas Millsap 1746 Proclamation Issued By Lord Fairfax

Amanuensis Monday is a popular ongoing series created by John Newmark at Transylvanian Dutch. Amanuensis Monday is a blogging theme which encourages the family historian to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts.

8th December 1746 Augusta Co. Virginia
" Lord Fairfax issued a proclamation encouraging those persons who had settled upon his lands to continue thereon, and that they should have 400 acres for each settlement. A survey for Thomas was recorded 8th of December 1746 for 400 acres on a branch of Smith Creek.  Thomas received a land patent on the 5th September 1749 for this 400 acres from King George the 11 for which he paid 40 shillings. The land was located on a branch of Smith Creek in Augusta County, ( present day Rockingham County, Virginia), about 2 miles south of the present day town of New Market. The closest town during the time to Thomas' land was Tenth Legion about five miles to the south, with Staunton being about 15 miles to the south"
The following is the patent which was granted to Thomas Millsaps.
George the second by the Grace of God of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King Defender of the Faith-- TO ALL WHOM these Presents shall come Greeting. Know Ye that for divers good causes and considerations, but more especially for and in consideration of the sum of FORTY SHILLINGS of good and lawful money for our use paid to our Receiver General of our Revenues in this our Colony and Dominion of Virginia. We have given, granted, and confirmed and by these presents for us our heirs and successors do give grant and confirm unto Thomas Millsaps one certain tract or parcel of land containing four hundred acres lying and being in the county of Augusta on a Branch of Smith Creek and bounded as followeth, to wit, Beginning at three Hiccory Saplins in a line of the land of Benjamin Borden and with the line of the same North twenty degrees east to two white oaks and north east one hundred poles to the dividing line between us and Lord Fairfax and with the same north forty six degrees west two hundred and forty poles to three pines. Thence south west two hundred and fifty poles and south forty six degrees east three hundred and twenty poles to the Beginning. With all woods, underwoods, swamps, marshes, longrounds, meadows, feeding and his due share of all veins, mines, and quarries as well discovered as not discovered within the bounds aforesaid and being apart of the said quanity of four hundred acres of land and the rivers, waters, and watercourses therein contained together with the privileges of hunting, hawking, fishing, fowling, and all other profits, commodities and hereditaments whatsoever to the same or any part thereof belonging or in anywise appertaining. To have, hold, possess and enjoy the said tract or parcel of land and all other the before granted premises and every part thereof with their and every of their appurtenances unto the said Thomas Millsaps and to his heirs and assigns for ever.  To be held of us our heirs and successors as of our manor of East Greenwich in the County of Kent in free and common soccage and not in Capite or by Knights Service yielding and paying unto us our heirs and successors for every fifty acres of land and so proportionately for a lesser or greater quantity than fifty acres the fee rent of one shilling yearly to be paid upon the feast of Saint Michael the Arch Angel and also cultivation and improving three acres part of every fifty of the tract above mentioned within three years after the date of these presents provided always that if three years of the said fee rent shall anytime be in arrear and unpaid or if the said Thomas Millsaps his heirs or assigns do not within the space of three years next coming after the date of these presents cultivate and improve three acres part of every fifty of the tract above mentioned then the estate hereby granted shall cease and be utterly determined and thereafter it shall and may be lawful to and for us our heirs and successors to grant the same lands and premises with the appurtenances unto such other person or persons as we our heirs and successors shall think fit. In witness whereof we have caused these our letters patent to be made: Witness our trusty and well beloved Thomas Lee, Esq. President of our Council and Commander in chief of our said Colony and Dominion at Williamsburgh under the seal of our said Colony the fifth day of September one thousand seven hundred and forty nine in the twenty third year of our reign.

Thomas Millsaps is my 6 x grandfather on my father's side. I will be sharing other records of Thomas in the future..

Surname Saturday Grimes Family

Tonight I am reviewing the Grimes Family for Surname Saturday.

 41. Sally Grimes was married to 40. John Hall Jr on 10th of May 1825. Sally was born 18 November 1801 and passed away the 17th of January 1873 in Evansville Illinois.

Sally and John had seven children, Hepizibah, Caroline, George, John , Harriet, Mary and Sally. Their son George is my ancestor and you can see the Hall name here.

Sally was the daughter of 82.Nathan Grimes and 83. Hepisbeth or Hepzibah Lovejoy.
Nathan was born 16 December 1772 in Massachuettes and died 01 March 1856 in New Hampshire. Hepisbeth was born 24 of November 1774.
Sally and Nathan had three children that I know of, Edward, Sally and Nathan.

Nathan is the son of  164 William Grimes and mother is unknown at this time.

Not much is known about the Grimes family at this time.

On Or About This Day ROBERT MILLSAP Died On April 4th 1842 in Brown Indiana

On April 04, 1842 my 4th great grandfather Robert Millsap passed away in Brown Indiania.

Robert was born the 28th of February, 1773 in Rowan, North Carolinia to Robert Millsaps (1719-1793) and Ellender King (1733 - 1796).

 Robert had ten siblings and was the youngest child. His brothers and sisters were Ellen, William, Thomas, James, Jane, Edward, Joseph , Moses and Mary.

Robert married Marcia Lacy in 1796 at Green Tennesee. They had seven children with my 3rd great grandfather Bella ( 1797- 1885) being the oldest. The other children were James (1798 - 1860), Gabriel(1801 - ?), Anna ( 1803 -?), John (1805- 1892), Marcy (1805-?), and Gamatiel (1824 - 1908).

In the 1780 census there is a Robert Millsaps. This is probably my 5th great grandfather. The only information that it tells me is they were in Rowan county of North Carolina in the Captain Cox district.

Robert can be found with his parents in the 1790 census of Randolph County, North Carolina. There are eight people living in the house. 4 males over 16, 1 male under 16 and 3 females. Robert would of been 16 or 17 years old at this time.
Living two houses away is a Thomas Millsaps which may of been his brother. Living in this house was 5 family members.

I find a Robert Millsap in the 1820 census Jackson County, Indiana. Living in the home is a total of 7 family members. There is a male over 45 years old and a female over 45 years old. Also in the home are 1 male 10 to 15 years old, 3 males 16 to 25 years old and 1 female 16 to 25 years old. This could be my Robert Millsaps.
Note that in this census the s is missing at end of name. Later generations do drop this s.

In the 1840 census I find Robert and his wife Marcia living in Hamblin, Brown county, Indiana. Census reports both are 60 to 69 years old. No one else is living in their home.

I found on http://www.ancestry.com/ the tombstone of my Robert Millsaps. It was originally added by J. Bradshaw. The tombstone is in Taggart Cemetery in Brown County, Indiana. Written on is In memory of Robert Millsaps born Feb 28, 1773 died April 4, 1842.

I am curious about the 1780 census and finding out more about what it means to be in Captain Cox's district and who he was.
I have not found Robert in the 1810 or the 1830 census yet. There are two Robert Milsaps but ages do not match so need to look at family around them to see if one could just have wrong age.
In the 1820 census there is a Jehemiah Lacey living near by. Is this a relative of Marcia Lacy?

Just for today I am searching one of my ancestors. Today it was Robert Millsaps my 4th great grandfather. Rest in peace grandpa.. Grace

SO MANY FAMILY MEMBERS SO LITTLE TIME TO FIND THEM

Some times I just feel so over whelmed with thinking about my ancestors. There are so many of them that have gone before me, and I want to learn as much as I can about them. There are grandparents  about which  I have a good amount of data including pictures. Then there are others that are just names in my files.

Those are the ones I feel sad about. They meant much to those around them during their life time and now they are just a name in my notebooks. A name and a birth date and maybe a date of death. I may know who they married and if they had children, but what was life like for them? Were they religious? What were their thoughts on what was going on around them? What were their political views?

So much to learn and so little time to do it. Some times my daily life gets in the way of my desire to learn about my family. How can I juggle all the things I have to do or should do with want I love to do.

Right now as I write I am at McDonalds. It is noisy which is difficult, but also comforting as I search for dead folks. I look out the window and I can see Lake Superior, what a view. The weather may be cold half of the year, but it is now Spring and people are taking off their big heavy coats and even starting to wear shorts.  Now that is silly to this 62 year old lady, but if they want to freeze their legs so be it.

Now back to family after that little weather break. Just think about all those that have gone before us. Our parents, grand parents and then our four great grandparents, just keep multipling those family members and by the time to go back four to eight generations their are a lot of family members. I can go back eight generations on a few family lines but no way will I probably know all five hundred and twelve great x 8 grandparents . No wonder I can feel over whelmed at times

So Just For Today I will try to find out something about one of my 512 great x 8 grandparents or maybe something about their siblings.

Have a fun researching day hope that you are not feeling over whelmed now. ..Grace

ATTENDING MY FIRST GENEALOGICAL MEETING

I have been researching my family tree but have never become involved in a genealogical society. Last Tuesday they had their April meeting at the LDS Family History City. Off I went with hubby in tow. He is not real interested in genealogy but likes to be with me.

I met a nice group of people pretty much my age group or a couple of years younger. They shared what what was available at the history center. There is a lot of information to research out side of the United States. This is where I have not gone as of yet.

After the meeting they opened up this area for family research time. I had not brought my information with me and did not really plan to spend time researching. What I did do is spot some Polk City Directories on a shelf.

There were not a lot of older ones but I did find some from the early 1950's. My personal family was living in Texas at this period of time but my grandparents, Aunt Daisy and Uncle Don and Aunt Lil were in Duluth.

It was fun to find their names, addresses and where they were working in 1950, 1952 and 1954.

What I learned was that my Uncle Don worked at Glass Block a Duluth Department store this was in 1952. By 1954 he was working at Western Electric as a inspector.

I am sure I will return and join. I am hoping to get my husband a little more interested.

thanks for stopping by... Grace

SENTIMENTAL SUNDAY 4 CUTE KIDS FROM THE 1950'S

For Sentimental Sunday I am sharing a picture from the early 1950's.
I love this picture, it is 1953 or 1954 some where in Duluth Minnesota. I am on the right side 5 years old, next to me is my cousin Bonnie 4 years old then my sister Mary 3 years old. Next to Mary is Bernie 7 years old,who is my cousin Bonnies cousin on her mothers side of the family.
I am already stylish rolling up my jeans. Truth is they probably were to long.

thanks for stopping by.. Grace

SURNAME SATURDAY GOBBLE / GABEL FROM GERMANY

Time for Surname Saturday and I am sharing my Gobble / Gabel line from Offenbach Germany


(1) Grace Zion daughter (2) Arthur Zion b April 30 1920 d Sept 15 2008 and (3) Muriel Day b Feb 23 1922 d Feb 28 1998.
Arthur is son of  (4) Perry Zion b Dec 12 1886 Kendal Kansas d Dec 21 1958 and (5) Alta L Hall b June 26 1892 Evansville Wisconsin d Feb 21 1944.
Perry is son of (8) Johanthan Zion b Sept 29 1861 Decatuer Iowa d April 07 1927 Craig Colorado.
and (9) Rachel Millsap b April 19 1862 Mountain ayr Iowa d May 13 1945.
Johnathan is son of  (16) John Henderson Zion b Nov 28 1831 d April 22 1920 and (17) Mary cassell b Oct 19 1834 d Nov 20 1919
John H is son of (32) McCormick Zion b Jan 22 1795 North Fork Virginia d Dec 26 Decatur Iowa and (33) Mary Gobble b April 14 1796 Holston River Virginia d Nov 20 1835 Rush Indiania
(33) Mary Gobble daughter of (66) John Gobble 1766- 1846 and (67) Jemima Linder 1774 -1876
(66) John Gobble son of (132 )Johann Gobble ( Gabel) 1734 - 1792 and (133) Elizabeth Weigel 1737 - 1794
(132) Johann Gobble 1734 of Offenbach Germany - 1792  son of (264)Johann Friedrich Gabel and (265)Maria Spiess. Johann married Elizabeth Weigel 10 of May 1757 in Montgomery County PA. Elizabeth is the daughter of George Weigel and Anna Margaret Ditlich.
(264 Johann Gabel and (265 Maria Spiess parents unknown at this moment.

MAKING CHEESE CAKE IN COLONIAL TIMES FOLLOWING Mrs Meads Recipe

The year is 1634 and my ancestor Robert Day came to Ameria and landed in Boston with his wife Mary. Mary died shortly after arriving and Robert remarried Editha Stebbens and started a family. They are my 8th great grandfather and grandmother.
So picture Editha making this cheese cake for Robert. Maybe she read this recipe that was published in London in 1662 and was followed by our earliest colonists.

Mrs. Leeds Cheese Cake
Take six quarts of milk an reen it ( and rennit) pretty cold and when it is tender come, drain from it your whey bedropt from it, then presse it, change it into dry cloathes till it wet the cloth no longer, then beat it in a stone mortar till itbe like butter, then strayne it through a thin straynor, mingle it with a pound and a half of butter with your hands, take one pound of almonds and heat them with rose water till they be like your curd, then mingle them with the yolks of twenty eggs and a quart of cream, two great nutmegs and one pound and a half of surgar. When your coffins are ready and going to set in the oven, then mingle them together. let your oven be hot enough for a Pigeon pye and lett a stone stand up till the scorching be passed, then set them in. Half an hour will bake them well . Your coffins must be made with milk and butter as stiff as for other paste, then you must set them into a pirty hot oven and fill them full of bran and when they are hardened take them out and with and wing, brush out the bran - they must be pricked.

Okay any one understand what you just read. I am sure Editha understood it but I don't.
This recipe was found in " The Old Farmer's Almanac Colonial Cookbook" edited by Clarissa Silitch. It is full of recipes our ancestors would of followed.


This cook book is full of recipes that our ancestors would of made. You can read more on how the Puritans ate here.

thanks for stopping by.. hope that you enjoyed viewing a recipe and how it was written in Colonial times.  Grace

Genealogist Or Family Historian Striving To Be Both

This last week I read a wonderful post on whether we are a genealogist or family historian or both.
Sadly at this moment I can not find her blog and posting, but if I come across her in my travels this weekend I will link her article to this posting.

I strive to be both. I love looking for the dates and all the charts but then I want to put myself into their lives. What was happening around them.  What was life like for my ancestors during the Revolutionary War, The Civil War, My own parents with World War 2 going on and their meeting and marrying. Where did they live, what did they love to eat or hate to eat. So much of these things we will never really know but some we can learn about by just studying the history locally around where they lived. What was happening in the United States and the world. How did this affect them and their lives.
By finding a cook book from or about the time period they lived can help us see what was being prepared in their kitchens.

Recently I found a cook book called " The Old Farmer's Almanac Colonial CookBook " editor Clarissa Silitch. We can find recipes and how the colonial housewife cooked.


By reading on home making in the 1800's we can picture our great great grandmothers in their homes and picture what life was like. 

I desire to combine not only the records, charts but a look into the lives of my ancestors. Some days I can not get someone out of my head. I read my great grandpa John Lockwoods records on trying to get a pension after being in the Civil War and all I can say is " Poor Grandpa" . I read about the pain he was in and I am with him wishing I could comfort him. That I could be with Betsy his wife as she struggled after he passed on.  

At this time I have started to read Rebels and RedcoatsThe American Revolution Through the Eyes of Those Who fought and Lived It " by George Scheer and Hugh Rankin. It will probably take me a while to read this since it is not easy reading like my prefered mysteries. I have at least three great grandfather's who fought in the Revolutionary War.

There is so much more to our ancestors than their census reports. By searching further I will be able to add depth to my family research.

Thanks for stopping by, I hope that you visit again real soon. Grace