A Handwritten Howe-Salyers Family Chronology, Part Two: 1883 to 1920s & '30s, With One Jump to 1944

In Part 2 of Sarah Eva Howe's handwritten chronology of events in her Howe family and her husband's Salyers family, we revisit 1883, also the birth year of Sarah's beloved cousin Jenne, and continue to the 1930s. During that time, Sarah gave birth to five children, including two sets of twins. There is one entry for 1944, the death of Sarah's husband, William Levi Salyers.

Sarah apparently wrote dates and events as they came to mind. Notice her two references to "going back." Parentheses are original to the handwritten chronology. Brackets enclose my own clarifications, identifications, and comments.

[Chronology of Our Family, Part Two]

1883    Jenne Winslow Howe born to Wm and Lou Howe

1883    April, Katharine King Salyers [mother of William Levi, Sarah's future husband]  dies, in Carrollton

1880    [zero written over a 2] Ruth Salyers Jr. [?] born to T[homas] D. Salyers and wife [Thomas was an uncle to Sarah's future husband]

1883    October, Josie King and Will Fisher married [Relatives on Sarah's husband's line]

1884    Sarah Howe [Sarah's aunt] married to Hiram McMakin Froman [Note: I have also seen references to this man as Herman M. "Mack" Froman.]

1885    Robert Hiram Froman born to above [Note added 8 Nov 2018: Another researcher believes the middle name could have been Howe. Hiram is what was written in the chronology by his relatives, and Hiram is the name on the grave marker at Ghent Masonic Cemetery in Carroll County, Kentucky.]

(Going Back a Little)
1874     Lee, or Lenora, [Sarah's "Aunt Lee"] born to Richard and Sarah Evelyn Cost           
1877    (Sept.) Richard Henry Jr. [born to Richard and Sarah Evelyn Cost]
 
1880     (Jan.) Morris Elliott Cost [born to Richard and Sarah Evelyn Cost]   

1882      Wife of T.D. Salyers dies

1883      Little Katharine born to C[harles] D & Kate Salyers, lived 1 month

1884     T.D. Salyers married Miss Hanks

1887     Charles D. Salyers married Flora Geier

1885     Beverly Winslow Howe born to Wm & Lou W. Howe

1888    April - Chandler Harper Howe (only son) born to R[obert] J. and Alice Howe in Cincinnati 

1889    Nov.  C[handler] H[arper] H[owe] died, at 19 months, [ditto mark = Cincinnati]

going back
1877   Charles Theodore Kipping born to Fred and Julia Kipping (cousins of Flora Geier)      in Carrollton (afterwards husband of Leonora Howe)

1888    Amelia [Haskell] Salyers dies [grandmother of Sarah's future husband]

1889    Katharine born to William and Josie Fisher

1889    Ida Ruth born to Wm Levi [uncle to Sarah's future husband of the same name] and Sue Giltner Salyers (married 1886?)

1889    Katharine (Katie) Bell marries John Morgan Smith, June

1889    Sarah Goslee married Joseph B. Howe [also see his extensive obituary]

1890    (Jan.) John Howe [the Irish immigrant; Sarah's paternal grandfather] dies

1890    March, R[obert] J. Howe and family move to Carrollton – Howe Bros. formed with R[obert] J. & J[oseph] B. Howe, W[illiam] F. Howe in charge of mills

1890    Ruth Louise born to W.F. & Lou W. Howe, July. 1915- married Henry Schuerman Jr.  [Ruth and Henry's] Daughter Wilhehmina born 1916.

1891    John Irvine Howe died.

1891    Caby Varena born to Wm. and Sarah V [Howe] Froman

1889 or 1890    Mary Arison Cost [Sarah Eva Howe's paternal great-grandmother] dies, Cincinnati

1890    Elizabeth Voris Arnet [Sarah Eva Howe's maternal great-grandmother] dies

1892    David Arnet [Sarah Eva Howe's maternal great-grandfather] dies

1893     Elizabeth Howe Froman born to H[iram] M[cMakin] and Sarah Howe Froman.

1892    James Goslee born to Jos. B. and "Sallie" Howe (one son born previously died at birth)

1896    Dec., Leonora Alice [Sarah Eva Howe's sister] born to Robert J. and Alice Howe

1898    Robert King Salyers [brother of Sarah's future husband] died

1899    George Thompson Howe born to Jos[eph] & Sallie [Goslee] Howe

1900    Mrs. Jane Bell Howe dies

1921    Flora [Geier] Salyers [died]

1910     R[ichard] H[enry] Cost [Sarah's maternal grandfather] died

1917    S[arah] E[valine] Arnet Cost [Sarah's maternal grandmother] [ditto marks under died]
 
1910    Robert [James] Howe [Sarah's father] dies

1926    Charles D. Salyers [Sarah's father-in-law] dies
 
1939     Alice Howe [Sarah's mother] [dies]

1944     W[illiam] L[evi] Salyers [Sarah's husband] dies
 
1905    William Salyers and Sarah Howe married

1907    Robert King Salyers [Sarah's first-born child] born to above

1910    James Richard & Mary Alice [Sarah's twins] born to above

1915    David Hillis Salyers Jr. (and brother) born. [Sarah's second set of twins. The twin brother, named John, was stillborn. “Jr.” was actually “II.” David was named for his great-grandfather.]

A Handwritten Howe-Salyers Family Chronology, Part One: 1790-1883

I've struck family history gold! – Sarah Eva Howe's handwritten, year-by-year account of births, deaths, and marriages in her Howe-Salyers family. The 11 pages are in one of the scrapbooks Sarah compiled after her marriage, as she recorded family history for her children.

First page of Sarah's Howe-Salyers Family Chronology

Among the many names and dates, I've spotted some surprises and a few discrepancies that I want to sort out. In the meantime, here is my transcription of the first 93 years of Sarah's written chronology – 1790 to 1883, the year Sarah was born. She wrote in short phrases with explanations stuck here and there as she thought of them. Some years are out of sequence. I can picture her writing this history, suddenly remembering a birth that occurred in 1859 after she had already listed events that happened in the 1860s.

Within the transcript, parentheses are original to Sarah's handwriting. Brackets contain my own comments and clarifications. I've linked some names to previous posts about Sarah's ancestors. In several cases, links are duplicated because names are listed in the chronology more than once.

Chronology of Our Family, General

[On the first page is this notation: "1682-1799 Lamson-Freeman dates not included as they are complete elsewhere."]

1790(?)  Salyers — grandfather of D.H. Salyers 1st came to Kentucky with small son.

1790   Howe-Brown — Both families were living in “5-mile town.” We have a Bible dated 1790, property of Mrs. Brown, mother (or grandmother) of Sarah Brown Howe who came to Kentucky in 1847 (my grandmother) with her husband John and small son Will.

1772   Cost — Daniel Cost, [2 overwritten with a 4, or vice versa] years old, was left an orphan when parents were killed by Indians in Maryland, he was “bound out” to Major Beyer, who raised him as a son (of Philadelphia).

1800   Daniel Cost was married to Mary Fisher at home of Major Beyer (now in Maryland).
 
1811    Arnet — Grandpa David Arnet born in Albany, NY
 
1812    Cost — Grandpa Henry Cost born (in Maryland)
 
1817    Benjamin Lamson & Abigail Freeman married in Ohio on way to Indiana (both born in 1790s).

I have based all these dates on the year of death which I remember and the age at death, but perhaps they had not reached birthday. [Based on research, some of the years Sarah listed are a year or two off.]

1806(?)   Elisabeth Voris born Elizabeth(?), NJ.
1813(?)   Mary Arison [ditto mark = born] Lancaster County, Pa., of Quaker parents, came to Ohio (about) 1821.

1820(?)   David Hillis Salyers born to boy (name unknown) who came over from Va. with father in 1790 (his mother's and grandmother's name unknown to us)
 
1821    Howe — John Howe born at “5-mile town” C. Fermanagh Ireland

1823    Brown — Sarah Brown born, at same place as above. Her mother’s name was McKean and relatives of that name were already in America in the 1700s. [Name not legible] have her grandfather’s Bible (about 1800).

1829   King — James Guthrie King (father’s name Daniel, mother’s was Guthrie — We have further data elsewhere)

1825(?)  Amelia Lamson born at Craig Indiana (married D H Salyers)

1830     Father of D.H. Salyers died suddenly (in Indiana)

1831     Cost – Richard Henry, born Cincinnati

1835      David Arnet and Elizabeth Voris married in New Jersey.

1837      [7 is written over 8] Sarah Eva Arnet born (m. R H Cost)

1836(?)    Mary Mayfield born (m James King) (her mother’s name was Wood)

1846(?)    David Hillis Salyers, Amelia Lamson married (Ind[iana])

1845        John Howe and Sarah Brown married in Ireland

1847        They came to America to Flemingsburg Ky. with William Ficklin 2 months         old (first) son

1849        Charles David Salyers born on fathers plantation near Greenville, Miss.

1848        Margaret Elizabeth born to John and Sarah Howe

1851        Abigail born to David H and Amelia Salyers

1853        John Irvine, born to John and Sarah Howe

1855        Robert James [ditto marks = John and Sarah Howe]

1855        Thomas Deveraux born to DH & Amelia Salyers

1857        Katherine born to James Guthrie Salyers and Molly King

1855        James King and Molly Mayfield married (near Bedford)

1860        D H Salyers family settle in Carrollton

1856        Richard Cost and Sarah Eva Arnet married (Willie, first son born 1854 died ’58)

1857       Joseph Brown Howe born near Champaign Ill.

1859       Alice Ada Cost born to Richard Cost and Sarah Arnet (Dec.)

1860      [6 is written over a 5] George Thompson Howe born to John and Sarah Howe

1862     Sarah Varina born to [ditto marks = John and Sarah Howe]

1861?)   Jessie Fremont born to Richard and Sarah Cost

1859     Nancy [ditto marks = born to] James and Molly King

1859     John Howe & family settle in Carrollton

1866(?)  Josephine [ditto marks = born to] James and Molly King
             Naomi [ditto marks = born to] Richard & Sarah Cost

1869      Mary [ditto marks = born to Richard & Sarah Cost]

1859(?)   William Levi born to D H & Amelia Salyers

1864?    Ruth Salyers [ditto marks = born to D H & Amelia Salyers]

1861?    Rudolph Ferdinand [ditto marks = born to D H & Amelia Salyers]

1869     D. H. Salyers goes to Arkansas
            Elizabeth Howe dies at 21

1873    Wm F. Howe married Louise Winslow [in] Carrollton

1874    Charles D. Salyers married Katharine King

1874     David H. Salyers dies in Arkansas

1876    [Brothers] John [Irvin] and Robert Howe go to Europe for 9 month trip

1877    Sarah Brown Howe dies

1877    Lillie (Margaret Elizabeth) born to Wm. and Lou Winslow Howe

1875    Charles born to CD and Katharine Salyers (lived one day)

1876    James [ditto marks = born to CD and Katharine Salyers] lived five months

1878    William Levi, 3rd son born to [ditto marks = born to CD and Katharine Salyers]

1878(?)  Henry Cost dies in Cincinnati

1877     T.D. Salyers married to Miss Knox of Vevay, Ind.

1879    Louise born to T[homas] D. Salyers & wife

1879    John J. Howe born to Wm & Lou Howe (Nov. — same night as —

1879    John Howe senior marries Jane Bell widow (from Cincinnati) with one (living)     daughter Katharine

1878    John I[rvine] Howe marries Lucy Froman (of Ghent)

1879    Lucy, wife of John I. Howe, dies by accidental drowning with unborn child (in     Covington)

1880    Robert King Salyers born to CD & Kate Salyers

1881    John I. Howe marries Miss Emily Bender Lynn, of Covington

1881    George Thompson Howe dies of tuberculosis in Colorado

1881    Alice Ada Cost meets Robert Howe at St. Paul’s Church (Methodist)

1878 or 79    John I. & Robert J. sent by father [John Howe] to Cincinnati to establish branch to sell products of woolen mills

1882    March 25, Alice Cost and Robert Howe become engaged, married 11th October     (same year)

1883    Sarah Eva Howe born to Alice at Walnut Hills, Cincinnati Aug. 10

Coming in the next post: Howe-Salyers Chronology Part 2, from 1883 to 1915, plus some additional "forgotten" earlier years and a few notes about Sarah's grandchildren born in the 1940s.

Second Page of Sarah Eva Howe's Family Chronology

A Virtual Stroll Through the Business District, 1889-1896

Little Sarah Eva Howe could hardly escape knowing about the thriving businesses in her home town of Carrollton, Kentucky. Her grandfather John Howe and John's five sons (including Sarah's "Papa," Robert James Howe) were prominent in local banking, textiles, custom-made suits, the manufacture of jeans, and retail sales. Some of the women in the family were business owners and managers, too, or owned stocks – and all of them likely had influence in business decisions made by their fathers, husbands, and sons.

No wonder, then, that Sarah's scrapbooks about growing up in 1890s Carrollton are rich with clippings and notes about large stores and small shops, manufacturing and merchandising, banking and finance. At every family gathering, the conversation likely turned to business matters – and Sarah was the kind of child who would have soaked up every word.

The ads she clipped from the Carrollton Democrat newspaper and pasted into her scrapbooks guide us on a virtual tour of the Carrollton business district of that time. They also tell us much about the Howes, their extended family, their friends, and their neighbors.

Of course, Sarah saved many ads representing Howe Brothers, the place in Carrollton to buy men's and ladies' fashions from New York and other big cities. We'll explore those another day. Today we'll visit other businesses in town – all of them owned by Howe relatives, friends, or neighbors.

Our first stop is a pharmacy, M.A. Geier & Company.

Now we proceed to M.A. Browinski & Son, purveyors of musical instruments and sheet "musik." (Note: This ad comes not from a newspaper but from a school event's program booklet.) We'll also pass by Browinski's Drugs.

Sarah's note (see original below) points out that both the Geier and Browinski businesses were owned by women: 
Both of the "M.A.s" of the drugstore were the women of the family. M.A. Browinski was Mrs. Mary Browinski, Miss Sue's mother. Her son Anson of course ran the business at this time. M.A. Geier was Miss Mary Alice Geier, whose brothers stayed in the store tho Miss "Jule" went into the grocery business about 1890 or 91. Mr. Oscar Geier had a partnership with the Driskell Bros in the Ghent Pharmacy.

 We continue on to other businesses in this thriving northern Kentucky town:



  



          
Sarah remarks about the ad on the right: Mr. Kreutzer lived at 4th and Sycamore diagonally back of us with his three pretty daughters.

                                                              


Mr. Kreutzer also advertised his blacksmithing skills.








Steam-powered paddle boats carried mail and passengers up and down the Ohio River. The people of Carrollton may have visited N.T. Drake & Co. for stationery and books when they visited Madison, Indiana.



 















J.J. Blessing and the Framme Brothers were competitors in the meat business.



The Carrollton Democrat, of course, advertised in its own newspaper.



Next stop, People's Building and Loan Association, which in 1889 advertised the highlights of its Annual Report.

Now we pass by these Carrollton medical offices:
 

And last but not least . . .

I hope you enjoyed our virtual visit to some of the businesses in 1890s Carrollton. In a future post: The Howe family businesses and the impact they had on Carrollton, Carroll County, and northern Kentucky.

Some Things Never Change – The Presidential Election of 1896

Though Sara Eva Howe was only 13 years old in 1896, she was tuned in to politics. Today, as we reflect on the contentious presidential primary and general elections of the past few years, we can appreciate Sarah's memories of the equally contentions campaigns of Democrat William Jennings Bryan and Republican William McKinley. To this day, historians call that year's presidential election one of the most dramatic and complex in American history. No wonder Sarah had such vivid recall as she wrote about it some 15 to 20 years later.

I'm no political historian, so I poked around on the internet to learn about the presidential election of 1896. If I understand correctly, Republican William McKinley drew most of his support from businessmen, bankers, professionals, skilled workers, and prosperous farmers, all of whom stood for gold as the U.S.A's currency standard. Democrat William Jennings Bryan was supported by his own party plus the Populist Party and the "Silver Republicans." His campaign blamed the wealthy for impoverishing America by limiting the money supply, basing it solely on gold. He supported coining more-abundant silver to restore prosperity.

I've added my own comments in brackets within the following transcription of Sarah's writing.

The fall of 1896 found us politically minded indeed, for it was the great gold standard, silver standard campaign, and William Jennings Bryan was running for President for the first time on a platform of “Free and Unlimited Coinage of Silver,” which many thought meant lots of silver money for everyone! Just as the cry of McKinley and Protection, or The Full Dinner Pail or even The Gold Standard prejudiced many, including my young and impressionable self, in its favor.

Papa, being a Prohibitionist, was of course not directly concerned, but Uncle Joe [Joseph B. Howe] swerved from his former support of the Prohibition ticket (he voted for it before Papa did) to vote out and out Republican – so did Mr. George Winslow (also a former Prohibitionist). We privately thought their intensely Republican spouses brought this about.

Uncle Will [William Ficklin Howe] supported the Gold Democrats, who had on a ticket Palmer and Buckner. Uncle John Smith never would tell how he voted, which was an admission of something or other. Feelings ran higher than at any election, I believe, since the Civil War, and think of what the fuss was all about – Money!

Of course, the Salyers folks [who became Sarah's in-laws in 1905] were all Republicans – and Mrs. King [probably Mary Catherine Mayfield King, the grandmother of Sarah's husband] herself was for “gold” and had many arguments with Uncle Alec Trout who was for Bryan. (Uncle Bill Fisher too was Republican.) We all wore campaign buttons, and many were the arguments in our class of six at school.

Note on the election business
In our class there were two silver Democrats Vachel and Dick Stanton
2 gold Democrats Florian [Browinski] and Jenne [Howe]
one Republican Mamie Merrill
and one Prohibitionist (goldily inclined) - myself.

To pursue the election excitement a little further, we were wildly excited for the returns. Papa kept coming in and telling us how it was going as he spent most of his time at the Court House and nobbing with the Republicans (as he said); they were getting their returns by wire there.

Democratic Campaign Poster, 1896 --
By Amos Currier [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

Republican Campaign Poster, 1896 --
by Gillespie, Metzgar & Kelley [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

On election day Nov. 3, 1896, the national voter turnout of 79.3 percent, and some places reported a turnout exceeding 90 percent. (Compare that with the substantially lower turnouts over the past few national elections!) McKinley, who had a campaign budget of $3.5 million (equivalent to $3 billion today!), outspent Bryan 5 to 1 during the campaign and won the election with 51.03 percent of the vote.

If this post stirs your interest in the election of 1896, please search the internet for articles about them. A general search finds a half-million or more sites about this topic.