REED, Barbara Frohmader

Barbara (Frohmader) Reed

This photo was located about a year ago at the Palm Beach County Fairgrounds at their monthly Antiques Show.  The front of the photo shows that the photographic studio was "Medlar Studio, Rockford, Illinois."

The back of the photo has a hand-written note which identifies the subject as "Barbra Fromander Reed." (I would later determine that the first name and maiden name were misspelled on the photo.)

The photo was probably taken around 1888 to 1892, and might have been taken at the time of her wedding or engagement. Barbara appears to be in her early twenties, so a good guess for year of birth would be around 1865-1870.

Searching in Rockford Illinois newspapers from the applicable era, I was able to find several references to the surname "Fromander", but no mention of a Barbra Fromander, nor of a Fromander girl marrying a Reed.

Ancestry.com offered only a handful of people named Fromander, and no Barbras.

Findagrave.com saved the day. By searching for anyone named Barb Reed in the county of Winnebago, Illinois (and just hoping that Barbara had not moved prior to her passing), I was finally able to identify the right person as Anna Barbara Frohmader-Reed. Armed with the correct name, I was able to go back to Ancestry.com and newspaper archives to glean more information.

Born: June 7, 1870 (per Census but headstone says 1868) in Germany
Arrived: 1872
Died: November 8, 1945 in Roscoe IL (per Social Security death index)

 

On April 15, 1890, she married Fred Reed (a grocer, born March 15, 1854 on Oswego NY, to parents Jefferson and Julia Reed, died Oct 3, 1921 in Roscoe, Illinois).

• They had children:
  Irene Reed (married Thomas J. Murray)
  Ray Reed

I cannot locate a record detailing the names of Barbara's parents, although I did see reference to her father being "John Frohmader" on a search result, but was not able to pull up a page when clicking it.

(Obits are taken from archives of Rockford, Illinois newspaper. Click on obits to see a larger image.)

1900 Federal Census, Roscoe, Winnebago, Illinois
REED, James F., head, Mar 1824, 46, born in NY or NY parents, Grocery merchant
REED, Barbara A., wife, June 1870, 29, born in Germany or German parents
REED, Irene,daughter, Feb 1893, 7, born in Illinois

1910 Federal Census, Roscoe, Winnebago County, Illinois
REED, James F., head, 54, born in NY or NY parents, Grocery merchant
REED, Anna B., wife, 38, born in Germany of German parents
REED, Irene, daughter, 18, born in Illinois, Stenographer/bookkeeper in the clothing industry

Barbara and her husband Fred Reed are buried at the Roscoe cemetery in Winnebago County, Illinois.

SIDWELL, Ann or Anna

ANN SIDWELL (photo taken circa late 1890's in Maysville, Mason County, KY)

Ann SIDWELL

Located at an outdoor antique fair in Burlington, Boone County, KY in 2015.

This photograph was taken at the Brosee Photographic Studio in Maysville KY.

1900 Federal Census shows a SIDWELL family living in Mason County in a township named Plugtown, which is about 18 miles southwest of Maysville.

1900 Federal census, Plugtown, Mason, KY
SIDWELL, Calvin H., head, born Aug 1870 in KY, farmer
SIDWELL, Etta S., wife, born Nov 1879 in KY to Ohio parents
SIDWELL, Anna H., daughter, Aug 1898 in KY

Announcement in Nov 1897 Maysville paper

Father is Calvin Holton Sidwell (1870-1930), son of John B. Sidwell and Sarah A. Holton.

Mother is Ettie S. Sheeler (1879-1930), daughter of Jacob Sheeler.

About 1903, baby brother Roy Verne Sidwell was born.
US Social Security Death Index shows that Ann Sidwell (still using maiden name) was born Aug 25, 1898, and died March 1984 in Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio, which is a short ways across the river into Ohio.

1910 Federal Census, Mason County, KY, South Ripley Road
SIDWELL, C. H., head, 39, KY, farmer
SIDWELL, Etta S., wife, 29
SIDWELL, Anna H., daughter, 11
SIDWELL, Roy Verne, son, 7

1920 Federal Census, Stephenson, Kenton County, KY, Lexington Pike
SIDWELL, Calvin H., head, 49, KY, general farming
SIDWELL, Etta S., wife, 39
SIDWELL, Anna H., daughter, 21
SIDWELL, Roy V., son, 17, farm labor

1930 Federal Census, Kenton County, KY, Highway No. 25
SIDWELL, Calvin H., head, 59, KY, general farming
SIDWELL, Etta S., wife, 51
SIDWELL, Anna H., daughter, 30
SIDWELL, Roy V., son, 27, farming

The following insert was located in the Maysville Public Ledger, 16 Aug 1900, and helps add some info on the family of Anna's mother Etta.

MYER, Charles

Here is a tin-type photograph which I found at the Palm Beach County Fairgrounds in January 2016 at their monthly Antiques Show.

CHARLES MYER

The photo is labeled "Charles Myer" but sadly, there are no other clues like location which would have been a tremendous help.

He may be from the Philadelphia area, or related to someone from that region, as several other photos I got at the same booth were from that area.

The photo was probably taken during, or just after, the Civil War, and the subject looks to be around age 20, thus an estimated birth year of 1845.

I wish I knew a bit more about him. For now, all I can do is post the image and hope someone else recognizes him.

TAYLOR, Charles S.

This photo was located in January 2016 at the Palm Beach Florida monthly Antique Show at the Fairgrounds.

The back of the photo appears to identify the fellow as "Charles S. Taylor" although I am open to any other suggestions for the middle initial.

Here is front and back. (Click on either photo for a larger image.)

   

Some clues worth noting:

1. Location is Philadelphia, PA, specifically 1206 Chestnut Street.
2. Photographers are "Broadbent and Phillips."
3. "No. 39597" is barely readable at the bottom of the reverse. It may be an identification number, but one would need access to the photographer's files to know for sure.

1875 Philadelphia City Directory shows Broadbent & Phillips

Photographers, also Robert C. Broadbent at same address.

Henry C. Phillips, the premier photographer of the region, operated a studio on Chestnut Street from 1862 through his death in 1911. The studio continued afterward under the direction of Phillips' two sons. Phillips worked with a variety of partners. One of his partners was Robert C. Broadbent, and they were in business at least from 1875 through 1881.

The next hurdle will be to determine who exactly this is.  The name Charles Taylor is a fairly common one. And without certainty of the middle name or initial, I do not feel confident of an absolute identification.  But here goes ...

Let us assume the photo was taken in 1878, which would be right in the middle point of the known years of the Broadbent and Phillips partnership. I think the man looks to be in his early 30s (although facial hair may be making him look a bit older.) But if that is a good guess, then his birth year would be between 1844 - 1847.

(Still researching this one.)