RICHTMYER, Phillip

(I am not in possession of this photo. I saw it at an antique shop in Ballston Spa, NY, but because it is large and framed, I felt I would not be able to get it home with me to Kentucky. So I snapped a photo with my cell phone. If this is your relative, I can tell you where to find the shop.)

The back of the picture reads as follows:

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PHILLIP REICHTMYER
Father of
Alida Reichtmyer, born Feb 23 1854, married Jay Zeh
Peter Reichtmyer
John Reichtmyer
Wizz Reichtmyer
Irven Reichtmyer
Mary Reichtmyer, died when little

Phillip was murdered in McGowersville, Albany. His murderer called him out at night to help a brother mason.


Every example of the name that I found on Findagrave and Ancestry records the surname as RICHTMYER, and not REICHTMYER as written of the back of the photograph.

This article from New York Herald, June 20, 1895.  This clarifies the name of the town as McKnownsville (not McGowersville as I had read it.)

This newspaper article from the Burlington Free Press, 6 Sept 1895 gives more information.

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1875 New York State Census, Middleburgh, Schoharie County, NY
RICHTMYER, Philip, 51
RICHTMYER, Elizabeth, 50
RICHTMYER, Alida, 21
RICHTMYER, Irvin, 19
RICHTMYER, William, 16  <--- this must be the son called "Wizz"
RICHTMYER, Peter, 14
RICHTMYER, John, 11

DUNKMAN family photos

UPDATE - These photos of the Dunkman family have been claimed and are going home!
These photo were located at the Athens Schoolhouse Antique Show, just south of Lexington KY.

Stella, Lawrence and Elsie DUNKMAN
photo taken in Cincinnati OH circa 1895

"Aunt Emma Dunkman"

These are the first three children of Theodore C. Dunkmann (1859-1941, son of Johann Dunkmann and Helene Prote) and Margaretta "Emma" Lorenz (1861-1927, daughter of Nicholas Lorenz and Katherine Klei).

Lawrence W. Dunkman (1887-1898) died at age 10. (His headstone spells the last name with one N.)
Clara Estella Dunkman (1888-1976) her headstone at Mt Olive cemetery Mayview IL says Dunkman, so she likely never married.
Elsie Lisetta Dunkman (1890-1979)

Cora and Walter

"Cora and Walter"

I generally do not buy photos identified with only first names, because there are not enough clues to find the correct family, however in this case, I bought the photo because the children bear a striking resemblence to Stella and Lawrence Dunkman, and oddly enough - also to Aunt Emma. The photo was taken at the same photographic studio in Cincinnati, at or around the same time, and located in the same box of old photos as the identified people. This led me to believe they were from the same immediate family.

Cora and Walter are two of the children of William F. Dunkmann (1856-1930, older brother of above-mentioned Theodore) and Clara Wilhelmina Lorenz (1864-1946, younger sister of above-mentioned Emma Lorenz).

Cora Emma Dunkman (1893-1984) would grow up and marry Ira Blaine Truesdell (d. 1970, a brother to KY Senator Charles Truesdell) she and her husband are buried at the Alexandria Cemetery in Campbell County Kentucky.
Walter Lorenz Dunkman (1891-1951) would grow up and marry Charlotte Hart Scott (d. 1982) and lived in Lexington, KY.

It is possible that the photos came from Walter's family history collection, since he and his wife lived in Lexington (the photos were acquired very near there, and Emma would have been his aunt). But Walter had other siblings; Ethel, Ellie, Helen and William, but it is not known if any of them lived near Lexington.

DENNIS children

This photo of the Dennis children was bought for me as a gift by a friend. The photo was found at the Stone Soup Antique Store in Ballston Spa, NY.

The photo was taken in Ossining-on-Hudson, circa 1910. The back of of the photo reads:
"Catherine, Hilbert & Fred Dennis. Their mother was Eva (Wright) who married Mr. Dennis, a newspaper man, They lived in Ossining. Eva was the daughter of Eugenia Wright. Eugenia was the daughter of William and Catherine (Lobbell) Wright."

I have since discovered that the children's mother was born Evelyn May Griffin (not Wright) but I suspect whoever wrote the note could not recall the woman's maiden name.

The family is found in Ossining, NY on the 1910 Federal Census, living at 4 Maurice Avenue.
DENNIS, Robert T., head, 48, married 12 yrs, born in NY of Massachusetts and NY parents, occupation: proof-reader in a printing office
DENNIS, Eva M., wife, 34, born in NY or NY parents
DENNIS, Hilbert G., son, 9, born in NY of NY parents
DENNIS, Frederick E., son, 5, " " "
DENNIS, Catherine E., daughter, 3, " " "
DENNIS, Edward, brother, 54, born in MD of Massachusetts & NY parents, occ: agent in Railroad purchasing office
DENNIS, Georgiana E., sister, 58, born in NY
HILBERT, Charlie, cousin, 76, born in Massachusetts of Mass. parents, occ: yardmaster at prison
THOMAS, Malissa L., servant, B.F., 26, born in NC of NC and VA parents, occ: family servant

The children's mother Eva, grew up at the nearby village of Sing Sing as her father John Griffin was a keeper at the prison.

The eldest brother in this photo (Hilbert G. Dennis) died in February 1911 at around the age of 10. I cannot yet find a cause for this.

The following newspaper blurb regarding one of Fred's chickens was picked up by several papers in October 1911.

Father Robert T. Dennis lived to 1933. The following entry is found at Findagrave.com.

Birth:  1862
Kings County (Brooklyn)
New York, USA
Death:  Jan. 20, 1933
Ossining
Westchester County
New York, USA

Lived on James Street. Son of Edward and Catherine Dennis. He came to Westchester County in the early 1860s and to Ossining in 1869. He was survived by his wife Eva Griffin Dennis, a daughter, Miss Katherine Dennis, and three sons, Robert, Jr., Frederick and John of the James Street address. Also survived by a brother Edward of Ellis Place. Service by Rev. Walter H. Lofthouse of the Highland Avenue Methodist Church. A biography printed in 1901 says he was Supervisor of the Town of Ossining. Received his early education in Sparta attending the district school in the hamlet and afterwards becoming a pupil at the school of the late Daniel B Ryder.
In 1877 he became an apprentice in the printing office of the Hudson River Chronicle at Scarborough. He later joined the composing rooms of the Democratic Register as a compositor. Became the local reporter of what became the Ossining Republican in addition to being a correspondent for a number of metropolitan newspapers.
In 1894 he was elected to the office of Town Clerk of Ossining and to which he has thrice been re-elected, resigning to take the office of Supervisor in November 1901.

Katherine (or Catherine) Dennis, grew up to become a reporter for the Ossining Review. At the age of 26 she was publisher of the Ossining Review. The following news blurb was picked up by the Rockford Illinois Morning Star, December 4, 1930.




1940 Federal Census, Ossining NY, 19 Everett Ave.
DENNIS, Eva m., head, widowed, 64
DENNIS, Fred, son, single, 35, Air Brake Repairman for the railroad
DENNIS, Catherine, daughter, single, 33, no occupation recorded
DENNIS, Robert T. Jr., son, single, 24, stenographer for the railroad
DENNIS, John G., son, single, 18, no occupation recorded

CAYLOR family

CAYLOR, James & Myrtle & family

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This photograph of the CAYLOR family was located today at the Athens Schoolhouse Monthly Antique show, just outside of Lexington KY.

The photo was taken most likely in or around April 1911 at a studio in the town of Kimball (no state given, but I have determined that it is Kimball Minnesota.) The back of the photo identifies each of the family members as follows:

James Caylor
Myrtle Caylor
Ruth Caylor, age 14
Irving Caylor, age 11
Archie Caylor, age 9
Clinton Caylor, age 5
Herschel Caylor, age 3
Joel Caylor, age 2

This family is found on the Kingston, Minnesota Census of 1910 (April 19), with household members at that time:

Caylor, James, head, 44, married 11 years, born in West Virginia, of W. Virginia parents
Caylor, Myrtle, wife, 32, married 11 years, born in Minnesota, of Kentucky parents
Caylor, Erving, son, 10, all the children born in Minnesota
Caylor, Archie, son, 8
Caylor, Clinton, son, 4
Caylor, Herschel, son, 2
Caylor, Joel, son, 1
Patten, Eli, hired man, 27

The photo was therefore taken around April 1911. I have to wonder where 13-yr-old Ruth was at the time of the 1910 Census. It appears that the 1910 Census indicates "M2" for James and "M1" for Myrtle. I suppose it is possible that Ruth was a product of a first marriage and still living with her mother?

Backing up a decade - the 1900 Census shows the family consisting of James, Myrtle and 2 month old Irving. No mention of Ruth, who should have been about 3 years old at that time.

Ancestry.com has several family trees which identify James A. Caylor (1865 - 1948) as a son of Joel Caylor and Martha Ann Patsy Phelps. His wife Myrtle Jane Crider (1877-1959) is a daughter of Jackson Perry Crider and Mary Goble.

REEDER, Paul Asbury

PAUL ASBURY REEDER
taken 11 March 1904 in Norwalk, OH
on his 1st birthday

This photograph was located at the Stone Soup Antiques in Ballston Spa, New York.

Father:  John Lewis Reeder (1859-1932) son of James McMahon Reeder and Sarah Jacoby.
Mother:  Marian Alice Milk (1870-1944) daughter of Benjamin Milk and Elizabeth Rundell.

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Paul Asbury Reeder was born 11 Mar 1903 in Milan OH, a neighboring town of Norwalk where the photo was taken. The following insert was found in the March 18, 1903 edition of the magazine "Western Christian Advocate."

His grandmother died Dec 27, 1910. At that time he and his parents were in Punta Arenas Chile where his father was serving as a missionary. This insert was carried in the Western Christian Advocate edition dated Feb 1, 1911:

At the age of 16, in 1920, he appears on the Federal Census living in Pasadena California, as a boarder in the Ferry household. 

In 1930, he is found in Syracuse NY in the home of his parents, John Lewis Reeder and Marian M. Reeder. Paul's occupation is given as Philosophy Teacher.

(Los Angeles Times, 19-July-1938)
Paul is married to Marjorie Edith Rosine in South Pasadena at the home of the bride's parents, Mr. & Mrs. Howard Myron Rosine.




The Los Angeles Times edition of 13-Sep-1944, reports on the death of Paul's mother, Marian Milps (?) Reeder. I am confident that "Milps" is a typographical error, and should have said Milk or Milks.


Paul died 14-Oct-1984. He is buried in Green Hills Memorial Park, Rancho Palos Verdes, next to his wife.

WRIGHT, Augustus Sylvanus

UPDATE - Augustus has been claimed and is going home.

AUGUSTUS SYLVANUS WRIGHT
Santa Rosa, CA
taken 1898, age 73 years

This photo labeled "A.S. Wright" was located yesterday at the Stone Soup Antique Mall in Ballston Spa, NY.

Checking the Census and Voter Registration records of Sonoma County, California, around 1898, I was able to determine that this is Augustus S. Wright, a respected physician in Santa Rosa. Born in Cincinnati Ohio, Augustus moved to Santa Rosa in 1874, and remained there until his death in 1905.

Dr. Wright is listed in Find-a-Grave, and there was a good deal of information there on him, including this obit.

Born:  23-Oct-1825, Cincinnati OH
Died:  22-Dec-1905, Santa Rosa, CA

Father: Sylvanus Wright (1797-1883) son of Charles Wright and Sarah McKeel
Mother: Frances "Fanny" Goodman (1793-1881) daughter of Moses Goodman and Anne (or Amy) Seymour.
Sibling: Catherine Goodman Wright-Dimmick (1831-1887)

Spouse1: Ellen Lake
Spouse2: Nellie Thomas
Spouse3: Helen Doring

Child: Charles Augustus Wright (1859-1927)

I have also located two other children, Fannie Eliza Wright (b. 1855) and William T. Wright (1863-1865).

Dr. Wright is buried at Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery, next to his parents.

BRO, Beiri (?)

This photo was found at the "127 Yard Sale" last weekend, along with 13 others which all were taken in Winona Minnesota, and most appear to be from the same graduating class at the Winona State Normal School.

This one has been the trickiest to read, so I will start with this one.

Since most of the photos in this group actually say "Class of '87" on the mat, and a couple say "Class of '01", I am going to assume this photo was taken between those years, although this one does not bear the date clue like the others.

The photo was taken at a studio in Winona.

The back bears a hand-written note, which as near as I can make out, says; "Beiri Bro, 121 S. Main Street, Rockford, Illinois".

I have scanned the back also and include that below, so if you can read something different than I have done, please let me know.

I was able to check the City Directory for Rockford Illinois for various years ranging from 1904 through 1920 and discovered that a hardware store was at that location. Maybe he worked there, or lived in an apartment above it?  (Not sure that is a helpful clue.)

The surname BRO is a legitimate name of Scandinavian origin. On FindaGrave.com there is a "Neils Christian Bro" who bears a very strong resemblance to the Bro found above.

Here is the photo of Neils Christian Bro found at Find-a-Grave. I do not possess the photo below, it is only shown here for comparison.

Neils Christian Bro

(from Find-a-Grave)

RICKNER and BUSKIRK siblings

This postcard dated 20 August 1916, and cancelled in Detroit Michigan the following day, is addressed to Miss ADA BUSKIRK in Eckford Michigan.

The note written on the back says "Compliments of EZRA & JOSEPHINE"
Then the following names appear:
 - CHARLEY RICKNER
 - EZRA RICKNER
 - EVA BUSKIRK
 - LIBBIE BUSKIRK

Presumably, these names identify the four people pictured on the front, and presumably they are identified left to right.  Also, the youngest woman in the photo is pointed out as "Ada's Mother."

There is a Rickner family living in Eckford Michigan in the 1860's. Father James Rickner and mother Matilda Glitner had six children, including:
 - Evangeline "Eva" Rickner (b. 1856) who married Henry Buskirk
 - Ezra Rickner (b.1860) who married Josephine Hutchinson
 - Charlie Rickner (b.1862_ who married Charlotte ____.

Father James died in 1864.

Mother Matilda married Peter FRY in 1870, and give birth to Elizabeth "Libbie" Fry in 1871.  Peter Fey died in 1872.  Libbie married Charles Buskirk in 1891 and produced daughter Ada in 1897.

This explains how the brothers in the photo have the surname Rickner, and their sister and half-sister both carry the surname Buskirk.

Miss Ada Buskirk would have been 19 at the time she received this postcard.

DIXON ILLINOIS Class Photo circa 1906

CLASS PHOTO (?) DIXON ILLINOIS circa 1906

UPDATE - This photo has been sent home to the Lee County Historical and Genealogy Library in Dixon, Illinois.  FURTHER NOTE - a descendant of one of the young men contacted me to report that I had at least two of them misidentified, as her grandfather's image was shown with another man's bio. I have since corrected that error, but I am left with the knowledge that the names on the back do not necessarily appear in the same order as the men in the photo, which is concerning. Please contact me if you are a descendant, or just happen to know, if the images are still mislabeled. I'd like my data here to reflect the correct individual.

This photograph of a group of young men was located at the famous "127 Yard Sale" near Salvisa KY this weekend. It appears to be a high school class photo, or perhaps a club photo. The mat is stamped Dixon, Illinois and was taken around 1905 - 1907.

Grover Wilhelm

GROVER WILHELM (14 May 1887-1958) Son of Charles Wesley Wilhelm (b.1862) and Sarah Elizabeth Hanna (b.1864). 1910 census shows that father Charles worked in a shoe factory. Grover is the eldest child; younger siblings are George and Gertrude. There was also a younger brother John who lived one year (1891-1892). In 1905, Grover's brother George died. After graduating high school, Grover worked as a barber in a local shop. Married Meta Voight. On the 1920 Census, he is still a barber, living with wife Meta, children Gertrude and Robert, and widowed mother Sarah. Grover died at age 70 in Dixon, following an auto accident. He was a Mason and a member of the Master Barbers Association.

Enos Keithley

ENOCH KEATHLEY (most likely W. Enos Keithley b. 24 July 1884 - 4 March 1970) Son of Andrew T. Keithley and Emma Litchfield Bacon.  Married Esma Leora Seavey. WWI Draft Registration gives his occupation as "gardener at Keithley Gardens." He (or his son of the same name) worked as a camp counselor for the Boy Scouts of the Dixon area. The 1930 and 1940 census records of Dixon both give Enos' occupation as Florist. His 1943 WWII Registration gives his employer as "Dept. Public Welfare." Esma died in 1957. Enos died in 1970. Both are buried in the Palmyra Cemetery in Lee County, Illinois.

LESTER CAMEL (most likely Lester Campbell b. July 1886) in 1900, lived next-door to Grover Wilhelm. His mother Luella (maiden name unknown) was married to 2nd husband William Arthur Lowe. The name of Lester's biological father was not found. Also in the household was Lester's step-brother Ira Lowe. After high school, Lester worked as a stenographer for the Railroad company. In 1917, the local newspaper reported his promotion at the Utility Company. There is also a newspaper item dated 1904 which says Lester Campbell is starting courses at Rock River Military Academy at Steinmann College in the town.

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Robert Knight

ROBERT KNIGHT (4 Sept 1889 - ) Born in Chicago, Illinois. Son of Charles H. Knight (b.1859) and Harriet E. Meacham (b.1862). This family appears on the 1900 Census, living in Dixon. Hattie is shown as widowed (Husband Charles died in 1899.) She has no listed occupation, and lives with her young sons Hale, Robert, Royal and William. In 1901 at the age of 11, Robert was shot in the left eye by an older boy fooling around with a BB gun. Fortunately, it was not a serious injury. In 1910, Robert is working as a bookkeeper for a wholesale grocer. In June of 1917, Robert registers for WWI draft. He is living in Chicago, single, and works as a "work dispatcher" at Commonwealth Edison.

Frank Hogan

FRANK OWEN HOGAN, (10 Jan 1890 - __) son of John Hogan and Kate (maiden name unknown). After high school, worked as a cutter in a shoe factory. Served in WWI in France. He returned to the U.S. mid-war for treatment of gas poisoning in one lung. He then returned to Europe. At war's end, he returned to Dixon Illinois as a war hero. I cannot ascertain if he married, had children, or the date of his death.

Clarence Bates

CLARENCE BENJAMIN BATES (5 Dec 1886 - 26 Apr 1971) Son of Benjamin Harmon Bates and Sybilla I. Baightel (b.1863). In 1910 he worked as a clerk in a grocery store. He has two younger sisters; Eva and Lucy, and one elder; Ada. In 1907 he began work as a clerk at the Moyer & Earle Grocery. In May 1911 he married Hazel Bose. About a month after his wedding, he nearly died by gas poisoning due to a leak in his home. In 1920 he was working at the Pratt-Reed Grocery store. In the 1930 Census he is listed as the manager of the National Tea store. Hazel died in 1967 after which he relocated to Arizona to live with son Gerald. Clarence died in Arizona but is buried in Dixon, in the Oakwood Cemetery, next to Hazel.

George Slothower

GEORGE HENRY SLOTHOWER (8 June, 1887 - 24 April 1942) Lived his entire life in the town of Dixon. Son of Israel Slothower (b. 1843) and Jeanie Stover (b.1844) who was widowed while George was about 12. 1900 Census shows his two older sisters Aretta and Carrie were teachers in the local school system. Aretta (Retta) later became principal at the school. 1910 census says he is a clerk in a clothing store. 1928 Dixon City directory lists him as a factory worker at the Borden Company. 1930 Census states he is married to Bertha and has two children; George E. and Barbara J., and he is a shipping foreman at the Milk Factory. 1940 Census shows that he and son George work at the Milk Factory. Barbara is going by the name Jane B. and she works in the billing department at the Public Utilities. Obit from Dixon Evening Telegraph, 24 April, 1942.

Arthur Morris

ARTHUR CLAYTON MORRIS (23 May 1889 -  ) Son of Winfield Scott Morris and Alice K. Lehman. He has an older sister Dessa (b.1886) and younger sister Lucille (b.1906) On his WWII Draft Registration, he reports his wife is named Mary, and he works for the Morris-Barrick Cattle Company.

BRONSDON, Arthur

ARTHUR BRONSDON

UPDATE - Arthur Bronsdon has been claimed by a close relative and is going home!  This Winner's Circle photo was found in an antique shop in Cynthiana KY last week. The photo is dated June 8, 1938, and is identified as the third race of the day, at the Detroit Racecourse.

The winning horse is named BRILLIANT ROCK. He was a 4-year-old chestnut colt (at the time of this photo) who won 9 times in a career that spanned 86 races. His sire was 20-time winner BRILLIANT, whose father was leading sire BROOMSTICK, and mother was MASDA (a sister to MAN O'WAR.) Brilliant Rock's mother was LUFIAN, who was a daughter of TRAP ROCK.

The winning connections are:

    Owner - The Spring Valley Stable of J.E. Mason
    Trainer - H.B. Reether
    Jockey - A. Bronsdon

The only face truly visible in this photo is that of the jockey Arthur Bronsdon, so that is the person who will be the subject of today's search.

Arthur Henry Bronsdon was born either 1-Oct or 8-Oct-1921 in Boston Massachusetts to parents Murch Bronsdon Jr. and Grace Mann. It is unknown when or why he began riding race horses, but it is recorded in the pages of the "Daily Racing Form" that he rode his first race in May of 1936. The "Pimlico Turf Notes" insert in the DRF states that young Arthur Bronsdon is 17 years old. However, it appears that Arthur fibbed a bit, as he would have been only 15 when this event occurred, having not yet reached his 16th birthday.

It was almost a year later in May 1937 when Bronsdon rode his first winner - this happened at Narragansett Park in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. One can see that he is still telling the press that he is 17.

By the summer of 1938, he was riding in Detroit and apparently had developed some bad riding habits as he was called before the track stewards for "rough riding" and fined $125 for the behavior.

In 1946 he married Suzanne Winn and had two sons James and Joseph.

It is not known at present how long the riding career of Bronsdon lasted, but it is known that he had left riding and became a horse trainer, as he is found mentioned as such in newspapers of 1957.

Arthur and Suzanne divorced in 1965. Arthur died in 1977 in Lake Worth, Florida.

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