Cousin Albon Hatch Holden

Like any good family tree researcher, Sarah Cummings is slowly, methodically, contacting living relatives from each of her mother's siblings. She received this letter on 24 Sep 1880. I just love the letterhead, it is more than the Chicago Enamel Paint company, it's the Celebrated Chicago Enamel Paint company! I wonder if the drawing of the house is a picture of his office, or his house? Maybe it is both. Either way, Cousin Albon was very hard to place. He signs his letter, just like his name is printed on the letterhead, A. H. Holden. To make matters worse, his letter is written on an onion skin paper and the ink he used must have had a high acid content. It is eating right through the paper and makes for a difficult read.

He starts his letter like so many of the letters Sarah received - with an apology for the long delay in answering. If I were answering Sarah's letter, I would probably need the same apology! He then goes on to mention his vacation. He was camping on an Island in the St. Lawrence. I was intrigued by this, as the St. Lawrence is quite a distance from Chicago. He mentions a clue, he states the island was across from Ft. Covington. A quick search and I think I have found his vacation spot. He undoubtedly is talking about the 1,000 Islands region. Supposedly, this is the place 1,000 Island dressing is named for. In the latter part of the 19th century this was the summer hangout of the rich and famous from New York and Chicago. This might explain why cousin Albon Holden was there. He had accumulated a nice estate, thought he was quick to point out to Sarah, "not so much money that I still have to work to earn a living". I clipped a small announcement from the Chicago Tribune dated 30 Apr 1888. It was letting the residents of Chicago know the 1,000 Island region was once again open and ready for a new season of vacationers.

Cousin Albon also mentions that Uncle Milton Holden came by to visit while he was camping. Uncle Milton is the camphor refiner I mentioned a couple of posts back. I wonder if he had a faint smell of mothballs? His letter really does not go into any great length about his family. He mentions both his first and second wives and lists a couple of children. He also mentions some of his siblings. I know he is not a son of Josiah, Adams, Phineas, or Milton Holden. That only leaves two male Holden children, William Cummings Holden b. 16 Aug 1791 or David Holden b. 27 Dec 1802. David dies in 1833, and Cousin Albon mentions his mother died before in 1846 and his father was still living. So it must be William Cummings Holden is the father of Albon Hatch Holden. When I check the Holden Genealogy (which I have cited in previous posts), Albon is indeed listed as his son. There is also a footnote by the author stating that a portrait exists of William Cummings Holden and is owned by one of Albon's children.

I included the 1880 Federal census for Chicago, Illinois. It has the household for Albon Holden and some of his children. I was hoping to find a little more out about the Chicago Enamel Paint company, but didn't turn much up. I suppose you might be able to find more information with a visit to a library or historical society in Chicago...

Jenny Holden Browne

1850 Federal Census, Will County, IL

I’ve been looking at the census records and there seems to be a mystery afoot. In 1850 Jenny is living in her father’s household. That would be Phineas and Betsy Parker Holden. She is listed as Jane Holden. My first mystery is her age. I know this is the correct family because Jenny mentions David, George, and Parker Holden as her brothers. She also tells Sarah Cummings in her letter, that “father took a girl by the name of Ellen Blaisdel into the house and raised her like a daughter”. I can’t but help think Jenny was comparing her father to Sarah’s uncle Adams Holden, since he adopted and raised Sarah.

So this is the correct family. Next I look at the family group. Notice how the children are listed from oldest to youngest, with the exception of Jenny. She should have been 17 years old in this census. If she were 17, you would have a nice grouping of children meeting the ‘every other year’ rhythm that so often is seen in families. So I think I’ll chalk this mystery up as solved – the census taker recorded the wrong age for Jane.

1860 Federal Census, Cook County, IL

Next mystery pops up in the 1860 census. Again, based on the things she tells Sarah Cummings in her letter, this has to be the correct person. The age matches and she mentions Malcolm and George as her children (and their ages are correct, too). This census has two mysteries. The game is afoot, one more time. The first mystery revolves around Jane’s husband. In her letter, she referred to her husband as J. M. B. Notice the head of household in this census is named Isaiah. Clearly Isaiah does not start with a “J”. This mystery is solved as the census taker records his name correctly in the 1870 census. He was named Josiah M. Browne. I guess the census taker in 1860 was in a hurry, or perhaps he misunderstood the name Josiah as the name Isaiah. Either way, I’ll chalk this mystery up to census taker error – again. See; never assume a census record is correct until you compare what is listed to what you know to be correct.

The other mystery in this census record is the oldest child in the household, Merritt Browne, ten years old. Who is he? Jenny does not mention him at all to Sarah Cummings, yet there he is. This is another thing that I just love about census records. Every page has surprises to help make the research process exciting! Merritt is also in the 1870 and 1880 census, with Jenny and Josiah Browne. The 1880 census is really interesting (more about that later). So, the question is, is Malcolm a son of Josiah and Jane? Or, possibly, he could be a son of Josiah by a first wife. This would make him a step-son to Jenny.

1870 Federal Census, Cook County, IL

1870 finds our family still together. Notice Merritt is still living in the house. We know that George dies on 28 Oct 1865, and as expected, he doesn’t appear in the census record. Josiah is listed, correctly, as the head of household for this family. He also has become quite a prosperous businessman, too. My handy inflation calculator tells me his net worth is equivalent to more than $300,000! Not bad, but I still don’t know who Merritt C. Browne is.

The 1880 census really is an amazing piece of work. In 1880 the census taker was required to ask the relationship to the head of household, for all of the individuals living in the household. So if Merritt is still living in the household, his relationship to the head of household should be listed. Well it is, sort of. This is the household of Josiah Browne in 1880. I’m still scratching my head over this one. It appears that Josiah has a boarding house. It also appears like there are quite a few individuals living there that work in the boarding house. You have boarders, maids, laundry girls, a cook, etc. 

1880 Federal Census, Cook County, IL

Merritt is listed further down.  His relationship is son.  I am assuming he is the son of Josiah.  Jenny Holden Browne was born in Vermont, and Merritt lists his mother's birth place as New Hampshire.  For now, I think I'll pencil Merritt in as a child of Josiah Browne and an as of yet unknown first wife.

The last document I found is the death notice for Merritt Browne.  It lists his brother Willis W. Browne as his only surviving sibling.  This Obituary comes from the Chicago Tribune for 17 Dec 1919.  So there is Nellie Holden Browne's family. 

All of this from a letter written over a hundred years ago...