Old Union Baptist, Church History, Post 6 of 21

Pages 28-29.  Church Membership Roll, 1798-1948, Post of VI of IV.

Old Union Baptist, Church History, Post 5 of 21

Pages 30-31, Part I of III of the Church's then Constitution.

Old Union Baptist, Church History, Post 4 of 21

Pages 32-33, Part II of III of the Church's then Constitution.

Old Union Baptist, Church History, Post 3 of 21

Pages 34-35, Part III of III of the Church's then Constitution.

Old Union Baptist Church History, Post 2 of 21

Page 36 which is un-numbered, and blank, and the interior of the back cover with attached errata note.

Old Union Baptist Church History, Post 1 of 21

This is the first blog post in a series of image scans of the 150th Anniversary booklet, produced in 1948 for Union Baptist Church, Cadogan/Slate Lick, Pennsylvania.  The church is often known as Old Union, and is the starting point for the religious history of many Armstrong County families, notably the Claypoole's.

I will be scanning each page or sometimes two pages per blog posting and I will be scanning the images from the booklet in reverse order.  This will allow anyone to progress through the book in normal order when the scans are finished.  The booklet lists no copyright and no publisher.  Some of the individual articles are attributed, others are not.  The book has an embossed cardboard wrap (off white/cream with brown printing) for a cover and features 35 numbered pages, one un-numbered page, and an errata slip taped to the inside rear cover.

This blog therefore begins with the rear cover:

Our common fate...

A dual portrait that my wife picked up in a local antique store, it is apparently the same man as a young teen or maybe a little younger, and then as a young man in a bathing suit on a pier with the ocean just visiable behind him, circa 1910 and 1920.

The newer photo was over top of the other in a brass frame.  Not bad for 50 c. 

Just an odd and strangley evocative set of pictures, I wonder who he was...

and will we all end up as unknown photos in someone's Antique shop someday soon.

Sic transit gloria.

Short Skirts - Song

An interesting cultural artifact from the beginnings of the feminist movement (on a popular level) from 1930 Pittsburgh, PA.  The song was a companion piece to a matching Pittsburgh Post-Gazette news series.  It is odd, very dated, but revealing nonetheless.  The composer Sammy Mysels was recorded by Artie Shaw, The Inkspots, and Anne Shelton, (all still available via the internet as CD's or downloads - see the Naxos and IMDB websites) and a cursiory internet biography search reveals very little about him: born November 17, 1906 in Pittsburgh, and he dies in 1974.  His music is noted as having been used in film and television including The Lawerence Welk show and several 1940's singing cowboy westerns some starring Gene Autry.  Several online Jazz 78 collection catalogs list his works recorded by various artists in the 1930's and 40's.  He frequently collaborated with other composers when writing (a common practice then and now in pop-music).  The Lyricist, Joe Hiller, may be a psudenomn for Kim Josephson.  Joe Hiller is found on a large variety of sheet music online or in collections dated from 1915 to the early 1950's.  FAQ's website listed Hiller/Josephson's death as 1954.  I cannot vouch for the realibility of this information.  Hopefully an obit. for either or both can be located to those who may be interested in this item.

Short Skirts Song - Page 2

Short Skirts Song - Page 3

Short Skirts Song - Page 4

John Dwight & Co., Cow Brand Soda - Advertising Card

Late 19th century Advertising - Just for Fun!

John Dwight & Co., Cow Brand Soda

Just some late 19th century advertising for fun.

Yellow Dog Limestone Mine and Plant, circa 1919

My second photo of the U. S. Steel owned Limestone Mines at Yellow Dog (Shadyside Village), Pennsylvania (near Worthington, PA)

2 Tioga County, Sprague Family Documents

Side 1 of a handwritten document from circa 1890 bearing a digest of family information pertaining to the Sprague family.  Click on the image to see it full sized.

Here is the second side with the actual genealogical information.  My transcription follows below the third image.

A Wellsboro Grange Memorial Card for Albert Sprague. 1914

All of these items were located in a volume of poetry by Lord Byron that I purchased Saturday at an auction in Richmond Township, Tioga County.  If the Wellsboro & Tioga Historical Society will except them they will be donated there as soon as possible.

Transcription of Sprauge Family information from the document image above.

From Page 1 is in pencil a note that reads: "Found what you want I think Al."

The rest of the folded note has written dates that have been subtracted to derive ages. 

On the verso at the top is a strange and random string of words in pen.  My wife remarked they almost read like a magic incantation, whatever they were, I have no idea, so I've omitted them here.  Underneath the information is written out as a chart, any editorial notes are in square brackets [thus], the information is written in two hands using two kinds of ink, and some information in pencil - some of the pencil dates over-write and correct the original pen.  I will list both if the original is still elgiable.

                                              Born when          and                 died

Thomas Sprague                    May 5 1799                     Aug      1874

Moria  [or Maria]  Sprague    Jan 3 1807                       July 10 1881

George W Sprague                Feb 5 1827                                  1876

Maria L Sprague                    Oct 18 1828                         [blank]

Melissa B. Sprague                July 15 1829                          1859

[I think from the ink and the fact that this date runs agains the edge so closely that it actually refers to Josaphene below]

Josaphene Sprague                April 20 1831                       died July 4

                                                                                 [1859 - see above]

[Josaphene's birthdate may be 1836 the crease in the paper has obscured the date]

Hiram M Sprague                  May 18 1838                      [blank]

Hellen M Sprague                  June 12 1837

Henrietta S [or J] Sprague      March 20 1841                   188

[Death date incomplete in pencil]

Hannah P Sprague                 Feb 16 1848

[For Hannah's birth date a pencil 8 written overtop of 6, no death date]

Arthur T Sprague                    Aug 20 1848              Dec 13 1884

[for birthdate a pencil 8 written over original 7]

Mary E Sprague                      Dec 20 1850                             [blank]

Albert R Sprague                     Oct 26 1852                              [blank]

The Worthington Presbyterian Church (United Presbyterian), Circa 1877

A copy of the original owned by the church.  I have a larger more detailed original print purchased from the Gladys Barr estate in 1999, but it was too faded to be fully restored.  My thanks to the Session of the Church and to the Rev. Jonathan Speck for allowing me to have it copied.

Yellow Dog Mine

A photo from the U. S. Steel owned limestone mine in Yellow Dog, Pennsylvania (Shadyside Village).  This photo is from 1919, beyond that I only know the name of one man and the nickname of another.  From left to right the third man kneeling is John Clair Ruffaner, the man standing behind him in bib overhauls was nicked named "Addie".  A copy of the original that belonged to Clair Ruffaner.

Vernon Hotel, Kittanning, Pennsylvania, Old Photo

Here is another photo from my collection.  This one is of the Vernon Hotel, Kittanning, Pennsylvania.  My guess for a date would be circa 1910-1915, no information was written on the picture.

The Vernon is now a bar and restuarant.  The picture was a gift from my grandmother Alice Claypoole, who gave it to me in 1987 or 88.  She was unaware of any family connection, but thought some of her Miller and/or McMunn relatives may have been in the picture.

H. F. Wanzer?

Here is a late 19th century photo from my collection.  The photo was purchased in 2007 at one of the two antique stores in downtown Mansfield, PA, it was sold by dealer JLH.  The photography firm is identified on front and back as Sterry & Co. 520 & 522 Broadway, Albany N. Y.

The photo bears a rubber stamped name on the back bottom that reads "H. F. Wanzer,"

I don't know if the stamped name identifies the photographer or the sitter, still it is a delightful image, and if it is Mr. Wanzer, I hope one of his descendants will find it here.

The Digital Annex shall be...

This shall be a place to post items related to the James Claypoole Blog, items that really don't belong there directly, but have some context in common.

Consider this that extra shoebox of photos in the attic.  The ones you know are of long lost relatives that might some how be related to you, but you're not quite how or even who they all are, that's this blog. 

I have a feeling these items might be of interest to many non-Claypoole relations and I would hope they will find them.