Military Monday: Cornelius C. Bogert

Cornelius C. Bogert index card. Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900, compiled 1949 - 1949, documenting the period 1861 - 1942.  National Archives and Records Administration. Record Group 15. Microform publication T289. Roll 305. Available from Fold3.

My aunt's great-grandfather Cornelius C. Bogert was a private in Company H, 25th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry Regiment. The company was commanded by Captain James Inglis, Jr.

The regiment was active from September 1, 1862 to June 20, 1863. The men trained in Beverly, Burlington County, New Jersey, and then went to Washington, DC. They fought in the Battle of Fredericksburg (December 11-15, 1862) and the Siege of Suffolk (April 11 - May 4, 1863).

References
25th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry Regiment

Lake Mohawk German Christmas Market (Weihnachtsmarkt)

The Christmas market (Weihnachtsmarkt) is a tradition that goes back to the late Middle Ages in the German-speaking areas of Europe. It is a street market with open-air stalls which is held during the four weeks of Advent.

Today I attended the Lake Mohawk German Christmas Market in Sparta, New Jersey. Although it was the 15th annual Weihnachtsmarkt,  I had not previously been aware of it. It is the largest Christmas market in New Jersey, and the only one that is run to donate back to the community. More than 110 vendors were present. The merchandise included jewelry, clothing, paintings, and German Christmas items. There was a petting zoo, the opportunity to visit with Santa, and an entertainment tent.

Since I am 1/4 German, some of my ancestors probably shopped at Weihnachtsmärkte. I enjoyed the experience and hope to go again next year.

References
Christmas market
History | Weihnachtsmarkt
Weihnachtsmarkt | Annual Lake Mohawk German Christmas Market, Sparta, NJ, USA

1783 Earthquake

The most powerful earthquake to strike New Jersey was the one that occurred at 9:00 PM on 29 November 1783. It measured 5.3 on the Richter scale, and VII on the Mercalli intensity scale. It was felt from New Hampshire to Pennsylvania.

In Philadelphia, it was reported that items were thrown off shelves and sleeping people were woken up.

Maryland Gazette, 11 Dec 1783, page 2

References
Damaging Earthquakes Felt in NJ
Historic Earthquakes: New Jersey 1783 11 30 03:50 UTC (Local 11/29)
"Philadelphia, December 2." Maryland Gazette, 11 December 1783, p. 2.
1783 New Jersey earthquake
Weather trivia: The day New Jersey shook like no other

Superstorm Sandy

Four years ago today, Superstorm Sandy slammed into the United States. The storm made landfall near Brigantine, New Jersey on 29 October 2012, as a post-tropical cyclone. The storm's winds reached 90 mph near Staten Island, New York. It was the deadliest and most destructive hurricane of 2012, and the second most costly hurricane in United States history.

More than two million households in New Jersey lost power. 37 people were killed, and 346,000 homes were damaged or destroyed. The Jersey Shore suffered the most damage. Much of the state experienced flooding.

Before the storm hit, I was very worried about flooding, because much of the town I live in is in a flood zone. Although I did not live in the flood zone, I would still be affected by flooding, because the roads that I would need to take to get to the highways would be closed, and it would be difficult for me to get to work.

My power went out on the night of 29 October 2012. The next day, I was amazed to find out that there was no flooding in my town, but there were many downed trees. Because the whole area had no power, the college where I worked was closed. I had no heat. Thankfully, I at least had hot water. I slept on the couch because I thought it would help to conserve heat if I huddled in a smaller space. My cats Jewel and Harmony stayed close to me. The town community center had a generator, and I went there during the day to keep warm and to charge my cell phone.

I was without power or heat for nearly eleven days. Some areas had their power restored earlier. I went shopping and bought wool socks and long underwear. After the college library where I worked reopened, I stayed at work late, until closing time. I went to the back room after my work day was over, and I used the computer and heated up canned food in the microwave. On my last night without power, there were snow flurries. When I got home from work the next day, I found that my power had finally been restored.

References
Blake, Eric S; Kimberlain, Todd B; Berg, Robert J; Cangialosi, John P; and Beven, John L. Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Sandy (AL 182012) 22-29 October 2 012. National Hurricane Center.
Effects of Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey 
Hurricane Sandy

Census Sunday: Counties of Birth

The 1860 census record for the family of my aunt's 2nd-great-grandparents provides particularly detailed places of birth for the residents of the Township of New Barbadoes, Bergen County, New Jersey.

1860 United States census, Township of New Barbadoes, Bergen County, New Jersey, population schedule, page 465, image 167. Ancestry.com. 1860 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009.

My aunt's 2nd great-grandparents Josiah Gardner Bogert and Margaret (Kough) Bogert, her great-grandfather Cornelius Bogert, and the other children were all born in Bergen County, New Jersey.

1860 United States census, Township of New Barbadoes, Bergen County, New Jersey, population schedule, page 465, image 167, family 652. Ancestry.com. 1860 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009.

Birthplaces of other residents listed on the same page include Passaic County, New Jersey; Ulster County, New York; Duchess [Dutchess] County, New York; New York City, New York; and Clair [Clare?], Ireland.

Scandinavian Fest

Today I attended the 32nd annual Scandinavian Fest at Vasa Park in Budd Lake, Morris County, New Jersey. The festival promotes and celebrates the histories and cultures of the six Nordic countries: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.

There was a Viking longship on display.

There were performances, talks, a marketplace with food and crafts, ax throwing, and a wife carrying contest (the winner won the wife's weight in beer). It was a great day!

Wordless Wednesday: My Cousin and Me in Grandma and Grandpa Boe's Backyard, Ridgewood, New Jersey

Society Saturday: NSDU Memorial Service and Monument Rededication

Today I attended a memorial service for Civil War soldiers that was held by the Private Joseph Bessette Chapter, National Society Daughters of the Union 1861-1865. I am a member of the chapter. We placed flowers on the graves of Civil War soldiers at the Old Newton Burial Ground, Newton, Sussex County, New Jersey.

After the service, we held a rededication of the Defenders of the Union monument in Newton, which was erected in 1895 by the citizens of Sussex County, New Jersey. We then toured the Hill Memorial Museum.

Mystery Monday: Parents of Jane Mapplebeck

Jane Mapplebeck, the father of my great-grandmother's stepfather/adoptive father James Mapplebeck and probably the only grandparent that my great-grandmother ever knew, died on 24 August 1909 in Glassboro, Gloucester County, New Jersey.

According to her death certificate, her parents were James Bass and Isabella Bowie. However, there are question marks after both names, so they may not be accurate.

New Jersey. Bureau of Vital Statistics. Death certificate, Jane Mapplebeck, 1909. New Jersey State Archives.

According to the death certificate and the 1871 Census of Canada, Jane was born in Nova Scotia. The death certificate states that her father was born in the United States. Considering the time period and migration pattern, I suspect that he may have been a Loyalist.

Jane's daughter Sarah died in 1920. On Sarah's death certificate, the maiden name of her mother does not look like Bass. I am not sure what it says; the name is difficult to read.

New Jersey. Department of Health. Bureau of Vital Statistics. Death certificate, Sarah A. Mapleback, 1920. New Jersey State Archives.

Closeup of mother's maiden name 

 My 3rd-great-grandfather John Bennet Winters (the father of Catherine Elizabeth Winters, who married James Mapplebeck) was married to Elizabeth Buise, and the "mystery person" in the Winters family Bible, Margaret McGillivray, had a son named Charles Buise (also known as Charles Bews). I have wondered if there is an additional connection between the Buise/Bews family and my family. When I saw Sarah Mapleback's death certificate, I wondered if Jane's maiden name could be Buise or Bews, but I am not sure that is what the death certificate says.

The death certificates of Jane's sons James and George do not name her parents. I have not found a record of her marriage to George Mapplebeck. I have not identified any of Jane's relatives except her three children.

Sunday's Obituary: Jewel Gatlin

Jewel Gatlin, Beloved Cat

Jewel Gatlin passed peacefully at her home in Lincoln Park, New Jersey on the morning of Sunday, May 15, 2016. Her precise age is unknown, but she was elderly. In her earlier years, she experienced difficult times. She was found abandoned in an empty apartment in 2010. Thankfully, she was found and brought to the animal rescue group START II. After almost 6 months, she was adopted, and was given a loving home. She was an only cat at first, but was later joined by her adoptive siblings. Shortly before her death, she was diagnosed with intestinal cancer.

Jewel was extremely gentle, sweet, and well-behaved. She purred readily upon being petted. She will be greatly missed.

Jewel is survived by her adoptive mother, Beth Gatlin; her adoptive sisters, Harmony, Melody, and Luna; and her adoptive brothers, Kit and Flash.

Wednesday's Child: Martha Sarah Elsie Rauch

New Jersey. Bureau of Vital Statistics. Death certificate, Martha Sarah Elsie Rauch, 1906. New Jersey State Archives.

Martha Sarah Elsie Rauch was born on 30 August 1905. She was the daughter of George Rauch and Sarah Nagel (the daughter of my 2nd-great-grandmother's brother Mathias Joseph Nagel). Her mother died a month after she was born. Martha died of pulmonary tuberculosis on 10 December 1906 in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey at the age of one year, three months, and ten days. She had been sick for three months.

New Jersey State Archives

Today I visited the New Jersey State Archives, located at 225 West State Street in Trenton, New Jersey. Genealogical records in the collection include birth records, death records, marriage records (including colonial marriage bonds), divorce records, federal and state census records, wills and estate inventories, tax ratables, land records (West Jersey and East Jersey Proprietors records, deeds, and mortgage records),  court records, military records (colonial wars, Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Civil War, Punitive Expedition to Mexico, and World War I, name change judgments, newspapers, and a name index to inquisitions on the dead. More details about their genealogical records can be found in the document Genealogical Records at the New Jersey State Archives.

Searchable databases are available on the New Jersey State Archives Web site: Colonial Marriage Bonds, 1665-1799; Marriage Records, May 1848 - May 1878; Death Records, June 1878 - June 1894; Early Land Records, 1650-1801; Supreme Court Case Files, 1704-1844; Legal Name Changes, 1847- 1947; 1885 State Census, Passaic County and Atlantic City; Revolutionary War Damage Claims, 1776-1782; Civil War Service Records, 1861-1865; Civil War Payment Vouchers, 1861-1865; World War I Deaths: Descriptive Cards, Photographs, and Correspondence; New Jersey National Guard Photograph Collection and Warren G. Holmes's Scrapbook; Department of Agriculture Photographs; and New Jersey Writers' Project Photograph Collection, ca. 1935 - 1942.

The New Jersey State Archives also has imaged collections in the following categories: Military and Wartime Activities; Cultural Resources and Historical Geography; Governors' Documents and Institutional Records; County and Municipal Records; and Family Papers and Non-Governmental Organizations.

Tombstone Tuesday: Sarah Mapplebeck

Photo by Mary Ann Missimer-Moore - Find A Grave contributor

Sarah Mappleback was born about 1854 in Ontario, Canada. She was the daughter of George Mapplebeck and his second wife Jane, and the older sister of James Mapplebeck, my great-grandmother's stepfather/adoptive father. She worked as a fur finisher. Sarah, her mother, and her brother George moved to Camden, New Jersey in the 1890s. By 1910, Sarah had moved to Glassboro, Gloucester County, New Jersey. She died on 21 October 1920 and was buried in Manahath Cemetery in Glassboro.

Family Friends Friday: Malachi Reed

Malachi Reed was in a relationship with my aunt for many years. They were together while I was growing up. If they had been married, he would have been my uncle. Even if he technically was not a family member, he is definitely part of the family history.

Malachi was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on 17 February 1948. He later lived in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. He worked as a teacher at Lincoln Technical Institute and Camden City High School. He died on 21 November 2005.

Snow

The Blizzard of 2016 has buried my house in snow. There is so much snow that I can only open the side door (the one I use) an inch or two. I shoveled the front and back steps, but the rest is still there. I got a text from my town that said that 24-30 inches of snow were expected. The storm could break New Jersey records.

My backyard

I have lived through other major snowstorms. After the Blizzard of 1996 struck, I did not leave my apartment for four days. When all the snow melted, the roof leaked and water poured down my ceiling. I had to move out of my first apartment.

My ancestors experienced many snowstorms. On 17 March 1892, Nashville, Tennessee experienced its biggest snowstorm, which brought 17 inches of snow.

Daily American (Nashville, TN), 18 March 1892, page 4

St. Louis, Missouri experienced a severe ice storm in December 1924. Three-quarters of the state of Missouri was covered by ice for the last half of December. When this happened, my maternal grandmother Margaret Ann Schneider was thirteen years old, and my maternal grandfather John Boe was sixteen years old.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 19 December 1924, page 1

My ancestors in Chicago, Illinois also experienced snowstorms, such as the one in January 1918, which at that time was the worst blizzard in Chicago's history (it is now the 10th worst). My paternal grandmother Helen Martha Marie Anderson was six years old, and my paternal grandfather Henry Cornelius Gatlin was seven years old.

Chicago Daily Tribune, 7 January 1918, page 1

Chicago Daily Tribune, 7 January 1918, page 1

Porter County, Indiana experienced a bad snowstorm at the end of 1927.

Vidette-Messenger (Valparaiso, IN), 31 December 1927, page 1

The Children's Blizzard, also known as the Schoolhouse Blizzard, struck Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho on 12 January 1888. It was the deadliest blizzard in Minnesota history. Many of the victims were schoolchildren.

Saint Paul Globe, 14 January 1888, page 1

Some of my ancestors were living in Swift County, Minnesota at that time. Benson is the county seat.

Saint Paul Globe, 14 January 1888, page 1

Ellis Island Opens

First Ellis Island Immigration Station in New York Harbor. Public domain. Available from Wikimedia Commons.

On 1 January 1892, Ellis Island opened. On that day, 700 immigrants arrived on three ships. The first immigrant processed was Annie Moore, an Irish teenager who arrived with her brothers Anthony and Philip. The original immigration station was destroyed by a fire on 15 June 1897. The second immigration station opened on 17 December 1900. Before it was completed, the passengers were processed at the Barge Office.

Ellis Island closed on 12 November 1954. More than twelve hundred immigrants had arrived at the port, which is shared by New York and New Jersey.

My Schneider ancestors immigrated in 1892, but I do not know if they came through Ellis Island. However, my 2nd-great-grandfather Carl Joseph Schneider arrived at the port when he returned from a visit to Germany. He sailed on the Noordland and arrived on 16 August 1900. By then, he had become an American citizen. He was listed on the manifest as Charles Schneider.

Manifest SS Noordland, arrival in New York, NY, 16 August 1900. Ancestry.com. New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Original data: Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1897-1957. Microfilm Publication T715. Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service; National Archives at Washington, D.C.

My 2nd-great-grandfather Andrew T. Anderson (formerly Andreas Troedsson) also arrived at Ellis Island after a visit to his homeland. He traveled to Sweden in 1912, and returned on the Caronia on 28 July 1912.

Manifest SS Caronia, arrival in New York, NY, 28 July 1912. Ancestry.com. New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Original data: Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1897-1957. Microfilm Publication T715. Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service; National Archives at Washington, D.C.

References
Ellis Island
Ellis Island History
9 Things You May Not Know About Ellis Island

The Hermitage

Today I visited the Hermitage in Ho-Ho-Kus, Bergen County, New Jersey. The house was named a National Historic Landmark because of its Gothic Revival architecture. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, and to the New Jersey Register of Historic Places in 1971.

The home was originally purchased by Ann Bartow DeVisme in 1767. She and her five children moved from Manhattan to Ho-Ho-Kus. Her daughter Theodosia Bartow had married James Marcus (or Jacques Marcus) Prevost in 1763, and the couple lived in another house on the property. During the Revolutionary War, Prevost was away fighting in the British Army. Theodosia remained at the Hermitage with her family.

George Washington and his troops stayed on the grounds of the Hermitage from July 10-14, 1778, at Theodosia's invitation. Other visitors to the Hermitage included Alexander Hamilton, James Monroe, the Marquis de Lafayette, and Aaron Burr.

James Marcus Prevost died in Jamaica in 1781. In July 1782, Theodosia married Aaron Burr at the Hermitage.

In 1807, Dr. Elijah Rosegrant (Rosencrantz) purchased the Hermitage and built a cotton mill on the property. In 1847, he had architect William Rantlett construct a Victorian house which incorporated the original home. The house was remodeled in the Gothic Revival stylr, and additional wings were added.

The house remained in the Rosencrantz family for four generations. In 1970, Mary Elizabeth Rosenkrantz willed the Hermitage to the State of New Jersey. It is now a house museum.

References
The Hermitage (Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey)
The Hermitage Museum 
Jacques Marcus Prevost

Those Places Thursday: Veggie Heaven

October 1 is World Vegetarian Day. I have been a vegetarian for 14 years. My favorite restaurant is Veggie Heaven. The restaurant is located at 473 Cedar Lane, Teaneck, New Jersey. Asian vegetarian/vegan cuisine is served. The food is also kosher and GMO-free.

Every year on my birthday, my parents and I go to Veggie Heaven for dinner. I usually order the General Tso's Chicken. Of course, the "chicken" is actually made of vegetable protein; the "meats" are made of soy, tempeh, and wheat gluten. The food is so good, and it is nice to not have to ask about ingredients like I do in many other restaurants.

Veggie Heaven has takeout too. Last year, when I was bottle-feeding my kitten Flash, we couldn't go out for dinner on my birthday because Flash couldn't go without food that long. My parents picked up takeout from Veggie Heaven, and we had my birthday dinner at my house. It worked out really well!

My father and Flash at my birthday dinner in 2014

Those Places Thursday: 68 Ferncroft Park, Ramsey, New Jersey

In 1974, my maternal grandparents John and Margaret (Schneider) Boe sold their house in Ridgewood, Bergen County, New Jersey and moved to the Ferncroft Park apartments in Ramsey, Bergen County, New Jersey. Some of the best moments of my childhood were spent at 68 Ferncroft Park. I was very close to my Grandma Boe, and I saw her frequently. Our large extended family got together much more often when I was growing up. The apartment had a spare bedroom, so there was room for family to stay there. There was a fold-out couch as well. My Grandpa Boe died in 1977, but Grandma Boe lived at Ferncroft Park until she died in 1986. The building eventually became a co-op, but she opted to keep renting her unit.

Many relatives gathered together in front of 68 Ferncroft Park in 1980

 Grandma Boe with four of her five children (my youngest uncle is not pictured)

 My cousin and me with my mother, grandmother, and aunts

Grandma Boe in her apartment at 68 Ferncroft Park

My aunt and cousin's two cats, April and Chammy, always came with them when they visited. Chammy is pictured here on my grandmother's piano. The family often gathered around the piano and sang while Grandma Boe played. Those were fun times!

Tombstone Tuesday: Sunshine Gatlin

Sunshine, my orange and white tabby girl, was born on 15 July 1990. The person who brought her to the Bergen County Animal Shelter in Teterboro, Bergen County, New Jersey was from Weehawken, Hudson County, New Jersey, so perhaps Weehawken was Sunshine's birthplace. I adopted Sunshine on 12 September 1990, four days after she had been brought to the shelter. She was the first cat that was ever all mine. She was like the feline version of me.

We had more than twenty years together. Sadly, she developed chronic renal failure. She survived for more than twenty-one months after her diagnosis, but the day came when she was too weak to fight any more. She passed away at Montville Animal Hospital in Towaco, Morris County, New Jersey on 13 November 2010.

Sunshine is buried in Abbey Glen Pet Memorial Park in Lafayette, Sussex County, New Jersey, in Section 15, Hillside, Row D, Block 8, Lot B.

The pet cemetery has a Gift of Love Memorial plaque. I added Sunshine's name and dates to it. I also added my cats Velvet and Ember, whose ashes were scattered on the grounds of the cemetery. I added Ember and Sunshine to the plaque at the same time, so Ember's name is above Sunshine's. I had added Velvet's name years earlier, but Sunshine's name ended up next to Velvet's name, one row over. My three girls are all together just like they were in life.