Ensemble Genealogy: Where Are We Now?

In the last episode, we spelled out the names from the Huntsville school and attempted to find alternate documentation for them. Most of them came from identifiable families, were listed in federal census returns, or were listed in online genealogical studies such as family trees.

For the remainder, we give it another shot. With a little bit of extra effort, we've identified most of the remainder.

There still isn't anything on Barbour or the (van) Burens. Keep in mind that it's always possible that this letter is the only documentary proof of the existence or residence of a person.


Hugh F. Berry     Living in War Eagle in the 1880 federal census:
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNWX-WMF

Edward Barbour     Nothing found yet for Barbour in Madison Co. 1869-1901. There are Barber families.

M. S. Newton    Probably Mack S. Newton, born in 1860, and in 1870 living in the house of P. W. and Mary A. Newton, in War Eagle. Mack's siblings David and Miles are with them in 1870, but in the 1880 census are living with other people. See http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=lcy&id=I18163&style=TABLE . Ancestry.com has him in the 1870 census reports, and suggests he went by Sterling as his first name.

W. Van Buren     Nothing found yet.    "No records found" for Buren in Madison Co. 1869-1901.

W. P. Buren     Nothing found yet     "No records found" for Buren

Johnnie Moody     Not found. There is a Johnnie "Moady" in Huntsville in the 1880 Census, sibling to Allie (below), but there identified as a Daughter. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNWX-4YH

Allie A. Powe     Nothing found yet. There are Powe families in Arkansas.

Fannie Richmond     Nothing found yet. No one named Richmond in Madison Co. 1869-1901?

Bell Parks     Not found; there are Parks families in War Eagle in the 1870 census https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNWX-CM3 but daughter Mary Bell Parks would only have been 2 years old in 1874. Still working on this one.

Selina Copeland     Probably the Lena B. Copeland, stepdaughter, living in the house of Joseph and Martha Williams in 1880. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNWX-VQZ

Clint Kenner     See Susan C. Kenner, born 1856, daughter of Matilda Kenner, in the 1880 census:
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNWX-WNN
Her name is given as Clintonsie Kenner in the 1900 census for War Eagle, still as the daughter of Matilda.
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M36G-MWZ

Ensemble Genealogy: School Children of Huntsville, Arkansas, in 1874

In the previous posting, we had an image of the letter written to ST NICHOLAS in 1874 by Robert Hiram "Robbie" Prather. Here are some links we can follow to learn about him and his family nd friends.

All the people below are associated with the Prather children, and the school they went to. They make an Ensemble, and you can often see common threads among the members of a group like this.

How does this apply to genealogy? If you know specific people have a common association, you may be able to find them associated in other parts of their lives, such as marriages, emigration, church membership -- you know the drill. The ones you can't find anything about: These are the ones for which this batch of data is important.


Robbie Prather
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=prather2222&id=I54026

There is an extensive discussion of this Prather family in "THE BALD KNOBBERS OF SOUTHWEST MISSOURI, 1885-1889: A STUDY OF VIGILANTE JUSTICE IN THE OZARKS"
http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-04142011-094633/unrestricted/HernandoDissertation.pdf or http://goo.gl/lAOjtb .

Bennie Prather
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=prather2222&id=I43745

Frankie Prather
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=beaner&id=I25307

Dick Prather
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=beaner&id=I25304

Hugh F. Berry     Nothing found yet

Edward Barbour     Nothing found yet

M. S. Newton     Nothing found yet

W. Van Buren     Nothing found yet

Willie Sams
Possibly the Willie B. "Sauer" living in Mulberry, Franklin, Arkansas in 1870:
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNC3-T6Q

Nat Sanders
http://goo.gl/zIwLTZ for numerous records of this person and his wife on Rootsweb

George Anthony
Probably the one living in Bowen, Madison, Arkansas in 1880 https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNWX-WK7

W. P. Buren     Nothing found yet

Howard A. Kenner     Living in Huntsville in 1880:
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNWX-WNV

Frank E. Johnson     As Franklin A. Johnson, living in War Eagle in 1880:
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNWX-HB7

O. D. Johnson     As Ozias D. Johnson, living in War Eagle in 1880:
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNWX-HB7

Noah U. S. Johnson     Living in War Eagle for the 1880 Census, as Noah Ulices Johnson:
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNWX-HB7

Johnnie Moody     Not found. There is a Johnnie "Moady" in Huntsville in the 1880 Census, sibling to Allie (below) identified as a Daughter. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNWX-4YH

Allie A. Powe     Nothing found yet

Bell Berry
Living in Mulberry, Franklin, Arkansas in 1870:
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNC3-T6Q

Ella Sams
See 1870 Federal Census for White Oak, Franklin, Arkansas
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNC3-R5D

Fannie Richmond     Nothing found yet

Cener Sanders     In Huntsville, War Eagle Township, in 1860, as "Coner" Sanders:
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M875-L66

Bell Parks     Not found; there is a Parks family in War Eagle in the 1870 census.

Selina Copeland     Nothing found yet

Minda Bohannon
There are Bohannon families in War Eagle, Madison, Arkansas in 1860: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M875-L3F
and 1880: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNWX-ZJY
Ancestry's International Marriage Index says Arminda Ellen Bohannon, b. 1864, married Dan Richardson in 1878.

Allie Moody    See Allie S. "Moady" in the 1880 Federal Census for Huntsville:
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNWX-4YH

Bettie Polk     Probably Elizabeth H. Polk, born 1858, in 1860 Census:
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M875-LFG

Clint Kenner     Possibly the Susan C. Kenner, born 1856, in the 1880 census:
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNWX-WNN

Defenders of Birds

In the December, 1873 issue of ST. NICHOLAS, a magazine aimed at children in the age range 5 to 18, a C. C. Haskins published an article about the horrible things that were happening to birds, and asked the readers to become Bird Defenders. The children responded, and by the following May, the letter column of the magazine was featuring notes from children who had taken the pledge to defend the birds.

So here we have letters and notes from Americans (mostly) who were born 1856-69. In some cases the magazine published their full names, and sometimes their town of residence. In a few cases, they gave full street address. While some of these children had common names, in many cases their names were unusual, or even unique, making this a possible way to identify them as individuals.

This may not be the missing information that will break down your brick wall, but it certainly adds some data you can't get anywhere else. You will know that this person was reading, and writing letters. In some cases, the letters give extensive information about their families, or their school chums.

ST NICHOLAS was published monthly between late 1873 and the mid-1930's. All the issues before 1922 are online at the Hathi Trust and can be read page by page.

Here's an example, from May of 1874 (page 437 of Volume 1, part 2):

As you can see, young Robbie Prather of Huntsville, Madison, Arkansas gives the names of his three younger brothers, and those of his teacher and many of his schoolmates.

A web search for Robert Hiram Prather will turn up other genealogical information about this person.