Scrap Day Sunday

Today I'm sharing a picture that belongs to my great great uncle, Jesse Grimes.  This photo was taken in front of the Gen. Rufus Putnam house located in Marietta, OH.  The house is now housed in the Campus Martius Museum also located in Marieatta, OH.  Standing outside of the house is Lucy Cox (VanZandt) Jones.  She's the woman standing in front of the doorway on the right.  Next to her is her granddaughter, Betty Jane Miller, an unknown woman in black and her daughter, Helen (Jones) Miller.  Lucy (VanZandt) Jones was the sister of my 3rd great grandfather, William Eldon Van Sant.  They were descendants of Gen. Rufus Putnam through their mother, Pheobe (Merriam) VanZandt.  It's a pretty cool picture in and of itself.  It's the reverse side of the picture that revealed a clue to some unknown information. 

The sentence "the old block house where grandma Merriam was born",  is the one that stuck out to me.  This could only refer to the birthplace of Catherine Huldah (Tupper) Merriam who was indeed the grandmother to William and Lucy.  Catherine (Tupper) Merriam was the daughter of Col. Benjamin and Martha "Patty" (Putnam) Tupper. Martha (Putnam) Tupper was the daughter of Gen. Rufus Putnam and Persis Rice.  So, due to the inscription on the back of the photo,  I have a pretty good idea where Catherine was born.  Even better,  I can still visit the house to this day!

Random Picture Day

Phebe Foster (Merriam) Van Zandt with her sons, Theodore, William Eldon, Cyrus and Edward.

 

Today I'm sharing a random picture featuring Phebe Foster (Merriam) Van Zandt and her sons.  Phebe was the daughter of Cyrus Merriam who was a conductor on the Underground Railroad.  She married William Denison VanZandt and had eleven children.  The first born child, Thomas Cox Van Zandt passed away at the age of five while staying with his grandfather Cyrus.  Phebe and William were in Farina at the time of Thomas' death which is where this photo was taken.  William passed away in 1875 at the age of fifty.  Phebe lived to be the ripe, old age of ninety, passing away in 1918.

 

A Wonderful Surprise

Among some old books I found a miniature Bible printed in1834. In it it faintly has Thomas's name....it is a very old book...and a small obit for little Thomas. Says he was at his grandfather's, Cyprus Meriam, in Springfield township, and that his parents, Wm. And Phebe, were away when he died.
Thought there could be a connection.

The bible that belonged to Thomas C. Vansant.  Thomas died when he was 5 years old.

I received this email from a woman named Lisa today.  I didn't recognize the sender, but I opened it anyway.  Boy am I glad I did!  She tracked me down through a Find A Grave memorial I created for my 3rd great grandfather William Eldon VanSant.   Thomas C. VanSant was William's older brother who died at about the age of 5.  He was staying at the home of his grandfather, Cyrus Merriam (Good Old Cyrus again) when he passed away. It seems his parents William Denison and Phebe (Merriam) VanZandt were away when he passed.  Now it's time to research exactly what happened to Thomas.   It pays to contribute to the genealogical community!