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Fact or Fiction? Finishing Up Research on Dewitt Blackman's Mug Book Claims

 FINISHING UP   I've been working hard to finish up the research on Dewitt Samuel Blackman's "mug book" biography. You can catch up on the project here and here . I'm 99.5% finished, with just three claims needing further research. What have I discovered? Are these claims fact, fiction, or undetermined?  Facts about Dewitt: Dewitt's siblings were Permelia, Delia, Maria, Mary, and Fanny. This is partially true . Dewitt's sisters were Permelia, Adelia (Delia), and Ruffina (Fanny). It's unclear where the "Maria" came from. Permelia death certificate names Sylvester Blackman and Clarissa Peak as her parents. 1   Delia married William Haymaker in 1840, and in another "mug book" bio regarding her husband, "Mary" Blackman is noted as his first wife. This could account for the Mary in the bio.  2 Ruffina was Dewitt's half-sister by his father Sylvester's marriage to Mary Bruner Zellers. Ruffina was living in Sylvester Blac...
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GENEALOGY CHALLENGE 2021 - Seeing Double

James, dwarfed by a Union Pacific engine.


 
James' grandpa, James Casey, Sr. enjoys his time on a train.

GENEALOGY CHALLENGE 2021

Seeing Double -  January 25th entry of a 31-day challenge to post a document, photo or artifact on social media every day in January.  

by Nancy Gilbride Casey


What is it about little boys and trains? Our son James was enamored of trains from the day he first noticed them as a tiny little guy. 

Whenever we saw one, he would want me to slow down the car so we could watch it, or roll the car windows down so that he could hear the train whistle. He collected Thomas the Tank Engine cars and track. I read him Thomas the Tank Engine books, and we watched the TV show too. With every library trip we took, we looked for any book with a train theme. I'm sure there was a train-themed birthday party at some point too.

James also loved a trip to the train museum with his Papa (James D. Casey, Sr.), or visiting other train exhibits in local small towns. Imagine his thrill when we took a ride on the actual Thomas the Train one year in Grapevine, Texas!

The love of trains must run in the family line: proven by this wonderful black and white photograph of James' Papa, standing on a train stairs when he was a little man. It wonderful to see shared interests passed through generations.


NEXT UP: Wartime Letter III

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