Twins!

Joseph T Libby was a twin! He had a twin brother named David, and they were born 5 December 1825.

According to "The Libby Family in America 1636 - 1881" Joseph married a woman named Hannah Lovett and they had two children named Ida and Hannah. I have not confirmed this, and I do not know what happened to them.

Sarah's family (the wife he married in Texas in 1870) said that Sarah married "a northern man who was a widower."

Did the children die as well? Were they "given" to other family members? I wonder if we'll ever know for sure.

Alas

I have learned that we have slave owners in our ancestry. How sad, but I suppose if Grandma Libby (Sarah) was a "hillbilly girl" from Tennessee it isn't all that surprising.

Sarah Elizabeth Adcock married Joseph T Libby in 1870 in Texas.

Her parents were James Ellison Adcock and Sarah McCaleb.

Sarah's parents were John McCaleb Jr and Sarah Huchingson.

Sarah's parents were Joseph Huchingson and Mary Storey.

Joseph was born in 1768 in South Carolina and Mary was born at about the same time in Georgia. They had 10 children, the first eight of whom were born in Georgia. The last two were born in Tennessee. They later moved to Arkansas.

[The following information is from Janice, the woman whose husband is a descendant of Sarah Adcock Libby's sister Amanda.]


Joseph Huchingson's Will: Saline County, Arkansas, Will Book A-1, Page 218. The will is dated October 9, 1854 and it was filed for probate on September 18, 1855.

The last Will and testament of Joseph Huchingson of Union Township, Saline County, Arkansas.
I, Joseph Huchingson, considering the uncertainty of this mortal life, and being of sound mind and memory, blessed be God for the same,
Do make and publish this, my last Will and Testament in manner and form, that is to say
1st. I give to John McCaleb and his wife, Sarah, which is my daughter, I give and bequeath fifty dollars, provided for in bill of sale to Joseph S. Huchingson.
2nd. I give and bequeath to my son Thomas S. Huchingson and Anna, his wife, five dollars.
3rd. I give and bequeath to my daughter Mary Chennault and Steven Chennault, her husband, five dollars.
4th. I give and bequeath to my daughter Frances Chennault and John Chennault, her husband, one negro man named Benjamin of black color and a slave for life about twenty-two years old.
5th. I give and bequeath to my son John C. Huchingson and Jane Huchingson, his wife, five dollars.
6th. I give and bequeath to Nancy Chennault and William Chennault, her husband, one negro girl named Emily about thirteen years old, of dark color and a slave for life.
7th. I give and bequeath to my son Joseph S. Huchingson and Sarah, his wife, five dollars, and one half of all the livestock (viz) cattle and hogs, and one half of the household and kitchen furniture.
8th. I give and bequeath unto my daughter Ruth Mize and Lewis Mize, her husband, five dollars.
9th. I give and bequeath to the lawful heirs of Ruth Mize one negro girl named Caroline about eighteen years old of dark color and a slave for life.
10th. I give and bequeath to my daughter Elizabeth Rowan and Hugh Rowan, her husband, one negro woman named Jude, of black color and a slave for life.
11th. I give and bequeath to my son Amos S. Huchingson and Anna Huchingson, his wife, five dollars.
12th. I give and bequeath to the lawful heirs of Amos S. Huchingson two hundred dollars, as provided for in the bill of sale to Joseph S. Huchingson.
And, I hereby appoint Joseph S. Huchingson and Thomas S. Huchingson my executors to see that this my last Will and Testament is carried into effect, and furthermore, after the expenses is taken out and paid for, if there is anything left, it is to be equally divided among my lawful heirs.
Given under my hand and seal this October 9, 1854.
Joseph Huchingson

The U.S. Census slave schedules for 1850 and 1860 show Joseph (in 1850) and his sons and sons-in-law as slave owners.

I was very sad when I learned this. I never thought that there was any slavery in the family's past, but I suppose that was because I figured we descended from immigrants in the late 1800s/early 1900s or else our family was from New England - not from the South.

Wow.

It Could Be...

Before I start telling about what I've discovered, let me remind you of who the people are:

My mother was Priscilla Lohman Jensen

Her mother was Grandma Lohman (Grace Libby)

Her mother was Grandma Libby (Agnes Wescott)

Her mother was Grandma Tomlinson (Sarah "Sadie" Kimball Wescott)

and her mother was Grandma Mary A Wall Kimball Smith


(Note: maiden names are in bold)


For quite a while I've been speculating about the father of Grandma Tomlinson. Her maiden name was Kimball, and Grandma Smith's maiden name was Wall. Based on a variety of clues I have been thinking that perhaps Mary A Wall (who became a Smith when her daughter Sarah was about 10 or so) first married a man named Lyman Kimball in about 1851, and Sarah was born in Biddeford, ME in 1852. By 1860, Mary and Sarah were living in Biddeford alone (so her father must have died in the meantime).

Today I discovered that the middle name given to Uncle Jim (Grandma Lohman's brother and grandson of Sarah/Sadie) was Lyman! Now I know that this doesn't prove anything about what Sarah's father's name was, but it sure is interesting!

Grandma Lohman and Her Siblings

A more formal picture of the Libby children.
(Contrast this photo with the one below taken just a few years later!)

Counter-clockwise from upper left:

Grace (my Grandma Lohman)
Horace
Gertrude
Donald "Buster"
Jim

The Libby Children

Counter-clockwise from upper left:

Grace (my Grandma Lohman)
Horace
Jim
Donald "Buster"
Gertrude

Obituary for Lewis Libby, brother of Joseph

Here's an image of Lewis's obituary...

You'll note that Joseph is not mentioned as one of Lewis's surviving siblings, but Allen, Otis, Charles and Ann are. Also note that Lewis was in Minneapolis in 1858. Allen Libby was in the 1860 census living in Richfield Township, MN.

Lafayette Libby

I just got confirmation that Joseph and Sarah Libby (parents of Edward, Ora, Ada, May and Alice) had a son named Lafeyette, who died in Iowa:

"I did find a death record for Lafayette Libby in Book 1, page 18, of the death records at the Black Hawk County courthouse. He died at the age of 2 years, 6 months and 5 days on July 12, 1881, at 3 p.m., in Waterloo, of dysentery. It said that he was buried on July 13, 1881 in West Waterloo in the "new" cemetery which I believe is Elmwood cemetery. I've got a call into the manager of Elmwood to check to see if Lafayette is in their records. The death record also said that he was born in Texas. No parent name listed on the record."

Elmwood Cemetery is also where Joseph's brother Lewis and his wife Missouri are buried.

The 1900 census says that Sarah and Joseph had 9 children altogether, but only 5 were living in 1900.

More About Joseph and Sarah

The gal in Louisiana whose husband is a descendant of Sarah's younger sister Amanda sent me a copy of an Adcock Family History compiled by Olive Black in 1963. [Olive was Sarah Libby's niece.] Here are some excerpts:

"This information about James Ellison Adcock [Sarah Libby's father] and his descendants was told to Olive Black, the daughter of Rosa Ella Adcock Black, in 1937 when she visited... her aunt Mandy Page [Sarah's sister Amanda]....

"James Ellison Adcock was born about 1818 in Tennessee not so far from Nashville. He died October 17, 1885, about age 65, at Thackerville, Indian Territory....

"James came from Tennessee to Texas before the Civil War. He fought in the Civil War and was on the Gulf a good part of the time on the Rio Grande near Brownsville. He was detailed home the last two years of the war to make shoes for war widows. He was a fine boot and shoe maker....

"Sarah Caleb [McCaleb] Adcock, the wife of James Ellison Adcock [Sarah Libby's mother] was born in Tennessee about the same part of the county as her husband. She died of pneumonia February 3, 1881 at Warren, Texas. She took a chill at Cherry Mound while on a visit and came back home sick and never got up any more. She was about age 60. James Ellison Adcock and his wife were Methodists.

"Sarah, the oldest girl, called "Sallie" and "Sis" was born in Tennessee. She married a northern man named Joseph Thompson [Libby?]. He was a widower. [??] Her first child died while she was living at Warren, Texas. Aunt Sarah joined the Baptist church and read the Bible a lot. They also lived in Johnson County while. They moved to Waterloo, Iowa. Aunt Sarah had four children born in Iowa. The oldest boy was named Eddie. The family lost track of her in Iowa.

" (Note: Mama's tin-type album has pictures of three small chilren. All three pictures have the name of a photographer in Waterloo, Iowa on the back of them.)"

[Eddie is probably Edward, Grandpa Libby. I hope to get copies of these pictures eventually from Janice, the gal who sent me this info.]

"James Ellison Adcock and Sarah Adcock's children: they had two little girls and a boy who died in infancy. One of the little girls was named Leona. There were eight other children. It seems that some of the Adcock children changed the spelling of the name to Adcox. So far is known all of the living descendants of James and Sarah Adcock spell it Adcox."

[One of Grandpa Libby's sister's death certificates gives their mother's maiden name as "Adcock" and one as "Adcox." This now shows that the name is interchangeable.]

Possible timeline:

1818 James Ellison Adcock is born in Tennessee.

1821 Sarah Caleb (McCaleb?) is born in Tennessee.

1846 Sarah E Adcock (mother of Grandpa Edward Libby) is born in Tennessee.

1860 The family is living in Texas.

30 January 1870 Sarah marries Joseph Thompson (Libby) in Fannin County, Texas.

April 1875 Edward "Eddie" Everett Libby is born in Texas.

about 1878 Lafayette Libby is born in Texas.

1880 Joseph, Sarah, Eddie (age 5) and Lafeyette (age 2) are living in Black Hawk County, Iowa, just northeast of Waterloo. Joseph is a farmer.

March 1881 Ora Viola Libby is born in Black Hawk County, Iowa.

March 1883 Ada B Libby is born in Black Hawk County, Iowa. Joseph is a day laborer.

1885 May L Libby is born in Minneapolis.

1887 Alice E Libby is born in Minneapolis.

1894 Joseph T Libby dies and is buried at Oak Hill Cemetery.

4620 Chicago Avenue

The house where they lived in 1910.

When Mary Smith died, her address was listed at 4556 Chicago Avenue.

Grandma Smith

Now here was a puzzle! Grandma Smith was born in Maine in 1833. Her daughter, Sarah F, married Otis H Wescott in 1869. (Otis was the grandpa who "went to the drugstore and never came home" and Sarah later was known as Sadie, and married a Tomlinson, so I had always known of her as Grandma Tomlinson.)

Grandma Tomlinson's maiden name was Kimball, so Grandma Smith must have been married twice - first to Sadie's father, then to Edward E Smith.

Grandma Smith was born Mary A Wall (according to her death certificate, 23 Feb 1918 - just a few weeks after Muriel was born).

In 1860, there was a Mary A Kimball (28) living with Sarah F Kimball (8) in Biddesford, ME. There was also an Edward E Smith and his family living in Biddesford (in the "Alms House").

By 1870, Edward E, Mary A and Edward E Smith (jr) were in Minneapolis. Sarah F was living with Otis H Wescott and their daughter Corah (age 1).

Was Edward Smith the "Grandpa Smith" who was the "Yankee who was a prisoner in Andersonville" during the Civil War?

My searches have found evidence that that was indeed true.

At first I didn't think it was, because the first record I found said that there was an Edward E Smith with the 1st Cavalry from Maine at Andersonville, BUT THAT HE DIED THERE. Well, of course, I knew that he didn't die there! He was still living in Minneapolis and listed in the 1880, 1900, and 1910 censuses!

A later look at the record showed that it says:

Remarks: E. E. SMITH, E2 ED[3]; Q.M.C. SAYS THIS IS NOT THE PERSON BURIED HERE[1]
Notes: BURIAL CHANGE TO UNKNOWN IN 1913 BY ORDER OF THE QMC.

And there is a record that Mary A Smith applied for and was granted a Civil War Soldier's widow's pension in 1913.

Based on the facts I've found, here's a reasonably accurate timeline:

15 Apr 1833: Mary A Wall born in Portland, ME

1850 Mary Wall is listed in the federal census, living in Dover, NH and working in a textile mill (?). Also in the same town is a Lyman Kimball, age 21, working in the mills. I am speculating that Lyman may be the father of Sarah/Sadie. I will try to verify this.

1852 Sarah F Kimball is born in Biddeford, ME

1860 Sarah F, Mary A Kimball as well as Edward E Smith and his parents and siblings are living in Biddeford

Some time between 1860 and 1862 Mary A Kimball marries Edward E Smith (son of Noah H Smith) in Biddeford

April 1863 Edward E Smith junior is born in Biddeford

January 1864 Edward E Smith Sr joins the army, Company M, 1st Regiment, Cavalry, Maine and goes to war

Some time in 1864 He is a prisoner of war at Andersonville and is "paroled" to Camp Parole near Annapolis, MD

June 1865 Edward gets out of the army

1866 Sarah (and Mary, Edward and Edward??) is living in Minneapolis (source: Sadie Tomlinson's death certificate, 1937, which states that she has lived in Mpls for 61 years)

1870 Sarah, Otis and Corah in Mpls
Edward, Mary and Edward in Mpls
Noah Smith (Edward's father) and Moses Smith (his uncle?) are living in Zumbrota, MN

1880 Otis, Sarah and their children Corah, Horace, Agnes (Grandma Libby) and Paul Wescott in Mpls.

5 November 1883 Sarah Wescott divorces Otis Wescott (Hennepin County is looking for the record to send me)

1900 Mary, Edward and Edward are living at 1501 E 46th Street

1910 Mary, Edward and Edward are living at 4620 Chicago Avenue, WITH Sarah (now known as Sadie) and Charles Tomlinson (her second husband)

1913 Mary applies for and gets the Civil War widow's pension, so Edward died between 1910 and 1913 (he is buried at Oak Hill, but we couldn't find a stone for either Edward or Mary and the record card has no date for Edward's burial... I have to look into this more)

June 1917 Grandma Lohman (Grace Libby) marries Gustav Lohman, and there is a picture taken of four generations, with Grandma Smith, Grandma Tomlinson, Grandma Libby and Grandma Lohman. (I'll try to post this picture later.)

23 February 1918 Just a few weeks after Muriel is born, Grandma Smith dies of "apoplexy." She is buried at Oak hill near Grandma and Grandpa Libby (Agnes and Edward), Sadie Tomlinson and Edward E Smith Jr. The stone is not visible at this time - it may have sunk into the ground - Ron and I plan to check further on this.

According to both Helen and Muriel, Grandma Smith smoked a corn cob pipe - to "settle the water on her stomach". When her daughter Sarah was deserted and left by her drunken husband Otis with four small children, Sarah fell into a deep depression, so the kids were basically raised by their Grandma Smith.

The Minnesota Historical Society has a photo of "Chicago Avenue near Minnehaha Creek" taken early in the century. Check it out.

The Historical Society also has a picture that includes a woman named Mary Smith - Steve thinks it may be her... you decide! (The woman in the third row, seated, in a black dress to the left of the woman in the white blouse.)

It's hard to imagine what her life was like - being a very young widow, marrying again and having a second child, only to have her husband go off to war - and captured by the enemy. Then leaving her home in Maine (where her family may have been for years) to go to Minnesota! Basically raising her grandchildren... watching her daughter suffer with an alcoholic husband (and later have another unhappy marriage). Wow.

Great-Grandma Libby

So - Grandpa Libby's mother was named Sarah E, but what was her maiden name? I had already made a preliminary guess that she was Sarah Adcock (or Adcox), born in 1846 in Tennessee. A while ago I posted a query on a genealogy site asking for any information on Sarah, and last night I got a reply - I am fairly certain that I found Sarah's family!

Sarah E Adcock was born in 1846 in Hickman, TN. Her parents were James Ellison Adcock (b 1823) and Sarah "Sally" McCaleb Adcock (b 1826). She was from a large family, and the oldest surviving daughter. (The lady who contacted me is married to a descendant of one of Sarah's younger sisters.)

The records show that Sarah and Joseph were married 30 Jan 1870 - in TEXAS. The marriage record gives his name as Joseph THOMPSON, not Libby. But I think that this is the couple I am looking for for several reasons:

1) Sarah's family history says that she married a "northern man older than her" and that they moved to Iowa.
2) Sarah and Joseph had a son named "Eddie" and had two girls born in Iowa. The family lost track of her after that.
3) Joseph T - did the T stand for Thompson? Thompson was Joseph's mother's maiden name. Perhaps the clerk recording the marriage information goofed and did not write Libby as the last name, but used Thompson instead.

Interestingly, Joseph had a brother named Lewis who lived in Waterloo, Iowa by 1870. He married a woman named Missouri Speicher, and they ran the American Hotel. (Lewis died in 1902, and I will post his obituary later.)

There was another Libby brother, Allen D, who is buried next to Joseph and Sarah at Oak Hill (with his wife Hannah J and their son Byron J).

Allen and Lewis (and Joseph?) were in Minneapolis around 1860, and Lewis later moved to Waterloo. Allen stayed in Minneapolis.

Sarah and Joseph may have had one child before Edward that did not live. After they moved to Iowa, Ora (1881) and Ada (1883) were born. May (1885) and Alice (1887) were born in Minneapolis.

Joseph died in 1894. After he died, Edward (Grandpa Libby) had to support his mother and sisters. When he married Grandma (Agnes Wescott) they lived with his sisters until after their first child, Horace, was born! (Helen told me this.)

Great-Grandpa Libby

On Steve's family tree (from 1992), Grandpa Edward Everett Libby's father was not named. His mother was listed just as Sarah E.

All I knew about them was that he was born in Maine, she in Tennessee. The family story (confirmed by Helen and Muriel this summer) was that he and his brother liked the same girl in Maine. They settled it with a bet (or a fight), and Great-Grandpa Libby lost, took off, went to Tennessee, and fell in love with a "hillbilly" girl 20 years his junior.

They eventually lived in Texas, where Grandpa Libby (Edward) was born. Edward had four sisters - Ora, Ada, May and Alice. (I remember Aunt Alice - she lived at the Presbyterian Home in Roseville on Lake Johanna and I remember visiting her when I was a kid. She died in 1963.)

But neither Helen nor Muriel knew his first name.

I made a trip to Oak Hill Cemetery a few weeks ago and found the graves of Grandpa and Grandma (Edward and Agnes) Libby, but not his parents. As it turned out, there were LOTS of relatives there - including all four of Edward's sisters. More on that later.

I kept wondering where Edward's parents were buried - it just made sense that they would also be at Oak Hill. Helen had told me that she thought we had some relatives just inside the main entrance. Sure enough, when Ron and I went back last week and spoke with the caretaker, we found them - JOSEPH T LIBBY and SARAH E LIBBY. I finally knew his first name!

Here We Go!

Welcome to my new webpage, where I will share the fruits of my labors from looking up facts about my ancestors!

About a month ago I started to get interested in filling in the "gaps" in my family history, and also in Ron's. I ended up paying for a subscription to Ancestry.com, and was amazed and excited by all the data available on-line.

It has been fascinating and rewarding, and I've discovered many facts - and I'm going to start sharing them with you all. I hope that you will be excited, too, to find out more about our roots.

I believe that this search has been very healing, especially coming up on the anniversary of mom's death (and Ron's mom's as well). It's been a long year, and to have it come to a close with finding out so much about the family is helping me with my grief.

So keep checking - I have lots and lots of info to share (and some pictures as well). I welcome your comments, too!

Love to you all... Margaret (Maggie)