Relatively Speaking

I got his information in the mail today—the 1860 census that includes my Great Great Grandpa and Grandma Ralph and Fanny Austin. They are living with their son William Henry and his wife Mary and family. Also living with them is Mary’s mother, Hannah Hickok Eldred.

The 300 is in the category of “Value or Real Estate” and the 400 is in the column that says “Value of Personal Estate”. The last column is the state where the person was born. The writing is a bit hard to read. Here is the census report:

Highland, New York 1860
181 Henry Austin 35 M Farm laborer 300 400 New York
Mary A. 30 F New York
Mary H. 10 F New York
Edith 8 F New York
Maria 6 F New York
James 4 M New York
Albert A. 2 M New York
Ralph Austin 76 M Massachusetts
Fanny Austin 72 F Connecticut
Hannah Eldred 71 F Connecticut

This picture shows the Briggs’ car. Irwin and Myrtie Crabtree Briggs and their three daughters stopped at the home of her parents, John and Ida Crabtree, on their way from Harrison, Nebraska, to to Drew University, on the east coast. The man on the left looks like it is my great grandpa John Crabtree. I don’t know either the man on the right or the two children. The one girl seems to be in the following picture.

On the horse is my aunt Mildred Briggs and Aunt Laura Briggs. Does anyone know who the three dark haired girls are?

Here’s something of interest to the Higginson Cousins, perhaps.

Mary Donaldson and Edward Higginson were Irish immigrants. It’s possible that Edward worked on the Welland Canal, shown on the west (left). Mary worked as a nursemaid in the Niagara Falls area, I think. She entered in Canada, so perhaps the Canadian side of the falls is where she was when they met. Mary and Edward Higginson were married in Chippawa, Ontario, Canada. [Chippawa, although mispelled, is the correct spelling for the city's name as it was incorrectly spelled to begin with.]

Does anyone recognize this man? I think he is a Crabtree, possibly James Crabtree, son of Richard and Mary Giggey Crabtree.

If anyone knows who Mrs. Braisted was, please let me know. She is often mentioned in Aida’s diary. I think Mrs. B., as she calls her, lives in New York City, where Aida lives through at least some of the journal. At one point Aida says her father wants her to come home.

“I was born in Nebraska on my father’s homestead farm, November 17, 1891. They named me Amanda Myrtie. Our nearest town was Norden, a very small town. The doctor lived there. A little further away was Springview. It was a very small place, too, at that time.”

So starts my grandma’s story, and the book I have been writing about her and her relatives since fall of 2004. I had hoped it would be finished in November of 2005. But that was before I knew there really were going to be about 250 pages. I have the text and photos in place and my husband, Gary, has started working on it with his professional design touch.

So many people have contributed photos, information, and encouragement into the making this book and I want to thank you so much.

Thanks now go to my son Andrew for setting up this site. I’ll post updates and let you know when the book is done. I may post some pictures to see if anyone can identify the people.

bfn

Louise (Austin) Smith

Hello Austin relatives and friends!

I thought you might enjoy seeing the cover of Aida Austin’s 1881 Diary. The diary is about 3 inches by 4 1/2 inches.

Aida was really my great aunt, but I never met her or my Austin grandparents. So it was fun to me that Grandpa Mort Austin is mentioned several times in this diary. He was Aida’s brother.

I have scanned the pages and typed what they say. When I get my grandma Briggs’ book done, then I will put the finishing touches on Aida’s 1881 Diary, which is very close to being done also.

bye for now

Louise (Austin) Smith

January, Monday 3. 1881.
Mr. Buckbel was here this morning. he is going to send the plumber here tomorrow.

Tuesday 4.
The plumbers have been here all day and I have not got a bit of sewing done.

January, Wednesday 5. 1881
The plumbers have been here again all day.

Thursday 6.
Maria came over this afternoon. I was just going out. I called down at Mrs. B. to see if she would go to Central Park Saturday evening with Harriet and I. Her half sister was there with her husband and little boy. The plumbers were here again this morning untill eleven oclock.

Welcome to friends and relatives! More to come soon.