So, one of the things I wanted to do in Florence was see what information I could find on my boys' ancestors who I knew to be from around this area. First I went to the Pioneer History Museum. And took pics of anything that I felt was related. I already knew, by contact with the museum previously that my boys' great-grandma's half sister was the first Rhododendron Queen in 1908. I was looking for anything I could find on their father.
This is Laura at the Festival with "The Poet of the Sierras" Joquin Miller...
Being actually crowned...
The Queen's festival "float". They actually were on small barges and floated down the river. I wonder if that is where the term float for vehicles in a parade actually originated from?
I also found this item donated by Laura years later as a married woman. A 1846 woven bedspread..
I was hoping to find some detail in the donation record as to where it might have come from, but to no avail. It just says it was donated in 1982
I didn't find any more information on the family in general, but I knew there was a cemetery close that contained some ancestors. When I asked the museum, they sent to me to the local mortuary to see if he had records. When I went there, he gave me the name of the lady coordinated acquiring stones for stoneless graves in various cemeteries in the area... this happened to be one of the ladies I contacted about 2 years ago, but we had lost contact. This was great! I left her a message.
Then with the directions from the mortician, I was about to head south when I noticed that an Oregon State Forestry Dept was across the street. I stopped to talk with a gentleman about the fact that I had been out on Beaver Creek road father north, but I was pretty sure that was not the correct area, that I was sure I was looking for something that was Beaver something, but it was East of Florence. He pulled a forest township/range map, which I was very familiar with having worked in the Forest Service, and I knew from memory the section numbers and that it was south of Mapleton. It was Beaver Creek Falls and Sweet Creek that I had been looking for,. We talked for a long time, and come to find out, he had planted trees in that area about 30 years ago, and had been interested in the town that had been there, named Earl, but hadn't been able to find any info. He said there was a school and a post office. This was news to me as I always wondered what they were doing out there so far away from a town (Florence). We looked on the internet and found post office info on the one in Earl, Oregon. This was a great lead!
I finally headed south to the Odd Fellows Cemetery on Glenada Road, less than a half mile from the south end of the bridge and wandered all over it.
While I was out exploring, S., the lady from the genealogy society had called me back. I told her where I was, and she asked, "Are you the brown van with the bicycle on the back?" I said, yes, and she told me I had just passed by her house... lol. So at the same time she was giving directions, I found the head stones i was looking for... the parents of the boys' great-great-grandfather...
They are right up against the bushes, as they were some of the first to be buried in this cemetery, and will easily be lost to overgrowth if the cemetery grounds are not maintained.
When I was finished, I drove down the road and met S. :) She gave me a book of family histories in the area, and invited me to a meeting of the geneaology group and also to join her in the library for some research.
The meeting was really neat as everyone was sharing projects they were working on and the break-throughs they might have made. One guy shared the books he had produced for Christmas presents of the family research he had collected. This reminded me of all the whining and complaining that was involved when we tried to put the family book together for Gram's (Clara) birthday with copies for everyone... it was like pulling teeth to get them to write a short family history and share a family recipe. But when we handed the finished product out, before the days of internet publishing, they were so pleased as punch to have them!! Sheesh!
When it was my turn I said I had found out that my family had property in what I learned was an area called Earl, Oregon, south of Mapleton and if anyone could help me find out more, I would appreciate their time.
* * *
The next day I spent the entire day in the genealogy room in Florence's public library. What fun it was!
I not only got more information on the family from around here, I was also able to access Ancestry.com and looked up some other ancestors as well.
Here's a guy...
This is William Lloyd. Born in Springfield, Bucks, Pennsylvania in 1800, he died in 1876 in King Township, York County, Ontario, Canada. He is 5 generations back from my boys. He is Grace Lloyd's (Grandma L's grandmother) grandfather.
I might also have found a line of Lloyds that reach back into Wales to 1366. I have to check the validity of this information, but if it is true, it would be the farthest line I have been able to trace. This was neat because I was able to find a picture of someone... very rare, but I can sorta see a family resemblance.
I also found the Father of the boys' surname, at least as far as I can get back for now. His first name is Thomas, born in England in 1601.
I could spend day after day doing this! So fun to find the connections with valid documentation!
* * *
So are you curious as to what info I found about Earl?
Well, Arthur had been a postmaster at the post office at the time they were looking for a name. Arthur submitted "Earl" after one of his sons, and the USPS chose it! Also, the school was named Johnson School because the Johnson family had donated a part of their parcel as a place to build one! The "town" lasted about 30+ years, then families moved out, but I couldn't find a particular reason for the exodus except this would have been the time that cars were invented, so you could travel places farther and faster. Also, I think the original family members were older and willing to sell their land by that time.
* * *
Many thanks to the people who helped and are continuing to help me with the family tree research.
The Clones and Their Mom... (inside joke, sorry)
:)
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