Carson Archives

Here you will find information on the ancestors and descendents of Chester Carson and Kathleen Rogers. Articles are listed newest to oldest. Start by reading the oldest articles first, then work your way back to the newest. I have also included links to their Online Family Trees. Please provide your own stories, additions, corrections, or feedback by clicking on the word "Comments" at the end of any article, or by e-mailing me. Enjoy!

Thursday, March 31, 2005

More Than Old News

If you read the introduction to this website, which appears immediately below the Carson Archives banner and photo montage, I intend to write about the ancestors and the decendants of Chester and Kathleen Carson.

After all, a family history is not just about the past, it's constantly being written by current generations.

Starting next week, I'll begin a series on one such decendant. I hope you enjoy it.

If you would be willing to share one or more stories from your family, please let me know. After you tell me the topic, I'll send you a series of questions, write up one or more short articles, then review the posting(s) with you before I place them on this site. If I don't hear from anyone, I may start asking!

Don't think that a story needs to be about major news. Examples that the rest of the family would enjoy hearing about could be just about anything: someone going into the military (or getting out); an award of any kind; the birth of a child; starting or graduating from high school or college; a vacation; just about anything.

I'd like this web-site to be a place where we can learn about the family history, past and present.

Wednesday, March 30, 2005

The Final Dose For John K Carson

John died at his residence at Mount Harris, Colorado, on 7 August 1927 at the age of 75. At the time, he was suffering from an illness that required medication. On this fateful day, he went to take a dose of his medicine and accidently ingested carbolic acid. He received emergency treatment in his home, but passed away within about fifteen minutes, at 4:23 in the afternoon.

His body was shipped to Hinton, Oklahoma, reaching there on a Thursday afternoon. The funeral home cost was $20, as the casket had already been furnished. Funeral services were conducted at the Baptist Church by Rev. C. W. Morrison, followed by internment in the Hinton Cemetery, beside his first wife, Rachel.

Among those attending his funeral services were his children; Mrs. Leona Hager, of Imperial, Texas; Mr. Chester Carson, of Mount Harris. Colorado, and Mr. Bernard Carson, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and his last wife, Laura.

John Carson had never united with any church but professed faith in Christ in 1907 and his conversion was described as “very impressive.” One of his neighbors described John as a very fine man, honest and upright, a good citizen and a fine neighbor.

I have no photos of John or Rachel. If you have any, please let me know. I do have a copy of his death certificate:

Monday, March 28, 2005

Mystery Photo Monday #4

Everyone in last week's photo has been identified, and the photo caption is updated with everyone's name. Thanks for all of the feedback!

I think you will find that this week's photo is a bit more challenging.

I am fairly certain that this photo was taken in Washington, D.C., at the Greyhound Bus Station, where Kathleen Carson worked. According to her daughter, Jo Anne, "She worked at Greyhound gassing up buses and whatever else they did on 'the pit'. She began having lots of problems with her throat (because of the diesel fumes) [and] had to quit before her retirement was very much."

Kathleen is seen in the middle of the back row. Does anyone know what year this was, or who the other women are?

UPDATED 30 March 2005: You've done it again, at least in part. The woman squatting on the left side of the photo (to Kathleen's right) is Alberta (Aunt Bert or Aunt Bertie) Elizabeth Rogers, who appeared in Mystery Photo Monday #2

Tuesday, March 22, 2005

John K Carson After Rachel's Death

Rachel and John moved to the Hinton, Oklahoma vicinity in 1901.

We've already seen that John purchased an 8-space lot in the Hinton Cemetery in 1907. Since Rachel's death, from an extended illness, occurred only six months later, I have to wonder if she was seriously ill when John made this purchase. To find out we'll have to see if Caddo County, Oklahoma has any death records. I already tried to obtain a death certificate from the state of Oklahoma, and they did not begin keeping records until October of 1908.

Our next documented look at John is from the U.S. Census that was taken in May of 1910. At 60 years of age, he now lives in the Logan Township of Blaine County, Oklahoma, with his son Chester K. John remains active, and is employed as a farmer. It seems that John and Chester are living on a farm. Not only is John listed as a farmer, but his son, Chester K is listed as a 17 year old Farm Worker, working on a Home Farm.

In the next year John would marry a woman named Laura Denney. Laura is a bit of a mystery. I have found no record of her or her family in other Oklahoma Census records, and there is no record of John marrying her in either Blaine County, where John lived in 1910, or Washita County, where he and Laura lived during the next census, in 1920. In 1911 all marriage registrations in Oklahoma were held at the county level. There are seventy-seven counties in Oklahoma. In addition to phoning the county clerk's of Blaine and Washita County, I've checked the online records of Caddo County, and found nothing on John or Laura. Only seventy-four counties to go!

Here is a snip from the 1910 U.S. Census, where John and Chester were enumerated.

Monday, March 21, 2005

Mystery Photo Monday #3

This week we have a more contemporary image, so more of you will either recognize yourself, or a relative.

This is a photo from Grandma and Granddad's home in Brentwood, MD. I would estimate the year at about 1957. Can you tell us who's who?

UPDATE 23 March 2005: The concensus of opinions on who's who is:
(Porch Floor, from left to right): Jan, Jeannie (holding Steve), Patti (holding Joey), Debbie, Bernie
(Top Step, left to right): Bernie, Jimmy

Wednesday, March 16, 2005

John & Rachel Carson, From 1885-1900

Earlier I wrote about John and Rachel's home as he recorded it in 1880, then their marriage, and an overview of Rachel's life. This time I'll continue with information about John and Rachel, taking a quick look at their life from 1885 to 1900.

We know that they moved to Kansas in 1885. When the next U.S. Census was taken, in June of 1900, John, Rachel, Bernard and Chester, were living on Elm Street, in the Peabody Township of Marion County, Kansas.

John was 48 years old and worked as a Huckster. He and Rachel had been married for 24 years. Only Bernard and Chester are living with them, but they had three other living children. John Chester, now six, was born in Kansas. Bernard, now 19, was a farm laborer. Chester was attending school. They rented the house they lived in. Here is a partial extraction of data from the census record:


Twelfth Census of the United States
State: Kansas, County: Marion, Township: Peabody, Incorportated City: Peabody City
Enumerated on the First day of June, 1900, Supervisors District: 4, Enumeration District: 95, Sheet: 1
(Extracted information is from lines 38-41)

Carson, John K.; White Male; b:Oct 1851, Maryland; Age: 48; Married 24 Years; Occupation: Huckster
Carson, Rachel F.; White Female; b:Dec 1852, Pennsylvania; Age 47; Married 24 Years; 5 Births; 5 Living Children
Carson, Bernard W.; White Male; b:Aug 1880, Maryland; Age 19; Occupation: Farm Laborer
Carson, Chester C.; White Male; b:July 1892, Kansas; Age 6; At Home


Note that the recorded children's names apparently reflect what they were called at the time. We know that the son here called Bernard, is William Bernard Lloyd (W.L.) Carson, and that the son here called Chester, is John Chester Kenneth Carson.

Monday, March 14, 2005

Mystery Photo Monday #2

First, I'd like to thank Kit and my mother for identifying Chester Carson and his first daughter in last weeks' second photo. This is another example of how they and others have contributed much to recording the Carson genealogical record.

And now, time for another Mystery Photo Monday.

This week, there are fewer people to identify, but also fewer clues.

Both photos for this week were taken from one of Kathleen Carson's photo albums. It looks like the same woman is in both photos. In one, she is posed with a soldier. The other appears to be from one of those dime-store or arcade photo booths'.

Take a look, then send email, or leave a comment, if you know who either person is, the year, where they were from, what branch of the service the gentleman is in, what happened to either of them - any help you can provide is welcome and appreciated!

UPDATED 29 March 2005: The woman is Alberta (Aunt Bert or Aunt Bertie) Elizabeth Rogers. Aunt Bert was a daughter of Loyd Rogers and Blanche Wheeler. She married Mac Tallent. Bertie was born in North Carolina, on 10 May 1921, and died of congestive heart failure, at age 63, in Hollywood, Florida on 11 July 1984. The man in the second photo is Gordon Stine, her boyfriend at the time.



Wednesday, March 09, 2005

Planning Ahead (stone)

Sometimes planning ahead doesn't pay. Just look around your house. If you're like me, you have some pile of stuff from a trip to the store where you reasoned that you'd need more later, so you bought plenty. Only "plenty" was way too much, and there it sits.

With that in mind, I wonder what John K Carson was thinking when he purchased eight spaces in the Hinton Cemetery on 3 April 1907? In addition to himself and his wife Rachel, he had five children (at least four of whom were still alive). He probably planned for his family to be buried together. But, it did not work out that way.

Rachel, his first wife, passed away almost exactly six months later. She was buried in grave site 1, the corner grave on the west side of the group.

After this, the ground sat idle for nearly twenty years. Then, when John passed away, his body was shipped from Colorado to Oklahoma, and he was laid to rest next to Rachel, in grave site 2.

The remaining six graves sit empty to this day.

Below is a map from the cemetery plat which shows the final resting places for Rachel and John. If you are ever in Hinton, Oklahoma and decide to visit their grave sites make sure you stop at the office and ask someone to guide you. Neither grave is marked with a headstone.

In case you were wondering, John paid ten dollars for these grave sites. I don't know how to compare that with the cost of grave sites in Hinton, Oklahoma today. If you simply compare the purchasing value of today's dollar versus the 1907 dollar, these graves cost John the equivalent of about two-hundred dollars.

Monday, March 07, 2005

Mystery Photo Monday #1

Introducing Mystery Photo Monday's!

Each week I'll post one or more photographs. I'll tell you everything that I know about it. Then, it's your turn. If you can help with the names of people, where the photo was taken, the occasion, the date, or anything else, simply click on the word "Comments" and type in what you know. I'll update the caption to reflect what we learn from all the comments.

I'm also looking into the various ways to to post photos online for those of you who would like to see the collection I have, and obtain your own copy.

For the first Mystery Monday, I have two photos for you.

The first is a group photo that includes:
Top Step: I believe this is Conway Sykes.
Middle Step, left to right: Unknown, Loyd Rogers, Kathleen (Rogers) Carson, Chester Carson
Bottom Step, left to right: Unknown woman and two children, Nolena Byrns (Loyd's 2nd wife)

This looks like it could be from Loyd and Nolena's wedding in about 1929. If so, this would be somewhere in or near Corydon, Indiana.



I don't really know much about this second photo. It was in a group of others that were originally owned by Kathleen (Rogers) Carson. I don't know who the gentleman is, who the child is, the year, or where this was taken. Anyone know?

UPDATED 11 March 2005: The gentleman in this second photo is Chester Carson. The infant is his first daughter. The photo was taken in late 1927 or early 1928.

Friday, March 04, 2005

Rachel (Truax) Carson (1852-1907)

John K Carson's wife, Rachel Truax, was born on 29 December 1852 in Fulton County, Pennsylvania to Stilwell and Rachel (Mann) Truax. The fifteenth of sixteen children, one of whom died as an infant, she had eight brothers and six sisters.

Prior to marrying John, Rachel professed her belief in Christ and became a devout member of the Mennonite Church. Her faith kept her involved with others for the rest of her life.

Rachel and John had five children together: Orie, Sarah (Saddie) Esadiah, John Chester Kenneth, Launa Avalou (Aura or Laura), and William Bernard Lloyd (W.L.). W.L. would later become the father of Chester Carson.

After moving to Hinton, Oklahoma with John, Rachel worshipped at the local Mennonite Church, and worked with the Epworth League. The Epworth League, founded in 1889, was a youth program within the Southern Methodist Church, and has since been replaced by the United Methodist Youth Fellowship program. Rachel remained active in this youth program for the rest of her life.

Her friends and associates described Rachel as a woman of strong intellectual faculties and a lovely disposition. She was loved by all who knew her.

According to her obituary, shown above, Rachel became ill several weeks before her death. She died at home on Friday, 4 October 1907. Her funeral services were led by the Reverend F.D. Stevick at the Methodist Episcopal Church where she worshipped. She was laid to rest at the Hinton Cemetery.

Four of their children were alive at the time of Rachel's death: Sarah, Laura, William, and Launa. Of these, only Launa missed the funeral, due to her own illness.

This graphic is a representation of what is thought to be the Truax Family Coat of Arms. The family motto is "Bien Faire Et Ne Rien Craindre", which translates roughly to "Do Right and Fear Nothing". The image is intended to represent the story of one supposed family member, namely a knight or warrior known as "Dutrieu de Terdonckt", who won victory while in the stirrup on the field of battle, and was rewarded--at different times--by a gold star of six radiating points.

Tuesday, March 01, 2005

A Glimpse of John K and Rachel (Truax) Carson in 1880

In 1880 John and Rachel lived in the Village of Warfordsburg, Bethel Township, Fulton County, Pennsylvania. Members of Rachel's family helped establish the town, including her father, Stilwell Truax and her grandfather, Benjamin Junior. Benjamin Senior, her Great Grandfather was one of the early settlers in the region of Bethel, coming there from New Jersey before the Revolution.

John and Rachel's household was documented for the U.S. Census on 5 June 1880. Typically census information is considered suspect by researchers, since information was often recorded whether people were home or not, answers were given by people in the home with limited knowledge of others in the same home, and the enumerator would record information incorrectly due to misunderstandings, misspellings and numerous other reasons. We are fortunate, however, that John happened to be his own enumerator for this particular census. Therefore, we can consider the information found here to be what John believed, or at least as he desired to record it.

John lists his own birthplace as Maryland. He records his father’s birthplace as Ireland, and his mother’s as Maryland. He is as employed as a carpenter. His wife is 27, and maintains the house. John writes that she and both of her parents were born in Pennsylvania. They have three daughters in the home. John lists them as Amelia L (age 5), Laura A (4), and Sarah E (1). In addition, John’s sister Maggie, is also listed. She is 30 years old with no occupation. Oddly, John lists Rachel's birthplace as Maryland, when most existing evidence records her as being a native of the region in which she and John live.

John provides valuable clues to his past, including where his father and mother were born, and that he had a sister called "Maggie". But, questions remain. Was his father actually born in Ireland, or was that a family legend? Was he still alive, and if so, where did he live? What of his mother, and who is this sister Maggie, who appears in no other records I've found to date? Was she actually named Margaret?

The fact that John was a census enumerator may provide additional information if employment records from the 1880 census still exist. We should know soon, as a request for any records about John was sent to the U.S. Government under the Freedom of Information Act on 2 February 2005. Do you think we'll discover something new, some clue, or an answer to one of our questions? Or do you think this will turn out to be another brick wall?

UPDATED 11 March 2005: The National Personnell Records Center writes, ""There are very few personnel records on file at this center dating back to the period outlined in your request. Appropriate record groups have been searched but no personnel records were located." Another brick wall.

Here is the signature of John K Carson from the 1880 U.S. Census page containing his own family: