Blanche Wheeler's Household in 1900

Thirteen days later, on 26 June 1900, the census enumerator visited the home in which Blanche Wheeler lived. Her home was on Dock Street, in Wilmington, of New Hanover County, North Carolina. Blanche’s parents, William L Wheeler, age 31, and Martha, age 28, had been married for fifteen years. Sadly, of her mother’s seven children, only two are alive: Blanche, now eleven; and Lillie, about three-months of age. Blanche had attended school for four months.

Also in the home was Blanche’s grandmother, Celia Carteret, a widow at age 65. She is the only South Carolinian in this household of Tarheels.

There is a family story about Blanche being part American Indian. Perhaps so, however this should mean that she, or her parents, (or so on) would be recorded on the Census as “Indian”. I have discovered only one set of grandparents, and so far, all of the census records I have found, including this one, list all family members as White. In addition, I have searched several of the American Indian name lists, especially for Cherokees, and have found no documented American Indian connections to our family. This does not mean there is no link, for those who knew Blanche say that she had distinct facial features of an American Indian. But so far there is no proof.


Above: An extract from the 1900 Census Record