2010 Summer Contest Winners Announced!

2010 SCHGS Summer Contest Winners Announced!

L-R: Kris Arbuckle, Caldwell, Adult Division Winner with Elaine Clark

L-R: Jordyn Young, Winner of 12 & Under Division with Elaine Clark

Congratulations!  Contest Winners Announced!

On Monday, August 23rd, the Sumner County Historical & Genealogical Society met at Sumner Regional Medical Center and announced the winners for the Sumner County Summer Genealogy Contest.

Remembering Robert Wilson Willet...
Kris Arbuckle, Caldwell, won the adult category. Arbuckle's lively Powerpoint presentation with period music detailed the history (and family history) of major league baseball player Robert Wilson Willet, who is now buried in the Caldwell Cemetery.

Arbuckle, who had tears in her eyes, stated that when she asked cemetery caretakers how many people visited Willet's grave she was told that "only a few" came each year, and that's when Arbuckle decided to enter the contest and make sure that others knew the story about Willet so he "wouldn't be forgotten."
 
Her Ancestor Sang for Abraham Lincoln...
Eight-year-old Jordyn Savannah Young, Wellington, won in the twelve and under division with her story and research about her Great-great-great Grandmother, Maggie Corson McGinnis, who sang for Abraham Lincoln when she was a young girl growing up in Illinois. Young said that she became interested when her grandmother received a package with pictures and newspaper articles in it chronicling (and verifying) the family legend that Maggie had met, sang for, and spoken to Abe while he was campaigning to become president.

Prize winners presented their winning entries at the Monday, August 23rd SCHGS meeting.

The 2011 Contest begins in January...
The Sumner County Summer Genealogy Contest will begin in January, so start gathering up your family histories! The 2011  Rules and prizes will be announced at a later date.

Ida Gustler and Son

While indexing the Pioneer Settler files, we are finding so many historic treasures: Gold Rush Migration letters, stories of Indian Raids and Massacres, and even some photographs.  

 

This photograph Ida Gustler and her son, George, located in the Beals Pioneer Settler Files, made me realize how much info can be shared just on the back of photographs.

Caption on back of photograph:

Ida Gustler & son George.  Her husband Louie was the photographer in Oxfrord.  She and Sarah Kerr were room mates in Colorado Springs while both spent time there recovering from T. B. illness.

Photographer info:
Iron Spring Pavilion
J. G. Hiestand
Manitou, Colo.

 It's wonderful to know that in the future, thanks to the generosity of one family, many descendants will be able to locate family photographs, read tidbits of their ancestor's lives, and also see photographs.

The back of this photograph, or perhaps in a detailed family history, may be the only place that descendants of Ida Gustler can learn that she spent time in Colorado recuperating from tuberculosis, and that her husband was a photographer in Oxford, Kansas.

1849 Gold Rush Letter - John Arnspiger to His Wife Mary - Part One

The following is the transcription of copies of Part One of a letter from John Arnspiger to Mrs. Mary Arnspiger and their children residing Jersey County, Jerseyville, Illinois.  It was postmarked April 28th, 1849, St. Joseph, MO. John was en route to the gold fields in California. These letters are in the ARNSPIGER Pioneer Settler's folder at the Sumner County History & Genealogy Center, Box 402, Wellington, Kansas 67152.

From Jno Arnspiger,
staying at St. Joseph, Missouri
April 26th, 1849

Dear Wife and children,

I am glad to inform you that I am well and have been well since I left home and I hope the same blessing is extended to you all.

I arrived here the day before yesterday and should have wrote before this time but unfortunately myself, Abraham and the doctor got separated on the river.

We started on a large lower trade boat called Bill Creole and got a little above Lexington, MO and she would not go any further on account of low water and then came along an other (or maybe it was otter) boat and took on all passengers she could get.  We got some of our frait (freight) on.  She would not wait till we got it all on board so Abraham and the doctor were left behind and have not got here yet.  Our wagons have not got here yet.

Harry Bishop and Sug (?) Fry got in yesterday with their mule teams.  Whitlock Doctor, Bragg Jarbo and Henry Goodrich are here but none of their teams.  We are looking for them every day.

I am sorry to inform you that cholera is here and one man died on our boat his name was Simson from Henopin (?) Ill another from near the same place a doctor but not on the same boat they were both for Callaforna. (California).  The death of Mr. Simson was very regretted he left a wife and 6 children but in good circumstances.  He was taken in the morning and died about midnight.  They made a box and buried him the same night.

I was very much alarmed but I have concluded to not be troubled about it.  If it is the will of God that I am one of the number that is not to get there I wish to be reconciled to my fate.

 (Stay tuned for Part 2 - coming soon!)