Just when I thought that I was absolutely down a dead-end on researching my
Cameron family, I've had a giant step forward - or so I hope!!
A recent visit to Vancouver, Canada, brought me into contact with a distant
relative by marriage who knew much more about the Eau Claire, Wisconsin,
Camerons from whom I, and her late husband's family, descend.
My grandfather, Frederick John Cameron, was born in Eau Claire in 1886, with
twin brother Frank, and younger sisters Vera and Nell (Catherine Ellen).
Their parents were Edna Hunter and Matthew Frederick Cameron. From many
hours reading censuses, church records and city directories for Eau Claire,
I've figured out that Matthew Frederick went by the name Fred. He was the
youngest in his family, and must have married Edna in 1885. Like his
brother Hugh, he worked for the railway, Union Pacific. It looks like their
parents were Catherine and Dougald Cameron, who came to Eau Claire about
1883. Fred Senior left Eau Claire after the 1895 census. Where to? I
couldn't find him in Washington State, although my grandfather and his twin
were attending Gonzaga College in Spokane in 1904-6. The charming lady who
filled me in lent me an old letter from Fred Senior to his daughter Nell,
dated 1921 from Moscow! Moscow is right near the border with Washington
State, which accounts for family thinking he lived in Washington. And she
had a picture of Fred Senior, in his Union Pacific conductor's uniform, and
looking every inch of his 6'6". (Remember all the tall Camerons?) And I
learned that Fred Sen had divorced and remarried, which accounts for why
his Catholic family was so vague about him. As well, my relative said that
she was fairly sure that Dougald and Catherine, who were possibly
immigrants from Scotland or the children of immigrants, came from New York
City to Eau Claire, which gives me somewhere quite specific to search for
the family.
Result: I may actually succeed in tracing these Camerons back to Scotland!
The harder it gets, the more I'm determined!
Ann Cameron