I learned a new thing today!
I spent the day with Tom Hamm at Earlham College. I was collecting Randolph
County items to share with you all. I was going through the American Annual
Monitor for 1858; or Obituary of the Members of the Society of Friends In
America For the Year 1857 No. 1. Printed New York: Published for the Tract
Association of Friends by Samuel S. & William Wood, 389 Broadway. 1858.
I right away saw an death notice for Randolph Co., Ia. I though name seemed
right for our county and well let's face it some people from Randolph County
Indiana did move on to Iowa and further. So I passed over that entry, but
kept seeing that same address including Cherry Grove MM, Ia. I asked Tom
about it just out of curiosity about it. And guess what, Ia. Is Indiana and
not Iowa. He said that he knew it was Indiana for one reason, that there
has never been a Randolph County Iowa, and that Iowa was not a state during
this printing. He also noted that the census for this time period, that the
census taker would abbreviate Indiana as Ia. And that when these were
transcribed for
ancestry.com that it was indexed as Iowa and not Indiana.
So for 1850-60 census, if you are having trouble finding someone keep the
Iowa index in mind.
So I went through 1858-1863 books so that covers 1857-1862 in years.
I also got some pictures of the old meeting houses of Randolph County and I
got photos of the Giant Beaver and the Mastodon that part of the bones came
from 2 Mastodons and one set was from Randolph County. Give me a week to
index through the Friends Obits and I'll post them. I plan on going back in
two weeks and Tom is going to pull out more goodies for us. Andrea