WR Harshaw

My grandfather was ordained in 1885, when  he was 30:


The same page of the General Assembly minutes of 1886 shows him (and his brother Andrew) as being installed.



But this listing refers to a different location:

H.M. Harshaw's Career and Research

Graduated from West High School in 1914. link

Graduated from University of Nebraska (doctorate) in 1929.  link. [Updated--this is wrong, graduate U. of Missouri around 1924 or so, taught at NE}
Co-author (4 others) of paper on feeding B-12 to calves at U of Minn, dated 1924.  See abstract.

Co-author (2 others) of paper on effects of heat and light on antiscorbutic vitamine, in 1921.  See paper.

Lead author of a 1941 paper on quality of frozen poultry as affected by various conditions.  See reference.

Other papers from a google search for "H.M.Harshaw", including a couple translated into German.

H. Mac Harshaw

Had a BS by 1921 at University of Minnesota:

Mac's Doctorate Thesis

Mac (Harold McCloskey Harshaw) got his doctorate from the University of Missouri with the thesis listed here by the National Research Council in 1925-6. (I'm not sure it was awarded in 1926, because the listing may cover degrees from 1920). The listing says its for nutrition requirements for mammals. [Updated to add a link to the listing and replace a scroll box with the last sentence.]

Blue Plaque at Dromalane House

This site has photos and a description of the recent ceremony.  There's also pieces here and here.

Grace Rippey

Turns out there are two Grace Rippeys, one is the daughter of Joseph Rippey, son of Rev. John Rippey, born 1882. The other is the daughter of John Black Rippey, born 1887. She is the one who married Burt Easton and had a son, Eugene Easton, and is buried in the New No. 9 Cemetery.

What happened to Joseph's Grace? An unsolved mystery.

Cruise of the Celtic

I stumbled on this during the last week. William and Ada Harshaw were part of a cruise to the Mediterranean and the Holy Land in 1902. There were about 800 people, many ministers included including Josiah Strong, an early Social Gospel leader, on board the Celtic, which seems to have been one of the newest and best steamships afloat at that time. As a souvenir, different people (mostly ministers) did pieces describing their visits to the various ports and points of interest (Gibraltar, Algiers, Athens, Constantionople, Haifa (Holy Land), Egypt, Luxor, Rome, Florence and London among them). This was assembled into a souvenir volume, which is now on Google Books: The cruise of the Celtic around the Mediterranean, 1902: Souvenir volume

The Crawfords and Google

Cousin Marjorie bugged me about blanks in our genealogy. I wasn't optimistic because I thought I'd done a good job researching in the past. But grandmother Ada Rippey's sister Mary had married a Frederick Swartz Crawford (a Presbyterian minister, of course) and I hadn't found any descendants. So, rather idly, I Googled him, and got a hit because he was one of the descendants of Michael Sprenkel, for whom there is a big family tree. He was an immigrant from Germany who ended up in York county, PA, dying in 1748. I gather the Germans were in the northern part of York, with the Scotch-Irish in the townships near the Maryland line, although they tended to move out, to the south, the west, or the north like the Rippeys before and after the Revolution.

The hit provided me with information for four children, Ada Vere, Elizabeth, Carl, and Frederick, from which I was able to tie Ada Vere to her husband, Claude Pomeroy, by whom she had 6 children, 2 girls, 4 boys. Also got some information for the others. Fortunately there were other family trees available to help, as well as to offer the hope of communicating with fellow researchers, when I get to it.

Stimulated by that success, I went back to Ada's brother, Joseph, and his two girls: Grace and Josephine. Made a little progress, though I may have turned up two Graces.

All in all, a productive weekend

Two Views of North Fenton

Going through old photographs I found two photographs looking northeast from our farm past North Fenton up the Page Brook valley. The first is in color, taken about 1974, from Richards Road at the south boundary of the farm. The pasture is the hillside which is invisible. It wasn't picturesque because it hadn't been used for a few years and had not been clipped, so it had started the process of growing brush and small trees. It's fall and the far off trees have changed color more than the nearby ones.

From Bill's Miscellaneous Photos

This photograph was taken from approximately the same point and the same angle, except this time you can see the pasture. You can also see there's many fewer trees visible. There's a handful in the fencerows on the farm, which by 1974 have become a full line of trees. I think the general impression in the 1974 photo is of a farm surrounded by woods, not so in the 1910's photo.

Class and Crime in 19th Century UK

I've mentioned John Martin, the Young Irish leader of whom Marjorie is writing a bio. His diary of the trip to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) after his conviction by the Brits is interesting. What I find particularly fascinating is his treatment. As a gentleman, even though a felon, he and his fellow traveler seem to have lived in comfort and style, as well as could be expected on a 19th century sailing ship. Daily wine and brandy, a cabin which could hold five but only had the two, books.

William R. Harshaw and Family

This is William R. Harshaw, his children and their spouses. Probably between 1928 and 1935 (when the Golds returned from China and Ada's death.) Grandfather has his pocket watch open (wore it on a gold chain). Margaret [corrected name--had a senior moment] Harshaw is hiding behind her mother-in-law, Mac is holding his pipe and wearing reasonably new overalls, dad is at the end.

For Rippey and Orson Campers

It seems our Rippey and Orson ancestors lived in an area that's now attractive to campers and wildlife enthusiasts. Here's a map of the area with links and here's an overview. The Holtwood Dam is lower on the Susquehanna, and it backs water up to this area. The power company bought land in the area in connection with the dam which is now preserved from development.

As I posted yesterday, George Orson (Mary's brother) may have operated the Shenk's Ferry, presumably from the Orson land on the west bank. Googling "Shenk's Ferry" gave some interesting results. The Shenk's Ferry Wildflower Preserve is on the east side of the Susquehanna. The Urey overlook on the west side of the Susquehanna is near, and possibly on, the Orson land. The Otter Creek area possibly contains old growth forest (i.e., never logged). Follow this link. Finally, "Shenks Ferry" designates a culture of the Woodland Indians, based excavations done in Conestoga Township (east bank).

I've added a line indicating the probable Shenks Ferry route to this
View Chanceford (Rippey/Orson/Stewart) Map in a larger map

Chanceford Township

Bought "A History of Chanceford Township, York County, Pennsylvania, 1747-1997, issued by the Brogue Community Lions Club, November 1997, June R. Grove and Richard Konkel, Esq., editors.

It's well done, with lots of information, but Capt. Rippey doesn't star. There is a mention of an "Orson Mill" and a ferry which George Orson operated in 1783. Captain Reed operated after the Revolution. Doing an Internet search finds a reference to Captain Reed's operating the Orson Mill and having "river rights" and operating a ferry which became known as "Shenk's Ferry".

At the rear there's a section of local genealogies. The one for the Stewarts adds some information for them, including the fact Ernest Stewart wrote a "Stewart Genealogy".

An Update

I've been remiss in working on this blog. Maybe I'll do better, but here's a brief update.

Cousin Marjorie has been to Ireland, delivered her talk on John Martin, MP, renewed old friendships, done further research on Martin, found the Newry exhibit on Martin is now scheduled for 2011, and successfully returned home.

I've done little research, but thanks to a cousin who contacted another cousin I now have the 1900 census data for my Hoeppner family in NYC. The index had read "Hoeffner" instead of "Hoeppner". The census data overturns a family story that grandfather had planned a trip with a groupto Alaska as part of the Alaskan gold rush, which plan was disrupted by my grandmother's pregnancy with my mother. As a result, grandfather supposedly swapped his place in the expedition for the farm in Broome County. But 2 years after mom was born they were still living in New York City.

A Rippey To Get to Know

According to this article, Dennis Rippey is planning to produce 3 million gallons of wine a year. No, I can't connect Dennis to Captain John.