Scottish Harshaws

In 1841 a 16-year Margaret Harshaw was in Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland

In 1851 there was a 19-year old Helen Harshaw visiting in Wigtownshire, Scotland, in 1861  a 61 year old Ann Harshaw living in Argyll, 26 year old Thomas Harshaw in Renfrewshire, in 1871 there were no 'In 1881 a family in Ayrshire and a family in Lanarkshire, in 1891 2 families in Ayrshire and again in 1901

West Pittston Photos

Found this website with photos of West Pittston.

West Pittston Flooding

Apparently West Pittston was flooded by tropical storm Lee. The parsonage was very close to the Susquehanna. [Updated: NYTimes article.]

Ralph in Foochow

Inspired by word that Yale is digitizing mission records, I did a search for Foochow YMCA and got this hit, a picture showing the board of directors in 1920, with Ralph second from left in rear row. According to this, Ralph was also the photographer.  There's also this picture of the building, with the note it was donated by Theodore Roosevelt in 1912.  And this photo of the YMCA Boy Scout troop (Ralph's not in the picture--he took it).

And this story has no connection with the Golds, but I can't resist it:

"The congregation in a small rural Fujian country church decided to repaint the church, but only had enough money for about ten gallons of paint.  They did it anyway, in faith, praying that the paint would not run out, even as the oil did not run out in the Old Testament story of Elijah and the widow.   When the paint ran low, they added paint thinner, but managed to complete the entire wooden church with just ten gallons of paint!

But no sooner had they finished, a very untimely (for that season) thunderstorm broke upon the church, washing off much of the paint that had been thinned.  And a voice from heaven said, "Repaint, and thin no more!"

West Pittston School

If memory serves, Rev. William Harshaw and family moved to West Pittston from NYC in 1898 and to Minneapolis in 1909.  That means Helen was 13, John 9, and Mac 4 when they moved.  So Helen and John graduated from West Pittston High School and Mac had most of his schooling there.

I bought a copy of the 1892 West Pittston school manual, which I'll scan and put online.