September 2008 Archives
The TV show "All in the Family" brought the opposing viewpoints of Archie & Meathead to the nation in the 70's. And my own family is full of conservatives while I remain a proud liberal. Heck, one of my Dad's friends got a hearty belly laugh to find out that Bill Welsh raised a Democrat! As I've gone back over family information it's often hard to tell what our ancestors political views were, but here are some I've discovered. The good, the bad, and the West Virginia feuds!
Here's one on the HESS side of the family {my grandfather's ancestors} that I'm proud of. Source: History of Bedford & Somerset Counties, by Blackburn & Welfley, Vol. 1, p. 376. [discussing the Underground Railroad]There was, however, in this county[Bedford], as well as in many eastern and a few western ones, a pretty well defined line of travel, which gave aid and assistance to fugitive slaves in their efforts to secure their freedom beyond the Canadian line. ... The persons most actively engaged in this business along the line were ... Samuel Hess, George Hess and John Hess of Pleasantville."
However, on my grandmother's side of the family, my great-grandfather's diary (in my aunt's posession) talks about the Klan meetings he attended in the 1920's. So, while I can claim abolitionists, I'm forced to claim the Klan member too.
My favorite political story though has to do with just that political hot topic - abolition - dividing the family. While tracing my HOWARD line, I made a trip to Marshall County, West Virginia. There I was hoping to find my 4th great-grandfather's grave. From census records, I deduced that he died in Marshall County between 1860 and 1870. Some research at the local historical society turned up a Howard Cemetery in Cameron, West Virginia.
Upon asking one of the volunteers if she knew where it was, I got a chuckle and a follow up question. "Which Howard Cemetery, the Howard Republican Cemetery or the Howard Democratic Cemetery?" At this point I was flabberghasted, there are TWO different cemeteries for the same HOWARD family! I drove to them both; they are about a half mile apart. During the drive I couldn't help but wonder what a post-Civil War family must have been like; to have such deep-seated political wounds as to not want to be buried in the same cemetery.
I did not, however, find my 4th great-grandfather's grave in either cemetery. I wonder if he was seeking neutral ground.
Here's one on the HESS side of the family {my grandfather's ancestors} that I'm proud of. Source: History of Bedford & Somerset Counties, by Blackburn & Welfley, Vol. 1, p. 376. [discussing the Underground Railroad]There was, however, in this county[Bedford], as well as in many eastern and a few western ones, a pretty well defined line of travel, which gave aid and assistance to fugitive slaves in their efforts to secure their freedom beyond the Canadian line. ... The persons most actively engaged in this business along the line were ... Samuel Hess, George Hess and John Hess of Pleasantville."
However, on my grandmother's side of the family, my great-grandfather's diary (in my aunt's posession) talks about the Klan meetings he attended in the 1920's. So, while I can claim abolitionists, I'm forced to claim the Klan member too.
My favorite political story though has to do with just that political hot topic - abolition - dividing the family. While tracing my HOWARD line, I made a trip to Marshall County, West Virginia. There I was hoping to find my 4th great-grandfather's grave. From census records, I deduced that he died in Marshall County between 1860 and 1870. Some research at the local historical society turned up a Howard Cemetery in Cameron, West Virginia.
Upon asking one of the volunteers if she knew where it was, I got a chuckle and a follow up question. "Which Howard Cemetery, the Howard Republican Cemetery or the Howard Democratic Cemetery?" At this point I was flabberghasted, there are TWO different cemeteries for the same HOWARD family! I drove to them both; they are about a half mile apart. During the drive I couldn't help but wonder what a post-Civil War family must have been like; to have such deep-seated political wounds as to not want to be buried in the same cemetery.
I did not, however, find my 4th great-grandfather's grave in either cemetery. I wonder if he was seeking neutral ground.
