Illinois Newspapers

Story has it that my great grandfather, John Chester Bigelow, and his mother, Mary Elizabeth Richards Bigelow, contributed to the local paper of Salem, Marion, Illinois in the 1940-50's.  I forget how, but I have it in my head that the paper was the Salem Times-Commoner.  I have tried and tried over the years to figure out how to get my hands on that paper and today google came through and I finally found a lead!

Turns out there is a website called the Illinois Newspaper Project (SCORE!) pulled together by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) Library in Urbana, Illinois.  When I did a search for Salem, Marion, Illinois I came up with many hits, one of which was for the Times-Commoner.

 

 

Another paper of interest because of the years it covers is the Salem Republican.  Again not available online (YET).

 

Frankly there are many papers on the list for Salem that would be worth looking into.  My family is in Marion county for many years and multiple generations and family lines...  There are 51 newspapers that come up currently for Marion county alone.  I can only imagine the treasure trove of information to be uncovered.  Obituaries, marriage notices, birth announcements, graduations...  In fact one of those papers, looks like the Democrat, published this article in 1949 about my great great grandmother, Mary (Minnie) Elizabeth Richards Bigelow. (Newspaper clipping in possession of my grandmother)

And another newspaper published the wedding notice of my great grandparents: John Chester Bigelow and Charleen Margaret Condon.  They were married in 1920.

Now all I need to figure out is how to get to one of these libraries and then I'd have to move in for a few months.  Not likely going to happen in the near future... one can hope they digitize it though, right?!?

1900 Illinois Census: Bigelow Family in Chicago

Henry Dodd Bigelow and his family in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.

1900 Illinois Census
Date taken: 12 J -- 1900

Source Citation: Year: 1900; Census Place: Chicago Ward 13, Cook, Illinois; Roll: T623_261 Page: 17A; Enumeration District: 403.


Name: Henry D Bigelow
Relationship to Head: Head
White/Male
Birthdate: Apr 1870
Age: 30
Married
Birthplace: Illinois (?)
Father's Birthplace: Illinois
Mother's Birthplace: (not legible)
Occupaton: RR Engineer
Rented House

Name: Minnie E Bigelow
Relationship to Head: Wife
White/Female
Birthdate: Feb 1870
Age: 30
Married 4yrs
2 Children; 2 Living
Birthplace: Ireland
Father's Birthplace: Ireland
Mother's Birthplace: Ireland
Immigration: 18(--)

Name: Jno C Bigelow
Relationship to Head: Son
White/Male
Birthdate: Nov 1896
Age: 3
Single
Birthplace: Illinois
Father's Birthplace: Illinois
Mother's Birthplace: Ireland

Name: Amerson R Bigelow
Relationship to Head: Son
White/Male
Birthdate: Nov 1898
Age: 1
Single
Birthplace: Illinois
Father's Birthplace: Illinois
Mother's Birthplace: Ireland

Also included in the house are two boarders: Mary Downes and Lulu Hawkin

Another name of interest on the same page but of no definate connection YET: Wm Bigelow born May 1849 in Conn with wife.

A Nice Surprise: 1891 Canadian Census

I was checking me email this afternoon and had an email from an unfamiliar name in reference to the 1891 census I posted for further research yesterday. This kind person had done a search on Ancestry for me and sent me the information for Edward T Richards (b 1876). I am impressed by her kindness. Thank YOU!

1891 Census of Canada

Name: Edward T Richards
Gender: Male
Marital Status: Single
Age: 15
Birth Year: abt 1876
Birthplace: Ontario
Relation to Head-of-house: Son
Religion: Church of England
French Canadian: No
Father's Birth Place: Ireland
Mother's Birth Place: Ireland
Province: Ontario
District Number: 72
District: Hamilton City
Subdistrict: Ward 3
Neighbors: View others on page

Household Members:
Name & Age
Edward F Richards 44
Sarah Richards 40
Minnie E Richards 21
Edward T Richards 15
Charles C Richards 12
Richard Baird 17

Source Citation: Year: 1891;Census Place: Ward 3, Hamilton City, Ontario. Roll: T-6341, Family No: 245.

This information tells me the oldest two boys, Frank and John, are no longer living with their parents; possibly married. It makes me wonder if they immigrated to the US with the rest of the family. I do not know who Richard Baird is but "Baird" is Sarah Richards maiden name.

Ireland Civil Registration Records of Interest

There is an index to Ireland Civil Registrations 1845-1958 on labs.familyserach.org. Unfortunately it is not a detailed index. I have found names of interest but I can not be sure that they are the right ones with out looking at the original record. I am copying the index information here so that I can easily find it and research it further when I am in Utah (or someone that lives in Utah can look at it for me:))

Name: Mary Elizabeth Richards
Registration district: Monaghan
Record type: BIRTHS
Registration date - quarter and year: 1869
Estimated birth year:
Age:
Mother surnames:
Film number: 101046
Volume: 8
Page: 340
Digital GS number: 4187286
Image number: 00363
Collection: Ireland, Civil Registration Indexes 1845-1958

Name: Mary Elizabeth Richards
Registration district: Monaghan
Record type: BIRTHS
Registration date - quarter and year: 1869
Estimated birth year:
Age:
Mother surnames:
Film number: 101046
Volume: 8
Page: 340
Digital GS number: 4187286
Image number: 00362
Collection: Ireland, Civil Registration Indexes 1845-1958

The above entries are very similar except for the image number. I'm not sure exactly what that means.

I also searched for Frank and John in the index. I could not find anything obviously possible for either of them.

Richards Family in 1881 Canadian Census

I was excited to find the entire Richards family together in the 1881 Canadian Census on the original Familysearch.org. I have not seen the original document but familysearch includes a transcription. Ideally, someday I will get my hands on the original.

Interesting information includes the religion given as Church of England and the inclusion of John Baird in the household. Sarah's maiden name is Baird and it leads me to believe that John is her brother. The family immigrated sometime between 1873 and 1876.

1881 Canadian Census

Source Citation:
Census Place: Ward 7, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario
Family History Library Film: 1375893; NA Film Number: C-13257 ; District: 149; Sub-district: G; Division: 2; Page Number: 70; Household Number: 340

Name: Edward Richards
Male
Birth Year: <1849>
Birthplace: Ireland
Age: 32
Occupation: Clerk
Marital Status: M
Ethnic Origin: Irish
Head of Household: Edward RICHARDS
Religion: Church of England

Name: Sarah Richards
Female
Birth Year: <1851>
Birthplace: Ireland
Age: 30
Occupation:
Marital Status: M
Ethnic Origin: Irish
Head of Household: Edward RICHARDS
Religion: Church of England

Name: Mary Richards
Female
Birth Year: <1870>
Birthplace: Ireland
Age: 11
Occupation:
Marital Status:
Ethnic Origin: Irish
Head of Household: Edward RICHARDS
Religion: Church of England

Name: Frank Richards
Male
Birth Year: <1872>
Birthplace: Ireland
Age: 9
Occupation:
Marital Status:
Ethnic Origin: Irish
Head of Household:
Edward RICHARDS
Religion: Church of England

Name: John Richards
Male
Birth Year: <1873>
Birthplace: Ireland
Age: 8

Name: Edward Richards
Male
Birth Year: <1876>
Birthplace: O
Age: 5

Name: Charles Richards
Male
Birth Year: <1879>
Birthplace: O
Age: 2
Ethnic Origin: Irish
Religion: Church of England

Name: John Baird
Male
Birth Year: <1858>
Birthplace: Ireland
Age: 23
Occupation: Laborer
Marital Status:
Ethnic Origin: Irish
Head of Household: Edward RICHARDS
Religion: Church of England

Mary Elizabeth Richards Bigelow: Summary

b. 24 Feb 1869 -Monaghan, Ireland -Ireland Civil Registration Index 1845-1958 (on labs.familysearch Research Search) (24 Feb comes from new.familysearch which cites an extraction project, IGI gives parents names)
m. to Henry Dodd Bigelow on 21 Oct 1895 Cook County, Illinois -Illinois Statewide Marriage Index 1851-1900
d. (there are conflicting dates on familysearch one in 1935 the other in 1954.)

Parents:
Edward Thomas Richards
Sarah Dodd Baird

Children:
John Chester Bigelow
Amerson R. Bigelow
Harold M. Bigelow (Edward on the birth certificate)

Nickname: Minnie (appears in multiple records)
Had red hair and freckles

Sources: Census, Irish Civil Registration, Birth Certificates of 2 Sons, Marriage Index, Extraction

Marriage Index Entry:
BIGELOW, HENRY D to RICHARDS, MINNIE E Date: 1895-10-21 Licence #239997 County: COOK

Record of interest Illinois Statewide Death Index (no proven connection, I need to see the death certificate or a cemetery record):
BIGELOW, MARY ELIZABETH F/W UNK Cert #3450738 Death Date: 1930-12-27 County: KANE City: ELGIN Date Filed: 30-12-29

By her home 802 N Broadway Salem, Illinois. Taken April 28, 1941

Middle aged photo taken on unknow date.

Taken Salem, Illinois 1942

Age 82

Is the name Edward or Harold? 1910 &1920 Census

While doing the summary for Henry Dodd Bigelow and adding his list of children I came across a problem. A few weeks ago I found the birth certificate for an Edward Bigelow (b 1902)that was clearly the son of Henry and Margaret (Minnie) Bigelow. I joyfully assumed that I had found a child that I didn't yet have record for.

The other night I was looking more closely at the census records and saw that in the 1910 Census there is not an Edward listed but there was a Harold M age 8 which would put him also being born in 1902. The 1910 Census also lists the number of children vs the number of children living. These numbers were both 3. This leaves me to conclusion that Harold and Edward are likely the same person but what happened to warrent a name change and is there any way to prove it?

Also Harold is proving a bit elusive in the 1930 Census.

1910 Illinois Census:
Census Taken: 22 April 1910

Name: Henry D Bigelow
Relationship to Head: Head
Male/White
Age: 39
Married 1
Years Married: 14
Number of Children: 3
Number of Children Living: 3
Birthplace: Illinois
Birthplace of Father: New York
Birthplace of Mother: New York
Language Spoken: English
Trade: Engineer
Industry: (Illinois) Rail Road
Read/Write: Yes
House: Own/Morgaged

Name: Minnie E Bigelow
Relationship to Head: Wife
Female/White
Age: 40
Married 1
Years Married: 14
Birthplace: Ireland
Birthplace of Father: Ireland
Birthplace of Mother: Ireland
Language Spoken: English
Trade: None
Industry:
Read/Write: Yes

Name: John C Bigelow
Relationship to Head: Son
Male/White
Age: 13
Single
Birthplace: Illinois
Language Spoken: English
Read/Write/School: Yes

Name: Amerson R Bigelow
Relationship to Head: Son
Male/White
Age: 11
Single
Birthplace: Illinois
Language Spoken: English
Read/Write/School: Yes

Name: Harold M Bigelow
Relationship to Head: Son
Male/White
Age: 8
Single
Birthplace: Illinois
Language Spoken: English
Read/Write/School: No/No/Yes




1920 Illinois Census:
Date Census Taken: January 13th 1920

Name: Henry D Bigelow
Relationship to Head: Head
House: Owned/Free
Male/White
Age:49
Married
Read/Write: Yes
Birthplace: Illinois
Birthplace of Father: New York
Birthplace of Mother: New York
Trade: Engineer
Industry: Locomotive

Name: Minnie E Bigelow
Relationship to Head: Wife
Female/White
Age:49
Married
Read/Write: Yes
Birthplace: Arkansas
Birthplace of Father: Ireland (Spoke English)
Birthplace of Mother: Ireland (Spoke English)
Trade: none
Industry:

Name: John C Bigelow
Relationship to Head: Son
Male/White
Age:23
Read/Write: Yes
Birthplace: Ohio (I know this to be incorrect)
Birthplace of Father: Illinois
Birthplace of Mother: Ireland (contradicts info given above)
Trade: Clerk
Industry: Railroad

Name: Amerson R Bigelow
Relationship to Head: Son
Male/White
Age:21
Single
Read/Write: Yes
Birthplace: Indiana
Birthplace of Father: Illinois
Birthplace of Mother: Ireland

Name: Harold M Bigelow
Relationship to Head: Son
Male/White
Age:17
Single
Read/Write: Yes
Birthplace: Illinois
Birthplace of Father: Illinois
Birthplace of Mother: Ireland

Bigelow Birth Certificates

I've been playing around some more on the labs.familysearch.org and found some birth certificates for my great grandfather and his brother in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois.


John Chester Bigelow (transcribed as Bigelon)

In addition to giving the birth date as 25 Nov 1896 it also gives the following information:

Number of Child for this Mother: First

Place of Birth: 1257 Wilcox Ave

Residence of Mother: 1257 Wilcox Ave

Nationality of Father: American

Place of Birth of Father: Illinois Age 26 Nationality of Mother: Irish
Place of Birth of Mother: Ireland Age 26

Full name of parents: Mary Elizabeth Bigelow- Maiden Name: Richards Henry Dodd Bigelow Occupation of Father: Locomotive Fireman

Edward Bigelow

In addition to giving the birth date as 13 Feb 1902 it also gives the following information:

Number of Child for this Mother: Third

Place of Birth: 23 N California Ave
Residence of Mother: 23 N California Ave
Father's Place of Birth: Dundee, Illinois Age 31
Mother Place of Birth: Co Monighan, Ireland Age 32
Full name of parents: Minnie E Bigelow- Maiden Name: Richards; Henry D Bigelow

Occupation of Father: Locomotive Engineer