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11 February 2019

A Dream Saved Her Life: How Finding Aids Can Enrich Your Family Story

Posted by Georgia Lupinsky

By Georgia Lupinsky

"Only a dream, but it saved the life of the handsome young Swiss girl, Martina Kurrer. Another minute and she would have fallen a victim of a madman’s deadly bullet.” - San Francisco Chronicle, Sunday, July 19, 1903

Martina Kurrer Elwert

Many CGS members and users of our library may know that the society has a Manuscript Collection, but may not be aware of the rich personal material that can often be found therein. A prime example is alluded to in the title of this article. One of our larger collections was compiled by John Ellis Hale, a past President of the society. The collection, listed as “Hale” in the Manuscript Database Index available on our website, is described as Mr. Hale’s forty years of research on the Hale and Bemis families and related lines. Under the surname description of the collection are forty-eight surnames for which some material exists.

With the finding aid recently completed for this collection a researcher may easily zero in on the materials available for a single surname. Among those names is that of Elwert. This surname was not related to Mr. Hale’s line, but to that of his sister-in-law, Barbara Jean (Elwert) Hale, for whom he did some research. In so doing he uncovered an incredible story about her grandmother, Martina Kurrer, as reported in the San Francisco Chronicle:

In 1891 Martina Kurrer, a native of Switzerland, planned to immigrate with a friend and settle in California. Shortly before the trip, Martina’s friend was unable to go, but Martina, who had already purchased her ticket, decided to travel alone. She arrived in New York, then boarded a train for Tulare, California. She settled herself on the train as comfortably as possible with a big pillow and blanket that she had brought with her. Speaking no English, she had difficulty purchasing food, but shortly after leaving Kansas City, she heard German spoken near her and began conversing with the speaker, a man of about 45 years of age. He offered to assist her and helped her obtain meals. As Martina kept a diary on her trip, she remembered that on February 26, 1891, after having dinner that the “strange, quiet man” brought her, she settled back to sleep with her head on her pillow and had a dream in which she was home again in Switzerland with her sister at a house party. Her sister commented that Martina’s hair was very messy and urged her to go dress it. Martina woke with a start. The dream seemed so real that she got up from her seat on the train and stepped into the dressing room to comb her hair.

Martina's story as reported in the San Francisco Chronicle in 1903

While there, she heard several shots, then people screaming. A gentleman in the car said to Martina, “My girl, you have had a wonderful escape from a terrible death,” and pointed to the place where she had sat only a few minutes ago. Just after she got up, a young man across the aisle had left his seat and moved to hers, resting his head on Martina’s pillow. The man who had befriended Martina went berserk and placed a revolver against the young man’s head and killed him. He then began shooting up and down the car, wounding two other passengers as well. The killer escaped the train on foot, but realizing that he was being pursued, cut his throat with a razor he had in his pocket. Martina kept the pillow and blanket as she had no others and the next day reached her destination in Tulare where she was met by friends.

Interviewed in 1903, Martina stated: “The pillow I have yet, and I would not part with it for anything. I keep it just as it was, though the blood stains are darker and fainter now. I know not many people who would like to have such a thing in the house, but I do not mind, and it is a valuable keepsake.”*

Martina married Max Elwert on August 15, 1893 in Los Angeles. They had three children: Theodore, Anita and Lawrence. Sadly, Martina died in childbirth at the age of 38 on December 29, 1905, in Lodi.

Newly available in our Manuscript Collection Database are finding aids for three collections: Covell, Hale, and Sherman. We will continue to transcribe and upload additional finding aids and advise as they become available.

Georgia Lupinsky is co-chair of the CGS Manuscripts Collection.

*"A Dream Saved this Woman from a Madman's Bullet," San Francisco Chronicle, 19 July 1903, p. 7; digital image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : accessed 11 February 2019).

16 December 2017

Food and Genealogy: A Remembrance of Things Past

Posted by Shannon Reese

by Georgia Lupinsky

The holiday season in which food plays such a central role is now upon us. December seems a good time to reflect on how thoughts of savory and sweet delicious dishes are intertwined with our memories of family members and how these remembrances can be included as we write our family histories.

Nellie Baldwin, the Public View
Several months ago I wrote a blog piece on Nellie (Patterson) Baldwin, grandmother of CGS Past President John Ellis Hale. Drawing from Mr. Hale’s research, which resides in our Manuscript Collection, I crafted a story of what a strong and formidable woman Nellie Baldwin was. A leader of the Federation of Women’s Clubs in the early 1900s, she was appointed a Juvenile Judge in San Francisco in 1920, having “the distinction of being one of only five women ‘ex-officio’ judges in the nation. The announcement of her appointment appeared in other newspapers nationwide.”

Childhood Memories

The post was subsequently shared with Nellie Baldwin’s great-granddaughter, Katherine Hale. She then shared with me one of her father’s childhood memories of his “Grandma B” and it had nothing to do with her role in the community.

John Ellis Hale as a young boy
Photo provided by Georgia Lupinsky

In her later years, Nellie lived with John and his parents in Berkeley. Katherine wrote, “I remember Dad telling me that Nellie would make her famous oatmeal cookies (I still have the recipe!) which my Dad, his brothers and friends would stuff in their pockets on the way to the attic to play pool.” Mr. Hale noted on the recipe that he gave to his daughter that he himself prepared the cookies as an adult and “they were good and every bit as tasty as I remembered the childhood ones to be.”

Katherine has kindly sent me the recipe and given her permission to share with our readers.

Grandma B’s Oatmeal Cookie Recipe

Blend 2 cups rolled oats and 1 cup of butter. Sift 3 times 2 cups flour, ¾ cup white sugar, 1 tsp. baking soda, ½ tsp. salt, cinnamon, ground clove, ginger and mace. Chop 1 cup of raisins. Dribble molasses over them. Beat 4 eggs with 5 tbsp. water and 1 tbsp. vanilla and almond extract. Combine everything. Drop by spoonful on well-greased pan. Bake in 350-degree oven about 12 minutes.

I myself plan in the near future to prepare a batch and share with our Thursday CGS volunteer group. I’ll put a photo of Nellie on the table to oversee our enjoyment.

30 March 2017

Untold Stories: A Champion for Children's Rights

Posted by Shannon Reese

by Georgia Lupinsky

This month we highlight the powerful and inspirational story of Nellie (Patterson) Baldwin that was found among the papers of CGS Past President John Ellis Hale that are now part of our manuscript collection. She was his maternal grandmother.

Her early life

Born 11 June 1865 in Muskegon, Michigan to Robert Burnside Patterson and Mary Graham Miller, she was a bright student, finishing the three-year high school program in Ludington, Michigan when she was fifteen. The school added another year, so she went back in 1882, at age seventeen and became the first and only graduate of the four-year program.

Afterwards, she taught school in the area for several years. Her teaching experience shaped her outlook towards children, which would come into play in her later years.

Her next chapter takes shape

In 14 September 1887 she married Edward Lewis Baldwin in Ludington and the couple moved to San Francisco about 1890. Nellie became active in a variety of women’s clubs, serving as state chairman of Civics in the General Federation of Women’s Clubs from 1906 to 1908 and as President of the California Club from 1908 to 1910.

After her husband’s death in 1912, Mrs. Baldwin managed her husband’s business, the Ferry Drug Store, known as “the first drug store from the Ferry” at 20 Market Street that was, “found to be a convenient store by the trans bay and tourist trade. By her careful supervision she increased steadily the prestige of the store.”

A noble purpose blossoms in San Francisco

In November of 1919 members of various civic and women’s clubs endorsed Mrs. Baldwin as their candidate for appointment to the Board of Education, their purpose being to have the next vacancy filled by a woman who has taken “an ardent interest in the welfare of the children of the city.”

A leader in women’s social work, she served as Chairman of the Probation Committee of the Juvenile Court for twelve years. And, on August 7, 1920, an article appeared in the San Francisco Examiner entitled “S.F. Woman is Juvenile Judge.” Mrs. Baldwin had the distinction of being one of only five women “ex-officio” judges in the nation. This announcement appeared in other newspapers nationwide.

The Seattle Daily Times stated, “every city of any size now has its women attorneys, but the appointment of women to the bench is still rare enough to attract wide attention.” Each Thursday morning Mrs. Baldwin heard cases in which girls were involved and worked hard to keep juveniles out of the mainstream of criminal courts.

Later in life Nellie lived with her daughter and son-in-law, Marion and William Morrell Hale, on Ashby Avenue in Berkeley and died there 10 September 1945. Her grandson believed her teaching experience and her concern for children helped him through difficult times in his young life.

How to use our manuscript collection

To learn more about our collection, please visit our website, then select the Databases tab in the upper right hand corner on the home page. Under “Databases Free to All” click on the “CGS Manuscript Collection Index” and a current copy of the database will appear for the reader’s review. The database is organized by: title, geography, timeframe, description and surname.

If you find a collection that is pertinent to your research, call to make an appointment with a member of the Manuscript Collection Committee or the Desk Duty volunteer to view items, as this is a closed stack collection. We have many wonderful research resources for the genealogy community and look forward to seeing you soon!

22 February 2017

Our Manuscript Collection: Here’s How It Can Help Preserve Your Family Story

Posted by Shannon Reese

by Virginia Turner

Did you know that you can have your family papers or book preserved using archival standards so that they are available for generations to come? That is a key function of our manuscript collection and the volunteers who maintain it. Keep in mind that a manuscript contained in the California Genealogical Society library can range from just the beginnings of research, such as papers and letters about your family story, to a fully published book.

This month we highlight what makes up our manuscript collection, along with some helpful tips on how you can create and protect a manuscript for your family’s story.

Things to keep in mind

When a person begins the process of recording notations leading to a finished manuscript or book, the researcher does not have to wait until a finished product is ready for the library shelf.

If a published book is the ultimate goal, it is wise to donate a copy of the beginning manuscript to a library location for safekeeping, as well as for use by others who may be helpful in rounding out the final product through exchange of information between two or more searchers. At our library, we index the items collected by surname. Next, the indexes are placed online and are made available to the public on request.

Safe storage is key

Acid free boxes and paper supplies will keep research materials safe from deterioration from the environment. A safe location of the copy in the library manuscript collection will keep it free from destructive processes of theft, plagiarism, insects, and moisture.

Manuscripts come in many shapes and sizes

Research as small as a family group sheet with factual references can find a place in the miscellaneous collection boxes. The first letter of the family surname alphabetizes these group sheets.

It can grow to include additions of pedigree charts for related families. Copies of references from letters, books, and published genealogies of related people will eventually lead to the author’s final product.

If you want the eventual book or article to be more interesting for the reader, then add copies of family photographs, maps, photocopies of letters, family bible inscriptions, newspaper accounts, tombstone inscriptions and other historical material.

Another way to approach it is to make several separate small manuscripts, which will eventually be combined into a published family genealogy, or a collective genealogy that includes many family writings, which are related to a particular locality or subject.

Ready to publish?

Small manuscripts may find a place in various genealogical magazines. These days, publishing companies can assist you in editing and publishing your articles of genealogy.

Did you know that certain members of the California Genealogical Society could assist in readying your manuscript for submission to specialized genealogical magazines interested in your stories?

When your manuscript is ready for saving in the California Genealogical Society Collection, please contact Georgia Lupinsky or myself for advice on editing and preparing your work for publication. Our goal is to give you the courage to meet your goal.

I hope that makes clear what our manuscript collection is, how your research can become a part of it and how, ultimately, we can help you get your manuscript published.

07 January 2017

From Our Manuscript Collection: Joaquin A. Silveira

Posted by Shannon Reese

Joaquin A. Silveira

by Georgia Lupinsky

Have you checked our Manuscript Collection’s searchable database which is available on the California Genealogical Society website? You might find a surname you've been researching and uncover material that will further your research.

This month we highlight the story of Joaquin A. Silveira as revealed in a scrapbook donated to the Manuscript Collection by the Silveira family. Articles within the scrapbook tell how Mr. Silveira built a successful life in the United States and contributed to his Bay Area community.

Born at Ribeira d’Areia, St. George, Azores Islands on October 17, 1873 to a wealthy dairy farmer and his wife, Joaquin Silveira set out in 1891 for California. He arrived in San Francisco with only a ten dollar gold piece left in his pocket, speaking only his native Portuguese. Soon he made his way to Benicia, where he found work on a ranch milking cows.

After a few years in California, he went into the dairy business and began to sell his eggs and butter along a route in West Oakland. In 1906 he opened the American Creamery in Oakland. It eventually became the largest institution to supply dairy products in Alameda County and Richmond on a wholesale and retail basis. In that same year he became a stockholder in the Portuguese American Bank of San Francisco and in 1911 was elected President of the bank. At that time he was the youngest bank president in America.

Next, Mr. Silveira was a commissioner of and primarily responsible for providing funds for the Portuguese Pavilion at the 1915 Panama Pacific Exposition. In 1934 he was awarded the Military Order of Christ by the government of Portugal for his public service and philanthropic efforts in behalf of American citizens of Portuguese birth or descent. A long-time resident of Oakland, he died May 2, 1947 and is buried in Mountain View Cemetery.

To find out more about our collection, visit the CGS website, select the Databases tab in the upper right hand corner on the home page. Under “Databases Free to All” click on the “CGS Manuscript Collection Index” and a current copy of the database will appear for the reader’s review. The database is organized by: title, geography, timeframe, description and surname.