Archive for the ‘fink’ Category

5
Apr

1940 Census: Maternal Grandmother

   Posted by: Amanda E. Perrine, MSLIS   in buffalo, casell, census, fink, gress, whitehead

My main goal for the 1940 census was to find all of my grandparents, as this is the first time any of them were listed on a census record.

Last, but not least, is Grandparent number 4 (according to my pedigree chart), Marlyn Whitehead.  She was also the last one I found, which is pretty ironic considering she was the one I most wanted to find.  My Gramma Casell has been with me every step of the way on my genealogy journey and I was very excited to find her on a census and show it to her. 

She took a while to find as the address I had for her parents in 1943 from a SS-5 form was not where they were living in 1940.  After asking her for other recommendations (after all, she should totally know where she lived at age 4Winking smile), I learned that Ancestry.com’s personal subscriptions have city directories that library subscriptions do not.  One 2 week trial later, I had an address: 87 Ullman, Buffalo, Erie Co., NY.  She is listed with her parents, William and Vera (Gress), her five sisters and her grandmother, Elizabeth (Fink) Gress.

m-t0627-02837-00869

Source:

1940 U.S. census, Erie County, New York, population schedule, Buffalo, enumeration district (ED) 64-472, sheet 12B, dwelling 87, family 257, Wm. H. Whitehead household; digital images, National Archives and Records Administration, 1940 Census (http://1940census.archives.gov : accessed 3 Apr 2012); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T627, roll 02837.

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24
May

Tombstone Tuesday – Gottlieb Fink

   Posted by: Amanda E. Perrine, MSLIS   in buffalo, fink, forest lawn, tombstone

Gottlieb Fink, 1938-1910, Mason
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7
Feb

Surname Saturday: Fink/Finck

   Posted by: Amanda E. Perrine, MSLIS   in fink, germany, surname saturday

Each Saturday this year I am posting one of my surnames, going in alphabetical order.  This weeks surname is Fink/Finck.  The names in red are my direct line ancestors.
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "FINCK:John " \f A<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>1-John FINCK
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "Germany " \f B<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>b: , , , Germany
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "KILLSTER:Barbara " \f A<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>+Barbara KILLSTER
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "Germany " \f B<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>b: , , , Germany
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "FINK:Gottlieb (b. 1838) " \f A<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>. . . . 2-Gottlieb FINK
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "Germany:Baden-Württemberg:Bretton " \f B<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>        b: 1 October 1838, Bretton, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "USA:New York:Erie:Buffalo " \f B<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>        d: 7 April 1910, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "FLEEMAN:Barbara (b. 1846) " \f A<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>. . . . +Barbara FLEEMAN
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "USA:New York:Erie:Buffalo " \f B<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>        b: 13 February 1846, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "USA:New York:Erie:Buffalo " \f B<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>        d: 1 January 1929, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "FINK:George (b. 1865) " \f A<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>. . . . . . . . 3-George FINK
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "USA:New York:Erie:Buffalo " \f B<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>                b: 26 May 1865, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "FINK:Elizabeth L. (b. 1867) " \f A<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>. . . . . . . . 3-Elizabeth L. FINK
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "USA:New York:Erie:Buffalo " \f B<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>                b: 6 July 1867, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "USA:New York:Erie:Buffalo " \f B<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>                d: 24 April 1957, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "GRESS:Jacob J. (b. 1869) " \f A<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>. . . . . . . . +Jacob J. GRESS
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "USA:New York:Erie:Buffalo " \f B<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>                b: 26 January 1869, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "USA:New York:Erie:Buffalo " \f B<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>                m: Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "USA:New York:Erie:Buffalo " \f B<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>                d: 11 August 1932, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "GRESS:Chester E. (b. 1888) " \f A<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Chester E. GRESS
                        b: June 1888
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "GRESS:May (b. 1890) " \f A<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields
]><![endif]–>. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-May GRESS
                        b: 19 September 1890
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "USA:New York:Erie:Buffalo " \f B<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>                        d: 11 June 1970, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "GRESS:Walter L. (b. 1891) " \f A<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Walter L. GRESS
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "USA:New York:Erie:Buffalo " \f B<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>                        b: 6 December 1891, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "GRESS:Elsie (b. 1894) " \f A<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Elsie GRESS
                        b: 13 May 1894
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "GRESS:Howard J. (b. 1896) " \f A<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Howard J. GRESS
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "USA:New York:Erie:Buffalo " \f B<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>                        b: 18 March 1896, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "GRESS:Beulah (b. 1898) " \f A<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Beulah GRESS
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "USA:New York:Erie:Buffalo " \f B<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>                        b: 27 January 1898, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "USA:New York:Erie:Buffalo " \f B<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>                        d: 7 May 1968, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "GRESS:Vera Julia (b. 1900) " \f A<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Vera Julia GRESS
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "USA:New York:Erie:Buffalo " \f B<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>                        b: 11 January 1900, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "USA:New York:Erie:Cheektowaga " \f B<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>                        d: 2 February 1976, Cheektowaga, Erie, New York, USA
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "FINK:Ella (b. 1869) " \f A<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>. . . . . . . . 3-Ella FINK
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "USA:New York:Erie:Buffalo " \f B<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>                b: 18 September 1869, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "FINK:Edward (b. 1871) " \f A<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>. . . . . . . . 3-Edward FINK
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "USA:New York:Erie:Buffalo " \f B<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>                b: 23 December 1871, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "FINK:Ida (b. 1873) " \f A<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>. . . . . . . . 3-Ida FINK
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "USA:New York:Erie:Buffalo " \f B<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>                b: 16 August 1873, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "FINK:Emma (b. 1875) " \f A<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>. . . . . . . . 3-Emma FINK
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "USA:New York:Erie:Buffalo " \f B an><![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>                b: 9 June 1875, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "FINK:Lydia (b. 1877) " \f A<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>. . . . . . . . 3-Lydia FINK
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "USA:New York:Erie:Buffalo " \f B<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>                b: 3 May 1877, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "FINK:Louis A. (b. 1879) " \f A<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>. . . . . . . . 3-Louis A. FINK
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "USA:New York:Erie:Buffalo " \f B<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>                b: 16 July 1879, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "FINK:Frank (b. 1882) " \f A<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>. . . . . . . . 3-Frank FINK
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "USA:New York:Erie:Buffalo " \f B<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>                b: 16 October 1882, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "FINK:Edna (b. 1884) " \f A<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>. . . . . . . . 3-Edna FINK
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "USA:New York:Erie:Buffalo " \f B<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>                b: October 1884, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "FINK:Walter T. (b. 1887) " \f A<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>. . . . . . . . 3-Walter T. FINK
<!–[if supportFields]>xe "USA:New York:Erie:Buffalo " \f B<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>                b: April 1887, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA

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27
Dec

Goals for the New Year

   Posted by: Amanda E. Perrine, MSLIS   in carnival, dearmyrtle, eichorn, fink, germany, goals, gress, karpinski, new years resolutions, organization, poland, tross, weiss

In 2010, I hope to accomplish the following:

  • Interview my grandmothers, parents and great aunts, uncles and cousins on video ASAP!
    • Goal is to do this by the end of February for my grandmothers
  • Update each of my lines sideways and forward.
    • I usually do well with my information about my ancestors siblings, but I have not done so well finding cousins in more recent generations.
  • Focus my search for my German lines so that I can visit their hometowns while I am in Germany for 4 1/2 months
    • I will therefore focus on the Eichhorn, Gresz, Fink, Weiss and Tross lines for the next two months
  • Stay in touch with my relatives searching my fathers side of the family.
    • I research my mothers side as I have great aunts and uncles who research my fathers.  I will be helping my Aunt Dottie with her search in Poland for the Karpinski’s (my great-grandmother’s line)
  • Complete Dear Myrtle’s finally get organization checklist from 2009
  • Start researching my fiancé’s line (at the very least, get the information he knows into my file)
  • Blog: Participate in Surname Saturday each week in order to get my surnames out there and find new cousins!  I plan on going alphabetically though all my surnames.
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8
Aug

SNGF – My 16 great-great-grandparents

   Posted by: Amanda E. Perrine, MSLIS   in acquard, casillo, eichorn, fink, gress, izzo, karpinski, kollin, nuwer, pautler, roll, sanderson, Saturday Night Fun, szydlik, tross, whitehead, Zaepfel

From Randy over at Genea-Musings: Here is your SNGF assignment for the evening (if you choose to accept it – this is not stump the genealogist or even Mission Impossible):

1) List your 16 great-grandparents in pedigree chart order. List their birth and death years and places.

2) Figure out the dominant ethnicity or nationality of each of them.

3) Calculate your ancestral ethnicity or nationality by adding them up for the 16 – 6.25% for each (obviously, this is approximate).

4) If you don’t know all 16 of your great-grandparents, then do it for the last full generation you have.

5) Write your own blog post, or make a comment on Facebook or in this post.


  1. Joseph Francis Eugene Acquard, Jr.: born 17 Jan 1855 in Cheektowaga, Erie, NY; married 15 Oct 1878 in Bennington Ctr., Wyoming, NY; died 10 Sept 1943 in Bennington Ctr., Wyoming, NY. FRENCH
  2. Mary Ann Kollin: born 15 Oct 1878 in Bennington Ctr., Wyoming, NY; died 5 Feb 1938 in Bennington Ctr., Wyoming, NY. 1/2 GERMAN and 1/2 BELGIAN
  3. Franciszek Karpinski: born 16 Sep 1880 in Poland; died 22 May 1943 in Erie or Wyoming, NY. POLISH
  4. Jozefa Szydlik: born 26 Sep 1886 in Poland; died 4 Apr 1973 in Warsaw, Wyoming, NY. POLISH
  5. John George Nuwer: born 21 Mar 1869 in Lancaster, Erie, NY; married 19 Apr 1893 in Lancaster, Erie, NY; died 1 Feb 1948 in Alden, Erie, NY. FRENCH
  6. Anna M. Zaepfel: born 28 Sep 1874 in Elma, Erie, NY; died 7 Aug 1943 in Alden, Erie, NY. 1/2 GERMAN & 1/2 FRENCH
  7. Edward Roll: born about 1888 in Alden, Erie, NY; married 22 Jun 1910 in Alden, Erie, NY; died 12 May 1941 in Alden, Erie, NY. FRENCH
  8. Lidwina Agnes Pautler: born 16 Jan 1888 in Alden, Erie, NY; died 11 Oct 1975 in Batavia, Genesee, NY. FRENCH
  9. Marcantonio Casillo: born 11 Jan 1868 in Italy; married 5 Sept 1901 in Buffalo, Erie, NY; died 26 Nov 1937 in Colden, Erie, NY. ITALIAN
  10. Carolina Izzo: born 3 May 1876 in Italy; died 2 Oct 1934 in Buffalo, Erie, NY. ITALIAN
  11. William Fred Eichhorn: born 22 Jun 1874 in Chippewa, Ontario, Canada; married 14 Jun 1899 in Buffalo, Erie, NY; died 9 Mar 1931 in Buffalo, Erie, NY. GERMAN
  12. Augusta M. Tross: born 6 Sept 1877 in Germany; died 1 Jan 1939 in Buffalo, Erie, NY. GERMAN
  13. Charles William Whitehead: born 12 Jun 1872 in Burlington, Ontario, Canada; married prior to 1896; died 27 Dec 1927 in Buffalo, Erie, NY. ENGLISH
  14. Anna May Sanderson: born 17 Jun 1871 in Burlington, Ontario, Canada; died 29 Apr 1928 in Buffalo, Erie, NY. ENGLISH
  15. Jacob J. Gress: born 26 Jan 1869 in Buffalo, Erie, NY; married prior to 1888; died 11 Aug 1932 in Buffalo, Erie, NY. GERMAN
  16. Elizabeth Fink: born 6 Jul 1867 in Buffalo, Erie, NY; died 24 Apr 1957 in Buffalo, Erie, NY. GERMAN
That gives me 31.25% German; 28.125% French; 12.5% Polish; 12.5% Italian; 12.5% English ; and 3.125% Belgian. The French and German parts are hard to tell as most of my fathers family came from the Alsace-Lorraine region which kept changing hands. The fact that my 3rd great-grandmother was born in Belgium (like the waffle) has always been cool to me. Oddly, I most identify with the Italian part of my heritage, even though it is way down on the list.
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27
Jul

Amanda's Excellent (Genealogical) Adventure (Day 2)

   Posted by: Amanda E. Perrine, MSLIS   in buffalo, family history center, fink, forest lawn, gress, halsted, hayman, whitehead

Last Thursday began in Buffalo, this time I was spending the day with my Grandmother. We headed out to Forest Lawn in between rain storms and hoped for the best. The man at the desk was tremendously helpful and found the location of Gottlieb Finck and Joseph and Sophia Gresz. We walked over to the Gresz stone first, as it was located right behind the office. It is a large, very nice stone. We then drove to the end of the cemetery and found Gottlieb’s, which matches his wife Barbara’s. We were trying to find Barbara’s (we had found it on our last trip, it’s in the same area). After a couple minutes of searching I returned to Gottlieb’s, as in front of it I had seen a granite Mason symbol. Hoping it belonged to him (maybe there was an arrow…) I started pulling the grass and weeds away… and found another tombstone for him! This one was older and had the same dates, but had his last name as “Fink.” Why does he have two stones? This is a mystery for another day…

After our adventure it was time for me to head back to Syracuse, as 3 of my FamilyHistory Center films had come in. I arrived before the volunteers and anxiously waited in my car. Upon the center opening I put in film one of Halstead, Kent, England parish records and hoped to find the baptismal record of Thomas Hayman. Much to my amazement, it was the first one! With that good omen, I kept reading the records, which are filled of my Hayman and Whitehead relatives! The man next to me was impressed by all the writing I was doing and I just said “He was the first one!!!” Small English CoE parish records are my new favorite genealogy records, as I have about 30 pages of written notes from the parish records and two bishop’s transcripts for the area. I just finished the second microfilm as they closed. I can’t wait to go back Wednesday to check out my Ontario land records and go over the parish films again.
Currently, I am trying to figure out how/if all of these people are related. The earlier records (early and mid 1700′s) were really difficult to read, so I skipped over them to the early 1800′s, and I have to feeling a lot of the answers I need lie in them. Following the lead of the man next to me on the microfilm reader I will be bringing a magnifying glass… I also have 2 more films that should be arriving soon, another of Halstead records and my Italy records, which will really be testing my skills.
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24
Jun

Family Lines: Maternal Branches

   Posted by: Amanda E. Perrine, MSLIS   in bond, casell, casillo, crosshein, donufrio, eichorn, fink, fleeman, gress, hayman, izzo, tross, weiss, whitehead, wise

Thank you to Becky for this wonderful idea!

I mostly research my mother’s family, as my father has an aunt and uncle who have traced a lot of his line. Here is where I am at currently. As you can see, I am currently trying to find many of my immigrant ancestors’ parents. I am hopeful that next week when I go to Buffalo, I will find obituaries that assist in this. Please leave a message if you would like further information:-)
THE LINEAGE OF MY MATERNAL GRANDFATHER (Mom’s Father)
Casillo/Casell
Alfredo Marco Casillo (Alfred Marco Casell) [1906-1981] and Lillian L. Eichhorn [1908-1938] ~ Buffalo, Erie, New York
Marcantonio Casillo (Marco Antonio Casell) [1868-1937] and Carolina Izzo [1876-1934] ~ Italy > Buffalo, Erie, New York
John or Peter Casillo [Unknown] and Angelina Unknown [Unknown] ~ Italy
Both Alfred and Marco legally changed their name to Casell. I am not entirely sure who Marco’s parents are, these are the names I have found so far. According to my grandfather’s family tree, Marco was from RocRoma, Caserta, Italy. No one in my family has been able to find this place, however, familysearch.org has many Casillo’s listed under Roccaromana, Caserta, Italy, so this is a possible search option.
Eichhorn/Eichorn
Lillian L. Eichhorn [1908-1938] and Alfred Marco Casell [1906-1981] ~ Buffalo, Erie, NY
William Fred Eichhorn [1874-1931] and Augusta M. Tross [1877-1939] ~ Ontario > Buffalo, Erie, NY
Charles Herman Eichhorn [1848 - ~1905] and Katharine Weiss/Wise [1869 - ~1905] ~ Germany > Chippewa, Welland, Ontario > Buffalo, Erie, NY
Nicholas Eckorn/Eickhan/Thorn [~1799-1878] and Dorothea Unknown [Unknown] ~ Germany > Ontario
Nicholas and Dorothea are still under investigation, but evidence keeps accumulating.
Izzo
Carolina Izzo [1876-1934] and Marco Antonio Casell [1868-1937] ~ Italy > Buffalo, Erie, NY
Peter Izzo [Unknown] and Catherine Donufrio(sp?) [Unknown] ~ Italy > NY
Tross
Augusta Tross [1877-1939] and William Fred Eichhorn [1874-1931] ~ Germany > Buffalo, Erie, NY
Wenzel/Wesley Tross [Unknown] and Marie/Mary Crosshein(sp?) [~1843-~1913]~ Germany > Buffalo, Erie, NY
THE LINEAGE OF MY MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER (Mom’s Mother)
Bond
Emma Bond [~1812-1877] and Charles Whitehead [~1811-1887] ~ Knockholdt, Kent, England > Halstead, Kent, England
Richard Bond [Unknown - Bef. 1841] and Mary Unknown [~1798-1862]
Fink/Finck
Elizabeth L. Fink [1867-1957] and Jacob J. Gress [1869-1932] ~ Buffalo, Erie, NY
Gottlieb Fink [1838-1910] and Barbara Fleeman [1846-1929] ~ Württemberg, Germany > Buffalo, Erie, NY
John Finck [Unknown] and Barbara Killster [Unknown] ~ Württemberg, Germany

Fleeman
Barbara Fleeman [1846-1929] and Gottlieb Fink [1838-1910] ~ Buffalo, Erie, NY
Adam Fleeman [~1820-1889] and Barbara Gris [~1824-1870] ~ Hesse, Germany > Buffalo, Erie, NY
Gress/Gresz
Vera Louise Julie Gress [1900-1976] and William Herbert Whitehead [1896-1965] ~ Buffalo, Erie, NY
Jacob J. Gress [1869-1932] and Elizabeth L. Fink [1867-1957] ~ Buffalo, Erie, NY
Joseph Gresz [~1841-1899] and Sophia Persales/Possehl [1846-1929] ~ Germany > Eden, Erie, NY > Buffalo, Erie, NY
Joseph Gresz [~1806-~1865] and Catherine Unknown [~1810-~1875] ~ Germany > Eden, Erie, NY
Hayman
Mary Ann Hayman [1845-1877] and Charles Whitehead [1840-1902] ~ Halstead, Kent, England > Ontario
Thomas Hayman [~1799-1867] and Susan Whitehead [~1802-1867] ~ Halstead, Kent, England
Whitehead
William Herbert Whitehead [1896-1965] and Vera Louise Julie Gress [1900-1976] ~ Buffalo, Erie, NY
Charles William Whitehead [1872-1927] and Anna May Sanderson [1871-1928] ~ Ontario > Buffalo, Erie, NY
Charles Whitehead [1840-1902] and Mary Ann Hayman [1845-1877] ~ Halstead, Kent, England > Ontario
Charles Whitehead [~1811-1887] and Emma Bond [~1812-1877] ~ Halstead, Kent, England
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30
Apr

The Erie Canal

   Posted by: Amanda E. Perrine, MSLIS   in carnival, Erie Canal, fink

“Map of the Canal, and Profile of the Canal” — from: Marco Paul’s Voyages & Travels, Erie Canal / by Jacob Abbott. (Harper & Brothers, New York, c1852) — frontispiece.  From http://www.eriecanal.org/maps.html

In writing a post on local history, I thought it interesting to connect my current location, Syracuse, NY with where I grew up, Buffalo, NY.  Buffalo is also where my ancestors settled and stayed for generations.

The Erie Canal is well known in upstate and western New York as the reason cities such as Buffalo, Albany, Utica and Syracuse became prime trade locations and grew so large.  Connected to each other by 363 miles of hand- and horse-dug canal.  The Canal ended at the Hudson River, where ships head to New York City.
Known as Clinton’s Folly, then governor DeWitt Clinton dreamed up the project and used his political savvy to have it created.  No one believed something of that mass could be created.  The canal was built between 1817 and 1825.  The Erie Canal is what made New York City America’s largest and busiest port as it connected it to the west.  According to http://www.epodunk.com/routes/erie-canal/start.html, “Cities along the route boomed. The population of Syracuse, a swampy settlement of 250 people in 1820, grew to more than 22,000 by 1850. The city’s salt industry supplied half the nation’s salt.
The Erie Canal lasted until the 1920′s, due to the rise of railroads and highways.  In Syracuse, the Erie Canal is now Erie Boulevard and is has the Erie Canal Museum.  Other parts have trails for hiking, biking and snowmobiling.  One can also take a canal boat ride which even goes up and down on the locks.  I highly recommend taking a trip if you ever get the opportunity.
Just this week I learned from my great-great-great grandfather Gottlieb Finck’s death certificate that he was a canal lock tender.  It is thrilling to know that my family played a part in such an important part of our country.
Sources:
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14
Apr

Family Search Correction?

   Posted by: Amanda E. Perrine, MSLIS   in familyseach, fink, gress

My great-great grandfather is listed in the FamilySearch International Genealogical Index and a Pedigree Resource File with the incorrect death date.  I cannot seem to find a way to correct this.

He is Jacob Gress, died 11 Aug 1932, Buffalo, NY (married to Elizabeth Fink).  The death date listed, 25 Apr 1957, is actually for a Jacob Gross, of no relation.
Any suggestions?
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14
Apr

Tombstone Tuesday – Barbara Fleeman Fink

   Posted by: Amanda E. Perrine, MSLIS   in fink, tombstone

Located in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo, NY.  Barbara is my great-great-great grandmother.

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