Identifying Thrift Store Photographs

Two photographs of McDowell families.  The first is a photograph from the Summer studio of Bloomington, Indiana . On the back in pencil is "Emlsey & Rebecca McDowell, grand-parents of Ira McDowell."  The couple was easily found on Findagrave. Emsley and Rebecca (Brookshire) McDowell. Emsley McDowell was born on 21 February 1932 in Springville, Lawrence County, Indiana and died on 16 August 1912 in  Bloomington, Monroe County, Indiana. He was married on 30 November 1854 in Monroe County, Indiana to Rebecca Brookshire. Rebecca was born on 13 May 1835 in Clark County, Kentucky and died on 7 March 1911 in Springville, Lawrence County, Indiana. The two are buried in the Rose Hill Cemetery in Bloomington. The second photograph does not have a studio mark. On the back if "Taken in Laurenceport, Ind approx 1905 or 1906 Dena McDowell, Katherine and Ira McDowell." Dena McDowell, Katherine McDowell, and Ira McDowell. I searched for Dena McDowell in the census records for ...

Six more photos. Can I identify these men? This photograph is from the Douglas studio of Evansville, Indiana. On the back in pencil is "Jake Lemmon." Evansville is in Vandenburgh County. Unfortunately, no good candidate for this man could be identified in census records. Jake Lemmon. A photograph taken at the Prescher studio at the corner of 6th and Chestnut Streets in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. On the back in pen is "Papa's father, and brother to Hy Schloemer's wife Margaret. Hy. Schloemer Sr & Margaret Schloemer, his wife, are Alma's [or Oma's?] father & mother. 1883." I failed to find any person named Hy Schloemer. I eventually searched  on Ancestry Family Tree for a person named Marg* married to a Schloemer. On the 1880 census was Henry Schloemer and his wife Margarethe. They had four children- Mary, Caroline, Phillip, and Henry. On Findagrave the couple is listed as being buried in the Union Cemetery in West Bend, Washington County, Wisconsi...

Five more photos. Can I identify them? A photo from the D. J. Ryan studio of Springfield, Illinois. The bottom of the photo has been trimmed, probably to remove the studio name from the front. On the back in pen is "Hector & Late Talpin." Springfield is in Sagamon County, Illinois. I could find nothing about these people. There is not a single entry for a Hector Talpin or Hector Talpen on Ancestry or newspapers.com. Hector and Late Talpin.  A photograph from the Flowerday studio at Court Street in The Dalles, Oregon. On the back is written "Peter L. Jensen" in ink. The Dalles is in Wasco County, Oregon. The Flowerday studio was operated by George R. Flowerday in The Dalles from 1892-1894. I was not able to find a man by this name in the area of Oregon. Peter L. Jensen. A photo from the Grossman sudio of 150 State Street, Rochester, New York. On the back in ink it says "Lois Laburnmen Atkinson 1 yr. 8 mo. Oct. 1895." Rochester is in Monroe County, New ...

Five photographs. What can I find out about the people? The first has no studio mark. On the back in pen are six lines of text: Dec. 31st 1888. Age 25 yrs., 6 mos., 14 days. Height 5 ft. 11 1/2 in. Weight 152 lbs. Alva Cole. Alva Cole. I used a tombstone calculator to determine what his birthdate was- it came out to 17 June 1863. Then I search Public Member Trees on Ancestry.com and the very first entry for an Alva Cole was an individual born on 17 June 1863 in Fairfield, Ohio, the son of Thomas Cole and Mary Jane Courtright. He was married in 1901 to Laura Belle Koontz. He died on 10 March 1942 in St. Louisville, Licking County, Ohio. He was buried in the Evans Cemetery in Saint Louisville. Alva Cole, 1863-1942. The second photograph is from the Frank Walz studio of Cawker City, Kansas. Cawker City is in Mitchell County, Kansas. On the back in pen is "For Andrew Walton." Crossed out, is blue ink, is "Dads Mother." Below that in pencil is "Aunt Betsy." Be...

 I purchased this photograph at a Bookman's used book store in Tucson. It is from the Lasswell studio at 421 S. Adams Street in Peoria, Illinois. On the front is "1905" in pencil. On the back is "Hal, Cora, and Ruby Search" in pen. I searched on Ancestry Family Trees for a Ruby Search with a mother named Cora. I excluded Hal because I suspected that name was a nickname. I was correct, his birth name was apparently Harry.   Harry M. Search, Cora Lee (Broyhill) Search, and Ruby (Search) Sharp. Harry M. Search was born in December 1863 and died in 1946 in Orange County, Illinois. The family had lived in Peoria in 1910 through 1912. He married Cora Lee Broyhill on 20 December 1888 in Tazewell County, Illinois.  Cora was born in October 1869 in Sand Prairie, Tazewell County and died in 1953 in Illinois. She is buried in the Tennessee Point Cemetery in Tazewell. Daughter Ruby was born on 3 October 1889 in Mackinaw Township, Tazewell County. She was married to Lester ...

 A photograph of seven siblings. No studio mark is present. On the back written in pencil is "Jay Co. Indiana" and the names "Dan Lyons, John Lyons, Thos. Lyons, Rilla, Mary, Susie, Amanda." Next to that in ink is "Daniel Lyons, John Lyons, Thomas Lyons, Rilla Lyons, Mary (Lyons) Rupe, Susan (Lyons) Smith, Amanda (Lyons) Smiley." Front side of photo. Back side of photograph. I searched for a Mary Rupe on Findagrave and quickly found her memorial which has links to eight siblings and 11 half-siblings (!). Another two siblings are listed on Ancestry Family Tree. Her father Thomas Lyons (1829-1914) was married twice. His first wife Amanda Melvila (Templeman) Lyons (1836-1879) had children from 1856 to 1878. His second wife Florence L. (Harkins) Lyons (1864-1936) had children from 1882 to 1902. The back row of the photograph has Daniel Webster Lyons (1882-1924), John Travis Lyons (1856-1942), and Thomas S. Lyons (1859-1928). The front row has Rilla Florence ...

 A photograph from the studio of Mr. & Mrs. A. R. Shoaf, Photographers, Westfield, Ind."  Westfield is in Hamilton County, Indiana. On the back written in pencil is Eli Cary & Wife. I searched census records for Hamilton County for Eli Cary and found no matches. I then searched for Eli Carey and found census records for the man from 1850 to 1900. The 1880 census indicated he was born about 1826 in Ohio and worked as a blacksmith. His wife Mary was born about 1826 in North Carolina. Living in their household in Washington, Hamilton County were six children- Enos, Elma Moon, Pennina, Cordelia, Lindley, and Daisy Stanbrough; a son-in-law Hoxey E. Moon, and two grandchildren, Merline Moon (a boy) and Mary E. Moon. Mary died on 27 December 1886 and is buried in the Chester Friends Cemetery in Westfield, Hamilton County, Indiana. After Mary's death, Eli was married second to Amy Rich in 1888. Amy died on 20 February 1902 and is buried in the Summit Lawn Cemetery in Westfie...

 I don't normally buy the pictures of children , unless they are in a group of photos (I don't find them as interesting as those of adults). But I purchased this one, taken at the Baker's Art Gallery, of Marysville, Ohio. On the back written at the top in pencil is "Cranston L. Owens 6 months old." And below is the date "Jan. 10, 1900." He was easily found on Ancestry Family Trees- Cranston L. Owen was born on 10 July 1899 in Champaign County, Ohio, son of Elmer Owen and Amelia Cranston. He died on 17 January 1984 at Kettering, Montgomery County, Ohio. He is buried in the Davids Cemetery in Kettering. Cranston L. Owen. As I was going through my stack of photos I found a photograph of his aunt, Bessie E. Cranston. The photograph does not have a studio mark. On its back written in pencil is: "For Cecil Owen. Bessie E. Cranston. June 9 = 1902  Age 15." Bessie E. Cranston was born on 15 August 1886 in Rush Township, Champaign County, Ohio, daughte...

  Six more photographs from an antique store in Tucson.  All have members of the Weeth family. The first is of a woman wearing a bustle dress. It was taken by the McMillan Brothers studio of Chicago, Illinois. On the back is "Mother Weeth." Mother Gertrude (Kappius) Weeth. The next was taken by the Bee Hive studio on 16th Street between Capitol Avenue and Davenport Street in Omaha, Nebraska. On the back is written in pen "Martha (Mattie) and Nellie Weeth." Martha and Nellie Weeth. The third was taken by Hellan Schwabe studio in Nebraska. On the back in pen is "Mattie Weeth" and in pencil "Andrew Weeth, Iowa Park Mex[?]." Mattie Weeth. The fourth photograph has no studio mark. On the back in pen was written "Eugene Weeth" and in pencil "Andrew Weeth, --- Park, Mex, 7 mi. N Park, 1.2 mi. N West School House." Eugene Weeth. The fifth photograph has no studio mark and the set is the same as the previous photograph. On the back in ...

  I purchased this antique photographs  from an antique store in Tucson.  This photo was taken at the studio of Arthur & Philbric at 204 & 206 Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan. On the back in pencil "My Mother Caroline Sabra Turner Clare." Caroline Sabra Turner Clare. "My mother Caroline Sabra Turner Clare On the Ancestry Public Tree I search for a Caroline Turner who married a Clare. One woman showed up in numerous family trees. She lived in Wayne County, Michigan, so this is almost certainly a match. Caroline Sabra Turner was born on 1 October 1873 in Redford, Wayne County, Michigan, daughter of Robert Turner and Eliza Gartrill. She was married to George H. Clare. She died on 5 February 1957 in Garden City, Wayne County. She is  buried  in the Clarenceville Cemetery in Livonia, Wayne County.

 I purchased a number of antique photographs from an antique store in Tucson.  Five photographs from an extended family. Five photos from members of the Redmon and Whitsitt families. 1). The first is from the Speelman studio of Winchester, Kentucky. This was in Clark County. On the back is written in pencil "Uncle Squire Redmon/ Winchester KY. Grandpa Ramseys Uncle." Squire Redmon. Uncle Squire Redmon Winchester Ky. Grandpa Ramsey's uncle. I searched Ancestry for a Squire Redmon living in Kentucky. On the 1860 census Squire Redmon was listed as a 16-year-old living with his probable father Robert Redmon in District 1 in Clark County, Kentucky. The post office was Winchester. Other records indicate Squire Benjamin Redmon was born on 6 September 1843, son of Robert Redmon and Agnes Elsberry, and died from Pott's Disease on 7 June 1915 in Clark County. He is buried in the Winchester Cemetery in Winchester. 2). Next was photograph from the same studio with "Mrs. Sq...