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I’m researching my family tree. I haven’t been able to locate very much information on my great-grandmother. I’m hoping that somebody will recognize some of the information I’m going to give, and contact me. This is all I know:
Her name was Myrtle Bessie. She was born October 29, 1896 and died in February 1984 in Greenville, SC. I have no maiden name for her. I do not know where she was originally from.
She was married twice. Her first marriage was to my great-grandfather, Rush Griffin. He was from Greenville, SC and worked for the railroad. He was Black, so most likely he was a Pullman Porter or worked in the engine room, or something like that. Family stories say that Rush met her while working for the railroad, and one day he brought her back to Greenville with him. They had several children. Her second marriage was to a man by the last name of Fisher. They ended up divorcing, and had no children.
Sometime in the early to mid-1960s, Myrtle’s father placed a newspaper advertisement searching for her. They had been out of touch, and all he knew was that she was in Greenville. The contact information provided was in Durham, NC. Nobody seems to know where Myrtle came from or anything about her family. So, it’s possible that she was from Durham, but I have no way to make sure.
I knew Myrtle before she died, but she didn’t know me, as she was senile in her old age. I was a young teen when I met her not long before she died, but I remember how she looked. She looked like a little white lady with long, long silver hair.
When I asked if she was white, I was told no. Myrtle had always said that she was Blackfoot. But, as far as I know she never gave any other information, because nothing else about her background is known. Because her father gave Durham, NC as a contact location, it is possible that she is from there. I also found out through the website The Other Blackfoot, that the translation of the name Saponi means blackfoot, and that the Saponi are also from around the Durham, NC area.
The website The Other Blackfoot Indians led me to this website. I’m hoping someone has read or heard a story about a man finding his long-lost daughter through a newspaper ad. If anyone has any information, please send me a private message or email through this website. Or post it.
Much thanks in advance.
Welcome, Rosalind,
Do I understand that Myrtle’s father is the one who placed the newspaper ad looking for her? What’s her father’s name?
Bill
Thank you for responding, Bill. Yes, Myrtle’s father is the one who placed the ad in the Greenville, SC newspaper (that paper is now defunct) from Durham, NC.
I don’t have any idea what his name was, and neither does anyone else. I’m going to send off for a copy of Myrtle’s social security card application. Parent’s names have to be supplied on them, so it’s a lead.
Any clues about this story?
Thanks.
Hi Linda,
It’d be a real longshot to track the ad. Greenville had 2 newspapers back then, and my aunt doesn’t remember which one it was in, or what the date was.
All she remembers is that she was “around” 25 years old and it was summertime. I’d have to check the microfilm for both papers for May thru August for a span of years from my aunt’s age of 23-26. Daunting task.
Not much help on Myrtle’s maiden name but I found Rush Griffin’s family in Cross Hill Township, Laurens Co., SC, and ran it back to 1870.
Rush’s mother was Rachel Cannon, b.abt.1870.
In 1900, Rachel Cannon Griffin was already widowed or divorced, so we have another loose end regarding Mr. Griffin’s first name.
Rachel’s parents were Mercer “Mess” Cannon, b.abt.Feb 1817 SC (Ga. on one census), and Ann (Unknown), b.abt.1840 SC,
It’s unclear from the census records how many times Mercer was married:
On 1900 census, Mercer’s wife is Fannie, b.Sept 1834.
In 1870, Mercer’s wife Ann is 30 yrs old and daughter Peggy is 20, so either Ann is Fannie and was born 1834 as opposed to 1840, or there was a still earlier, 1st wife, than Ann. Mercer was widowed and living with Rush Griffen and his mother Rachel on the 1910 census in Laurens Co, Cross Hill Twp.
Rush (b.Oct 1899 SC) & Myrtle (b.abt.1901 SC) were married about 1915. Their children were:
Roy, b.1916. (3 yrs & 3 months old on census dated 5 Jan 1920)
Fannie M., b.1918. (1 yr & 11 months old on same census)
Lois, b.1919. (2 months old, same census)
Virginia, b.abt.1922. (Poss. twin)
Birnell, b.abt.1922 (Poss. twin)(Birnell is a female)
Ethel, b.1926 (3 yrs & 7 months old on census dated 10 Apr 1930)
In 1920, Rush Griffin was working as a laborer in a “Street Car Barn” in Greenville. Street Cars were also referred to as “Street Railways” so I’d think that’s where the railroad story originates. A Street Car “Barn” is either a terminal, a “Turn-about” or a maintenance facility where the Cars were returned to at night. Same occupation in 1930.
Myrtle is shown as born in S.C. on the 1920 & 1930 census.
While that could be incorrect, it’s the only other lead we have besides the Durham, NC story that may be impossible to confirm by finding the newspaper ad.
So,….. In 1910, Rush Griffin was living in Laurens Co. Paraphrasing – “He worked on the Railroad and brought her back with him” – Which could mean Rush was working in the Street Car Barn in Greenville in 1915, when he met and married Myrtle and “brought her back” to Laurens Co to meet the family. I’d look for her in Greenville first.
Anyway, the easiest way to find her is the Soc.Sec card info which you’re going for. If you find her maiden name and want some help with census lookups on her parents, let me know.
Bill
Bill,
Oh my gosh! Wow! How’d you do that?! LOL
What you wrote makes a whole lot of sense, and ties everything together nicely. Greenville was a MAJOR textile center way back when, and there was a train depot, especially for the textiles, where they would be brought into Greenville and unloaded. Greenville also had a passenger train depot. So that makes much sense.
Cross Hill is about 45 minutes away from Greenville, and today it’s STILL so small that if you blink when you get there, you’re already out of the town, LOL.
Fannie, b. 1918, is my grandmother (father’s mom). She died in 1985 of lung cancer, and my dad died of it in early 2000. Aunt Ethel is still alive here in Greenville. Aunt Birnie (Birnell) lives in New Jersey and I think Aunt Virginia lives there too. Lois and Roy are dead, I think, because I don’t remember ever meeting them at my grandmother’s funeral, and they weren’t at my dad’s. I only met this side of my family when I was 12, and had the most exposure to my grandmother.
I’m going to send off for Myrtle’s social security card application for more info. Also, marriage records are available from the probate office in the county where the marriage took place ($8), and since that was right here in Greenville, it shouldn’t be hard to get it…unless it’s been lost or something. If they have it, it’ll give me her maiden name.
Thank you so much for your help! When I track down Myrtle’s maiden name, I’ll post it. Is there any way possible you’d be able to look up my other grandparent’s names for me? I’d pay 🙂
Hi Bill,
I’m going to have to send you a fantastic thank-you card! I’m serious! 😀
My maternal grandfather was Samuel Gash, from Brevard, NC, which is in Transylvania County. He is supposed to be at least half Indian. When I was younger, I assumed Cherokee, because that’s the area the Cherokee originated in…but that was before I knew about the other smaller tribes. Edited to say that my aunt has a b/w pic of my grandfather, and that he also served in the Navy during WW2 as a cook.
My maternal grandmother was Beatrice Vance King Gash from (it’s said) Seneca, SC, which is in Oconee County. What I know about my grandmother is that her maiden name was Vance, but her mom remarried somebody named Bud King.
She had two brothers and two sisters: Mildred, Daisy, Thomas, and Roschil. I just found out Roschil’s name not too long ago. All my aunt (Beatrice’s oldest daughter…my mom, one of Beatrice’s younger daughters, died in 1984) knew was that there was a brother who ran off and “joined the circus”, and was never heard from again. My mother did tell me, when I was about 11-12 years old (she died when I was 13), that Beatrice told her that her mother or grandmother told her (Beatrice) that her (Beatrice’s mother/grandmother) grandmother or great-grandmother was from Nigeria. Or something close to that.
That would make sense, because a lot of Nigerians, among other Africans, were brought into Charleston, and their descendents are the Gullah (or Geechee) from the Sea Islands of SC.
Nobody else knows anything about that, and unfortunately, because some people don’t know something to be true for themselves, they doubt it’s true at all. But, I know what my mother told me.
From what I was able to gather, he didn’t leave until after his mother remarried, so I’m guessing he didn’t get along with Bud King, because he was only 16 then, but I’m probably wrong, as that age was might have been considered adult back then. Roschil’s last name was Vance, but I haven’t been able to find anything about him at all. He was, and is, truly lost to the family.
That’s all I’ve been able to find out. Thanks for your help.
Rosalind,
This will help with some dates but I wasn’t able to do more than confirm what you already knew……..
1930 Greenville Co., SC census – ED 28 Greenville, 1st Ward, 10 April; p.154A; lived at 22B Parker St; Rented for $10 /month: at 325, 426:
KING, Bud; Ditcher – City Paving; 40; NC, NC, NC.
(ditto), Willie; wife; 34, SC, SC, SC.
VANCE, Thomas V.; son; 15; SC, SC, SC.
(ditto), Mildred; dau; 14; SC, SC, SC.
(ditto), Beatrace; dau; 13; SC, SC, SC.
(ditto), Daisy; dau; 10; SC, SC, SC.
Additional info from the above census:
Bud was 1st married at age 19. He was born in NC. Both his father and mother were born in NC.
Willie was 1st married at age 15. She was born in NC as were both of her parents.
…………………………………………..
1920 Pickens Co., SC census – ED159 Central Twp, Town of Central; 30 January; p.27B; at 453, 453:
VANCE, Willie; farmer; female, 25, Married; SC, SC, SC.
(ditto), Roschil; son; 11; SC, SC, SC.
(ditto), Thomas; son; 6; SC, SC, SC.
(ditto), Milly; dau; 5; SC, SC, SC.
(ditto), Beatrace; dau; 3 yrs +2 months; SC, SC, SC.
(ditto); Daisy H.; dau; 2 months; SC, SC, SC.
I didn’t find Roschil Vance in 1930 but that’s not a surprise if he stayed with the circus. Bud King was not found in 1920 or earlier, nor did I find Willie Vance in 1910.
The latest census records available are for 1930 so you’ll have to go the Soc.Sec. card route for Willie Vance.
Thanks, Bill!
At least I know that I didn’t overlook anything on this one, LOL. One thing I haven’t been able to find out, yet is who Willie was married to before marrying Bud King.
I’m going to call my cousin (her mother is Mildred’s daughter) and see what she knows, or what she can find from her mom. Actually, I might just call her mom, myself. I think I was supposed to call and say hi a while ago, anyway. Oops. 😮
Rosalind,
I think this must be your Samuel Gash. Due to the unavailability of additional records, I can’t verify in an absolute fashion that it’s him, but this one is the only Samuel Gash in Transylvania Co., NC who is of an age to marry Beatrice, b.abt.1917.
While race recorded on census records is pretty subjective, there are always questions when one census taker thinks someone is one race and the next one thinks the same person is some other race. We have seen this often with mixed race people, Ndn and others. Some of these people’s race change over time so I’ll list that.
1920 Transylvania Co., NC census – ED185 Brevard Twp.,
at 34, 35, are Samuel’s grandmother and uncles (everyone and their parents were born in NC. (all listed as Black)
GASH, Harriet E.; Head; 64; Widowed.
(ditto), Samp. T.; son; 25; Laborer – Acid Plant.
(ditto), Buster; son; 21; Laborer – Acid Plant.
(ditto), Prichard; son; 19; Laborer – Acid Plant.
…. (“Samp. T.” is same as 1910’s “Thomas S.” and “Prichard” is same as 1910’s “Jethro P.”)
Next Door at 35, 36, is Samuel and his parents:
GASH, Mose; Head; m, B, 29; marr’d; Laborer – Saw Mill.
(ditto), Gertrude; wife; f, MU; 24; marr’d.
(ditto), Euriah; son; m, MU; 6.
(ditto), Ginnie V.; dau; f, MU; 4 yrs 6 months old.
(ditto), SAMUEL; son; m, MU; 3 yrs 7 months old.****
1910 Transylvania Co., NC census – ED155 Brevard Twp,
at 54, 54: (all were listed as Black)
Moses’s mother and siblings:
GASH, Harriet; Head; 48, widowed; had 10 children, 10 living.
(ditto), MOSES; son; 19. (“Moses” of 1920)****
(ditto), Marshal; son; 18.
(ditto), Thomas S.; son; 16.
(ditto), Berta O.; dau; 15.
(ditto), Buster; son; 13.
(ditto), Jethro P.; son; 11.
1900 Transylvania Co., NC census – ED111 No. Brevard Twp,
at 112, 113: (all children listed Black) Race indicated for Millard looks like it was originally written as “W” and had “B” written over it. Moses’s parents and siblings:
GASH, Millard; farm laborer; W?, m, Feb 1850; 50; marr’d 20 yrs.
(ditto), Harriett; wife; B, f, Dec 1843; 56; m’d 20 yrs.
(ditto), Maggie; dau; July 1881; 18.
(ditto), Corra; dau; Jun 1883; 16.
(ditto), Mary; dau; Feb 1884; 16.
(ditto), Kate; dau; July 1887; 12.
(ditto), MOSE; son; Jan 1891; 9. (“Moses”)
(ditto), Marshall; son; Oct 1892; 7.
(ditto), Sam; son; Jan 1894; 6. (“Thomas Sampson”)
(ditto), Burta; dau; Nov 1896; 3.
(ditto), Buster; son; Feb 1899; 1.
1880 Transylvania Co, NC – ED 186 Davidson River Twp,
at 155, 163: (recorded ages are really off, but these are Moses’s parents.)
GASH, Millard F.; 22, laborer.
(ditto), Harriet; 20, wife.
Next door is Millard’s twin brother Andrew J. L. Gash. On the other side of Millard is a (white) GASH family who has a Charles PATTON living with them and the next door is a (Black) PATTON family from Virginia & NC with one parent from SC who in a couple of earlier census lived next door to PANTHER & PATTON families I suspect are Ndn and John GASH, b.abt.1778 Virginia with his wife b.abt.1780 Tenn. who may be also.
1870 Transylvania Co., NC census; Boyd Twp; P.O.: Claytonsville, NC; at 14, 14: the race of all children was changed from “W” to “B” by over writing it. Millard’s mother and siblings:
GASH, Mariah; 45, f, B, $0, $0, NC.
(ditto), Millard F.; 14, m, B. NC.
(ditto), And. Jonel (?); 14, m, B, NC. (“And.” is clearly legible)
(ditto), Ann; 4; f, B, NC.
Didn’t find any of these people in 1860, yet.
Bill
Thanks! This is so much information.
What I find amusing is that when my younger sister, who is now 20 years old, was a child (and couldn’t put an un-needed relaxer in her hair) black people always knew she was black, but white people couldn’t tell, LOL. I remember I took her to eat out when she was about 7-8 (I’m 12 years older), and we were coming out of the restroom when a white lady stopped me and nervously asked if my sister was biracial. It was funny. I told her that no, not that I knew of, but that there was family talk about Native American ancestry, but I didn’t know for sure.
It was funny. But, the point is that my sister and I look like we could be a lot of things, all these years later, so I can only imagine what my g-grands and other family experienced.
I lived in NYC one time and my boss, a Puerto Rican, tried to convince me I was hispanic. He couldn’t stand that I insisted that I was black. It was hilarious and annoying at the same time.
Bill writes >>>> GASH, Mariah; 45, f, B, $0, $0, NC.
(ditto), Millard F.; 14, m, B. NC.
(ditto), And. Jonel (?); 14, m, B, NC. (“And.” is clearly legible)
(ditto), Ann; 4; f, B, NC.
Didn’t find any of these people in 1860, yet.
Bill
I can’t help but see how similar this is to MORIAH and CASH …… knowing people…. especially “mulattos” ……. were moving from flatt river to other points during that timeframe……. knowing names sometimes changed along the way……. “my” mulatto Satterfields that went to Ark, for example….. I’ve got a hunch they spent the 1850s on the flatt river…….. oh yeah….. there’s that son named Euriah, too.
Welcome to the forum, Rosalind
peace
Ken
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