This young man reminds me a bit of my father in his high school graduation portrait. I can tell by looking that if left to grow, this fellow’s hair would be curly. The photographer, Ostlund, was in Leondardville, KS although I found references to him also being in Clay Center. I’ll tentatively date this as 1880. Ostlund is a popular Norwegian and Swedish surname.
I cannot tell you how tedious it is to scroll through pages and pages of search results off the names Clyde, Flora & Abbie, with an approximate birth year of 1882 for Clyde. With just a few pieces of information such as that and the residence in Kansas, however, I was able to identify our first family from the C. Murray Album.
Click these links for the images of George C & Abbie J Moses and their children, Clyde E, Flora E and Abbie R.
George, Abbie, Clyde and Flora
George Moses was from Connecticut, born in November 1856. This cancels out my speculation that he was a Civil War veteran, as he was only 4 when it started. Born in October 1855, Abbie was from Vermont. You will recall our first image from this album was made in Vermont so perhaps that photo is her father? In 1880, George C and Abbie J were married. Although they were married in Connecticut, they emigrated to Kansas in the same year, 1880, as they are found on the 1880 Kansas State Census. The household consisted of: Sumner D Moses (1828) and his wife Harriet (1826), Mary E (1866) George and Abbie. Both Sumner and George listed their occupation as carpenter. Sumner and Harriet are George’s parents.
In the 1885 Kansas State Census, the family has grown, and they also seem to be staying in some sort of boarding-house situation. The household is as follows: Flora Moses (age 63, abt 1822) is the head, with George and Abbie, Clyde is 2 and Flora E is 9 months. The state census is less detailed, so it does not list the relationship between Flora and George. Perhaps she is an aunt? Also listed are: James Duff of Kansas (age 25), Frea Aresy of Vermont (age 19), Mather Aresy of Vermont (age 20), Minnie Burgma of Sweden (age 18) and Emoline Shafer of Pennsylvania (age 28). It is also possible these young people are working a farm owned by Flora, but that’s pure speculation as the census doesn’t list what sort of business she’s in.
We know that Flora E lived at least until 1891 because that is the last dated photo of the three children. By the 1895 Kansas State Census, she is no longer listed, and on the 1900 Federal Census, the number of children born of Abbie J is listed as 3, with 2 living. So far, I haven’t been able to find any more information. In 1900 they are living in Junction City. George owned his home and listed his occupation as lumberman.
In 1905, Clyde is 22 and has a wife named Ethelyn, aged 24, and a son, George G. George G was born in 1904.
Just five short years later, Clyde is living with his parents again as he is widowed. His son is 6 and living with the family, as well as Harriet Moses, aged 84 by this point. George Sr and Clyde are partners in a lumber company. That will take some more research, because it could be called anything. I don’t suppose I’d be so lucky as to find the Moses Lumber Co.
That’s as far as I’ve traced the family, but there is so much more information out there! Abbie R lived into the 60s, although I couldn’t find any children for her. I’ll be doing more work on Clyde and George G to try to find them after the 1910 census. It’s just getting late, and I was so excited to share this information I couldn’t wait!
This is our last photo of Clyde and his family. Taken in 1891 by G.M. Wheeler in Junction City, Kansas, this photo features the ages of the children as: Clyde, 9, Flora, 7 and Abbie, 4. They are really beautiful children. Flora in particular has a solemnly beautiful face that I can imagine was quite beautiful as an adult.
If you remember, G.M. Wheeler and Louis Teitzel were partners in the Boone’s Market Building on Washington Street.
Clyde, Flora and now Abbie on March 5, 1888. This cabinet card image was made by Burgoyne in Manhattan, KS. We had a previous Burgoyne cabinet card, with a different style of text and embellishment along the bottom. It is possible this photo is a tiny bit earlier than the other, based on the idea that the later in the century, the more fancy the cards were.
UPDATE: These are the children of George and Abbie (Streeter) Moses.
Clyde has acquired a sister named Flora. Clyde appears to be about 3 or 4 in this picture, and instead of just Mother, we have Father as well. Note the necklace that Mother is wearing. It’s the same one from Clyde’s baby picture. It appears that her dress is very similar as well. I will tentatively date this photo to 1885. One thing is odd about the photo. They all seem to be looking in different directions. Mother is looking to the left of frame, Father is looking to the right of frame, Flora is looking somewhere to the center right of frame and Clyde is looking at the middle. Makes you wonder if there was some sort of distraction just before the photo was taken.
In trying to trace the photographer – again a challenge because there is a county in Kansas named Howard, it can never be easy, right – I learned that between 1870-1880, Clay County (where Clay Center is located) saw a population increase from about 2000 to over 12,000 settlers. Apparently many of those who emigrated to Kansas after the Civil War were veterans hoping to take advantage of their veterans benefits. It makes me thus wonder if Clyde’s father was a Federal veteran, or if they had family or friends who had come out to Kansas earlier who were veterans. Considering the previous family portrait in which the father’s left leg appeared not to be there, it is possible he was in fact a war veteran who had been injured, and after the family was settled, suggested their friends/family come out as well. It’s all complete speculation, but somehow it is fun to speculate at this late date.
Hopefully soon we will learn who this family is.
UPDATE: We now know that this is George and Abbie (Streeter) Moses, Clyde and Flora.
Who Were They? 