#west side stoy

[shakespearenews]

2023 Jimmy Awards Performance: Musicals Inspired by Shakespeare

[mycrawfordcountyancestors]

Week 4--2024: Witness to History

I had many ideas for this prompt--Seth Jones, father of Crawford County resident Milton A. Jones, fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill. John Bussard of New Hebron fought in the Civil War, and former Prairie Methodist Episcopal Church minister James L. Wallar traveled through Johnstown, Pennsylvania shortly after the famous flood and reported, “the newspapers never exaggerated the desolation wrought there.” Several ancestors lived in Crawford County when Illinois became a state. What was that like? Really, aren’t we all witnesses to history? The story I would like to tell is that of my father, Gary Wiseman. While not exactly a witness in this case, this story is his experience after hearing that the Japanese surrendered, ending World War II.

In 1945 Gary was a seven-year-old boy living in Stoy, Illinois. The house he lived in was built by his uncle Clifford with the help of my grandfather, Ray Wiseman. Soon afterwards, Uncle Clifford took a job in a different town, so Gary’s family moved into the house. This house still stands on the west side of what is now called 600th Street, just north of Washington Street. It was a small, two-bedroom house. Gary slept with his brother Larry in one of the bedrooms, and his parents occupied the other bedroom. There was no indoor plumbing, so the bathroom was converted into a bedroom for Gary and Larry’s older sister Marcia. Behind the kitchen at the back of the house was a covered porch and the family’s well was just beyond the porch. Downhill a bit sat the outhouse and chicken coop. Across the street and a little to the left sat the school, and across the street and a little to the right sat the Stoy Methodist church. The railroad tracks ran about 100 yards southwest of the house.

One late afternoon in August 1945, Gary was in the living room listening to the family’s Philco console radio when President Truman announced the unconditional surrender of Japan. Seven-year-old Gary quickly ran across the gravel road to the church, jumped high on the rope leading up to the church bell, and pulled the rope down, causing the bell to ring. The bell’s wheel pulled Gary up and the bell continued to ring with Gary riding up and down on the rope with each peal.

After Gary’s father Ray returned home from work, the family piled into their old blue Ford and drove the five miles to Robinson. The town square was packed with celebrants, yelling and beating on pans! After celebrating, the family took the Ford to Sam Abel’s filling station and filled up the car with gasoline!

Not long afterwards, Gary’s mom sent him around the corner to Purcell’s general store for something. Gary saw a large stalk of green and yellow things hanging behind the counter. Mrs. Purcell told Gary those were bananas, and to run home and tell his mother that she would sell him one banana for every person in the family. Gary hurried home and returned to Mrs. Purcell to buy five bananas with the money his mother gave him. He doesn’t remember eating his first banana, but still can see in his memory that big stalk of bananas!

[theplaylistfilm]

The older I get, the more I look at movies as a moving miracle. Audiences are harder to please if you're just giving them special effects, but they're easy to please if it's a good story. The audience is also the toughest critic - a good story that exists in your world may not be the first choice for an audience. So I just do the best I can.

- Steven Spielberg

[lamanie-litera]

Miasto na sterydach

Jadąc West Side Highway, wciąż czuję ten sam dreszcz emocji co w 1980 roku, kiedy po raz pierwszy trafiłam na most wiodący na Manhattan. To uczucie chyba nigdy mi nie przejdzie. Obecnie Henry Hudson Parkway to gładka, asfaltowa droga, którą mkną sportowe samochody i SUV-y z tablicami rejestracyjnymi z Connecticut i Westchester. Po drugiej stronie rzeki stalowa konstrukcja mostu rozpięta wysoko nad wodą wbija się w strome klify New Jersey Palisades. Ale gdy po raz pierwszy jechałam Hudson Parkway, była to wyboista droga, która potrafiła poważnie zszargać nerwy: miałam wrażenie, że mój samochód został wystrzelony z flippera w dół zbocza, w głąb pełnego wykrotów lasu. Wszystko było nieznane. Wszystko było możliwe.

W 1980 roku Nowy Jork znajdował się na skraju bankructwa. Zdawało się, że śmieciarze urządzają strajk regularnie co miesiąc, a rachityczna infrastruktura zaraz się rozleci. Dzisiaj miasto lśni i pnie się w górę, lecz większość moich znajomych nienawidzi i nie rozumie tych zmian. „Otulinę”głównej drogi na odcinku West Sixties i West Seventies stanowi paskudny ciąg budowli należących do Donalda Trumpa, pomnik miejskiej korupcji, przekrętów finansowych i bezwzględnego traktowania mieszkańców, którzy po prostu musieli się wynieść ze swoich domów położonych na tym terenie. Dalej na południe biegacze, wózki dziecięce oraz błękitne i czerwone rowery suną ukwieconym, nadrzecznym bulwarem, wzdłuż doków –dziś zapomnianych, dawniej budzących lęk. To tu po nocach spotykali się nowojorscy geje, a prostytutki w płaszczach z norek i na wysokich obcasach pracowały do świtu.

The Westway, stary lokal ze striptizem przy Clarkson Street, stoi tam, gdzie stał, lecz dziś jego właścicielem jest hipsterski restaurator, któremu zależy przede wszystkim na przyciągnięciu ironicznych lajfstajlowców, bardziej ze świata mody niż sztuki –ludzi, którzy są cool, bo mieszkają w Nowym Jorku. Na rogu Spring Street i Thompson Street pozostał niewielki park z boiskiem do koszykówki, szaroniebieska pamiątka minionej epoki, w okolicy zdominowanej dziś przez markowe sklepy i ich klientelę –od West Broadway aż po TriBeCę. Dawniej zawsze mogłam liczyć na to, że nie zastanę tam żywej duszy; teraz w dzień i w nocy roi się tam od wielkich czarnych limuzyn i ludzi o egzotycznych akcentach.

Gdy pierwszy raz przyjechałam do Nowego Jorku, budynek przy West Broadway 420, siedziba zarówno Leo Castelliego, jak i Mary Boone, był w zasadzie jedynym miejscem, gdzie można było znaleźć duże i stałe galerie w downtown. Po drugiej stronie ulicy mieściła się The Dia Art Foundation, a nieco dalej surowe, lecz eleganckie przestrzenie, które kiedyś pokazywały „bezkresną”minimalistyczną sztukę w rodzaju The Broken Kilometer Waltera De Marii. Dziś SoHo przejmują kolejne sieciówki rodem z centrów handlowych: American Apparel, Gap, Forever 21, H & M. Pewnie tylko te firmy stać na czynsz. Całodobowa knajpa Dave’s Luncheonette na rogu Broadway i Canal Street, jeden przystanek od The Mudd Club, już od dawna nie działa. Sklep Canal Jean i tamtejsze kosze z ciuchami po pięć dolarów, ustawione na chodniku, gdzie niegdyś wszyscy moi znajomi zaopatrywali się w jasne dżinsy i czarne koszulki –to kolejne miejsce, które nie wytrzymało próby czasu. Włoska część dzielnicy Little Italy jest dziś jedynie bladym wspomnieniem. Znikły na dobre kluby „tylko dla mężczyzn” –ekspresy do kawy i małe pokoiki na zapleczu, w których klienci załatwiali podejrzane interesy. Możliwe, że istnieje jeszcze klinika oferująca terapię metadonową przy Spring Street, gdzie chadzał Sid Vicious. Oprócz tego został już tylko wielki kościół katolicki na Church Street, dziś wciśnięty pomiędzy butiki i modne restauracyjki.

Chinatown pochłania Little Italy i niegdyś głównie żydowskie Lower East Side. Chińska dzielnica to nieustannie rozszerzający się miniwszechświat modnych, starannie ubranych Azjatek i witryn przy kanałach przypominających instalacje artystyczne. Dawniej nikt –również ja –nie czuł się nocą bezpiecznie pomiędzy Grand Street a Houston Street, na wschód od Bowery. W Alphabet City żadna przecznica na wschód od Drugiej Alei do rzeki nie była bezpieczna –za dużo kręciło się tam handlarzy narkotyków. Dzisiaj tę okolicę zamieszkują wymuskani studenci o azjatyckich rysach, w obcisłych dżinsach, z twarzami pokrytymi kilkudniowym zarostem. Budzący niegdyś grozę park pomiędzy Forsyth Street a Chrystie Street został „zrewitalizowany”do tego stopnia, że dziś bawią się tam dzieci.

Gdy teraz wpadam do Nowego Jorku, zastanawiam się: „Co to w ogóle za miejsce? O co w nim chodzi?”. Odpowiedź brzmi: o konsumpcję i zarabianie pieniędzy. Wall Street trzęsie całym krajem, a przemysł modowy to wisienka na torcie. Wszystko, co ludzie określają jako „fantastyczne”albo „niesamowite”, trwa około dziesięciu minut, po czym zostaje zastąpione nowym zjawiskiem kulturalnym. Kreatywność i karierowiczostwo przestały się już wykluczać. Niedawno pewien mój znajomy określił twórczość znanego nam obojgu artysty jako corporate –korporacyjną –i nie był to komplement. Museum of Modern Art przypomina dziś gigantyczny sklep z pamiątkami.

Nowy Jork jest obecnie miastem na sterydach. Wygląda bardziej jak komiks niż coś rzeczywistego. Ale z drugiej strony nigdy nie był idealny, a ludzie zawsze z goryczą narzekali na zmieniające się oblicze miasta i utratę jego ducha.

Gdy studiuje się sztukę współczesną w Los Angeles, to wszyscy mówią o Nowym Jorku jako jedynym miejscu, w którym można żyć i tworzyć sztukę. Od zawsze brałam go pod uwagę jako jedną z opcji na przyszłość. Wciąż interesował mnie taniec; nawet na studiach brałam lekcje baletu. Pamiętam, jak czytałam o nieformalnej grupie nowojorskich tancerzy, którzy współpracowali z filmowcami i kompozytorami wykonującymi awangardowe utwory w Judson Memorial Church w Greenwich Village. Szczególne wrażenie zrobiło na mnie No Manifesto Yvonne Rainer, która odrzuciła w swoim tańcu wszelką technikę, powab i teatralność. Zamiast tego skupiła się na zwyczajnym pięknie ciał w ruchu. Myśl, że film może być tańcem, była dla mnie fascynująca.

Wydawało się, że w Nowym Jorku dzieje się wszystko, więc wybrałam się tam, gdy ukończyłam Otis. Nie była to moja pierwsza wyprawa w te strony. Kilka miesięcy wcześniej wsiadłam do autobusu i ruszyłam na rekonesans –po części, aby poznać miasto, a po części, aby uciec od relacji z pewnym starszym artystą, o której wiedziałam, że jest dla mnie zła. Miałam świadomość, że jeśli pozostanę w tym związku, nikt nie potraktuje mnie poważnie, że będę uznawana za młodą protegowaną starszego faceta. Spędziłam w Nowym Jorku sześć miesięcy, po czym wróciłam autobusem do Los Angeles z planem zgromadzenia oszczędności na przeprowadzkę do Nowego Jorku.

Zanim zdążyłam ponownie wyjechać, zdarzył mi się wypadek samochodowy. Doszło do niego tego samego dnia, gdy Keller miał swój pierwszy epizod psychotyczny od czasu otrzymania dyplomu w Berkeley. Tkwiłam w potężnym, południowokalifornijskim korku w Culver City i czekałam, aby skręcić w Robertson Boulevard, gdy samochód jadący ulicą uderzył w inne auto. „Jestem świadkiem” –zdążyłam pomyśleć, zanim ten sam samochód wykonał gwałtowny skręt na chodnik, staranował mojego starego garbusa i zepchnął go na ścianę. Moje obrażenia nie były poważne –miałam poobijane plecy, założono mi kilka szwów –lecz rok później pieniądze z ubezpieczenia pozwoliły mi przetrwać w Nowym Jorku.

(...)

Trudno jest mi pisać o Nowym Jorku. Nie dlatego, że wspomnienia zaczynają się przenikać i nachodzić na siebie – tak to już jest ze wspomnieniami. Nie dlatego, że nie zakochałam się w tym mieście – w żadnym innym miejscu nigdy nie czułam się bardziej u siebie, choć zaznałam tam samotności i biedy. Trudność bierze się stąd, że wspominam przeszłość, wiedząc, co stało się potem. Ze złamanym sercem niełatwo opisywać historię miłosną.

Kim Gordon, Dziewczyna z zespołu, tłum. Andrzej Wojtasik, Wołowiec 2016.

[so-litudinal]

Still satisfied I stole that West Side Stoy DVD from my sister's ex

[al32richards]

New Pics, Stats on bKL’s 358-Unit Near West Residential Complex

We’re learning more about the 15-story residential complex proposed for Chicago’s ever-so-popular Near West Side.  The project by Orlando developer ZOM was once called Union West, but according to paperwork recently filed with the city,  just goes by the address 935 West Washington.

Rendering of 935 West Washington (Courtesy of bKL Architecture)

It’s a single construction that snakes around an assortment of low-rise buildings and minor parking lots between West Madison Street and West Washington Boulevard. The bKL design includes two prominent high rise towers, most strikingly visible from the south.

The project originally surfaced last summer as a 442-unit complex with a 19-stoy building, a 17-story building, and an eight story building.  But after community meetings in December and March, we’re now looking at a pair of 15-story buildings and a one-story building.  The sum contains a maximum of 358 new homes — a decrease of 19%, while retail space increased 37%.  Perhaps a better match for a neighborhood that has new construction bubbling up like a tumbler full of Alka Seltzer.

As of this writing, 935 is not on the agenda for this month’s Chicago Plan Commission meeting, so it’ll be a little while before dirt moves on this one.

Rendering of 935 West Washington (Courtesy of bKL Architecture)l

Address: 933 West Washington Street

Address: 11 North Morgan Street

Address: 942 West Madison Street

Address: 22 North Sangamon Street

Developer: Haymarket Apartments Joint Venture, LP

For realsies: ZOM Living

Architecture firm: bKL

Zoning: DX-3 > DX-5 > PD

Net Site Area: 52,813 square feet

Retail space: 13,700 square feet

Floor Area Ratio: 6.5 (4.0 base + 1.5 Bonus for Neighborhoods Opportunity Fund, Adopt-a-Landmark Fund, and Local Impact Fund)

Maximum height: 181 feet

Roof height: 169 feet

Maximum width: 247 feet, six inches

Floors: 15

Maximum residences: 358

Minimum automobile parking: 195 spaces

Maximum automobile parking: 259 spaces

Minimum loading docks: 2

Green roof alert! 21,690 square feet

from Chicago Architecture https://www.chicagoarchitecture.org/2017/04/06/new-pics-stats-on-bkls-358-unit-near-west-residential-complex/

[carol38banks]

New Pics, Stats on bKL’s 358-Unit Near West Residential Complex

We’re learning more about the 15-story residential complex proposed for Chicago’s ever-so-popular Near West Side.  The project by Orlando developer ZOM was once called Union West, but according to paperwork recently filed with the city,  just goes by the address 935 West Washington.

Rendering of 935 West Washington (Courtesy of bKL Architecture)

It’s a single construction that snakes around an assortment of low-rise buildings and minor parking lots between West Madison Street and West Washington Boulevard. The bKL design includes two prominent high rise towers, most strikingly visible from the south.

The project originally surfaced last summer as a 442-unit complex with a 19-stoy building, a 17-story building, and an eight story building.  But after community meetings in December and March, we’re now looking at a pair of 15-story buildings and a one-story building.  The sum contains a maximum of 358 new homes — a decrease of 19%, while retail space increased 37%.  Perhaps a better match for a neighborhood that has new construction bubbling up like a tumbler full of Alka Seltzer.

As of this writing, 935 is not on the agenda for this month’s Chicago Plan Commission meeting, so it’ll be a little while before dirt moves on this one.

Rendering of 935 West Washington (Courtesy of bKL Architecture)l

Address: 933 West Washington Street

Address: 11 North Morgan Street

Address: 942 West Madison Street

Address: 22 North Sangamon Street

Developer: Haymarket Apartments Joint Venture, LP

For realsies: ZOM Living

Architecture firm: bKL

Zoning: DX-3 > DX-5 > PD

Net Site Area: 52,813 square feet

Retail space: 13,700 square feet

Floor Area Ratio: 6.5 (4.0 base + 1.5 Bonus for Neighborhoods Opportunity Fund, Adopt-a-Landmark Fund, and Local Impact Fund)

Maximum height: 181 feet

Roof height: 169 feet

Maximum width: 247 feet, six inches

Floors: 15

Maximum residences: 358

Minimum automobile parking: 195 spaces

Maximum automobile parking: 259 spaces

Minimum loading docks: 2

Green roof alert! 21,690 square feet

from Chicago Architecture https://www.chicagoarchitecture.org/2017/04/06/new-pics-stats-on-bkls-358-unit-near-west-residential-complex/

[max34ron]

New Pics, Stats on bKL’s 358-Unit Near West Residential Complex

We’re learning more about the 15-story residential complex proposed for Chicago’s ever-so-popular Near West Side.  The project by Orlando developer ZOM was once called Union West, but according to paperwork recently filed with the city,  just goes by the address 935 West Washington.

Rendering of 935 West Washington (Courtesy of bKL Architecture)

It’s a single construction that snakes around an assortment of low-rise buildings and minor parking lots between West Madison Street and West Washington Boulevard. The bKL design includes two prominent high rise towers, most strikingly visible from the south.

The project originally surfaced last summer as a 442-unit complex with a 19-stoy building, a 17-story building, and an eight story building.  But after community meetings in December and March, we’re now looking at a pair of 15-story buildings and a one-story building.  The sum contains a maximum of 358 new homes — a decrease of 19%, while retail space increased 37%.  Perhaps a better match for a neighborhood that has new construction bubbling up like a tumbler full of Alka Seltzer.

As of this writing, 935 is not on the agenda for this month’s Chicago Plan Commission meeting, so it’ll be a little while before dirt moves on this one.

Rendering of 935 West Washington (Courtesy of bKL Architecture)l

Address: 933 West Washington Street

Address: 11 North Morgan Street

Address: 942 West Madison Street

Address: 22 North Sangamon Street

Developer: Haymarket Apartments Joint Venture, LP

For realsies: ZOM Living

Architecture firm: bKL

Zoning: DX-3 > DX-5 > PD

Net Site Area: 52,813 square feet

Retail space: 13,700 square feet

Floor Area Ratio: 6.5 (4.0 base + 1.5 Bonus for Neighborhoods Opportunity Fund, Adopt-a-Landmark Fund, and Local Impact Fund)

Maximum height: 181 feet

Roof height: 169 feet

Maximum width: 247 feet, six inches

Floors: 15

Maximum residences: 358

Minimum automobile parking: 195 spaces

Maximum automobile parking: 259 spaces

Minimum loading docks: 2

Green roof alert! 21,690 square feet

from Chicago Architecture https://www.chicagoarchitecture.org/2017/04/06/new-pics-stats-on-bkls-358-unit-near-west-residential-complex/

[highwalls-highgoals]

Watching West Side Story because I have no lifeee lol

[mycrawfordcountyancestors]

Week 13  The Old Homestead

After a couple of weeks off (the prompts didn’t inspire me, but I may revisit them if I come up with some ideas), I’m back at it. This week’s prompt for 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is The Old Homestead.

This photo shows my great-great grandparents, Edward L. and Euphemia (Tracy) Wiseman, and their children outside their home in Crawford County, Illinois. The children from left to right are: Tura, Rollie, Elsie, and Harry. I don’t know an exact date for the photo, but I’d estimate it was taken between 1895 and 1898, based on the age of my great-grandfather, Rollie.

I’ve communicated with my dad and his older brother (my Uncle Larry) this week regarding the photo. This is a beloved family photo and it is usually brought to our annual family reunion for display. We think the home stood on an 18¼-acre parcel located a couple of miles north of Stoy in Section 22 of Township 7N, Range 13W. There’s a possibility, though, that this house was on a 40-acre parcel north and west of Oblong on Section 17 near Kibbie, but the note on the back of the photo says, “near Stoy,” so I’m inclined to think that this was on the land (18 acres) closer to Stoy.

Dad and I spent a bit of time looking at Google Earth this week, and we were able to locate this property, bordered on the west by Onion Creek. On a 1930 plat map online, I found an 18-acre parcel of land with the initials, E.L.W.—Edward Livingston Wiseman, corroborating Dad’s memories. According to the will of Edward’s mother Sarah Wiseman, this 18 ¼-acre parcel was to be divided three ways after her 1894 death—Albert was to inherit 6 1/8 acres on the southern part of this property, James the northern 6 1/8, and Edward was to inherit the middle 6 acres. This is part of the southwest ¼ of the northeast ¼ of Section 22, and the transcribed will names the southeast ¼ of the northeast ¼. I’m assuming this is a transcription error on the part of the clerk.

The 40 acres owned by Sarah was a couple of miles west and approximately one mile north of the 18 acres: SE ¼ of NE ¼ of section 17, Township 7, Range 13W. In Sarah Wiseman’s will, signed on 10 January 1883, she indicates that she was currently living on this parcel of land. She desired for this land to be divided three ways as well, with each son getting 26 and two-thirds rods—Edward, the western third, Albert, the middle third, and James the easternmost third.

I have a suspicion that there was some land swapping going on between the brothers. I looked at an 1898 plat map and noticed that the 40 acres in Section 17 is not divided into three sections, but two. Jas. Wiseman has 20 acres and A. Wiseman has 20 acres. The land parcel in section 22 isn’t divided at all. It has the intitals ELW, and the number 20 (18 acres, rounded up, I presume). It seems that Edward exchanged his third of the 40 acres for his brothers’ shares of the 18 acres—and created the homestead that my dad and uncle remember with mostly fond memories. The 40 acres was owned by an A. M. Wilken in 1930.

An $1100 land sale from W. N. Wilkin to Sarah Wiseman was made on 31 December 1872. The land sale wasn’t recorded until 30 September 1878, in book 29, page 104. In the Description column of the land sale index is the word “described.” I have not had the opportunity to look at the land deed books. Uncle Larry thinks that both the 40-acre parcel and the 18-acre parcel were purchased at the same time.

I’ll now share some of my dad’s and uncle’s memories of the place my dad calls “The Farm.” A flat area east side of Onion Creek and west of the house was tillable. My dad remembered in the 1940s walking alongside a wagon and hand-picking corn here with his dad (Ray Wiseman) and grandpa (Rollie Wiseman). Behind the house, the creek curved, and the land fell off into the swampy bottomland of Big Creek. More tillable land was to the north. Dad remembers following his grandpa and a plow in this field and picking up newly-turned potatoes and putting them in a basket. A nice stand of oak and shagbark hickory stood to the north as well. Dad remembered camping there with his brother Larry, and later, with high school buddies. Between The Farm and the Big Henry Woods to the east was a fence line. Dad remembers a couple of half-buried car bodies there. How did they get there? Were they the family’s old cars? Dad and Uncle Larry remember hunting squirrels and rabbits in this area. Dad remembers his grandpa Rollie taking him back into a swampy area and showing him two large bald cypress trees and telling him that bald cypress trees weren’t too common in that part of Illinois.

Both my dad and uncle remember visiting the house a few times in the early-mid 1940s, when their great-uncle Harry lived there. The house stood on a hill on the south end of the property. It had a dirt floor as you entered but the rest of the home was floored. There was a well in front of the house that had a wooden cover. In later years one had to be very careful to locate the well because the cover was obscured by tall grass. It would’ve been easy to fall through the cover. In my dad’s teenage years, after Uncle Harry moved out of the house, my dad would buy a box of rifle shells for 50 cents and go to The Farm to shoot bottles. The property was littered with old medicine bottles, as Uncle Harry and Aunt Mae were herbalists, and helped many local people improve their health. Uncle Larry thinks that the house was gone by the mid-1950s. After the death of Rollie in 1963, the 18 acres was deeded to his widow (my great-grandmother Martha (Cramer) Wiseman. Shortly afterwards, it was deeded to my great-uncle Donald. After his death, it was sold to a non-family member as timberland.

My dad took me to the remnants of The Farm about fifteen years ago and I remember there was no access road to the property. We parked alongside the road and walked maybe a quarter of a mile through a field, across a small stream, and into some woods.  No buildings stood on the property at that time.  Fortunately, we didn’t encounter the well.

The older gentleman in the photo, my great-great grandfather Edward L. Wiseman, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on 22 January 1839. After his father’s death in 1857, his mother Sarah (Mankey) Wiseman moved with her six living children to Jackson County, Texas. Edward stayed on the Texas ranch during the Civil War to help his widowed mother. He ultimately lost two brothers to the war—one dying in battle and the second after years of imprisonment as a prisoner-of-war. The Texas ‘experiment’ ended in 1867, when the family, reportedly worth nearly $700,000 (in today’s dollars) in the 1860 census, met with financial difficulties and returned to the Midwest.

In 1870 Edward, his mother, and brothers James and Albert lived in Turman township in Sullivan County, Indiana, presumably having moved there to be near Sarah’s sister Lydia A. Secrist. The family’s real estate and personal property value in 1870 was reported as today’s equivalent of $25,000—quite a change from ten years before. Edward had attended medical college in Cincinnati before moving to Texas and was enumerated as a physician in the census. The family also has record of him later practicing medicine in Crawford County as well.

Euphemia Tracy was born in Crawford County on 6 March 1851, the youngest daughter of Loyd and Jane (Kirk) Tracy. Loyd and Jane, along with Loyd’s brother Elijah Tracy and his family, moved from Licking County, Ohio to Crawford County in 1846. In 1850 and 1851, Loyd purchased 160 acres in western Robinson township and eastern Oblong township, northeast of Robinson, from the U.S. government land office located in Palestine. Sadly, Loyd died when Euphemia was about 18 months old.

On 6 October 1878, Edward and Euphemia married in Crawford County. Shortly afterwards, they moved to Richland township, Labette County, Kansas. In the 1880 census, Edward was enumerated there as a farmer. Brother James was farming in adjacent Neosho township in Cherokee County. By 1883, Edward and Euphemia added two children to their family. Daughter Elsie was born on 7 November 1879 and son Harry was born on 8 January 1881. Based on birthplaces and birthdates for children, Edward and James were back in Illinois by the mid-1880s-James in Jasper County and Edward in Crawford County.

Elsie Lee Wiseman and Harry Lamar Kirk Wiseman were born in Labette County, Kansas. Elsie married William Reynolds in 1918, and died in Paris, Edgar County, Illinois in 1945. Older son Harry Lamar Kirk Wiseman was born in 1881. He married Mae Servison in 1909 and died in Crawford County in 1964. Tura Alice Wiseman was born in 1883 in Illinois. She married Henry Tracy in 1906 and died in 1945. My great-grandfather Rollie Mankey Wiseman was born in 1886 in Crawford County. He married Martha Washington Cramer in 1909 and died in 1963 in Stoy. All are buried in Prairie Cemetery in Oblong Township.

As always, I would love to hear from any descendants of Edward L. and Euphemia (Tracy) Wiseman.