Teaching across the seas: Herman O. Whiting

Grandma Clara's mother was Sarah Edith Whiting.  When she was 14 years old her older brother, Herman, went to the Philippines to teach English.  I wish I knew more about his experiences, but I am grateful for the few pictures we have.

His sister Nellie wrote in her autobiography, "My brother at this time was a school teacher for the government.  He was teaching in the Philippine Islands."

This is a picture of his departure for Manila on October 3, 1906.  I think the other people in the picture may be his parents.  If so this is the only picture of which I know of James Whiting.

Here is a picture that he sent home from Manila. On the back is written: Manila. November 27, 1907.

Cyrus Charles Arnold

Here is Cyrus Charles Arnold.
He was born May 8, 1893 in Shedd, Linn County, Oregon, USA.

He is the father of Grandpa Charles Arnold.

Now that's a High Chair!

"Picture of the Day"--Grandma Dorothy

This is a picture of Dorothy Jane Hill Sharp Blackwell Elliott.

She was born 17 April 1828 in Indiana.

She married William Hamilton Sharp on 14 February 1856. He died in 1873.

She remarried to James H. Blackwell in 1877; he died.

In 1888 she married John J. Elliott. He died in 1893.

She passed away in 1908 or 1909.

How does she fit in to our family?

She is Michael's 3rd great grandmother. She is the mother of Clara Etta Sharp. Clara Etta Sharp married James Madison Whiting. They are the parents of Sarah Edith Whiting. Sarah Edith Whiting married Arthur Clarence Sturgis. They are the parents of Clara Marie Sturgis...Grandma Arnold!

What a treasure!

We recently went to visit Grandma and Grandpa Arnold in California. While visiting, we looked at the many beautiful family photographs that they have cared for over ther years. We discussed some of the things I have been doing with pictures from my side of the family. We asked if we could take some to scan in and share with the rest of the family.

Grandma and Grandpa were so generous! They let us take an entire box of pictures!!! What a treasure!!!

I have started scanning them (thanks to my brother-in-law Devin's scanner) & labeling them.

I will be posting some of them. Check back for "Picture of the Day" or week, depending on my schedule.

I will be making a DVD to share with everyone.

It has been such a wonderful experience, getting to know more of the Arnold family through pictures. I hope you enjoy them; I hope you treasure them; these people love you all so very much.

The Journey Begins

"The party boarded the steamer ARCTIC, at Pittsburg on April 1st, 1853 and 'started the 2' according to the diary kept by Hellen Stewart in a little leathercovered book, printed in London and given to her by her "Aunt Simpson". It has a silver clasp.

Agnes Stewart also kept a diary on the trip west, and both diaries show plainly what delightful girls these Stewart sisters were. Hellen became attached to newly-met fellow travelers on the ARCTIC and hated to leave them when, at St. Louis, the party transferred to the HONDURAS for the trip up the Missouri river to St. Joseph, one of the outfitting points for the westward bound emigrants. Hellen comments that the scenery on the Missouri reminded her of "some old ruined castle I have read about."

On the 20th of April, they had arrived at St. Joseph, but the women and children stayed on board the steamer all night. By the 29th of April, some of their company had started on the road to Oregon, but John Stewart and family still lingered at St. Joseph and on May 2nd, Elizabeth
Young Stewart married Frederick Warner there. Record of their marriage in St. Joseph's court house states that the parties were "bound for Oregon."

Notes: Steamboat picture is just an example of a steamboat that would have been like the one on which the Stewarts & Warners traveled.

Pine Township is now apart of Pittsburgh, PA.

Part 2: Life in Pennsylvania and "Oregon Fever"

Taken from "The John Stewart Family, Oregon Pioneers
of 1853" by Leah C. Menefee. It was printed in the "Lane County Historian" Vol. IX - No. 2 Eugene, Oregon, August 1964.

"John Stewart & his family settled in western Pennsylvania where they lived for several decades. Here John Stewart built a stone house for his growing family and lived near some relatives, who had also come to America from Scotland.

In Pennsylvania, other Stewart daughters were born, Allison in 1829, Agnes in 1832 and Hellen in 1835. In 1833 Annie Stewart the eldest daughter, married a man named James Stewart--no relation. In 1845 Mary Stewart (Michael's 4th Great Grandmother) married John Warner (Michael's 4th Great Grandfather), and in 1847 Allison Stewart married Alexander McGowan. She came to Oregon in 1859, after his death.

Here in Allegheny City, which is now part of Pittsburg, the Stewarts were exposed to the "Oregon Fever" sweeping over the eastern United States, following the successful early emigrations to that far off land, which had begun in 1843.

Like thousands of others, the Stewarts began their journey to Oregon in 1853 accompanied not only by their unmarried daughters, Elizabeth, Agnes and Hellen, but by the married ones, Mary and John Warner and their three young children [Janet (Michael's 3rd Great Grandmother who was 6 when this journey began), Fredrick age 4, and John age 2] and by Annie and James Stewart, with their ten who ranged in age from a boy of almost twenty to a baby born January first 1853.

Also known to have been in the Stewart party from the Pittsburg area were the Loves, Mrs. Margaret and her three sons James, John and David. David was later to marry Hellen Stewart, In Oregon. Also with the Stewarts were two unmarried brothers of John Warner, Frederick and Thomas, both of whom were to marry Stewart girls, one in St. Joseph and one in Oregon."

Note: Items in Italics were added by Marie Arnold.

Next Week: The Journey Begins

John & Janet Stewart, Pioneers of 1853

Over the next few weeks I will be sharing some information about John & Janet Stewart. They are Michael's 5th Great Grandparents.

The following is from "The John Stewart Family, Oregon Pioneers of 1853" by Leah C. Menefee. It was printed in the "Lane County Historian" Vol. IX - No. 2 Eugene, Oregon, August 1964.

"Before he came to America, John Stewart, born in Dundee, Scotland on May 20, 1785, had served a five year term in the Forfar and Kincardine Regiment of Malitia. He was discharged on December 1, 1807 from this regiment commanded by Col. Archibald Douglas. At this time, his discharge, which is owned in Lane county by one of his descendants, stated that he was 24 years old, five feet seven and a half inches tall, with black hair and a 'fresh' complexion. He was from the parish of Munro, County Forfar, Scotland. He was a shoemaker by trade.

In 1815 John Stewart married for the first time. His wife was Annie Black and they were married in Dundee. They had one daughter, Annie, born February 16, 1816. In 1817 Annie Black Stewart died and on June 20th, 1820, John Stewart married Janet Smilie (Smiley) also in Dundee.

John Stewart and his second wife, Janet, had a daughter, Elizabeth Young Stewart, born in 1822. Her birth was followed by that of a son, born 1824 and died the same year, and by a daughter Mary A. born in 1826.

At this point, plans for coming to the United States came to fruition and these descendants of Scottish Covenanters--with their worldly goods and their Bibles--crossed the ocean in either 1826 or 1827."

Next Week: Settling in Pennsylvania