Ancestry

October 31, 1907 Leoria attends a Halloween Party

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our grandmother, Leoria, attended quite the Halloween party in October 1907. She was just 3, two months from her 4th birthday. Thirty children and many adults in a home with all those costumes must have been overwhelming for a little girl. Also, as I look at cards and images from the celebration of Halloween in at that time, it's pretty scary.

This postcard is innocent enough.  The next one may be a good representation of the decorations that may have been found at 186 Main Street in Binghamton, New York that night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The newspaper article below details the people, the decor, the activities and the entertainment little Leoria participated in that day in October 1907.

 

 

In Gold-Leafed Heels

Born in 1881, Leoria Carolyn Wilbur, is a common find in newspaper clippings from 1887 to her last day in 1903.

Ms. Wilbur was also my great grandmother, and through tracking down these articles, I wish to explore my own family’s place during the Gilded Age. Research in chronological order is difficult with my sources. I will publish my findings in the same order as I find original articles.  I will sort them by date later.

I’ve found that in my family there were three fairly prominent women in Binghamton, New York: my great-great grandmother Lovina Tripp Wilbur, born in 1853, Leoria Carolyn Wilbur, my great grandmother, born in 1881, and Leoria Carolyn Meeker, my grandmother, born in 1903. These three women were very active in the community and often show up in the local news.

The October 19, 1899 article to the side describes a visit from Teddy Roosevelt, the then governor of New York State, to a Women’s Christian Temperance Union meeting in Binghamton, New York. In this same meeting my grandmother, at the  age of 18, was given the task of running the post office that was set up in a small room of the local church for this assembly.It seems likely that both Leoria Wilbur and Lovina also met Governor Roosevelt.

The Women’s Christian Temperance Union(WTCU)was organized in 1874 to fight against the horrible effects of alcohol on families. At the time, many women depended, almost completely, on their husbands for support. In too many families, men spent their wages on alcohol, which often led to abuse of these women who had no recourse.
Many of the articles I have found describe the activities of my female ancestors in the WCTU.

MEEKER/WILBUR – MARRIAGE

So many years ago, I don’t remember when, I found this little bit of information on my great grandmother during an internet search. Of course, I wanted to know more. There is a date I found somewhere in my notes. I believe it was 1900.

The newspaper clipping below is about my grandmother’s mother, Leoria Carolyn Wilbur Meeker. Grandma was born about three years later in 1903. Background information I have gathered is in footnotes at the bottom of the page.

MEEKER/WILBUR – MARRIAGE

The wedding of Miss Leoria C. Wilbur and Albert Meeker took place last evening at 8 o’clock at the home of the bride’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. S. D. Wilbur, No 67 Park street. About sixty friends attended the wedding. The residence and lawn were handsomely decorated. In the house were palms, potted plants and evergreens, while large flags were a conspicuous feature of the decorations.[1] The porch was enclosed with American flags, while the yard was brilliantly lighted and decorated and utilized by the guests. The marriage ceremony was performed under a canopy made of a large flag, by the Rev. Dr. H. M. Crydenwise of Lestershire, assisted by the Rev. D. L. Meeker of Lanesboro.[2] Mrs. Laura White of the state hospital played Lohengrin’s wedding march.[3] The bride was attired in a gown of white mousseline de soie, over white silk, and she carried a bouquet of white carnations. She was attended by Miss Esther Skoglund of Oakland, Pa., who was dressed in pink organdie, over pink silk. Haliam Pierson was best man and little Emily Leona Barber, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Barber, was flower girl.[4] After the ceremony a wedding supper was served and Mr. and Mrs. Meeker left for a wedding tour. They will be at home after November 1, at No. 47 Park street. Mr. and Mrs. Meeker are popular young people. Both are members of the Lestershire M. E. Church, Mr. Meeker being identified with the Brotherhood of St. Paul, and Mrs. Meeker with the Queen Esther circle, as well as with the Bartlett relief corps and the Good Templars.[5] Among those present were Mrs. Frank Tripp and daughter, Mildred; Misses Esther and Frances Skoglund of Oakland, Mrs. Julia Tripp and son of Owego and Rev. And Mrs. D. L. Meeker of Lanesboro.[6]

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[1] The Spanish-American War and the Boer War were both prominently in the news.

[2] Somewhere I found a complete book on the ME church in Lestershire, NY as that area was called then. I will share when I find it.

[3] Lavina Wilbur (Mrs. S.D. Wilbur) was an accomplished organist, and music teacher, as was my grandmother. They would have had an organ in their home.

[4] Lavina Tripp Wilbur is Mrs. Stephen Wilbur, Leoria Carolyn Wilbur Meeker’s mother. Lavina and Mrs. J. C. Barber are sisters, the latter being much younger than Lavina. Emily Leona Barber is therefore Leoria’s cousin. She is the future aunt of our grandmother, also Leoria, but most likely a playmate and peer socially of Leoria to be born in 1903.

[5] Lestershire was incorporated into Binghamton.

[6] Mrs. Julia Trip may be the mother of Mrs. S.D. Wilbur and Mrs. J.C. Barber.

WCTU September 2, 1902

There is so little I have found on Leoria Carolyn Wilbur Meeker. On this day, Mrs. Leoria Meeker read selections from the Bible at the fifteenth annual Broome County Women’s Christian Temperance Union. Her age at the time is 22.
Her mother, Mrs. S.D Wilbur, gave a report for the department of mercy.

WCTU September 2, 1902

There is so little I have found on Leoria Carolyn Wilbur Meeker. On this day, Mrs. Leoria Meeker read selections from the Bible at the fifteenth annual Broome County Women’s Christian Temperance Union. Her age at the time is 22.
Her mother, Mrs. S.D Wilbur, gave a report for the department of mercy.

Barbers and IBM 1927

Today’s post is a leap in time, up to 1927 because I found the Endicott, New York Directory in my files and noticed something new. My grandparent’s names are highlighted below. Just after the names is “emp ITR”. I knew my grandfather worked for IBM and was an early employee. IBM has its roots in Binghamton, NY, just like our family. My grandfather worked at The International Time Recording Company in 1927 which later became known as International Business Machines.

The Leoria C. is my grandmother, not my great-grandmother. She was given the same name as her mother. I always thought my grandfather’s name was Chauncey Claude Barber. He went by Claude.

IBM History – 1927 click through the title for more info

• The Endicott Engineering Laboratory develops major, intermediate and minor control.
• March 16 -- The International Time Recording Company purchases additional property.

• 

  A formal program of sales and service instruction is inaugurated in a room of the manufacturing headquarters. There are 140 students in that class.

• Endicott employs 1,100 people.

Claude and Leoria Barber were living at 106 Loder Ave in Endicott, NY in 1927 while he worked at ITR (IBM). That address does not show up on Zillow, but 108 Loder is still there and was built in 1900.

My father was born three years later in Bridgeport, CT. As far as I know, my grandfather worked for IBM until his death.

December 17, 1903 Owego NY Tioga County Record

 

I have always known my great grandmother died as a result of childbirth. My grandmother was born on December 13, 1903 and in four days she was without a mother.

My grandmother was named Leoria just as her mother was twenty-two years earlier and adopted by her mother’s parents.

Great-grandmother: Leoria Carolyn Wilbur Meeker

Grandmother: Leoria Carolyn Meeker Wilbur

She told me this story many times always emphasizing they had the same names with the last names reversed.

The trained psychologist portion of me is going all the places you are and more. This baby is without her mother and then adopted by her older grandparents. Her grandfather “father” fought in The Civil War. And, they lost their only child. Wow! It must have been tough for little Leoria.

Other things of  note in this little piece:

• Julia Tripp must be a sister-in-law of Lavina Tripp Wilbur, my grandmother’s grandmother soon to be adoptive mother.
• Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Tripp were my great-great-grandmother’s parents who lived in Owego.

The Tripp Family

My grandmother’s grandmother, who became her adoptive mother, was Lovina Tripp.  It was sometimes spelled “Lavina” and she was many times referred to as “Vina” and, of course, “Mrs. S. D. Wilbur” or “Mrs. Stephen D. Wilbur”.

Follow Lovina’s father Daniel (link below) to see their genealogy back to England:

Daniel Tripp

Here is an excellent biography of our first Tripp ancestor on American soil:

Biography of John TRIPP

John Tripp was baptized 8 Sep 1611/1612 at Horkstow Parish, Lincolnshire, England according to a deposition (loose folder dated 1670; New Bedford Library) concerning his personal history. He states Horkstow as his birthplace. George Randall, early biographer (1950's) of the Tripps of Rhode Island, cites his birthplace as Northumberland, England. Randall's source is likely the same deposition (not the Horkstow deposition) cited by Sumner wherein John Tripp gives a deposition 6 Feb 1660/1661 regarding his "Uncle Potter" (who was in fact uncle to Mary Paine). This deposition reads "I, John Tripp, born in Northumberland County, England, the son of John and Isabel Moses of Lincolnshire, born in 1610, was apprenticed to the house carpentry trade and with my master, Randall Holden, came to Newport or Portsmouth in 1630...". The deposition of 1660/1661 has not been located. At present, there appears to be no way to reconcile these two conflicting depositions. The baptismal record for John Tripp at Horkstow Parish has been located thus until further evidence, we are recording the birthplace of John Tripp as Lincolnshire, England.

One of about twelve children of John Tripp and Isabel Moses, John Tripp was apprenticed to John Baats of Thorsby, Lincolnshire to learn ship carpentry and served seven years and more. Thereafter, he bound himself (in 1633/1634) to Frances East for four years. After about one and one half years of service (1635/1636), East sold the contract to Robert Jafra of Boston. Jafra fled Boston, with John Tripp in tow, to Rhode Island to avoid religious persecution. Thereafter, Jafra sold the contract to Randall Holden of Portsmouth, RI. After some time, John Tripp paid off (probably 1637/1638) the remaining time on the contract.

It is likely that John Tripp was first apprenticed at about the age of fifteen thus serving his first apprenticeship until 1632/1633. It is probable that he was yet in Lincolnshire for his next one and one half years of service until 1635/1636 when he immigrated to Boston on the same ship as William Hall (Abiel Tripp, son of John Tripp, married Deliverance Hall, daughter of William Hall). This likely sequence agrees with the immigration date of 1635 cited by Dr. Carolyn Syron Valentine in "Trip Wills, Deeds and Ways", 1932. The Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s (page 296) has the immigration place of Rhode Island in 1638, this not being a conflict with immigration date of 1635 to the colonies.

In the Registry of Freemen of Portsmouth, Colony of Rhode Island (Aquidneck Island), John Tripp is listed as: John Tripp, Gentleman. Since the term "Freeman" refers to landholding, voting rights, and the privilege to serve in public office, then it is likely that he was admitted Freeman about 1641. The deposition (wherein he discusses his origins and life history) of John Tripp housed in the New Bedford Public Library, Genealogy Dept and Archives, was entered about 1670.

In 1640, John Tripp married Mary Paine, daughter of Anthony Paine. Her mother is unknown. Her step-mother was Rose Potter.

On 1 Mar 1641, John Tripp purchased land next to Thomas Groton and then later resided next to Ralph Earle. In 1651, John Tripp and Ralph Earle settled a boundary dispute and this document was witnessed by Benedict Arnold (not of the American Revolution) and others. In 1657, he had planting land on Hogg Island for a period of seven years. On or before 1658, John operated a ferry because he was paid for transporting members of the General Assembly that year. This was no doubt the beginnings of the famous Tripp Ferry. In 1662, he purchased a quarter share of the Dartmouth Purchase from John Alden and then divided and conveyed this interest to his sons in 1665.

Active in public affairs, John served in a number of public offices over the years.

1651: Clerk of Weights and Measures

1655: Commissioner Of The Colony

1661: Served At Court Of Commissioners At Portsmouth

1666: Serves Grand Jury;Also Ratemaker,Surveyor Of Cattle,Deputy-Genl Assembly

1667: Deputy Of General Court

1668: Deputy Of General Court

1669: General Assembly At Newport

1672: Apr and Oct Assemblies;Moderater Of Portsmouth Mtg To And Including 1675

1675: Prover And Sealer Of Weights And Measures

1676-1678: Numerous Offices

1678: Last Appearance In Records

John Tripp made his last will and testament 16 Dec 1677, proved 28 Oct 1678, leaving five male descendants some of whom would remain in Rhode Island and become prominent in many areas including the whaling industry and some of whom would begin a restless migration first to New York continuing west. His daughters, of whom less is known, married into some of the first 100 families of Rhode Island.

© 2006 Mark L. Fields.

Furthermore:

Notes

John Tripp signed (with others) the Aquidneck Covenant and the following covenant, a politico-human document that could serve us as well today as then. This covenant was signed in Providence and was probably the General Assembly.

"That we are not wilfully opposite, nor careless and senceless, and thereby meanes of our own an others ruine and destruction. And especially in testimonye of our fidelitye and cordiall affections unto one another heere present, so that ther may be a current, peaceable and comfortable proceedinge."

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An industrious man, John Tripp was, amongst other enterprises, a husbandman. His brand (livestock mark) was entered into the Portsmouth town records: "The Eare (ear) marke of John Tripp Senyor (Senior) is a Crop on ye Left Eare (and) a hapeny (half-penny) one (on) (th)e side of ye same Eare (u)nder Crope of Nere(.) (U)pon 30 res standinge (residents attending?) and re(a)d (u)pon Record the nd day of december by me Richard towne Clarke (Clerk)"