Illinois – Opening Doors in Brick Walls

Old Photographs Saved From Trash Can ~ #80 A White Swan

Why did Florence ROYALTY save this photograph of a big white bird?

royaltyquincywhiteswan — Photographed by Cumings of Golconda, Illinois. (no information was found for this photographer)

A Trumpeter swan or a Tundra swan? There are two species of swans in North America with black bills. Since there is no color in the photo one cannot see if this is a trumpeter with a red border on the lower mandible or a tundra with yellow marking on the lore. But then a tundra swan can also have the red marking and some tundra swans don’t have the yellow teardrop spot near the eye. A tundra’s eye is usually distinct from the bill while a trumpeter’s eye is not but the quality of the photo makes it hard to tell. Trumpeters have longer necks in proportion to their bodies than tundras. Distinguishing the trumpeter from the tundra is not easy even when the two are swimming or standing and they can be compared. These characteristics can be used in the field to identify one or the other but from this photograph, it would be a “wild” guess.

“In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the trumpeter swan was hunted heavily, for game or meat, for the soft swanskins used in powder puffs, and for their quills and feathers.” [Source: Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trumpeter_swan]. Extinction of the trumpeter seemed imminent by 1933 when fewer than 70 were known to exist. In the 1950s several thousand trumpeters were discovered in Alaska. The population has been restored to over 46,000 birds in 2010.

Quincy ROYALTY
killed this white swan
in a lake in New Mexico
& had it stuffed & mounted
in a glass case.
He sold it to a lawyer
when he left there for $20.

John Quincy ROYALTY (1866-1918), Florence’s brother, was the man who killed the swan. Quincy was in New Mexico from before 1898 until 1903, during the time that the swan was heavily hunted. In 1898 while in Albuquerque, New Mexico, he enlisted in Company E, First Territorial U.S. Volunteer Infantry, and served during the Spanish War until mustered out at Albany, Georgia, in 1899. After a visit to his old home in Pope County, Illinois, he returned to the West. In 1900 he was once again in Albuquerque, living in the household of his brother-in-law John R. BOSWELL and his youngest sister Olive ROYALTY, and working as a watchman for the railroad. By 1903 he had moved to California. This would have been when he sold the stuffed swan for $20.

But there is still one inconsistency. If Quincy killed the swan in New Mexico and sold it to a lawyer before he left there, then when and where did Mr. Cumings of Golconda, Illinois, photograph the swan?

More about this collection, how it came to be in my possession,
and links to previous posts in the series can be found here.

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Old Photographs Saved From Trash Can ~ #78 Fannie WELLS ca. 1910

Frances “Fannie” WELLS (1892-1975) was the daughter of Charles Thomas “Tom” WELLS (1859-1934) and Mathilda “Tillie” ROYALTY (1859-1939). Her mother Tillie was the sister of Florence ROYALTY (1868-1946) who collected most of these wonderful old photographs. Fannie’s parents lived in Pope County, Illinois when she and her older brother Charles Edgar (1886-1973) were born.

Florence and Fannie appear to have had a special relationship. Florence saved many photographs of Fannie from the time she was a little girl until she was married and had little ones of her own.

A collage of the photos from this post:
Old Photographs Saved From Trash Can ~ #23 Frances “Fannie” WELLS 1892-1975.

Update 8 August 2023: A misidentified photo has been removed from the collage. The post, Old Photographs Saved From Trash Can ~ #92 Rectifying an Error, gives more information.

While sorting through the digital copies of the collection, I’ve been moving the used images into a new folder so that I have a better overview of all unused photos. Originally there were more than 25o images in the folder. I am now down to a little less than two dozen.

In the unused file, I found this picture of Frances which has not been shared. The digital copies of the front and back of the photograph were originally labeled WielFrances and WielFrancesback.

The young woman in this picture was photographed from the waist up. Fannie has her hair up and is wearing a blouse with skirt combination or an afternoon dress. Her blouse is high collared with a bow tied in the middle front. The rounded chest inset has a ruffle from shoulder to shoulder. The sleeves are a bit wide at the shoulder level. Were they more tight fitting below the elbow? When she married about 1915 she was no longer wearing her hair up and her face was fuller (see collage). I believe this picture may have been taken about 1910 when she was 18 or perhaps a bit earlier.

The writing on the back was misinterpreted when the digital copies were labeled. At the time, connections between all of the people in this collection were not known and names were not familiar.

Written on the back of the photo in pen is Frances Well Ross sent to. Written in pencil in a more childish handwriting, maybe by young Fannie, Aunt Florence. Since Wells is missing the s at the end and Ross was Fannie’s married name, I believe the ballpoint pen writing was added later so that anyone viewing it would not think this was “Aunt Florence.”

More about this collection, how it came to be in my possession,
and links to previous posts in the series can be found here.

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Old Photographs Saved From Trash Can ~ #73 Ruth Joanna LILLIE, Part 2

Last week I shared the photograph of Ruth Joanna LILLIE as a little girl with pink cheeks and bows in her pigtails and as a young woman. There are more pictures of Ruth, the oldest daughter of Florence ROYALTY and Isaac Spencer “Ike” LILLIE.

Here she is, farthest right, with her classmates from the Class of 1927 with their 50th Anniversary cake in 1977. Ruth was born in April 1907. In 1940 on the census she was listed as having 4 years of high school education. Not having a college education this would have been her high school class.

Ruth in front of her car at her home in Brookport, Massac County, Illinois.

Following last week’s post, Joe Rooney confirmed that Ruth and her husband Zach Swan remained married until his death. Speculation on this had come up in the comments of the last post due to the fact that this was Zach’s fourth marriage. The first three ended in a divorce due to cruelty and non-support, a suicide, and another divorce. Ruth and Zach were more successful in their marriage.

Joe also mentioned that Mr. Swan had a son from one of his previous marriages who “was in Brookport, Ilinois, for a while. I believe he moved away, maybe two decades ago, but that may be where Sandra Lillie found the collection of photographs.” Joe had been under the impression that Lynn Vance LILLIE, Ruth’s nephew, had been the owner of the collection. This sheds a new light on who Florence’s collection may have been passed on to. Maybe her daughter Ruth was the caretaker of the collection?

More about this collection, how it came to be in my possession,
and links to previous posts in the series can be found here.

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Old Photographs Saved From Trash Can ~ #72 Ruth Joanna LILLIE 1907-1986

The photograph above was in this frame when I received the collection from my cousin Joe. There were also two smaller, black and white copies. One of them included the photographer’s identification number for reprints. I think this one was a reprint with color added. One of the smaller ones was framed in cardboard and was shared here.

The little girl with the pink cheeks and bows in her pigtails was Ruth Joanna LILLIE. She was the oldest daughter of Florence ROYALTY and Isaac Spencer “Ike” LILLIE, born on 26 April 1907 in New Liberty, Pope County, Illinois. She had three older brothers and a younger sister would be born in 1909.

This photograph was not dated. My guess is it was taken before World War II. There were several photographs of Ruth taken when her nephew Everett Isaac LILLIE was visiting his family while on furlow during the war.

On 22 April 1950, Ruth was photographed with her brother Samuel Royalty LILLIE. Six months later she married for the first time at the age of 43 years to Zach C. SWAN (1888-1965).

Mr. Swan had been married three times. Per the marriage license, his first marriage ended in divorce in 1930, his second marriage ended in 1932 with the death of his wife, and his third marriage ended in divorce on 9 October 1950. Two weeks later Ruth and Zach married on 23 October 1950. They were both residents of Detroit, Michigan, however, they married in Steuben County, Indiana. Further research showed the information given on the marriage license about his first and second marriage were not completely correct.

First marriage: a Michigan divorce was filed by Donna Tillotson Swan on 27 May 1921 and was finalized on 3 November 1921. The alleged cause for divorce was extreme cruelty and non-support. It was not contested.
Second marriage: Leona Dingfelder Swan died 15 January 1933 in Detroit of gunshot wounds to the abdomen, a suicide.

Zach C. Swan died in 1965 at the age of 77 years. When Ruth died in 1986 she was still using her married name, Swan.

Several more photographs of Ruth were in the collection and will be shared next week.

More about this collection, how it came to be in my possession,
and links to previous posts in the series can be found here.

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Old Photographs Saved From Trash Can ~ #71 Chester Beryl LILLIE 1900-1921

Chester Beryl LILLIE (1900-1921) was the only son of George Wyte LILLIE (1874-1943) and his first wife Mary Belle Stafford (1878-1915). Chester and his family were living in Kalamazoo as early as 1915, the year his mother died. They resided there until about 1918 when they went to live in Chicago. This photograph was likely taken before the move to Chicago. He is the young man on the left. The other two were not identified.

About the photography studio

Bradley J. Fuller, the oldest of nine children, was the proprietor of Fuller Studio on 409 North Burdick Street in Kalamazoo, Michigan, from 1916 to 1917. His youngest brother Dana Simon Fuller took over in 1919. Which of the Fuller brothers took this portrait of these young men is not known.

Chester was identified on the back of the photograph. He is the same young man seen in this photograph shared in Old Photographs Saved From Trash Can ~ #6 George Wyte LILLIE (1874-1943).

Chester was a tuberculosis patient at Fairmont Hospital in Kalamazoo on 12 September 1918 per his WWI draft card. His permanent address was 1504 East 62 St. in Chicago.

In 1920 Chester was enumerated twice on the census. He was in Chicago with his father, step-mother, and his two sisters on a census sheet dated 2 January. Chester was listed as working as a switchman for the railroad, the same occupation as his father George and his cousin Samuel Royalty LILLIE. He was also found in the Oak Forest Institution, Bremen Township, Cook County, Illinois, as a patient on an undated census sheet. The institution was enumerated on 67 sheets, the first few were dated 26 January. Chester may have only been home for the holidays.

On Tuesday, 1 March 1920, Chester died in Chicago. His body was transported to Kalamazoo for burial in Riverside Cemetery where his mother was buried. She also died of tuberculosis. His older sister Pearl Eva LILLIE died four months later and was buried in Riverside Cemetery. I have not found a death record with the cause of her death but suspect she may have also succumbed to tuberculosis.

Getting back to the two young men in the photograph with Chester. They appear to be at least 5 years older than Chester. Could they be friends or relatives? Reese Gentry LILLIE and Samuel Royalty LILLIE would be about the right age but there are no photos of Reese to compare with. Roy’s eyes were darker than the young man on the right although he does resemble Roy due to the way his hair is combed.

More about this collection, how it came to be in my possession,
and links to previous posts in the series can be found here.

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Old Photographs Saved From Trash Can ~ #69 George H. Brown 1872-1929

George H. BROWN was born on 11 March 1872 to Orilla C. SCHUCHARD and John R. BROWN. His mother passed away between 1872-1878. George resided in Columbus, Pope County, Illinois, in 1880 with his father, stepmother Maggie RUBLE, and half-brother John R. His father John R. passed away on 30 October 1884 at the age of 41. George married Anna Mary BARNES in 1894 when he was 22 years old. They had one child during their marriage. Their daughter Anna Idell was born on 2 March 1898 in Paducah, Kentucky, where the family resided in 1900 nad 1910. George lived in Carbondale, Illinois, in 1920. He died on 24 June 1929 in Detroit, Michigan, at the age of 57, and was buried in Carbondale, Illinois.

George BROWN ca. 1890

George BROWN, brother of John “Pid”

This is how I identified George H. Brown

Written on the back of the photograph was the only information I had to identify the young man featured today. Since many of the actors in this mystery series (a.k.a. people who have been featured in Florence’s collection) were from Pope County, Illinois, I took the chance and searched for George Brown with a brother named John in Pope County in all collections on Ancestry. The top result was for George H. Brown b. abt. 1872 in Illinois, living in Columbus, Pope County, Illinois.

Only the persons highlighted in the image above were shown in the indexed household. They were not the only persons living in the same household as the Brown family. The head of household was a hotel keeper and dry goods merchant. A half brother of the head of household was also living with the family. The importance of looking at the images and following other persons in the household was seen as I continued the search.

It would appear that George H. age 8 and John T. age 2 were the sons of John R. Brown age 37 and his wife Maggie age 23. But wait, Maggie would have been 15 years old at the time of George’s birth. Is she his mother or not?

I searched for George’s father in previous census listings. Since John T. Baldwin was listed as a half brother I used this information to narrow the search. This led to all census listings for John Baldwin from 1860 to 1930, his marriage to Ida Ellis who was seen on the same 1880 census listing, and his death record. George’s father was with John Baldwin in 1860. It is not possible to tell if the head of household was his stepfather or if the woman listed next was his mother as relationships are not given.
I searched for George’s brother John T. Brown who turned out to be John R. Brown. He married Allie Steagall about 1902 and had several of her sisters in his household in 1910. One of the sisters was the widow of John Jay Hardin Hodge, a brother of Anna Mae Hodge. This looked promising. A connection to another person in Florence’s collection. John’s SS application (index) showed his parents were John R. Brown and Maggie Ruble.
I searched for more information on Maggie Ruble Brown. A marriage record for John R. Brown and Maggie Ruble showed they married 1877 in Pope County, Illinois. This meant George Brown was most likely not a child of this marriage. John appears to have died and Maggie married William J. Reeves in 1894. By 1900 Maggie was once again widowed per the 1900 census. Her occupation was “Post Master” and boarding with her was Samuel L. ROYALTY. Another connection to the collection as Sam was Florence’s father.
The fact that Maggie Ruble Brown was a postmaster led to the appointments of U.S. Postmasters database. This showed John R. Brown was appointed postmaster of Wool on 30 April 1872, his half-brother John T. Baldwin on 15 December 1884, and his wife/widow Maggie Brown on 2 Jan 1885. On 27 August 1892 Wool became Brownfield and Maggie Brown was still postmaster.
Maggie Ruble Brown Reeves married Dr. Thomas Jefferson Rich about 1903 and lived in Anna, Union County, Illinois, in 1910 through 1940. She died in Anna in 1948.

I found information on George’s father, stepmother, half-brother, and uncle but what about George. Since the family lived in Wool, later known as Brownfield, I added this to the search criteria for George H. BROWN b. abt. 1872 in Brownfield.

This added a death certificate to the top matching records. The death record led to the Find A Grave memorial of George H. BROWN, his wife Anna Mary and his daughter Anna Idell. The daughter’s Find A Grave page included this statement, “Next to her parents, G. H. Brown and Annie Brown. Besides her mother, she was also survived by her grandmother, Mrs. Rich of Anna, and an uncle John R. Brown of Benton.” This backed up the information I found while researching the family group and confirmed George H. BROWN was the right person even though his birth information on Find A Grave did not match the death certificate.

The death certificate confirms George H. Brown was the son of John R. Brown of Brownfield and Ourell Schuhard of Gall (sic) County, Illinois. As I suspected, Maggie Ruble was not his mother.

George’s mother was seen as Orilla Schuchard in the household of John V. Schuchard and Catherine Young of Golconda in Pope County, Illinois. She married John R. Brown on 1 June 1868 in Pope County.

George H. BROWN’s only grandchild did not have children. His stepmother Maggie RUBLE married three times and had only one son, John R. BROWN who did not have children. There are no descendants to confirm the sad looking young man in the photograph above was George H. BROWN of Brownfield. Close in age to Florence born in 1868, she may have known George BROWN as the young boy who was orphaned at the age of 12 and lived with the postmaster, who was his stepmother, and his half-brother. Am I grasping at straws or do you think I’ve identified this young man correctly?

More about this collection, how it came to be in my possession,
and links to previous posts in the series can be found here.

Please contact me!
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Old Photographs Saved From Trash Can ~ #59 Samuel Royalty “Roy” LILLIE 1895-1979

Samuel Royalty “Roy” LILLIE, son of Isaac Spencer “Ike” LILLIE and Florence ROYALTY, was featured in several posts during the week and weekend before Memorial Day. He was one of the lucky ones who did not loose their lives serving their country during a war or while in the military. His nephew Everett Isaac LILLIE (1915-1944) was wounded in France on 6 June 1944 and died two days later.

After World War I Samuel Royalty LILLIE married Thelma HOLT, daughter of William F. HOLT and Edith S. WYMER. They were seen together on the 1920 census in Brooklyn, Massac County, Illinois, and listed as married. No marriage record has been found for them. After the birth of their only child Lynn Vance LILLIE (1920-1993) they went their separate ways. In 1930 Samuel R. LILLIE was divorced and living in Detroit, Michigan, with his son Vance.

Roy, as he was known by the family, took a trip to New Orleans in 1930 where he had his picture taken sitting on a wall, wearing a hat and with his overcoat across his lap.

Another photo was taken at the same location. He appears to be dressed the same and holding his overcoat across his crossed knees while holding a different hat.

More about this collection, how it came to be in my possession,
and links to previous posts in the series can be found here.

Please contact me!
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Old Photographs Saved From Trash Can ~ #58 Samuel Royalty “Roy” LILLIE 1895-1979

It’s Memorial Day and I’ve saved the best and the saddest for last. In this 1918 photograph Samuel Royalty “Roy” LILLIE marked himself with an x and his nickname. As Roy only served three and a half months in the U.S. Army as a Private he likely spent his entire service time at Camp Lewis near Tacoma, Washington. No location is given for this photograph but it most likely was taken at Camp Lewis.

The Standard B “Liberty” Truck was a U.S. Army 4 x 2 drive setup, 4-ton vehicle with open cab and wooden-spoke wheels. In 1917 during World War I the U.S. Army employed the first motorized military vehicles replacing the conventional horse-drawn wagon. Here Roy is standing with his Army buddies on the flatbed of the 3rd of 4 Liberty trucks, without canopy covers.

In Remembrance of Everett Isaac LILLIE 1915-1944

Roy’s nephew Everett was wounded in France on 6 June 1944 and died two days later. Please take a moment to honor him and others who lost their lives during wartime and while serving in the military. Old Photographs Saved From Trash Can ~ #11 In Remembrance of Everett Isaac LILLIE (1915-1944)

More about this collection, how it came to be in my possession,
and links to previous posts in the series can be found here.

Please contact me!
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Old Photographs Saved From Trash Can ~ #57 Samuel Royalty “Roy” LILLIE 1895-1979

Let’s begin Memorial Weekend with this group photo of Samuel Royalty “Roy” LILLIE with his Barber Staff at Camp Lewis, as it was first known, in the state of Washington during World War I. I have no idea if the men seen with Roy in this photograph survived their military service or died while serving their country.

Thousands of the nation’s youth were mobilized and trained for war service at Camp Lewis which was hastily constructed in 1917. The description on the back of this photograph places Roy in the barber shop as the Chief of Staff (head honcho). Sixty thousand young men are said to have been there originally to train for World War I. That would mean a lot of haircuts!

Roy in the front is wearing the same winter coat he had on in the previous post with his rifle. Perhaps they were taken at the same time.

Roy added a bit of a description to the back of this photograph.

Fort Lewis, Wash.
This is my Barber Staff. I am the
head cheese guy. Stokes.
Gunn. Laurence.
all regular army men to not ropes(?)
Stokes is from Temple Hill, Ill. I met him in Huurra(?)

More about this collection, how it came to be in my possession,
and links to previous posts in the series can be found here.

Please contact me!
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Old Photographs Saved From Trash Can ~ #56 Samuel Royalty “Roy” LILLIE 1895-1979

With Memorial Weekend soon coming up I would like to share these old photographs over several days, although not daily, until Memorial Day. In my last post I gave a short explanation as to why I am posting a veteran’s military photos.

Today we see Samuel Royalty “Roy” LILLIE in uniform wearing his winter coat, hat and holding a rifle in 1918.

More about this collection, how it came to be in my possession,
and links to previous posts in the series can be found here.

Please contact me!
Are you related to a person mentioned in this post? Send an email to
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