4 Resources for Finding Your Ancestors’ Professions

Match Tips (Ohio Match Co. Newsletter),
31 August 1950, p. 5, accessed at MCDL Digital Archive. 

In honor of Labor Day, this week’s blog post focuses on our ancestors’ professions.  Have you ever wondered how one of your ancestors made a living?  Keep reading for four resources that can help answer this question!  

1. Census Records

One of the easiest ways to learn about your ancestor’s occupation are census records.  Beginning in 1850, the U.S. Census included information on an individual's “profession, occupation, or trade.” Initially this data was only recorded for men, but within a decade it was recorded for women, too.  As an example of how census records can help, follow A. I. Root’s professional career through the census.  

In 1870, A. I. Root worked in manufacturing watch chains and rings. 

1870 U.S. Census, Medina County, Ohio, Medina Township, p. 15, accessed on Ancestry Library Edition.

By 1880, he had begun working with bees…

1880 U.S. Census, Medina County, Ohio, Medina Village, p. 30, accessed on Ancestry Library Edition.

By 1900, he was President of the A. I. Root Company.

1900 U.S. Census, Medina County, Ohio, Enumeration District 49, p. 12, accessed on Ancestry Library Edition.

You may be able to find additional information on ancestors who made their living in either agriculture, manufacturing, or other industries during the late 1800s. On this blog, we’ve previously discussed using Agricultural Schedules to learn more about your family’s farm.  Additionally, there are separate censuses (or schedules) for manufacturing and industry. These records indicate your ancestor’s trade, number of employees, what materials they needed for their work, how much they produced and other details.  Only a few industry schedules exist for Medina County; here is a sample from 1850:

1850 U.S. Census, Industry Schedule, Medina County, Ohio, Medina Township,
accessed on Ancestry Library Edition.

2. City/County Directories

City directories often include individual’s professions and help fill the gaps between censuses.  Some directories will note two addresses for individuals, one being their home address, and the other as their work address.  Here’s an example from the 1948 Medina City Directory: 

"Medina, Ohio ConSurvey Directory" (Ohio: Mullin-Kille Company & Medina Gazette, 1948), p. 211, available at Virginia Wheeler Martin Family History & Learning Center. 

Tip: If you’re having difficulty understanding the abbreviations in the directories, always check the front of the book for explanations.  Alternatively, review this list of directory abbreviations. 

3. Newspapers and Company Newsletters

Newspapers – especially obituaries – can be a good source of information on your ancestor’s profession.  More recent obituaries (those published after 1900) may include details about the deceased’s employment, noting where they worked and for how long.  

Company newsletters, on the other hand, can tell you more about where your ancestor worked and the culture of their workplace.  For example, in “Match Tips” (a newsletter for Ohio Match Company) there’s an article from March 1950 about the company’s bowling leagues… and it includes a picture, too!

Match Tips (Ohio Match Co. Newsletter),
31 March1950, p. 7, accessed at MCDL Digital Archive.

4. Estate Records

This resource will take a little sleuthing.  Estate Records (also called Probate Records) often include an inventory of the deceased’s belongings.  Looking at a list of your ancestor's belongings can be a powerful tool for learning more about their livelihood. From their belongings, you may be able to infer their profession.  

For example, Orin Webster of Richland County, Ohio passed away around 1863.  Here is a sample of the property sold from his estate: 

Richland County, Ohio Probate Court, Inventory vol. 1, p. 37, Sale Bill for Orin Webster, 25 February 1863, accessed on Ancestry Library Edition. 

Given the number of books on law – plus the blank deeds – in Webster’s estate, it seems like he might have been a lawyer.  The 1860 U.S. Census confirms this theory.

1860 U.S. Census, Richland County, Ohio, Springfield Township, p. 198, accessed on Ancestry Library Edition.

Find & Access These Resources

When you research your ancestor’s profession, you may find that not all of the resources you’d like to use are online. Below are suggestions for where you can access the resources discussed in this blog post.  

Ancestry

Some resources are available on Ancestry.  Ancestry Library Edition is available for you to use from home, for free, with your MCDL Library Card through December 31, 2021.  To take advantage of this opportunity, access Ancestry through the library’s website here. When you click “Use This Resource” you’ll be directed to a page where you can enter your library card number.  It will then take you to the Ancestry Library Edition homepage.  

From the homepage, to find the materials discussed above, click “Search,” then click “Card Catalog.” 

In the “Card Catalog,” search the "Title" field to access these collections: 

• For Census Records, search “United States Federal Census” 

• For Agricultural, Manufacturing, or Industry Censuses, search “U.S., Selected Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, 1850-1880”

• For City Directories, search “U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995”

• For Ohio Estate/Probate Records, search “Ohio, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1786-1998”

Virginia Wheeler Martin Family History & Research Center

Many of the resources discussed above can be accessed onsite at the FHLC or through the library’s website. 

• For directories of Medina, the FHLC has a collection of various years between the late-1940s and the mid-1990s.  These include county-wide directories, and directories for the cities of Medina and Wadsworth.

• For Medina County obituaries, search the obituary index and use the obituary request form at https://mcdl.info/obituaries. 

• For Medina County newspapers, the Medina County Gazette, Medina Sentinel, and other local newspapers can be viewed on microfilm at the library. Medina County newspapers from various decades can also be searched online at http://mcdl.info/newspapers. 

• For Medina County company newsletters, search at http://mcdl.info/newspapers. 

Online Memory Projects & Newspaper Databases

For newspapers and company newsletters outside Medina County, try out these memory projects and newspaper databases. 

• Chronicling America

• Cleveland Memory

• Digital Public Library of America

• Ohio Memory

• Newspapers.com Library Edition (access with your MCDL library card)

Courthouses & Archives

While many probate/estate records can be found in Ancestry's "Ohio, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1786-1998" collection or the FamilySearch Catalog, others can only be accessed through county courthouses or county/regional archives. For example, in Medina County, though wills can be accessed through Ancestry Library Edition or FamilySearch, the inventories described above are only available at the Medina County Probate Court.  Before visiting any research facility, it is best to call in advance to confirm hours, policies, and fees (see more Research Trip Tips here.). In Medina, contact the Probate Court for more information at 330-725-9703 or learn more at https://medinaprobate.org. Be aware that record searching services  and staffing are currently limited due to COVID-19.

Ask for Help

If you’re having difficulty finding the resources you need, please contact the MCDL Genealogy Team.  We are happy to advise you in your search.  Call us at 330-725-0588 x5017 or email the team at me-team.genealogy@mcdl.info.  

We also love hearing about your research successes! Did your ancestors having any interesting professions? Share your discoveries in the comments below!

P.S. All this weekend, enjoy free access to specific record groups on the subscription version of Ancestry.com. You will be prompted to create a free account. Access expires September 6, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Learn more at https://www.ancestry.com/cs/laborday.

Get to Know Your Local Historical Societies

 Medina County Genealogical Society

Medina County is fortunate to have many societies dedicated to preserving our local history.  For the second blog post in this series, we’re featuring the Medina County Genealogical Society.  MCGS president Pat Morgan kindly answered our questions about the society. 

If you are interested in genealogy, below are some details about how to get involved with MCGS and the benefits from joining!

MCDL Librarian: Tell us a little bit about yourself...  How long have you worked with the Medina County Genealogical Society?  What sparked your interest in family history? 

MCGS Pat Morgan: I have been a member for 15 years.  I currently serve as President. I have always been interested in my family history. My maternal grandmother prepared a history of her father’s family and she gave me a copy shortly before I got married. It now appears I am the only family member who kept their copy. I was intrigued that while she had much information about her father’s family, she did not have a name for her great-great grandmother who came with her husband, ten children (the youngest was 2) plus a future son-in-law and a nephew from Germany in 1837. I wanted that woman to have a name so that is what got me serious about genealogy. (I have since learned that her name was Charlotte.)

MCDL Librarian: How does someone go about joining the society?  What benefits do society members receive?  

MCGS Pat Morgan: Membership forms are available on our website: medinacoogs.org.  You can download the form and mail it to Medina County Genealogical Society, P.O. BOX 804 Medina,Ohio 44256. Our membership year runs from January to December and we offer several different memberships.  

MCDL Librarian: Do you have upcoming programs?  Where/when does the society meet?  Do people have to be members to attend programs? 

MCGS Pat Morgan: Pre-COVID-19 we held our meetings on the second Sunday of the month from September to April at the Main Library. The library is closed on Sundays starting in May so we altered our schedule to the second Saturday of the month. At the present time we have been holding our meetings via Zoom. We hope to be able to resume in-person meetings on 12 September 2021 at 2PM at the Main Library. Our in-person meetings are open to the public and there is no charge. We have programs on a variety of genealogy related topics and also offer at least two help sessions per year.

MCDL Librarian: If an individual needs help with research – or if they live too far away from Medina County to conduct research themselves – how can they get assistance from the society?

MCGS Pat Morgan: If you need research help and are a member of the chapter you can send your query to research@medinacoogs.org. There is no charge for members but we do ask that you cover the cost of printing and postage if you need hard copies.  We also appreciate donations. Information about costs to non-members can be found on our website in the Research Policy section.

MCDL Librarian: Lineage societies are a great way to honor one's ancestors.  What lineage societies does MCGS offer and how can someone join them?

MCGS Pat Morgan: We offer three lineage societies as a way to honor your Medina County ancestors.  First Families of Medina County honors ancestors who lived in present day Medina County by 31 December 1850.  Settlers and Builders honors ancestors who lived in present day Medina County from 1 January 1851 to 31 December 1880. Century Families of Medina County honors ancestors who lived in present day Medina County from 1 January 1881 to 100 years prior to the current year. Applications for each lineage group plus instructions can be found on our website in the Lineage Society section. For questions contact lineagechair@medinacoogs.org

MCDL Librarian: Is there anything else you'd like everyone to know about the MCGS at this time? 

MCGS Pat Morgan: One of the best benefits of membership in the Genealogy Society is meeting people who totally understand and share your love of finding your ancestors and making sure their stories are not forgotten. You do not have to have ancestors that lived in Medina County to join our society.  Whether you are just beginning your research or are a veteran of searching cemeteries and dark corners in old court houses we welcome the chance to share successes and the occasional research roadblock with you. For questions or more information our email is chapter@medinacoogs.org.

Medina's Connection to the Wright Brothers

 Soaring From Bees to Planes.....

Orville and Wilbur Wright
 photograph from the Library of Congress

 

   August 19th will commemorate Orville Wright’s 150th birthday and it is the date the United States fittingly celebrates Aviation Day!

 
   The Wright Brothers have a fascinating history and connection to Ohio. Yet how many know the connection they have to Medina, Ohio? 

   

Library of Congress image

Most of the nation became aware of their first flights at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina soon after the event.

A. I. Root 
www.rootcandles.com

One of the most intrigued persons was one of Medina’s renowned citizens, Amos Ives (A. I.) Root.

For those of you who are not familiar with A.I. Root, he is the founder of the A. I. Root Company aka Root Candles. It is said Mr. Root was working as a jeweler on the Medina Square when he saw a swarm of bees fly by the store. He told a young man in the store he would give him a dollar if he caught the bees and brought them back to him. The bees were successfully caught and A. I. Root became occupied with the business of beekeeping and quickly became one of the nation’s most renowned experts on the subject. He also published Gleanings in Bee Culture a periodical on the beekeeping business and a few other interesting topics.

Mr. Root had a very inquisitive mind and was always interested in new inventions. He was the first person in Medina to own a velocipede (bicycle), he bought an automobile soon after they were made available, and was fascinated by the Wright Brothers and their “heavier than air flyer”.

Gleanings in Bee Culture, 1 March 1904, p. 241
Internet Archives, archive.org

In the March 1, 1904 edition of Gleanings in Bee Culture he talks about when he spoke to a group of boys in his Sunday school class about the fascinating men from Dayton, Ohio. 

He also told the boys he was going to be at the Wright brother’s next experimental flight. 

In fact, before this story was even published he had sent a letter to the brother’s requesting permission to see a flight experiment at the Huffman Prairie field just outside of Dayton, Ohio.

 

Library of Congress digital image
Permission to use by the Root Candles company

The Wright brothers did not disappoint him and Mr. Root let them know his appreciation. 

 

Library of Congress digital image
Permission to use by the Root Candles company

Library of Congress digital image

According to Ian Mackersey's The Wright Brothers, "On 20 September their performance took another leap when he (Wilbur) stayed up for 1 minute 35 seconds, successfully flying a complete circle traveling nearly four-fifths of a mile. The flight was watched by a beekeeper, Amos Root, to whom the world is indebted for a full account of the event. Root, hearing of the Wright's experiments, had, in a remarkable feat for 1904, driven the 175 miles in his primitive motor car from his apiary at Medina in northern Ohio in the hope of seeing the Flyer in the air.”

Some newspapers wrote little snippets about the flight trials. However, A. I. Root was the first person to write about the experience and publish it in a periodical. In the 1 January 1905, Gleanings in Bee Culture, he retold the events of the day in which he was an eyewitness....

Gleanings in Bee Culture
1 January 1905, p. 37

Gleanings in Bee Culture
1 January 1905, p. 37

After this momentous event, it seems he continued to visit and correspond with the brothers and stayed friends with them until the end of his life....

Medina County Gazette
2 Sept 1910, p 5

A. I. Root sitting in a Wright Brother's plane
Medina County Fair, ca. 1915

 

Medina County Gazette
29 Dec 1922, section 2, p 1

Mr. Root never stopped being interested in the new inventions of the time. His interest in wind power is written about in an article in the Medina Gazette. Do you think he was one of the first to own an electric car? 

If you want to know more about this fascinating Medina native, the Medina Library Virginia Wheeler Martin Family History & Learning Center has a copy of his book ABC and XYZ of Bee Culture a type of encyclopedia of beekeeping and his autobiography An Eyewitness Account of Early American Beekeeping in the local history room. The library also has copies of the Gleanings in Bee Culture from 1956 to 2016 and Internet Archives, www.archive.org, has digital images of the publication from 1873-1993. 

                            

Thank you to Root Candles and Brad Root, president, for allowing us to use some of the images for this blog. 

• Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/collections/wilbur-and-orville-wright-papers/
• Internet archives; www.archive.org
• Medina County Gazette, 2 September 1910, page 5; 29 December 1922
• Medina County Historical Society
• Root Candles; www.rootcandles.com
• The Wright Brothers, by Ian Mackersey, 2003, Chapter 16, Shattering the Five-Minute Barrier, (1904)

Centeseptequinary Anniversary Fair

Medina County Fair Logo Pin from 2015

Happy Birthday to the Medina County Fair!

Last week the Medina County Fair celebrated it's 175th Anniversary! Except this is the 176th Medina County Fair. More on that later.

The Medina County Fair has its roots in the harvest festivals of New England. The Connecticut and Massachusetts pioneers who first settled Medina brought the tradition with them. No one knows exactly when it started, but early in Medina's history, local farmers brought their prize animals to the square in Medina to show off to their neighbors. 

In 1833, the County Commissioners directed the Auditor to call a meeting to form a County Agricultural Society. The meeting was called, but there was little interest.

But the farmers kept gathering on the square in the fall to show off the results of their hard work. Their wives soon joined them to exhibit their prize dishes and needlework. 

In 1845, the Agricultural Society was formed and from then until 1851, the agricultural "fair" continued to be held on the Square. Admission price? 10¢

For several years, the Fair board rented 7 acres from Mr. Bronson. Several exhibit buildings were built on this property.

In 1855 the first race track, 1/4 mile,  was constructed. Horses ran individually and their times were compared.

Excerpt from the 1857 Map of Medina County showing the location of the Agricultural Fair. 
The lower right corner of the fair grounds is now the intersection of Huntington and Friendship Streets. 
 Now it is a residential neighborhood.

In 1863, land was bought between Smith and Washington, where Root Candles now sits. The buildings were moved. The Medina Fire of 1870 dampened spirits and the fair was a meager event. By 1872, the fair admission had doubled to 20¢

This portion of the 1874 Combination Atlas and Map of Medina County, Ohio shows the fairgrounds
on West Liberty, next to the railroad tracks. A few years later, in 1878, the grounds were sold to
A.I. Root for his beekeeping factory. 

In 1878, A. I Root bought the fair property for his new beekeeping enterprise. The fair board bought 21 acres from the McDowell tract and 5 acres from T.W. Rowe and Henry Horn. A large frame building and several halls were built with sheds, stalls & pens for the animals. A new 1/2 mile racetrack was constructed with a grandstand for optimal viewing. 

In 1890 the fair had 10,000 attendees in one day. But the rest of the decade had droughts and hard economic times which affected fair participation.

This undated cabinet card is labeled "Race Trails" (sic) on the back. The gentlemen's hats date from the 1880's
 and 90's. The size of this card, 5" X 8 1/2", makes it a "Boudoir" cabinet card. They were produced
 in the 1890's. The name, "Mrs RM McD", is also on the back of the card.

1895 heralded the 50th anniversary of the fair. 

Admission price = 25¢. Children less than 10 years old were free.

Perhaps because it was only the 50th anniversary, it was a subdued celebration.

Medina Gazette, June 20, 1895  Page 3. The list of who won which prize is extensive,
and the races and the weather received newspaper space but coverage
of the anniversary and the history of the fair is scant.

Or maybe something else was in the air:

The temperance movement (anti-liquor) was very strong in Medina.
 What exactly constituted "immoral exhibitions?

1897

This image from the 1897 Atlas of Medina County pinpoints the
fairgrounds in the present location between Lafayette and Smith Roads

In 1911, the Agricultural Society's finances took a hit when someone produced and sold over $100 in counterfeit fair tickets.

The Spanish Flu epidemic hit in 1918-1919, but the fair continued on, although with reduced attendance. 

Electricity was installed in 1922 and for the first time, the fair had regular evening hours. Fireworks became a fair tradition starting in 1928.

30 years ago this metal sign was found in a drawer at the Medina Library. From the dates, the sign could be
advertising either the 1937 or 1944 fair. Since metal was at a premium throughout the World War II, it is
unlikely to date from 1944. Also, on the back is the name "Sid Bowman". Sid served in many capacities
in Medina History, but right after he returned from serving as a Marine in the South Pacific in WWII, 
he worked for the Medina County Highway Department. The sign probably came into his possession at that time.

1945

World War II had just ended. The men were returning from overseas. Military deaths still dominated the front pages of the Gazette. And it was fair time. But not just any fair time it was the 100th Anniversary of the Medina County Fair. It was to be the fair to "outshine all others!"

Medina County Gazette 31 August 1945, p 6.

Full page ads were in all the local papers.

  The Lodi Review, September 6th, 1945, page 2

The Fair Board spared no expense in making it the best fair ever:

• The midway concessions & entertainment rivaled the best.
• Fair premiums (prizes) were larger, make interest greater and drawing competitors from farther out.
• Govenor Frank Lausche came on Thursday afternoon.
• Senator Harold Burton spoke on Saturday afternoon. He was a contender for a Supreme Court spot. (He was an Associate Judge on the Supreme Court from 1945-1958)
• Extra parking was provided.
• Many businesses shut down to give their employees a chance to attend.
• These companies gave out free tickets to their employees and families:
• Permold
• R. O. Bowman
• Medina Farmers Exchange
• Henry Furnace Company
• Medina Supply
• Nichols Refrigeration
• Old Phoenix National Bank put up a purse of $132 for a special pony race.
• All servicemen in uniform were admitted free to the fair.
• Several columns in The Gazette were devoted to the 100 year history of the fair.
• A new dining hall proved to be very popular.
• The weather cooperated and they had record turnout for the fair.

Everyone agreed. The 100th Medina County Fair was a rousing success!

A few short years later, in 1952, the news wasn't so good...

FIRST TIME EVER!

Medina County Gazette  August 8, 1952 Page 1

Because of the ongoing polio epidemic it was too dangerous to hold the fair. The Fair Board vote was unanimous in its decision. Money had already been spent on advertising, tickets and fair books, but it was decided they could be used the following year. Later in the fall, the townships held achievement meetings for the 4-H members so their accomplishments could be recognized. Because of this, the Board decided the fair the following year would be the 108th. 

Fair premium ribbons from the country's bicentennial - 1976!

Ribbons at the Virginia Wheeler Martin Family History Center

1995 - The 150th Anniversary of the Medina County Fair!

Multiple articles in the Gazette touted the event and the fair book featured a four page article on the history of the fair. By then, big name entertainers, like New Kids on the Block, Kenny Rogers, and Blake Shelton were a staple offering. 350 concessionaires peddled their wares and over 800 exhibits welcomed the 160,000 fair attendees. The budget that had started out as $67 had blossomed to over $600,000.

The Gazette  26 July 1995 cover to the fair supplement.

2020

175 years after the first official fair in 1845, Medina County was set to celebrate the Centeseptequinary Anniversary of the fair in 2020.  But then, something unexpected happened. 

COVID-19. 

The Fair Board opted to not cancel the fair completely. Instead, they held "The Junior Fair". This is the part of the fair where the local 4-H groups compete. But there was no anniversary celebration... 

So 2021...

• Fair budget is now over $1,000,000 
• 92 acres 
• Attendance for 2021 over 100,000 people

2021 Fair Supplement from The Gazette Special Supplement 2 August 2021

Everyone was set to enjoy the fair, anniversary or not. The competition was fierce and the fair food delicious. What are some of your favorite fair memories?

So why Centeseptequinary??

Centa = 100       Septe = 7      Quinary = 5

Cente  + septe + quinary =175

This term was locally used heavily during 1991-1993 when Medina County and many of hits townships and villages were celebrating their 175th Anniversaries.

Genealogy Discussion Group

The Genealogy Team is delighted to launch a monthly genealogy discussion group at noon on the 2nd Wednesday of each month.
 

Starting August 11th in meeting room 2A on the second floor of the Medina Library, The Genealogy Team, Lauren Kuntzman, Kathy Petras, and Lisa Rienerth, will be available to discuss research, share hints, and ask questions. Crow about your latest success story or we can share feedback on your stalled research. 

Can't make it on the 11th?

The discussion group will also be held noon on:

• 8 Sep
• 13 Oct
• 10 Nov
• 8 Dec
• 12 Jan 2022
• 9 Feb
• 9 Mar
• 13 April
• 11 May

Connect with fellow genealogists. Learn from other's experience and mistakes. All are welcome!

Meeting room 2A and 2B on the 2nd floor of the Medina Library next to the Reference Desk.