Unknown cemetery Orleans Parish

Does anyone have any idea about the history around S. Tonti Street in New Orleans? Here is a map from 1895 that illustrates a cemetery on the Illinois Central American Railroad just above S. Tonti and likely within a 1/4 mile of that street.

The map is 116 years old  and the area has changed BUT the streets below the cemetery  have not changed  names.  There are many street name changes in New Orleans over the past 100 years or so. The location of 4th Street was critical in placing the cemetery on a modern day Google map near a railroad. There are many cemeteries to the NORTH and EAST and WEST of this location.  I just love old maps. A little farther Northeast would place the cemetery at the Superdome.  I just don't know the name of this cemetery and cant seem to find it anywhere.

J. Robb Bank

Into the New Year! I am looking at my bank .... ouch. I bet you didn't know there was a J. Robb bank in New Orleans. I wish I could see the bank note prior to December 13, 1858.  I would read the bank note:

"J. Robb Bank - 5 dollars"

The bank changed its name after that date to Merchants Bank.

LOUISiana Digital Library April 1859

Google Newspaper Archive and Search is over.... and it has wreaked havoc on my newspaper archive searching. Google decided mid year to stop processing its newspaper archive. I suppose this also included archive newspaper search for the individual newspaper chosen.  Can't seem to get the archive search to do what I want it to these days. There is more about Mr. J Robb from the NY TIMES Archive. Click the photo for the original.  (Also there was a steamboat disaster reported in January of  1855 which names the James Robb steamship and two others from St. Louis to New Orleans which sunk. The James Robb steamboat was owned by Capt. Carroll of Cincinnatti and Louisville. URL)

Making new recipes, and sharing old memories of Thanksgiving

Have you been to the Southern Food and Beverage Museum's blog OKRA, yet?  Well, you should.  There are a few recipes listed that are really getting great reviews in my kitchen. Right now, I am busy gathering all of the family recipes for the holidays.  I have made up the grocery list from the recipe list and have taste tested a few new delicious recipes. I am thankful for local church cookbooks this year.  The older the cookbook the better.  I am lucky enough to have two very old church cookbooks.  One from Louisiana and one from my Aunt. Well, two from Louisiana!

One of my favorite memories was my great grandmothers formal dining table at Thanksgiving.  I was allowed to have a wine glass full of whatever fuzzy nose tickling soda I liked. Just thinking about it makes my nose tickle. I felt so grown up in having a wine glass just like everyone else. The table glittered with crystal, silver, the fine china and candles. Everyone helped polish the silver.  I was allowed to help set the table and place the wine glasses.  It was odd, I'm sure to my grandmother, that my goblet needed to be  refilled frequently before dinner began.  She usually caught on at about the third or fourth refill.  Some would think giving a wine glass to a child would  set the stage for a future member of AA, but no. Instead,  I withheld  soft drinks from my own children until they were eight.

Those days are long gone. No more formal dining.  No more crystal, candles or fine china.  The food we shared back then?  I cant even remember it, actually.  I suppose I'm instilling the memory of food, instead of formal place settings to my own offspring now. 

I am thankful for those memories at my great grandmas formal dining table with everyone laughing above the candles and the crystal twinkling magically like stars.

Now off to pluck that turkey....

Bugles and buglers

This is an interesting story that cropped up in the Google News reader this morning about a Louisiana native searching for his grandfathers WWI bugle. This group plays taps at military funerals. There is no cost to, or charge for, the rendering of Taps for the families of our deceased military heroes. Bugles Across America can be reached at www.buglesacrossamerica.org. The article further stated this:

He returned to the United States April 2, 1919, but was killed at the age of 32 when the car in which he was riding crashed in the Steubenville area.

I have two family members who passed on in this way after coming home from war and know of several others that have passed on in this way too....  It somewhat baffles the mind, that after surviving the harrowing details of war, that they then die in a car wreck.

This photo of a particular bugle is from the Civil War era, found with a Google Image search and from Pennsylvania.  In the details of the image its states that its former owners were first stationed at Ft. Delaware.  Young Sanders Center has a listing of Louisiana Civil War soldiers who died at this civil war prison. Ft. Delaware, was NOT a great place to be during the Civil War if you were a Confederate.  If you like, you can visit Ft. Delaware Society on facebook.

One of the things my family enjoyed doing together was camping.  But one of the things my family also enjoyed was complaining about our bugler waking us up every morning at camp!  We were sure not to miss our mornings during vacation, however.

I am also reminded of our late friend Dr. Thornton, who brought a smile to my face because he very lightheartedly video taped a bagpiper playing at his grave site - well before he passed on.  He was sure not to miss it and kindly invited the world to view it on his blog. It survives as a virtual memorial service, for those of us who could not attend his funeral. I took comfort in that --  R.I.P. friend!

Footnote changes its name

Checked my email and low and behold!  Footnote, which is also available through any NARA archive library, changed its name to fold3. 

We wanted a name that would show respect for the records we are working on and for the people who have served in the armed forces.  The name Fold3 comes from a traditional flag-folding ceremony in which the third fold is made in honor and remembrance of veterans for their sacrifice in defending their country and promoting peace in the world.

Anyone who deals with paperwork and military records, knows you're not supposed to fold those!  :)