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Wednesday, October 28, 2009

History of Leyden, MA by Arms with Gates genealogy

"Gates--Coming to Leyden about 1780 with his bride, mary allen of Groton, Conn., Pter Gates soon erected a sturdy Cape Cod home on the Rider Road close to the homestead and mill of Henry Thorne. This house, according to West Leyden historian, Clifford Carey, exactly like the Newcomb homestead on Leyden's East Hill. Nearby, David Gates, peter's brother built a home and put up a mill on Green river. Gates Hill, east of the River road was named for these brothers.
On November 22, 1787, a daughter, Lephe, was born to Peter and Mary Gates. This girl later became the mother of John Leonard Riddell... A son, Ephriam, born in 1783 carried on the farm, as did his son Ephriam Allen Gates. "Allen Gates", as he was known married Eunice Franklin of Mayflower stock. Allen's daughter, Hannah, married James Baldwin Miner--thus uniting two of Leyden's pioneer families.[Arms 196]


1. Arms, William Tyler and Masha E. Arms. The History of Leyden Massachusetts 1676-1959. The Enterprise and Journal. Orange, Massachusetts. 1959. p. 196. (Georgina Cole Library, 974.422 H2 ARM.)

Part 3: Leyden Houses from Arms History of Leyden

Leyden Homes: bolded for emphasis
"Beginning at the North end of River Road in the northwest corner of the town was the 1858 home of Nathaniel Avery; next down the road lived Crandall Thorn. Opposite him was Allen Gates' [I think this should be Peter Allen Gates?] home, birth place of John Riddell's mother [Lephe Gates]. At the foot of the hill was the Thorn Mill. Next down the road lived R. Miner on the old Benj. Baker place, and off to th4e left was the Crandall Homestead, E.G. Miner lived on the thre preent Louise Johnson place...The Mowry home site where John Wells has recently rebuilt, may have been the birthplace of John L. Riddell [father was John Riddell]." [Arms 110]see footnote 1

"The Peter Gates house in West Leyden, home of John Riddell's mother, was torn down in 1908, but it is said to be an exact replica of the Newcomb gouse. When demolished, many unusual antiques, including spinning wheels, oxen equipment and old-time utensils were distovered in the walls." [Arms 196] see footnote 1


1. Arms, William Tyler and Masha E. Arms. The History of Leyden Massachusetts 1676-1959. The Enterprise and Journal. Orange, Massachusetts. 1959. p. 157,196]. (Georgina Cole Library, 974.422 H2 ARM.)

Riddell, Gates and Crumb in The History of Leyden, MA part 2 1795-1806

1795-1800 [bracket items are my comments]

1797 Direct personal property tax on houses:
Nathaniel Avery (2 houses) $150 and $350 [ Desire Avery married Ephriam Gates, Ephriam was the brother to my direct ancestor Lephe Gates I am still in the process of searching for Desire Avery.]
David Gates $180 [David is a brother to my direct ancestor Peter Gates]
Peter Gates $150 [Peter is my direct ancestor, his daughter Lephe Gates married John Riddle (Riddell)].
Oliver Noyes $200 [this person if possibly related to Nathan Noyes who married Susanah Riddle (Riddell)in Colrain. Sussanah was the daughter of Gawn Riddle , MA]
David Potter 460[I have three Potters related by marriage in my genealogy Harriet Potter 1823, Wisconsin; Sarah Potter who married Simon Wescott; and another Sarah Potter married to Andrew Darling, I am unsure how if how David Potter is related to these individuals, another person to research][Arms 92] see footnote 1

Lephe Gates and her son John Leonard Riddell:

"Of immediate interest, however, is the 1806 record of the marriage intentions of "Leafe Gates of Leyden to John Riddle of Colrain'. The Caeer of John Leonard Riddell: Inventor, Botanist and Doctor of Medicine It was in 1787 that Lephe Gates, daughter of Peter and mary Gates, was born in West Leyden in a house nearly opposite the Henry thorn up-and-down saw mill. Lephe grew up on her father's farm which was colse to a side road lieading to a Green river fordway. Ant it was near this fordway that Lephe was courted by John Riddle, son of Robbert Riddle whose fine Scotch-Irish ancestry could be traced back to the 8th century. It was in the West Leyden area, on Vebuary 20, 1807, that John L. [Leonard] Riddle later to be written Riddell) was born. It was doubtless during his long walks to and from "Hollow School house" that young John, later to beocme an outstanding Americal botanist first became interested in wild flowers." [At a later time I will devote a series of posts about John Leonard Riddell. I own two books that were written about him as well as a .PDF file on the Riddell Genealogy written by his brother William Pitt Riddell and edited by John Leonard Riddell.] At this time I will include condensed and brief chronology of Dr. Riddell's life: [John Leonard Riddell was the brother of my ancestor Dr. George Riddell]
1826 Riddell's personal journal [currently housed at Tulane University, Special Collections Library] on aeronautics, philisophy, geology and personal accounts of his life which covers his life in the West (Ohio) and South (New Orleans, Louisiana)
1835 Riddell earns his professorship in botany and chemistry at the Cincinnati Medical College
wrote "A Synopsis of the Flora and Fauna of the United States"
1836 Riddell accepts post as chemistry professor at Louisiana Medical College (Now Tulane University)Riddell was selected as melter and Refiner at the New Orleans mint.
1844 research in bacteriology, invented the binocular microscope and demonstrated it in 1852 and the Army Medical Division in Washington used it.
1847 aerial navigation lecture (space travel)
(he had several more accomplishments which will be posted at a later date)
1865 Riddell dies [of a heart attack] at age 58: [A few months before his death Dr. Riddell proclaimed himself victor in the Louisiana's governor election but Lincoln and the delegates refused to acknowledge that because he allowed the black population and women to vote for him. It also did not help that the state of Louisiana chose to succeed from the Union at about that time. Riddell wrote a letter to Lincoln reassuring him of his faithfulness to the Union see http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/P?mal:1:./temp/~ammem_1AGK::] (Arms 97) see footnote 1

1. Arms, William Tyler and Masha E. Arms. The History of Leyden Massachusetts 1676-1959. The Enterprise and Journal. Orange, Massachusetts. 1959. p. 93, 96. (Georgina Cole Library, 974.422 H2 ARM.)

Friday, October 23, 2009

Riddell, Gates and Crumb in The History of Leyden, MA part 1

1775-1791

I found another very useful book in the Georgina Cole Library. This book covers the History of Leyden. on page 65, 1781 Census, under the heading "Yorkers" I found David Gates listed on River Road East and his brother Peter Gates on River Road North, grand father of John L.{Leonard] Riddell.

Also listed on page 65 under Leyden and Mountain are Phineas Crumb who lived on River Road east and Billington Crumb (descendant of Mayflower stock). The Crumb family married into the Riddell family when Ruel Crumb married Lephe Mirah Riddell who was the sister of John Leonard Riddell Lephe Mirah and John Leonard were daughter and son of Captain John Riddle and Lephe Gates (Peter Gates was Lephe's father).

Again on page 65 is Robert Riddell on River Road, Grandfatehr of J.L. Riddell. Robert was the immigrant ancestor from Coleraine, Londonderry, Northern Ireland.

"An especially interesting event in Leyden, was the birth of Miss Lephe Gates on November 22nd (1787). Lephe was the daughter of mary and Peter Gates of West Leyden. She was later to become the mother of John L. Riddell, World-renowned scientist" [He was a brother to my direct ancestor Dr. George Riddell]". (page 78)

"Robert Riddle, grandfather of the Leyden scientist, is listed this year as a "sealer of leather." he saw to it that hides were properly tanned and cured. A road record of this period places Riddle's house in West Leyden on the old Ianthe Cook Place."(page 83) 1.
----

1. Arms, William Tyler and Masha E. Arms. The History of Leyden Massachusetts 1676-1959. The Enterprise and Journal. Orange, Massachusetts. 1959. p. 65,78,83. (Georgina Cole Library, 974.422 H2 ARM.)

Riddell Family from Coleraine, Northern Ireland to Colrain, Massachusetts

I have been spending some time in the Georgina Cole Library researching the Gates/Riddle (Riddell) family of Colrain, Massachusetts. I found a plat map in the back with my ancestor: Gawn Riddle. His property was located on the border of the Original South East Corner of Colrain near the Green river, close to the Gore Tract which was annexed in 1779. Gawn Riddle settled in Colrain in 1781. Gawn's nearest neighbors were James Wallis who had 100 acres and Charles Stewart. Another relative of Gawn's was the Reverend Samuel Taggart whose daughter Margaret Taggart was married to Gawn. The Reverend Samual Taggart settled in Colrain in 1777 and his property is situated about 495 acres south of Gawn Riddle's property. 1.

1. Patrie, Lois McClellan. A History of Colrain Massachusettes, With Genealogies of early Families.(Georgina Cole Library Gen 974.422 D2 PAT)

Note: Some of the Riddell (Riddle) genealogy is listed in this book but I believe I have already copied it for my research files. The plat map was not in the book I originally copied and I was thrilled to have found it in this book.

More on Chicago Research

A new friend in the NSCGS recommended that I check the County Assessors office website for Cook County http://cookcountyassessor.com/Property_Search/Property_Search.aspx but I could not obtain any results without a pin number. I was searching for 5100 Avondale Drive, 2362 Avondale Drive and 3901 Sheridan Road. The Avondale drive addresses were for Ericka Dahlberg and Gustav Dahlberg. The Sheridan Road address was for Leonard Titus Stonequist.

I am also looking for photos of gravestones from Ridgewood 1900 Lawrence Street: Charles Stonequist,
I have other relatives buried at Union Ridge Cemetery located at 6700 West Higgins, Chicago, Illinois: Sandburg, N.J. and Wihilmina and Mormor (buried next to Sandburgs). Other ancestors that are buried in this cemetery include Martin Dahlberg and Ericka Dahlberg. I suppose its off to explore some other mapping sites.