Breaking the wall of Conrad Nagel

For a while this man, Conrad Nagel, my 2nd great-grand father has been a huge brick wall for me.  I have spent many hours of research on him. I have pulled just about every record I can think of, hoping to find that illusive name of the town he was born in Germany. But I was constantly frustrated.

That is until Thursday, when a little bit of luck, and those hours of research finally paid off. Part of my problem has been searching through church records in Germany. 1) I don’t speak German, so I am overwhelmed when I even attempt such a process and 2) I don’t even know where to begin. Most of the records are on microfilm, not indexed digitally, and I don’t know where I would start to look to wade through all those records. The only clues I had was a pretty solid birth date of July 9, 1832 based on his Civil War Pension records, and that he was born in the Hessen State of Germany.

The break came on Thursday, when I was looking for records through FamilySearch. Usually, you want to keep your search a broad as possible, but for some reason, this time I narrow my results in to only those from Hesse-Germany. The top result was a baptism record for a baby boy named Johann Konrad Nagel, baptized July 7, 1832 in Langd, Hesse-Germany to Johann Henrich Nagel and Anna Katharina Gerst. My gut said that this was the one. The date of birth was was so close.  But I had no evidence to connect these two people.

I didn’t know the names of Conrad’s parents, or even any names of his siblings (there were three other children listed in the baptism records in Langd: Jacob, Katharina, and Anna Elisabetha).  The family names were a good fit (Henry, Jacob, John, Anna, Katherine). So I spent a while finding every record I could on the family.

The records for Johann Konrad and his brother Jacob Konrad each had a notation: nach Amerika ausgewandert (immigrated to America.) I spend some time trying to find Jacob in America, to see if I could place him and my Conrad together. No luck.

And then I remembered an important clue from Conrad’s Civil War Pension record. One of the witnesses interviewed, a 50 year old man named Jacob Knorr stated that he had known Conrad for 40 years.  At the time, I made note of that, wondering if he had known Conrad in German, since he had only been in the US for about 30 years. I had an approximate birth year for Mr. Jacob Knorr based on his age at the time of the interview.  To test my theory, I searched for a baptism record for him in the town of Langd.  And there he was.  Some more digging, and I found a passport application for Mrs. Knorr, on which she gave her husband’s birthplace as Langd, Germany.

So the man who had known Conrad for 40 year, back in the old country, was born in the town of Langd. This was the missing link I needed.

It was like hitting the jackpot, because the records for Langd go back hundreds of years, and they are indexed online. Which means that I can trace the family back generation by generation all the way to another man named Conrad Nagel, born about 1640, who look to be the one who moved into Langd.

So the Nagel family lived in the small village of Langd for at least 200 years, located just east of Hungen.  Langd (pronounced Lawnkt) is such a small village that I had some trouble finding the history on it. At least in English, but thanks to some Google translation, I was able to get a little bit of information.

The first time the village was mentioned by name was in 1242.  The Evangelical Church was built in the 11th century.  Since around 1770, the village has been mainly a mining village, for iron.  The mining areas are partially visible today. Foundations of the workers barracks and some wash trays dams are located in the forest area between Hungen and Langd.

The first school was built in 1832, the same year as Conrad’s birth.  In 1847, the first residents wandered – for economic reasons – to America. (I have yet to find more information on this.)  Conrad came over to America in 1857, living in Ohio until the Civil War.  His younger brother Jacob came in the US in 1863, and settled in Baltimore, Maryland, where he lived with his wife Margaret and four children until his death in 1907.

Images courtesy of the Langd/Hungen Offical Website

From 1832 to 1640… that is quite a genealogical leap. And so exciting after so many months of frustration.

Who am I?

The BBC show, Who Do You Think You Are? is a favorite of mine.  Now, TLC has their own version, sponsored by Ancestry.com.  I enjoy the BBC version much more than the American version, but this seems to be true for all British adopted shows (except maybe for The Office).  But what I love about both shows are the STORIES of the people, and the journey that the actor takes to discover those stories.  I wish it was so easy in real life, having someone just hand me my ancestor’s birth certificate, with out having to do all the leg work. But alas, I am not famous enough.

So, who do I think I am?  I come from a bunch of people who gave up their homeland, and took the long journey across the sea to start a new life.

MATERNAL GREAT-GREAT GRANDPARENTS

1. Thomas T. Davis, the son of Thomas Davis was born in Wales on Sept 23, 1851.  He came to the US in 1868, at the age of sixteen.  He settled in Schuylkill Co., PA, but moved to Clearfield, Jackson, and finally Nanty Glo. He worked as a miner most of his life and died Jan 15, 1934 at the age of 82.

2. Sarah Jane Minds, the daughter of James H Minds and Anna Millard, was born April 18, 1851 in Schuylkill Co., PA.  While a native of Pennsylvania, her father James was born in Kilkenny, Ireland in 1814.  Sarah married Thomas Davis on Jan 21, 1872 in Ashland, PA.  They had a total of 12 children, five of which died in infancy.  She died Sept 8, 1943 at the age of 92.

3. Albert Tilley, the son of Charles Tilley and Elizabeth Nash, was born in Llangynidr, Wales on Jan 30, 1859.  He arrived in the US with his parents around 1870, at the age of 11.  They settled in Pennsylvania, and in 1879, in Houtzdale, Clearfield at the age of 20 he married Mary Ann Lloyd.  He died in Johnstown PA on Jan 12, 1939 at the age of 79.

4. Mary Ann Lloyd, the daughter of Richard Lloyd and Georgianna James, was born about 1861 in Beaufort, Breconshire, Wales.  Mary Ann arrived in New York with her mother and younger sister on March 21, 1865. In 1879, in Houtzdale, Clearfield she married Albert Tilley, and they had eight children. She died Aug 10, 1928 in Johnstown, PA at the age of  67.

5. Conrad Nagle was born in Germany on July 9, 1832. He arrived in New York on June 2, 1857 and settled in Ohio.  After serving in the Civil War, he settled in Johnstown, PA and married Sophia Schenkel on Sept 12, 1868.  He died April 28, 1893 at the age of 60.

6. Sophia Schenkel, the daughter of Carl Schenkel, was born in Wolfhagen, Germany in July of 1840. She arrived with her father and brother in New York on Oct 3, 1859 at the age of 19.  Her mother, name unknown (but I suspect Emma) died during the crossing.  They settled in the Johnstown, Pa area, and she married Conrad Nagle in 1868, and they had six children. She died March 3, 1906 at the age of 65.

7. Samuel Wagner, son of Jacob Wagner and Hannah Carnies was born Aug 18, 1855 in Belsano, Cambria Co., Pa. Both of his parents were also Pennsylvania natives.  He married first Margaret Jane Cobaugh and after her death, on Sept 11, 1893 married Mary Elizabeth Cobaugh in Edensburg, PA (unknown if Mary and Margaret were cousins).  Total he had 17 children with his two wives.  He died Jan 3, 1936 at the age of 80.

8. Margaret Jane Cobaugh, daughter of Philip George Cobaugh and Sophia Albaugh, was born in Cambria City, PA on June 1, 1858. The Cobaugh family were residents of Pennsylvania since 1788 when David Fredrick Cobaugh, born in Switzerland in 1756 arrived in Philadelphia. Margaret married Samuel around 1877.  In 1892, she and two of her daughters became ill and died. She died on Feb 16, 1892 in Cambria City, PA.

 

FRATERNAL GREAT-GREAT GRANDPARENTS

1. Patrick Burke, the son of Patrick and Anne Burke, was born sometime around 1845 in Ratheskin, Mayo Co., Ireland. He arrived in New York around 1867, and settled in Wilkes-barre, PA.  On June 15, 1870 he married Bridget O’Toole at St. Mary’s church. He worked as a miner for most of his life.  He died Jan 9, 1989.

2. Bridget O’Toole, daughter of William Toohill and Catherine Dougher, was born Jan 22, 1833, in Ratheskine, Mayo Co., Ireland. She arrived in the US around 1865, and lived with her parents in Wilkes-barre, PA.  She was married to Patrick Burke in 1870, and had three children. Her death is unknown, but I believe she died around 1880.

3. William Garvey, son of Francis Garvey and Charlotte Moore, was born in Westport, Ireland on Feb 4, 1847.  He fled Ireland, under suspicious circumstances and arrived in New York on May 14, 1869.  He settled in Scranton, Pa, and then Wilkes-barre.  In 1876 he married Sarah Gibbons.  He died Feb 14, 1916 at the age of 69.

4. Sarah Brynes Gibbons, daughter of Geoffery Gibbons and Mary Burns/Brynes was born in Westport, Mayo Co., Ireland. She arrived in the US around 1861 with her mother. She married William Garvey in 1876. She died in 1935 at the age of 86.

5. John J Sullivan, son of Timothy and Mary Sullivan, was born in New Jersey Dec 5, 1873. His father was a native of Ireland who came to this country in 1868.  He married Margaret Doonan in 1895.  They lived in Phillipsburg, New Jersey for many years. He died around 1925 at the age of 52.

6. Margaret “Maggie” Doonan was born in Longford Co., Ireland in March 1871. She arrived in New York as a young girl, after her parents death, on July 7, 1884 and lived with her older sister Lizzie Doonan. In 1895, she married John Sullivan and they had six children. She died around 1945 at the age of 74.

7. Marvin Calvin Smith, son of Garret Smith and Mary Landis, was born in Scranton, PA. in Dec 1861. Both of his parents were natives of New Jersey. In 1897, he married Sarah Jordan.  They lived in Scranton, Pa for many years.  He died Jan 29, 1938 at the age of 77.

8. Sarah Anne Jordan, daughter of James Jordan and Catherine O’Maley, was born July 1875 in Bangor, Mayo Co., Ireland. They arrived from Ireland around 1883.  They settled in Scranton, PA.  In 1897, she married Marvin Smith, and they had six children.

Conrad Nagle Civil War record

I requested and received Conrad Nagle, my maternal great-great grandfather’s complete military and pension records from the National Archives.  Included with his records was this delightful picture, I believe taken around 1891 (age 59). Conrad was 5 feet, 8 inches tall, light complexion, with blue eyes and brown hair. He was 29 years old at the time of his enlistment. I had hoped to find the name of the town in Germany he was from, but he did not give it, listing his birthplace only as GERMANY. What is helpful, however, is finding out where he enlisted, the town of Ironton, Ohio, December 2, 1861.  Why is this helpful? Because it confirms that the 1860 Federal Census I have for Coonrad Nagel, who was living in Upper Lawrence (Ironton is a part of Upper Lawrence) is our man. In 1860, he was working as a miner, but when Conrad joined the Ohio 6th Cavalry, he stated that he was a farmer.  He provided his own horse and equipment, for which the government paid him.  His enlistment period was for 3 years, but on December 23, 1863 in Warrenton, VA, at the end of his service, he re-enlisted. On March 12, 1864, he was given furlough for 35 days, during which he returned to his home in Ironton, Ohio. On April 13, 1864, he traveled by steamer ship, down the Ohio River from Ironton, Ohio to Parkersburg, VA. He was discharged near Petersburg, VA on June 27, 1865.

After the War

The details of his life between his discharge in 1865 and the 1870 census are a little confusing.  The main source of this confusion is the birth/identity of Emma Naugle/Ream/Mitzlaff Emma Mitzlaff was born Feb 2, 1866 in–according to her–Philadelphia, PA.  This place of birth is listed in several places, on her immigration records (she traveled to Germany with her husband Albert), and in her obituary.

MITZLAFF.  Mrs. Emma R., 89, of 111 Jackson Street, died the morning of March 2, 1955, at Lee Hospital. Born in Philadelphia Feb 2, 1866, a daughter of Conrad and Catherine (Rehm) Nagle.* Survived by a sister Mrs Elizabeth Doell, 234 Wood Street.  Preceded in death by husband Albert; two sisters–Miss Mary B. Nagle and Mrs Catherine Reinholtz, and two brothers–Jacob G. and Henry J.

One Emma or Two?

Emma’s mother is listed as Catherine Rehm, Sophia’s sister.  But, from Sophia’s obituary on March 5, 1906:

She is survived by six children as follows: Emma, wife of Albert Metzlaff of New York; Mary, Katie, and Elizabeth, all living at home, and Henry and Jacob, married and residing in the Eighth Ward. She is also survived by one sister, Catherine Ream, of the Eighth Ward, and one brother, Henry Schenkel of Millcreek.

In 1870, when Conrad and Sophia and Catherine and her husband are all living in the same house, Emma is listed as Emma NAGLE, Conrad and Sophia’s daughter, not Emma REAM, Catherine’s daughter. In 1880, there is an Emma REAM listed with Catherine and her husband on the census (14 years old).  Conrad and Sophia and family live just a few doors down…and there is no Emma (who should be 14) listed with them. Emma K REAM along with Catherine Ream are one of those who gave written testimony on Sophia’s widow pension file (in 1894) to the birth of Sophia’s youngest children Catherine and Elizabeth’s birth; She claimed to be present at their birth, that she was a nurse, and had helped with the births. According to the 1910 census, Albert Mitzlaff was married to Emma in 1895, but I cannot located their marriage record (which would be very helpful in sorting out who her mother was). On the 1900 census, Catherine is listed as mother to 1 child….but 0 living. That same year, Sophia, is listed as mother of 6, with 6 living (Emma, Mary, Kate, Elizabeth, Jacob, and Henry equals 6). So, I BELIEVE that there are two women, Emma R and Emma K, cousins, born in the same year, and that Emma K, daughter of Catherine died between 1895 and 1900. But its hard to say with 100% certainty, because as far as records are concerned, the two women never “appear” in the same place at the same time. There are too many holes. I cannot find a grave for a Emma REAM in Johnstown, PA.  Emma NAUGLE is in the 1870 census, but not 1880. Emma REAM is in the 1880 census, but not 1870.  In the 1899 city directory, Miss Emma K REAM was living with in the house of Catherine Ream. And Emma MITZLAFF doesn’t show up until the 1910 census (where was she in 1900?) So in the end, it is a little unclear if Emma is really Sophia and Conrad’s daughter. If she was born on Feb 2, 1866, then she would have been conceived around April 28, 1865, two months before Conrad was discharged.  This of course begs the question, who was Emma’s father?  So, if Emma is Sophia’s daughter, and if she was born in Philadelphia, that would mean that Sophia was in Philadelphia in 1866. But I can find no evidence for this. I cannot find Emma (Nagle OR Ream) in the Philadelphia birth records. I don’t find a listing for Sophia or her father or siblings in the city directory. Emma obviously believed that she was born in Philadelphia, and it seems like such a random fact to cling to without some thing to make her think that. According to Sophia’s widow pension file, she and Conrad were married in Johnstown, PA on Sept 12, 1868. Several witnesses testified to this, as well as the birth of her two youngest children, Catherine and Elizabeth–who were both under the age of 16 at the time of her pension filling, and therefore eligible for benefits. (Sophia couldn’t provide the records to prove these, as she said they had been destroyed in the Johnstown flood, but the records were saved by the minister at the time; they were found with his body. I have a request in, but haven’t received any information yet.) Sophia’s second child, Mary was born June 1869, nine months after her parent’s marriage. In 1870, Sophia and Conrad, Emma and Mary are living in Johnstown, in the same house as Catherine and Jacob Ream. So, how did Conrad Nagle–who before the war made his home in Ironton, OH–get from Petersburg, Virginia in 1865 to Johnstown Pa in 1869 is still a mystery.

150th Anniversary of Gettysburg

Today is the 150 anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg.  I know of at least one of my ancestors who was involved in this battle, my 2nd great grandfather Private Conrad Nagel, of the Ohio 6th Cavalry.  I found this great article in the Tribune written by CAROLE BABYAB on the Ohio 6th Cavalry’s involvement in the battle of Gettysburg, printed earlier this week on June 24, 2013.

6th Ohio Cavalry helps turn tide

In June 1863 at Upperville, the 6th Ohio Cavalry charged and held Confederate General Jeb Stuart, in the end driving him back through the gap.

The 6th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry’s participation in these engagements was not without casualties, but they faced the Confederate Cavalry fighting, standing their ground and, importantly, employed dismounted fighting. One trooper would hold the horses in the rear while the dismounted men would advance, firing from a favorable position.

Gen. Hooker had ordered Stahel to scour the Catoctin Mountain near the Pennsylvania border. These men then moved north into the town of Gettysburg, the first Union horsemen to enter Pennsylvania. The men were welcomed with jugs of water, fresh bread and apple butter.

The rest of the army was scattered. The cavalry, Gen. Buford guarded the rear of Gen. John Reynolds’s men, and crossed the Potomac River on June 25 and June 26. Brig. Gen. David Gregg’s division, including the 6th OVC, was guarding the rest of the army and its supply train.

The 6th OVC crossed the Potomac River at Edward’s Ferry on June 27. For more than a year, they had been in enemy territory. The troopers were elated to be in Pennsylvania.

During Gettysburg, 10 companies of the 6th OVC guarded trains and the railroad. After the battle, they saw action with the retreating Confederate army and cavalry.

Tragically, Brig. Gen. Elon Farnsworth, who proved himself a bright, capable cavalry leader, was ordered by Brig. Gen. Judson Kilpatrick, dubbed ”Kill-Cavalry,” to make an unwise mounted charge on July 3, 1863 near the foot of Big Round Top at Gettysburg. Elon protested the charge but followed orders, refused to surrender and was shot 5 times, dying on a wooded hill called Bushman’s Hill.

How are we related?

Conrad Nagle (1832 – 1893) is my 2nd great grandfather > Henry John Naugle (1874 – 1944) son of Conrad Nagle > Betty Louise Naugle (1918 – 2008) daughter of Henry John Naugle.

Story Time: The 6th Regimental Ohio Cavalry

Based on census records, Conrad Nagel arrived in the United States from Germany around 1859. There is one ship record that I have put in my shoebox as a possible immigration record for Conrad.  It is for the ship New Orleans, that arrived in New York in 2 Jun 1857.  It catches my eye because this Conrad Nagel had his destination in the US as Ohio. He is also the right age, and from the right part of Germany. And this Conrad was a shoemaker.

Based on census records, I believe that Conrad Nagel was living in Upper Township, Lawrence county, Ohio in 1860.  Unfortunately, the image of this census record is really poor quality. So bad in fact that I can’t actually read it for myself and have to rely on the transcription from Ancestry.com (which we know can be a bad idea). But Conrad was living at what appears to be a boarding house, run by Charles and Christina Mafus. He appears to be single. As least there are no other Nagel’s living in the same house with him.

When Confederate artillery fired on Fort Sumter April 12, 1861, hundreds of horsemen from the Western Reserve counties of Northeast Ohio took up the call.

OHIO SIXTH INDEPENDENT CAVALRY COMPANY

Responding to President Lincoln’s request, seventeen hundred fifty-eight riders volunteered for duty with the Sixth Ohio Cavalry Regiment. The Sixth Ohio was mustered into service between October 2 and December 12, 1861 at Camp Hutchison, in Warren, Ohio. The 6th was on duty at Warren until January 1862, and then garrisoned Camp Chase and Camp Dennison, where they were finally given their horses, until May 1862 when they were ordered to join the Army of the Potomac.

The 6th Ohio Cavalry Regiment lost 5 officers and 52 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 4 officers and 177 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War.

The unit clashed with Confederate forces for the first time at Woodstock, Va.  June 2, 1862. During the next 34 months, the Sixth would engage the enemy more than 50 times.

The Ohio regiment’s affiliation with the Army of the Potomac led to gallant service at the Second Battle of Manassas, Fredericksburg, Kelley’s Ford (the first pure cavalry fight east of the Mississippi involving a battalion or more on each side), Gettysburg, Yellow Tavern, Cold Harbor, Malvern Hill, Five Forks and Sailor’s Creek.

The 6th was heavily involved in the Gettysburg Campaign, fighting at the Battle of Brandy Station and in several smaller engagements during the Union operations in the Loudoun Valley of Virginia, including the battles of Aldie, Middleburg, and Upperville. It traveled into Pennsylvania with the division as part of the brigade of Col. Pennock Huey, but before the Battle of Gettysburg withdrew to Westminster, Maryland, to guard the army’s supply trains. The regiment was active during the retreat of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in July.

The troopers served under several Division and Brigade Commanders, including Colonel Alfred N. Duffie, Brigadier General William Woods Averell, Brigadier General David McMurtrie Gregg and Major General George Crook. During the 1864 raid in Albemarle County, Va., the unit served under Brigadier General George Armstrong Custer.

The Sixth Ohio fought during the final days of the war at Appomattox Courthouse, and was present when General Robert E. Lee surrendered on April 9, 1865. The Regiment was mustered out of service at Petersburg, Va., on August 7, 1865. This Regiment sustained heavy loss in officers and men during its eventful career.

Union troops at Appomattox, Va., during the American Civil War.
Credit: Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Sisters….sisters…

Timeline of Conrad Naugle

• Born 1832 in Hesse-Darmstadt (Germany)
• ?
• Dec 2, 1861, age 29, enlisted in Ohio’s 6th Calvary Regiment (Ohio), Company H
• June 27 1865, age 33, mustered out at Petersburg, VA
• Feb 1866: Age 34, daughter Emma born in Pennsylvania (Philadelphia?)
• June 1869: Age 37, daughter Mary born in Pennsylvania
• Dec 1871: Age 39, son Jacob born in Pennsylvania
• March 8, 1874: Age 42, son Henry born in Pennsylvania
• Feb 1879: Age 47, daughter Catherine born in Pennsylvania
• 1880: Age 48, living in Grubtown, Johnstown, PA
• June 1882: Age 50, daughter Lizzie born
• 1887: Age 55, living in Grubtown, Johnstown, PA
• 1889: Age 57, living in Grubtown, Johnstown, PA
• 1890: Age 58, living in Upper Yoder, PA
• 1893: Age 61, death in Cambria PA.

I find a 1870 census record for Conrad and Sophia (and daughters Emma and Mary), living in Johnstown in a boarding house. All of the other occupants are from Germany (Prussia). And at least one of the names is familiar to me; the other I’ve added to my list of suspects as possible other relatives.

• Jacob Ream
• Kath Ream
• Christ Meyer
• Ad Schilling
• Julias Wild
• Geo Barneck
• Wm Herzberger
• Conrad Eich
• Alex Leonhard
• Wm Gotz
• Wm Schnabel
• Charles Leifer
• Fred Steur

I recognize the surname of Ream from a family that was living next door to the Naugle in Grubtown in the 1880 census. I go check, and sure enough, Jacob and Catherine E Ream, with their daughter Emma are living two doors down from Conrad and Sophia. Jacob is a saloon keeper. And there is another place I’ve seen Catherine’s name. In 1920, Catharine Ream is living with Emma Naugle (Conrad and Sophia’s daughter) and her husband Albert Mitzlaff. Her relationship to the head of house is aunt. At first I thought she was Albert’s aunt, but now I think that she is actually Emma’s aunt…and therefore Sophia’s sister.

According to the 1900 and 1920 census, Catharine E arrived in the US in 1856-59, around the same time Sophia arrived.  On 1900 census, Catharine, now a widow, is living on 965 Franklin St. across the street from Sophia, also a widow. Living with her is Lizzie Nagel (Sophia’s daughter), her niece.  This also gives us a birth month for Catharine, February.  Her occupation is listed as “capitalist” which makes me giggle for some reason; particularly since it is the SAME occupation Sophia, her sister gives on HER census record. I’m not sure exactly what a capitalist does, but perhaps Sophia and Catharine did it together.

In 1910, Catharine is still living on 965 Franklin. Her other niece Mary Nagal is living with her.  (Nagal…sigh, ANOTHER variation to remember.) So still no maiden name for Sophia, but at least now she has a sister.

A Civil War vet?

Through city directories, I have identified Conrad Nagel (Nagle, Naugle) as likely being the father of Henry J Naugle and wife of Sophia. But I want to see if I can find them all together in census records to say for sure. So, I do a search for CONRAD NAGEL, born in Germany (Hesse-Darmstadt), living in Cambria County, PA with wife Sophia, children Henry J, Jacob C, Mary, Katherine, and Lizzie.

And sure enough, we get a hit. In the 1880 Census, Conrod Nagle is living in Grubtown, with his wife Sophia, daughter Mary and Catherine, and sons Jacob and Henry. He is 48 years old, giving us a birth year of around 1832.  He is a laborer. His mother and father were born in Hesse-Darmstadt. His wife Sophia is 40 years old. Her birth place is given as Prussia.

Now, I take a look at their neighbors. No names look familiar to me, but there are a few other families living next door that are ALSO from Prussia:

John Smerment, born abt 1848 in Prussia, his wife Anna born abt 1852 in Prussia. Next door to them, William Hall born abt 1849 in Prussia, his wife Maggie born abt 1857 in Prussia. Living with them is Maggie’s mother, Elizabeth Smerment who was born abt 1821 in Prussia. And then next door to them, L. Jacob Ream, born abt 1826 in Prussia, and his wife E. Catharine born abt 1832 in Prussia.  Prussia is a big country, but Grubtown is small…It could be that Sophia MAY be related to them, the ages are about right. I will keep my eye out for them.

Now that we know for sure that Conrad is Henry’s father, lets start at the end (his death) and work our way backwards.

I have a range of years for his death: 1893-96 in the Johnstown area of Cambria County.  When I search for a grave on Findagrave.com, I don’t come up with any records for a Conrad Nagel (or any variation of his name) who died in Cambria County in those years. But after a few searches of variations and name combinations, ancestry.com offers up this helpful suggestion:

Headstones Provided for Deceased Union Civil War Veterans, 1879-1903.

• Conrad Naugle
• Date of Death: 28 April 1893
• State: Pennsylvania 

I look at the record, and where do I find he is buried?  Headrick Cemetery, in Conemaugh, PA.  The same cemetery that his son Henry, grandson, and daughter-in-law are buried. Now, I know I’m supposed to be chronologically working my way backwards, but this is too juicy to let go.

The Headstones Provided for Deceased Union Civil War Veterans, 1879-1903 is a record of over 166,000 cards of headstone contracts provided by the government for deceased Union veterans. Most soldiers included in this database died between ca. 1861 and ca. 1903, but the gravestones were erected between ca. 1879 and ca. 1903. The majority of the burials were in private cemeteries. These cemeteries were most likely located in the county of the soldier’s residence.

The record says that this Conrad Naugle was a Private in H company, 6th Regiment, in Ohio County? So I do a military search, for a Conrad Naugle, who served in the civil war, born in 1832 in German (to see if our Conrad did indeed serve in the Civil war). On the second attempt, I find this:

U.S. Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles

• Name: Conrad Nagle
• Age at enlistment: 29
• Enlistment Date: 2 Dec 1861
• Rank at enlistment: Private
• State Served: Ohio
• Survived the War?: Yes
• Service Record: Enlisted in Company H, Ohio 6th Cavalry Regiment on 02 Dec 1861. Mustered out on 27 Jun 1865 at Petersburg, VA.
• Birth Date: abt 1832
• Sources: Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio

This matches the headstone record (Company H, 6th Regiment), so this must be the same Conrad who is buried in Headrick Cemetery. But is it OUR Conrad Naugle? The birth year is right, but the record doesn’t tell us if this Conrad was born in Germany.  I need to find a secondary source for a death date for our Conrad and see if it matches the headstone. An obituary would be really nice about now.

I head over to Genealogybank.com, but the Johnstown Tribune is not a part of their database yet. Grr. After a little bit of searching online, I find that you can request photocopies of the Tribune from the Cambria County Library. Their website provides a link to an index of obituaries complied by George R. Warholic.  There is an obituary for Conrad Naugel, printed on April 28, 1893. The same date that is listed on our veteran’s tombstone.

I also find that there was an obituary for Anna L Kaufman-Naugle printed on March 11 and 12, 1955. And one for Sophia Nagel, printed March 5, 1906. So, I am going to see if I can get my hands on a copy of said obituaries. But as the evidence stands now, it seems pretty likely that our Conrad is indeed the same Conrad who served in Ohio’s 6th Regiment during the Civil War.

Building timelines

Catch up: The post so far

We know that Anna Wagner and Henry Naugle were married in 1896. So this means that in the 1880 Federal Census, she should be single, perhaps still living with her family.  But when I do a search for Anna Wagner, with her birth year, living in Johnstown and with her brother Harry, I get nothing for the 1880 Census.

Hmm. So perhaps Anna was not living in Johnstown before her marriage to Henry. My aunt gives me a important clue, she tells me that Anna lost her mother and sisters when she was very young to the plague and she raised the rest of her family. So, this means that I may not find Anna living with her parents in the census records. And since her brother Harry was born in 1883, HE is not going to be in the 1880 census either. So, I pull up the 1883 Johnstown City Directory, and look for Anna Wagner. And I don’t see her. But I take down the information on the other Wagner’s, just in case.

What I really need to know is the names of her siblings, and her mother and father.  Maybe I need to work forward to move backwards; let’s see if I can find the rest of her census records. I know that she remarried to Homer Kaufman after Henry’s death, and since I’m having a hard time finding her, I’m going to take a look at Homer Kaufman, and see what I can learn.

I do a search for Homer, centralized in Johnstown, or Upper Yoder since we know he lived in both, and I find his WWI draft card. Unfortunately, it is a really poor scan, and almost impossible to read.  I can make out a few things, but I don’t know exactly what I’m looking at.

To help me figure out the record, I grab a blank form from Ancestry.com, so at least I know what questions where being asked. I can see that he is living at 972 Franklin, Johnstown (with Henry and Anna), he is 26 years old, he was born on September 14, 1891 in Upper Yoder.  I still can’t quite make out the employee information, except that he was a “keeper” and working for the ______ Steel ________.  And he claimed an exemption for service for religious reasons.

Now that I have his full birth date, I run the search again. And I get his WWII draft card. In 1942, and at the time of registration, he is living in Conemaugh Township, Cambria, PA. He is working for the Bethlehem Steel Company, in Johnstown, PA.  For “person who will always know your address” he gives Salina McClintock, who lives in Akran, Ohio (who I suspect is his older sister Salina, under a married name). Note he does NOT put Anna down.

Again, I return to the city directories to see when Homer moved away from Johnstown. Remember in my last post I said, don’t trust the search index? Go look at the record yourself? Apparently I don’t listen to my own advice.  While looking at the 1927 Johnstown City Directory for Homer Kaufman, who do I see? Henry J and Anna.  So, clearly I was wrong when I said earlier that Henry didn’t show up in Johnstown after 1925, because there they are: Henry, Anna, and Homer living at 972 Franklin St. However, I did confirmed that Henry, Anna, nor Homer are listed in the 1929 Johnstown City directory.

Homer Kaufman’s timeline so far:

• Sept 14, 1891, born in Upper Yoder, Cambria, Pa
• 1900: Age 9, living in Upper Yoder, PA
• 1910: Age 19, living in Upper Yoder, PA
• 1915: Age 24,  living in Johnstown, PA at 972 Franklin St (with Henry & Anna Naugle)
• 1917: Age 26, WWI draft, living in Johnstown, PA at 972 Franklin St
• 1920-1927: Age 29-36, living in Johnstown, PA at 972 Franklin St
• ?
• 1942: Age 51, WWII draft, living in Conemaugh Township, Cambria, PA.
• ?

Henry J Naugle’s timeline so far:

• March 1874 born in Johnstown, PA
• 1880: Age 6, living in Grubtown, (Johnstown), Pa
• 1887: Age 13, living in Grubtown, Pa
• 1893: Age 19, living in Johnstown, 60 Main St
• 1896: Age 22, marries Anna Wagner; living at 970 Franklin, Johnstown Pa
• 1899: Age 25, living in Johnstown, Main St
• 1900-1907: Age 26-33, living in Johnstown, 972 Franklin St
• 1908-1914: Age 34-40, living in Upper Yodder, Pa
• 1915-1927: Age 41-53, living in Johnstown, PA at 972 Franklin St
• ?

Anna and her son Foster

Anna Wagner’s timeline so far:

• August 1877, born in Pennsylvania
• ?
• 1896: Age 22, marries Henry J Naugle
• 1899: Age 25, living in Johnstown, Main St
• 1900-1907: Age 26-33, living in Johnstown, 972 Franklin St
• 1908-1914: Age 34-40, living in Upper Yodder, Pa
• 1915-1927: Age 41-53, living in Johnstown, PA at 972 Franklin St
• ?

So obviously we have some gaps to fill.

Sometimes Ancestry.com or even Familysearch.org can have too many records, and it can be hard to keep your search narrowed in a specific area.  I know that Anna, Henry, and Homer likely died in Cambria County, PA.  I have their birth years, so I’m going to head over to FindAGrave.com and see if I can find their graves.

Remember, some times its better to start your search very broad and then narrow in. So I search for ANYONE with the last name of Nagel, who is buried in Cambria County, PA.  The first person on the list is my own grandmother, Betty.  A little further down the page, I find a Henry J Nagel, born 1874, died 1944, buried in Headrick Union Cemetery, East Conemaugh, Cambria County. There is no photo of his tombstone.  Also, I see Henry’s brother Jacob G. Nagel, born Dec 1871, died 1934, buried in Grandview Cemetery, Johnstown, Cambria County, PA.  And Henry’s son George L Nagel, born 1905, died in 1969, buried in Headrick Union Cemetery, East Conemaugh, Cambria County.  And then I repeat the same search with each of the variations for Naugle.

Then I search for Homer Kaufman.  Sure enough, a Homer N Kaufman, born 1891, died 1956, is buried in Headrick Union Cemetery, East Conemaugh, Cambria County. The same cemetery for Henry J Nagel, and George L Nagel.  And who else is buried in Headrick Cemetery? Anna L Kaufman, born 1878, died 1955.  Finding them all together, in the same cemetery makes me pretty sure that these are the right people.

So we have the years for their deaths, and maybe an idea of where they were living at the time…East Conemaugh Township (which fits into what we already know for Homer’s timeline, since this is where his 1942 WWII draft puts him).

Homer Kaufman’s timeline so far:

• Sept 14, 1891, born in Upper Yoder, Cambria, Pa
• 1900: Age 9, living in Upper Yoder, PA
• 1910: Age 19, living in Upper Yoder, PA
• 1915: Age 24,  living in Johnstown, PA at 972 Franklin St (with Henry & Anna Naugle)
• 1917: Age 26, WWI draft, living in Johnstown, PA at 972 Franklin St
• 1920-1927: Age 29-36, living in Johnstown, PA at 972 Franklin St
• ?
• 1942: Age 51, WWII draft, living in Conemaugh Township, Cambria, PA.
• ?
• 1956: Death, age 65.

Henry J Naugle’s timeline so far:

• March 1874 born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania
• 1880: Age 6, living in Grubtown, (Johnstown), Pa
• 1887: Age 13, living in Grubtown, (Johnstown), Pa
• 1893: Age 19, living in Johnstown, 60 Main St
• 1896: Age 22, marries Anna Wagner; living at 970 Franklin, Johnstown Pa
• 1899: Age 25, living in Johnstown, Main St
• 1900-1907: Age 26-33, living in Johnstown, 972 Franklin St
• 1908-1914: Age 34-40, living in Upper Yodder, Pa
• 1915-1927: Age 41-53, living in Johnstown, PA at 972 Franklin St
• ?
• 1944: Death, age 70

Anna Wagner’s timeline so far:

• August 1877, born in Pennsylvania
• ?
• 1896: Age 22, marries Henry J Naugle
• 1899: Age 25, living in Johnstown, Main St
• 1900-1907: Age 26-33, living in Johnstown, 972 Franklin St
• 1908-1914: Age 34-40, living in Upper Yodder, Pa
• 1915-1927: Age 41-53, living in Johnstown, PA at 972 Franklin St
• ?
• 1955: Death, age 78

…and then it occurs to me to take another look at my grandmother Betty’s scrap book. And what is on the front page, the image I actually used in my earlier post? I picture of “1936, Samuel Wagner and wife, Betty’s grandparents who came from Germany.”  Sigh.  Remember, start with what you know.  Sometimes it is easy to overlook the obvious answers. Like the name of your great-great grandfather.

City Directories

Since we don’t have the 1890 Federal census records, when we are looking for information about our ancestors between 1880 and 1900, we may need to turn to other sources.  City directories are a really great source to look at. They are usually the first place I go when I’m facing a brick wall.  I’ve spent hours browsing through each year of a city directory, and creating a spread sheet of all the people with the surname I’m looking for, with their address and occupations.  After a few years, you start to see patterns emerge, seeing who lives with each other, when they move into town, or move away, or die.   If you are having problems finding missing relatives, I would recommend becoming comfortable browsing through city directories.

So this time when I do a search for Henry J Nagle in Johnstown, PA, I limit my results to “Schools, Directories & Church Histories.”  And we get promising results.

I’ll start with the most recent directory and work backwards. Why? Because this way we can start with those family members we know, and work backwards and find out how they maybe related to others in the directory. It’s kind of like that movie Momento.

From 1915 until 1925 Henry and Anna Naugle show up in the directory, living at 972 Franklin Street.  Their sons Foster, George, and Henry Jr are also listed at that address from 1922-1925.  From 1922 to 1925, their son Carl Joe is living at 9 Irene St, with Jacob G Nagle–giving us confirmation that Jacob is indeed related to Henry. Mary B Naugle, who we believe may be Henry’s sister, is living at 970 Franklin St from 1899-1925; Katie Naugle is also living there 1899-1905 (Did she get married after 1905? Or maybe she died.)

From 1911 to 1913: Henry Naugle is NOT listed in the Johnstown directory. This would fit with him showing up in Upper Yoder Township for the 1910 Census. So maybe he did indeed move out of town. But his brother Jacob G Naugle is living at 19 Irene St in from 1905 to 1911.

From 1905-1907, Henry, steelworker, is back in Johnstown, living at 972 Franklin St. So this tells us that Henry J Naugle was living in Upper Yoder Township from 1908-1914.

And who do we have living next door at 970 Franklin?  Mrs Sofia Nagle, living with Mary and Katie and Lizzie.  What does this give us? We know that Sophia stops showing up in the city directory after 1905. So now we have a likely death year, sometime between 1905 and 1907. And we have candiate for another child of Sophia, and sister to Henry–Lizzie.

In 1901, Henry’s brother Jacob is living on 974 Franklin. So he moved from Franklin Street to Irene St between 1901 and 1905. Living next door to him is Mrs Sophia Nagle with Mary, and Katie; and Henry is living next door to her at 972 Franklin. (Which is what we saw in the 1900 Federal Census.)

And here is a word of warning about relying entirely on the index for your search results.  Mistakes in transcription are not all that uncommon. When I do a search for Sophia Nagle, in the 1901 directory, she doesn’t show up. But I can browse to the Ns and clearly there she is.  You will notice that 1.) she is missing from the index entirely, and 2.) that ALL the Nagles for that page are transcribed incorrectly, as “Oz Nagle.” So they will not show up properly in the search.  (Don’t worry though, I fixed it. :p) So it pays to actually LOOK at the record with your own eyes.

In 1899, Sophia Nagel living at 970 Franklin with Mary, Katie, and Lizzy; Jacob is next door at 974 Franklin.  And Henry Nagle is living on Main St near Franklin.

In 1896, Mrs Sophia Nagel, Mary, Catherine and Henry are living together at 970 Franklin. Thus, we now know for sure that Sophia and Henry are related. Jacob is living a little further down the road at 987 Franklin; and there is a man named Louis Nagel, grocer, living at 982 Franklin. Perhaps another relative?

And here is where the pay off for all this tedious work is: in the 1893 directory we find that Henry and Jacob Naugle, mill hands, are living at the home of Conrad Naugle, 60 Main St. 

Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Sophia Naugle. AND since he disappears from the directory between 1893 and 1896, we now have a three year range for a death year.  Now, if we can find him in the 1880 Federal Census records, with Sophia and Henry, we will know for sure.

In 1889, Conrad, working at Cambria Iron Company, is living at 60 Main St. in “Grubbtown”–an incorporated borough about one and half mile south of Johnstown Postoffice.  There is a Fred Naugle, laborer, also on Main.  

I also make note that on page 26 (image 10) of the 1889 Directory there is a history of Johnstown; on page 315 (image 154), a detailed description of the Cambria Iron Company, and on page 40 (image 17) there is the “History of the Great Flood of May 31, 1889.”  THESE may come in in useful later on, and will give me a great picture of what life was like for Conrad Naugle and family in Johnstown in 1889.

I also read the explanation of abbreviations, and see that “in this re-print [the original directory was destroyed in the flood] the names off all who registered and those who lived in localities not flooded are printed with out any marks while the names of those reported drowned have an asterisk (*) and those who were unaccounted for a dagger prefixed. The first numeral after the name of the heads of family represent the number of inmates of that family reported at the time the canvas was made, while the second figure is the number reported after the flood. These numbers included parents and children, servants and boarders.” Conrad’s household is unmarked meaning no one was reported missing or drowned, with all 6 of 6 “inmates” having survived the flood.

In 1887: Conrad Nagel is living in the Grubbtown borough of Johnstown; no other Nagels are living in his neighborhood. In 1884, the last Johnstown directory available online, Conrad Nagel is not listed at all.

The process may seem backwards, and time consuming, but in the end, we get a very good picture of the Naugle family timeline from 1887 to 1925, just by looking through the directory year by year.  And we have a good idea of when Henry died; he doesn’t show up in the directory AFTER 1925.

Now that I have finished the Naugle family…I’m going to do it all over again for the Wagners. HAHAHA. No, really.

Where to search

So, I should back up and take a moment to talk about WHERE I look for records. Ancestry.com is the most obvious place to start, but it can get pricey. You can take advantage of the 30 day trial to get started, but make sure to save all your sources to your computer so you can refer to them after the 30 days is over.

A free alternative is Familysearch.org, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ genealogy website.  They have their own collection of records and resources, and they offer free access to its resources and service online.  Along with this are the Family History Centers, where you can search Ancestry.com for free on their computers.

A few other websites that are not free, but are very useful when looking for family history: Archives.com, GenealogyBank (a massive collection of searchable newspapers). And make sure check out the resources page to see some other helpful sites.

Building profiles

So, back to our search.  Now that we have some information, its time to start building profiles for each main “character.”  I keep a sheet of notes for each person, so that I have one place I can go to see all of their important info at a glance.  I start with a blank sheet, and fill in the details as I find them. Here is what it looks like:

Name:
Variations:
Dates:
Parents:
Siblings:
Spouse:
Children:
Close friends:
Occupation:
Education:
Read?  Write?
Military:
Religion/Churches:
Anomalies:
Residence:

So lets start plugging in information for Henry J Nagle. Every time I get a new fact, I will come back and update this document. And I do the same for Anna Wagner and Betty as well.

Name:  Henry John Nagle
Variations: Naugle
Dates: Born about 1875 in Pennsylvania; Marriage ? Death ?
Parents: born in Germany
Siblings: ?
Spouse: Anna Louise Wagner (1878-?)
Children:

1. Carl J (1899- ?)
2. Foster J (1901-?)
3. Paul F (1903-?)
4. George L (1906-?)
5. Henry Jr (1909-?)
6. Betty Louise (1918-2007)

Close friends: Homer Kaufman
Occupation:

• 1920:  stationery engineer in Steel Mill

Residence:

• 1920: Johnstown, PA. 972 Franklin Street.

Now that I know that the Nagles were living in Johnstown in 1920, just for the heck of it, I’m going to do a broad search to find all the other Nagles who were also living in Johnstown at the same time.  I want to get familiar with the other people of the same name who live in the area, and also keep my eye out for possible family members. I’m really still just getting to know the neighborhood so to speak at this stage.

So I put the surname NAUGLE into the search in Ancestry.com, but leave the first name blank.  And I add “Any Event” in 1920, in Johnstown, PA, and restrict it to this year and location exactly. And I get about 20 records, seven of which should be Henry and his family. And I repeat the same search again, but this time using the spelling NAGLE. Remember to look at all name variations when searching for your folks.  I pay close attention to the families that are from Germany, since we know that Henry’s father and mother came from Germany.

Now, I’m going to look for the rest of the census records for Henry, and see if we can work out a death date for him. I do a search with his name, his family members, his birth year and location, as well as the fact that he lived in Johnstown, PA.

Nothing obvious appears for 1930, but I do find a likely record for in the 1910 census.  There is a Henry J Nagel, age 37 (born abt 1873), born in Pennsylvania, parents both born in Germany. He is married, and his wife is listed as Louise Nagle, age 32 (born abt 1878), in Pennsylvania, both parents born in Pennsylvania.  And with them on the census are four children: Carl J (11), Paul F (7), George (4), and Henry (2).

However, this family is living in Upper Yoder, not Johnstown. Is it the Nagle family I’m looking for? Where exactly is Upper Yoder? A quick look at the map tells me that Upper Yoder is right next door to Johnstown.

The birth years and names match up for the children, though Foster is not listed.  And though Henry’s wife’s name is Louise, not Anna, her birth year and location, as well as parents birthplaces are the same. So it possible that Anna may have also used her middle name Louise.

Now lets take a closer look at the record.

The Nagle have two noteworthy neighbors. Next-door to them is Harry F Wagner (born abt 1884), his wife Elizabeth (born abt 1887), and children. They are both born in Pennsylvania, as are their parents.  And next door to them is the Kaufman family, Jonas and Lizzie, and their children… including an 18 year old Homer.

So I know that I must have the right Nagle family, and more over may have identified a close relative for Anna.

Henry J Nagle’s occupation is listed as a laborer in the “power house.” Google does not give me quick results when I search for “Upper Yoder power house.”  The closest match I can find is the Power House Mine, located in Stonycreek Township, Cambria County, PA.  But the little info I can find says the mine opened in 1922, twelves years after this census record. While it fits with the family information that Henry was a miner, I need to track down more information on the mine before I can say that this is where he was working in 1910.

The other piece of the puzzle that we learn from the record is that Henry and Anna have been married for 14 years, meaning that they were married around 1896.

I run the same search again, looking at the 1900 census records. And I get another match. Henry J Nagle is living 972 Franklin Street, Johnstown, PA. And this year, the census asked for the month and year of birth. So now we know that Henry Nagel, was born in March of 1874. Anna L Nagel was born in August of 1877. Their son Carl Joe, was born in April of 1898, and their infant son Foster was born in May of 1900.  Henry is working as a crane hand in the steelworks.

And, who is living with them? 17 year old Harry Wagner. He is listed as Henry’s brother-in-law, so Anna’s brother, born April of 1883. He is working as an iron and steel moulder [sic].

Now, the fact that Henry and family are living on 972 Franklin Street in 1900 and 1920, makes me wonder if they are in fact living there also in 1910. I will have to see if I can locate a map of the enumeration districts for the 1910 census, and see if Franklin street falls with the the “Upper Yoder” enumeration district of 158.

Now, some more exciting information I find on the 1900 census record.  Under Henry’s father’s birthplace, instead of just Germany, it is given as Hesse-Darmstadt.  And his mother’s birthplace is Prussian Germany.  And now, I have to take a detour to Professor Google for a quick history lesson.

The Landgraviate (Landgrave was a title used in the Holy Roman Empire, equivalent to a Duke and landgraviate referred to the jurisdiction of a landgrave) of Hesse-Darmstadt was a State of the Holy Roman Empire, formed in 1567 following the division of the Landgraviate of Hesse between the four sons of Landgrave Philip I (Hesse-Kassel, Hesse-Marburg, Hesse-Rheinfels and Hesse-Darmstadt).  The Hessian territories were not re-united until the formation of Greater Hesse as part of Allied-occupied Germany in 1945.

Prussia emerged from the Napoleonic Wars as the dominant power in Germany, overshadowing long-time rival Austria, which had abdicated the imperial crown in 1806. In 1815 Prussia became part of the German Confederation. The first half of the 19th century saw a prolonged struggle in Germany between liberals, who wanted a united, federal Germany under a democratic constitution, and conservatives, who wanted to maintain Germany as a patchwork of independent, monarchical states, with Prussia and Austria competing for influence.

Living on either side of Henry Nagle are two other Nagle families. At 970 Franklin is Sophia Nagle, widow, 59 years old, born in July of 1840 in Prussian Germany. Her parents were also born in Prussian Germany. She immigrated to the US in 1859.  She is mother of six children, all living, and her occupation is listed as capitalist. Living with her is her two single daughters Mary, 30, born June of 1869, and Katie, 21, born February of 1879.  Their father’s birthplace (Sophia’s husband) is Hesse-Darmstadt.

On the other side of Henry, at 974 Franklin Street, is Jac G Nagle, 28, born in Pennsylvania, in December of 1872, and his wife Catherine (born April 1870 in Hesse-Darmstadt).   His father was born in Hesse-Darmstadt, and mother in Prussian Germany.

Do you see the pattern? It seems that we have found Henry’s family: his mother Sophia, two sisters Mary and Katie, and a brother Jacob.  But we should keep moving backwards and and see what the 1880 census says.