Nice to meet you, Mr. President

My great grandfather, Abraham B. Gunzendorfer, was one of California’s earliest amateur photographers and I’ve read about him taking photographs of President Benjamin Harrison.  But as I cleaned out box after box of family treasures, I put together a separate box of photographs taken by Abe.  It looks like one of his most exciting photo sessions was in May, 1901 when President William McKinley visited Monterey and San Francisco.

Sounds like the buzz of an impending Presidential visit was big news, as reported in the Pacific Grove Review on March 23, 1901.



I can just imagine people of the area bustling about trying to get things ready.  This must have been a huge event for a state so far from Washington D.C.

And look – they had souvenirs for the event!



But that, apparently, wasn’t enough for Abe.  Whether he was paid or just took volunteer photos I’ll never know, but he did take photos! 

First up, the Presidential Cabinet “Special” arrived at Del Monte Depot on May 11, 1901.  It must have been such a sight to see this train chugging into the station.



I don’t know who labeled all of the photos but I have several copies of many of the photos and each one is written in beautiful handwriting.  I like to think it was Abe….. or maybe his wife, Bertha Schwartz Gunzendorfer.

Next the President addressed the citizens of Monterey – check out this crowd photo!



And because there is so much of interest to me in this photo, here’s a portion of it enlarged.



A few things stand out to me: 

1)  The building in the background, with the photographers standing on the roof, is my family’s mercantile store, The White House.  I wrote about this store here and here.  It must have been a very busy place and what an honor to have the president address the citizens right outside the front door.

2)  Almost everyone in the photo has on a hat.  I know that was the fashion of the era but just look at those hats!

3)  There are other people standing on the roof of the store.  I wonder if these were early Secret Service agents.

And the next day, the Presidential Special left Del Monte Depot to continue on the voyage.



It looks like the next stop for the President was the University of California, Berkeley, where he was the speaker for the commencement exercises. 



The upcoming event was described in the San Francisco Call, Volume 87, Number 148, on April 27, 1901 and was stated that they had seating planned for 10,000 guests.  And once the free tickets had been distributed, people were ‘hawking’ tickets for up to $5 each. 

From there President McKinley was busy launching the “Ohio” on May, 18, 1901 in San Francisco.



And the next day he went out for a stroll.



What an experience for Abe to travel along with the President and photograph the events.  I’d like to think he was riding along in the train but I’m guessing that probably isn’t quite how it happened. 

And now I’m 3!

This weekend my blog turns 3.  Three years of blogging (thanks to a nudge from Kerry Scott) and three years of some incredible discoveries.  Three years of some posts I struggled with and three years of some posts I had fun with.  It’s fun to look back at 3 years old both from a blogging perspective and a personal perspective.

Photographs seemed to have slowed down a bit by my 3rd year but I did find a few that were memorable.  Thanks to my dad for captioning them.

Hahahahaha 1957

Looking Behind 1957

Looks like my sister had a fun party with lots of kids in attendance.

My dad apparently loved this photo and captioned it “The greatest picture ever taken – 1957”  I’m not sure it really qualifies as the GREATEST picture – he may have been a bit biased – but it is pretty cute.



My sister has her eyes closed tight as she made that wish!  I wonder what was going through my head?  Maybe “Yikes, there are a lot of candles on that cake”? 

Since my birthday is right before Christmas, this looks to be the closest picture of me near my 3rd birthday.

Christmas Carolers 1957

As I looked back at my blog, I found it interesting which posts were the top five viewed.  I always wonder what draws people to a certain post – maybe they find it by accident, maybe they like it so much they go back to read it, or maybe it’s some auto-generated views.  Whatever draws people here, thanks for stopping by!

And my top 5 posts over the last three years:

Byron Hot Springs – October 23, 2011
My grandmother was a packrat! – July 8, 2012
Sentimental Sunday: Fresno High School – November 6, 2011
Awaiting Shipment – May 12, 2011
My Favorite Page – October 20, 2013

And even though this post wasn’t in my top 5, and not even in my top 10, I have to add it here because it was my all-time favorite.  Not because it was such a great post, but because it was the culmination of one of my greatest discoveries and proudest moments – the story of finally getting my 3rd great grandfather’s grave marked.  At times when I feel like I’m not making any progress I go back and read this post and remind myself that I have made A LOT of progress.

Emery’s “First” Veteran’s Day – November 10, 2011

And now I’m on my way to 4!

Mathew Fitzgerald

I recently had an opportunity to search for the homes of some of my ancestors, as well as those of my husband’s, on a recent visit to the Bay Area.  Sadly, the search was unsuccessful and I was a feeling a little dejected as we arrived at the airport to await our flight home.  But as luck would have it, I quickly pulled myself out of it when this beautiful face arrived in an e-mail message from Patti, a cousin I recently connected with.



That, my friends, is my second great grandfather, Mathew William Fitzgerald.  What a handsome man with a mischievous look in his eyes!

Mathew William Fitzgerald, the son of Nicholas and Margaret (Cullen) Fitzgerald, was born 10 September, 1850 in County Kildare, Ireland.  Mathew married Julia Horgan (1849-1885) in Yolo county in 1869 and they had seven children – John (1871-1970), Jeremiah (1873- ), Nicholas (1875-1938), Mary Margaret (1877-1948), my great grandfather Edward (1879-1968), Joseph (1881-1929), and Anna (1883-1950).  Julia was just a young woman when she died in 1885 and left Mathew to care for their children.  Shortly thereafter, Mathew moved his children to Fresno County where he remained for 20 years.

I have a lot more research to do about Mathew’s life, but I know quite a bit about his death on 21 August 1905.  One of the first death certificates I sent away for in 2010 was Mathew’s, which showed the cause of death to be “accidentally falling from wagon”. 



That’s an interesting piece of information.  It’s also interesting to note that the place of death was “near Mountain Rest Hotel”.  I wasn’t sure what any of that meant so I put it aside for a few years until I began my subscription to newspapers.com when I found some other related information.

Woodland Daily Democrat Tuesday, August 22, 1905 Page 1

So that doesn’t tell us much other than he was killed on Monday night but the particulars were not known.  But the following day more was known and was reported in the newspaper – Mathew was run over!

Woodland Daily Democrat Wednesday, August 23, 1905 Page 1

A few items of note in this account:

• Now the paper says his name was William M. Fitzgerald
• Why isn’t Jeremiah “Jerry” listed as a surviving child?  I know he was still living at that time – could they have, perhaps, been estranged from each other?

And the next day, even more details were reported.

Woodland Daily Democrat Thursday, August 24, 1905 Page 4

That’s a pretty detailed account of the final hours of Mathew’s life, hours that must have been excruciating.  In the book “The History of Black’s Station/Zamora – It’s People” by Elaine Hermle, it is noted that he was killed on what was known as Dead Man’s Curve – an appropriate name, it seems.

I’m curious as to who Henry Fitzgerald is – could Jeremiah have been known as Henry?

This is another interesting document.



How strange to think that this permit had to be posted on the box (casket) to prove what was inside.  Information tells me that Mathew is buried next to his wife, Julia Horgan Fitzgerald, in St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery in Woodland, California.  I’ve set up memorials on findagrave for Mathew and Julia and requested photos – I’d like to see the headstones to see what other clues there might be.  I’d also like to learn more about Mathew and Julia’s lives rather than focusing on Mathew’s death.

So that’s what I know about my 2nd great grandfather.  Thanks again to my ‘new’ cousin, Patti, for sharing this beautiful photo of Mathew with me!

I’ve got the music in me!

I’ll admit it – I took piano lessons for years as I child and I’m pretty sure the only song I could play today would be Chopsticks.  Why did my parents force us to play?  And why didn’t I take advantage of all those years of practicing and do something with it?

Playing a musical instrument has, apparently, been passed on for several generations in my family.  My dad not only played the piano and the organ but he also played the accordion.  I know he took piano lessons as a kid, probably why we were made to carry on the tradition.  I can just imagine him practicing on this piano that was in the living room of my grandparents’ home.  I remember after Grandma passed away there was a lot of discussion about what to do with the piano – I think it ended up being sold since no one had room for it.



My dad took organ lessons his entire adult life until just a few years before he died.  I remember on lesson nights we’d be banished to our rooms – or at least away from the organ – while he worked through all of his musical pieces with the instructor.

Here’s his beloved organ – it broke my heart to know it sold for just $300 at the estate sale last year.  I am happy, however, to know that a couple with two young children took it home so now I can visualize (as my dad loved to say) a new generation of organ players.



My daughters loved to sit with Grandpa while he played and they have so many wonderful memories of the sounds filling the house.  I’m sure they wished they could grow taller so they could work the pedals themselves.



Sometimes the piano or organ was used for something other than music – often times it was a seat used to pose for pictures!  Here’s me with my dad in the late 1980’s.



We were so happy that our life long friends, and Mom and Dad’s next door neighbors, took the piano for their daughter and her family after Mom passed away.  Now their grandchildren will learn to play on the same piano I sat at for all of those years.

And who else in my family played a musical instrument?  My second great grandmother, Bertha Schwartz Gunzendorfer.  I’m sure you’re wondering how I can know that?  Because look what I found!



Look at this treasure!  This is the first page you see when you open the book.



I can’t quite figure this book out – this looks like a Table of Contents but when I look further into the book, nothing corresponds with this.  I’m wondering if she bought different sheet music and compiled them in a book.

I found this one very interesting.  Not that I can read any of this language but if you look real closely, the stamp at the bottom says “A. Waldteufel Music Store, First & Fountain Street, San Jose”.  That may not be too exciting to anyone else but since I was born and raised in San Jose, this little tidbit is newsworthy!



There are many pages of music included in the book – here’s an example.



I can just imagine Bertha (aka Birdie) sitting at a piano (or other musical instrument) practicing her music. 

Bertha Schwartz, c. 1878

Sadly, I think the music gene has ceased to exist in me.  My girls both played the flute as they were growing up but that, too, has ended.  Maybe one day one of my descendants will take Birdie’s book, practice for hours and fill their home with music.