Clan William: The Colorful Eddy's of New Orleans

Capt Thomas Munson > Samuel Munson > Samuel James Munson > William Munson > Samuel II Munson > Freeman Munson > Henrietta Munson > Amos Joel Vaughn > Adele Virginia Vaughn m Robert Stevenson Eddy III 

You can take a trip back in time by reviewing the journey of the Vaughn Family of Randalia, Iowa, here. Henrietta and John had a mess of kids, 13 all told, some of whom I know nothing about. But, son Amos Joel, the baby of the family had six of his own, including Adele Virginia Vaughn, who went by "Virginia." I don't know how she met her husband Robert Stevenson Eddy III, of the well-to-do New Orleans Eddy's, but she did. They married before 1918 and lived in New Orleans. Virginia's younger sister, Mary Isabel, 15 years old, moved to New Orleans to live with them in 1917 and got a job in a bank, but died unexpectedly of illness at just under 17 years old on 14 Aug 1918. She was buried in New Orleans.

The Eddy's had been in New Orleans for decades by the time our family connected with theirs. The original Robert Stevenson Eddy had been born in Ohio in about 1827 and married Clara Drake. They had three children, the eldest of which was Robert Stevenson Eddy Sr. He had been born in St Louis, Missouri. His parents came to New Orleans in the 1860s. Senior worked his way up to the top spot in in Adams, Beck, and Co., Ltd., a commission merchant of great distinction. Poor old dude died of complications of a gall bladder operation on 16 Aug 1929 in New Orleans, just before the start of the Great Depression.

Eddy Bros. Furniture Co. 1932

Junior's oldest brother, James Harvey Eddy, took over Adams, Beck at his father's death after having been superintendent of the Swift & Co. fertilizer plants in New Orleans and Shreveport. Robert Stevenson Eddy Jr., having benefit of his father's hard work and acumen, also went into business. In 1904, he ran for city council in the Sixteenth Ward and won, but not before a protest was filed claiming he had not met residency requirements. Despite the fact his son RS III was born while he lived in Alvin, Texas, he claimed that the move had always been temporary. The challenge was overruled and he took his seat. Being a councilman didn't help him when he spoke out about police corruption and was beaten severely by blokes in a saloon as a nearby police officer watched. That police officer was later suspended.

Junior married Leila Janet Hathorn on 16 Aug 1897 in St Bernard Parish. They had three boys, R.S.

III, Fergus, and Thomas Godwin. When Martin Behrman was mayor of New Orleans (1904-1920, 1925-26), Eddy served as a member of the Commission Council. He first became associated with racing in the early 1920s. He served as GM of the Jefferson Park Race Track, president of the Business Men's Racing Association (which he was forced to resign from after accusations were slung at him regarding illegal gambling activities), and later as GM of the Fair Grounds Race Track. The Times-Picayune was full of articles during the 1920s about the two factions fighting for control of racing in New Orleans. I've posted a couple of those, but there are many more.

The acquisition of the Fair Grounds and Jefferson Park by Eddy's business syndicate was completed in 1934. Hit with financial problems, the tracks were to be sold in the early 1940s. The land was set to be sold for development, which would have ended racing in the area. A last minute purchase saved racing in New Orleans. Eddy then acquired an interest in Fairmont Race Track in Collinsville, Ill and owned one of the largest thoroughbred, harness, and saddle horse auction exchanges. After his first wife died, he remarried two years prior to his death. He died in Fort Lauderdale, 26 Jul 1965.

Junior also opened a furniture store on North Rampart in New Orleans. His sons would join him in this venture.

His son RS III grew up, married our Munson/Vaughn relative Virginia, and had two children: Robert Stevenson IV and Jolie Ann. III died on Oct 20, 1962 in New Orleans. Virginia survived until 03 May 1966. The children are both still living, so we'll save their stories for another day!

Clan William: Robert Lee Fox, Ph.D.

Capt Thomas Munson > Samuel Munson > Samuel James Munson > William Munson > Samuel II Munson > Freeman Munson >  Henrietta Munson > Charlotte Vaughn > Austin Fox > Robert Lee Fox 

Eleanor Parker Fox and Dr Robert L Fox

My 2nd great grandmother Mary Ann Munson's aunt Henrietta settled in Fayette County, Iowa, just down the road from where Mary Ann Munson and her husband William Custer Smith lived in Butler County. Henrietta had a large family who settle in Wisconsin and Iowa. Among those was Charlotte Vaughn, who was born 14 Jan 1853 in Ohio.

She married George W. Fox on 14 Jun 1869 in Fayette County and they had one child, Austin James Fox, who was born 22 Feb 1873 in Fayette County. Austin married Helen Carpenter Smith on 10 Dec 1902 in Fayette County and they had two children: Robert Lee and Karl George.

Robert Lee Fox led a very interesting life. He attended and graduated from Upper Iowa University in 1928 and went on to Columbia University where he received his master's and doctorate in Chemistry. He married Eleanor B Parker on 27 Dec 1931 in Fayette County (and married on 17 Dec 1931 in Manhattan as well). The couple had no children.

In 1934, years before the war started, he and his wife traveled to jobs at Roberts College in Istanbul, Turkey. Roberts is the oldest US college outside of the US, being a co-ed boarding high school established in 1863. Six years later, its campus would be built with the permission of the Ottoman Empire, in Bebek. Robert served as a professor of chemistry. After six years or so, they returned to the US, albeit via a very lengthy path just prior to the the US involvement in the  World War in 1941.

"They were delayed many times, and of course, due to the conditions In Europe were unable to take a direct route. Altogether it is estimated that they traveled between 13,000 and 15,000 miles, and by different means of conveyance. They were en route from July 8

Albert Long Hall/Hamlin Hall Roberts College

to Oct. 3, on which date They were en route from July 8 to Oct. 3, on which date they reached New York.

The attempt to secure visas and make preliminary arrangements began as far back as In May. About one month, after they left Turkey, was spent in "loafing" due to unavoidable delays at various places. Dr. and Mrs. Fox have been residents of Istanbul, as teachers for 7 years, and this is in a sense a sabbatical year for them, although their return to Istanbul depends on circumstances and future developments in world affairs, as well as their own inclinations. Dr. Fox has been instructor in chemistry at Robert College. and Mrs. Fox was teaching in a girls' school, both American institutions. Started Homeward July 8 They had left Istanbul soon after the school year ended, but were still in Turkey when they finally were able to get started, July 8, on the Ions homeward trip. By train, bus and car they traveled to Teheran, Iran (Persia) being on the road five days. From there "they traveled by car to a town on the frontier of India, and thence by train to Quetta, (military headquarters), where they were interviewed by military authorities. From there they went by boat to Bombay, where they waited three weeks for another boat. In forty days more they were in this country, the trip to New York from Bombay being around by way of Capetown, Africa.

Dr Harold Urey

Suspicion Rules in Turkey

Dr. Fox states that in Turkey there was no dearth of information regarding the war, radio broadcasts giving the communiques from both sides of the conflict. Seemingly Turkey  is favorable to the British, but there is an element there, as in other countries, which does not see eye to eye with the pro-British adherents. There is much suspicion, and arrests of suspected persons are quite frequent. Dr. Fox brought with him a photographic film, which he had kept for many months, it being unwise to have it developed there on account of the suspicions prevalent. On the return trip home it was not possible to use his camera, which at one time was taken from him and not returned until the end of that portion of the journey.

On board ship, many of the passengers were frightened badly when an armed ship suddenly turned at right angles to Its course and came toward them, until it was found that the ship they were on was American. The curious vessel was British. No further Incidents of an alarming nature took place, although they were in waters where trouble had been experienced by other boats. While spending a few days in New York Dr. Fox was selected by Dr. Urey, head of the chemistry department of Columbia University, to take a position on his staff of defense research workers" 

Thursday,October 23, 1941 Fayette County Leader from Fayette, Iowa · Page 1

Dr & Mrs Robert Fox

In winter 1941-42, he assisted Dr Harold C Urey on the Manhattan Project. He was then commissioned as a captain in the Chemical Warfare Service and in 1946 he was separated from the Army as a Lieutenant Colonel. He served as a reserve officer of the newly minted Chemical Corps with a Mobilization Designation to research  and development activities at Edgewood Arsenal from 1946-1963, when he retired. A number of very interesting things occurred at Edgewood and if you have time to read, check this out. He served in many capacities including as assistant director of medical research (1958) and also assistant to the commanding general of the US Army Chemical Corps Research and Engineering Command. 

He was active in a number of Chemical professional organizations such as the Armed Forces Chemical Association and held leadership positions in the organization and its Chesapeake chapter.

Old Cherry Lane Theatre, New York City

Mrs Fox was just as accomplished as her husband. She was a 1926 graduate of Upper Iowa
University. In 1928, she earned her master's in speech and drama at Northwestern University. She was awarded an honorary doctorate in 1975 by Upper Iowa University. From 1928-1933, she taught speech and drama and directed plays at a high school in Mount Carroll, Ill, at Illinois Wesleyan University and at Mary Baldwin College, Staunton, Va.

In 1933, she appeared in several productions at the Cherry Lane Theatre, New York City.

The next year, she moved to Istanbul, Turkey with her husband. She taught at the American College for Girls in Istanbul before they returned to the United States in 1941, shortly before they moved to the Baltimore area.

Robert's wife died 19 Mar 1988. Robert lived until 22 Sep 2002 and died in Towson, Maryland and was buried in Fayette County.

Clan William: Those Munson Girls - Margaret Jane Munson

Capt Thomas Munson > Samuel Munson > Samuel James Munson > William Munson > Samuel II Munson > Freeman Munson >  Amos Munson > Margaret Jane Munson m Giles P Weaks

Amos Munson, who I wrote about here, is my 3rd great grandfather. My 2nd great grandmother was his daughter Mary Ann who married William Custer Smith and resided in the Butler/Bremer/ Chickasaw counties area of Iowa after leaving Grant County, Wisconsin in the 1860s. Amos' daughter Henrietta Munson Woodington is well-chronicled here.

These four daughters will be the basis for the next few posts.

MARGARET JANE MUNSON

Born 05 Sep 1831 in Trumbull County, Ohio, Margaret was the eldest child of Amos and Mary Ann and most likely named for Amos' mother, Margaret Gregory. The Munson's came to the Eastern District of Grant County in 1849/1850 when Margaret was 18 years old.

Grant County had been established in 1837. Located in the southwest corner of the state, European settlers had started arriving by the 1820s. Mining operations (and an influx of Cornish miners) of lead

and zinc began in the mid-1820s in Hardscrabble (now Hazel Green) in Grant, Wisconsin. This area of Wisconsin is particularly beautiful and full of rolling hills because it did not, as a land, fall victim to the glaciers that flattened out much of the Midwest million of years before. As mining waned, farming flourished due to its fertile land.

Glen Haven, Wisconsin

The Munson's ended up in Glen Haven (originally called Stump Town), which was platted in 1857, just a year after the first steam ferry started operating. When the railroad arrived in 1884, the town flourished to its greatest degree and became a shipping point for both stock and farmed materials between St Paul and Chicago 1 As time went on and the locks and dams on the Mississippi were completed and transportation shifted to trucks for conveyance, Glen Haven slowly shrunk to less than 100 residents.

Margaret met Mr. Giles P. Weaks, son of Robert and Catherine Weaks, who originally hailed from Virginia, and married him on 05 Oct 1851 in Grant County. Giles purchased 40 acres of land at 1 SWNE 4TH PM - 1831 MINNESOTA/ WISCONSIN No 5 N 4 W 2 in 1857.2 They resided in Glen Haven as of the 1860 Census and by 1870 would have grown their family to five children. The 1870 Census also has them located in Glen Haven.

The children: James P. (who died prior to his father's death), Alice J. (who died at age 20 in 1876 in Glen Haven), Matilda Dell Siglin, Floy Margaret Rogers (later Hoppa), and Frank.

1880 found the Weaks family living in Bethel Township in Fayette County, Iowa. They owned 120 acres along the southern edge of the township that place them in Fayette County by at least 1879. I theorized in my post about Amos that for some time, Margaret's parents resided with them until Amos' death in 1885. Margaret followed him in 04 Oct 1896. Her mother, Mary Ann, moved on to live with her daughter Julia Newcomb in Howard, Howard County. Giles lived until 1902 and died in Hawkeye in Fayette County. He left all his worldy goods to his three remaining children.

Giles will is available on Ancestry.com and is below, stating:

First. That all my debts be paid.
Second: I give and bequeath to my daughter Matilda Dell Siglin, the sum of $600.00
Third: I give and bequeath to my son Frank Weaks, the sum of $500, also all my household goods, gray mare, single harness, double harness, buggy, and wagon.
Fourth: That all of my personal property be sold other than the above names.
Fifth: That after the above bequeaths (sic) have been paid, my estate shall be divided equally between my son Frank Weaks and my daughter Matilda Dell Siglin and Floy(d) (sic) Rogers.
Sixth: And lastly, I do hereby appoint my friend D W Wilbur to be the executor of this my last Will and Testament.

Giles Weaks Last Will & Testament

1 http://mississippivalleytraveler.com/glen-haven/
2 Wisconsin, Homestead and Cash Entry Patents, Pre-1908

Clan William: Amos Munson from Trumbull County

Glen Haven, Grant County, Wisconsin

Capt Thomas Munson > Samuel Munson > Samuel James Munson > William Munson > Samuel II Munson > Freeman Munson >  Amos Munson m Mary Ann Kearney 

Amos is my 3rd great grandfather.

Samuel Munson, son of William Munson and Rebecca Curtis, came to Brookfield, Trumbull County, Ohio from New Haven County, Connecticut with his family in about 1806. Son, Freeman, born near Waterbury, Connecticut in 1878  lived as an adult in Vienna Township and farmed. You can read a little about Freeman here and here.

Freeman's son Amos, born 31 Jan 1809 in Trumbull County, married Mary Ann Kearney on 20 Aug 1831, in Vienna. The 1850 Census shows that by 1850, the Munson's were living in the Eastern District of Grant County, Wisconsin, Since their final child of eight, Charles Fremont Munson, is shown to have been born in Ohio in 1849, I would surmise that their trip took place sometime between 1849-1850.

Their first child, Margaret was born on 05 Sep 1831 in Trumbull County, according to her Iowa Burial record (this is less than a month after their marriage, so this birth date might have been inaccurately reported - or not!). She would marry Giles Weaks on 05 Oct 1851 in Grant County, Wisconsin. Amos' fourth child, Caroline Amanda, was born in about 1838 in Trumbull County, and would marry Uri Clark Newcomb, Jr. on 01 Sep 1860 in Grant Count, Wisconsin. "U.C" or "Clark" was the son of Colonel Uri Clark Newcomb, Sr. and Emily Tyler, originally of Montrose, Susquehanna, Pennsylvania.

Amos Munson & Mary Ann Kearney
20 Aug 1831, Trumbull County

Amos is shown in 1860 as living in Glen Haven in Grant County.

In 1880, Amos and Mary Ann were living in Perry in Tama County, Iowa with son Charles and his wife Stella and their son. Daughter Caroline, now Caroline Newcomb, and her family living nearby. Caroline died in 1893. In 1873 "U. C." Newcomb was the owner of the first harness shop in Traer which he sold to his nephew A. G. Newcomb in 1883.

Amos's burial record indicates that he died 05 Aug 1885 and was buried in Hawkeye. His daughter Margaret Weaks, lived in Bethel Township in 1880, which is right next door to the Hawkeye cemetery where Amos was buried. Margaret died in 1896. Margaret's husband Giles P. Weaks, died in 1900 in Hawkeye, which he stated in his will was his residence. I theorize that in Amos' waning years, they lived with Margaret and her family.

Hawkeye Cemetery

Mary Ann left Fayette County sometime after her daughter Margaret's death. She is found in Howard County living with whom with double-son-in-law U.C. Newcomb and his former sister-in-law/now wife (her daughter) Julia. Her daughter, U.C.'s wife had died in 1893.  Mary Ann died in Howard on 12 Oct 1901. She was buried in Hawkeye with her husband Amos. Her daughter Julia died in 1911.

Of interest is that Amos' sister, Henrietta Vaughn, lived very close by in Randalia, Fayette County, Iowa and clears up some of the mystery of what happened to the Freeman Munson children who left Trumbull County.

Clan William: The Vaughns of Trumbull County

Trumbull County

Capt Thomas Munson > Samuel Munson > Samuel James Munson > William Munson > Samuel II Munson > Freeman Munson >  Henrietta Munson m John Lorin Vaughn

and...

James VAUGHN m Olive CABLE > John VAUGHN > John Lorin VAUGHN m Henrietta MUNSON

This is in relation to the sister of my 3rd great grandfather, Amos Munson, both children of Freeman Munson.

John Vaughn and his wife Betsey Burr (who is distantly related to Aaron Burr) were descendants of some of the earlier families of Fairfield County, Connecticut that included the Timothy Wheelers, the Andrew Cables, the John Burrs, and the Samuel Wilsons. Little is known about the origins of James Vaughn, John's father.

Olive Cable was married to William Jackson Meeker and had a number of children before his death in 1777. Olive remarried James Vaughn, with whom she had at least five children before his death in Fairfield County, Connecticut in about 1787.

John Vaughn, son of James and Olive, along with several of his half-siblings, sons and daughter of William Meeker and Olive, left for some fertile new farming land in Fowler, Trumbull County, Ohio in 1806:

     This township formerly known as Westfield, contains 16,500 acres.  It was purchased from the Connecticut Land company by Samuel Fowler, of Westfield, Massachusetts, and sold to settlers under his direction.  Titus Brockway was granted power of attorney to dispose of 10,000 acres.  Abner Fowler, brother of the proprietor, in consideration of services rendered in surveying this land, received 100 acres at the center of the township.
     The township was purchased by Mr. Fowler in 1798, for less than fifty cents per acre.
     Only five families settled in the township before 1805.  These were the families of Levi Foote, already mentioned; Lemuel Barnes, who lived one-half mile north of the center; John Morrow, at the center; Hillman Fisher, and Drake, who lived on the ridge.
      In 1806 seven families arrived from Connecticut, having left that State in the fall of the same year.  A month or six weeks later they arrived in New Connecticut.  These emigrants were Elijah Tyrrell and wife, nee Clarissa Meeker, with her brother, Justus, Daniel, Lyman, and William Meeker; John Vaughn and Wakeman Silliman.  They all settled in the southeast of the township in the vicinity of Tyrrell Hill or Tyrrell corners.

History of Trumbull & Mahoning Co., Ohio, Vol. II published by H.A. Williams & Brother, 1882; Trailing Through Tyrrell, 125 years Ago by the Tribune Trailer, & taken from Western Reserve Chronicle, Sept. 25, 1878  

John married Betsey Burr, daughter of  Jesse Burr and Sarah "Sally" Wilson, had their bans of marriage read on 07 Mar 1805 at Trinity Church in Southport, Connecticut. (And, yes, Betsey is distantly related to former US Vice President, Aaron Burr through the immigrant, Jehu Burr)

Once they arrived in Fowler, they all set about cutting roads and building homes in the southwest corner of the township at Tyrrell Hill or Tyrrell Corners (named for Clarissa Meeker's husband Elijah Tyrrell) while their wives and children spent their time at the home of  Joel Hummason in Vienna. One of Joel's relatives later married John's son Miles Munson. Once established, this group was integral in the early development of the town.  The first school was taught in the cabin of Wakeman Silliman. Clarissa's husband Elijah built the largest cabin (a full 18 x 24 - colossal by the day's standard) and produced scythes. Daniel Meeker was one of two men who built the first mill in 1807. Justus was the first miller when the flour mill was built.

John Vaughn and Betsey had at least nine children. Among those children was John Lorin Vaughn. John Lorin married Henrietta Munson, of neighboring Vienna, Trumbull County and daughter of Freeman Munson and Margaret Gregory in 1833.  In 1850, the Vaughns lived in Pierpoint in  Ashtabula County. At that time, they had seven surviving children. Sometime between 1853 and 1856, they moved on to Platteville, Grant County, Wisconsin. Their youngest surviving child, Amos Joel was born in Platteville in 12 Nov 1856. Sons Freeman and Orion remained in Wisconsin and ultimately went to war as volunteers with the Wisconsin 33rd Infantry Regiment beginning in 1862. Read about them here.

John Lorin and Henrietta Munson moved to Fayette County in 1863. And, this would be there home for the remainder of their lifetimes. 

Children of John Lorin Vaughn and Henrietta Munson:

1. Corporal Freeman F Vaughn, born abt 1834, Trumbull County, Ohio; died 26 Aug 1864 at Jefferson Barracks, St Louis, Missouri of injuries received in battle. 

2. Rose Anna Vaughn, born abt 1836, Trumbull County, Ohio; died unkown

3. Corporal Orion Squire Vaughn, born 09 Jan 1838 in Trumbull County, Ohio; died 03 Mar 1920, Winneconne, Winnebago, Wisconsin. 

4. Sarah Jane Vaughn Simmons, born 28 Dec 1840, Trumbull County, Ohio; died 16 May 1920, New Hampton, Chickasaw, Iowa. 

5. Elizabeth A Vaughn, born abt 1841, Trumbull County, Ohio; died between 1912-1920 (there is some indication that she had some type of disability)

6. Arminda, born abt 1846, Trumbull County, Ohio; death unknown

7. James Lester Vaughn, born 03 Jan 1849, Trumbull County, Ohio; died 14 Dec 1918, Randalia, Fayette, Iowa.

8. Frederic Vaughn, abt 1851, Trumbull County, Ohio; died unknown

9. Charlotte Vaughn Fox, born 14 Jan 1853, Trumbull County, Ohio; died 21 Sep 1934, Buchanan, Iowa, USA

10. Amos Joel Vaughn, born 12 Nov 1856, Platteville, Grant, Wisconsin; died Sep 1947, Randalia, Fayette, Iowa.

11-13. Unknown Vaughns who either died as infants or as young children between
census reports (3). 

Note: At the time of Henrietta's death, seven of her children were living. I have information on Orion, Sarah, Elizabeth, James, Charlotte, and Amos being alive, but am unsure who the seventh living child would have been. 

John died on 05 Aug 1887 in Fayette County. Henrietta lived on until 07 Apr 1905 where she died at the home of her son James in Randalia.

The mystery of their burial is most likely solved. The obituary for Henrietta indicates she joined her husband and two of her children at the Lima, Iowa cemetery. According to the sexton for the cemetery, the records indicated that there were six plots bought in the name of Vaughn & Yaste (searches have not located anyone with the Yaste name in the area). The six plots are in line but there are no stones. Sexton believed that there might have been stones at one time, but during that era, stones were often made of limestone and wore down and broke frequently and could have been removed. The cemetery records are full of holes, so there is no actual record of their burials. I believe, however, with strong certainty, that they are buried there.

Lima, Iowa Cemetery. The entire line in front of the bush is Vaughn-owned plots