Elmon Edward McLaughlin: A Tale of the Steamboat Steward

In January of this year, I wrote a blog post on my ancestor Henderson McDonald and his wife, Emeline Peterson.  They were a part of my "Chasing the Elusive" series.  While Henderson McDonald is still a brick wall despite searching, I broke through the wall that was Emeline Peterson in a major way, including tracing her lineage back several generations, as The Tale of Three Henry Petersons explains a bit.

In finding research on Emeline Peterson and her family, I also stumbled onto information about her second husband that fascinated me.

After Henderson passed away sometime around 1856 (although evidence/lack thereof of evidence suggests he may have also possibly abandoned the family as well, but this is just another suggestion at present time), Emma became a dressmaker.  With her sister, Sarah, she DID buy property - in my previous blog post I erroneously stated she did not have a property in her name, as I had overlooked a deed made out to EMMA McDonald.  On 28 February 1864, Emeline and Sarah purchased a parcel of land 26 feet by 85 feet along Fourth, Ferry, and Third Streets in the first ward of Pittsburgh for $3250 from one Caleb Russell.  This property appears to be the very same property in which Emma did her dressmaking, and was rented first by Alice Mowry and then Mrs. M.H. Wrighter.  The sisters sold the land for a whopping $9000 to James Sterrett on 17 Sept 1867.

Sometimes after that property was sold, but before 1 July 1870, when she was enumerated in the 1870 Federal Census, Emeline remarried.  I have yet to find a marriage registration or certificate for her to cement a marriage date, but she married a steamboat steward by the name of Elmon Edward McLaughlin.

Elmon Edward McLaughlin, known mainly as Ed, was born probably in Rome, Lawrence County, Ohio on 29 November 1835 as one of the younger children born to David McLaughlin and Pheobe "Pheba" Gillett.  According to his father's will from 1855, Ed was estranged from his family and thus was to receive only a few dollars.  Why he was estranged is still a mystery, but it may have had something to do with the fact that the lad was likely working as a riverman along the Mississippi River Valley.  

Because of his unusual first name and the fact that he often went by his middle name, finding records for him is sometimes a challenge.  He was listed as Alvin, Almon, and even Edmund on census records, and as Elmer in directory listings.

It is unknown how he got his start in the rivers, but during the Civil War, he is noted as having been a steward in the United States Navy, working aboard riverboats assigned to the Army of the Mississippi.  His duty included time aboard the ironclad gunboat USS Indianola as well as the tinclad river steamboat USS Forest Rose.  Not much is known as of yet about his service on either of these boats, as records seem to indicate he served just a year in the Navy, but his service later earned him a pension from the United States.

Tracking Ed is difficult, as his occupation made him itinerant.  What is known from city directories is that he had residences in Cincinnati, New Orleans, and Pittsburgh, and it is very likely he met Emeline while either living in Pittsburgh or traveling through on one of his boats.

It is also highly likely he was married once before he met Emeline, though I can find no record of any marriage for him.  A later census gives that he had been married three times.

What is known is that the couple first appeared together in the 1870 Federal Census, where they were living in the 14th Ward of New Orleans with a 29-year-old woman named Jenny and Emeline's daughter Emma, both of whom were listed with the surname of McLaughlin.  Subsequent city directories from New Orleans list him at three different addresses, suggesting that, probably because of his peripatetic job, he rented instead of purchasing property for his family.

Newspaper accounts give some indication of how good he was at his job.  Given that stewards on the river steamboats were responsible for managing the cabin workers, ordering food, and were social networkers on the river systems, having been mentioned often in newspapers likely meant he was very good at the job indeed.  In November of 1868, he was steward of the Era No. 9, and it was noted in The New Orleans Crescent that he "will see to the wants of passengers, and he knows how to do it."  He also was mentioned as the steward of the Colonel A. P. Kouns in 1874/1875 and as the steward of The Silver City in 1878.  In 1879, he had completed a season of steward of the Charles Morgan and went on to work on the Ashland.

A "Notice to Heirs and Devisees Residing Out of the County of Allegheny" was published on 20 Nov 1879 stating that Hugh Stanton had been issued a judgment in the Court of Common Pleas against the estate of Mariah Peterson, who was Emeline's aunt.  Both Emeline and Ed, as Edward Mclaughlin, were listed as heirs notified by this decision.  Further research still needs to be done on this judgement.

The couple appeared to have resided in New Orleans until 1883 when they moved back to Allegheny City Pennsylvania.  However, by 1887, it appears Ed and Emeline had moved to Cincinnati, where again they lived in a series of residences.  In 1890, Ed was enumerated on the veterans' schedule of the 1890 Federal Census in Allegheny City, but also had a residence in Cincinnati that same year, so he was likely passing through the Pittsburgh area when the census takers visited.

While residing in Cincinnati, Ed was noted mostly for his tenure as the steward of the Scotia, a position he held for several years.  This was stated about him in the newspaper Wheeling Register (Wheeling, West Virginia) on 23 Nov 1889: 

"Mr. Ed McLaughlin, the popular steward of the steamer Scotia, is the right man in the right place, and his kindness is appreciated by the number of passengers who traveled on the Scotia."  ("Items of Interest Picked up About Boats and Boatmen," Wheeling Register (Wheeling, West Virginia), 23 November 1889, page 4, found on GenealogyBank)

On 29 November 1889, in the same paper, it was reported that "Col. Ed. McLaughlin, the popular steward, made all feel at home" aboard the Scotia during a party given for leading shipping merchants in Pittsburgh.  The next day, Ed created a Thanksgiving feast as a farewell dinner for Captain Rowley aboard the Scotia, as he resigned as captain. In December of 1889, another account stated he was witness to an excited John McDonald receiving news he was the father of a ten-pound baby boy.  In March of 1891, it was noted he was organizing an orchestra for the Scotia.  He was listed as the steward of the Scotia again in April 1891.  By October of that year, he was aboard a new boat, the Hudson.

On 9 October 1891, Emeline Peterson McDonald McLaughlin died from meningitis at the apartment she shared with her husband Ed McLaughlin in the Loring House, at Pearl and Broadway in Cincinnati. The address was given as 85 Broadway on her death register.  She was noted in a local newspaper merely as "the wife of Ed McLaughlin."   Emeline was buried at Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati two days later.  

Ed continued his job as steward through the last decade of the 19th century, working on the steam The Grand Era and also on the Adam Jacobs.  

As of this blog post writing, however, he remains elusive in enumerations for the 1900 Federal Census, but by 1903, he was residing in Allegheny City for what seemed permanent, even though he continued his occupation.  On a 1903 marriage license registration, he lived at 2713 Virginia Avenue in Allegheny City, and on 12 August 1903, he married Sarah A. Armstrong, a forty-three-year-old spinster from Wheeling, West Virginia.  The couple resided at this address with some of Sarah's siblings until Elmon's death.

In May 1913, he was listed as steward on the packet steamship Ohio, and was involved in relief efforts during the Floods of March 1913.  This appears to be his last position, as he was quite elderly.  In November 1915, he was stricken with broncho-pneumonia, and as he was quite advanced in years at the age of 79 and debilitated, he soon was stricken with inanition.  He succumbed on 27 November 1915 at his home at 2713 Veterans Street in Pittsburgh.

**The couple never moved from their home.  When Allegheny City was consolidated into Pittsburgh in 1909, some street names in the former city were changed to avoid overlap with those street names already in Pittsburgh, and Virginia became Veterans.**

Elmon Edward McLaughlin was buried 30 November 1915 in Union Dale Cemetery in Pittsburgh.  His obituary merely mentioned he was the husband of Sarah Armstrong, quietly omitting the illustrious long life he had as a steamboat steward and river traveler.

Sources:

"1870 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 25 March 2021), Entry for Edmund McLaughlin and household, Year: 1870, Census Place: New Orleans Ward 14 Orleans, Louisiana, Roll: M593_525, Page: 796A, and Family History Library Film: 552024; citing 1870 U.S. census, population schedules. NARA microfilm publication M593, 1,761 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.

"1910 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 15 May 2021), Entry for Elmon E Mclaughlin and household, Year: 1910, Census Place: Pittsburgh Ward 26 Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Roll: T624_1308, Page: 9B, Enumeration District: 0634, and FHL microfilm: 1375321; citing Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910 (NARA microfilm publication T624, 1,178 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book 168: 496-498, Caleb Russell to Emma McDonald and Sarah Ann Peterson, recorded 3 March 1864; FHL microfilm 1498034 and 1498035.

Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Deed book 223: 531-533, Sarah Ann Peterson and Emma McDonald to James Sterrett, record 28 Sept 1867; FHL microfilm 1509528 and 1509529.

"Along the River," Wheeling Register (Wheeling, West Virginia), 5 December 1889, page 4; online images, GenealogyBank (www.genealogybank.com : accessed 20 May 2021).

Ancestry.com, "1850 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 21 May 2021), Entry for Alvin McLaughlin in the household of David McLaughlin, Year: 1850, Census Place: Rome Lawrence, Ohio, Roll: 701, and Page: 409a; citing Seventh Census of the United States, 1850; (National Archives Microfilm Publication M432, 1009 rolls); Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29; National Archives, Washington, D.C..

Ancestry.com, "1890 Veterans Schedules," database online, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 16 May 2021), Entry for Elmon McLaughlin residing in Allegheny, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, USA; citing Special Schedules of the Eleventh Census (1890) Enumerating Union Veterans and Widows of Union Veterans of the Civil War; (National Archives Microfilm Publication M123, 118 rolls); Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15; National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "1880 United States Federal Census," database online with images, Ancestry.com Operation, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 25 March 2021), Entry for Almon McLaughlin and family, Year: 1880, Census Place: New Orleans Orleans, Louisiana, Roll: 463, Page: 37B, and Enumeration District: 076; citing Tenth Census of the United States, 1880. (NARA microfilm publication T9, 1,454 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

"A Voyage Up 'La Belle Riviere'," Cincinnati Commercial Gazette (Cincinnati, Ohio), 31 March 1892, page 9; online images, NewspaperArchive (www.newspaperarchive.com : accessed 21 May 2021). article on the steamboat Hudson.

Coles, Sasha. "Work, Slavery, and Freedom on the Steamboat," article, The Enchanted Archives (https://enchantedarchives.com/ : accessed 22 May 2021).

"The Crew of a Western Steamboat," article, Oklahoma Historical Society : Steamboat Heroine (https://www.okhistory.org/learn/steamboat : accessed 22 May 2021), information on the occupation of a steward on a steamboat.

Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1868/1869 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G. H. Thurston, 1868), 299, "McLaughlin Edward, riverman, Gravt av n Beech, A(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 28 March 2021).

"Down Along the River," Cincinnati Commercial Tribune (Cincinnati, Ohio), 28 May 1913, page 8; online images, NewspaperArchive (www.newspaperarchive.com : accessed 21 May 2021).

Find A Grave, database with images (www.findagrave.com : accessed 25 March 2021), memorial page for Elmon E McLaughlin, Find A Grave Memorial # 107403134, citing Union Dale Cemetery (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), memorial created by Ed Fincke, maintained by genieresearcher, photograph by genieresearcher, also by Connecting Ancestors.

"Items of Interest Picked up About Boats and Boatmen," Wheeling Register (Wheeling, West Virginia), 23 November 1889, page 4; online images, GenealogyBank (www.genealogybank.com : accessed 20 May 2021).

J.F. Diffenbacher's directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1886/1887 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Diffenbacher & Thurston, 1886), 692, "McLaughlin Elmon E, steward, 15 E Jefferson, A(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 20 May 2021).

"The March Flood of 1913", David Tschiggfrie, editor, S & D Reflector, Vol. 7, No. 1 (Marietta, Ohio: Sons and Daughters of Pioneer Rivermen, March 1970), 17; online images, Sons and Daughters of Pioneer Rivermen (http://www.riverhistory.org/reflector.html : accessed 21 May 2021)

"McLaughlin," Pittsburgh Dispatch (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 1 November 1891, page 5; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 19 March 2021).

"McLaughlin," death notice, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 29 November 1915, page 3; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 25 March 2021).

"Miscellaneous," Cincinnati Commercial (Cincinnati, Ohio), 29 July 1879, page 13; online images, NewspaperArchive (www.newspaperarchive.com : accessed 21 May 2021).

"Miscellaneous," Cincinnati Commercial Gazette (Cincinnati, Ohio), 10 October 1891, page 7; online images, NewspaperArchive (www.newspaperarchive.com : accessed 19 March 2021).

National Archives and Records Administration, "U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934," database with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 16 May 2021), Entry for Elmon Mclaughlin, filing date 24 Oct 1891, roll 305; citing "General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934". Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. T288, 546 rolls.

National Archives and Records Administration, "Navy Widows' Originals (Disapproved)," database online with images, Fold3 (www.fold3.com : accessed 21 May 2021), Department of the Interior, Bureau of Pensions, List of officers and comrades for the U.S.S. Forest Rose, entry for Elmon McLaughlin, found in the pension file of Clarissa Tate, widow of William Tate, application number 24830, page 24, filed 13 Oct 1909.; Citing NARA M1274. Disapproved pension applications of widows and other dependents of U.S. Navy veterans who served between 1861 and 1910.

Naval Historical Center, United States Navy, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs.html : accessed 21 May 2021), information on the Forest Rose.

"Notes on Navigation," Wheeling Daily Intelligencer (Wheeling, West Virginia), 30 March 1891, page 5; online images, GenealogyBank (www.genealogybank.com : accessed 20 May 2021).

"Notice to Heirs and Devisees Residing Out of the County of Allegheny," legal notice, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 20 November 1879, page 1; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 25 March 2021).

"Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001," online database with images, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 19 March 2021), Entry for Emaline Mclaughlin, 09 Oct 1891, FHL microfilm 355,117.

"Ohio, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1786-1998," database online with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 21 May 2021), Entry for David McLaughlin, probate date 25 Jun 1855; Wills; Probate Place: Lawrence, Ohio; citing Ohio County, District and Probate Courts.

"Pennsylvania, County Marriages, 1885-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 22 May 2021), Entry for Elmon E. McLaughlin and Sarah A. Armstrong, 12 Aug 1903, Allegheny County, v 64 p 333, FHL microfilm number 878606; citing various county courthouses, Pennsylvania.

"Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1963," database with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 25 March 2021), Entry for Elmon E. McLaughlin, died 27 November 1915, cn 110100; citing Pennsylvania (State). Death certificates, 1906–1963. Series 11.90 (1,905 cartons). Records of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Record Group 11. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

"Pennsylvania, Veterans Burial Cards, 1777-2012," database with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 15 May 2021), Entry for Elmon E McLaughlin, buried Union Dale Cemetery, veteran of the Civil War, Series 1; citing Pennsylvania Veterans Burial Cards, 1777–2012. Digital Images, 3–5. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Bureau of Archives and History. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

"Queen Mab," The Times (Shreveport, Louisiana), 6 April 1875, page 2; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 20 May 2021).

"The River," The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, Louisiana), 18 March 1894, page 20; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 25 March 2021).

"River Intelligence," The New Orleans Crescent (New Orleans, Lousiana), 4 November 1868, page 8; online images, NewsaperArchive (www.newspaperarchive.com : accessed 28 March 2021).

"River News," The New Orleans Daily Democrat (New Orleans, Louisiana), 4 August 1878, page 11; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 20 May 2021).

"Stage of the Rivers," The New Orleans Daily Democrat (New Orleans, Louisiana), 14 May 1879, page 7; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 25 March 2021).

Suhr, Robert Collins. "USS Indianola: Union Ironclad in the American Civil War," article, Historynet LLC, HistoryNet.com (https://www.historynet.com/: accessed 21 May 2021), information on the ship and its battles.

"United States Veterans Administration Pension Payment Cards, 1907-1933," database online with images, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 28 March 2021), Entry for Elmon McLaughlin, cn 36086, FHL microfilm 1,635,493; citing NARA microfilm publication M850 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.

"U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995," database online with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 15 May 2021) citing a collection of directories for U.S. cities and counties in various years. **Please contact me for the list if you are interested, as there are SEVERAL entries**

"The Weather and Rivers: Festivity Aboard the Scotia," Pittsburgh Daily Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 30 November 1889, page 6; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 25 March 2021).

The Tale of Three Henry Petersons

 In researching my Fielding family (still working on outlining a blog post series on James Fielding), I stumbled upon a landmine of information where I once had a huge brick wall.  I am still processing the information, albeit slowly, because I am almost dazed by the sheer amount of information I have uncovered and don't have as much time as I used to to process the information.  This line has to do with my ancestress, Emeline Peterson, who married Henderson McDonald and was the grandmother to Nellie Fielding and my own great-grandmother.

Emeline Peterson, I have determined, was the daughter of Henry Peterson and Mary Ann Marson.  

But my trail didn't end there, nor did it start with her parents' names.  In fact, finding out Emeline's parents' names was one of the last things I discovered about her immediate family.

I should start at the beginning.  This is the tale of three Henry Petersons.  Keep in mind that I work backwards through history while reading this.

THE FIRST HENRY (1784-1841)

In trying to find out more about Emeline Peterson, I decided to research Sarah Peterson, the 35-year-old woman who was living with Emeline and her husband in the 1850 census (because I am a HUGE believer in the FAN club method of research when hitting brick walls).  I determined that Sarah was in fact Emeline's elder sister when I found Sarah's will from Allegheny County, Pennsylvania in 1874, in which Sarah Ann Peterson mentions that because her sister Emeline McLaughlin was well provided for, she chose not to bequeath her anything.  This will also mentions her cousin Lewis Peterson jr. as well as her uncle Peter Peterson, sister Elizabeth M. Cary and brother Franklin.

**Note here: this will also helped me uncover where Emeline went after Henderson's death, so she is no longer an elusive family member, but that's a blog post for another day.**

Using that information, I searched for these family members.  Lewis Peterson jr. was the son of Lewis Peterson sr., of course.  Lewis sr. and his brother Peter were prominent members in early Pittsburgh society, having opened L & P Peterson & Company in 1820, which was a tin, copper, and ironware manufacturing company.  Researching further, I found that the two were beneficiaries in their father's will in 1838 in Allegheny County.  Their father was named Henry Peterson, and he left items to his widow Hannah and seven surviving children; Henry, Lewis, Peter, Derrick, Maria, Ann, and Lydia.

Because I knew already that Lewis and Peter were the uncles of Emeline and Sarah, I knew I could rule them out as my ancestor.  That left me with Derrick and Henry jr. as the two candidates for the father of Emeline.  I then stumbled upon a notice in the Pittsburgh Gazette that summed up an 1852 civil suit between Sylvanus Lathrop and Ann Peterson, aunt to my Emeline.  In that summation of events leading to the civil suit, it stated that while Henry had a family in 1837, Derrick did not.  

What cinched the claim to Henry was a book that was written in several volumes over several years called The Morris Family of Philadelphia: Descendants of Anthony Morris (which I call the Morris book in shorthand).  In volume 3, on page 636, my ancestress Emeline Peterson was listed as one of several children of Henry Peterson and Mary Ann Marson.  Of course, I didn't take the book as full truth on my ancestry but verified that info with other evidence.  And I am still working on that other evidence.

**note here:  Even though I also write have written one myself, I don't take any written genealogies at face value, as there are too many mistakes and liberties taken.  If they are sourced, I verify  the sources used.... if not, I try to do the legwork myself.  I still use them as sources though.**

I also starting working up the Peterson line.  Henry Peterson sr. and Henry Peterson jr. both ended up in Allegheny County in what is now Pittsburgh, but neither one of them started there.  They both lived in Philadelphia in the early part of the nineteenth century, but Henry jr. was actually born, it appears, in Delaware, in Duck Creek Cross Roads in Kent County.  His mother was Henry sr.'s first wife, Margaret Morris, whose line the Morris book actually focuses on (and whose line I haven't worked on yet because I am still working the Peterson research..... but I'll verify the book info soon I hope).  

The first of my three Henry Petersons is still a bit of a mystery, though he is the only one of the three for which I have a birth AND a death date.   I am still trying to narrow down when and where Henry and Mary Ann Marson married, but it appears that they had two sons, Benjamin Franklin and John M, as well as the three daughters already mentioned; Sarah, Elizabeth, and Emeline.  Henry was a copper and tinsmith and established himself first in Philadelphia before moving to Pittsburgh.  What is curious however is that he died in Philadelphia in December 1841 at the age of fifty-seven from a plural effusion.  It is not known why he was back in Philadelphia, but he may have been visiting for one reason or another.  I am waiting on his probate record from Allegheny County as I type this to see what, if anything, was left in his records.  I also need to verify Mary Ann's maiden surname, as the only document that mentions is thus far is her entry in the Morris book.

THE SECOND HENRY (before 1760-1838)

The second Henry Peterson, known thus far as Henry Peterson Sr. was actually also a junior.  I have no date of birth for him other than he was born before 1760, as his census records indicate.  He was the child of Henry Peterson and Hannah Rothwell, though his mother's surname has not been verified (as the Morris book is the only document thus far that gives her surname).  

While it appears he lived in Philadelphia most of his life per city directory entries, census records, and deed and probate documents for his siblings and father, he appears to have died in June 1838 in Pine Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania according to his own probate records.  He also lived in Loudon County, Virginia for about ten years, as deed records and an advertisement he placed in the Virginia Journal and Alexandria Advertiser in 1787 indicate. It is not clear why he moved there, but a few of his children were born there.  His first wife was Margaret Morris, who died in 1828 according to the book, and he appears to have remarried, as wife Hannah is listed in his will, though as of yet I have no information on Hannah at all.  Henry, according to his will, had the seven aforementioned children, but the Morris book lists a couple that died young as well.  Further research will need to be done to prove this, however.

THE THIRD HENRY (died circa 1794)

This brings me to my third Henry Peterson.  Like his namesake, this Henry (who is actually the first Henry Peterson in my line if one goes chronologically) has no date of birth as of yet, but I do know that he died sometime between 6 September 1791, when he wrote his will, and 3 September 1794, when his will was proved in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. A 1774 Philadelphia deed states he was a merchant, and his will lists four children named Lydia, Henry, Peter, and Derick, which means the second Henry named his children after his siblings. 

Derick Peterson, son to this Henry and brother to the second, was a pretty famous guy in early Philadelphia history.  He appears to have been a captain in the Philadelphia militia during the Revolution, he owned a vast estate in what was then Lower Dublin Township (now part of the Holmesburg neighborhood in Philadelphia), and he and his brother Henry had a very public falling out over debts owned to him that brought up the bequeathment that was left to the brothers by their father in his will.  I am currently awaiting his probate records from the Philadelphia Register of Wills because so many of the other Petersons (including the first Henry Peterson) are mentioned in the abstract of his probate and I want to know what legacy he left to each of them. 

Because both the second and the third Henry Petersons lived in Philadelphia for a time, sorting records for them feels almost impossible in some instances without further research.  I have numerous records saved in various places in the hopes of being able to sort them out to the correct ancestor.  Add to that the repeating names for their children and one has a recipe for frustration in research.  But I power on because I like to write the stories of who my kin were and how they lived within the scope of history.

This tale isn't finished, and I like to think it never will be as long as I can find information on any of the Peterson family.

Sources: 

*note - I have chosen not to post a complete list of all the sources I have on all of my Henry Petersons because the research is ongoing.  For further sources, contact me*

"1800 United States Federal Census," online database, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 10 April 2021), Entry for Henry Peterson, Year: 1800, Census Place: Lower Dublin Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Series: M32, Roll: 42, Page: 153, Image: 223, and Family History Library Film: 363345; citing Second Census of the United States, 1800: Population Schedules, Washington County, Territory Northwest of the River Ohio; and Population Census, 1803: Washington County, Ohio. NARA microfilm publication M1804 (1 roll).

"1830 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 16 April 2021), Entry for Henry Peterson, Year: 1830, Census Place: Pittsburgh West Ward Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Series: M19, Roll: 144, Page: 53, and Family History Library Film: 0020618; citing Fifth Census of the United States, 1830. (NARA microfilm publication M19, 201 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

"Abstracts of Wills Recorded in the Administration Books, Register's Office, Philadelphia", Publications of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, volume V no 3 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, March 1914), 295; online images, Google Books (https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Pennsylvania_Genealogical_Magazine/GMIxAQAAMAAJ : accessed 25 April 2021). Entry for Derick Peterson, administration Book N, page 242, 1829.

Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book 27-2B: 60-62, Lewis and Maria Peterson to Henry Peterson, recorded 19 October 1819; FHL microfilm 1497872.

Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book 27-2B: 104-106, Assignment of Lewis Peterson to Henry Peterson jr., recorded 13 Nov 1819; FHL microfilm 1497872

Clear, Helen, compiler, Deaths Gleaned from the Pittsburgh Christian Advocate 1834-1855 (New Brighton, Pennsylvania: Archives & History Ministry Team of the Western Pennsylvania Conference, United Methodist Church, 2000), 163; online file, Western PA Conference, The United Methodist Church (https://www.wpaumc.org/archives-sampler : accessed 18 April 2021).

Cushing, Thomas. History of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: Including Its Early Settlement and Progress to the Present Time, a Description of Its Historic and Interesting Localities: Its Cities, Towns and Villages: Religious, Educational, Social and Military History: Mining, Manufacturing and Commercial Interests: Improvements, Resources, Statistics, Etc. : Also Portraits of Some of Its Prominent Men and Biographies of Many of Its Representative Citizens, volume 1 (Chicago: A Warner & Co, 1889), 147

"District Couty - Sylvanus Lothrop vs. Ann Peterson et. al.," legal notice, Pittsburgh Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 29 March 1852, page 3; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 8 April 2021).

Harris' general business directory of the cities of Pittsburgh and Allegheny: and also of the most flourishing and important towns and cities of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Western New York, Virginia, &c. (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: A.A. Anderson, 1841), 46, "Peterson Henry copper and tin warehouse, Front n. Market d, h Springdale"; digital images, Detre Library & Archives, Heinz History Center, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 22 April 2021).

Haavik, Benjamin Knute. "Eden Hall: A Cultural Historic Landscape," (Master's Thesis University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 1998), 17. 

Loudoun County, Virginia, Deed Book S: 143-145, William and Sarah Allen to Henry Peterson, recorded 13 Sept 1790; FHL microfilm 32305.

Loudoun County, Virginia, Deed Book X: 310-313, Henry and Margarett Peterson to Lee B. Gale, recorded 24 December 1796; FHL microfilm 32309.

Moon, Robert C. The Morris Family of Philadelphia: Descendants of Anthony Morris, volumes 1-5 (Philadelphia: Robert C. Moon, 1898–1909). (I used the copy currently on Ancestry.com, but various other copies are available on the internet)

"Pennsylvania Archives," database online with images, Fold3 (www.fold3.com : accessed 25 April 2021), Entry for Derick Peterson, volume 1, page 144, Muster Rolls Relating to the Associators and Militia of the City of Philadelphia; extracted from Thomas Lynch Montgomery (editor), Pennsylvania Archives (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Harrisburg Publishing Company, 1906).

"Pennsylvania Probate Records, 1683-1994," database online with images, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 10 April 2021), Pennsylvania Probate Records, 1683-1994 Allegheny Proceedings index 1788-1971 vol 33-34> volume 34, page 266, box 9; citing county courthouses in Pennsylvania.

"Pennsylvania, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1683-1993," database with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 8 April 2021), Entry for Henry Peterson, probate date 13 June 1838, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Will Books, Vol 4, pages 26-27; citing Pennsylvania County District and Probate Courts.

"Pennsylvania, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1683-1993,"  (accessed 19 March 2021), Entry for Sarah A Peterson, probate date 28 Aug 1874, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Will Packets, Vol 17-19, 1874-1876, volume 17, page 584, number 307; citing Pennsylvania County District and Probate Courts.

"Pennsylvania, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1683-1993," (accessed 11 April 2021), Philadelphia > Wills, Vol W-X, 1790-1799> Vol X, page 106, Will of Henry Peterson (img 450 of 824); citing Pennsylvania County District and Probate Courts.

"Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Death Certificates, 1803-1915," database online with images, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 18 April 2021), Entry for Henry Peterson, died 15 Dec 1841; FHL microfilm 1,905,884; citing Philadelphia City Archives and Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.

Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book EF9: 643-648, Derick and Mary Peterson and Lydia McCalla to Henry Peterson, recorded 6 Dec 1802; FHL microfilm 21947.

"To the Printer of the Aurora," Aurora (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), 19 April 1805, page 1; online images, GenealogyBank (www.genealogybank.com : accessed 10 April 2021).

"To the Public," Aurora (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), 17 April 1805, page 1; online images, GenealogyBank (www.genealogybank.com : accessed 10 April 2021).

"Untitled," legal notice, The Pittsburgh Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 4 January 1840, page 2; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 8 April 2021).