The Power of Google

Over a year ago, I posted this 16 x 20 portrait of Irvine and Anna Rebecca (Wertz) Bennett.  While I did find living descendants, nobody wanted to claim the portrait.  A few days ago, another researcher, who is working on this Bennett line and revising a book on the family, found the original blog post through a Google search and contacted me.

After trying to figure out how to ship a 16 x 20 flat object (more difficult than you’d think—I had to get creative!!), it will be on it’s way to West Virginia tomorrow.  I’m so happy I finally found a home for this portrait…it’s certainly a one-of-a-kind piece and deserves a good home.  And, the researcher will likely reproduce it in his book.

The Power of Google

Orphan Photo #103

These cute little boys appear to be brothers, but unfortunately, we don’t know who they are.

Orphan Photo #103

Orphan Photo #102

A distinguished-looking gentleman indeed.  Unfortunately we do not know who he is or where this photo was taken.

Orphan Photo #102

Orphan Photo #101

Photo of an unidentified woman.

Orphan Photo #101

WWTTS Reaches a Milestone!

The Who Will Tell Their Story? blog has reached a huge milestone today by posting its 100th orphan photo.  Since January 2009, this blog has been posting orphan photos in the hopes of reuniting these cherished family mementos with their rightful owners.  I have successfully reunited a few with family and am still working on a handful of others, some in part through the help of readers who have done some digging on their own.

The 100th photo is a special one for many reasons.  First, it’s identifiable.  The photo is of a Canton, Ohio, lawyer, William A Lynch.  I spent a LOT of time on this family, more than I usually do, simply because his family was so interesting and no matter what the year, I always found something in their hometown newspaper.

Second, this photo marks the beginning of a new practice I’m implementing on this blog.  Typically, when I piece together these family, I take a bunch of notes by hand (or as part of the blog post).  However, after working on #100, I decided it would be a better idea to post a family tree on Ancestry to help people identify the family, encourage additional research by my readers if they choose to do so, and preserve the family history of the families depicted in these orphan photos.  This also means that I will go back to the other identifiable photos previously posted and create a family tree for them on Ancestry as well as continue the practice for the new orphan photos I post.

WWTTS Reaches a Milestone!

Orphan Photo #100

This is a photograph of William A Lynch, who was a prominent Canton, Ohio resident during the 19th century.  His is a interesting story, along with several relatives, prominent in their own right.  Among these relatives are teachers, lawyers, doctors, journalists, a cancer researcher, and a Pulitzer Prize winner.

William A Lynch was born 4 August 1844 in Canton, Stark, Ohio, to parents Arnold Lynch and Frances Horan.¹  He was a prominent attorney, having served as Prosecuting Attorney for Stark County for two terms in addition to general practice until his death.  In fact, he died while representing Corwin D. Bachtel in the Canton State Bank trials in February 1907.²

On 14 October 1874, in Canton, Stark, Ohio, William married Eliza R Underhill, daughter of Judge James W Underhill and Henrietta Widgeon.³  Together they had three children who lived to adulthood.

1. Alice Allen Lynch, b. August 1875, probably in Canton, Stark, Ohio;⁴ d. 3 January 1949 in Miami, Dade, Florida;⁵ m. George Paull Alexander, 26 December 1907 in Canton.⁶
2. Frances H Lynch, b. 30 August 1878 in Canton, Stark, Ohio;⁷ m. John J Miller, 2 September 1914 in Canton.⁸
3. Clara Julia Lynch, b. 6 March 1882 in Canton, Stark, Ohio;⁹ d. 8 December 1985 in Alexandria, Virginia;¹⁰ she never married.

Following is a listing of select family members and their accomplishments:

Arnold Lynch – Arnold is William’s father, who served as the Stark County Surveyor and Recorder for many years.¹¹  He was very involved in the establishment of the railroads, particularly the Ft. Wayne RR and the Cleveland & Mahoning Valley RR.¹²  Arnold was born about 1812 in Ireland and died between 1855 (last known child born) and 27 December 1856 (probate administrators appointed).¹³

Clara Julia Lynch – William’s daughter Clara was a well-known cancer researcher, who in 1926 was “credited with introducing Swiss mice into American laboratories.”¹⁴  She earned her undergraduate degree at Smith College in 1903.  She then earned her graduate and doctorate degrees from Columbia University in 1912 and 1919 respectively.  Dr. Lynch worked for Rockefeller University for 53 years as a teacher and researcher.  She died in 1985 at the age of 103.¹⁵

Price Day – Although William never met his grandson-in-law, I’m sure he would have approved.  Williams’ granddaughter Alice A Alexander (daughter of Alice Allen Lynch and George Paull Alexander) married Price Day in 1931.¹⁶  Price was an accomplished journalist and won the Pulitzer Prize in 1949 for his article “Experiment in Freedom—India and Its First Year of Independence” that was published in the Baltimore Sun in 1948.¹⁷  Price and Alice had four sons, who were all involved in news and media during their careers.

There are many more interesting people associated with William A Lynch.  While not every detail is included (due to time), you can learn more about the family, by visiting the family tree I created here on Ancestry.

As of this posting, no direct descendants have been located.  This is still an ongoing process and I hope to find someone to pass this photograph on to in the near future.  There are living descendants, and you are welcome to contact me with information if you have found someone.  Email is preferable, but the comments are private until I approve them (I won’t approve the comments if living relatives are mentioned).

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1.  "High Soaring Hopes of Bachtel Crushed By Death of Lynch," Stark County Democrat, 8 February 1907, p. 1, col. 1-3; digital images, Chronicling America (chroniclingamerica.loc.gov : accessed 27 October 2011).  Also, William Henry Perrin, editor, History of Stark County, With an Outline Sketch of Ohio (Chicago, Illinois: Baskin & Battey Historical Publishers, 1881), 620; Ancestry (ancestry.com : 5 November 2011).

2.  "Had Hard Day's Work But Was At Ease; Dr. Brant Tells of Mr. Lynch's Death," Repository, 6 February 1907, p. 1, col. 2-3; digital images, GenealogyBank (www.genealogybank.com : accessed 27 October 2011), Historical Newspapers.

3.  "Lynch-Underhill," Repository, 16 October 1874, p. 3, col. 3; digital images, GenealogyBank (genealogybank.com : accessed 7 November 2011), Historical Newspapers. 

4.  1900 U.S. census, population schedule, Canton, Stark County, Ohio, enumeration district (ED) 105, sheet 7B, dwelling 118, family 155, William A Lynch; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 4 November 2011); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T623, roll 1321. 

5.  "Mrs G P Alexander Dies at Miami Beach," Repository, 5 January 1949, p. 20, col. 3; digital images, GenealogyBank (genealogybank.com : accessed 5 November 2011), Historical Newspapers.

6.  "Wed 'Neath the Holly," Repository, 27 December 1907, p. 5, col. 1; digital images, GenealogyBank (genealogybank.com : accessed 4 November 2011), Historical Newspapers.

7.  "U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925," database and images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 4 November 2011); Frances H Lynch, no. 36071 (1910).

8.  "Society," Repository, 23 August 1914, p. 10, col. 1; digital images, GenealogyBank (genealogybank.com : accessed 5 November 2011), Historical Newspapers.

9.  "U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925," database and images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 4 November 2011); Clara Julia Lynch, no. 36070 (1910). 

10.  "Dr. Clara Lynch; Noted Researcher on Cancer, Aging," Los Angeles Times, 12 December 1985, online archives (http://articles.latimes.com/1985-12-12/news/mn-16215_1_clara-lynch : accessed 4 November 2011).

11.  Perrin, History of Stark County, 620.

12.  ibid.

13.  1850 U.S. census, population schedule, Canton, Stark County, Ohio, p. 499 (stamped), dwelling 52, family 52, Arnold Lynch; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 3 November 2011); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm M432, roll 730.   Also, 1860 U.S. census, population schedule, Canton, Stark County, Ohio, p. 54-55, 150 (stamped), dwelling 410, family 410, Francis Lynch; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 3 November 2011); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm M653, roll 1037.   Also, "Estate of Arnold Lynch," Repository, 11 February 1857, p. 3; digital images, GenealogyBank (genealogybank.com : accessed 7 November 2011), Historical Newspapers.

14.  "Dr. Clara Lynch; Noted Researcher on Cancer, Aging".  Also, "Newspaper Obituaries," database, GenealogyBank (genealogybank.com : accessed 4 November 2011), Dr Clara Lynch, 103 Led Cancer Research; citing New York Times. 

15.  ibid.

16.  1920 U.S. census, population schedule, Mansfield Ward 1, Richland County, Ohio, enumeration district (ED) 191, sheet 11B, dwelling 229, family 270, George P Alexander; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 4 November 2011); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T625, roll 1430.   Also,  "Mrs G P Alexander Dies at Miami Beach."  Also, Elizabeth A Brennan and Elizabeth C Clarage, Who's Who of Pulitzer Prize Winners (Phoenix, Arizona: Oryx Press, 1999), 326; via Google Books (books.google.com : 5 November 2011), limited preview.

17.  Brennan and Clarage, Who's Who of Pulitzer Prize Winners, 326. 

Orphan Photo #100