Amanda Light Long 
As a result of recently attending the Long family reunion , I can identify one of your pictures. If you look at #85, that is Amanda Light Long.
She was married to David Long. He was gassed during WW I.
Amanda and my mother, Helen Hostetter were pretty good friends. I can remember going to Amanda’s house. In fact, her daughter Verna, was at the reunion I just attended.
Submitted by Mariann Arbuckle nee Hostetter
California
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Leedom
Hi, I’m trying to research my name, Leedom. I was born in Ottumwa, Iowa. Any ideas?
Thanks
Christie Leedom
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Heilman
Hi, I found your site while trying to locate a family named Heilman. Years ago, I found a box of several hundred photos that I can identify with that family, yet I've not been able to find them. I'm making another effort.
I saw that you seem to have pictures on your site, and will explore it further, but I was wondering if you can help me connect with these people.
These photos, where they of MY family, would be priceless to me, but they ARE private. I obviously can post many of them in hopes of getting a response.
I'm not a relative of this person, I'm just doing this search because I would be grateful if someone did this for me. These pictures show many views of the US west coast in the early 20s and include many railroading and shipboard adventures.
I was sort of attracted to the photo of a Heilman on the motorcycle because one of MY pictures also shows a young man on a vintage Harley. People have been wanting to buy that picture just for the Harley, but I was more hopeful that it perhaps indicated a family interest in motorcycles and wondered if maybe your Heilman had gotten the interest from his dad or granddad?
Does your family have a John Heilman in it, a man who appears to be about 25 in the 20's, which would make him born around 1900? He was apparently a railroad employee of some sort (maintenance or civil engineer probably). He may have come from or stayed with relatives in S. CA, Antelope Valley area, as I have a number of pictures of this area and what look like "residential" activities (parades, houses, banks, businesses, cars and motorcycles).
He worked for the C M and St. P and I can place him in Port Angeles WA in 1924 with that RR from a return address on the envelope the pictures came in. I also believe he took a trip from WA to Alaska. That may have been mentioned in the family as a story? There are pictures of this trip as well as his railroad journey from S CA to Washington.
If you have any readers that fit this sketchy description, or if you can post this info as a general inquiry and have people write either yourself or me at my email address, I'd like that.
K Picard
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Clifford Luff
Here is a photo of an old car for your collection. The man sitting on the fender is Clifford Luff of Crawford County, Indiana.
This photograph was taken in 1950. I know the car was between a 46 to 48 model Chrysler product, but can not remember if it was a Plymouth, Dodge or Chrysler. Maybe one of your readers can help to identify it.
Also, does anyone know what year they did not make any new cars because of needing the steel for the war effort. I think it may have been ‘43 or ‘44?
Thanks,
Darrel Wiseman
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Sadewasser
Hallo - I was serving on the NET and have found your site, I was looking for the family name 'Sadewasser.’ Very interesting!! Could you give me some more information on this name in the USA?
Hans-Joachim Sadewasser
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Raymond Fink Long 
The photo on the right is on your web site with the comments: “Raymond Long, born 1903 in Lebanon County, PA. If anyone knows who this woman in this photo is, please let us know.”
I believe this woman is my Grandmother, Florence Cora(Starry) Long.
kpl0009
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Wecker
Hello: I came across the following on the Internet.
Do you know if Frederick Andrew Wecker had any sibling, or do you know his parents' names?
I am researching Wecker ancestors from the South Side of Pittsburgh. Frederick Wilhelm Wecker, my gg grandfather, born about 1923, immigrated from Nordhausen, Prussia, Germany and died February 09, 1874, in Pittsburgh. He married Emma Friederica Hardtung (unknown date), and they had at least three sons, Emil Carl, Theodore, and Frederick.
Thanks,
Cathy FimbelHome of Princely English Springer Spaniels
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This photo was found in a dumpster in Dubois County, Indiana. There are no names on the photo, however other papers with them had the last name of Veatch. If you are from Dubois or Crawford County Indiana, and think you can identify them, please let us know, so that we can return the photo to the rightful owners or their family members.
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Jacob Leedom
I would love any info you have on Jacob Leedom and his descendants. Does the g stand for Gebhardt? My gg grandfather was Jacobs brother, Harry Gebhardt Leedom. I know their father's name was Jacob, but I don't have much other info....
I believe that Jacob's mother was Rebecca Gebhardt.
We have a few pictures of Harry and Emma, and there is one of a Leedom reunion that was held in a park near Harrisburg, PA. It must have been about 1933-1935, because my grandfather and his siblings were young children. It is a wonderful picture... Lots of people in it.
My grandfather (John M Leedom, son of Leroy Fisher Leedom, Son of Harry G Leedom) can identify some of the people, but not everyone. We also have pictures of Fannie (I don't believe she ever married). Miles married Edna C, and their child is Evelyn J.
Miles and Edna are buried in Mt Tunnel Cemetery in Elizabethtown along with Harry and his wife Emma Fisher Leedom. He (Miles) was somewhat of a mystery to me.... I wasn't sure if he was a sibling or not. He lived with Harry and Emma for a number of years, my grandfather thought he was a sibling, but he wasn't sure. I have been searching for information on Jacob Leedom Senior for a long time. Harry's marriage certificate states that he was born in Conewago Twp in Dauphin Cty, PA. This is only a few miles from Elizabethtown, so it makes sense.
The 1870 census for Conewago Twp has a Jacob Leedom, age 55 who is a blacksmith, wife Elizabeth age 54, daughter Catherine age 14. no other listings for that household. But 3 households later there is a Rebecca Gebhardt age 18 listed as a domestic servant. I thought that was interesting. I checked the 1860 census for Jacob Leedom’s. None in Dauphin county but there is a Jacob Leedom in East Hanover Twp in Lebanon Cty (it is very close to Dauphin county) his age in the 1860 census is listed as 40, his occupation a blacksmith.
His wife is listed as Mary, also age 40. Then children listed are: Mary age 20, Magdalena age 18, another girl (I can't make out her name) age 16, Jacob age 13 ( I think, it could be 15 because the ink is smudged), Carole age 10, and Catharine age 9 or 4.
My instincts tell me that this is our Jacob's parents I don't have any proof.... maybe you have some ideas about where to go from here.... I have been looking for Leedom’s for so long that sometimes I get a little frustrated.
My grandfather seems to think that our Leedom family originally came from Bucks Cty PA. Which would be wonderful if we could just find the link. There is a wealth of info on the Leedom’s from Bucks county.
Denise
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Casteel
I am trying to help a friend find info on her gg grandfather and she has very little info. John Thomas Casteel of SE Tennessee. He was a Confederate soldier. Probably married to an Indian woman by the name of Mary. Later moved to SW Missouri. Thanks for any leads.
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CUMMINGS
I am researching the CUMMINGS/CUMMINGS family from Bradford County, PA. John Cummins and his wife, Sally Covell Cummins moved to Bradford County, PA around 1800 from New York State-probably from Washington County, NY, but they may have been in Otsego County, NY, before moving to PA. I would love to exchange information with anyone researching this or allied families.
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Edmons
My great-grandfather's name was Louis/Lewis Edmons. He died when my grandfather, Joseph Carl Edmons, was around eight years old (around 1877). His wife remarried, and we have no idea when or to whom. The marriage probably took pace in Fannin County, Texas. Joseph was born in Ellis County, Texas, on October 14,1869. His brother’s names were Sam, Frank, and Jeff. His sister’s names were Lillian, Mollie/Mallie, Kattie/Katie, and Ann. The family moved to Fannin County, and while living there they ginned their cotton in Bonham. As a young boy, my grandfather left home around 1881 at the age of twelve We are not sure of the reason but my mother (his daughter) says he told her that his stepfather was mean to him. He was gone for four years. After he returned home (around 1885), his mother sold the house and the family moved to San Francisco. My grandfather went with them but didn't like California. He returned to Texas in 1890 at the age twenty or twenty-one. Grandmother met him in 1894 somewhere in East Texas or possibly around Blue, Oklahoma, and they married in 1895. Joseph Carl Edmonson never again corresponded with his family, would not talk about them, and made it very clear that is the way he wanted it. We know he was a kind and loving father who raised six children who worshiped him and was a good husband and a hard worker. None of us knows for sure why he broke off from his family other than what he told my mother. His six children were named Homer, Elizabeth, Iva, Reba, Josie (my mother), and Edith. There were six other children who died as infants. My grandparents moved around a lot after they married, living in Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. For a while, right around 1900, they lived on a houseboat on the Arkansas River. My grandfather was a professional photographer. No one knows how he learned the trade, but he made a living by fishing, and when they would stop in the towns along the way he plied his trade as a photographer. In l9l9 they moved to McCurtain County Oklahoma, where they remained for the rest of their lives. My parents names are Deward Elmer Jones (Duke) and Josie Claramae (Edmonson) Jones. Please contact me with any information you might have on my family.
Thank You.
Sue Jones
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Edmonson
Sue, Is this Edmonds or Edmondson/Edmonson? I have seen the exact same info - except they are looking for Edmonson. This is not my line, but I do have Edmondson so have looked for this family for another researcher. Can you tell me the reason for Edmonds? That might be what the problem is with the info I have been working from. Do you have this family or siblings on ANY census?
Thanks,
Beverly
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Old Check
This check from Hardinsburg, Indiana was written Feb 27, 1933, by my stepfather, Lonnie Bullington. It was made out to Spiegel May Stern Co. It is hard to tell in this picture, but this check was made out and signed using a lead pencil, instead of ink. That helps to show how trusting our society was 70 years ago, compared to today’s standards. Especially considering how many people were finding it hard to survive, during The Great Depression.
James Bullington
Indiana
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Car Troubles
My brother, Frank Wike Sr. bought an old Plymouth convertible with a rumple seat in the rear. We all enjoyed riding in that rumple seat once he got the car home, but getting it home from the car lot, turned out to be somewhat of an unexpected ordeal.
We went to pick it up from a used car dealer in Rehresburg, PA which was about 14 miles from our house in Fredricksburg, PA.
After we picked it up, we drove it into Bethel. Suddenly, the left front wheel came off, rolled back under the fender and running board, then all the way down the hill.
My brother called the dealership to tell them what happened and to have them send a wrecker. In the meantime a group of us got the wheel back, lifted the front of the car up and put the wheel back on then drove off before the wrecker ever got there.
Harvey Wike
Texas
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Turnpike
I recently read a Civil War Diary where the individual referred to a "Turnpike." In today's world, I think of a Turnpike as a toll road on the east coast. Does anyone know the origin of the word Turnpike and what the original meaning was, prior to paved roads?
Tommy
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Origin of Turnpike
The turnpike was originally the pole or pike, placed across the road like a gate. It would be turned after you payed your toll. A toll road thus had a "turnpike" at each end, which made it a turnpike road.
R. Smith
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Custom Interior Lights
Back in the 40's, we used to take marker lights that were used on farm wagons and trucks, and mount them under the dash of our car. Since the lens was white, we could paint it any color we wanted, usually red or blue. These lights were wired with a toggle switch and anytime someone got in or out of the car, we could flip the switch and it would make a real nice red or blue glow.
Darrell Wiseman
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Out Houses
I remember using the outhouse on my grandfathers farm, but I wonder what people in the big cities used as a privy or toilet.
I know they had chamber pots inside, but where did they empty them?
Billy
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Open Sewers
I don't know about all cities, but in Minneapolis, around the turn of the century, there was an open ditch that ran behind the houses, next to the alley. The residents would empty their bedpans in this open "sewer."
It was ok in the winter time, but did not make for a pleasant smell in the summer. Thus one reason for lots of flowers in the house.
Cassandra Coppenhaver
MN
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Horse Drawn Sleigh
Spring wagons had wooden blocks that when pressed against a wheel, would stop or slow the wagon down as you were going down a mountain road.
In the winter time, some people took the wheels off and replaced them with runners like a sleigh. How did they stop or slow down as they were going down the mountain, when they were using runners, instead of wheels?
T.K. Knapp
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Fessell and Rochner
Wedding
This wedding picture was taken around 1935 and helps to show the formal clothing styles for men and wedding attire for women.
The people from left to right are:
Leonard
Marcellus
Rochner (1905-1976).
Rose
Catherine
Rochner
She was the bride and a sister to Leonard. (1907-1955).
Herbert Fessell, he was the groom. Dates unknown
Florence Kochert
She later married the best man. (1915-1996)
Sent in by JoAnn Wright nee Rochner. Niece to the bride.
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U S Legacies Magazine December 2002
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