My Cherokee Ancestry?

This spring I got an "invite" from Ancestry.com 

to take there new Autosomal DNA Test. I jumped at it.

Like every Genealogist I am interested in my genetic makeup.

I was fairly certain about my Fathers side of the family, but my Moms was more interesting.

Many Americans believe they are descended from the original Americans. The Native Americans. But in my family is wasn't just wishful thinking. It was fact. Well, maybe a little wishful thinking. 

While my Mother was born in Tennessee, she was raised in Chicago, so most of my Mothers family I only saw when we went to Tennessee on vacations.  These trips sometimes included a  day trip to Cherokee North Carolina, more tourist attraction than an actual representation of the Cherokee people. But hey, as kids we loved it!

My Mothers  family is from the Smoky Mountains, which straddles the Tennessee/North Carolina state line. Today there are still many Cherokee people living in this area. So it made perfect sense that we might be "cousins".

 Melvina Gibbs Boling & Shade Boling

However….

When doing research, nothing ever confirmed this family legend. 

The Boling/Bolling/Bowling name can be traced back to Pocahontas, but whether its my "Boling" line, I can't be sure. This would be so far back, that it would be barely traceable in my DNA. 

So, I can't elaborate on that. I only write about my own research. About what I find, or don't find. Not stuff I "heard" or "think". 

This is what I found:

When asked what "color or race" he was my Grandfather, Shade Boling always answered "white".  As did his Mother Joanna "Josie" Brewer, and her Parents Andrew Jackson Brewer, and Nancy Galyean. 

 United States Census Civil District 10, Sevier, Tennessee

                                        

So maybe the Native American Ancestry comes from my Grandmother Martha Melvina Gibbs Boling. 

Well, when looking over the census my 

Grandmother also gives her "color or race" as "white".  As does her Mother Martha Branton Gibbs, and her Father Thomas John Gibbs.

 1900 United States Census Civil District 13, Blount, Tennessee

Thomas' Parents, James Gibbs and Sarah Good also answer this question with "white" in the 1870 census.

 1870 United States Census Qualla, Jackson North Carolina

So, how far back is my Native American Ancestry? Well, we can assume pretty far, if it exists at all. 

According to my DNA results, 97% of my DNA comes from the British Isles, and 3% is unknown. Perhaps that 3% is it? Who knows?

Am I disappointed? nope. I am proud of all of my Ancestors, people who took the chance to come here and have a better life, or even ones who came west. If I had found Native American Ancestry, I would have been equally proud. I am thankful for the life that I'm able to live now, because of all of the people who came before me. 

One last thing.  Ancestry.com shows you people who took the test who you are genetically linked to. My first cousins daughter took the test, and it came back as 60% British Isles, and 33% Eastern European (likely her fathers side, after looking at her tree), and 7% unknown. 

Mystery Solved!

Back in January I wrote a post about some pictures I found of my Fathers family.

I was wondering if anyone could identify their location.

Well after many hours scouring the Internet, I found it!

The Troutdale Hotel

From the Jefferson County Colorado Official Website:

Started in the late 1800s as a group of log cabins and a one-story hotel. In 1920 Harry Sidles, a Nebraska businessman, opened a new four-story luxury hotel with pond, pool and golf course. Through the 20s and 30s Troutdale was one of the most popular and fashionable resorts of the west. World War II forced closings and several later owners tried to restore it to its former glory, but it was razed in 1994. It was at times been called Troutdale In The Pines. Name source unknown

Once I found out the name of the hotel, I was able to to find more pictures of it.

This one is from the Denver Public Library Digital Collections

In this one you can even see the rock wall along the road that they were sitting on

for the photograph!

I'm not sure that any of this will help with my research, but I love solving a mystery!

Reuben Thompson Crosley

 Born April 7, 1836 in Vigo

His parents were

Josiah Crosley, born 1805 & Priscilla Thompson, born 1812

In 1850 Reuben is living in Vigo, Co. Indiana with his parents and siblings.

Sometime before 1857 he moved to Grant County Wisconsin.

On May 10, 1857, he married Minerva Ellie Bass in Grant County Wisconsin. 

This information can be verified at the Wisconsin Historical Society

In 1860 Reuben and Minerva are living in Beetown, Grant County Wisconsin 

with  their first two children: Sarah and Jesse (my Great Grandfather).

The Civil War

On September 12, 1861 Reuben enlisted as a private in Company F, 10th Infantry Regiment Wisconsin.

10th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment

The Tenth Wisconsin Infantry was organized at Camp Holton, Milwaukee, WI, and mustered into the service of the United States on October 14, 1861, it left the state November 9, and arrived at Louisville, KY, November 11, where it was sent to guard the line of the Louisville & Nashville Railway and engaged in this service until February 1862, when the Tenth participated in the general southern movement of the Union forces which reached south as far as Huntsville, AL; and who shortly thereafter were compelled to retrace their steps north through Middle Tennessee and Kentucky until the hostile forces met in combat at Chaplin Hills or Perryville, KY, October 8, 1862, in which engagement the Tenth participated. This was followed by another march southward by the Union forces which the Tenth accompanied, and the hostile armies again engaged in battle at Stone's River or Murfreesboro, TN, December 30-31, 1862 to January 1, 1863. After this engagement the Tenth was assigned to duty guarding railways until the latter part of June, and joined with the forces under Gen. Rosecrans in the Tullahoma Campaign June 23 to July 7, 1863, a part of the Army of the Cumberland. This was followed by the advance on Chattanooga and the hostile forces again met at Chickamaugua, GA, September 19-20, 1863. A little later in the year the Tenth participated in the battle of Missionary Ridge November 25, 1863, and from February 22 to 27, 1864 participated in the demonstration on Tunnel Hill and Buzzard Roost,GA.

On May 24th the Tenth again rejoined its division and as a part of the Fourteenth Army Corps took part in the Atlanta Campaign, participating in the Battle of Dallas, GA, May 13, 1864, at and around Kenesaw Mountain June 10 to July 3, 1864, and Peach Tree Creek July 20, 1864. In October the time for which the regiment had enlisted expired, those recruits whose terms had not expired were transferred to the Twenty-first Infantry. On October 16th, the Tenth left Marietta, GA for Wisconsin, reaching Milwaukee on the 25th and was mustered out and disbanded.

The histories above, unless otherwise noted, are adopted from Charles E. Estabrook, ed., Records and Sketches of Military Organizations, (Madison, 1914).

For more general information on Wisconsin's Civil War units, we suggest the following works:

• Dyer, Frederick, Compendium of the War of the Rebellion, (Des Moines, 1908).
• Love, William DeLoss, Wisconsin in the War of the Rebellion, (Chicago, 1866).
• Quiner, E.B., The Military History of Wisconsin, (Chicago, 1866).

The Battle at Stones River Tennessee

[Rosecrans at Stones River by Kurz and Allison - Courtesy of Wikipedia]

Reuben was transferred out of the 10th Wisconsin on August 1, 1863

and transferred into the Regiment U.S. Veterans Corps.

Life after War

In 1870 Reuben and Minerva are living in Brownville, Nemaha, Nebraska.

Reuben lists his occupation as a Teamster.

They now have 6 children. 

Sarah born 1859 WI., Jesse born 1860 WI., Reuben born 1862 WI., Lucinda born 1866 WI.,

Priscilla born 1868 WI., and Henry born 1869 NE..

So I believe that they moved to Nebraska in late 1868 or early 1869.

In 1880 Reuben and Minerva are living in Peru, Nemaha, Nebraska.

Reuben now lists his occupation as a farmer, and they have 3 more children:

Charles born 1871 NE., Benaga born 1876., NE. and James born 1878 NE.

In 1883 at age 41 Minverva dies. She is buried at the 
Valparaiso Cemetery in Saunders Co. NE. 

 From Find A Grave website

In 1888 Reuben re-marries. To Mary L. Mohaney (from Nebraska marriages 1855-1995).

In 1890 Reuben is living in Denver Colorado at r. 44 S. 1st Street, Jerome Park.

from the 1890 Denver, Colorado City Directory.

He is listed as a Laborer. This same year, he is also listed as living at r. 759 Fairview Avenue Highlands,  Denver Colorado. 

On a side note, his brother Isaac J. Crosley is listed at this same address. 

Also, Isaac is near him in Nebraska, and they served together in the 10th Wisconsin Infantry. 

In the 1891 Ballenger and Richards Denver City Directory Reuben is listed as a Teamster
 living at r. Rochester ne cor. Nevins s. Fairview Add. 

Death

Reuben Thompson Crosley died in on December 13, 1907 at the age of 71.
He was buried at Roselawn Cemetery in Pueblo Colorado on December 14, 1907.