IL-COOK-CHICAGO-L Archives

Archiver > IL-COOK-CHICAGO > 2008-12 > 1228322744


From: Beth Walsh <>
Subject: Re: [IL-COOK-CHICAGO] DAWSON family
Date: Wed, 3 Dec 2008 08:45:44 -0800 (PST)
In-Reply-To: <388ae9cf0812022006g7733d3c6ge7b8eb193b730e8d@mail.gmail.com>


Hi Maryellen,
Yes, I do need to get the pictures (or copies) to Ringling - it IS on my to-do list, which keeps getting longer.
I actually have contacted the fire department a few times and found out his pension information (my great-grandmother got $45/month when he died) and also found out what fire houses he was attached to and the years at each. He was an engineer - the guy that stoked the fires that kept the steam going so they could pump the water. I would love to know what fires he was present at though.
I do look at newspapers when I get the chance. If he was using a stage name though, I don't know if I'd be able to find him. Believe me, I always have my eyes open when I see ads from that time frame.
One of these days, I'm going to get myself out to Governor's State University - they have the entire run of Billboard Magazine back to the 1800s on microfilm. Maybe I might find a mention in one of those. That magazine was originally founded for just that purpose - keeping up to date on the vaudeville/circus, etc acts. It's not anything like today's Billboard.
Beth


--- On Tue, 12/2/08, Maryellen T <> wrote:

> From: Maryellen T <>
> Subject: Re: [IL-COOK-CHICAGO] DAWSON family
> To:
> Date: Tuesday, December 2, 2008, 10:06 PM
> WOW. I don't have anyone in my family that comes close
> to this interesting.
> How is it that one family gets all the interesting
> ancestors??? Lucky you.
>
> Seriously, I would get that photo over to Ringling. As
> librarians/historians, they are pretty knowledgeable about
> the circus.
> Also, if you are in Chicago, you should go down to the
> downtown public
> library and just start reading newspapers on microfilm.
>
> Try contacting the fire academy in Chicago for your fireman
> ancestor.
>
> Mary in Phoenix
>
>

This thread: