Samuel G. McCoskery from Ontario to Wheatland

 

 

Samuel G. was born on March 2, 1848 in Carleton Place, Lanark County, Ontario, Canada. In the 1851 Canadian census, he was listed as a four year old. His father, Samuel, Sr., indicates his place of birth as Scotland and his faith as W. Methodist.  He was 40 years old and he and Matilda, 36, born in Ireland, had 5 children. Samuel's 75 year old brother and a servant also lived with the family. The house was listed as a 1 story 12' x 18' shanty. The choices were "brick, stone, frame, log, shanty or other kind of residence".  What is a shanty made of if not brick, stone, or log? Wow. Nine people. The census

states that Samuel was, "Building one Methodist chapel on lot 50 1 con (?) north." Unfortunately, Samuel died just 6 years later at the age of 46. He is buried in the Bervie Anglican Church Cemetery in Bruce County, Ontario. 

 

In 1861, Matilda and four sons lived in Kincardine, Ontario on the eastern shore of Lake Huron. She was listed as a widow and Samuel G. was 13. There was no indication of a profession or trade. As I scanned the handwritten census page, I discovered that Samuel G.'s future bride, Margaret Moore, age 9, was listed further down the page with her mother, also a widow, and her four siblings.

 

Before I jump ahead to Samuel G. and Margaret, I wanted to close the gap on widowed Matilda. I found her one more time in the Canadian census for 1881. She was 68 years old and living on her own in the area of Kincardine as a Wesleyan Methodist and a midwife.

 

Samuel G McCoskery married Margaret Moore in Walkerton, Ontario, Canada, on January 31, 1873, when he was 24 years old. He indicated in his naturalization papers that he came to the United States in March of 1880 through Detroit, Michigan. In June of that year, he signed his naturalization papers, "renouncing forever all allegiance and fidelity to….. Victoria, Queen of Great Britain and England". Also in June of 1880, he was listed alone on the census in Wheatland, ND as a blacksmith. He must have been traveling back and forth in the early 1880s, because In the Canadian 1881 census, he was in Kincardine as a blacksmith with Margaret and four children.  They would eventually have 10 children and Fred is the youngest.

 

There were 10 children. One died in Canada as a toddler.

The next census record is from 1910 in Wheatland, where Freddie was15. His parents, three adult siblings and three boarders, including an editor and two teachers lived at the home, which was owned by Samuel. Fred's brother Robert, who was 15 years older than Fred, lives next door with his wife and two small daughters. One is Lydia, who, in 1918, will be included in a long list in the Fargo paper of people who died from "pneumonia following influenza".

 

Samuel died on January 24, 1916 of a stroke at his home. He and Margaret had moved into Fargo before his death. According to the Fargo Forum and Daily Republican, Margaret kept busy with her many children throughout the years, traveling to their homes and hosting family. She was frequently mentioned in the social columns of the paper. She died on March 17, 1926.

 

There is a publication which I haven't seen yet, since the copies are in public libraries in Montana, ND and Bremerton, WA. It's Rural Cass County, The Land and People. It includes information about Samuel and Margaret, which may be worth checking out sometime. 

 

 

1851 Census of Canada East, Canada West, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia

1861 Census of Canada East, Canada West, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia

1880 United States Federal Census

1881 Census of Canada East, Canada West, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia

1910 United States Federal Census

 

The Fargo Forum and Daily Republican 24 Jan 1916, 18 Oct 1918 and others