Reverend Ken Postle had been hunting for the Hezekiah Olney Farm Lot for years when on 3 September 2022 he met a woman who knew where to find the cemetery. The burial ground was under years of briar growth and Rev. Postle excavated the gravemarkers of seven of the twenty-three individuals known to be interred in the lot. The following week about nineteen volunteers came to help with the cleanup and photos of six of the graves were posted on Find A Grave.
The same day Rev. Postle found the site, he posted the information and photos on Facebook and asked, “Any of you related?” According to FamilySearch, it seems like I’m related to everyone, so it was surprising that I was not related to Hezekiah Olney. But, according to FamilySearch, I was related to his wife, Phebe Smith.
I posted a project on Substack in June titled “Is Mary Cutler My Eight Great Grandmother?” As researchers of various skill levels are inputting the information FamilySearch uses to calculate relationships, there’s a lot of room for error.
First I needed to go back fifteen generations to our common ancestor, then go forward eight generations to Phoebe Smith. That’s more than I can do in a year, let alone a month. So I did what I do with my clients, break the project down into smaller parts. There was no source on FamilySearch that showed my third great-grandfather was the son of John Washburn and Sophia Strong. Step one was to find that evidence and the easiest way was probably to get a copy of his death certificate.
This is part of creating a Research Plan. Research Plans help us stay focused (Watch those rabbit holes!) and use our time efficiently. Here are some instructions and a template at American Ancestors. Personally, I didn’t like the template as it did not give me enough room to enter the data, but the instructions are great. Another good article was at ThoughtCo.
So for my project, I came up with:
Research Subject: Cyrus Washburn, born about 1812 in Saratoga County, New York, died 25 March 1888 (see NY death index and Memorial at Find A Grave) in Saratoga Springs, Saratoga, NY, married Mary Ann Hunter about 1844 in Saratoga County, NY (See Etta Washburn’s marriage record which said her parents were Cyrus Washburn and Mary A. Hunter)
Research Question: Who were Cyrus Washburn’s parents?
Hypothesis: FamilySearch has Cyrus Washburn as the son of John Washburn and Sophia Strong. However, there is a problem because Sophia Strong was married to Daniel Garfield and John Washburn and had children with both men around the same time. Not likely. The trees on Ancestry don’t have any sources that immediately clarify the problem.
Records: From the FamilySearch Wiki for Saratoga County, NY, I learned that birth records started in 1880 so there won’t be a birth record for Cyrus. I know from the NY State Death Index, that there is a death record. Marriage records started in 1908 so there won’t be a marriage record listing his parents. There are no online church records. There are newspapers.
Search Strategy: I know my father, now deceased, was researching the Washburn family. I should start by looking in his papers to see if he has a copy of the death certificate. Since the newspapers are online at NYS Historic Newspapers (free) and MyHeritage (I have a subscription), I’m going to check there next.
Then I’m probably going to order the death certificate from Saratoga Springs, NY. First, because I’ll get a response pretty much immediately. Second, because it is $22 for a NY State or Saratoga Springs genealogy order where they will search up to three years, but I have the date and certificate number so I’ll try just ordering a certified copy for $10 from the town. (The State still charges me $22.)
Results:
Papers of George Richard Bentley Jr.:
Bingo! He had the death certificate for Cyrus Washburn which stated he was the son of John Washburn and Sophia Strong (the death certificate is not clear and it could be String).
Newspapers:
I looked anyway to see if there was any additional information about Cyrus Washburn and his parents. NYS Historic Newspapers, Saratoga County, 1880-1889, searched Cyrus Washburn and John Cyrus Washburn and found one page but not my Cyrus Washburn.
MyHeritage, Cyrus Washburn, 1888, New York newspapers, no results. 1885 +/- 5 years, 5 results but not my Cyrus Washburn.
New Research Plan for the Next Step
Research Subject: Sophia Strong (possibly String or Strang) married to John Washburn, and the first known child was born around 1812 in Saratoga County, New York. Her gravestone says she died 1 February 1877 at age 86 years putting her birth around 1791, and she is buried in Emersons Corners Cemetery, Gurn Spring, Saratoga, New York. The 1875 census says she was born in Saratoga County, New York which disagrees with the Massachusetts birthplace recorded on FamilySearch. I’m pretty sure the entry in FamilySearch is combining two different women named Sophia Strong.
Research Question: Who were the parents of Sophia Strong who was married to John Washburn and the mother of Cyrus Washburn?
Records: The birth and marriage records were not kept in 1791 nor around 1812 when her first known son was born. Her husband died in 1848, so Sophia should probably be in the 1850 to 1870 censuses as a widow. New York kept state censuses so she should appear in the 1855 to 1875 censuses. She will not appear by name in census records prior to 1850. Probate and land records might link her to her parents. Death records were kept starting around 1880 or 1881.
Search Strategy:
US censuses prior to 1850 listed only the heads of household by name and tick marks for the other household members. How many Strongs/Strings/Strangs were living in Saratoga County in 1790? How many in 1800 with a female child around the age of 9? This could narrow down the possible fathers.
Check the probate records. Did any of the potential fathers leave a will naming Sophia as their daughter?
Check the land records. Did a Strong/String/Strang sell land to Sophia or John Washburn? To any of their children?
Check the census records after 1850. Did Sophia’s elderly parents live with her?
Check the census records for Strongs/Strings/Strangs living near Sophia who might be siblings. Are there death records for any of them that list the parents?
When all else fails, are there published genealogies for the Strong/String/Strang family of Saratoga, New York which will suggest other places to search?
Are there area histories that mention the Strong/String/Strang family?
Results:
1790 and 1800 Censuses :
1790 US census searched for Strong and String in Saratoga County, New York. No results. Turns out Saratoga County was created in 1791. Before that, it was part of Albany County. “They’re digging in the wrong place!”
1790 US census searched for Strong, String, and Strang in Albany County, New York:
Strong 11 results. The ages of the household members were not recorded. Free white males 16+, free white males under 16, free white females, all other free individuals, slaves. No results were found for String and Strang.
1800 US census searched for Strong, String, and Strang in Saratoga County, New York:
Strong 9 results. Gabriel, William, Thomas, and John Strong were listed in 1790 and in 1800. Gabriel had a female under age 10, and John had two females under age 10. Of the five remaining individuals, Oliver had one female under age 10, and Phineas had two females under age 10. No results were found for String or Strang.
We are left with four potential fathers, Oliver, Phineas, Gabriel, and John.
Probate for Saratoga County:
The 1812 will of Gabriel Strang of Stillwater, Saratoga, New York names two daughters – Hannah and Annia. No Sophia.
No wills were found in Saratoga for Oliver, Phineas, or John.
Wills were found for two women, Sarah and Mahala, but neither mentions a Sophia.
1850 to 1875 U.S. and New York Censuses for Saratoga County:
1875 New York census, Sophia is living in Wilton, Saratoga, New York with her son Cyrus. It states she was born in Saratoga County, New York. She is not clearly identifiable in any other census.
Land Records Grantee Washburn 1791-1924 and Grantor Strong/String/Strang 1791-1938 in Saratoga County:
No transactions were found between Washburn as Grantee and Strong/String/Strang as Grantor.
String/Strang/Strongs who Were Born Between 1780 and 1800 and Died in Saratoga County between 1880 and 1900:
No Strings were found.
There were 13 Strongs, most of them in Middletown, Benjamin in Stillwater, and Sylvester in Saratoga Springs. The information comes from the New York Death Index and the birth year is not listed.
There were 7 Strangs, 3 in Schuylerville, 1 in Mechanicville, and 3 in Stillwater. The information comes from the New York Death Index and the birth year is not listed.
This line of inquiry will require the death certificates to continue and was abandoned.
Family and Saratoga Histories:
No luck finding the family online in published family histories or Saratoga history books.
Conclusion:
While more research is needed to determine Sophia String/Strong/Strang’s parents, I did find her grave marker on Find A Grave that says, “Sophia wife of John Washburn Died Feb. 1, 1877, Ae. 86 yrs.” and she was buried in the Brick Church Cemetery in Wilton, Saratoga, New York. The 1875 New York census says she was born about 1891 in Saratoga County, New York.
Sophia Strong married to Daniel Garfield was in the 1850 US census living with her daughter Margaret in Tyringham, Berkshire, Massachusetts, and listed as born around 1895 in Vermont. Her birth record says she was born in Benson, Rutland, Vermont on 1 March 1795.
The fact that Sophia wife of John Washburn gave birth to daughters around 1818 and 1819 in Saratoga County, New York, makes it impossible for her to be the same Sophia wife of Daniel Garfield who gave birth to a son on 13 May 1819 in Tyringham, Berkshire, Massachusetts.
Since I am not related to Sophia Strong the wife of Daniel Garfield, the connection to Phebe Smith the wife of Hezekiah Olney was broken. But instead of being related through my New York ancestors, it now looks like I’m related through my New Hampshire connections.
First I needed to go back fifteen generations to our common ancestor, then go forward eight generations to Phoebe Smith. That’s more than I can do in a year, let alone a month. So I did what I do with my clients, break the project down into smaller parts…