Back in June 2003, I traveled to Boston and Plymouth, Massachusetts. My husband had a conference to attend, We reserved a condo on Cape Cod. I wanted to do some research at the Mayflower Library in Plymouth. This library is in the Annex behind the large Mayflower House. If you want to do research, the Mayflower Library in Plymouth has a great collection of New England titles that you might want to study. I was just learning about New England research at the time so it was wonderful to have them all in one location. Later you can take a tour of the house museum which is lovely and the docent is very helpful and knowledgeable.
Mayflower Museum
The Mayflower Library
This is the link to the library page. They have a panorama of the library and it is just like I remember: http://www.themayflowersociety.com/library Their hours are short so check the link carefully. As I recall I had a cold and yet I did my research anyway from 10 to 3 pm, as I recall.
Later in the trip we moved up to Boston for the conference and I visited the Boston Public Library. It is awesome and a little intimidating. Here is the link to their genealogical resources: http://www.bpl.org/research/socsci/genealogy.htm It seemed like I wandered a long ways through the library to find the room with the genealogical stacks. You do have to plan in advance if you wish to order other items.
Of course, if you are in Boston you have to go to the New England Historic and Genealogical Society (NEHGS) and visit all the floors for some really quality research time: http://www.americanancestors.org/home.html Take one of the tours offer in Boston with the costumed tour guide, it is well worth it. I think it is called “Freedom Trail.”
NEHG Society Entrance
At the NEHGS, I requested from the Special Collections to see the donated papers of Paul H. Goss. Among his papers was a letter written by Flora Osborn to Paul H. Goss regarding her ancestor Levi Goss. Flora and Paul corresponded with each other over the course of several years in the 1930′s and 1940′s till her death in 1951. They were both researching the Goss lines and shared their findings.
The letter that Flora wrote was on the Keziah Cooley Goss Chapter D.A.R. stationary of which Flora was a founding member, regent and registrar at various times.
“ANN ARBOR, MICH, 1339 S State St, April 13 1948
Paul Goss & Family
Dear Cousins:
I was at the Detroit Genealogical Soc. Saturday and heard this man give a lecture, and when he was through he came and sat by me and as his talk was about early movement of people from Canada to Michigan.
I asked him about Inn’s on the Tames etc. and he said who are you trying to find and get records of, and I told him Levi Goss, and he said I know a lot about him or about the inn etc. so here it is.
Now where did he live when my grandmother was born and Mary Goss, b. 3-16-1823. If he was in Canada in 1831-1835 after that he was in Lenawee Co. Mich. and in 1812 he was in Niagara County, N.Y. served in the War of 1812, Sept 12 to Oct 16 1812, and his father was in Washington County, Ohio. Levi sure got around.
Now I was to go to Washington and be a guest part of the time to a Mrs. Cameron who went into the D.A.R. on Nathaniel Goss and in Mayflower Society via William White, but her husband is sick and she cannot attend much of the time, and I would not go with him sick and the lady who was to go with me is sick so what I stay at home. Are you coming east, if so try to attend the Cooley reunion in Illinois?
I am as well as usual and will take a trip somewhere soon.
Best wishes
Flora Osborn”
Letters like this give clues regarding our ancestors. Thanks to Flora, we now know the movements of Levi Goss and we can follow her leads. This letter also gives clues and insight into the people who did the research years ago and what their interests were, in this case Flora was very much involved with DAR and Mayflower.
Flora is my cousin and she is much closer to me in the lineage to Solomon Goss and Olive Scott Goss. Her great-grandfather Levi Goss is a brother to Lydia, my ancestor, whom I will discuss shortly. Flora and I are 3rd cousins twice removed according to my Legacy database Relationship Calculator. Our common ancestors are Solomon Goss and Olive Scott.
Flora mentions the Tames. She is referring to the Thames river near Chatham, Ontario to the west of Lake Ontario and east of Lake St. Clair. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thames_River_(Ontario).
As for who Mrs. Cameron is, I will let you figure that out. You could try the DAR Library search for Ancestor or Member and see what you find. See the right side bar for this blog and find the New England Links.
