1940 Census Thomas Roberts Riley

Here is the Census Record from 1940 for Thomas Roberts Riley, Elizabeth Maybury Riley, and Sue Alexandria Riley.  They were living on St Ledger Ave in Akron.  Tom was 81 and had recently retired from Goodyear.  Sue (age 32) was listed as a Merchant in a Retail Grocery Store.  There is nothing listed for her income, which is a little odd.  The house is valued at $5000.

Thomas Robert Riley?

My first blog post last year was about the birthday of Thomas Roberts Riley (son of Ezra Riley, father of Sid Riley).  He was born November 18, 1858. He lost his mother when he was only 5.
I received this picture from Theda Hill.  It is unidentified but I am almost certain it is Thomas Roberts.  It is printed on glass with silver on the back.  This technique was only used for a few years which would match up with Tom being this age in the picture.  I read recently that during this time were often taken when a loved one died.  It sure looks like Tom.  I showed the picture to Max and asked him who he thought it was and he immediately said Tom.  Sorry about the quality but I don't want to use a flash.  The picture is in rough shape which is to be expected for a 148 year old picture.  I need to find someone who can conserve it.

1910 Census Thomas Roberts Riley Family

The Thomas Roberts Riley family was living in Dover Township in Tuscarawas County Ohio at the the time of the 1910 Census.

He was 51 years old at the time and Lizzie was 47.  All the children were living at home. 
Percy  (Thomas Percy)  Age 18
Grace  Age 15
Ezra Age 14
Sidney Age 11
Norman Age 8
Sue Age 5

They lived a couple of houses away from Tom's brother Ezra and his wife Sue (on Front Street).  Both men were listed as Rollers at a Rolling Mill (Steel).  Percy was listed as a student at business college.  Both houses were listed as Owned with a Mortgage.  I imagine that a roller was a tough job for a 51 year old man. 


Dover became a steel center early on, with the first blast furnace opening in the mid 1850s. The first steel rolling mill began in 1867, and was purchased in 1882 by J. E. Reeves, becoming the foundation for the building of Reeves Steel. The legacy of Mr. Reeves, his company and his family still impacts Dover and Tuscarawas County through such local treasures as the
J. E. Reeves Home and Museum and the Reeves Foundation. The Reeves Foundation annually contributes hundreds of thousands of dollars to local good works.


Dover voters took the city "dry" in 1908, putting 22 saloons and two breweries out of business overnight. Dover became somewhat infamous during prohibition for official Volstead Act violations and many officials resigned in disgust. The city again allowed the sale of liquor after repeal of prohibition in 1933.


I don't know if Tom and Ezra worked at Reeves Steel or Ohio Steel.

Canal Dover Government Building 1911

The population of Tuscarawas County in 1910 was 57,035 and in the 2000 Census it was 90,914.

1899 Map of Canal Dover

Most of the residents on the street were children of Native Born Americans.  Many of the other men on the street also worked for the Steel Mills.

Family Picture Friday: Sid, Lizzie and Tom Riley

This is a picture of Sid Riley with his parents, Tom and Lizzie Riley.  Ray is pretty sure this is Sid but it is possible that it is his brother, Ez.  Ray thinks Sid is in his forties.

On this day in 1888....

On this day in 1888, Thomas Roberts Riley married Elizabeth Ann Maybury.  I am sure they met in Birmingham, England but not sure how they met.  He came to the US in May of 1887 to work in the steel industry in Pennsylvania. I haven't found her immigration record yet.

They were married in Pittsburgh.  They were both 29 years old.  

It appears that this must have been a Justice of the Peace.  The address was in a residential neighborhood and not a church.

 

Family Artifacts

As time passes, family artifacts get spread more thinly and I wonder if the details sometimes get lost.  Part of the goal of this blog is to gather pictures and stories in one place so as to be available to all interested parties.  Rev. Eugene Brueggeman said in an email to me that these things "belong" to the whole family.  He has a bed that was made by Clamor Ludwig Brueggeman and a chair that he didn't make but was in his home. Eugene was even born in this bed, a bed made by his great-grandfather.


I would encourage those who have "family treasures" to photograph them and tell their stories to your family, even leaving a note inside or on the bottom.  Of course, I'd love it if you shared them with me even if not directly related.  Everything has a story that may be interesting to others.


Ray has a tobacco jar that was Thomas Roberts Riley. It's not a valuable piece by any means but it is the only thing he has of his grandfather's.  When I was reviewing some pictures with Nori, she noticed it in this one.  How nice it is to have this item but also have it in a picture with him.

Thomas Roberts Riley Birth Certificate

There are some conflicting sources on his year of birth.  Some census records list it as about 1861.  It is clear from the birth record that it was 1858.

Ezra was listed as a Journeyman Blacksmith.  I think it is interesting that it took his mother, Jane, until December 23 to record his birth.  I have been searching for his Christening info but have not been able to locate it.  We're still looking for it.  In fact, we haven't found Christening records for any of Ezra and Jane's children.


It amazes me that you can order a record from England on the Internet and you get back a piece of paper with a facsimile of  the original from over 150 years ago.  Having these original records really help to confirm the information from the Census Records.  You also get information that you don't get elsewhere like the place of birth which usually the home address and the father's occupation.

Happy Birthday Thomas Roberts Riley

On this day in 1858, Thomas Roberts Riley was born in Manchester, England.  He was the first born son of Ezra and Jane (Roberts).  This is the 152 anniversary of his birth.

He was born in this house, presumably upstairs.
109 Chapman Street, Manchester, England