Relics: Genealogy, family stories, history & other curiosities.

I have learned to look for genealogy, family history and local history in interesting and unusual places.  I have been rather successful in searching E-Bay for the towns and names I research.   A few weeks before Christmas I searched Haverstraw, NY in E-bay and came across this nugget!  It is a poster advertising an event at Haverstraw High School on December 16, 1929-- Donkey Basketball. I believe it is the the police dept. vs. the fire depts.  The poster is in good condition, its a bit faded but it is ninety years old! This seller did an awesome job packing it safely.   Donkey basketball? I had never heard of such a thing!  From what I can tell it seemed to be a popular fundraising activity ages ago in more rural areas.  I can't imagine riding a donkey, let alone doing it while trying to play basketball. Let's face it, I can't imagine playing basketball, let alone on a donkey.    What I love most about this little gem is ...

On this day, February 17 in 1901 my great grandparents Annie Clark of Haverstraw Village and William Schuler of Congers were married at St Peter's Church. I love to think of them walking down the aisle at the church I visited so many times as a girl.   This is a clipping from the Rockland County Times.  I have been very lucky to find so many great and family history related clippings at the Hudson River Valley Heritage Historical Newspapers Database, available through the  New City   Library website.  It is a treasure trove of information! I am grateful to have access to it.   While the clipping claims they were going to live in Congers, they lived in Haverstraw and raised their seven children there.  

Harry Schuler, my second great grandfather was born on this day in 1842 in Paris, France.  I refer to him as Harry from France to differientiate him from the other Harrys in my family, of which there are many and because he is my Schuler, who got on a boat, from France and came to America.  Harry did not come alone, he was about 2 years old and travelled with his mother, the elusive Catharina Blick and his older sister Leonie.  Catharina was 25 and Leonie was 4.  They reunited with Louis Schuler and settled for several years in New Orleans, where Louis and Catherine had seven more children.   There is a lot more research to be done (isn't there always?) but I am confident in saying that all but three of their children reached adulthood and all but one, stayed in New Orleans, while all the others moved north to New York.  Harry's first New York address is Clinton Street, where he lived with his brother Louis and his wife Ellen.  Soon Harry ...