I recently found a 1827 Large Cent in Eldon, MO with a name stamped into it E.B. Thomas, MCH.22 . I believe I have found the individual who once cherished this coin and I have been trying to track down his descendants so I can return it to them. If you have any resources and are up for a research challenge feel free to help me out. This is what I know so far.
Elihu B. Thomas born in NY March 22, 1827 and he died in St. Louis April 25, 1910. He was married to Imogene Garrettson who died April 11, 1917.
Their children were Paul Thomas, Imogine C Thomas, Augustus Thomas, Alice A. Thomas, Irwin Thomas, and Emily Thomas.
Any help to track down a living relative would be greatly appreciated.
Here's a potential lead (note the request for further information):
THOMAS, Elihu Baldwin He married Imogene C. Garrettson 1953 in St. Louis. Their children were Paul, Augustus, Emily, Alice & Edwin. Augustus became a famous playwrite of his time. Am interested in any information on this family. birdsoaf@brightok.net
Hon. Elihu B. Thomas, the father of Augustus Thomas, the well known playwright, died in St. Louis, April 25, 1910. He was born in New Yori, March 22. 1827, and has lived in St. Louis since 1845. He was a captain in the Mexican Way, and at the est. of the St.Louis Dispatch was its publisher. He was a member of the Missouri Legislature, of the House of the 22nd General Assembly in 1862.
Hon. Elihu B. Thomas, the father of Augustus Thomas, the well known playwright, died in St. Louis, April 25, 1910. He was born in New Yori, March 22. 1827, and has lived in St. Louis since 1845. He was a captain in the Mexican Way, and at the est. of the St.Louis Dispatch was its publisher. He was a member of the Missouri Legislature, of the House of the 22nd General Assembly in 1862.
I was curious. was there a "22nd Michigan" regiment? Makes me think this is one mans version of a military "Dog Tag".
That was looked at but once I found that MCH was the old way to abbreviate March and also found an E.B. Thomas that was born on March 22, 1827 that lived in Missouri and I was able to place him near where I had found the coin we pretty much stopped looking at the 22nd Michigan Regiment theory.
Augustus Thomas, the playwright son, died Aug. 14, 1934 in Nyack, New York.
You may wish locate his obit and see if next of kin were mentioned.
Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustus_Thomas
Here's a potential lead (note the request for further information):
THOMAS, Elihu Baldwin He married Imogene C. Garrettson 1953 in St. Louis. Their children were Paul, Augustus, Emily, Alice & Edwin. Augustus became a famous playwrite of his time. Am interested in any information on this family. birdsoaf@brightok.net
Well if you are good at tracking down Descendants then feel free to join in. I keep running into road blocks with the family trees because they don't list personal information about living descendants. I have emailed a couple different owners of family trees but have not heard any thing back yet.
I received the long awaited Obituary today of the man whom I believe owned this coin and inscribed his name and birthdate on it. The copy was in poor condition so instead of scanning it in and posting the image I typed it up word for word and pasted it below for you to read.
Here is the text from the Obituary:
Copied from the 25 April 1910 St. Louis Post – Dispatch, page 4
DR. E.B. THOMAS, FATHER OF THE PLAYWRIGHT, DEAD
Dr. Elihu B. Thomas, aged 83 years, father of Augustus Thomas, the noted playwright, whose latest play, “The Harvest Moon,” is the current attraction at the Olympic Theater, died at 8:50 a.m. Monday at his residence, 3673 Finney Avenue.
Dr. Thomas – veteran of two wars, legislator, orator and editor – was closely connected with the stage in earlier years, and it was largely through environments that his son developed into one of the most successful and famous of modern playwrights.
During the Civil War Dr. Thomas was manager of the St. Charles Theater in New Orleans, then owned by Ben De Bar.
De Bar was an old – time actor and manager, and after the war he established in St. Louis the Ben de Bar Theater, on Olive street, between Third and Fourth streets.
De Bar Old Actor
Later he established a theater on the site of the present Grand Opera House on Market street, where the drama flourished until De Bar’s death in 1877.
Dr. Thomas returned to St. Louis in 1865. He and De Bar were fast friends.
“Gus” Thomas was then 7 years old and so much of the stage atmosphere did he absorb that he begun his career as a playwriter when he was 14 years old.
Thomas was in St. Louis recently to visit his father, for whom he always expressed great admiration and affection. His father, he says, was a close student of Shakespeare and an orator of considerable ability in his younger days.
Was in Mexican War.
Dr. Thomas was born in New York City March 22, 1827. He learned the printer’s trade in Chicago and came to St. Louis in 1845. The next year at the outbreak of the Mexican War, he joined the St. Louis Light Artillery, and was with the celebrated Col. Doniphan on his march to the Gulf of Mexico. After the war he went to New York, but returned to St. Louis. In 1853 he married Miss Imogene Garretson. Of six children, three sons and two daughters survive
Dr. Thomas raised a company in St. Louis and participated in the Civil War on the Union Side. After his return from New Orleans he was elected twice to the State Legislature as a radical Republican. For two years in the early ‘70s he was publisher of the St. Louis Dispatch..
In 1882 he became a homeopathic physician. His death was due to dropsy and old age. The body will be cremated.
I'm sorry, I have not been on TNet for some time. My hubby has, but I haven't. Since returning from our 5th Hunt with a tad smitten of Poison Ivy, then getting it really bad cutting brush down in my back yard (where my eyes swelled up...a pain in the arse when you have to go to work and read tags!!!), then my son got some kind of Summer Flu on Mother's Day (that's what I call it) and was out of school for 2 days, then I get sick and injured myself at work hanging tags....geez....I plan to work in the yard today, wonder what else I can do to myself! LMAO!!!!
Thanks for the confidence ya'll! (Blushing)
Let me go over this thread, and see where you stand on the information. I will post in a few moments
And if anything comes up in the future....PM me on Facebook too! That's my backup connection LOL!!!
Back in a few...
Annmarie
Ron - Professional Printer, Fishing, Diving, Asst Scoutmaster Troop 65
Proud parent of 1 daughter and 2 sons!!!
Ok...did you find a living relative? Let me know...seems lots of folks did some great genealogical research
Annmarie
No living relatives yet. All the family tree information we have found won't give living relative information due to privacy concerns.
Thanks For taking the time to help us out.
Don
Ok....the only child of Elihu that I can find any relatives for is Paul Thomas. He was June 1863 Missouri and died March 1933 Missouri. He married Carra A. Weber (1865-1955). There children where Weber, Hernine (Hermine), Paul (Junior?), Willard, Helena, Dorothy C. (more info on her), Jack B., and Grace E.
Dorothy C. Thomas (1897-1932) married Harry E. Jarrett (1897-1932). The tree shows 2 children living and 4 passed on. The 4 passed on are Gloria Fay Jarrett, Dorothy Grace Jarrett, Harry V. Jarrett and Marilyn Jarrett.
Now for Harry V. Jarrett (1923-1989)...he was born in Missouri but died in Franklin, Kentucky. He married Elizabeth F. Wood (1926-1992). They have one child listed as living, a female.
Gloria Fay Jarrett (1919-1984) married E. Frank Brown.
This information is under a Jarrett Family Tree and the owner of the tree has NO POINT OF CONTACT!!! UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lots of photos though. And their tree was last modified on 11 May 2009. Why can't they put some kind of contact down!? And the thing is...this person is a direct descendent of Elihu Thomas!!!!
On the 1930 census records for Richmond Heights, St Louis, Missouri shows Dorothy C. Thomas Jarrett with her husband, Harry E. Jarrett and 5 children: Gloria, Dorothy G., Harry V., Marilyn and Thomas J. (he must be one of the living ones).
On the 1920 census records for St Louis Ward 27, St Louis (Independent City), Missouri shows Dorothy C. Thomas Jarrett with her husband, Harry E. Jarrett and 1 child, Fay G.. (whom I believe is Gloria Fay).
Since the 1940 census records will not become public domain until 2012...can't research that. That may give the name of the other living child. Let me see if I can find anything on Thomas J. Jarrett.
Going to do some newspaper research also...be back later.....
Annmarie
Ron - Professional Printer, Fishing, Diving, Asst Scoutmaster Troop 65
Proud parent of 1 daughter and 2 sons!!!
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Originally Posted by Mackaydon
