Cool Things Your Ancestors Have Done

Not remarkable or cool but definately interesting;

When she was still alive my grandmother spoke about her aunt who was on the Titanic. Based on the information I have (family from the Åland Islands, age, passenger list, etc) the only possible match would be Miss Ida Sofia Strandberg. I'm still in the process of tracing our family history and don't have any conclusive results... yet.

http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-biography/ida-sofia-strandberg.html

 

Apparently my great grandfather designed the first automatic gear cutting machine. His company, “Eberhardt Machine” produced the equipment that made all the transmission gears for I think just about anything with an engine in the 1920s-1930s. The story is he used to be one of Edisons drinking buddies.

He was not however a very good business man I’m told….never saw any value in crazy talk like standardized thread sizes and such. I guess they went under in the depression.

An acquaintance of mine has an old Eberhardt shaper and I keep an eye on ebay thinking I’d like to get an Eberhardt shaper or mill if I get the chance. I’ve seen a few come up but have been too far away to be worth the trouble.

 

...grandfather was James Berry, the henchman of dubious fame. (tried hanging a man three times and failed)

 

There's a tool ad available right now.

http://cgi.ebay.com/24-old-diff-Tool-Ads-1894-1916-wrench-tapes-files-vise_W0QQitemZ250249138412QQcmdZViewItem?IMSfp=TL0805181020a19180
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COOL
G.W. Haltom
He founded Haltom's Jewelers in Ft Worth, TX in 1893. My family even has the city name after us (Haltom City, also known as Birdville) due to being the largest property owners in northeast Tarrant county at that time.


NOT SO COOL
J. Bruce Ismay
He was my cousin, a vary taboo subject of my families history.

http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-biography/j-bruce-ismay.html

 

to me cool - my dad was a great photographer had many things published and photoed alot of stars and models back in the day. also had his way with some of the models [ no names ].......

 

My Grandfather came here in 1910 wearing rags and died a sucessful and loved person.

 

My great grandfather was on the Californian, the ship that that thought the Titanic's flares were fireworks and never went to help


Also, my great Uncle (i think thats what he was to me) built this huge port (for ships) in Europe. I'll try to find more

 

Grandpa grew up on a Kansas farm growing watermelons and breaking horses--shoulda seen his hands! He served in WWI and was personally recruited back into WWII by Gen. Patton. He was a hydro-engineer, and oversaw the development of water delivery systems for troops in North Africa. Afterwards, he received a professorship at MIT. I'm an idiot.

 

They all worked together and the result was :ME !

 

From what I know, my great great grandfather was a successful beer brewer in Germany. No idea what the name was. It went under when he was ****ed over by his business partner. Apparently being two-timed runs in the family because it's happened to my dad several times. Fortunately it didn't result in the end of a business.

My great grandfather was quite successful in New York in the 1910's and 20's. Don't know how though. He was also still very comfortable during the great depression and helped out a lot of those who lost everything. I was told he had a Lincoln that had power windows and power door locks at one point.

My dad has operated his business for 15 years or so I guess. Being a success is in my blood, I just haven't found my niche yet.

 

My Uncle is high up in 19 Group and runs shows like American Idol, Pop Idol (in England) and signed bands like the spice girls and stuff

http://www.19.co.uk/



Here's an article about my uncle (Robert Dodds)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2006/sep/11/marketingandpr.citynews

 

Why hasn't he bought you a Ferrari yet?

 

Lol. He did get me a Tag Heuer for my 18th birthday

 

I may have to buy that

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cecilius_Calvert%2C_2nd_Baron_Baltimore
Calverts [aka Lord Baltimore] colonized the Province of Maryland, and bear with me now...

introduced Catholicism to US which led to Maryland Toleration Act [freedom of religion, as long as it's Catholic or Protestant], which, in conjunction with many things, like... bear with me further now...

gentrified Irish paying special tax to be Catholic on their own soil to Lord Deputy of Ireland at behest of financially desperate King Charles [in turn, leading to English Civil War] ...

all of which improved into that oft misunderstood portion of the First Amendment "respecting an establishment of religion." Separation of Church of State meant not only did one not have to renounce Pope, as in England, but could hold any office, regardless of religion, as laws would not govern that predefined religions were required or exclusionary. Duh!

Mason-Dixon Line was at Calvert's [Maryland] and Penn's [Pennsylvania] request, and much to my chagrin, slavery was set for life under the third Lord Baltimore. A few years ago, the most well-preserved bodies on US soil were unearthed from special caskets lead inner coffin, wood outer coffin. Contents thereof were Calverts, or, so they say. Through trial and error of wanderlust, their relations extend to me, Robert E. Lee , George Washington and all points between.
_____

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_F._B._Morse
My Father's Mother was rather a proud woman, after all, her Grandfather wasn't just a Calvinist and painter, but invented the single-wire Telegraph, and in conjunction with Albert Vail, invented Morse Code.

_____

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_of_the_Isles
Lord of the Isles - At their height they were the greatest landowners and most powerful Lords in the British Isles following the Kings of England and Scotland.
_____

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odin
Odin was rather a cunning God, wasn't he?

I could go on, but, got my own fish, albeit smaller fish to fry in the present. Grow, fish!

 

Distant Uncles. They were pretty important I think great great uncles, though we're still sorting that out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wright_brothers

 

I take pride in the fact that my family has fought in most major US wars up to Vietnam.... so Revolutionary, 1812, Civil, WW1, WW2 and some of the smaller conflicts that aren't as well-known. We still have some weaponry from the Civil war (swords) and WW1 (guns) that has been passed down. There are also historical preservation sites in the SE Pennsylvania area that were at one time owned by my ancestors as early as the 1720s.

 

Many others have enjoyed the accomplishment of one of mine:

My cousin was the VP of MCA and was the one who developed the Universal Studios Tour....

 

Thats really cool



I'm still trying to get my family history together. I want to see how far back i can go. My great aunt told me tons of relatives a few years back but dad lost the tree i made with them all on it. Now she's passed, i'm worried that we won't be able to trace back. And both my grandfathers passed away last summer so its going to be harder now.

 

Apparently my grandfathers uncle ( i guess thats my great grand uncle?) invented napkin dispensers. I still haven't received any royalty checks.

 

And Maryland was founded at St.Mary's City[go fish]
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My ggggfather,Isreal, was Daniel Boone's daddy[I may not have the correct# of ''g's''...I think it's 3 greats{I can look it up}]

 

My grandfather fought at and SURVIVED D-day. He also toured Auschwitz.