James Pyle in the Non-Population Schedule ~ 52 Ancestors #34

I am participating in this year's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks writing challenge from Amy Johnson Crow. Each week has an optional writing prompt and this week's writing prompt is Non-Population.

Non-population to a genealogist suggests the various non-population census schedules that were created as part of the census enumeration every ten years between 1850 and 1880. These include agricultural, industrial, and manufacturing schedules which provide additional information about those who are enumerated in them. Digital images of these indexed schedules are available at Ancestry.

Since I have been sharing information about my soap-making ancestor, James Pyle, here is the 1880 U.S. census non-population industry schedule for the 28 soap makers of New York City.

1880 U.S. census, New York County, New York, non-population schedule, Manufactures,
p. 307 [stamped], p. 239 [penned], line 2, Jas. Pyle; image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com :
accessed 28 November 2015); citing Archive Collection number I12, roll 88.

And a closeup showing Jas. Pyle on line 2:

Since this is difficult to read, I have transcribed the headings and James Pyle's entry below.

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday ~ Pyle Pearline Soap Box

I recently shared a story about the legend of how James Pyle became convinced to advertise his soap powder. (It was not accurate: he had been advertising products in newspapers for years.)

If you search online newspaper websites for Pyle Pearline, you will find many advertisements for his soap product in the late 1800s throughout the U.S.

If you search images for Pyle Pearline, you will find many images of the advertising cards that have survived. Not only that, but you can also find old boxes that once held the powdered soap. One of my brothers gave me one a few years ago.

Note that this was James Pyle's Pearline but "made only by" Procter & Gamble.

Legend of James Pyle and Horace Greeley ~ 52 Ancestors #33

I am participating in this year's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks writing challenge from Amy Johnson Crow. Each week has an optional writing prompt and this week's writing prompt is Family Legend.

I thought I'd revisit my second great grandfather's invention of powdered soap (known as Pyle's Pearline Soap) and an anecdote that was repeated in several obituaries for him upon his death in 1900.

James Pyle (1823-1900) was my second great grandfather and by 1870, he was enumerated as "Manufacturer of Soap" in the 1870 U.S. census. I shared his history at Occupations of My Ancestors ~ James Pyle.) There are many records: census, city directories and others, that relate his success in manufacturing and selling what became known as Pyle's Pearline Soap.

According to the legend, James Pyle learned about the value of advertising when he became acquainted with Horace Greeley, founder in 1841 of the New-York Daily Tribune:

Mr. Greeley had sought to secure his "ad" for some time. Finally he is reported to have said in substance: "Here is the rate card. Use whatever space you wish for one year. If at the end of that time you find that it has paid to advertise, you may pay for whatever spare you have used. If it hasn't paid, you need not pay." The space was duly paid for. ["Death of James Pyle," The New York Times, 21 January 1900, p. 3, col. 2.]

I thought I'd explore advertisements for his soap (and earlier products) at Newspapers.com, which includes many New York City newspapers in its digitized collections. I searched for Pyle Soap and wondered if this was the first advertisement in the New-York Daily Tribune?

Advertisement for Pyle's O. K. Soap, New-York Daily Tribune, 23 November 1861, p. 1, col. 6 (bottom of the right column); image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/image/85340859/ : accessed 20 August 2018).

However, the legend of the agreement with Horace Greeley may not be true.

Grandmother: The Youngest Sister ~ 52 Ancestors #32

I am participating in this year's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks writing challenge from Amy Johnson Crow. Each week has an optional writing prompt and this week's writing prompt is Youngest.

My grandmother, Helen Lysle Hunter, was the youngest of five sisters. I have many photos and old negatives from this family for which I am grateful.

I have shared family photos in the past but I couldn't resist sharing a couple more here.

Grandmother was born on 1 February 1907, in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania (now the North Side of Pittsburgh), so it's pretty easy to date these photographs to the summer of 1907.

Mary Hunter (b. 1903), Helen (b. 1907) held by Caroline (b. 1900), Marion (b. 1899)

I don't know why two-year-old Margaret is not in this photo, but she is being held by her sister Mary in the following photo, which was taken on a different day: the girls' clothes are different and it looks like baby Helen has just a little bit more hair.

From the back: Marion (b. 1899), Caroline (b. 1900), Mary (b. 1903), Margaret (b. 1905), Marguerite (b. 1876), and baby Helen (b. 1907)

I'm pretty sure these photos were taken at the Hunter home on Perrysville Avenue. See photos of the home at The Old Homestead.

Sarah (Lowell) Copeland Photos About 1910 ~ 52 Ancestors #31

I am participating in this year's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks writing challenge from Amy Johnson Crow. Each week has an optional writing prompt and this week's writing prompt is Oldest.

My second great-grandmother, Sarah Lowell, was born 30 December 1833, in Calais, Maine, and spent just about her entire life there. She married Henry Clay Copeland in 1858 and had two sons and one daughter. I shared a brief biography of her at Matrilineal Monday ~ Sarah Lowell.

I have two photographs of her that I think were taken on the same day.

Her son, Lowell Copeland, wrote the captions on the back, noting that he believed his mother was between 75 and 80 years old, dating these photos to between 1908 and 1913. I love that he dated his caption 2/27/30 and of course, that it's in his handwriting.