Friday - A Bust!

Got up bright and early to be in Goshen right when things opened at 9 a.m. The reference library of the Orange County Genealogical Society is THE place to get info that simply cannot be located elsewhere, things like compilations of work done by other researchers. I have learned such things are of immense value. But it was not to be on Friday. It turns out that somebody broke into the old courthouse where the library is located the night before and there were police everywhere and half the block was taped off! The county historian was running around obviously upset - nobody would say what got taken, but from the looks on her face, something that was in her office! So then the police jumped on everybody - they took my name, birth date, phone number, and interrogated me about where I was last night - it was unbelievable! I just melted into the background and slipped back to my car.

So what now? Orange County was probably the most important research day for Gillespie-Greer, and I came a very long way only to be turned away. I did talk to some other members of OCGS while there, and they all offered to open the library for me any time (once they were allowed back in) since I came from so far away, but when can I get back there? There's a chance it has reopened today (Saturday), but I haven't called. I am with my Uncle George Schaefer in Flemington, NJ, and have a commitment to do things with him this weekend. But maybe Monday, I can return to Goshen. This will change all my research plans in NYC, but I guess it's good that I have some flexibility.

So without access to county records, I decided to drive to the towns. First I drove up to Pine Bush, NY where many many Gillespie names are on records. I spent some time at the library and they gave me the number the village historian, but she was not available, so I decided to move on. I was going to go next to Walden (the township that would have included Walkill), but decided to push through to Montgomery where I believe our people most likely were. I have learned so much about NY districts that I wish I had understood better before, but I guess that's how we learn. In NY, the word "town" really means what I would call a "township" - an area that includes several towns. But in NY, they have "villages" within the "towns". What a mess. So basically when I got to Montgomery I stopped at the Village library and then talked to the Village Clerk, and finally they were able to relay to me that I had to go to entirely different offices to talk to the Town Clerk. And by that time, it was too late - the office of the Town Clerk closes at noon on Friday. Oi. Batting zero for me.

I then drove back to Goshen to see if the police mess was any better, and it wasn't. So that's when I started thinking I should head to New Jersey. Right before I left CO, I had talked to cousin Janice and told her that sadly I would not have any time for New Jersey research on this trip, and so would not be able to do any Mann research. But if I had a wish, it would be to find where our ggg-grandparents Ersnt Menge and Maria Magdalena Summers were buried as we really have no clue. We don't even know when Maria died. Soooooo, of course I had jotted down where the Surrogate Courthouse is in Newton, Sussex County, NJ, and that became my next destination. The GPS took me all along back winding roads and it was quite beautiful. Newton, however, is a bigger city than I imagined, and getting into the courthouse was a bit of a challenge. Nevertheless, I was able to get to the records, and found a couple things of some interest about Summers (which I didn't study, just copied and will study later), but we still have no clue about Maria's death nor where our original Mann immigrants were buried.

By that time, I had been in the car driving most of the day & was pooped & of course now the Friday afternoon traffic was mounting. It took an hour in stop-and-go to get to Uncle George's in Flemington, but I made by 4 p.m. Whew! And there was Uncle George and cousin George in the driveway in their bee outfits unloading the truck belonging to Jean's Honey. It was quite a welcome sight and they gave me a warm welcome. Cousin George and wife are headed to Czech Republic today, so we all went to dinner last night and had a pleasant and relaxing evening together.

So, Friday was a long day with not much to show for research, but I guess one can expect and should probably plan for the unexpected. Luckily I am here long enough where I can juggle the schedule, so I'm hoping it will work out to return to Goshen on Monday before heading out Long Island. Lots of driving, lots of traffic, and I just have to keep gulping deep breaths and telling myself it's worth it to be here. And it is.