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Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Conely and Stetson

The Wikipedia article on Conley says, "Adventist minister George Stetson lived for a time with the Conleys during a prolonged period of illness until his death." The citation is to "Allegheny City census result of 1879 published in 1880."

This citation is vague. Does anyone know the actual location, name, title or full bibliographic information for the Allegheny City Census?

We found this. It wasn't a "census" but a listing in Thurston's City Directory. The Stetson name is correct. The occupation is not. So we're left with a mystery. The George W. Stetson living with the Conleys is described as a "clk," or clerk. Wouldn't someone that ill be unemployed? Had Stetson's second wife already died? Were the Conleys already operating a faith-healing sanitorium?
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2 comments:

jerome said...

From the two obits for Stetston in The World’s Crisis for November 5, 1879 (one a copy from the Cambridge News) we learn that he died on October 9 at his residence in Edinboro, Erie Co., Penn., aged 64. He had come to Edinboro “six years ago”, and had been a faithful servant up until May last when he was striken with “spinal fever”. He was a “beloved pastor...kind neighbour and respected citizen”.
There is no suggestion there that he had been away from Edinboro in his last months, and there is no mention of a wife, only a reference to “a loss to his family”. It specifically says he died at his residence in Edinboro.
How far is it between Edinboro and Allegheny?

August 11, 2010 at 11:28 PM
Brad said...

The Conleys did not have borders listed in any directories and there is no census data showing that any number of people lived with them.

A Stetson is listed as living with the Conleys on the year of his death. It seems highly unlikley that the Conleys happened to live with another Stetson of the same initials. A Mystery...

November 24, 2010 at 6:54 PM

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