For Descendants of Christopher (Doc) Cranston & Bess Melby
This is an image shown on the cemetery site for the, Hermon Christian Church Cemetery, Hermon, Knox County, Illinois, USA. I think we now have an image of “Aunt Jo.” The headstone at the cemetery is shown below. Here is Josephine Park Cranston Again
Read More…Composition Last monday morning, after I came to school, I heard of the arrival of several of my friends from the country, whom I had not seen for a long-time; and you can immagine my impatience in being obliged to wait untill noon, when I went to see them. After learning that my relations and […]
Read More…Josephine Park Cranston writes to her niece, “Josie” (Doc’s elder sister who is 20 years old) about the declining health of Uncle Stephen who is the son of John Cranston who emigrated to Ohio from Rhode Island in 1815. Uncle Stephen at that time would have been 92 years old, having been born in 1793. […]
Read More…Josephine Park Cranston says that “Crane” and “Stone” pendant would initiate the name Crane-Stone. Creative.
Read More…This appears to be the first of Josephine Park Cranston’s compositions describing a city. It seems clear that these were created while she was in school, but what school or year, I do not know. The actual letter is shown below.~ CCJ A Description of Columbus Columbus is the capital of the state of Ohio. […]
Read More…Josephine Park Cranston writes a newsy letter to her Scottish relation and pen pal wishing him good health and hopes that his visit to America will be forthcoming. She wishes him a “Happy New Year!” ~ This one closes the loop in a striking way—it’s signed by Josephine P.This one closes the loop in a […]
Read More…Josephine Park Cranston was SUCCESSFUL in getting the autograph of Oliver Wendell Holmes – January 2, 1882.
Read More…This is one of many of the Josephine Park Cranston “compositions.” I’m sure it was written while she was a student in school – and it certainly was written while she was visiting Dayton, Ohio. She compares Dayton with Cincinnati – Dayton does not have so much black coal smoke. No EPA in those days, […]
Read More…Audio Notes from Charlie Jett – Listen for Explanation. This is a lengthly letter written by George Cranston of Edinburgh, Scotland to Josephine Park Cranston. It describes the “Cranston Line” starting around 1170. George Cranston was trying to help Josephine with the geneology of the Cranston family. He tried and failed to get responses from […]
Read More…“Josie,” actually Josephine Parke Cranston was the daughter of Charles Edward Cranston (Chris’s father) and the niece of Josephine Park Cranston, Charles Edward Cranston’s sister. “Josie” was “Aunt Jo” to Marion, Helen, Bill and Tip and appears to be the favorite niece of Josephine Park Cranston. It was to “Josie” that Josephine Park Cranston gave […]
Read More…This is a composition by Josephine Park Cranston on “Friendship.” It is worth a good read and careful thought. ~ CC This is a companion to the “Composition No. 1st” on Columbus—same young hand, same schoolroom exercise series, signed by Josephine. Here’s the transcription. Friendship (decorative banner heading) Friendship is one of the purest, strongest, […]
Read More…This letter was written by Christopher Cranston, son of John Cranston and father of Charles Edward Cranston, to his sister (name unknown). Apparently she lived in Dayton, Ohio and the letter is intended to introduce a friend, Miss Charlotte T. Fermer who would be moving to Dayton. He asks his sister to assist her in […]
Read More…Sometime in the 1890s, Josephine Park Cranston assembled what she called the Cranston “Genealogical Descent in America.” She traces the history of the Cranstons from Governor John Cranston through the son of Peleg Cranston, John Cranston. Here is what she wrote: Genealogical Descent in America From Document L, in Josephine P. Cranston’s hand. A direct […]
Read More…Josephine Park Cranston provides her family with a rewrite of the announcement of the wedding of Orpha Cranston to Rev. J.P. Farmer in Oregon on 21 October 1896. Orpha Cranston was the grand daughter of Ephraim Cranston who migrated to Oregon in 1850-1851 and whose letters are posted.
Read More…This letter is delightful—Josephine in 1889 as a businesswoman, working the County Superintendent. The hand is clear. Here’s the transcription. Melvin, Barber Co., Kas. July 27th, 1889. Mr. H. S. Landis, Sup. Pub. Inst. Dear Sir, Your Normal Institute being in session, I will remind you of the “Improved Geographical Aids,” to which I called […]
Read More…This letter was written to Josephine Park Cranston by her father, Christopher Cranston, from Woodstock, Ohio on October 17, 1858 about three weeks before he died on November 8, 1858. Josephine’s mother was Irene W. (Nott) Cranston – Christopher’s second wife. His first wife, Lora, was the mother of Charles Edward Cranston – Josephine’s half […]
Read More…This is a newsy letter from Josephine Park Cranston who lived in Woodstock, Ohio to her brother, Stephen Charles Cranston who had moved to Galesburg, Illinois. In the letter, she talks about purchasing a suit for Stephen – the price? $6.00 Woodstock, Ohio, Oct. 13th, 1896. Mr. C. E. Cranston, My Dear Brother, Kittie’s letter […]
Read More…Charlie Jett Comments – This is what the letter is all about. George Cranston of Edinburgh, Scotland writes to Josephine Park Cranston on December 17, 1872. He expresses his frustration with his relatives in Scotland for not responding quickly to Josephine’s requests. He points out that there was an Abbot Thomas Cranston at the Gedburg […]
Read More…John Cranston was the son of Peleg Cranston. He was born on November 3, 1755 in Rhode Island and later moved to Woodstock, Ohio where he died in 1825. He married Phoebe Ann Edwards on April 4, 1791 and one of their children was Christopher Cranston who was the father of Charles Edward Cranston (Chris’s […]
Read More…Josephine gives a very descriptive picture of Louisville – mentions the frequent fires and attributes their probable cause. (A descriptive school essay in Josephine’s hand, heavily self-corrected — many words struck through and others inserted above the line; her own deletions and insertions are noted below. Verso bears a folded-letter address panel and a red […]
Read More…This is a composition about “spring” written by Josephine Park Cranston Spring Hail, lovely spring with all thy loveliness! winter has now passed away, and delightful spring has once more made its appearance; The streams that have been clasped in the icy chains of winter are now set free, and the ground is sending forth […]
Read More…This is a touching poem written by Josephine Park Cranston on the death of a friend. I don’t know who the “friend” was – but it appears that the friend was a male. Josephine P. Cranston, “On The Death of a Friend” (poem), Dec. 3, 1854 (A fair-copy poem in Josephine’s hand on blue laid […]
Read More…Josephine Park Cranston received a letter from Keturah Park of Worthington, OH about studies. Keturah Park[s] to “My Dear friend Jose,” May 8, 1854 (Worthington, [OH?]) (A friendship letter on wove paper in a looser, phonetically-spelled hand — not Josephine’s. Writer signs “Keturah Park[s].” Addressed to “Jose” (Josephine). Includes interlined postscripts around the signature. The […]
Read More…This is fun. Josephine P. Cranston received a letter from George Cranston of Glascow, Scotland seeking Ralph Waldo Emerson’s autograph. Josephine sent it on to Emerson – I don’t know if she (or George) ever received the autograph. But at least Josephine had the enthusiasm to try. She lived in Knoxville, Illinois at the time […]
Read More…Josephine P. Cranston’s relative, LHB Park, writes a letter to his mother (Charles’s aunt) about his loneliness as a soldier in the Union Army in Virginia and asks her to write. He composes two poems – “The Potomac” and “Spring.” He was the son of the brother of Charles’s mother and therefore a second cousin […]
Read More…“Cranston”: a printed narrative history of the Cranston family (found among Josephine P. Cranston’s possessions; she d. 1905) (A printed text — two columns/sections, clean and fully legible — recounting the Cranston family’s English and Scottish origins and the Rhode Island governors. Found among Josephine’s effects after her death; the printing predates 1905. Reproduced as […]
Read More…Charlie Jett Comments – Listen to this first – Josephine Park Cranston is the heroine of this entire website. We owe all of the historic documents to her. A Woman Ahead of Her Time Josephine P. Cranston and the 1866 Character Delineation from Dansville A study of one document in the Cranston family papers Among […]
Read More…Transcription — “The Samuel Cranston Story” (Josephine P. Cranston, copied; received Nov 25, 1879 / dated Jan 5, 1896) (The Samuel Cranston story) In connection with Newport & piracy, the “History of Rhode Island” records a touching story which, as the author says, seems more like fiction than fact. We give the domestic tale which […]
Read More…Commentary — read this one with care. This is a typeset reprint, not a manuscript in Josephine’s hand, so what we’re transcribing is somebody’s later printing of her text (note the modern typesetting and the editorial subtitle). The header says “Lincoln–Douglas Debates at Lombard College, Galesburg.” The fifth Lincoln–Douglas debate was indeed at Galesburg on […]
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