Rescued From Obscurity, Part 4: The Killmore Family of Syracuse, Onondaga County, New York

The previous post in this series is here: Rescued, Part 3



While searching for online records in Syracuse about the George V. and Amelia Killmore family, others of that same surname kept popping up but I put the research aside for awhile.

Serendipitously, I later ran across some family group sheet information on a Kilmore family in Syracuse from a member of the Western Michigan Genealogical Society. The information is mainly focused on a Rathbone family but included information on Luke Kilmore, son of Henry Kilmore, who married Achsah Rathbone. The source for the Kilmore information was cited as History of the Kilmer Family in America, edited by Charles H. Kilmer. Page 88. This book was not available in its entirety online at the time of this writing but I am including below information taken from the Rathbone compilation regarding the Kilmore line:

History of the Kilmer Family in America, edited by Charles H. Kilmer. Page 88.
Children of Luke 3 [Henry 2, Heinrich 1.]
CATHERINE. Maried Ezra Cowner of Syracuse, NY
DANIEL BRADLEY. Married Miss Marguerita Matty. Her father was a cousin of Marshall B. Soult, one of Napoleon’s grand marshalls.
    Daniel was captain of a packet from Syracuse to Buffalo. In 1863 he became ticket agent for the Michigan Central RR. After this kept a wood yard seven years. Accumulated enough resources to live a retired life, and died in 1887.
SCHUYLER V. Married Miss Mary Matty, a sister of his brother Daniel B.’s wife. 
    He has been captain of a packet boat, seven years traveling ticket agent for the Michigan Souther RR, and twenty years superintendent of the American Dairy Salt Company. Residence, 220 Seymour street, Syracuse, NY.
CORWIN. Died 1849 and no family.
VERNUM.Married Amelia Wright. Went to sea in 1845. After leaving sea life went to California. Returned to Syracuse, NY, and was employed by the New York Central RR, which position he retained twenty years. Then went to state of Washington.
KATURAH. Married Enos Fields. He is dea, and she is living at Waterloo, NY.
LUKE. Married either a Gilman or Gilmore. He was a sea captain. His family are supposed to be in Australia. 
DELOSS. In state of Washington.
ROSELTHA. Married George Bragdon.
JAQUELINA. Married Hiram Seeley. He is dead. She at Little Falls NY.

And from the family group sheets:

Family of Achsah Rathbone (59861) & Luke Kilmore
61864. Katherine Kilmore.
On 1 Jan 1839 Katherine married Ezra Pierce Downer in Syracuse, Onondaga County, New York.
61865. Emery Kilmore.
61866. George B. Kilmore.
61867. Daniel Bradley Kilmore. Born ca 1818 in New York.
Daniel Bradley married Margaret V.. Born in 1830.
61868. Schuyler V. Kilmore. Born in Mar 1820 in New York.
Schuyler V. married Mary. Born ca 1829. Mary died bef 1900.
61869. Corwin G. Kilmore. Born on 7 Jul 1822 in New York. Corwin G. died aft 1900.
61870. G. Vernam Kilmore. Born on 24 Aug 1824 in Salina, Onondaga County, New York.
On 7 Dec 1853 when G. Vernam was 29, he married Amelia J. Wright, daughter of John Russell Wright (21 Apr 1802-19 Nov 1880) & Luna Williams (10 Nov 1805-22 Aug 1840), in Aztalan, Jefferson County, Wisconsin. Born on 30 Oct 1831 in Watervale, Onondaga County, New York.
61871. Luke Kilmore. Born ca 1829 in New York. Luke died in Austrialia.
On 31 Jul 1852 Luke married Fanny Gillham in St. Mary’s, Sydney.
61872. William D. Kilmore. Born on 15 Oct 1832 in Syracuse, Onondaga County, New York.
On 18 Feb 1872 when William D. was 39, he married Josephine S. Rego in Missouri. Born in Indiana.
61873. Rosetta Kilmore. Born ca 1837 in Syracuse, Onondaga County, New York.
Rosetta married a Mr Bragdon.
61874. Jacqueline Kilmore. Born ca 1840 in Syracuse, Onondaga County, New York.
Jacqueline married Hyrem Seeley.

There's a lot of information here and it is very telling in terms of this photograph album.

First off, now we know George also went by his middle name of Vernum or Vernam. Then we know it was to him that the photograph in the album shown below was given “by a friend” (reference the writing on the back):

Left Photo 28A, paper cdv, unknown. Right Photo 28B paper cdv, unknown. 

Left image 28A verso, photographer imprint: H. Lazler, Syracuse & Oswego, NY. Wording in pencil "To Vernum by A Friend"
Right image 28B verso, no photographer imprint or writing. Blue two-cent revenue stamp from civil war era.

It was noted in an earlier post that according to the 1875 state census Vernum was employed by the NY Central RR which is also mentioned in the above excerpt from the Kilmer family history. The history also states that his brothers Daniel and Schuyler worked as ticket agents for the Michigan Central RR. Railroad history with its multiple consolidation and mergers is more confusing than family trees, but generally for our purposes it helps to know the following from Wikipedia:


The New York Central Railroad (NYC) was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States. Headquartered in New York City, the railroad served most of the Northeast, including extensive rail lines in the states of New York, Pennsylvania,Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and Massachusetts, plus additional lines in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Québec. Its primary connections included Chicago and Boston.  

1926 Map of New York Central Railroad

I am guessing that the locations of some of the other photographs may at least have something to do with the movement of these brothers in their employment. For instance, in initial online research at familysearch.org for A. Parke in New York, New York during the years 1850-1880, we find 46-year-old Archibald Parke, a Vermont native, listed in the 2nd district, 14th ward of the city of New York during the 1860 U.S. federal census. His occupation was listed as “fancy goods” with his sixteen-year-old son listed as a clerk.

Left Photo 22A: paper cdv, Mr. A. Parke (see verso), photographer imprint "W. Kurtz, 872 B'way, NY".
Right Photo 22B: paper cdv, unknown.

Left image 22A: photographer imprint with logo image "W. Kurtz, New York. Six first premiums. First class gold medal Paris" Right image 22B: photographer imprint of ornate design "Melander Bros. Photographers, 88 N. Clark St, Chicago" 

The last photograph with writing in the album shows a name and address first tentatively transcribed as such: “Sid Ballow, 15 W Van Anden, Entire E Bck yd, Feb 12”. 
Left 38A: paper cdv, unknown. Right 38B: paper cdv. Sid Ballow (see verso).

Left 38A: photographer imprint "M. E. Morris, Floral Gallery, 75 Genesee St, Auburn, NY"
Right 38B: photographer imprint "W. N[?] Tubbs, Photographer, Newark Valley, NY";
writing "Sid Ballow, 15 W Van Anden, Entire E Bck yd, Feb 12"

A google search with this address turns up an 1857 directory for the town of Auburn, NewYork just west of Syracuse (note Auburn is the town listed in the imprint of the photo next to this one). Newark Valley, New York is in Tioga County, south of Cayuga County and closer to the town of Ithaca.

A search for Sid Ballow in New York for the years 1850-1880 in familysearch.org turns up the following list:

Sydney Ballow   1865     Ward 4, Auburn, Cayuga Co, NY          father Joseph, spouse Catherine
Sidney Ballou     1870     Auburn, Cayuga Co, NY                       Catherine
Sidney Ballou     1875     Ithaca, Tompkins Co, NY                      spouse Catherine, child Joseph
Sidney Ballou     1855     Ward 8, Syracuse, Onondaga Co, NY   father Joseph, mother Susan

In 1855, both 20-year-old Sidney and his father Joseph were listed as “pavers.” Joseph, aged 76, was a native of Rhode Island. Sidney and his older 37-year-old brother Spencer (a teamster) were born in Oneida Co, NY while his next youngest brother, 17-year-old Silas and the rest of the younger siblings were born in Onondaga County, NY.

The search had to be manipulated further to find Sidney in 1860 using just the first name, 1860 and Syracuse, NY. He was indexed as “Sidney Ballon” for that year. in the 8th ward of Syracuse. His brother William was living with him then and they were both listed as “street pavers.” Joseph was found also under “Ballon.” Though he was 80 years old, he was still listed with the occupation of “street paver,” too.

So now we know of more family acquaintances and friends, but can we learn anything from the album about those in the family?

The next and final post for this series is here: Rescued, Part 5

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