After having greatly enjoyed our time together, my friend Diane and I had to say goodbye last Sunday morning. She was on her way to the local airport and I had to drive back from Springfield, IL to catch my flight to Montréal at the St. Louis airport. There I was with a few more hours to seize the day.
I thought it would be a good idea to visit Forest Park which was the site of the 1904 World Fair. This park is so beautiful! I watched people doing their Sunday morning yoga in front of the Grand Basin, I strolled through the park and I even went to the Museum of Fine Arts.
As I had to be at the airport at 3PM only, shouldn’t I make one last stop at the St. Louis County Public Library—well, why not?
The genealogy section of this place offers so much stuff, I will have to return for sure—and I am not kidding. I was looking at a relative of Louis Rail, Charles, whom, I have found out, moved to St. Charles County around 1800. I was lucky because his name appears in a tax list as well as in a state census. I then decided to take a quick look at St. Francis Assisi Church repertoire for Portage des Sioux as it is located in the same county. No trace of him but was I in for a surprise.
The church baptismal repertoire contains an index with the names of the parents as well as those of the godparents. Isn’t that great? Who do you think I found under the letter “T”? Well, this discovery will be communicated in a formal post and published very shortly.
Unfortunately, my 75-minute genealogy marathon was over. I had to leave the library as I was running late. However, I had a great day despite my hopeless fear of flying and was I glad to be back in Montréal and spend some time with my sister and brother-in-law.
What’s in store? Well, more research! And in Montréal, this time. You’re welcome to return and read about it here!
Hi Diane,
How interesting and what a small world. My grandfather Samuel Paul Bangle and his brother Jessie James Bangle went to the St. Louis World’s Fair as a last outing for two bachelor brothers before Jessie married later that same summer. I have portraits taken of them while they were there.
Hope the rest of your 40 Days of Research are as interesting as this trip sounds.
Judy
Thank you Judy! So lucky to have those portraits.