Well, my connection at the Western Maryland Railroad Museum came through for me in FLYING colors! He found a picture of my Great Great Grandfather John W Grimes, in a band outside of the Western Maryland Railroad Union Bridge, Maryland station! Notice the building in the background? That is the one I took a picture of and walked around in my adventures in October! Woo Hoo!
We are not sure what the name of the band is, but I will research bands in the area- there can't be that many, right? [Update: there are many bands.. MANY MANY- now we know what people did before television, they went to listen to a band.] Also, I forgot to put this info up earlier:
I believe JW was a letter carrier for the railroad before 1920. In an article I found on Friday April 2, 1920 the Union Bridge Pilot said that "John Grimes began work on Monday as a gateman at the depot." and that someone else had "taken the job of carrying the mail between the post office and the station." Other records my contact found stated:Based on the info in the newspaper account shown, J. W. Grimes started as Gateman at Union Bridge sometime around April 2, 1920, so he must have had another WM Ry job from November 1, 1918 until he became a Gateman as shown in the April 2, 1920 newspaper account. The Rosters were usually issued annually, so his assignment as Gateman would not have shown up until the January 1, 1921 issue.
and after he passed away someone else took the job:
I need to make a donation to the museum. I keep forgetting...
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I have been regularly visiting a library in Westminster, Maryland. The information in their microfilm copies of local newspapers from the early 1900s and late 1800s has been a treasure trove of information that has helped me expand my knowledge not only important dates of my ancestors (marriages, deaths) but facts about their lives.
While on the microfilm machine one afternoon I was looking in the Pilot (newspaper) for an obituary for someone (can't remember who) when I ran across a single line that caught my eye. It identified that my Great Great Grandfather JW Grimes changed jobs at the Western Maryland Railroad. I just happened to come across it! What luck! I wouldn't have ever known to look at that day for a change of jobs. Days like these, I would take a pocket full of luck over a pound of smarts. ;) |
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