After the ancestors of James Williams and Myrtle Montgomery arrived in Indianapolis nearly all the births for the next few generations occur in Indianapolis. With at least two exceptions. John and Myrtle Montgomery.
Myrtle's mother had four children*:
- John b. 19 1908 In Illinois
- James b.1912 in Indiana
- Myrtle b.3-18-1915 in Illinois
- Pauline b.2-19-1916 in Indiana
Traveling between Chicago and Indianapolis in 1908 was not the convenient three hour drive over a multi-lane interstate that it is today. In 1908 there was no Interstate 65(I-65). Most roads were two lanes and many stretches were still unpaved roads.
Why would Myrtle's parents, Frank and Nanny, move the entire family 200 miles four times over eight years?
Was it for employment? If so was it the hope of permanent employment? If that was the case it apparently didn't work out the first time so why repeat such a drastic move the second time? Was it a case of visiting Chicago (while pregnant) and delivering unexpectedly on the trip? Of course that would explain the first birth, but what about the second?
The most likely assumption might be that it was visiting one time (probably the first) work one time (probably the second birth).
At first this makes since once we discover the research of Frank R. Montgomery, were he states: "
In 1905 William Brown Sr. deceased in Indianapolis, Indiana. By 1906 Nannie and Edna were married, and "Big Momma" Rosa Brown moved to Chicago, Illinois with her son William Brown Jr".
With Nannie's mother now living in Chicago, visiting Chicago might be something that happens every few years. Wanting to have her first child near her mother would be natural. Then years later making a family move in search of employment would make since too.
If it was only that simple. As we've expanded the family research beyond the earlier work of Frank Montgomery we discover some knew information. The dates of Momma Rosa's move to Chicago are to early:
Following the death of Rosa’s husband, William Brown, in 1905, Big Mama would remarry less than 7 months later to David Hopper, but they did not move in 1906. There is no doubt that Rosa Brown disappeared from the public record in 1906 (due to her name change) and there is no doubt that she moved to Chicago following Williams death. Just not in 1906.
On the 1910 census for Indianapolis Nannie and Frank, married 3 years, appear at 711 Hadley Street with their child John, and her brother William Brown. The brother who is supposed to be in Chicago with Big Mama. What has been overlooked is that in the same house, not household, is another family. That of David and Rose Hopper, Nannie's mother and step father.
So even though Nannie's first son was born in Chicago in 1908, EVERYONE was in Indianapolis in 1910!
Discovering facts in records and old documents can only tell part of the story. Memories tell the rest. No matter how insignificant how doubtful or how incomplete a memory or thought might be it could be even a tiny piece of the story that ties together all the facts. We need you to tell us what you know, think you know or remember to make this family history complete.
*note: Nannie actually had a fifth child. The 1910 census included two questions for the mother: "How many children have you had" and "How many children now living. Nannie answered "2" and "1" respectively. This means that Nannie had a child who was born and died before the 1910 census. We as yet have no information on this child.
Who is who in this article.
- Frank & Nannie Montgomery: Myrtle Montgomery’s parents, Joseph Frank Montgomery and Nannie Belle Brown .
- John, James, & Pauline: Myrtle’s siblings.
- William Brown: William Thomas Brown, Myrtle’s grandfather.
- William Brown, Jr.: Myrtle’s uncle (Nannie’s father).
- Big Mama Rosa Brown: Rosanna Jones, Myrtle’s grandmother (Nannie’s mother)
- David Hopper: Big Mama’s second husband. previously misidentified as David Hooker. The 1910 census taker must of heard the name wrong; his handwriting very clearly say David Hopper, but subsequent documents consistently say David Hocker. We will use Hocker.
- Frank R. Montgomery: A nephew of Myrtle's and the author of the early research and documentation on the Montgomery Williams family.
- Myrtle Montgomery (wife of James F. Williams): Myrtle and James are the focal point of the Montgomery/Williams Project
