Sisters: Mildred and Dorothy Cabell.

On the 1940 census Mildred Cabell, age 21, is living with her younger sister Dorothy (Cabell) Pope, age 17, at 416 E. 18th Street. Both have been orphaned since the death of their father in 1935. They live about a half mile from their older sister, Hazel (Cabell) Caston (1852 Peck Street). Mildred had only worked ten weeks in the previous year, earning only $50 in 1939, Hazel had worked 30 weeks, earning $150 dollars for the year. Dorothy was unemployed.

Hazel and Dorothy’s husbands are missing from the household on the census. I have no idea at this point if they are separated, deceased, or just not recorded.

Mildred and Dorothy’s situation look precarious in 1940. What remains of their family is dispersed across Indianapolis. Their elderly step-mother is raising their youngest sister and we know little of their situation.

Mildred and Dorothy will persevere.

Mildred will marry Monroe T. Grady the next year. Monroe is the son of a tenant farmer from southern Indiana who makes his way to Indianapolis between 1930 and 1940. By 1943 they have obtained an apartment in Lockfield Garden Apartments (Bldg. 649, Apartment 380) near her first cousin Myrtle (Montgomery) Williams who is also living in Lockfield Gardens. Monroe is a driver for a surgical supply company, and he and Mildred have started a business, a record store on Indiana Avenue: Lockfield Record Shop, also known as Grady's Record Center.

We don’t know what became of the suspicious marriage of Dorothy to Orville (Arville) Pope, but she eventually marries Leslie Radford, together they will start  "Telecom Inc. of Indiana". When she died in 1980 they were still co-owners of the company.

We don’t know if it was the fortune of marriage or the example of perseverance of their father, Henry Cabell, which was the basis for their progress.    

(Picture: Indianapolis Recorder, October 16, 1954)

 

 

 

 

(Obit: Indianapolis Recorder, January 12, 1980)

 

 

 

 

 

Mildred (Cabell) Grady:1917-1994
Washington Park North Cemetery, Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana, Plot: St Luke: Maintained by: William Taber, Record added: Nov 25, 2013. Find A Grave Memorial# 120801160

for more on the Cabell family see: Tuberculosis hits the Montgomery family:

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Who’s who in this article.

• Henry Cabell was Myrtle (Montgomery) Williams’ uncle. His wife Lelia Montgomery was the daughter of Sarah E. (Miller) and Logan Russell Montgomery.
• Dorothy, Mildred, and Hazel were Myrtle Montgomery’s first cousins.
• Myrtle (Montgomery) Williams and James Francis Williams are the focal point of the Montgomery-Williams Project.

Tuberculosis hits the Montgomery family:

The early 1900's saw many epidemic level health problems emerge, most of which impacted the African-American communities greatly, particularly urbanized African-American communities. Logan and Sarah's family were no different. Two of their children Harold & Lelia, as well as two, if not four, of Lelia’s children died from the terrible disease.

"…By 1918, medical and public health reports had documented that African Americans suffered higher morbidity and mortality rates than white people for several diseases. The Atlanta Board of Health, for example, reported in 1900 that the black death rate exceeded that of the white death rate by 69%. In an analysis of the 1900 census, W.E.B. Du Bois, the influential sociologist and civil rights activist, found that African American death rates were two to three times higher than for white people for several diseases including tuberculosis, pneumonia, and diarrheal disease."
           From <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2862340/>

Pulmonary Tuberculosis: The bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis causes TB, a contagious, airborne infection that destroys body tissue, when M. tuberculosis primarily attacks the lungs. However, it can spread from there to other organs. TB was not curable by medication for decades to come. The only known treatment was migration to more 'rural' climates, and this treatment wasn't always effective.

Harold Montgomery died in the Sunnyside Sanitarium on the northwest outskirts of Indianapolis in the Marion County town of Oaklandon. He had suffered from TB for about 10 years and died January 31, 1926 at the age of 26. He was single and to our knowledge had no children. He was buried in Floral Park. Lelia, Ethel, and Robert, died from TB at their home on the west-side of Marion County in the little town of Bridgeport.

Sunnyside Sanitarium (circa 1994) 6201 Sunnyside Road.

Lelia Montgomery was born about 1879 in Columbia, Adair, Kentucky, probably in the White Oak sub-division. She married Henry Cabell about 1900 in Indianapolis, Marion, Indiana. He was born in Henderson County, Kentucky.

Henry Cabell and Lelia Montgomery had the following children:

1. ETHEL CABEL was born on 20 Jun 1901 in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana. She died on 10 Jun 1921 in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana, from Bronchial Catarrh Phthisis (TB). Buried: Floral Park Cemetery
2. EARL CABEL was born about 1903 in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana.
3. ROBERT CABEL was born on 18 Sep 1906 in Indianapolis, Indiana. He died on 16 Nov 1926 in Indianapolis, Indiana, from Pulmonary Tuberculosis, tuberculosis of the Bowels. Bridgeport RR#2, Indianapolis. Unmarried and buried in Floral Park.
4. Unknown child: born before 1909 and died after September of 1909, but before the 1910 census.
5. HAZEL CABEL was born on 11 Sep 1909 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
6. ALONZO CABELL was born about 1916 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
7. MILDRED CABELL was born about 1918 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
8. DOROTHY CABELL was born about 1922 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
9. VIRGINIA ADELAIDE CABELL was born on 25 Oct 1923 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
10. Unknown Child: both unknown children are based on the Birth Certificates of Hazel and Virginia Adelaide Cabell.

Family Timeline:

• The 1909 Birth certificate of Hazel says she is the 5th born and that all are still living.
• 1910 census living with Lelia(35) & Henry(38) are Russell(60) & Sarah(58) Montgomery, and sons Elmer(14) and Harold(12), and 4 of Lelia's children: Ethel(8), Earl(7), Robert(3), Hazel(1). Living on 940 Fayette Street (was also there in 1901).
• 1920 Census living at 1339 Pershing Ave with Lelia(46) & Henry(38) are Sarah(57), Elmer(24), and Harold(19), and 6 of Lelia's children: Ethel (18), Earl (17), Robert (12), Hazel (10), Alonzo (4), Mildred (2).
• The 1923 Birth Certificate of Virginia Adelaide says: she was born at 3am when the family was living in the small Marion County town of Bridgeport. (R.R.A. Box 25). , father is a cook, The BC says Lelia has had 10 children, 7 still living. Dead: Ethel (1921), Robert (1926), and one unknown child born before Hazel in 1909 and died between Hazel's birth and the 1910 census.
• Lelia died 3-26-1930 from Pulmonary Tuberculosis(TB), she had been diagnosed 9 months earlier? She lived on the west side in Bridgeport, Marion County. Her husband Henry was the informant on the DC. She was buried in Floral Park.
• 1930 Census Henry (52) widower, living on Hardin Road, RR, no street numbers. Lelia's children still living with Henry: Alonzo (14), Mildred (12) , Dorothy (8), Virginia Adelaide (6). Of the 13 houses on this section of Hardin Road two are white families; the Redmond family and the Philipps family. The other 11 families are all African-American families.
• Henry Cabell died after 1930. (check Floral Park for his grave)

We don't know what became of Henry, Alonzo, Mildred, Dorothy, or Virginia Adelaide after the 1930 Census.

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Who’s who in this article.

• Lelia (Montgomery) Cabell and Harold Montgomery were aunt and uncle to Myrtle (Montgomery) Williams. They were two of Sarah E. (Miller) and Logan Russell Montgomery’s children.
• Myrtle (Montgomery) Williams and James Francis Williams are the focal point of the Montgomery-Williams Project.

1887 Address of Logan Russell Montgomery:

Update: The graphic below was misdated. It  from the 1897 Polk Directory, but at the time of this article’s original posting 1897 was still the earliest date establishing the presence of Logan Russell Montgomery and family in Indianapolis. But we have now found proof re-establishing the Montgomery family’s arrival in 1887. The 1887 PCD does list Russell Logan Montgomery and his son Russell Montgomery. Both appear living at 373 North West Street. Russell is employed as a laborer working at Earnshaw & Taylor. Earnshaw & Taylor was a lumber company specializing in Coil Elm Hoop Works (the making of ‘hoops’ needed in the making of barrels & cask).

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1887 Indianapolis address of the former slave, and grandfather of Myrtle Montgomery Williams.

The 1887 Polk City Directory list "Montgomery Russell L," as living at 178 Agnes Street in Indianapolis. It indicates that he is a 'laborer' at the time. (upper red arrow) The Polk directories are helpful in verifying some facts but limited in many regards. They are not reliable as stand alone sources for verifying identities. This record does establish the earliest known address and possible record of the arrival (latest date of...) of Russell outside of marriage and birth records.

Of the Montgomery's in this listing Wm. (William) C. Montgomery interest me because we know that Russell had an older brother named William, but we don't know what happened to him. Did he stay in Kentucky? Or migrate with Russell and possibly other siblings and neighbors? We can assume that this William is African-American (see below) because he is living in the segregated portion of Indianapolis, 476 west North Street, and the distance between his address and Russell's is such that would make it worthwhile to look deeper at the possibilities.

Housing in Indianapolis was segregated by race in the 1880s. In some cases it was also segregated by nationality, Slovenians, and religion, Jewish. This segregation was dictated by social stigma and taboos as well as ordinances and law. It could also be dictated by group identity and safety needs. While the identity of neighborhoods might not have been forced by explicit laws it was seldom totally voluntary.

The address of Russell is within the boundaries of the African-American neighborhood. There may have been exception to the segregation, but they would be so rare that an assumption of race would be reasonable as well as probable. We can even consider that the assumption that the race of this Russell is African-American is more probable than the assumption that he is 'our Logan Russell Montgomery. There could always be two Logan Russell Montgomery's.

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Who is who in this article:

• Logan Russell Montgomery is a former slave and the grandfather of Myrtle Montgomery Williams.

Why was Myrtle Montgomery born in Chicago?

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.

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*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

Myrtle’s Birthplace

Jo Littrell, the only connection that I can find to Chicago is 'Big Momma' (Rosa (Jones) Brown, who moved to Chicago after her husbands (William Thomas Brown) death in 1905. Rosa and William would be your mother's grandparents. She died in Chicago in 1920. Buried in Montrose Cemetery.

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Who is who in this article.

• William Brown: William Thomas Brown, Myrtle’s grandfather.
• Big Mama Rosa Brown: Rosanna Jones, Myrtle’s grandmother.
• Myrtle Montgomery (wife of James F. Williams): Myrtle and James are the focal point of the Montgomery/Williams Project.

Logan Russell Montgomery: 11th Street area in 1915 and 1931:

Russell Montgomery lived on west 11th Street in 1915 and in 1931 at the time of his death. The stretch of 11th street that he lived on no longer exist, having been replaced by the expansion of the Crispus Attucks campus after 1945. When Russell lived on 11th street in 1915 CAHS had not even been built. (It was built in 1927.) The campus expansion didn’t occur until after 1945. Long after Russell’s death.

-click on the pictures to enlarge and view them-

2017 map view of the area.

Today, what remains of 11th street where Logan Russell Montgomery once lived is just a half block section from Brooks Street to the edge of the Crispus Attucks High School campus. Russell's house would have been in this stretch, on the right, just on the CAHS campus.

In 1915 CAHS was not yet built. 11th street continued on from here uninterrupted all the way past Senate Avenue.

-click on the pictures to enlarge and view them-

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Who is Russell Montgomery?

Russell was born a slave in Adair County Kentucky. He moved his family to Indianapolis about 1900. He is the grandmother of Myrtle E. Montgomery (wife of James Francis Williams), the focal points of this project. (the Montgomery/Williams Project)

The mystery grows, the plot thickens.... on a dark and rainy night.

It almost sounds like a 1940 film plot or a country western lyric, but there is a mystery afoot.

On Christmas day I explained to Jodi and Jimmy that according to the information provided on the family it looked like Logan Russell Montgomery, born a slave, had (as I understood it) purchased his mother out of indentured servitude following the civil war and the 13th Amendment.

Under Jim Crow laws indentured servitude, via tenant and servitude contracts, were used to contain and restrict the freedoms of freed slaves in many states.

In the case of Russell's mother, Darkas Montgomery, the record* of him purchasing her contract has led earlier researchers to conclude that the seller of the contract, Ermine Montgomery, was the owner of Darkas's contract after the death of Ermine's husband Robert Montgomery. The sale of the contract by Ermine has led the same researchers to assume that she was white, and therefore the wife of Robert Montgomery(deceased), the original slave owner of Russell and Darkas. Robert also is believed to be the father of Russell.

The assumption is that Ermine must be white in order to own a contract (under Jim Crow Laws) of a former slave, but this assumption is risky when you consider that in Kentucky, under slavery, there were freed blacks who owned slaves!

Kentucky, by comparison, was one of the more liberal of the slave states before the war with no prohibitions against Slaves learning to read and write and freed slaves having some property rights. Remember, even though a slave state Kentucky did not choose to succeed from the Union and actually fought on the northern side during the war.

The above information was the focus of that Christmas Day discussion with Jodi and Jimmy.

But...

As if all of the above was not enough, I discovered a marriage certificate for Russell to Sarah E. Miller. The marriage certificate indicated that the wedding was performed at the house of ERMINE MONTGOMERY! Present at the wedding was Russell and the 16 year old bride, the brides mother, a Parish Montgomery (surety for the marriage bond), Ermine, and two witnesses (names unreadable).

The marriage certificate for Russell to Sarah E. Miller. The marriage certificate indicated that the wedding was performed at the house of Ermine Montgomery. Present at the wedding was Russell and the 16 year old bride, the brides mother, a Parish Montgomery (surety for the marriage bond), Ermine, and two witnesses (names unreadable).

Would the former slave owner, Ermine, be so generous to the former slave(Russell), and illegitimate son of her late husband(Robert), as to host the wedding ceremony of that former slave 12 years after the end of slavery?

Was Ermine white? If so was she the wife of Robert Montgomery? The entire basis for the identification of Ermine as the possible white wife of Robert Montgomery appears to be the indentured servant contract sale.*

There is a problem with the assumptions associated with the contract. The acceptance of those assumptions are suspicious when the marriage license is looked at independent of the contract. In other words examining the marriage license we would conclude that all members of the wedding party, including Ermine, were black. The contract not withstanding, we should conclude that Ermine was neither white or the wife of Robert Montgomery. Nothing in the contract information* actually disputes or establishes that conclusion.

*(the existence of which I haven't been able to verify yet)

Yesterday, January 3rd, 2017 on a research trip to the Indiana State Library I obtained/discovered some additional documents:

1. In the marriage record book for Adair County, Kentucky I found a listing for the marriage of Milton Montgomery(age 38, farmer) to Ermine Smith(age 25) dated 1874. Three years before the indentured servant contract. The page in the marriage book had the handwritten title "Adair Colored List"
2. Pre-civil war Census records for Adair County, Kentucky. Having never done a search or research on pre-Civil War slaves I for now have stuck with doing what's familiar and tried to locate Robert Montgomery, slave owner.

The marriage record for the marriage of Ermine Smith to Milton Montgomery reinforces our new conclusion that Ermine was not white. In obtaining census records for 1850, 1860, and 1870. We are able to identify, not only who Robert's wife was, but we are also able to establish a connection of Darkas to Robert Montgomery:

From these three census we are able to establish two Robert Montgomery families in Adair county: one extended family in second district; and one in the first district.

1. From the 1850 census the family in the second district is headed by Robert and C.S. Montgomery. By 1860 Robert is deceased and the family is now consolidated, some children have moved out, and the family is headed by the widow Clementine (C.S.) Montgomery. There is no information other than the surname to suggest a connection between this Robert Montgomery family and Darkas and Russell Montgomery.
2. The family in the first district is headed by Robert and Elizabeth Montgomery on the 1860 census. Child Martha D.(age 32) and Jane(age 53), probably a sister of Robert.

From this information we are unable to establish either as the Robert Montgomery we are looking for. We may even start to question either Robert’s parentage or his identified date of death(after 1860) because we find a James Montgomery. This James appears on the 1860 census with his family. If either Robert is the father of this James (and Darkas’ son) has he relocated to Robert’s estate, or has he moved Darkas, a freed slave, to his 1860 estate. Which he occupied while both Robert’s were still alive.

It is more likely that Robert was dead before 1860.

The absence of proof is not proof. Because I can’t identify or find a connection to Robert that verifies the conclusions of earlier researchers doesn’t mean they are wrong. They may have had proof, shared the information from the proof, but not shared information about the proof. While I may now question the identification of Robert as the father of Logan Russell Montgomery or his date of death we will respect the conclusion of earlier researchers for now. we need copies or source information on the indentured servant contract and the birth record of Logan to clear this up.

Here is where the 1870 census gets interesting. Next door to the Montgomery family(white) is the black family of, none other than... Darkas Montgomery! Besides being neighbors, there is in the white household a son, Logan Russell Montgomery, and in the black household a son, Russell Montgomery. James and Darkas are the same age...hmmm.

NOTE: Under slavery Darkas would not have appeared on any census.

One last footnote to the 1870 census. Remember Russell Montgomery and Sarah Miller are married at the household of Ermine Montgomery (formerly Smith). Next door to Darkas is another black family of 5. The family of Robert Smith.

• From the above information I would suggest that these previous assumptions should now be considered inconclusive or no longer accurate: Ermine Montgomery was not white or the wife of Robert Montgomery. The servitude contract needs to be found and further researched.
• I believe from the above information we can conclude the following to be true: Darkas and her children where former slaves owned by the family of Robert and Elizabeth Montgomery, but that the records previously used to establish Robert as the father of Russell needs to be rediscovered. That in 1870 Darkas (not Russell) were under a indentured servitude contract, farming on the land of the late Robert Montgomery (now owned by the son James). That Ermine Smith married Milton Montgomery (both former slaves) in 1874. That Ermine hosted the wedding of Russell and Sarah. That somehow Ermine obtained the indentured servant contract of Darkas, either for or from Russell. We need a date for the transfer of the contract also.

The mystery continues...

**UPDATE: 1880 Census information sheds new light on the family of Martha Montgomery. Speculation above about the make-up and relationship of Martha and James Montgomery is disputed and clarified by the 1880 census. Previous to 1880 census information listed members of the household as follows: the head of household, followed by everyone in the household arranged by age, with no reference to the relationship of the members in the household. This too often leaves the researcher to try and deduct the relationship of the household members. Beginning on the 1880 census a column was added for the census taker to indicate the relationship:

Household # 177 is the family headed by James Montgomery, white, male, 52 years old father, occupation is farming. below him is everyone else in the household, of the same name, their race, sex, and age. Martha (M.D.) is identified as wife of James and is keeping house. 2 sons are involved in farming.

Household #178, still next door to the white family of James and Martha is Darkas Montgomery, mulatto, female, age 52, head of household/mother, keeping house. With her is Joseph, mulatto, male, age 18, son of Darkas/head, and he is farming, Russell now grown is not in the household.

In doing family research every new piece of information creates a new mystery to be solved and subsequently the need for further investigation.

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Who is who in this post:

• Russell Montgomery married Sarah E. Miller in 1877.
• Logan & Sarah are the grandparents of Myrtle E. Montgomery.
• Darkas Montgomery would be her great-grandmother.
• Robert is thought to be the slave owner, white father of Russell Montgomery. Whatever happened to Robert and his wife we do not know, but we believe that James M. Montgomery is his son/heir living next to Darkas on the 1880 census.
• Ermine Montgomery was once thought to be the white wife of the slave owner Robert Montgomery. We now know she was African-American, probably connected to Russell and Darkas by blood or marriage and was involved in the indentured contract matter in some other way.
• James F. & Myrtle (Montgomery) Williams are the focal point of this project.

Darkas Montgomery

The Montgomery family was established in pre-civil war Kentucky. Slave owner, Robert Montgomery and a slave, Darkas Montgomery had a child, Logan Russell Montgomery in Adair County in 1853. Logan had at least 4 siblings (parentage un-researched).
1850 William Montgomery born in Adair Co., KY
1853 Logan Russell Montgomery born in Adair Co., KY
1854 Louisa Montgomery born in Adair Co., KY
1864 Joseph Montgomery born in Adair Co., KY
1878 Liela Montgomery [daughter of Logan & Sarah] born in Adair Co., KY
1880 Location of Logan's family in the White Oak county sub-division of Adair Co., KY

To view the pictured map click this link: http://www.communitywalk.com/location_info/2004070/13255502

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Who is who in this post:

• Logan married Sarah E. Miller in 1877.
• Logan & Sarah are the grandparents of Myrtle E. Montgomery
• Darkas would be her great-grandmother.
• James F. & Myrtle (Montgomery) Williams are the focal point of this project.