Saturday, July 23, 2011

Potters in the 1940 census?

Are you eagerly looking forward to finding your Potter people in the 1940 census? By law, it will be released on April 2, 2012........ but did you also know it will NOT NOT be indexed? The various folks who index databases (Ancestry, FamilySearch) are geared up and eager to begin the project but legally they, too, must wait until the opening day. So for the first few months how to find your Potter people? You must be prepared to browse or you must have a good idea of where they lived. There are already some good finding aids for discerning their address; click to www.stevemorse.org .

 Rejoice, cross your fingers and wait, I guess, to find our Potter people.

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Potters in 1899 in Portland, Oregon

Potters found in the 1899 Portland, Oregon, City Directory:

Addison Potter,  Alex Potter,   Mrs. Caroline V. Potter,   Charles E. Potter,   Charles L. Potter,   Frank E. Potter,   George Potter,   Miss Grace I. Potter,   Hannah M. (wid Levi C.) Potter,   Harry E. Potter,   John S. Potter,   Julia M. (wid Henry N.) Potter,   Joseph C. Potter,   Lester G. Potter,   Salina (wid Sylvester) Potter,   Thad S. Potter,   T.J. Potter,    Washington I. Potter,   Willis E. Potter,   William M. Potter.

Was your Potter family living in this Pacific-coast state in 1899??

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Potters in Congress, 1774-1971

The Biographical Dictionary of the American Congress, 1774-1971, published by the U.S. Printing Office, 1971, lists these eleven Potter ancestors who were members of Congress:

Allen POTTER, 1818-1885, representative from Michigan
Charles Edward POTTER, b. 1916, representative and senator from Michigan
Clarkson Nott POTTER, 1825-1882, representative from New York
Elisha Reynolds POTTER, 1764-1835, representative from Rhode Island
Elisha Reynolds POTTER, Jr.,  1811-1882, representative from Rhode Island
Emery Davis POTTER, 1804-1896, representative from Ohio
John Fox POTTER, 1817-1899, representative from Wisconsin
Orlando Brunson POTTER, 1823-1894, representative from New York
Robert POTTER, about 1800-1841, representative from North Carolina
Samuel John POTTER, 1753-1804, representative from Rhode Island
William Wilson POTTER, 1792-1839, representative from Pennsylvania

Friday, July 1, 2011

Potter County, Pennsylvania

How did Potter County, Pennsylvania, get its name? Years ago, the librarian at the Coudersport Public Library answered my letter of inquiry about this. She said that the first name proposed for the county was the Indian name Sinnemahoning, meaning Stony Lick, but the Senate wished to have a county named in honor of Gen. James Potter, and this name was chosen. This Gen. James Potter was born in Co. Tyrone, Ireland, in 1729 and came to this country when 12 years of age. He served under Col. John Armstrong, the noted Indian fighter, and in the Revolution as Commander of a Battalion of the militia under Gen. Washington at Trenton and Princeton, and also as Brigadier General at Brandywine and Germantown. He held carious public offices before and after the Revolution. He came into the Susquehanna area soon after the Treaty of 1768 as the agent and surveyor of the land company on the Sinnemahoning; he died in 1789. Some one who new Gen. Potter described him thusly:  A stout, broad-shouldered, plucky, active man, 5'9", of dark complexion, and of a hopeful disposition which no troubles could conquer. Potter County is honored in bearing his name even though he never trod upon its soil.