52 Ancestors Week 41: Travel

 From Amy Johnson Crow: Week 41

The theme for Week 41 is "Travel." Travel impacted our ancestors in numerous ways, including migrating, traveling as part of a job, and traveling for vacation. What about any genealogical travels that you've taken?

Oh, the places you'll go.

    It's hard to believe that the last time I wrote a travel blog was during the height of the pandemic. Back then we couldn't go anywhere and we had to travel using our imagination. Imagination can take you just about anywhere. Though, I do admit actually being in a place is probably a lot better than just dreaming about the places you want to go. The last time I wrote about traveling, I talked about how my great-grandfather, Vincenzo Ferraiolo traveled back and forth between Haverhill and his hometown of San Pietro a Maida. This time we're going to do things a little differently. So, pack your bags because we're going on a little trip!

    While I would love to go to Italy, I'm not sure it's possible at this time. That isn't to say I don't want to go. I definitely do! Who wouldn't want to check out the castle in Gesualdo before going to San Pietro a Maida? Forget the Colosseum and all the other touristy places! I'd be the guy who ditches the tour group and makes a break for the Italian countryside! SAN PIETRO HERE I COME!!

   

    Nah. I wouldn't do anything like that. That'd be crazy and could potentially spark an international incident. I think the world has enough problems at the moment. I tell you what I would do. I'd totally stop those tourists who have been carving their names into the priceless and ancient monuments. Who does that?! Jerks. That's who. Careless jerks with no class or a sense of history.

    If I can't travel to Italy at the moment, I can do the next best thing. What do you say we travel around Haverhill and check out the places my ancestors lived? We don't have to travel too far! Well, I don't anyway.

        I know it's probably feels like I'm cheating a bit by traveling to the city that's the next town over. However, that's where most my genealogical adventures take me. All roads really DO lead to Haverhill and that's fine because it makes life so much easier. For this week's blog, though, let's look at the houses I've never featured in the blog before. That should make things a little interesting.

Good a shot as I can get.

     Our first stop is 36 Pilling Street where Vincenzo and his family lived at the time of the 1930 census. I'm not sure if the house changed much since those days because the Ferraiolos did not live there that long. By the 1940 census they were living on Irving Avenue, which is 2.1 miles away from this house.

    The house here looks pretty cool. I just wish the tree wasn't blocking the rest of the shot. It can't be helped, I guess. Perhaps on my next genealogical trip to Haverhill city hall I can ask for a bit of a history on the house. I'm not sure who lives there now and I'm not going to check Whitepages.com to find out! Eh, I'm sure they're nice people. Though, they probably wouldn't care about the historical significance of this place.

    This old house was the first place in America where Vincenzo, Maria, Marco and Nicolina all lived and I would love to check it out in person. It's one thing to take a look at it on Google Earth. It's another thing to just be there. The odd thing is my father never drove past it in our trips around Haverhill. It was always one of Vincenzo's other houses that he pointed out along with my grandmother's house.

    While we have seen Grandma Ollie's house plenty of times in this blog, there's another house which also has some historical significance to my family. This time we're going 2.9 miles away from Irving Ave to 134 Spruce street to the home of my third great-grandparents, Jeremiah Felker and Elizabeth Fellows.

    I have to say it was a bit of a challenge finding this place. Not long after the 1880 census this part of Spruce street became part of East Broadway and it was here that Felkers raised their children and grandson, Austin. By the 1900 census, the house resided at 63 East Broadway and who knows if this is what the house looked like back then.

    Haverhill underwent so many changes over the years that it's hard to say which houses remained the same. There may have been additions, removals and even new paint jobs. It's hard to say. I will have to ask my great-aunt Elaine if she has any pictures of this house as it appeared in various time periods because I would love to see how it looked back then. I can almost guarantee the house wouldn't have an air conditioning unit sticking out of the window.

    Still, this area is significant to my family as this was the first place the Felkers in Haverhill called home before going off to Margerie street. I think I have pictures of that house somewhere. I'll be sharing it sooner or later.

    You may have noticed that I forgot to talk about the house Antoine Legault and Lucie Cadran called home. Yeah. There's a reason for that.  They lived on Water street across from Pentucket cemetery and their house is now a Sunoco gas station. That's unfortunate.

    Don't worry. All isn't lost! Just around the corner from their old house is Lucie's last residence at 118 How Street. This house was actually the home of her daughter Blanche in the 1930s and it is unfortunately the place where Lucie passed away in 1937.

    After her death, Blanche and her sister Henrietta moved just up the street to a two family home. I'm not sure how long they stayed there as she and Austin lived in that house on Margerie Street for a very long time.

    I wish I could see more of How Street because at one point my 2nd great-grandmother Gertrude Stevens lived at 36 How Street according to the 1900 census and now the road is considerably shorter than it was in the past. Yay for urban renewal, huh? I'm beginning to wonder if there's anything truly untouched by city planners in Haverhill! Eh, there are a few historical landmarks that have been left alone. FOR NOW! Who knows what the future will bring?

    Maybe the next time I'm at city hall I can convince everyone that these places have great historical significance! To me, anyway. Yeah....That'll go over real well, right?  They'll have me committed.

    While it would be beyond amazing to travel to Italy, a short trip around Haverhill would be just as fun. It wouldn't take long to go to each of these houses and thanks to Google Maps, I could get there pretty quickly. I just hope the current residents wouldn't mind their pictures of their houses being on the Internet. I'm sure I can explain everything to them. I hope!!

    I love to travel because I like going to new places and seeing these houses makes family history seem more real to me. Facts and figures are good and everything. But, seeing pictures and  the actual buildings everyone lived in would be equally amazing. 

    I do wonder something, though. I wonder if someone in San Pietro could find the Ferraiolo house there and take a pic! I hope that house is still standing! I know the Tedesco one is at least. Dare to dream, Chris. Or at least buy a plane ticket to Italy!

See ya next time!

All Google Earth images are property of Google.