Papa Hill with Janice on "Minnie"

This photo was developed in April, 1951.  There is no damage to the surface of the photo, but some damage during the development process or reproduction process has occurred.  (At first I thought the horse had a malady of the coat...)  I don't know if this is likely a copy or if it is original.  

Patsy and Jan agree the baby is most likely Papa Hill's granddaughter Janice Hill, b. 1949.  That makes Papa Hill right at 76 years old--I don't know about Minnie!

Road Stop Picnic

A smiling Mama Hill appears to be cutting a cake at a roadside stop picnic.  I cannot say where this was taken, but the landscape is consistent with areas of the Davis Mountains.  This large auto has appeared in other photos in this blog, I believe.  Can any car buffs I.D. the year/make/model/?

Patsy has responded (see "Comments" below) that she believes this is the 1937 Hudson Terraplane that she remembers riding in.  (It's not likely I could ever have come up with that on my own!)  Here's a photo of an ad for the 1937 Hudson Terraplane Sedan:

1937 Hudson Terraplane Sedan Classic Vintage Print Ad

W. C. Hill Family Portrait, ca. 1912

This is not an original photo, but is a photo copy.  Elsie looks to be about 18 months old and A. J. about 4 years old, so I'm estimating the date to be from late 1912.  From left:  

Orvel Francis Hill, b. 10 Aug 1905, is around 7 years old.

"Papa Hill" (William Claborn "W. C." Hill) b. 28 Feb 1874, is around 38 years old.

Alton Jackson "A. J." Hill, b. 17 Sep 1908, is around 4 years old.

Elsie Lou Hill, b. 11 Apr 1911, is around 18 months old.

"Mama Hill" (Frances Myrtle "Frankie" Coggin Hill), b. 26 Mar 1880, is around 32 years old.

William Wallace "Red" Hill, b. 12 Sep 1903, is around 9 years old. 

Andrew Darwin Hill, b. 6 Jan 1902, is around 10 years old--almost 11. 

Sisters, 1941

 

By 1941, Elsie (age 30) is married to Lee Matt Smith and has two children, Sylvia (age 8) and Lee Matt Jr. "Bud" (age 5).  Jewell (age 26) is married to Doris "Joe" Mitchell Winter and also has two children, Willie Joe "W. J." (age 6) and Sheila (age 5).  

They didn't weigh much!

A. J. & Sylvia

My mother has written on the reverse, "A. J. & Sylvia."  Mom was born in 1933 and I'd say she is around 4 years old in this photo.  If this were indeed shot in 1937, A. J. (b. 17 Sep 1908) would be around 29.

The faint mountains in the background look like Alpine, TX to me, where the Smiths lived.

Elsie's Sunday School Class, July 12, 1921

(Click on photo to enlarge.)  I wish I could tell which girl is my grandmother in this photo of her July 12, 1921 Sunday School Class.  Elsie was 10 years old in 1921.  I'd say that this young lady could be Elsie:

Patsy's comment on this post is below (click "comments").  She suggests this might be A. J. and Elsie, and it sure does look like A. J.:

Does anyone know where the family went to church in 1921?  [Again, please see Patsy's comment about this post.]  Here's a photo by Barclay Gibson of a closed church in Sylvester, but I can't find out anything else about it:

(Click on the following link to see more Barclay Gibson photos of Sylvester.)
Sylvester, Texas (today)

"Real Photo Postcard" of A. J. & Elsie

On the left is Alton Jackson (A. J.) Hill Sr. (b. 17 Sep 1908); Elsie Lou Hill (b. 11 Apr 1911) is on the right.  Elsie looks to be about a year old, so I'd say this was taken in 1912.  A. J. turns 4 in 1912.  

Here's the reverse side of the RPPC (real photo postcard):

Playle's Online Auction site has a great identification key for old photo postcards (see previous post for the link).  Their guide identifies AZO of the manufacturer of the photographic paper, which was manufactured between 1910 and 1930.

"Real Photo Postcard" of Jewell Faye & Elsie

I love this "real photo postcard" image of sisters.  On the left is Jewell Faye Hill (b. 25 Oct 1913); Elsie Lou Hill (b. 11 Apr 1911) is on the right.  I'd estimate Jewell Faye to be about 3 years old and Elsie around 6, so I'd date this photo to 1917, give or take a year.  

(You may click on the image to enlarge it.)  They both have flowers pinned to their dresses.  What was the occasion, I wonder?  I see a house in the background between the girls and what looks like plowed dirt in the distance.  There are a lot of poles on the horizon--did they hold up lines for electricity or telephones... or both?  Behind the closest tree, a dirt road or driveway seems to curve to the right.

I adjusted the color on the photo side of the card quite a bit; you can see on the card's reverse how yellowed it has become:  

Playle's Online Auction site has a great identification key for old photo postcards:  

(You may click on this link to go to their web page.)

Playles: Real Photo Postcards- How to Identify and Date Real Photo Vintage Postcards

Most Real Photo Postcards, abbreviated RPPC, have information on their backs to help in identifying the manufacturer of the photographic paper that was used by the postcard publisher. If you can identify the paper manufacturer, you can approximate the age of the old postcard. If the postcard has a stamp box, click on one of stamp box links below...

CYKO was the photographic paper used to print this photograph on, as shown by the stamp box.  This particular stamp box was used on their cards manufactured from 1904-1920s, which isn't a big help for dating this photograph.  

Claborn / Clayburn / Claiborn / Claiborine / Claibourne / Clayborn / Cleborn

My uncle Bud sent an email when I first asked his help in reviewing this site:

I question the spelling on Papa Hill's middle name.  I thought it had a Y or an I in Cla_born?  Clayborn, I think, and a great name for a professional farmer.  

He’s right.  Different people seem to spell it different ways.  This is a problem common to pre-19th century genealogy research.  The 1999 Hill Family Reunion Booklet written by Janice  & Aimee Watson consistently uses “Claborn” throughout, so that’s why I’ve gone with that spelling on this site. 

I’d love to hear from Papa Hill’s other grandchildren which spelling is preferred… and why.  Most records I’ve seen have “William C.” or “W. C.”  I’ll probably run across some more documents that include the spelling of Papa Hill’s middle name, but for now, here’s what I have at my fingertips. 

Amazon.com has an image of the WWI Draft Registration Card for "William Claborn Hill":  

(You may click on the photos to enlarge them, save them to your computer, or print them.  If you have trouble with the process, click and drag the image to your desktop.)

Alfred L. “Fritz” Hill provided a copy of “Early History of the Andrew Jackson Hill Family,” by Eva Mae Cole, June 1, 1956.  She uses the “William Claborn Hill” spelling.

The Hill Family Tree Fritz sent reads:  “William Claborn.”

The Texas Death Index, 1903-2000 Record image is also at Ancestry.com and shows “William Clayburn Hill”:

Papa Hill’s obituary from the 7 Aug 1953 The Merkel Mail has “William Claborn Hill.” 

I have a copy of my grandmother Elsie’s handwritten family tree where she has written “William Cleborn Hill.”  It appears that something was erased and the “e” written over it. 

This middle name came from the OXFORD family; Papa Hill’s maternal grandfather’s name was “William Claborn H. Oxford,” b. 6 Aug 1898 in Buncombe Co, NC, d. 20 Feb 1864 in Morgan Mill, Erath Co, TX.  

The 1850 U. S. Census Record for Hopkins Co, TX shows another variant of the spelling, “Claiborine” or “Claibourne”: 

The 1860 U. S. Census Record for Erath Co, TX shows another spelling, “Clayborn”:

A record from Texas Land Title Abstracts, 1700-2008 shows “Claiborn Oxford”:

Here we see it in a rather definitive way from Ken Jones, a volunteer for “Find A Grave”:

(You may click on the following link to go to the web site, which will open in a new window.)

Find A Grave- Claborn H. Oxford Sr.

Ken Jones notes: “Marker has been re-engraved; original inscription is on other end of slab.”  I wish I could see the original engraving; maybe one of you has visited the site. 

Orvel Sr. and Edna named their son “David Clayborn Hill,” according to the Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997:

Janice & Aimee Watson’s 1999 Hill Family Reunion Booklet reads, “David Claborn Hill.”  Some online white pages searches yield a “David Claborn Hill” associated with Orvel Hill. 

I have a copy of Elsie’s typed list of family birthdays and anniversaries, where she has written, “David Cleborn” for Orvel and Edna’s son. 

Hence some confusion for those of us “not in the know!”

For Bud: Papa Hill

Written on the photo's reverse:

So much to love about this photo!

This is an amazing photo in so many ways.  I think it could win awards!  

Mother says that whenever the cousins gathered at the farm, someone would line them up (by height?  by age?)  for their photo.  I wonder if there are other such photos out there amongst the cousins...  Can't you just hear it:  "Now, go line up in front of the woodpile..."  (Note:  wood was more plentiful in those days!)  

Twenty-odd years ago, my mother made this notation on the reverse side of the photo:

These first cousins are all grandchildren of Mama & Papa Hill.   From left, they are:  Patsy Lou Hill (b. 1931), Sylvia Smith (b. 1933), Wallace Gayle Hill (b. 1935), Willie Joe (W. J.) Winter (b. 1935), Lee Matt "Bud" Smith, Jr. (b. 1936), A. Jackson Hill (b. 1936), Sheila Faye Winter (b. 1936), and Jo Marie Hill (b. 1938).

I'm going date this photo around 1941, give or take a year.  What do you think?

"Getting a Google Account" & "Joining This Site" Tutorial

If you don’t want or need a Google account, you don’t need to read any further!

For those of you who wish to be more active participants and connect to other interested cousins through this blog—and particularly if you wish to post photos of your own—you may want to go ahead and get a Google account if you don’t already have one. Only if you have a Google account can I add you as an “author” to the site. 

You do not have to have a Gmail address to log in to Blogger or to create a Google Account. If you don't have or want a Gmail account, you can still create a Google Account.

An easy way to get a Google account is to “officially” sign-in to the blog as a “Follower.”  In the right-hand column of this blog, scroll down to find this:

Click “Join this site” (above).   You will see this pop-up:  

If you have a Google account, sign in by clicking on “Google” (above).  If you use Gmail, you already have an account.  If you don’t have a Google Account, click on “Create a new Google Account” found below the big pink box. 

A Google Account is made up of any email address and password of your choosing.  I use my Yahoo email address and a random password.  This is what I also use to sign in to Blogger.  

"Follow by Email" Tutorial

One way to “follow” this site is by email.  In the right-hand column of the blog, scroll down to find this:  

Enter your email address, click “Submit,” and you’ll receive an email message each day that includes the content of any new posts published that day as well as links to the original posts on the blog, so you can add comments or view additional content.  

"Leaving Comments" Tutorial

You will find a “comments” link at the end of each post, like this:

Move your cursor to where it says “comments” (above).  If you click this link, you will go to the comment posting page.  

The comment posting page looks like this (below) if you are signed in to your Google account, as I am.  I am ready to enter my comments in the box and then click the “Publish” button. 

If you don’t have a Google account, or if you are not signed in to your Google account, the comment posting page looks like this: 

You may still make a comment, even if you don’t have a Google account.  Under “Select profile…” (above) are the following choices:

Select “Anonymous” at the end of the list (above).  Identifying information will not be displayed in your comment unless you enter your name in the comment box—and please do!  The comment will be credited to “Anonymous” when published (below), but your name will be visible within the body of the comment.  

Opal, Lee & Audra

Opal (A. J.'s wife), Lee (Elsie's husband) and Audra (Red's wife)

1946