Pennsylvania

1914 Photo of Dawson House Bar Tender Joseph Michael Ridilla (1877-1961)

1914 Photo of Dawson House Bar Tender Joseph Michael Ridilla (1877-1961)

Joseph Michael Ridilla (1877-1961) standing behind the Dawson House Bar in Dawson, Pennsylvania (1914).

Is This Store Connected to Henry Clay Stimple (1899-1955) of New Castle, Pennsylvania?

Is This Store Connected to Henry Clay Stimple (1899-1955) of New Castle, Pennsylvania?

Here is another addition to the growing collection of Old-Timey Store Photos. Three well dressed gentlemen stand in front of the counter of a general store. It MAY be connected to Henry Clay Stimple (1899-1955) in New Castle, PA.

Is This the Tailor Shop of Joseph S. Pati (1894-1981) in New Kensington, Pennsylvania?

Is This the Tailor Shop of Joseph S. Pati (1894-1981) in New Kensington, Pennsylvania?

This old-timey store photograph shows a tailor in his shop with two boys, possibly his sons. I believe it to be a photo of Joseph S. Pati (1894-1981) and his sons, Samuel, and Mario of New Kensington, Pennsylvania.

Abraham Yerger (1822-1909)

Abraham Yerger (1822-1909)

This distinguished looking gentlemen is identified as “Abraham Yerger”. I love his smile and relaxed posture as he sits in his ornate chair. Can you help me find his story?

My 3rd Great Grandfather Rhinard Rhoads (1833-1920) - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 25)

My 3rd Great Grandfather Rhinard Rhoads (1833-1920) - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 25)

My 3rd great grandfather was Rhinard Rhoads (1833-1920) of Dunlo, Cambria County, Pennsylvania. This photo of him was taken in the later years of his life. Rhinard and I share a birthday, 143 years apart. Here are some more photos of him.

Kodachrome Canada Goose of Crawford County Pennsylvania (1950s)

Kodachrome Canada Goose of Crawford County Pennsylvania (1950s)

I never anticipated that my interest in genealogy and family history would lead me to learning about the history of Canada geese. But here we are.

Pic of the Week (#142) - Unknown Woman From Peru, Indiana

Pic of the Week (#142) - Unknown Woman From Peru, Indiana

This photograph is of an unidentified woman in my personal family collection. It was in the photo album of my great grandmother, Ida Rhoads Sears (1900-2002). Can you help me find and tell her story?

Pic of the Week (#135) - Strunk Artistic Photographer of Reading, PA

Pic of the Week (#135) - Strunk Artistic Photographer of Reading, PA

I like the soulfully angular look of the woman in this late 1800s or early 1900s cabinet card photograph. Who is she? What is her story?

The Psychogenealogist Pic of the Week (#112) - Hog Island Shipyard

The Psychogenealogist Pic of the Week (#112) - Hog Island Shipyard

This drab industrial looking photograph shows the Hog Island Shipyard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I love learning random facts from these found photos! Do you have any Hog Island history in your family tree?

The Psychogenealogist Pic of the Week (#111) - Mary Hunscker of Mauch Chunk, PA

The Psychogenealogist Pic of the Week (#111) - Mary Hunscker of Mauch Chunk, PA

Mary Hunscker gets her photo taken by the photographer Zelner in Mauch Chunk, PA. Can you help me find and tell her story?

The Psychogenealogist Pic of the Week (#110) - "Minnie's Mother, Sue H. Leig"

The Psychogenealogist Pic of the Week (#110) - "Minnie's Mother, Sue H. Leig"

Who was Minnie? And her mother, Sue H. Leig, presumably from Reading, PA? Can you help me find and tell their stories?

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"Son is Electrocuted Where Father Died" - Tragedy in the Costlow Family of Johnstown (PA)

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"Son is Electrocuted Where Father Died" - Tragedy in the Costlow Family of Johnstown (PA)

Eerily similar tragedies befell the Costlow family of Johnstown, Pennsylvania on June 15th of 1930 and November 3rd of 1958. Anthony Joseph Costlow (1897-1930) and his son, James J. Costlow (1921-1958), were both electrocuted while working in the same steel mill. These are their stories.

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The Psychogenealogist Pic of the Week (#100) - Battle Creek Woman Reaches Century Mark

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The Psychogenealogist Pic of the Week (#100) - Battle Creek Woman Reaches Century Mark

If born just a few weeks earlier than her February 17, 1900 birthday, Ida Rhoads Sears (1900-2002) would have achieved the rare distinction of having lived in three different centuries! This is her story.

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The Contemplative Beard of David Costlow (1853-1924)

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The Contemplative Beard of David Costlow (1853-1924)

The beard of David Costlow (1853-1924) is a soft and greying cloud in active weather. David’s calm eyes rest contemplatively above a yard that teeters tenuously between kempt and neglect.

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Elderly Alcoholic Bachelor Dies Alone: Joseph Costlow (1855-1932)

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Elderly Alcoholic Bachelor Dies Alone: Joseph Costlow (1855-1932)

Joseph Costlow (1855-1932), a lifetime bachelor of Cambria Count, PA, was my 3rd great uncle. He died, seemingly alone, from complications of his alcoholism. This is his story.

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The Psychogenealogist Pic of the Week (#90) - The Rhoads Men of Cambria County, PA

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The Psychogenealogist Pic of the Week (#90) - The Rhoads Men of Cambria County, PA

From my personal collection, this photograph shows several of the Cambria County, PA Rhoads men in my family tree. Here are their stories.

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Rebecca Rhoads Seese (1859-1940)

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Rebecca Rhoads Seese (1859-1940)

This is the story of my 3rd great aunt, Rebecca Rhoads Seese (1859-1940).

The Psychogenealogist Pic of the Week (#83) - Bertha and Lillie James of Pittsburgh, PA (1888)

The Psychogenealogist Pic of the Week (#83) - Bertha and Lillie James of Pittsburgh, PA (1888)

Here is a very unique late 1880s cabinet card photograph of two young children, presumably of Asian descent. Can you help me find their story?

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Peter Christopher Costlow (1846-1905) and His Wife Matilda Topper Costlow (1850-1935)

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Peter Christopher Costlow (1846-1905) and His Wife Matilda Topper Costlow (1850-1935)

I am confident, though not certain, that this is my 3rd great uncle Peter Christopher Costlow (1846-1905) and his wife, Matilda. Here is his story and the questions that remain.

My 3rd Great Grandfather and "Prominent and Representative" Citizen of Cambria County, PA, James Costlow (1822-1904)

My 3rd Great Grandfather and "Prominent and Representative" Citizen of Cambria County, PA, James Costlow (1822-1904)

James Costlow (1822-1904) is one of the more prominent figures in my family tree. In fact, he was written about in in the Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Cambria County, Pennsylvania. This is his story.