Cathi Mytko

A photo of Phineas Gage in 1850, holding the tamping iron that caused his brain injury. He was a construction foreman (in charge of blasting) on the railroad, age 27, when an accidental early explosion occurred. The explosion drove a tamping iron (large iron rod, 1.25 inches in diameter) into his head. A large part of his left frontal lobe was destroyed.

After the accident, with the bar still in his head, it is reported that he sat up, talked, and walked to a wagon. Sitting in the wagon for the 3/4 mile ride into town, he was seen by a doctor. The doctor said:

"When I drove up he said, "Doctor, here is business enough for you." I first noticed the wound upon the head before I alighted from my carriage, the pulsations of the brain being very distinct. The top of the head appeared somewhat like an inverted funnel, as if some wedge-shaped body had passed from below upward. Mr. Gage, during the time I was examining this wound, was relating the manner in which he was injured to the bystanders. I did not believe Mr. Gage's statement at that time, but thought he was deceived. Mr. Gage persisted in saying that the bar went through his head. Mr. G. got up and vomited; the effort of vomiting pressed out about half a teacupful of the brain [through the exit hole at the top of the skull], which fell upon the floor."

The doctor removed some coagulated blood, some of the protruding brain, and some skull (bone) fragments, then bandaged his head and cheek.

Gage survived but his personality and temperament were changed. Later in his life, some social skills and personal skills returned and he worked as a stagecoach driver in Chile and later as a farmworker in Santa Clara County, California.

He died of an epileptic seizure (which was being treated by bleeding) in San Francisco, CA on May 21, 1860 at age 37.

A photo of Ellen Asbury - Mrs. Ed Asbury. Taken in about 1910 in Missouri. Lovely fashion.
People in photo include: Ellen Asbury

A photo of Pierre Baur, Myriam Baur, Antoine Baur, Francine Baur
Nationality: French (Jewish)
Residence: Paris, France
Death: December 30, 1943
Cause: Murdered in Auschwitz (buried in Auschwitz death camp)
Age: 10 years, 9 years, 6 years, 3 years

A photo of Ross Perot in 1949 when he was President of his class at Texarkana Junior College.

Henry Ray Perot was born to Lula May and Gabriel Ross Perot (a commodity broker) in Texarkana TX in 1930. (He later changed his middle name to Ross to honor his father.) He went to Patty Hill (a private school), Texas High School, and Texarkana Junior College (where this picture was taken). An Eagle Scout, he then graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy. In 1956, he married his wife, Margot. (They had 5 children.)

After 5 years as a salesman for IBM, Perot founded his own company - Electronic Data Systems, EDS - in Dallas. A large contract was the computerizing of Medicare records for the government. In 1984, he sold controlling interest of the company to General Motors for $2.4 billion.

In 1988, he founded Perot Systems Corporation, Inc. and later sold it to Dell for $3.9 billion.

Perot is best known for his 3rd party Presidential runs in 1992 and 1996. While not winning any electoral votes in his 1992 run, he received almost 20 million votes - the largest share of votes by any 3rd party candidate (a record which still stands). His policies: "balancing the federal budget, [in] opposition to gun control, ending the outsourcing of jobs and enacting electronic direct democracy via electronic town halls". He was also "pro-choice, supported gay rights, stricter gun controls such as an assault rifle ban and increased research in AIDS" as well as a strong supporter of Planned Parenthood.

In 2019, Perot was named the 167th richest person in America by Forbes and was worth an estimated $4.1 billion. He died on July 9th, 2019 of leukemia and is survived by his wife, 5 children, and 16 grandchildren.

John Lahiff was a peasant Herder taking care of cattle in the Burren of County Clare most of his life. In 1873, he came to America with his mother and four young children entering through Castle Garden. He returned to Ireland minus one son who died in Providence, Rhode Island but having gained a baby daughter there as well. They returned to the Burren and continued to have children. In his late 50’s he again attempted to relocate his family to America, entering through Ellis Island in 1889. This time they remained in Newport, Rhode Island near his sisters Margaret and Honora. He lived out the remainder of his life there and died in 1919 never knowing his grandchildren would make great accomplishments as business people, Tavern owners, and even Broadway stars with one becoming the first to sing and dance in a talkie movie.

President Teddy Roosevelt signing the Thanksgiving Proclamation Act in 1902. President Franklin Roosevelt (Teddy was his cousin and Eleanor's uncle) moved Thanksgiving from the last Thursday of November to the fourth Thursday of November in 1939 to give Americans more time to shop for Christmas!

The text of the Proclamation:

THANKSGIVING DAY – 1902
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA – A PROCLAMATION
According to the yearly custom of our people, it falls upon the President at this season to appoint a day of festival and thanksgiving to God. Over a century and a quarter has passed since this country took its place among the nations of the earth, and during that time we have had, on the whole, more to be thankful for than has fallen to the lot of any other people. Generation after generation has grown to manhood and passed away. Each has had to bear its peculiar burdens, each to face its special crisis, and each has known cares of grim trial, when the country was menaced by malice domestic or foreign levy, when the hand of the Lord was heavy upon it in drought or flood or pestilence, when in bodily distress and in anguish of soul it paid the penalty of folly and a froward heart. Nevertheless, decade by decade we have struggled onward and upward; we now abundantly enjoy material well-being, and under the favor of the Most High we are striving earnestly to achieve moral and spiritual uplifting. The year that has just closed has been one of peace and of overflowing plenty. Rarely has any people enjoyed greater prosperity than we are now enjoying. For this we render heartfelt thanks to the giver of Good; and we will seek to praise Him, not by words only, but by deeds, by the way in which we do our duty to ourselves and to our fellow-men.
Now, wherefore, I, Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States, do hereby designate as a day of general thanksgiving, Thursday, the twenty-seventh of the coming November, and do recommend that throughout the land the people cease from their ordinary occupations, and in their several homes and places of worship render thanks unto Almighty God for the manifold blessings of the past year.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. Done at the city of Washington, this twenty-ninth day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and two, and of the Independence of the United States the one hundred and twenty-seventh.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT

Deceased girl. Studio: S.F. Jackson, Newnan, Ga. Back of picture is written, Mrs. J. R. Banks, Z.E.Peo. (My grandparents:John Robert & Rosa Banks, Newnan, Coweta, GA. Grandfather's bro. was Zeke & his son was Eugene. Could this be Zeke and Eugene's people?)

This is a photo of my aunt Fanny and her husband to be, Yerger Hill. She was born in 1879 so, judging the costumes, and her age, I imagine it was taken around the turn of the century (1900 or so).
People in photo include: Yerger Hill

Persons unknown,back of picture 'Clifford & Kathryn at our house, E. State St.,Taken by Annie'.

A photo of Ada Hughens McCollum. Wife of John McCollum, mother to Elmina McCollum (Mrs. Wm Hubbard Banks) and Eliza McCollum (Mrs. Jacob Berry Banks).

A photo of Henry Schwarting

We had an antique store close recently and I "rescued" it, trying to find where it belongs. If anyone should recognize this little one, please let me know. Thank you.

A photo of Anderson and Belle Gross - The last picture of Grandma & Grandpa together.

A photo of Zamuel Gdulin

Jacqueline Bernheim
Nationality: Dutch
Residence: Brussels, Belgium
Death: 1944
Cause: Murdered in Auschwitz (buried in Auschwitz death camp)
Age: 6 years

A photo of my second great grandfather, William Benjamin McClellen Poust, following a black bear hunt in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania

This photo was purchased by me at the flea market in Dayton, OH

Who is this woman, and who is the man in the photo in the broach she is wearing?

Frances in center and her children and son inlaw. On right is Anna Herman and behind her is husband Jesse Levy. On the left is Catherine Herman
People in photo include: Frances (Sekora) Hermann, Anna (Herman) Levy, Jesse Levy, and Catherine Herman