Guernsey Report

In February 1921, the Melvin Guernsey family, back from their unsuccessful Florida experiment, moved onto land described as "the Neilson farm five miles east of Crown Point." I don't know where that is, so I'm going to forget about the Melvin Guernsey family for now.

In April we hear from my favorite Guernseys, Otis and his fourth wife, Minnie.


(Click on images to enlarge)

I can't find Otis Guernsey on the 1908 Plat Map, where I believe he should be, but I can find him in the 1926 Plat Book, where he shouldn't be … unless he bought his farm back later.



In going through my notes, I discover Otis had been trying to sell that land way back in 1913, when he described it as an "improved farm of 78 acres about 2 miles southeast of Deepriver, adjoining the C. & O. railroad station." But I also discovered something interesting about Minnie Guernsey, which had completely slipped my memory after I first made note of it. I will get to that in the near future.

As for the buyer of the farm, this James Jeffrey, in spite of his having "lived at Liverpool for quite a while," I can't find him in the 1920 census. I believe he was born circa 1876 to John and Ann Jeffrey of Hobart. In 1902 he married Angeline (or Engeline) Escherich; by 1910 they had four children, whom James supported by doing "odd jobs." Their stay on the former Guernsey farm was less than ten years — by 1930 they had moved to a farm in Winfield Township (and added four more children to their brood).

Anyway, in early May, Otis and Minnie Guernsey returned from their visit to St. Louis, but I don't know where they deposited themselves, since their farm was already occupied by its new owner.


Sources:
♦ 1880 Census.
♦ 1910 Census.
♦ 1930 Census.
♦ "Additional Local News." Hobart Gazette 24 Jan. 1913; 6 May 1921.
♦ Indiana Marriage Collection.
♦ "Local and Personal." Hobart News 10 Mar. 1921.
♦ "Local Drifts." Hobart Gazette 22 April 1921.