Searching for settlers on the trail to Orono, Minnesota

loading...

Which city in Minnesota, located just south of the 45th parallel, is named for a town in Maine near the same latitude? That would be Orono, named for the boyhood home of George Brackett, who was among the early settlers to Lake Minnetonka.

I learned this bit of information from a Web site, Along the Luce Line Trail, so of course I wonder if we can prove the connection to our Orono. Since Orono, Minn., was settled in the 1850s and 1860s, the 1880 census is a good one for us to check for George’s family.

That’s especially true because data from the 1880 census is free on the Mormon Web site, www.familysearch.org.

All we have to do is enter George Brackett’s name and the state we’re interested in. The wonderful thing is we can use either the state where Brackett lived or the one where he was born. The Mormon database compiled by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which I’m told was a 17-year project, will look for George both by state of residence in the census, and by state of birth.

I chose to look for George Brackett from Maine, scrolling down through the George Bracketts until I found one listed as being in the census for Minnesota. Here’s his household, including name, relationship to head of household, age, birthplace and occupation – just a few of the categories you’ll find in the 1880 census.

George A. Brackett, self, 43, Maine, surveyor.

Annie M. Brackett, wife, 42, Maine, keeps house.

Allie H. Brackett, son, 20, Minnesota, railroad contractor.

William D. Brackett, son, 11, Minnesota, at school.

Lucy B. Brackett, daughter, 10, Minnesota, at school.

Thomas T. Brackett, son, 7, Minnesota, at school.

Chapin R. Brackett, son, 6, Minnesota, at school.

James D. Brackett, son, 4, Minnesota.

Frank H. Brackett, son, 1, Minnesota.

Boyd McNay, other, 22, Iowa, servant.

Sarah Loughlin, other, 23, Illinois, servant.

William Hoyt, father-in-law, 80, Maine, at home.

Matie Chrisman, other, 25, Michigan, servant.

Ida Godfrey, other, 79, Louisiana, at home.

Sarah Mathews, other, 70, Canada, servant.

We find lots of other clues from this piece of the census. George and his wife were born in Maine, but all the children listed here were born after the family went to Minnesota.

Allie was born in Minnesota, and he’s 20 years old. So it appears the Brackett family has been in Minnesota at least that long.

If William Hoyt is George Brackett’s father-in-law, then Annie may have been a Hoyt.

Both George and Annie list Maine as the birthplace for both their parents – a helpful hint about the next generation. Ida Godfrey is one of the mysteries. She is listed as born in Louisiana, to parents who both came from Maine.

By the way, the Bracketts are listed as residing in Minneapolis. Orono didn’t become a village until 1955, and has only been a city since 1976.

Should you be chasing down ancestors in the North Star State, give a look at the Minnesota Historical Society Web site at www.mnhs.org. In addition to information on the society’s library and collections, museums and historic places, the Web site offers a database indexing Minnesota death records, 1907-1996. That’s impressive.

You’ll also want to peruse the site’s online bookstore, with genealogical publications including:

. “A Guide to Family History Resources at the Minnesota Historical Society,” by Minnesota Historical Society Reference Staff, 120 pages.

. “The Pocket Guide to Minnesota Place Names,” by Michael Fedo, 168 pages.

. “Minnesota Place Names: A Geographical Encyclopedia,” by Warren Upham, 736 pages.

Suzanne Gray Black has sent us a welcome update on “The Descendants of Joshua Gray.” The revised edition of this book with lots of Maine connections is due summer 2005, with research done by Michelle Thomas and the Gray Reunion. Five hundred copies of the book will be printed.

Prepaid orders, which will be filled first, will cost $59. After printing, the price goes to $65.

To order a prepaid book, send $59, postage included, to Gray Reunion Treasurer, c/o Susan Varnum, 1009 Cape Rosier Road, Brooksville 04617. Include a note whether you want the book mailed or whether you will pick it up at the 2005 Gray Reunion.

For more information, check the Web site at http://graygenealogy.com

Send genealogy queries to Family Ties, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402; or send e-mail to familyti@bangor

dailynews.net.