Home of Our Ancestors page 99

Home of Our Ancestors page 99, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Mention of Home of
Isaac Denison, Jr. and wife Levina Fish

Teaching other genealogists where to look for information about their ancestors can be a monumental undertaking! The first thing is telling them that if they want to know about ancestors who lived in the four generations before them, they will likely have to PAY for the information. That does not sit well with those who can't afford it or think everything should be free. 

I can't fix this attitude, I can only go on teaching and learning. 

When I found out that a book existed called The Homes of Our Ancestors in Mystic, CT, authored in 1903 by Grace Denison Wheeler (a genealogist, teacher and town historian in my family), I knew I had to have it. As it turns out, I bought the wrong edition. The bookseller chose not to have the last huge section of the book bound into it. That section had the cemetery records. I won't buy another book from this company. I borrowed a copy from a relative and photocopied all of the rest of the pages. I am now careful where I buy books.

Miss Wheeler, reported on this page (99), that Isaac and Levina lived in the home built by his ancestor (and mine), John Denison, first born son of Capt. George Denison. I was excited about this because I thought it might be the last time I would find out about them. It wasn't. 

Miss Wheeler tells us that the old house, where I was assuming the Thanksgiving dinners were held, was torn down in 1883. Levina did not die until 1890. That means the house on Willow St. is where those dinners were held. This is significant because it confirms a newspaper clipping (Nov 1874) I found in a family journal.

Now, what I know is that, according to records (see below) about the house on Willow St. created for a house tour (kindly provided by Dorothy Hanna of the Mystic River Historical Society) is that this house was built for them adjacent to the original house in 1839.

Mystic River Historical Society records

My second great grandmother, Eliza was most likely born in the ancient farm house because she was born in 1833. The information in Wheeler's book doesn't clarify the dates Isaac and Levina lived there and in fact is misleading to make readers think they lived here their whole married lives.

Thanks to my research buddies, Brian and Dorothy, Thanksgiving's location means so much more now.