Introduction: This is the fifth installment of the genealogical saga of Valentine Seeser who lived along the West Bluffs near the West Bottoms in Kansas City, Missouri. The previous blog, Valentine Seeser & Kansas City Urban Renewal described the living conditions along the bluffs and how the Parks & Recreation Board successfully condemned the land, and plans to begin demolition of the homesteads.
This installment explains what became of Valentine in the face of urban renewal. Some genealogical hints are added that helped to trace his whereabouts!
What Became of Valentine?
In 1891, Valentine and his wife may have tried to move away from the bluffs to 24th Street which lay a good deal south. In July, the Kansas City Times reported, “Emma Seeser, — wife of Valentine Seeser” and “Valentine Seeser” along with a number of other people, were to have their property assessed for eventual compensation. The city planned to take over the area in order to construct a new street. [1]
The new avenue was approved on 10 April 1891 with a jury to be impaneled to make assessments in August. Emma and Valentine do not appear on deed records from the 1890s and likely were too impoverished to afford purchasing land but had been renting or squatting instead. In any event, urban renewal plans forced them to move.
Valentine and his wife Emma, were missing from the Kansas City directories during the years 1891 – 1895. Only the 1893 newspaper article describing Valentine’s appearance in police court suggests the family had been living on Lincoln Street on the bluffs. [2]
In 1896 and 1897, one Virgil Seaser, employed as a cook, was found renting at 819 Lincoln Street and may very well have been Valentine.
In 1898, Valentine and Emma were listed at separate addresses. Valentine was renting at 1330 W. 9th St. and employed as a cook while Emma was listed at the 815 Lincoln St. address. The separate lisitings may indicate the two divorced as each would eventually remarry. In 1899 Valentine disappeared from Kansas City directories all together, while his wife, Mrs. Emma Seaser, was listed renting at 815 Lincoln Street. [3]
The 1900 city directory provides a clue to Valentine’s whereabouts. Mrs. Emma Seeser was renting at 812 Lincoln Street with a notation, Valentine Seeser “moved to New York City.” Emma remained living at this address in 1901 and 1902. [4]
Valentine in New York City
When Valentine vanished from the Kansas City directories, this corresponds to the final accounting of his father’s estate in Cincinnati Ohio where Valentine was listed as the major legacy holder. [5]
In July of 1898, Valentine received an inheritance worth seven thousand dollars, a fairly large sum. However, the assets were tied to U. S. bonds and their, full value was not due to mature until 1907.
In any event, Valentine who now had money, had the means to leave the West Bottoms for good. His inheritance may have helped him to cut his ties from Kansas City and move to New York City for greater opportunities.
This involved leaving behind his three sons. By this time, his two older son’s George and Valentine Jr., were employed and established in their own carreers. His youngest, Thomas, about 7 years of age, would eventually be under the care of Emma’s new husband. Valentine decided to make a clean break and move on. [6]
Old New York Photos #1 by Rds323 Under Creative Commons license
The 1900 Kansas City Directory alluded to Valentine moving to New York, and indeed, he can be found living in Manhattan.
In 1901, Valentine was recorded as a witness in a New York County naturalization petition where he testified to the good moral character of Frederick Ferdinand Anderson, the petitioner.
Valentine is listed on the petition as a cook living at 649 W. 42nd Street, an address along the piers on the Hudson River in Manhattan. In his affidavit, Valentine testified he knew Anderson for about two years while in New York, placing Valentine in the city as early as 1899. [7]
Valentine also stated he had been acquainted with Anderson since 1895 and there is evidence the two held some sort of business relationship. Anderson was employed as a manufacturer, as noted in his naturalization petition and at some point, Valentine must have provided him with a cash loan, possibly for his business. In November of 1902, Valentine received a judgement against Anderson for a debt of $1,283.00. [8]
Valentine Marries and Starts a New Life
Valentine remarried while in New York as shown in the 1905 New York census, where he is enumerated with his wife Katherine in Manhattan at 446 West 41st Street. Listing himself as a fifty-one year old cook, born in the United States circa 1854.
Coincidentally, Valentine and his wife Katharine, lived next door to a woman, a widower, by the name of Annie Remmich of 448 W. 41st Street and was Katherine’s sister. The evidence for this relationship comes from details in the 1910 federal census. [9]
1910 Manhattan, New York
The enumeration of the Manhattan Borough recorded Valentine as a widower and head of a household at 2564 8th Avenue. Employed as a chef in a restaurant, Valentine’s household included Annie Remmick, his “sister in law,” also a widower, along with his “niece” Henrietta Remmick. According to the enumerator, Valentine seems to have been the only person employed in the household and may have been supporting the widower and her daughter on his salary as a chef.
Sometime between 1900 and 1910, Valentine’s wife Katherine died, and an arrangement was made for him to live with his sister in law who also had lost her husband. [10]
In 1900, Valentine’s sister in law, Annie Remmich, was living with her husband of sixteen years, Michael Remmich along with her daughter Henrietta, age fourteen, and her son August, age thirteen.
In 1905, Annie was living next door to Valentine and Katherine and the head of her household which included her daughter Henrietta, age twenty, and her son August, age eighteen. By this time Annie had become a widower confirmed by the Manhattan directory listing of 1916 showing Anna Remmich, widow of Michael, renting at 2564 8th Ave. [11]
1915 Manhattan New York
In 1915, Valentine is found at the same address with the Remmich family on 8th Avenue, but this time, he is listed as a lodger and employed as a restaurant chef. Henrietta Wolf [nee Remmich], is listed as head of the household, living with her son Alfred V. Wolf, and her mother, Anna Remmich. Anna is working as an unregistered nurse. [12]
1920 Manhattan New York
The Remmich household in the 1920 U.S. census, included Anna as head of the home, Henrietta Wolf her daughter, and Alfred Wolf her grandson, still renting at the 8th avenue address. Valentine, a sixty-eight year old widower, was listed once again as a lodger in Anna’s household. At the time he was working as a chef in a lunch room. [13]
Valentine’s whereabouts after 1920 are unknown. But, back in Kansas City, Valentine left a legacy, his first wife Emma and his three sons. Emma Seeser and her young son, were still living along the West Bluffs, and exposed to impending urban renewal plans.
The next blog post describes the saga of Valentine’s wife, Emma. Valentine Seeser – A Legacy Left in Kansas City & The 1903 Flood.
GENEALOGY TIP
When you have land descriptions such as section, township, and range, you can use Google-Maps to find the exact location of a property. In Valentine’s case, I was able to see where the new street was planned and the location of his residence.
GENEALOGY TIP
City directories are fabulous resources. Valentine’s whereabouts was easily traced using directories. The Kansas City directory noted he had moved to New York City which lead to finding other records proving he resided in the city.
Directories many times provide occupations and the name of a company people owned or were employed by. Valentine’s occupation as a cook assisted in confirming his identity in other records from New York.
GENEALOGY TIP
Make note of all information you find in a census record – there are plenty of clues to unravel a person’s history. The enumerations of Valentine in New York City provided information he married, became a widow, and lived with his wife’s sister.
GENEALOGY TIP
Tracing families between census years can be difficult as names change or family members come and go. Placing the census data into charts you can easily visualize the relationships of families over time.
A chart clarified Valentine’s relationship to Annie Remmich and her sister Katherine and the changes in the Remmich family. The chart helped to make reasonable deductions based on the evidence each census record provided.
Charting Census Data
Endnotes:
1. “Condemnation Notices,” The Kansas City Times, 4 July 1891, pg. 7. col. 6, [provided the section, township, and range location of the land].
2. The story of Valentine’s police appearance can be found in installment #1 “Valentine Seeser – A Genealogical Adventure.
3. Hoye’s Kansas City Directory, 1896, pg.628; 1897, pg.606; 1898, pg. 751.
4. Hoye’s Kansas City Directory, 1900, pg.883; 1901, pg. 965; 1902, pg. 1050.
5. Ohio Probate Records, 1789-1996, Hamilton County, Ohio, “Wills 1896-1897 vol 69-70,” Hamilton County, Ohio Courthouse, “Will Record Vol. 69,” pg. 360-1 [stamped], George Seeser, 25 May 1897, FHL film #373071, image 231/695, digital image, Familysearch.org (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed on 8 May 2018.)
6. Ohio Hamilton County Records, 1791-1994, Probate Records, “Inventory Record, vol. 77, 1897-1898,” Hamilton County, Ohio, Cincinnati, Account Record, Vol. 77, pg. 93-4 [stamped], George Sesser, #45,216, 14 Sept. 1897; digital image, FHL #100,208,180, image 122/617, Familysearch.com ( https://www.familysearch.org : accessed on 13 Apr. 2018.), Ohio Hamilton County Records, 1791-1994, Probate Records, “Account Record Book, vol. 94, 1897-1899,” Hamilton County, Ohio, Cincinnati, Account Record, Vol. 94, pg. 517-18 [stamped], George Sesser, #45,216, 9 July 1898; digital image,Hamilton County, Ohio, “Wills 1896-1897 Vol. 69-70, image 544/668, FHL #100,153,537, familysearch.com ( https://www.familysearch.org : accessed on 13 Apr. 2018.) No census enumeration for Valentine Seeser or variants have been discovered in the 1900 U.S. census.
7. Supreme Court of New York First Judicial District, Naturalization Petition, bundle 169, record #2, Frederick F. Anderson, 19 July 1901; Ancestry.com (https://search.ancestry.com : accessed on 10 Aug. 2018), “New York, State & Federal Naturalization Records, 1794 – 1940,” > Supreme Court of the State of New York (1-229) > Supreme Court of the State of New York (167-169), images 1526 – 34/1849; citing, Index to Petitions for Naturalizations Filed in Federal, State, and Local Courts in New York City, 1792-1906, NAI #5700802, NARA record group 21, Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685-2009.
8. New York Times, 12 Nov. 1902, pg. 14, col. 1, “Judgments.”
9. 1905 New York State census, population schedule, New York City, Assembly District 13, Election District 11, pg. 27, line 34, Valentine Sesser,; pg. 26, line 36, Annie Remmich, digital image, “New York, State Census, 1905,” New York > Manhattan > A.D. 13 E.D. 11, image 14/21, Ancestry.com, (https://www.ancestry.com/interactive : accessed on 10 Aug. 2018); citing State Population Census Schedules, 1905, New York State Archives, Albany, New York.
10. 1910 U.S. Census, Manhattan Borough, New York, population schedule, New York City, Manhattan Ward 12, pg. 265 [stamped], sheet 1A, dwelling 1, family 6, Valentine Seaser household, digital image, ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/interactive : accessed on 22 Apr. 2018); citing NARA microfilm publication T624, roll 1021.
11. 1900 U.S. Census, Manhattan Borough, New York, population schedule, New York City, Manhattan, ED 312 , pg. 121 [stamped], sheet 9B, dwelling 29, family 143, Michael Remmich household, digital image, ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/interactive : accessed on 22 Apr. 2018); citing NARA microfilm publication T623. R.L. Polk, New York City Directory Vol. 129, (R.L. Polk & Co. Inc, Publishers: New York 1916) p.1391, Annie Remmich, image 1316/2290, digital image, “U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995,” > New York > New York > 1916 > New York, New York, City Directory, 1916, ancestry.com, https://www.ancestry.com/interactive : accessed on 22 Apr. 2018).
12. 1915 New York State census, population schedule, New York City, Assembly District 21, Election District 24, pg. 23, line 1, Valentine Sesser, pg. 22, line 48 – Henriette Wolf, line 49 – Alfred V. Wolf, line 50 – Annie Remmich, digital image, “New York, State Census, 1915,” New York > New York > A.D. 21 E.D. 24, image 12/19, ancestry.com, (https://www.ancestry.com/interactive : accessed on 22 Apr. 2018); citing State Population Census Schedules, 1915, New York State Archives, Albany, New York.
13. 1920 U.S. Census, Manhattan Borough, New York, population schedule, New York City, Manhattan, Assembly District 21, ED 1414, pg. 117 [stamped], sheet 6B, dwelling 43, family 107, Anna Remmich household, digital image, ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/interactive : accessed on 22 Apr. 2018); citing NARA microfilm publication T625, roll 1223.