Rawson Fell Hosmer

A comment pertaining to Rawson Fell Hosmer was posted on my blog:

"I'm searching for Fell Hosmer, swimmer on the University of Michigan varsity team in the 1930s. I am also trying to establish a connection between him and the Hosmer family of Caledonia, NY, after whom the Hosmer Inn[*] was named. Is there any connection?"

*Hosmer Inn was built by Major Isaac Smith circa 1800 as the Forest Inn; Sylvester Hosmer married Laura Smith, Major Smith's daughter. [Source]  Sylvester, according to the Hosmer Family book, was the son of Timothy Hosmer; Timothy was the son of Capt. Stephen, who was the son of Capt. Thomas, who was the son of Deacon Stephen, who was the son of Thomas, the son of Stephen, the son of James Hosmer.

Rawson Fell Hosmer was the son of Andrew Jackson Hosmer and Letitia Fell.  Andrew was the son of Andrew Jackson Hosmer and Martha Eldred.  Andrew (Sr.) was the son of Artemus Hosmer and his 2nd wife, Mary Dunn.  According to the Hosmer Message Board, Artemus was the son of Ephraim Hosmer and Mercy Whitney; Ephraim is the son of Stephen Hosmer & Prudence Billings. Stephen is the son of Stephen Hosmer & Sarah Wood. Stephen is the son of James Hosmer (1605-1684).

Bentley Library Necrology Index:

Hosmer, Rawson Fell
Death Date: Feb. 11, 1963
A.B. 1930, m 1930-31
[There's also a link to request his file]

Name Fell Hosmer

Event Type Death

Event Date 11 Feb 1963

Event Place Los Angeles, California, United States

Birth Date 20 Dec 1908

Birthplace Utah

Gender Male

Mother's Name Fell

Census 1910
Salt Lake City Ward 5, Salt Lake, Utah
Andrew J Hosmer Head M 45 Michigan
Letitia Hosmer Wife  F 40 Michigan
R Fell Hosmer Son M 1 Utah
Swift Dean Hired man M 30 West Virginia
Lucy Smithers Servant F 29 Utah


"Mr. and Mrs. Fell Hosmer have returned to their home in Ann Arbor . Mich after a stay of several months in Salt Lake. Dr. and Mrs. A. J. Hosmer and Miss Geraldine Hosmer, who are touring Europe, are expected to arrive in New York early in October." [Published August 31, 1930 in The Salt Lake Tribune Page 35]

Census 1930

Ann Arbor, Washtenaw, Michigan [310 East Liberty Street]

Rawlson F Hosmer Head M 21 California

Kathryn D Hosmer Wife  F 22 Indiana

Is there a connection to Rawson Fell Hosmer and the Hosmer Inn?  I did not find one.

Once They Were United Under Joseph Smith

The Mormon Church after the death of Joseph Smith from the Annals of the West: embracing a concise account... "

"This enthronement [of Brigham Young] drove [Sydney] Rigdon with a party to Pennsylvania, where in a short time his influence vanished, and the band dispersed.  Strang founded a city on the prairies of Wisconsin, and had a numerous colony."

Source:  Mormon Feast Ground, Beaver Island

"Ultimately he removed to Beaver island, in Michigan lake, assumed the title of King of the Saints*, where the small kingdom still exists.  These bodies and their leaders were excommunicated by the great majority under the proper Seer, as was also William Smith, another competitor for the throne, and a party in Texas, headed by Lyman White."

*Also see Lorenzo Dow Hickey.

Strang Relations: The Phillips Family

Clarke Historical Library at Central Michigan University included a Strangite Collection, which included a letter to Stanley Johnson (now an elder -- September 18, 1938) from Clement Strang (son of James Jesse Strang).  Included in the "old letters" was a reference to a niece, Zilfa, as well as Zilfa's parents, Eugenia and Thomas Phillips.

In a letter Clement Strang mentioned that his niece Zilfa was columnist with the San Francisco Chronicle.  In 1940 Zilfa was living in San Francisco and was identified as a newspaper editor.

United States Census, 1940
name: Zilfa Estourt
event place: Assembly District 25, San Francisco City, San Francisco, California
gender: Female
age: 56
marital status: Widowed
race (standardized): White
relationship to head of household (standardized): Head
birthplace: Wisconsin
estimated birth year: 1884
residence in 1935: Same House
Household Gender Age Birthplace
head Zilfa Estourt F 56 Wisconsin
mother Eugenia Phillips F 83 Wisconsin
lodger Byron Marconnier M 45 New York


The Phillips family, including Thomas, Eugenia, Zilfa, Thomas, Benjamin, and Theodore Phillips, as well as mother-in-law Phoebe [Wright] Jessie, was living in Tacoma, Pierce Co., Washington, in 1900.

United States Census, 1910

name: Zilpha E Phillips

birthplace: Wisconsin

residence: Tacoma Ward 1, Pierce, Washington

marital status: Single

father's birthplace: Wisconsin

mother's birthplace: Wisconsin

Household Gender Age Birthplace

self Thomas H Phillips M 58y Wisconsin

wife Eugenia J Phillips F 53y Wisconsin

dau Zilpha E Phillips F 26y Wisconsin

son Raphael T Phillips M 18y Wisconsin

son Benjimin W Phillips M 16y Minnesota

son Theodore F Phillips M 13y Utah*

Pheobe A Jessie F 73y Canada

*[Note: d. 1937; mother's last name given as Strang]

Wisconsin, Births and Christenings, 1826-1926

name: Zilpha Eugenie Phillips

gender: Female

birth date: 03 May 1883

birthplace: Black River Falls, Jackson, Wisconsin

race: White

father's name: Thomas Henry Phillips

father's birthplace: Wisconsin

mother's name: Emma Eugenie Jesse

mother's birthplace: Wisconsin

Zilpha E. Phillips, a widow, married Harry S. Estcourt, a widower, in 1921 in Victoria, BC, Canada:

British Columbia, Marriage Registrations, 1859-1932

name: Harry Slocum Estcourt

event date: 14 Jul 1921

event place: Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

estimated birth year: 1877

birthplace: Bowling Green, New York [sic] Kentucky

marital status: Widowed

father: Harry James Estcourt

mother: Zielfa Delia Gardner

spouse: Zilfa Eugenia Phillips

spouse's estimated birth year: 1885

spouse's birthplace: Black River Falls, Wisconsin

spouse's marital status: Widowed

spouse's father: Thomas R Phillips

spouse's mother: Eugenia I  J.?

Thomas Phillips died in 1925, Eugenia Phillips died in 1946 and Zilfa Estcourt died in 1959.

See other Strang related posts here and here.

Mrs. H. Ellis & her Cousin, Mr. H. P. Henderson

Found in the "Chronicling of America" set of newspapers, specifically the Deseret Evening News (Great Salt Lake, Utah):

11 December 1909
--Mrs. H. Ellis of Michigan spending a few days with her cousin, Mrs. H. P. Henderson....

This H.P. Henderson???  Probably.

United States Census, 1880

residence: Mason, Ingham, Michigan

occupation: Attorney

 William A. Stewart M 67

   Henry P. Henderson M 37

Josephine Henderson F 33

[et al]

United States Census, 1900

name: Henry P. Henderson

residence: Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

birth date: Sep 1843

birthplace: New York

 Henry P. Henderson M

spouse Florence J. Henderson F [b. Oct 1851 in NY]

Harriett N. Turner F [mother-in-law, b. Dec 1822 in NY]

Nora Erickson F

Harry P. Henderson married Josephine Turner in Michigan in 1868.  Harriett N. Turner, Henderson's mother-in-law was living with them in 1900 in Utah.

The Deseret News, on July 28, 1886, reported that President Cleveland nominated Henry P. Henderson of Michigan to be Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Utah.  The Salt Lake Telegram reported information about the funeral of Henry P. Henderson on June 6, 1909.  More information about Judge Henderson can be found here and here.

Josephine Florence Turner was the sister of Stanley W. Turner and daughter of Nelson and Harriett (Sutton)   Turner.  Josephine's sister, Emma, married Montgomery A. Reynolds.

STANLEY W. TURNER
...was born in North Fairfield, Ohio, July 15, 1843. In 1852 he removed to Reading, Mich.,
and...was a student at Hillsdale college. During the war he enlisted as a private in the first Michigan sharpshooters. At the close of the war he was promoted to captain, but was never mustered in. In 1865 he went to Mason, Mich., and entered the law office of H. P. Henderson.
Now in business at Roscommon, Michigan. 

Mrs. Josephine Turner Henderson died in Los Angeles on April 21, 1929, while visiting her niece, Mrs. William F. Reynolds.  It was expected that her body would be sent to Mason, Michigan, for burial.

Note:  I'm not related to these people, but noticed the Michigan connection while browsing the Deseret newspaper.

Andrew & Letitia (Fell) Hosmer of Michigan and Utah

Found in the "Chronicling of America" set of newspapers:

From the "Deseret Evening News" (Great Salt Lake, Utah):
11 December 1909

Dr. & Mrs. A. J. Hosmer & son...to Michigan to spend Christmas with Dr. Hosmer's mother*...

*The death certificate for Martha (Eldred) Hosmer, the mother of Andrew referenced above, stated that she was the daughter of John & Desiah (Kellogg) Eldred, both of Ohio. Martha was born 22 November 1830 and died 17 January 1910. Mrs. Addie Tinkham was the informant. She was buried in the Mallett Cemetery.

In the 1920 Census Dr. Andrew J. Hosmer, his wife Letitia, son Rawson and daughter Geraldine were in Utah.

Andrew J. Hosmer married Letitia Fell on 17 December 1890 in Wayne Co., Michigan. In the marriage record Mr. Hosmer's birthplace was listed as Michigan and his place of residence was Ashland, Wisconsin; he was a physician and Letitia was a teacher.

Letitia was the daughter of William & Ann Charlotte (Bush) Fell. Ann Charlotte was the daughter of Isaac & Maria (Rawson) Bush. The genealogy of the Rawson family can be found here. A very nice blog about Maria Rawson's father Amariah Rawson, who was an early settler, can be found here.

1880 MI Census Wayne, Van Buren Twp.
William FELL Self M W 50 PA Farmer PA PA
Ann C. FELL Wife M W 45 MI Keeping House NJ NJ
Clara FELL Dau S W 22 MI Teaching School PA MI
Henry FELL Son S W 21 MI Works In Grist Mill PA MI
William FELL Son S W 19 MI Works On Farm PA MI
Addie FELL Dau S W 17 MI At School PA MI
Lettia FELL Dau S W 15 MI At School PA MI
David FELL Son S W 13 MI At School PA MI
Robert FELL Son S W 6 MI At School PA MI

From a passenger list of the S.S. Orduna which sailed from Cherbourg, France, 24 Aug 1923:

• Hosmer, Letitia, age 58, b. Belleville 7 June 1865

• Hosmer, Rawson, age 14, b. Los Angeles, CA 20 December 1909

• Hosmer, Geraldine, age 11, b. Salt Lake City, UT, 28 March 1912

Their address (from the passenger list): 162 13th East Street, Salt Lake City, Utah** [**The Utah State History Resource Center has a picture of Dr. Hosmer's house]

The family of (Andrew) Jackson Hosmer (Sr.) in 1880:

1880 MI Census, Wayne Co., Romulus
Jackson HOSMAR Self M W 50 MI Farmer MA NY
Martha HOSMAR Wife M W 49 OH Keeping House VT PA
Mathew HOSMAR Son S W 23 MI At School MI OH
Andrew HOSMAR Son S W 21 MI At School MI OH
Jane HOSMAR Dau S W 18 MI At Home MI OH
James HOSMAR Son S W 16 MI Works On Farm MI
Charles HOSMAR*** Son S W 14 MI Works On Farm MI OH
Adaline HOSMAR Dau S W 11 MI At Home MI OH
Harriet HOSMAR Dau S W 9 MI MI OH
Eli HOSMAR **** Son S W 6 MI MI OH

***Death of Dr. Charles Hosmer in Washtenaw Co., Michigan, here. The record listed Charles Hosmer's mother as Rosa May Vining; she was actually the mother of the informant, Ansel Hosmer. It was noted that Dr. Hosmer was "of Seattle." He was born in 1965 and died 10 Dec 1913. He was buried in New Boston, Michigan.

****On Eli Hosmer's death record, his parents were listed as Andrew Jackson Hosmer, who was born in Flat Rock, Wayne County, Michigan and his mother was Martha Eldred, who was born in Ohio. He was buried in the Mallett Cemetery.

Andrew Jackson Hosmer (Sr)'s household was in Romulus, Wayne Co., MI, in 1900.

Another son of Andrew Jackson Hosmer (Sr), John Artemus Hosmer, was born 21 September 1850, and died in Utah on 14 August 1923.