Joseph Eisenberg and the Cossacks

Joseph Eisenberg
Born: 1875, Mizheric, near Vilna, Eastern Europe (Lithuania or Ukraine?)
Died: January 23, 1941, Brooklyn, NY
Relation to Author: Great Grandfather-in-Law

The NY Times had an article a little while ago about the return of the Cossacks. To me the interesting part of the story isn’t the scary ultra-nationalism hiding behind a thin vale of pride in their heritage. Instead, I was more interested in the history of the Cossacks as described in the article - especially because it is a much more helpful history than I had found on Wikipedia.

The history of the Cossacks is important to our genealogy research because the oral history of the Eisenberg family says Joseph was in a Cossack army. This new article could help us with our mystery about where Joseph and his family were from. In the article, it looks like the Cossacks were mostly in Southern Russia. This would put them, and therefore maybe Joseph, closer to Ukraine. So this puts doubt into the Lituania thesis.

This whole discussion though about Joseph Eisenberg's origins brings up two interesting points. First, it sheds some light on the reliability of oral histories. Any oral or written history should be taken with a grain of salt, especially third person (here Meyer is writing about his father's experiences). However, sometimes these oral histories are the only information we have.

The second point this discussion highlights is the existence of mysteries in genealogical research. To be sure, I am quite the novice when it comes to actual genealogical research. So hopefully with time and experience, I can figure this out. I might find out that the assumption everyone has been holding all along is true - that Joseph is in fact from Ukraine. Although hopefully I'll be able to put a thumbtack on a map with an actual location - which has been my goal all along. But I might not. This might remain a bit of a mystery.

The Vassarion!

Katharine Place (married name Adams)
Born: October 3, 1893, New York, New York
Died: July 3, 1983, Albany, New York
Relation to Author: Great Grandmother In-Law
Mother of Jean Place Adams

I love doing genealogy research and writing. But I will admit, so far I am mostly using information that my uncles and my grandfather in-law have already found. Every once in a while though I find something that no one else seems to have found. And those are my favorite things to share.

So behold Katharine Place's Vassar yearbook: The Vassarion.

The yearbook is from 1916 and her address is listed as 268 West 77th Street in New York City (a mere 35 blocks from where I sit right now). I gather this is where she was living with her parents, Ira Place and Katherine Burritt Gauntlett (married name Place).

The most curious thing about the yearbook though is the text that accompanies the photos. Katharine's says: "K is the pink of perfection when it comes to neatness - but what will she do with the dirt of Pittsburgh and vicinity?"

I haven't the slightest idea what that means. Maybe she had plans to go to Pittsburgh after Vassar? If so, I have no evidence (yet) that she ever went there. She was born and raised in New York City. She want to Vassar in Poughkeepsie, New York. She married James Fairchild Adams in the fall of 1916 in New York City. And by 1920, she is settled in Albany with James.

My real question though is who wrote these strange little lines? The next person's doesn't seem very nice ("How to avoid academic work is an art with Babs"), which suggests the students were writing them for each other.

Anyway, it's a fun find, especially since it includes a picture. Enjoy!