Week 14 - A Brick Wall Revisited - Sheridan

Sometimes brick walls just won't fall.

Back in the early 2010's I found this newspaper article while researching my Sheridan family:

In the Maple Rapids Dispatch newspaper Friday, 1 June 1888 Vol X #35 Pg8 Col2 - from the Perrinton Mirador:  "Two sharp looking boys arrived on the noon train today, from Detroit, sent by the St. Anthony orphan asylum, to find homes with Michael Sheridan and Thos. Holland."

So, I went to check out census records and with no 1890 census available, I expanded my searching and discovered the 1894 Michigan census.  In that census, a 14-year-old boy named Frank Morrison is listed with the Patrick Sheridan family and relationship to head of household showed adopted boy.  He was born in Michigan in 1888 based on his age in the census, but both parents were listed as unknown. 

1894 Perrinton, Gratiot, Michigan State Census
FamilySearch pg434 MF 915307 line17 Index N04005-0

Why Patrick and Margaret and not living with Michael and Elizabeth as stated in the newspaper article? Maybe Patrick had more room for another person? Michael had five children at that time. I will probably never know.

In my researching of the 1900 census, I discovered young Frank was not listed with the family. I expanded my search and the only plausible person was a Frank Morrison age 19, listed as a servant working as a farm laborer in North Shade, Gratiot County, Michigan.

I put it away for a number of years and finally thought I would try again to find young Frank.

I started with researching the St Anthony Orphanage of Detroit and it directed me to the Congregation of St Joseph located in Nazareth, Michigan. Their historian stated that 'The Sisters of St Joseph did not run the St Anthony Orphan Asylum. They ran the St Francis Home and in August 1889, eighty boys from St Anthony Home in Detroit were transferred to the St Francis Preparatory Seminary for the Detroit diocese.'

She directed me to the IHMs in Monroe, Michigan.  The Immaculate Heart of Mary historian informed me that they only served at St Anthony Orphanage from 1867 to 1877.

'For some time past we had desired and prayed that the Asylum might be transferred into the hands of Brothers who might do great good to the children by keeping them above the age allowed by our regulations and also by teaching them trades before leaving the institution. So, this day came with the arrival from Cincinnati of nine Franciscan Brothers who at once took charge of the Institution.  The Sisters left on the same day after receiving, at the suggestion of the Brothers, the grateful adieus of the boys.'

She further stated that according to their files the Franciscan Brothers managed the orphanage until it was disbanded in 1899 and included contact information.  I have sent off a missive to the Franciscan Brothers and am still awaiting their reply.

Some other routes that I took:

Researched at michiganology.com looking to see if Frank had died before 1952, which is as far as the records are available. No one matches.

I expanded my search into the 1910 census, but the only one that 'might' fit is a Frank Morrison in Ohio. No one matches in Michigan.  

I also checked out the Thomas Holland family looking for the other young man but have never found any information on him.

At this point, I can only hope that young Frank moved on, found stability and lived a full life—one that brought him happiness and, perhaps, many descendants.

Barbie




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