Bacon Ham Receipt from J. M. Glass, 1878

It's January 1878 and John W. Moran has purchased 73.5 lbs. of bacon hams at 7 cents a lb.  He paid J. M. Glass $5.15. I haven't figured out the exact family relationship but the Glass, Underwood, Martin surnames appear in the Moran family tree.  John Glass also served with the Confederacy during the Civil War.   He appears in the Civil War Confederate Pension Applications Index as serving in the 20th (Hollis') Calvary. Service records show him as a private with Co. I 20th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Russell's)

John M. Glass was born December 27 1843 and died February 18 1937.   He was the son of Thomas Glass and Malinda R. Martin Glass.  He married Sarah "Sallie" J. Underwood March 17 1868 in Weakley County TN.  She was the daughter of Nelson O. Underwood and Nancy Ann Hollis. John and Sarah Glass had one child, Thomas O. Glass.  He was born Nov 22 1869 and died Aug 16 1925. He married Laura Moore and they had two children. Fannie T. Glass and John Bailey Glass. 

Census Records

The Glass household in 1860 looks like this:

Thomas Glass, age 34, Farmer, real estate valued at $118,000, personal estate valued at $6600. Native of Virginia

Malinda Glass, age 34, Virginia

Thomas D. Glass, age 20, $20,000 real and personal estate, Tennessee

May D. Glass, age 15, TN

John M. Glass, age 14, TN

Nancy Glass, age 11, TN

Susan Glass, age 9, TN

James Glass, age 8, TN

William Glass, age 7, TN

Turner Glass, age 3 months, TN

J. M. Glass appears in the 1870 Census, District 7, of Weakley County Tennessee.  He was 26 years old and per the death certificate, was born Dec. 27 1843 which makes him a contemporary of J.W. Moran. He was a farmer.  His real and personal estate was valued at $6500.   Also in the household were his wife, Sarah J age 20, and their son Thomas O age 7 months.  The Glass household also included two domestic servants James and David Glass, ages 19 and 18 respectively. 

In 1880 John M. Glass is still farming and is now 36 years old.  His wife Sarah J is listed as 32 years of age, 2 years off from the previous census.  Son Thomas is 10.

The 1900 Census finds John and Sallie Glass living one household away from their son's family in Civil District 08, District 0121, Weakley County Tennessee.  John's occupation is listed as "capitalist."  Thomas O. Glass is a farmer, age 30.  His wife Laura is 24 and had two pregnancies and two live births.  Their children are daughter Fannie T, age 4, and son John B., age 2.

In 1910, John, Sarah and their grand daughter Fannie are living in Sharon, District 0146, Weakley County TN.  John is 66.  Sarah is 62. The census indicates Sarah had two pregnancies and one living child, Thomas O. Glass.  This is the first indication that I've seen that John and Sarah had more than one child.

I haven't located the 1920 Census for John so we skip to 1930.  Sarah died in 1928 and John M. Glass is now living with his grandson, John B. Glass and his wife Virginia.  John M Glass is 86 years old. John B. Glass is 31 and his occupation is listed as "oil truck."  His wife Virginia M. Glass is 24

I haven't seen John M. Glass listed with a middle name.  I like to think that he was named John Martin Glass, the Martin being his mother's maiden name.  Just my own theory. Your mileage may vary.

Sources for the information come from Census records, death certificates, Findagrave and family trees on ancestry.com.  As always, information is subject to error.  If you find an error just leave a message and I'll get it corrected.

Animals at Moran Place

In addition to interest in their own ancestry the Moran's were interested in animal breeding and champion lines.  After all they did have a working farm!  We've come across pedigree's for horses, cows, and dogs.  There are ledger pages recording when pigs "dropped" and were bred. And documents recording who they sold to and purchased from.   I would imagine that Brud was the one interested in the pigs and cows while the hunter of the family, Jim Moran, was interested in dogs and horses.

The open book in the picture shoes the pedigree of a dog named Monie Moran.  Her dam was Lionsheart Bluestone and the sire was Laddie Rodstone.  The breeder was Mrs. L.T. Holliday of Montana.  The year was 1921.

 And here you can see where "Old White Spot Sow dropped 10 pigs" and other assorted pig tales.

Seed Packets, ca 1915

More proof of Uncle Brud's love of the land.  He was always looking for new things to plant.

Can Your Cornfield Rest Secure?

The Moran's have been merchants, bankers, legislators and farmers.  This entry is dedicated to the farm. Sometime about 1910 they needed a silo and they wanted the best.  Apparently the concrete silo's developed by the Polk-Genung-Polk Co. of Fort Branch, Indiana were among the best.  

Here is a four page brochure from the McAdoo Construction Co., Builders, of Union City, Tennessee advocating the Polk System of Silo's.  McAdoo touts them as "Lasting forever" and perhaps they do as evidenced by the last picture on this page.  They might last forever but are they usable forever?

Be sure and scroll down to see the picture of Uncle Brud Moran and the silo taken shortly after it was built around 1910 then see the picture of it as it stands today.  I think it looks like the remains of a magnificent castle overgrown with trees and weeds sitting on the back acreage the family home.

Page 1

Page 2

Page 3

Page 4, that silo is the one built on the Moran Farm.

That's Uncle Brud, Charles Harrell Moran, at the base of the new silo.

This is the silo as it stands now.