Post #5 - One Photo, One Hundred Stories

Old photographs, especially group photos, are fascinating and inspire, in me anyway, nothing but questions.  Even if all of the people and the date can be easily identified, more questions come to mind -- what was the occasion, who took the photo, what sort of camera was used in those days, what kind of relationship did the people have, how nice/shabby was their clothing, what's in the background, how's the weather, what else was going on in the world.  One photo can turn into one giant story for me.  For instance.....

This little guy is our grandfather/father, Charles Thompson DeHart.  Fuzzy, I know, but I had to heavily crop just to zoom in on him.

His little face is peeking out among all the grown-ups in this great photo shared by Chuck DeHart.  Not only can we date the event by the date of the car, but also by the approximate age of Charles -- in the winter of 1908 he would have been 5 or maybe 6 if this was winter of 1909.  Close enough.

Having all the people identified is wonderful, but raises more questions.  Ann and Chuck have told me that the Griggs family were close friends and neighbors of the DeHarts in North Jersey, the Griggs farm being located in Raritan Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey (not sure if Hunterdon is considered North Jersey -- in the 1600/1700's it was considered West Jersey). 

Turns out they are related by marriage as well. These Griggs girls, Grace, Olive and Elizabeth, are all daughters (three of eight children) of Samuel and Georgana (Ent) Griggs.  Samuel Griggs was one of nine children of Aaron and Rachel (Philhower) Griggs.  Now, Rachel Philhower was the sister of our own Elizabeth Philhower, who married John V.N. DeHart (Grandpop's grandparents and parents of the original Henry/Harry A. DeHart - wearing the cap in the passenger seat).  Henry/Harry's son, Harry A. DeHart (H.A. or Uncle Harry to us and Charles' older brother) was at the wheel -- Jacksons and many autos of that era, were right-hand drive vehicles [Want to know why?  So that the driver would be stepping out of the car onto the grassy side of the road, not the muddy side.] There were only one-lane roads in those days - that's what I heard from my car guy and he should know:

(my husband Jim and his restored 1941 Dodge pickup).

Anyway the Griggs' were such good people that they took in young Ruth P. DeHart and J. Walter DeHart, the youngest of John V.N. DeHart's children after the death of their mother Elizabeth in 1872.  In the 1880 Census they are listed as "grandchildren" of Aaron Griggs but technically they were niece and nephew.

See how easy it is for me to become sidetracked by one photo?  As much as I hate to do it, I've had to limit myself on the amount of time I spend on this stuff.  I do have other interests and responsibilities!  Seriously though, I could do this all day.  --cds