A Second Look at the John and Annie Morgan Photo

Not only did I get the time frame wrong, I also got the identification of the children wrong. Bessie found an entry in John Morgan's diary which identified the likely date that the picture was taken. Also, I would like to send you over to take a look at Bessie's new blog, Ancestral Ties. It looks great! She already has a post up about John Morgan and his trip to the dedication of the Logan Temple, and two lovely posts about John and Mellie's grandson John Morgan Rex, who died in the South Pacific during World War II.

Here is the latest information Bessie sent on this photo.

1890
June 19
Passed LaJunta in the night. Pueblo about daylight and arrived at Denver at 10:32 a.m. Went to Chapiots Hotel. After washing and changing clothing, we went to Marshall's Gallery and had our pictures taken. During the day visited a number of places of interest about the city. In the evening visited Wonderland Museums and witnessed a Minstrel performance.

I worked my way backwards from Myrtle's death date, somewhere in my readings I'd gotten the impression she was sickly. I wanted to see where. I still want to substantiate that. She was surely sick the week before she died. The child in the picture with the x on her dress looked ill to me from the beginning.

When all I had to go on looking for information about that family was the red book, I'd noted that Annie's first baby weighed 12 lbs at birth, because Uncle Nick [Nicholas G. Morgan] included that in his book [The Life and Ministry of John Morgan] on page 399. There is so precious little about the family in the book.

Prior to June 19 John Morgan had spent several weeks in Manassa preparing a 2nd house to move Annie and her children into. As soon as he got them into the house they went on a vacation.

On June 19, 1890 Annie Ray would be about 5-1/2; Myrtle is a small ill looking 3 yr old, and John Albermarle would be about 16 months old. Perhaps they cut both of the little girls hair for the trip/and planned picture? [Or the girls could have been ill; in those days the hair was sometimes cut during illnesses.] If John Albermarle was born healthy, like Annie Ray at 12 lbs, he could be the chunky healthy baby, of about 16 months, on Annie's lap.

Thanks, Bessie!