Historic Home of John, Thomas, Fannie Ducklow

Located Ashippun Township, Dodge County, Wisconsin

'Three Photos: Circa 1887, 1985, and 2008

[Published July 25, 2009]

 

Thomas and Elizabeth’s sons John and Thomas and their sister Fannie all shared a farm home together as adults from about 1870 to 1892 (see footnote).   At times, sister Lucinda may have lived there too.  This home was the second of at least three homes owned by Thomas and his children.  It was not likely built by or for Thomas, but rather purchased by him as his success as a farmer grew.  The best guess for its original construction is about 1860.

This home lies about two miles south and west from the original Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow homestead in Ashippun Township. Sometime during this period of the Ducklow ownership a professional photographer from Hartford took a picture. Lucinda, Fanny and their father Thomas were standing in front.  The best guess of the year this was taken is1887. See footnote.

 

Above: John, Thomas, and Fannie Ducklow Farm Home in Ashippun Township, Dodge County, Wisconsin.  Circa 1887.  Lucinda is on the porch, father Thomas near the horse on the right and Fannie on the left.  The other person on the horse on the far left is unknown.

Fellow genealogist Esther Northfield Ducklow along with her husband Willis were actively researching the Ducklow family history in the mid- 1980s.  While on a research trip to Ashippun Esther took a picture of this home. As you can see, the front porch had been enclosed.  But by studying the roofline and window locations, as well as the location of the chimney, you will determine that it is in fact the same home.

Above: Prior Ducklow Farm Home. Circa 1985.

Last fall (November 2008) Jane and I traveled to Ashippun Township and took this picture of the same home.  Someone had taken the effort and expense to restore the porch. It looks like the home has been largely returned to its original glory.

Its very cool to have realize that pictures of this home cover over 120 years!

 

Above: Prior Ducklow Farm Home. November 2008

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Footnote: John’s brother Thomas had died in 1885.  Fanny and father Thomas both died in 1892.  John sold his farm moved to the City of Oconomowoc after their deaths.  He went on to marry his first wife Blanch Townsend in 1899.

 Footnote: The first photo in this posting is part of the Michael Jon Holman photo collection.  His mother, Anna Ostenson Holman, daughter of Lucinda,  identified this photo sometime after the death of her father Gunder Ostenson (December of 1932) and before her death (October 1980).  

The image that follows is her notation on the back of the circa 1887 photo.  It reads: "This is my Mother's home north of Oconomowoc before she was married and her sister Fanny and I suppose thats her father.  Mother is one on the porch.  The home is brick and it was still there when my father died in 1932. We drove by there.  Wonder who was on the horse in the back there!"

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Interconnected Families – A Shared Faith Community

John and Elizabeth Dukelow (Thomas’ parents) were one family of a cluster of Protestant families that were tightly interconnected. Catholic tenant farmers dominated the population in much of County Cork, Ireland. But, as a result of some artifacts of ancient land ownership rights, there was a small concentrated group of Protestants tenant farmers in far western side of Cork. Because of so few Protestants families around them, these families formed a tight and complex social network with each other. Nearly all the Protestant families there were either related by blood or by marriage. These inter-family complexities occurred for many generations, with the subculture reinforced by Penal Laws (see the History Back Drop on Penal Laws). From the outside this group appeared to be one large extended family. Family names in this cluster included the Swantons, Goods, Roycrafts, Loves, Youngs, and likely also included the Gallaghers and Nicholsons.

These strong inter-family relationships continued when families emigrated from Ireland to New York State and held fast as some families from this cluster eventually settled in Wisconsin.

One example of this interconnectedness is revealed around the Christening and eventual wedding of Thomas and Elizabeth’s first born, Mary Ann. Mary Ann’s baptismal sponsor when she was three months old was Thomas Good. Twenty-two years later, the same Thomas Good became her father-in-law! Mary Ann married Frank Good, son of Thomas Good, in the year 1865. This wedding appears to have been an "arranged" marriage. Mary Ann lived in Dodge County and Frank lived in Dane County. This distance of 60 or more miles was a major obstacle to romance in the 1860s! Imagine the effort it took to travel that distance (and back) by horse. Frank and Mary Ann had only met each other two or perhaps three times before their wedding. However, they apparently got along well as there marriage lasted over 59 years!

The strong inter-family relationships also became a part of the political picture in Rochester New York during the 1800s. The Dukelow family was part of what was labeled the “99 Cousins” which controlled much the Rochester City government in the 1840s and 1850s. More on what were called the “99 Cousins” will be discussed later.

Thomas and Elizabeth’s son John T married twice. His second marriage in 1904 may be some of the last vestiges of this closely connected extended family group. John’s marriage, at age 57 is to his first cousin, Kathryn Nicholson, age 37. Kathryn is Elizabeth’s niece, daughter of Elizabeth’s brother George Nicholson [see separate discussion about George Nicholson under post "Elizabeth Nicholson's Family.]