Tag Archives: Cora Reeder

Reeder Siblings | marriages

Known Information

James, John, and Thomas Reeder and Mary Ellen (Reeder) Fountain lived in DC after the Civil War.

Sources

Census

1870; Census Place: Washington Ward 3, Washington, District of Columbia; Roll: M593_124; Page: 475A

1870; Census Place: Washington Ward 3, Washington, District of Columbia; Roll: M593_124; Page: 475B

1870; Census Place: Washington Ward 3, Washington, District of Columbia;Roll: M593_124; Page: 449B

Marriage Records

District of Columbia, Marriage Records, 1810-1953 | ancestry.com


United States, Freedmen’s Bureau Marriages, 1861-1872 | familysearch.org

City Directory

District of Columbia Birth Returns, 1874-1897 | familysearch.org

Birth Certificates

Reeder, Baby, 9236, 20 Nov 1876 | DC Archives

Reeder, Baby, 28331, 16 Jan 1882 | DC Archives

Reeder, Baby, 36254, 15 May 1882 | DC Archives

Three Reeder brothers, James, John, and Thomas were recorded in the 1868 Washington City Directory as living at M and 6 NE, which is near the Kendall Green Barracks. Bank records also list them as the brothers of Mary Ellen Fountain.

James Reeder

James was living with Emeline, his wife, and their sone Henry J. in 1870. Walter Reeder, age 11, is also living with them. Based on the bank records of Mary Ellen Fountain, Walter is James’ younger brother.

DC Marriage records lists a marriage for James Reeder and Emeline Dorsey on 13 Aug 1868. A birth record for a daughter born in 1876 lists both James Henry Reeder and Emeline Dorsey Reeder as the parents, and that they both were born in St. Mary’s County, MD. A birth record for a daughter born in 1883 lists Emeline’s last name was West, but provides the mother’s birthplace as St. Mary’s County

John Reeder

John Reeder is living with his wife, Cora, and their son, Willie, who was born in DC in 1868; Cora collected rations in January 1868 due to “sickness”, it is possible that in addition to any number of illnesses suffered by freedpeople as a result of malnourishment, exposure from poor shelter and clothing, that she was pregnant and sick with morning sickness.

They are living with is likely the younger siblings of Cora, suggesting that her last name is Key.

The Freedmen’s Bureau recorded marriages for freedmen that had not been formally recognized before. In 1867, John Reader and Cora Keys had their 1861 marriage in St. Mary’s County, MD, recorded in the DC Bureau They listed that they had one child, which suggests that they had an older child prior to Willie. A priest named Moore married them.

Thomas Reeder

Thomas is living with his wife, Martha, and their daughter Mary E. They do not have any other family living with them.

DC Marriage Records lists Thomas Reeder’s marriage to Martha Colbert in June 1867. An 1882 birth certificate for their son lists her maiden name as Calbert and that she was born in Prince George’s County.

Mary Ellen Reeder

Mary E Fountain is living near her brother, Thomas Reeder, just a few households away in the census. She is living with her husband Benj. F. Fountain.

DC Marriage Records lists Mary Ellen Reeder’s marriage to Benj Franklin Fountain in June 1866. No children have been located for them.

Further Research Needed:

  • Research the Key, Dorsey and Reeder family in St. Mary’s County
  • Research the Colbert family in Prince George’s County
  • Research the Fountain family in Virginia

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Martha Reeder | Freedman’s Bureau

Known Information

Thomas and Martha Reeder were living in DC during the 1870 census.

Sources

Print

Taylor, James E., Artist. Glimpses at the Freedmen’s Bureau. Issuing rations to the old and sick / from a sketch by our special artist, Jas. E. Taylor. Richmond Virginia, 1866. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2009633700/

Freedman’s Village, Arlington i.e., Alexandria, Va. United States Arlington Alexandria Virginia, None. [Photographed between 1861 and 1865, printed between 1880 and 1889] Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2014645761/

Map

Boschke, A, D McClelland, Hugh B Sweeny, Thos Blagden, and Blanchard & Mohun D. Mcclelland. Topographical map of the District of Columbia. Washington: D. McClelland, Blanchard & Mohun, 1861. Map. https://www.loc.gov/item/88694013/

United States, Freedmen’s Bureau Ration Records,1865-1872

District of Columbia, United States, NARA microfilm publications M1055. Records of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, 1861 – 1880, RG 105. (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1969-1980); roll 16 | familysearch.org

Newspapers

The Baltimore Sun 
Baltimore, Maryland
14 Jan 1868, Tue  •  Page 4

The Freedman’s Bureau was a US government agency from 1865-1872 charged with directing provisions, clothing, fuel “for the immediate and temporary shelter and supply of destitute and suffering refugees and freedmen and their wives and children”

The Bureau kept records of what provisions, or rations were distributed.

In 1868, they recorded that Martha Reeder was provided $2.00 worth of groceries as she was unemployed. They listed her residence as Kendall Green. In addition to Martha, Cora Reeder was also recorded as residing at Kendall Green and receiving rations due to sickness.

This sketch is of a Richmond Bureau Office distributing rations “to the old and sick”

Kendall Green

After the Civil War, the US Government converted military barracks into housing for freepeople. Kendall Green Barracks, located on the northeast boundary of the city was one of the converted barracks. Kendall Green was located along Boundary Ave, in the northeast quadrant of the city. On the map, it is directly “north” of the capitol building, between Delaware and Maryland Avenues. The northern edge of the camp was at M and Boundary Ave.

In 1867, Kendall Green became the housing for the freed people who were unable to pay their rent and the Freedmen’s Bureau began to transfer nonpaying tenants and “those that pay very irregularly” to Kendall Green and those who could pay to housing closer to the city. In a newspaper article, the barracks are described a light one-story frame tenements with twenty-one rooms, housing 250 freedpeople.

Picture of the school established at Freedmen’s Village in Alexandria, VA

These barracks have been fitted up for dwellings for the freed people to be rented for very low rates, in order to get them out of the wretched shanties in which such numbers of them have hitherto lived (and died). But they are located so far from one side of the city, that they are taken up slowly.

Letter from A. E. Newton reporting on the school built near Kendall Green Barracks as listed in the National Freedman, A Monthly Journal, Vol 11, No 5 May 1866 (147)

Further Research Needed:

  • Determine the relationship between Martha and Cora Reeder
  • Identify other Reeders recorded in the Freedmen’s Records

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