Florida's Silver Springs, 1952: Wordless Wednesday

These photographs of the glass-bottomed sightseeing boats at Silver Springs near Ocala, Florida, were taken in 1952 by Leatha Evans Baxter, my husband’s grandmother. The boats were—and continue to be—a popular feature at this lovely vintage Florida tourist park.

Stay tuned for some more pictures of Silver Springs through the decades.

Baxter Family: Surname Saturday

I’m researching my husband’s Irish ancestors as part of the Irish Research 201 class I’m taking from Sharon Carmack at Family Tree University. This is a summary of his Baxter ancestors.

Name

Baxter is a Scottish/Northern English surname meaning “baker.” This family probably descended from ancestors that came from Scotland to Ireland as part of the Plantation of Ulster in the 1600’s.

Generation 1

Henry Baxter was born about 1850 in County Antrim, Ireland. He married Elizabeth Cleeland in Belfast in 1871. They had three known children—James, Robert, and Isaac—born in Belfast and Larne, County Antrim, in the 1870’s. The family was Presbyterian. Henry's occupation was master plumber.

Elizabeth Cleeland Baxter died before 1907, at which time Henry married Mary Reid. Henry and Mary did not have children and lived in Bangor, County Down. Henry died October 7, 1930 in Bangor.

Generation 2

Henry’s middle son, Robert Cleeland Baxter, was born September 18, 1874. He married Annie Carmichael Flack on August 29, 1896 in Belfast. They had five children: Henry (who died in infancy), another Henry (called “Harry”), Isaac (also died young), Agnes (called “Nan”), and Margaret. After serving with the British Merchant Marines, Robert immigrated to America in 1908, ultimately settling in Cleveland, Ohio. He found work first as an engineer, and later as a guard at the Cleveland Art Museum. He was naturalized in Cleveland in 1924.

Annie did not come to America until 1921, when she arrived in New York with Nan and Margaret on the Carmania. She and Robert had spent 13 years living on different continents. Annie Flack Baxter died in Cleveland, Ohio, on February 14, 1945, at 68 years old. Robert lived to be 81, passing away in Cleveland on October 22, 1955.

The Baxter family in Cleveland, l to r: Margaret, Annie, Nan, Robert, and Harry

Generation 3

Robert’s second son, Harry Baxter, was born in Belfast on August 26, 1900. In his father’s absence, he grew up under his grandfather Henry’s strict tutelage.  Although underage, he voluntarily served four years with the Merchant Marines in the Great War. In 1920, he immigrated to America on the Baltic and made his way to his father in Cleveland.

Harry Baxter married Leatha Evans on May 27, 1925 in Cleveland. He started a plumbing business, which faltered during the Great Depression. He later operated Baxter Fuel & Supply Company, supplying coal to homes and businesses in Garrettsville, Ohio. Harry died after a brief illness at the age of 50 on September 19, 1950, leaving his wife and daughter. Leatha remarried and lived to be 92 years old. 

Research Questions:

• Who were the parents of Henry Baxter?
• When and in what town was Henry Baxter born?
• Who were the parents of Elizabeth Cleeland?
• When and where was Elizabeth Cleeland born?
• When (in Belfast) did Elizabeth Cleeland Baxter die?

Note: while sources are not provided here due to length, I have a fully sourced version of this that I'd be glad to send you. Just email me and ask. And if you have Baxter ancestors or are researching families in County Antrim, I'd love to hear from you!

Related Posts:

Tribute to an Irishman: Harry Baxter

Cruisin’ in the 1920’s

Robert Baxter of Cleveland

Tribute to an Irishman: Harry Baxter - Sunday's Obituary

Harry Baxter

Harry Baxter, who operated the Baxter Plumbing Co. in East Cleveland, and later the Mayfield Plumbing Co. in Cleveland Heights during his 11 years here, died yesterday in Garrettsville. He was 50.

         Mr. Baxter was born in Belfast, Ireland, and served four years in the British Royal Marines in World War I. At his death, he was head of the Baxter Coal & Supply Co.

         A resident of Garrettsville since 1931, Mr. Baxter was a past president of the Rotary Club there, a trustee of its Methodist Church and a member of its Chamber of Commerce. He was a member of the Garrettsville Masonic Lodge, the Lake Erie Consistory and Al Koran Shrine.

         Surviving are his wife, Leatha; a daughter, Mrs. Winifred Bishop of North Canton; his father, Robert C., now of Garrettsville, and two sisters, Mrs. Margaret Twigg of Cleveland Heights and Mrs. Nan Jones of Garrettsville.

         Services will be at 1:30 p.m. Friday in the Mallory Funeral Home, Garrettsville.

From unidentified clipping, collection of Winifred Bishop.

Harry Baxter was my husband’s grandfather. He was born August 26, 1900, in Belfast, and came to America after World War I. He married Leatha Evans in Cleveland, Ohio on May 27, 1925. Harry died unexpectedly on September 19, 1950. He never got to meet his grandson. But the simple epitaph on his obituary, “Gone But Not Forgotten,” speaks volumes.

Related Posts:

Cruisin’ in the 1920’s

Robert Baxter of Cleveland—Sunday’s Obituary

Robert Baxter of Cleveland - Sunday's Obituary

   ROBERT CLEELAND BAXTER

       Know to hundreds of patrons of the Cleveland Museum of Art, Robert Cleeland Baxter, who died Saturday night at the home of a daughter, Mrs. Margaret Twigg, 900 Vineshire Rd., Cleveland Heights, had been a guard and stationary engineer at the Museum 25 years. Services will be Tuesday, 1 p. m. at the Merle Owen & Son Funeral Home, 16049 Euclid Ave., East Cleveland. Burial will be at Garrettsville, Ohio.

       Born in Belfast, Ireland, 82 years ago, Mr. Baxter was an engineer in the British Merchant Marine as a youth. He came to America in 1908, and worked in various parts of the country as a lumberjack and section foreman. In 1920, he came here, joining the Museum staff. He retired in 1945, and had made his home with a son, Harry Baxter, in Garretville (sic). His son died in 1950. He was a member of Welsh Westminster Presbyterian Church for 33 years.

        Surviving are another daughter, Mrs. Agnes Jones of Florida; seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. His wife, Mrs. Annie Gawne Flack Baxter, died shortly after his retirement from the Museum.

My mother-in-law gave me this unidentified newspaper clipping, probably snipped out of a Cleveland area paper. Robert Baxter was her paternal grandfather. Robert was the son of Henry Baxter and Elizabeth Cleeland, from whom he received his unusual middle name. Born September 28, 1874 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, he married Annie Flack in Belfast in 1896. As the obituary states, he immigrated to America in 1908, but she didn’t come over with their children until 1921. I can’t help but wonder why they stayed apart so many years, although I realize overseas travel was extremely risky during the Great War. My mother-in-law lived with her grandparents during the Depression and remembers him working as a guard at the Cleveland Art Museum. Robert died October 22, 1955 in Cleveland.

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Cruisin' in the 1920's

Cruisin' in the 1920's - (Almost) Wordless Wednesday

Oh, to be young in the summertime and have a car! This picture, taken in the mid-1920’s, shows Harry Baxter, his sister Agnes “Nan” Baxter (in the middle), and Leatha Evans (left)—probably around the time she became Harry’s wife. Harry, an Irish immigrant, and Leatha, whose family came from Wales, were married on May 27, 1925 in Cleveland, Ohio. They were my husband's grandparents. I know the quality of this photo isn’t the greatest—I think it's a copy of a copy of a copy—but I’m glad to have it. Harry looks like quite the scamp, doesn’t he? And don’t you just love those 1920’s dresses? Can't help but wonder what they were up to that day!