Thursday, February 23, 2012

Where was "Auntie" Ferguson's Cabin? - Part 2


Yesterday I concluded that "Auntie" Ferguson lived somewhere along that stretch of Globeville Road that extended out from the end of Dexter Street.

Backing up that conclusion is this listing (above) from the 1903 Lorain City Directory. (Click on it for a larger view.) It lists both "Mrs. Kitty Ferguson" as well as "David Ferguson" as living on Globeville Road. (You might remember from "Auntie" Ferguson's obituary that her son David lived with her.)

I was unable to find any other listing of "Auntie" Ferguson in the two available pre-1900 city directories. I did find a David Ferguson listed as a teamster in the 1912 directory, then living at 217 Florida Avenue. But after that, I could find no other possible listings of any of "Auntie's" children. So I'm afraid I hit a dead end in that regard.

"Auntie" Ferguson lived "beyond the gas works" according to one of her obituaries. The brick building for the former gas works is still there on E. 21st Street, next to the Access Road for the Henderson Bridge. (However, I'm not sure if the building dates back to "Auntie's" time or not – it might be a newer one.)

Here is what the building looks like today.

Looking east on E. 21st Street
And here is the "now" map showing the general area where Auntie's cabin was located, east of where the Access Road meets E. 21st Street.


2012 Map

And here is the full view looking east down E. 21st Street where it trails onto the grounds of Republic Steel. It's hard to believe that more than a hundred years ago, this was Globeville Road, leading to "Auntie" Ferguson's cabin.



And here's an aerial view, showing how this area relates to the whole steel mill complex. (Click on this and all of the graphics for a larger view.)




As time goes on, I'll keep my eyes open for any other information on "Auntie" Ferguson. (Thanks again to Dennis and Drew for their help!)