History
Old House Society Member James Snow has compiled the following history of the Cantine Family; the first owners of the house which is now occupied by our Education Center. Jim is continuing to research missing details of the family's history. We hope the clues uncovered by this research will inform both our Archaeology and Restoration projects.
If you have any information on the Cantine Family who lived in Bloomington, Illinois from approximately 1880 through 1900, please contact us (info@oldhousesociety.org). Or, if you would like to help us with historical research, email us (volunteer@oldhousesociety.org) for more information.
The Cantine Family History
By James Snow
The earliest available information on the Cantine Family was found in the U.S. Federal Census of 1840. This indicated that the patriarch of the family was Alanson Cantine who was born in 1806 in New York State. His wife Rosanne was born about 1813, also in New York .They had moved to Michigan prior to 1838, settling on a farm in Emmett Township, Calhoun County, Michigan. In 1838 their first son, Charles Edward, was born followed by another son, Lewis Henry, in 1843. The family was in this location at a minimum from 1838 through 1850, as evidenced by the US Censuses for those years.
The 1860 Census was missing almost all Cantine family members so it was impossible to determine their whereabouts at that time.
Charles Edward Cantine
Although most of the family was missing from the 1860 Census there was a reference to Charles Edward found. First, he was mentioned as being in the 1860 Census even though his name could not be found in the actual Census. This reference indicated he was living in Oakland County, Michigan. Second, he was identified in the "Oakland County, Michigan Vital Records. 1800-1917" indicating that he married Helen Scott Wallace in 1860. This event occurred in 1860 in Bloomfield Hills, Oakland County, Michigan where she had been born in 1840. By 1870 Charles and Helen were living in Monroe Township, Daviess County, Missouri as evidenced by the Census of that year. With them were son Edward Ike, born in 1864 in Michigan and daughter Kate, born in 1868, also in Michigan. This would suggest they made the move to Missouri after Kate's birth in 1868 and before the 1870 Census.
The 1880 Census shows the family living in Bloomington, Mclean County, Illinois without the mother Helen. No records could be found of her death or other reason for her departure. The 1880 Census indicated that son George who had been born in Missouri in 1873, suggesting the mother may have died (or left) after that time. An interesting document was discovered that may have contributed in some way to the family's relocation to Illinois, although this is purely speculative. Charles E. Cantine was listed on a Land Tax Delinquent List for Daviess County Missouri for the period 1865 to 1873. This was published in the edition of the Gallatin Democrat dated June 25, 1874. The County Board authorized the County Treasurer to partition the court requesting a real property sale "sufficient to satisfy the amount of taxes, penalties, and interest due" of all parties listed as being delinquent. It would be interesting to know if a reduction in property, or loss of property resulting from this delinquency did in fact contribute in some way to the family’s relocation to Illinois. It also suggests that the move from Missouri to Bloomington was made after 1874, the date of the delinquent tax notice, and before 1880 when the Census showed them living in Bloomington.
Also interesting was the fact that Charles' mother Rosanne was living
with them in Bloomington in 1880. This suggests that Alanson, Charles'
father, had probably died. As often happened in those days, surviving
parents would live out their life with their children. Rosanne was still
living with Charles' in 1900 but was missing in 1910, suggesting she died
sometime during that decade.
She would have been in her nineties at that time.
Unfortunately, the 1890 Census records for the majority of the United States were destroyed by fire leaving a gap in the chronology. Skipping ahead to the 1900 Census we find Charles and family living in Lopez, San Juan County, Washington. This is the first record found which indicates that Charles had married for the second time. His second wife’s name was Matilda and records in Bloomington indicate they were probably married some time in the mid 1880s. By 1900 the children had left home but, as mentioned above, Rosanne the mother was still living with them
It is interesting to note that Charles, while living in Michigan, Missouri and later in Washington, listed his occupation as "farmer". But in the 1880 and 1910 Censuses he listed himself as a "carpenter" and/or "contractor". One wonders where his carpentry skills were learned.
The last census that identified Charles was 1910. He and Matilda were then living in Washington Boro, Warren County, New Jersey. He listed himself as a "retired Contractor." He was 73 years old and she was 72 at the time. This is the last census in which either appeared suggesting their deaths occurred sometime during the decade of 1910-1920. No data were found to substantiate this assumption.
Lewis Henry Cantine
Lewis was a brother to Charles Edward and was born in 1844 while the family was living in Emmett, Calhoun County, Michigan. The "Oakland County, Michigan Vital Records, 1800-1917" indicate that he was born in Oakland County and his residence was Bloomfield Hills. It is unclear why this discrepancy exists. He was shown living with the family in Emmett in 1850, according to the Census of that year. There were no records for him found in 1860 or 1870 but in 1880 he was located in Navarro, Texas.
He had married a woman named Nettie who was born in Michigan about 1848. They had a daughter named Carrie who had been born in Michigan in about 1864, suggesting they moved to Texas sometime after 1864 and before 1880.
Skipping ahead to 1900, Lewis and Nettie were located in New Orleans living with Carrie and her husband Rich Everhard. Rich was born in Louisiana on March 6, 1858 and died April 1, 1924 in St. Tammany Parish. They were married, probably in Texas, in about 1880. Rich and Carrie had two children born in Texas: son Rich was born in 1891 and son Lewis in 1885. These dates suggest the move from Texas to New Orleans occurred between 1891 and 1900.
In 1910, Lewis and Nettie were living in St. Tammany Parish, New Orleans by themselves. Lewis died in that location on August 17, 1916. In 1920, Nettie was again living with her daughter and son-in-law in New Orleans. Her death was recorded in St. Tammany Parish on April 11, 1828.
Edward Ike Cantine
Edward Ike was the eldest of Charles' three children. Born in Birmingham, Michigan on January 20, 1864, he moved to Missouri and then to Bloomington with the family. He was schooled in Bloomington and degreed in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois. He must have joined his family in the Lopez, San Juan, Washington area during the 1890s as he married his first wife, Anna Warren, there on October 18, 1894. He began working for railroads sometime during this period and was living in Montana during the mid 1890s. It was in Helena that Anna died on January 5, 1897 of un-determined causes. The 1900 Census finds him living as a "roomer" in Billings, Montana and still working for the railroad.
Somewhere along the way he met Etta Robinson who was born in 1868 in Iowa. They were married in Cedar Falls, Iowa on August 7, 1901. The 1910 Census found them living in Essex County, New Jersey with three children: Charles Edward born in 1906; Thomas R. born in, 1908; and Helen Margaret born in 1904, all in New Jersey. This suggests that shortly after their marriage they located to New Jersey. He was still employed by a railroad.
By 1920 the family was found living in Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon. He continued as a Civil Engineer working for a railroad. In 1930, they were still in Portland and the only child remaining at home was the youngest, Thomas. Edward and Etta lived out their lives in Portland with her dying on July 16, 1942 and him dying on November 20, 1950. He would have been 86 years of age.
Little has been found on Edward and Etta's three children: Charles, Helen and Thomas. The 1930 Census shows a Helen "Scott" Cantine living in New York City and working for a Social Service Organization. The statistics of age, parents’ birth locations, etc. indicate this is probably Edward's daughter, although her given middle name is Margaret, not "Scott" as indicated in the Census. It is interesting because "Scott" was her Grandmothers middle name and one wonders if she was using that for some reason.
There was a possible finding of Charles E. Cantine in the 1930 Census. He was shown living in Babylon, New York working as a Draftsman. There was a Social Security Death Record for a Charles Cantine who died in South Salem, New York in November 1977. The surrounding statistics suggest this is Edward Ike's son but it is not for certain.
Nothing has been found on Thomas.
Charles' Other Children
Nothing has been found on Kate or George. They were living with the family in Bloomington in 1880 when they were 12 and 16 years of age, respectively. By the time the family was found in 1900 in the State of Washington both children had left. No trace has been found of either of them.
Conclusion
In summary, I find it interesting to note the mobility of this family. The family's origins were in New York prior to migrating to Michigan during a period of extensive movement to the West The second generation was even more rootless with Charles leaving Michigan for Missouri, then on to Illinois, westward to the State of Washington on the West Coast and ending up on the East Coast in New Jersey. His brother Lewis Henry left Michigan for Texas and ended up in Louisiana. The third generation as evidenced by Edward Ike was even more mobile. He was born in Michigan, moved to Missouri, onward to Illinois, then to Washington State, Montana, New Jersey, and finally to Oregon. Without having tracked them thoroughly, the fourth generation seemed to have a rootless ness in their veins as well.
A very interesting family.