Jablon, Lutenberg, Litzburg

I'm imagining that the towns mentioned in the title are Prussian, although they or their iterations are probably called German or Polish today.

I"m interested in Lutenberg, Litzburg, and Jablon as they were from about 1850 to about 1900 because I believe that I had relatives in that area thinking about moving to the U. S. Those relatives surnames included: Daniels, Danielewski, Goczwelski, Miller, and Zgozelski.

~ I'd like to be able to see the geographic location and relative positions on a map.

~ I'd like to see maps of that area showing political changes from 1850 to the present day.

~ I'd to know the spelling and pronunciation of these towns in the Language of the Poles, Germans, and Prussians living there.

Please email me or leave comments here to tell me anything you may know about "Litzburg," "Lutenberg," and "Jablon" and their history that you can.
I'd also be very interested in persons with the surnames mentioned above who lived in or near the three places I have mentioned.

Why Octopus?

I like historical novels in which there is an adventurous hero with whom I may enjoy identifying. I've gotten a useful feel for other times and places from such works. Many lesson of great use to us here and now may be found in them.

Even historical novels without heroes easy for me to identify with have been enlightening pleasures to read. One such novel which helped me to a better understanding of important aspects of the history of California with its lessons in economics and personal power from just after the advent of statehood to shortly after our Civil War, is The Octopus. In fact, this novel by Frank Norris does much to help one find lessons in our history during the period 1870 - 1900 in particular.

As you read the novel you may find it useful to remember that:
~ in 1848 gold was discovered near Sacramento,
~ the following year the 49ers came,
~ in 1850 California was admitted as a free state,
~ in 1853 the U.S. made the Gadsden Purchase to provide a southern route to California,
~ Wheat(a crop valuable enough for Rome to invade Egypt)was grown in Tulare county from about 1855,
~ in 1856 wheat was regularly quoted on the market reports in NY.
~ after 1860 California became one of the world's largest exporters of wheat,
~ in 1861 the Central Pacific R.R. was organized under the incorporation law of California(to learn more check names like Stanford, Huntington, and Crocker in your history book),
~ in 1862 the Union congress created the Union Pacific R.R,
~ in 1867 labor unions began to form in the state,
~ in 1869 the transcontinental R. R. became a fact.

I hope to continue this discussion in the future.
Your Librarian will find the novel for you.

Mary J.

Martin Carroll was born in Ireland in about 1810 and had a daughter by the name of Mary J. Carroll. Mary J. was born in that country in 1840.
Mago William Sheehan, my most distant know paternal ancestor, married Mary J. Carroll in Des Moines county Iowa of the US in 1860. They liked round numbers in those days.

What was going on in the world in that half century between 1810 and 1860? 'Everything' you might say. Let's look at some samples:

On a day in 1840 Britain, Russia, Prussia, and Austria agreed to limit Egyptian expansion.

In 1846 the "Potato Famine" was reaching its height. About a million Irish men, women, and children would die in that famine by 1851. A million was a lot in those days.
In 1848 'Insurrection" in Tipperary, Ireland was put down. Can you sing "Its a long way to Tipperary?" In that same year the US gained much of California and New Mexico in the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.

During this same period Ralph Waldo Emerson, the America philosopher, wrote; Abraham Lincoln was getting his pre-civil War experience; Charles Darwin was getting his education: Henry David Thoreau also wrote; the fine great human being William James lived; and Robert Louis Stevenson began his education.

1811 & 1812 was the time of the tremendous New Madrid earthquakes in Missouri, Tennessee, and beyond. In 1812 earthquakes and after shocks were felt in California that were strong enough for the priests at Buenaventura and Capistrano to call it dreadful. The earth was hotter than usual during this Period. In 1815 and enormous hurricane crossed New England.

In 1824 Missoin Rancho San Gorgonio was established as an extension of Mission San Gabriel Archangle. Romo K. was a decedent of "Mission Indians" of that extension.

In 1825-26 Kit Carson traveled California and Arizona. Someone usually suffer around kits travels, others benefited.

In 1827 organized carpenters in Philadelphia won a ten hour work day. In 1826 Ebenezer Frod, a NY carpenter was the first trade unionist elected to public office. On February 5th of 1830 the first daily labor paper in the US was published.

In 1831 desert Indians attack San Bernardina, California and do so again in1843.
Also in 1831, stars fell in Alabama and on the Great Plains where "night became like day."
Do you remember the song "Stars Fell on Alabama?"

In 1837 Michigan became a state. In 1847 Lancing became Capital of Michigan, succeeding Detroit.

January 27th 1850 Samuel Gompers was born.

!853 the Gadsden Purchase treaty between USA and Mexico.

In November of 1855 Eugene Debs was born.
1857 large earthquake in the Fort Tejon area of California.

1858 Irish emigrants in the US found the Fenian society.

Mago William Sheehan

I believe that the given name Mago has been fairly common in southern Ireland from time to time. It was also known among the Phoenicians throughout the Carthaginian period.

It was the name of my paternal great grandfather. Thanks to the research of my sister, Gerry Hook, I know enough about him to want to know more. His full name was Mago William Sheehan.
I like to think of him as Mago Bill. This particular Mago was born in Ireland, perhaps on the Dingle penninsula, about 1839. He died on April 5th 1902 in Des Moines, Iowa. But before he did, he married Mary J. Carroll in Des Moines on November 27th of 1860.

Mary J. was born in Ireland in about 1841. Her father was Martin Carroll who was born in Ireland, probably in county Kerry, about 1810. Her mother, Margaret, was born in Ireland about 1813. Martin left Ireland in about 1850 and arrived in Burlington, Iowa in 1852. Mary had sisters: Bridget 1843 - 1910, married Daniel Madden; Julia 1848 - 1932, married Edward Mackin.

Mago William Sheehan arrive in Burlington, Iowa in about 1850. He and Mary had nine children:
James W. 1861 - 1920, married Letticia Srafford;
Margaret C. 1863 - 1931, married James Cornelius Sheahan;
John B. 1866 - 1929, married Marie Timmins;
Thomas F. born 1868;
Martin born 1870, died between 1880 & 1885;
Catherine/Kate born 1872, married E. W. Osborn;
Edward Michael 1876 - 1929, married Zoa Paschel & Mary Goetz;
Robert Emmet 1880 - 1957, married Adelaide Gora Smith;
Joseph Carroll, born on August 26th of 1884 in Des Moines, Married Josephine Sophia Helwik on January 16th of 1907.

Joseph Carroll Sheehan was my grandfather.

I've recounted all this in hope that you or another reader of these words can add to what I know about Mago William Sheehan, his wife, his children and their spouse, or perhaps Mago's parents.

I will be very grateful for any information you may be able to provide. You may add your comments or questions right here or you can email me at richardsheehan@rocketmail.

Cahuilla Homeland

European history in and around what I earlier called the Cahuilla homeland was well begun by 1750. The Spaniards had begun relationships with some native peoples by the mid-1600s! In 1769 when Spain began systematic establishment of missionary and defensive outposts in California and sent expeditions by sea and y land up the peninsula of Lower California, a sequence of events was begun which led to happenings I hope to write more of.

I have begun to look at some of happenings relating to the experiences of certain Spaniards and persons of Spanish heritage from about say 1750 to about 1850 in the region of the Cahuilla homeland.

It was during this time that peoples of many tribes began to learn to communicate in Spanish and learn about Europeans. At the same time the Spanish began to learn much about the Native Peoples.

During this same period people like the Hoopa were already speaking Russian and adopting Russian names. Starting in the Aleutians and Alaska the Russian were trading and trapping well south of their fort near what was to become San Francisco.

Interesting times for Native Peoples.