Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Genealogy News Bytes - Week of 18 to 24 June 2025

 Welcome to Genealogy News Bytes, posted on Tuesday afternoon for the past week, where we try to highlight the most important genealogy and family history news  items that came across our desktop since the last issue.    


1)  Genealogy and Family History News Articles:
















2)  DNA/IGG-Related News Articles


Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.  
Note that all comments are moderated, and may not appear immediately.

Subscribe to receive a free daily email from Genea-Musings using www.Blogtrottr.com. 

"Austin and Della Life Stories - Part 4: Second Chances" - AI-assisted Historical Fiction

 My great-grandparents Henry Austin Carringer (1853-1946) and Abbey Ardelle "Della" Smith (1862-1944) married on 11 September 1887 in Wano, Cheyenne County, Kansas.  I told their life stories in ABC Biography of #12 Henry Austin Carringer (1853-1946) of Pennsylvania, Iowa, Colorado and California and ABC Biography of #13 Abbey Ardelle "Della" (Smith) Carringer (1862-1944) of Wisconsin, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, and California based on my genealogical and family history research over 38 years.

I don't have any "family stories" about their early life except what is in the records I have from family sources, books and periodicals, and online record collections.  Fortunately, I have Della's scrapbook, my grandfather's photo collection,  and a number of records about their life in San Diego.  

This is a series of short stories.  The earlier stories are:

This is Part 4, courtesy of Anthropic Claude Sonnet 4 (lightly edited for accuracy):  

Second Chances

The Story of Lyle Lawrence Carringer and the Future

A New Beginning

The November fog hung thick over San Diego Bay on the morning of November 2nd, 1891, when Della's labor began at their home on 16th and Market Street. Austin had barely slept for weeks, his anxiety growing as Della's time approached. The loss of Devier still haunted their dreams, making this pregnancy both a blessing and a source of constant worry.

"Austin, stop pacing and come hold my hand," Della said gently, though her own voice trembled with a mixture of anticipation and fear. "Our baby is coming, and I need you here with me."

Abbie Smith had arrived from Nebraska a full month early this time, determined not to miss the birth of her second grandchild. At sixty-two, she moved with the confidence of a woman who had helped bring many children into the world, but her eyes held the same protective concern that had marked the family since Devier's death.

"This one's strong," Abbie murmured as she examined Della. "I can tell already. Strong and eager to meet his parents."

When their son arrived just after noon, filling the house with healthy, vigorous cries, both Austin and Della wept with relief. He was larger than Devier had been, with powerful lungs and a grip that could hold Austin's finger tight.

"Lyle Lawrence," Della whispered, studying his face through her tears. "Lyle for the island, Lawrence for the laurel of victory. You're our little victor, aren't you, sweetheart?"

Austin could barely speak. "He's perfect, Della. Just perfect."

Protective Love

The months that followed were marked by a protective vigilance that bordered on obsession. Every cough, every sneeze, every moment of fussiness sent Austin or Della into quiet panic. They took turns checking on Lyle throughout the night, their hands hovering over his chest to ensure he was still breathing.

"We can't live in fear," Della told Austin one evening as they watched their three-month-old son sleeping peacefully in his cradle. "But I can't help it. Every time I look at him, I see Devier too."

Austin nodded grimly. His work at Russ Mill and Lumber Company on the waterfront kept him busy, but his thoughts were never far from home. He'd grown skilled at mill work, helping process the lumber that built San Diego's growing neighborhoods, but he'd rush home every lunch hour just to hold his son.

Their letters to Austin's family in Colorado reflected both their joy and their anxiety:

Dearest Father and Mother, Austin wrote in March 1892, Lyle continues to thrive, though we watch him like hawks. He has begun to smile and coo, and yesterday he laughed when I made faces at him. Della says he has your eyes, Mother, bright and intelligent. The doctor says he's growing well and strong. 


(Lyle Lawrence Carringer - ca 1894 - San Diego CA, from family sources, 
colorized by MyHeritage tools)

Growing Prosperity

By 1893, Austin's steady work and Della's frugal management had allowed them to move to a larger house at 28th Street and Logan Avenue. The growing family - Lyle was now a sturdy toddler - needed more space, and Austin had dreams of building something grander still.

Della had resumed her artistic pursuits, teaching piano and painting lessons to supplement their income. Her natural talent and refined education made her popular among San Diego's growing middle class.

"Mrs. Carringer," young Margaret Phillips said after a particularly challenging piano lesson, "you make the music sound like stories. How do you do that?"

Della smiled, remembering her theatrical days. "Every song has a story to tell, dear. You just have to listen for it."

The 1895 family photograph, taken in front of Abbie's hat shop nearby, captured a moment of prosperity and happiness. Little Lyle, now nearly four, sat proudly in his toy wagon, while Austin stood beside his new bicycle - a symbol of the family's rising fortunes. Abbie Smith beamed beside her grandson, Austin's brother Edgar, who had come west to join the family business, and Della looking at Austin, completed the group.

"Hold still, Lyle," Austin called as the photographer prepared his camera. "Show everyone what a big boy you are."

"I'm the biggest boy in San Diego!" Lyle declared, causing the adults to laugh and spoiling the formal pose the photographer had arranged.


(Austin, Abbie, Edgar, Lyle and Della in about 1895 in San Diego, from family sources,
 colorized by ChatGPT4)

Building Dreams

The real transformation began in 1894 when Austin and Della made a bold decision that would change their lives forever. Using money they'd saved, she purchased nine lots in Block 61 of Seaman and Choate's Addition for $450 - a substantial investment that represented their faith in San Diego's future.

"Brooklyn Heights," she told Austin excitedly, spreading the plat map across their kitchen table. "It's going to be one of the finest neighborhoods in the city. The lots are bounded by Ella Street, Watkins Avenue, and Fern Street. Just think what we could build there!"

Austin studied the map, his carpenter's eye already envisioning possibilities. "It's a good location, high ground with views of the bay. But Della, building a house... that's a big undertaking."

"You built railroad stations and freight cars," she replied confidently. "Surely you can build us a proper home."

By 1895, Della had established her art studio at 29th and Logan, teaching painting and piano to the daughters of San Diego's prosperous families. Her reputation grew, and with it, their income. The studio was a bright, airy space filled with easels, sheet music, and the chatter of eager students.

"Mrs. Carringer," her student Emily Watson asked one afternoon, "why did you leave Nebraska to come here?"

"For love," Della replied simply, mixing colors on her palette. "Sometimes love takes you to places you never imagined."

The Victorian Dream

In June 1897, the San Diego Union announced: "Building permits were issued yesterday to Della A. Carringer for a $600 residence on Watkins avenue and Thirtieth street." Austin had been planning and preparing for months, drawing detailed blueprints during his evenings at the mill.

The two-story Victorian house that rose on the southwestern corner of the block was Austin's masterpiece. Facing Watkins Street (later renamed Hawthorn), it featured a wraparound porch, ornate gingerbread trim, and bay windows that caught the morning light. Inside, there were separate parlors for Della's music and art lessons, a modern kitchen, and upstairs bedrooms with views of downtown San Diego and the bay beyond.

"Papa, are we rich now?" six-year-old Lyle asked as they moved into their grand new home.

Austin lifted his son to his shoulders so he could see out the upstairs windows. "We're blessed, son. Very blessed indeed."

Family Gathered

The photograph taken around 1900 captured the full flowering of their California dream. Standing in front of their Victorian home were three generations of Carringers: Austin's parents, D.J. and Rebecca, who had finally made the journey west; Austin's brother Edgar, now a permanent resident of San Diego; Della's mother Abbie, a frequent visitor; and at the center, Austin, Della, and nine-year-old Lyle.

Their horse, a gentle mare named Belle, stood patiently in the background. The horse-drawn surrey parked beside the house had become essential for family life, carrying them and their neighbors to the streetcar line at 16th and Broadway for trips downtown.


(Austin and Della's home in San Diego in about 1900, from family sources, 
colorized by MyHeritage tools)

"Everyone smile," Austin called out, having set up the camera with a timer mechanism. "This is for posterity!"

As he rushed to take his place beside Della, their eyes met with the understanding of all they had survived and achieved. From the prairie theaters of Kansas to the devastating loss of their first child, from their twenty-dollar honeymoon to this moment of prosperity and family harmony, they had built something lasting and beautiful.

Lyle, now a confident boy with his father's steady hands and his mother's artistic eye, represented their greatest achievement. He was not just their surviving child, but their triumph over grief, their proof that love and determination could overcome even the deepest sorrows.

"Look at what we've built," Della whispered to Austin as the camera captured their moment.

"Look at what we've become," he replied, his arm around her waist as their family and friends gathered close.

The boy who had arrived on that foggy November morning in 1891 was now the center of a thriving family enterprise. Their protective love had not made him fragile but strong, their hard work had given him opportunities they'd never dreamed of, and their faith had created a foundation that would support generations to come.

In the distance, the whistle of a Santa Fe train echoed across the city, reminding them of the journey that had brought them here. But this was home now, this Victorian house in Brooklyn Heights, this life they had crafted with their own hands and hearts in the golden promise of California.

I can imagine the concern, excitement and joy of the birth of another child after losing the first child.  I understand trying to get ahead - buying land, building a house, starting a small business -  and seeing the rewards of their planning and hard work.

I want to believe the above fictional account is realistic, but it is historical fiction based on my family history research.  The account is touching and heartfelt.  

This is a series of fictional short stories (but based on actual events in their lives) about the lives of Austin and Della (Smith) Carringer.  Getting married in Kansas in 1887, the honeymoon trip to San Diego, raising a family, owning and building their own house, their son marrying, having a grandchild, and living out their lives for almost 60 more years! 

==============================================

Links to my blog posts about using Artificial Intelligence are on my Randy's AI and Genealogy page.  Links to AI information and articles about Artificial Intelligence in Genealogy by other genealogists are on my AI and Genealogy Compendium page.

Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver


Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.  Please note that all comments are moderated, and may not appear immediately.

Subscribe to receive a free daily email from Genea-Musings using www.Blogtrottr.com.

Ask AI: "Please Describe This House in San Diego"

 I have always wondered about the design of the house I grew up in on 30th Street.  I knew that my great-grandparents built it in 1897, and that it was moved and modified -- they removed most of the first floor porch, added rooms on both the first and second floors, added a flat roof, and stuccoed the wood siding.  But what style was used for the original house?

I figured that the free AI tool ChatGPT4 could help me, so I uploaded a photo of the house (from about 1900) and said:  Please describe this house in San Diego at the northeast corner of what is now 30th Street and Hawthorn street.


 (Austin and Della Carringer house - about 1900 - San Diego, Calif. from family sources)

ChatGPT said:

This historic photograph depicts a two-story, wood-frame house at the northeast corner of 30th Street and Hawthorn Street in San Diego, likely taken around 1900. The architectural style is characteristic of late Victorian-era homes found in Southern California at the turn of the century. Here's a detailed description:

House Features

  • Structure: A two-story rectangular frame house with horizontal wood siding and a hip roof with gabled extensions.

  • Roof: The roof is steeply pitched, with multiple gables and ornate corner brackets under the eaves.

  • Windows: The upper-story windows are flat-topped and double-hung, flanked with simple yet elegant trim. Two corner windows are placed at 45-degree angles in small projecting bays.

  • Veranda: A full-width covered front porch wraps around the left side of the house, supported by slender posts. The porch features decorative spindlework frieze and brackets under the eaves, typical of Queen Anne influences.

  • Shingles: The upper portion of the first story just below the second-floor windows is clad with fish-scale shingles in a band, providing a decorative break from the horizontal siding.

  • Address Number: “2105” appears above the porch near the front entrance, confirming the address as 2105 30th Street, which matches the known location of Austin and Della Carringer’s home.

Landscape and Setting

  • The yard is modest but cultivated, with a small tree or sapling in the foreground and other plantings near the porch—possibly early landscaping attempts typical of newly developed lots in the then-growing neighborhood of North Park.

  • The house appears newly built or well-kept, suggesting this photo may have been taken not long after the family moved in around 1898.

People in the Photo

  • Six individuals are standing or seated in front of the house. Based on your earlier information, this may include Austin Carringer, his wife Della (Smith) Carringer, and other family members such as their son Lyle (born 1891), possibly Della’s mother Abbie Smith, and perhaps others like siblings or visiting relatives.

This house played a central role in the Carringer family's life for many decades. Over time, they expanded the home and added apartments, reflecting their deep roots and evolving needs in San Diego’s early suburban development.

Would you like a restored and colorized version of this image or a modern-day comparison of the location?

I said:  You got most of it right - the seated lady is Matie (Smith) Chenery, Della's sister, the standing lady is Abbie Smith, and the man on the far left is Harvey Edgar Carringer, Austin's brother. Here is another view of the house with more people. Does it change the house description?


(Austin and Della Carringer house - about 1900 - San Diego, Calif. from family sources)

ChatGPT said:

Thank you for sharing this second, clearer view of the house! This beautifully preserved photo—with more people, a better angle, and improved clarity—offers additional details that confirm and enrich the earlier description. Here's an updated architectural and historical summary of the house and setting:


🏡 Updated Description of the Carringer Home at 2105 30th Street, San Diego (c. 1900)

Architecture

  • Style: Queen Anne-influenced vernacular Victorian with simplified ornamentation.

  • Structure: Two stories with a hip roof and projecting gables on each side.

  • Porch:

    • Full-width wraparound veranda on the south and west sides (facing Hawthorn and 30th Streets).

    • Turned posts and decorative spandrels between them—more clearly visible in this photo—enhance the light Victorian touch.

    • The porch roof is topped with fish-scale shingles in a horizontal band around the house between floors.

  • Windows:

    • Symmetrical flat-topped sash windows.

    • Prominent angled bay windows on both visible upper-story corners, each with decorative corbels underneath.

  • Roof Detail:

    • This photo shows a railed widow’s walk or viewing platform at the roof center—likely decorative, but also functional for ventilation or aesthetics.

    • A roof-mounted finial or lightning rod is visible, indicating both style and utility.

Lot and Landscaping

  • More of the corner lot is visible, with:

    • A formal front garden of shrubs, flowers, and neatly laid-out vegetable beds.

    • Young fruit trees or ornamental trees, possibly fig or citrus, common in early 20th-century San Diego.

    • The garden is bordered by a wire fence with wooden posts, enclosing the domestic landscape.

    • A horse-drawn buggy is parked to the left, affirming the rural character of the area at the time.


👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family Members in the Photo

Thanks to your information and the clearer image, we can identify several individuals:

  • H.A. Carringer (Henry Austin), likely the man front and center in the suit.

  • Della (Smith) Carringer, possibly to his right or on the porch.

  • Abbie (Vaux) Smith, Della's mother, standing upright near the porch, older in appearance.

  • Matie (Smith) Chenery, Della’s sister, may be seated or closer to the left.

  • Lyle Carringer, the young boy born in 1891, likely the child with the woman near the buggy.

  • Harvey Edgar Carringer, Austin’s brother, might again be near the foliage or to the far right.

  • Others: Could include neighbors, extended relatives, or family friends.


🏙️ Context

This house was built in 1898 by Austin Carringer and became the longtime residence of the Carringer family in San Diego’s Brooklyn Heights (now part of North Park or Golden Hill) area. It stood at what is now 2105 30th Street, facing west toward downtown and the bay.

The home was later remodeled and moved slightly on the lot in the 1920s to accommodate additional apartments at 2115 and 2119 30th Street.


Would you like a digitally restored or colorized version of either image? I can also create a modern re-imagining or overlay this house onto a current map for historical comparison.

I said:  I would love a colorized version of each image if you can do that. If you can do only one, pelase do the second image.

ChatGPT said:


(Austin and Della Carringer house - about 1900 - San Diego, Calif., colorized by AI ChatGPT4)

Well, that doesn't look right, does it?  It took my grandfather Lyle away and made his mother Della and Austin look much younger.  ChatGPT4 did not identify three persons on the right, who are my 2nd great-grandparents.  I love the colors, though!  Maybe I can ask ChatGPT4 to fix it?  Or do I have to live with the "Photo with the missing grandfather?"  Sometimes the AI tools don't replicate the photograph well. 

I love the house description.  I've always wondered if I should call it a Victorian house.  My mother said it was a Gingerbread Victorian house.  I can't find any similar photos of the house on Google Images or in the Sears Catalogs of the 1890s.  It's possible that my great-grandfather Austin Carringer designed and built it himself. 

Note that I did not identify the people in the first photograph and ChatGPT4 used what it know about my ancestry from earlier prompts and identified some of the people.  I helped when I added the second photograph.  I should have uploaded the two photos together, I guess.  

==============================================

Links to my blog posts about using Artificial Intelligence are on my Randy's AI and Genealogy page. Links to AI information and articles about Artificial Intelligence in Genealogy by other genealogists are on my AI and Genealogy Compendium page.

Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver


Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.  Please note that all comments are moderated, and may not appear immediately.

Subscribe to receive a free daily email from Genea-Musings using www.Blogtrottr.com.  

Monday, June 23, 2025

Monday Memories: My High School Years, 1958-1961

I attended San Diego High School (“The Old Gray Castle”), at 12th Avenue and Russ Blvd. near downtown San Diego on the south edge of Balboa Park, from September 1958 to June 1961. I achieved a 3.68 GPA with no extra credit for Honors classes, ranking 32nd in my class of about 550. I made up for my lack of height and weight (I was 5 feet tall and 100 pounds at age 15, and got up to 5 feet 7 inches tall and about 125 pounds at age 18) and lack of social activities by working hard at my studies.

I loved my classes - even gym. I excelled in math-oriented courses, from trigonometry to geometry to calculus. I took three years of Latin. Every year there was a different science class - from biology to chemistry to physics. English literature and writing, history, and social studies courses rounded out the curriculum over the three years. I learned a lot!! And gym every semester - my favorites were handball, tennis and baseball but not the contact sports (basketball, football, soccer) because of my lack of height and weight.

I rode the #2 bus from our home on 30th Street south to Beech, west to 28th, south to B, west to 25th, south to Broadway and then west to 12th Avenue. I always had a large three-ring binder and usually four books to tote to and from school.

My favorite teacher was Mrs. Johnsie Posey who was the Honors math teacher for my three years. What a great foundation for engineering work, although I never found a use for imaginary numbers! My second favorite teacher was my chemistry teacher, J.O. Peterson, who pretty much gave us free reign to try things in chemistry class laboratory - and have the class spent time trying to blow things up. I recall having to write an English paper on abortion. I know only a few words in Latin 63 years later.
The only social activity I enjoyed was attending the football games at Balboa Stadium - the San Diego High Cavemen had excellent football teams in those years. I was a member of several clubs each year but was not an officer in any of them. Looking at my 1961 yearbook, I see all of the events that I missed in my misspent youth.

Here is my yearbook entry in 1961:
True confessions - I could never do the Hully Gully. The rest is true.

I had friends/acquaintances in my classes, including several from elementary school and junior high school. I don’t recall ever having someone from my classes to my house, or going to their home. Our class President was Steve Johnson and I had several classes each year with him.

There was only one guy I hung out with after school. Paul was small like I was, so we paired up in gym and were the handball champions (because we were closer to the ground - we loved to hit low and on an angle). He had a jalopy and we rode all over San Diego north of Market Street and east of Pacific Highway with the radio blasting tuned to Radio KDEO. During the summer, we stole into the University Club downtown and played handball on their inside courts for members. He graduated the year before I did.

And then were the cheerleaders, the theater girls, the beautiful young ladies in class whom I never had the smarts or the guts to talk too. I wasn’t part of the “soshes” from Mission Hills and could only worship from afar. To be honest, I had very few social graces and was completely tongue-tied and shy in those years. The counselors tried to set me up with a really smart girl three inches taller than me for Senior Prom, but I declined. I hope Linda never knew about that (not “my” Linda)!

(Randy Seaver in 1961 in San Diego in the patio next to the trash can)

Yes, I survived, and the experience set me up for engineering classes at San Diego State and a 40 year career in aircraft engineering analysis and testing! Then I found a wonderful woman to be my wife nine years later.

I should look for my report cards. I think my father saved them! After all, I come from a gifted packrat family.

                        =============================================

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2025/06/monday-memories-my-high-school-years.html

Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post. Share it on X, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.  Please note that all comments are moderated and may not appear immediately. 

Subscribe to receive a free daily email from Genea-Musings using www.Blogtrottr.com.