A story that only a census could tell.

Today I found the 1940 census for my Great Grandfather Dale Curtis Capehart. This was exciting for me, because this is one ancestor whom I know the least about. I can trace my Capehart (Gebhardt) ancestry, but when it comes to life stories I really only have a few for him and he is only my great grandfather. I knew that this family was very desolate until Dale managed to get a job as a certified electrician at Crucible Steel in Midland. Since he had been certified and took the position, his family (his son Charles Robert Capehart being my maternal grandfather) then took a better turn for life and could live (not just survive).

Well, I knew that story and a few other things that my pap Charles told me about Dale. This census I found today though opens up so many ideas and adds to his story. (From the Census) In 1940, Dale is listed as being a “Miner” for a “coal co.”. This was exciting, because none of us (my family) were aware or ever heard stories of this employment. The Census lists my grandfather as being three years of age, so of course was too young to remember and thus tell the stories ~ and I am not too certain that the two remaining siblings of my grandfather would remember either (since one was a child and another was not even born yet). Before I continue I want to mention two other very interesting points mentioned in this census.

As I continued to gander as this record I was pleased to notice that it did not only mention how much it cost to rent their home, but how much he made as a miner in a listed period of time. Dale Capehart along with his wife Iris Jean (Walter) and their five children (from what I know) lived on a homestead that belonged to an uncle of the family. Although his farm was huge in acreage, they only had a small section of it on the far side for their use and home. You can walk to the old homestead from Beaver Creek State Park in Columbiana County, Ohio.

Now I am interesting in figuring out where he worked as a miner. I am assuming since they could not afford to commute or travel, he probably worked at a mine that supported a local village or small bygone town probably in the area of Beaver Creek or his homestead. Lots of lost and vanished communities in that area alone, but hard to tell what was still standing in the 40’s. Will definitely be doing more research, and sharing my findings.

It is stories like this of Dale's (which I am only starting to uncover) that really bring light to our ancestors ~ not only allowing us to put ourselves in their shoes, but to live by their example and learn from their own unique personal experiences.