Madness Monday - Of Course Her Name is Smith!

Let's talk about those cringe-worthy names we all dread seeing in our family trees - Smith, Jones, Johnson. You know the ones. Non-genealogists might wonder, "What's the big deal? It's just a name." Oh, if only they knew!

The moment you spot a Smith in your lineage, you can practically hear your research time multiplying. Suddenly, you're not just tracing your ancestor - you're sifting through an army of Smiths who inconveniently decided to be born, marry, live, and die in the exact same place and time as your elusive relative.

And when I say an army, I mean it. In the early 1900s, the top five common surnames - Smith, Johnson, Williams, Jones, and Brown - accounted for over 2.6 million Americans. Smith alone claimed about 1 million individuals! That's a whole lot of John Smiths and Mary Johnsons to sort through.

This staggering prevalence creates a genuine needle-in-a-haystack scenario for us genealogists. We're not just looking for one person – we're potentially sifting through thousands of individuals with the same name, often living in the same regions during the same time periods. Talk about complicated!

Even Ancestry.com throws in the towel with these names. Their AI takes one look at all those Smiths and goes, "Nope, you're on your own with this one, buddy." And can you blame it? When you're dealing with variations in spelling, nicknames, and the frequent reuse of given names within families, it's enough to make any algorithm cry uncle.

So buckle up, fellow family detectives. We're about to dive into the world of needle-in-a-haystack genealogy, where every Smith is a potential lead, and every record is a puzzle piece that might not even belong to your puzzle! It's a world where straightforward family history research transforms into a complex detective story, requiring meticulous attention to detail, cross-referencing of multiple sources, and often, a good deal of old-fashioned sleuthing to confidently connect the right individuals to our family trees.

Meet Mattie Smith

Mattie Smith was born in February 1883 in Indian Territory, which later became part of Oklahoma [1]. Her birthplace is consistently reported as Indian Territory or Oklahoma across multiple records [1][2][3].

Marriage

On March 24, 1900, at the age of 17, Mattie married Thomas Marion Elonzo Manning in Texanna, McIntosh, Oklahoma [3]. The marriage license and certificate confirm their union took place in the Northern District of Indian Territory [3].

Children

Mattie and Thomas had at least four children:

1. Carl Manning, born in 1904 in Oklahoma [2][4]
2. Ira Webster Manning, born on March 6, 1906, in Oklahoma [2][4]
3. Henry Lee Manning, born on July 6, 1908, in Hollis, Harmon County, Oklahoma [2][4]
4. Flora Mae Manning, born about 1910 in Oklahoma [4]

Death

Mattie Smith Manning passed away sometime between 1910 and 1919, at an age between 27 and 36 years old. This timeframe is based on the presence of her youngest daughter Flora Mae born about 1910 according to the 1920 census and Thomas Manning's remarriage by 1920 [4]. Childbirth was a common reason for a woman to die during child bearing years. Even Flora would die giving birth to her fifth child. It's very possible that Mattie died during child birth, either giving birth to Flora, or possibly another unknown child that did not survive.

Census Records Analysis

1900 United States Federal Census [1]

• Enumeration Date: June 10, 1900
• Location: Township 10, Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory
• Household:
  • Thomas Manning (Head), age 25, born Feb 1875 in Texas
    • Occupation: Farmer
    • Can read, write, and speak English
  • Mattie Manning (Wife), age 17, born Feb 1883 in Indian Territory
    • Can read, write, and speak English
    • Married for 0 years (married that same year)
    • No children yet
• Home: Rented farm
• Neighboring Smith Families: None listed on the same page

1910 United States Federal Census [2]

• Enumeration Date: April 15, 1910
• Location: Burton, McIntosh, Oklahoma
• Household:
  • Thomas M Manning (Head), age 35, born in Texas
    • Occupation: Farmer, General Farm
    • Can read and write
  • Mattie Manning (Wife), age 27, born in Oklahoma
    • No occupation listed
    • Can read and write
    • Married for 10 years
    • Mother of 3 children, all living
  • Carl Manning (Son), age 6, born in Oklahoma
  • Ira W Manning (Son), age 4, born in Oklahoma
  • Henry L Manning (Son), age 1 year 9 months, born in Oklahoma
• Home: Rented farm
• Neighboring Smith Families: None listed on the same page

1920 United States Federal Census [4]

• Enumeration Date: January 2, 1920
• Location: Township 4, Garvin County, Oklahoma
• Household:
  • Thomas M Manning (Head), age 45, born in Texas
    • Occupation: Farmer, General Farm
    • Can read and write
  • Elsie Manning (Wife), age 33, born in Arkansas
    • No occupation listed
    • Can read and write
  • Carl Manning (Son), age 15, born in Oklahoma
    • Occupation: Farm Laborer, Home Farm
    • Attended school
  • Ira Manning (Son), age 13, born in Oklahoma
    • Attended school
  • Henry Manning (Son), age 11, born in Oklahoma
    • Attended school
  • Flora M Manning (Daughter), age 10, born in Oklahoma
    • Attended school
  • Elbert Manning (Son), age 6 months, born in Oklahoma
• Home: Rented farm
• Neighboring Smith Families: None listed on the same page

Life Analysis

1. Economic Status:
   • The Manning family consistently rented their farms across all three censuses, suggesting they were tenant farmers.
   • Thomas Manning's occupation remained "Farmer" throughout, indicating stability in his profession.
2. Education and Literacy:
   • Both Mattie and Thomas were literate, able to read and write as per the 1900 and 1910 censuses.
   • All school-age children in the 1920 census were attending school, showing the family's commitment to education.
3. Family Growth:
   • The family grew from a newly married couple in 1900 to having three children by 1910.
   • By 1920, the older boys were contributing to the family farm, with Carl working as a farm laborer.
4. Migration:
   • The family moved from Indian Territory to Oklahoma between 1900 and 1910, likely due to Oklahoma achieving statehood in 1907.
   • Another move occurred between 1910 and 1920, from McIntosh County to Garvin County.
5. Mattie's Life:
   • Mattie married young at 17 and had her first child at 21.
   • She had at least 4 children in a span of about 6 years (1904-1910).
   • Her literacy suggests she received some education despite marrying young.
6. Cultural Context:
• The family's history reflects the transition of Indian Territory to Oklahoma statehood.
• Their consistent status as tenant farmers provides insight into the agricultural economy of early 20th century Oklahoma.

Research Questions and Plan 

1. When and where did Mattie die, and where is she buried?

• Mattie likely died between 1910 and 1919. This is determined based on her being in the 1910 census as the wife of Thomas, but in the 1920 census Thomas has been remarried for approximately one year. 

• No death record or obituary has been found yet. State level death records have been search with no success. County-level records might be more complete than state records for this period. Success may vary due to inconsistent record-keeping before 1917.

• Look for local papers not included in Newspapers.com.

• Check for church announcements or community news sections.

• Identify and contact local cemeteries in McIntosh and Garvin counties.

• Find A Grave has been search with no success. Search other online cemetery databases.

• Check McIntosh and Garvin county probate records for the period 1910-1920. This is highly unlikely as her husband was still living, but should be searched as a matter of course.

• To date there has been no mention or indication of a religious affiliation, however, the church in the community was often a part of every family's life in this era. Identify local churches in areas where the Manning family lived. Contact churches for possible death or burial records.

2. Who are Mattie's parents?

• Mattie was born in February 1883 in Indian Territory.

• No direct information about her parents has been found.

• Locate the 1880 census record for Thomas Manning in Alabama or Oklahoma.

• Research Manning family migration patterns from Alabama to Indian Territory.

• Identify other families in the Cherokee Nation, Township 10 (1900 census location).

• Look for Smith families in the area who might be related to Mattie. 

• Search for marriage announcements in local newspapers. None have been located to date, but continue to search.

• Check Cherokee Nation rolls or other tribal records if applicable. There are several Mattie Smith's on the Dawes Rolls. This will take putting together a spreadsheet and working through each one eliminating those that cannot possibly be this Mattie Smith. Hence why this name is cringe-worthy.

• DNA testing has been done. There are a handful of matches that also share the Smith surname, but to date a connection has not been made to this Mattie Smith. This project will continue.

Sources

[1] 1900 United States Federal Census, Township 10, Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory, Enumeration District 25, Sheet 19, Line 28, Household 201, Thomas Manning family; digital image, Ancestry.com (Accessed 25 September 2024).

[2] 1910 United States Federal Census, Burton, McIntosh, Oklahoma, Enumeration District 66, Sheet 5A, Lines 47-51, Household 85, Thomas M Manning family; digital image, Ancestry.com (Accessed 25 September 2024).

[3] Oklahoma, County Marriages, 1890-1995, McIntosh County, 24 March 1900, Thomas Manning and Mattie Smith; digital image, Ancestry.com (Accessed 25 September 2024).

[4] 1920 United States Federal Census, Township 4, Garvin County, Oklahoma, Enumeration District 82, Sheet 8A, Lines 12-18, Dwelling 137, Family 138, Thomas M Manning family; digital image, Ancestry.com (Accessed 25 September 2024).