Hatte Yamashita
This sailor’s name makes no secret of his Asian heritage, with records confirming he was born in Nagasaki, Japan. Perhaps his first name was incorrectly translated or anglicized from the…
Read MoreJohn Bruce Anderson
This is the story of both father and son, because the love of the sea was the legacy of John Bruce Anderson’s ancestors. His grandfather, John, was a sea captain…
Read MoreOle Lauritz Jespersen
Denmark was Ole’s home and Danish was his language until he came to New York City in 1889 at age 21. He remained single the rest of his life but…
Read MoreSamuel Love
War with Spain in 1898 was officially declared in April, an armistice was announced in August, and a peace treaty was signed in December. The role Samuel Love and other…
Read MoreTruman Swain
Truman was one of nine children whose father was a captain in the 8th Maryland Infantry during the Civil War. He grew up in Prince George’s County, Maryland and had…
Read MoreWilliam James Rainey Ritchie
William was the only son of Irish natives William and Mary Bayle Ritchie and grew up in Bristol, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. His father worked at D. Landreth Seed Company, which…
Read MoreMurray Cheston Boyer
Murray was the first of five children of Titus and Maria Boyer of Camden, New Jersey. His father was a store clerk and then a shipping clerk. Murray would follow…
Read MoreJohn “Jack” Berger
The name on his application for a marriage license was John Berger, Jr. but he was always called Jack by his friends and family, including his three sisters. John Sr.…
Read MoreJames Alexander Craig
Jim was the tenth of a dozen children parented by Alexander and Martha Craig of Ireland. The youngest was born in 1885, the same year Alexander died. The question to…
Read MoreJohn Brasko
Assimilation is not easy for some immigrants, but others adapt quickly to a new culture and language, especially young people like John Brasko, who arrived in Philadelphia when he was…
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