[or-roots] this and that

[Leslie Chapman]

R. L. Polk & Co. was founded by Ralph Lane Polk in 1870 in Detroit, MI as a publisher of business directories. In 1872, the company first published a City Directory, for Evansville, Indiana, plus a listing of post offices in nine states. Additional directories followed in the ensuing years as the business grew.[2] In addition to city directories, the company published bank directories 

for more info;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R.L._Polk_%26_Co. 
Those are called "grass Widows" 
Word History: The term grass widow cries out for explanation of what grass means and how grass widow came to have its varied though related senses. Grass probably refers to a bed of grass or hay as opposed to a real bed. This association would help explain the earliest recorded sense of the word (1528), "an unmarried woman who has lived with one or more men," as well as the related senses "an abandoned mistress" and "the mother of an illegitimate child." Later on, after the sense of grass had been obscured, people may have interpreted grass as equivalent to the figurative use of pasture, as in out to pasture. Hence grass widow could have developed the senses "a divorced or separated wife" or "a wife whose husband is temporarily absent." 
Huh, never looked it up before, I just remember my mom remarking when Dad mentioned some "widow" lady that they had met recently that she was a "grass widow" with a clear suggestion that she didn't approve. 
I think Mom felt she should have stuck by her man. Reading the origin though I see it is more of an insult than I realized. 
I found one of my distant cousins who listed herself as a widow and about half of her kids were living with their father about four door away, he listed himself as divorced.
Les 


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Eugene, 
 
Many thanks for this tip! Why are they called Polk City Directories? Are they the same or similar to the ones at the Oregon Historical Society, do you know? I feel sure I have the actual address on Capitol Hill now, but I don't know cross streets, so this could take a while I guess. If those directories have maps and show cross streets maybe I'm in luck!
 
That is interesting about your relative who said she was a widow. She probably felt widowed. Saving face...
-----Original Message----- 
From: eugenemelvin.roots at comcast.net 
Sent: Apr 9, 2012 3:54 PM 
To: Paulette , or-roots mail list 
Subject: Re: [or-roots] Capitol Hill? 

 
#yiv1261985811 p {margin:0;}
 

Paulette,
If you live in the greater Portland, Oregon area I would recommend a trip to the Multnomah County Library, Main Branch location. If they have not moved them then on the third floor they have Polk City directories dating back to before 1900.  When I first started doing my family research I headed there and discovered exactly where my relatives lived. And in some cases the actual houses still exist. It was also very amusing to read what one of my relatives said when interviewed. In 1903 she stated she was a widowed when in reality her husband left her.
Eugene




From: "Paulette" <pswitzertatum at peoplepc.com>
To: "or-roots mail list" <or-roots at listsmart.osl.state.or.us>, or-roots at listsmart.osl.state.or.us
Sent: Monday, April 9, 2012 3:08:41 PM
Subject: Re: [or-roots] Capitol Hill?

Thanks very much for these explanations! I hope these will help me identify where my parents lived in 1940. "Capitol Hill" was all I remember them saying, so I thought the Capitol Hwy SW and/or the other one might be options as listed for Portland, Multnomah Co., OR.

Paulette


-----Original Message-----
>From: W David Samuelsen <dsam52 at sampubco.com>
>Sent: Apr 9, 2012 2:40 PM
>To: or-roots at listsmart.osl.state.or.us
>Subject: Re: [or-roots] Capitol Hill?
>
>easier to remember , it's northwest of Riverview Cemetery, just south of 
>Ross Island Bridge.
>
>I went over that route so many times.
>
>David
>
>On 4/9/2012 2:30 PM, Leslie Chapman wrote:
>> Just south of I-5 as you come over the top southbound from downtown
>> Check out this image I found on MSR Maps: http://MSRMaps.com/image.aspx?T=2&S=11&X=1310&Y=12586&Z=10&W=3
>> that should give you a topo map, from the N I think you would take Multnomah blvd exit 296A, from the south I think Taylors fy rd.
>> SW 2d av to about 26th and Stanley from the north to Knaus or so on the south.
>> Les C
>>
>> --- On Mon, 4/9/12, Paulette<pswitzertatum at peoplepc.com>  wrote:
>>
>> From: Paulette<pswitzertatum at peoplepc.com>
>> Subject: [or-roots] Capitol Hill?
>> To: "or-roots"<or-roots at listsmart.osl.state.or.us>
>> Date: Monday, April 9, 2012, 12:06 PM
>>
>> I wonder if someone can help me figure out where "Capitol Hill" was in Portland in 1940? Is that "Capitol Hwy SW" or could it be "Capitol NW"? I do not know my parents actual address in 1940, but they called it Capitol Hill (thought they had moved to Washington County by then, but can't locate them at the address where I was raised).
>>
>> Many thanks,
>>
>> Paulette

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