GRANDMA CANAN'S STORIES
Stories told by Ruth Newburger-Canan
Grandma Canan told some pretty amazing stories when we were growing up. Although I believed every word she told me, some did not. Some thought they sounded a little far fetched to be true and thought that they were exaggerated tales possibly of someone else's life, well I'm here to say that even though some of the facts were a little jumbled the stories are for the most part true.
Below you will find a few of the stories that if you're a descendant of Ruth Newburger-Canan these will sound all too familiar.
MARK B. BEAUBIEN CONNECTION
The fiddle player with 24 Children
Although we are not directly related to the infamous "fiddle player with 24 children," Mark Beaubien, we are connected to him by marriage. Elizabeth Grandpre's niece, Caroline Grandpre married Edward Beaubien the son of Mark Beaubien and Marie Monique Nadeau. Mark and Marie had 16 children. Mark also married Elizabeth Mathieu by which he had 8 more children. Mark Beaubien was an excellent fiddle player and loved to entertain. He owned several hotels and a tavern which still stands today in Chicago. His fiddle is displayed at the Chicago Historical Society.
Elizabeth Grandpre and her niece, Carolina Grandpre-Beaubien had a very close relationship and were often found living within a few blocks of one another according to Census records throughout the years. I am sure that Elizabeth's children looked at Caroline's father-in-law, Mark Beaubien as an uncle...which would make the story that he was a great grand uncle more likely.
*Ruth Newburger grew up being told the stories of her "Uncle" Mark Beaubien as he had long since died (1881) before she was born by her grandmother, Elizabeth Grandpre-Labbe. It's no wonder these stories were passed down to her children and grandchildren.
Elizabeth Grandpre and her niece, Carolina Grandpre-Beaubien had a very close relationship and were often found living within a few blocks of one another according to Census records throughout the years. I am sure that Elizabeth's children looked at Caroline's father-in-law, Mark Beaubien as an uncle...which would make the story that he was a great grand uncle more likely.
*Ruth Newburger grew up being told the stories of her "Uncle" Mark Beaubien as he had long since died (1881) before she was born by her grandmother, Elizabeth Grandpre-Labbe. It's no wonder these stories were passed down to her children and grandchildren.
INDIAN WILD WEST SHOW
Excerpt from a letter written by Lenore Springmeyer
Granddaughter of Harry A. Newburger & Elsie Unger
"Harry Newburger was the baby of the Newburger family who had many talents, he had a nickname at some point in his life and was called "Pinkie" because of his red/strawberry blonde hair, he was always thin in build. Harry was the epitome of of a jack-of-all-trades but master of none. There wasn't anything he couldn't do. He could hunt and trap, take apart and rebuild any kind of engine with ease. He could do rope tricks while he took a small group of Indians "on the road". He ran this Indian/wild west show and sold an elixir called Payuka that would "cure just about everything".
Harry Newburger is
Ruth Newburger-Canan's
biological father.
PONY EXPRESS AND BUFFALO BILL
Abraham Newburger was an avid horsemen, he rode with William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody during the short lived Pony Express (April 1860 - Oct. 1861) afterward Abe became a traveling liquor salesmen. Abe and Louisa resided in Chicago, Illinois, where they allegedly owned a large and prosperous wholesale liquor business until the depression of the 1890's which left them with very little.
Abe Newburger is
Ruth Newburger-Canan's
grandfather.
THE FIRST FRENCH NEWSPAPER IN CHICAGO
At the age of 22 Alexandre Grandpre published the first French newspaper in the state of Illinois along with Claude Petit. Le Journal De L'Illinois was first issued January 2, 1857 in Kankakee as a weekly paper. In September of that same year they moved it to Chicago and the first issue was published in the city on September 18, 1857 being the first French newspaper published in the City of Chicago. On July 16, 1858 the publication was discontinued when the editors moved back to Kankakee and published Le Courrier de l'Illinois.
"Alexander Grandpre, editor and proprietor of the Courier de l'Illinois. Mons. Grandpre was born February 25, 1835, in St. Cuthbert, Canada. He first came to this county in 1856, and was married in Watertown, N.Y., May 19, 1860 to Miss Celima Dugal. they are the parents of three children, viz., Louise, Louie and Henry. As Mr. Grandpre's personal history is also that of his paper, we will take up the record from the time when he, a young man of twenty-two, established and issued the first paper published in the French language in this State, January 2, 1857. The name adopted for the new paper was that of Journal de l'Illinois and the editiors and publishers were Monsieurs A. Grandpre and C. Petit." Transcribed from page 134, An Atlas of Kankakee County, Illinois, as found in the Bourbonnais Public Library, Bourbonais, Illinois by D. Duff in June, 1999
Copyright 2010
"Alexander Grandpre, editor and proprietor of the Courier de l'Illinois. Mons. Grandpre was born February 25, 1835, in St. Cuthbert, Canada. He first came to this county in 1856, and was married in Watertown, N.Y., May 19, 1860 to Miss Celima Dugal. they are the parents of three children, viz., Louise, Louie and Henry. As Mr. Grandpre's personal history is also that of his paper, we will take up the record from the time when he, a young man of twenty-two, established and issued the first paper published in the French language in this State, January 2, 1857. The name adopted for the new paper was that of Journal de l'Illinois and the editiors and publishers were Monsieurs A. Grandpre and C. Petit." Transcribed from page 134, An Atlas of Kankakee County, Illinois, as found in the Bourbonnais Public Library, Bourbonais, Illinois by D. Duff in June, 1999
Copyright 2010
