Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
NameJames B Stetson 
Death20 May 1905
Memo(Arizona County Coroner and Death Records 1881-1971, Ancestry.com)
Spouses
Birthabout 1865
Memo(age 45 in 1910)
FatherThomas Fahey (1824-1915)
MotherSarah Elizabeth Cox (1829-1901)
Parent-Proof notes for Ida B (Spouse 1)
In 2016, I was contacted by Anne Hendricks who is a descendant of Levi H Curry who seems to have had some Harford County connection. She was trying to place him.
One clue she had was that Levi’s widowed daughter Margaret Conoly was reported in the 1910 Census living with her “cousin” Ida B Stetson in Baltimore. We thought if we could figure out who Ida B Stetson was and discover a cousin relationship to Margaret, that would be a major clue as to who Levi H Curry was.
In that 1910 Census, Ida B said she was age 45 [1865] and born in Washington, DC.
There is an Arizona marriage record saying that Ida B Kane age 36 [1867] married James B Stetson 29 Apr 1903 in Tucson, AZ. A newspaper article from that time and place listed her as Miss Ida B Kane. And other articles indicate that she was of Baltimore and apparently traveled back and forth — as did her husband — between Baltimore and Arizona, and also seem to indicate that theirs may have not been a happy marriage. James B Stetson died 20 May 1905.
Searching for more information, we found a directory of Tucson and nearby places dated 1902 which lists three people named Kane living in Patagonia, AZ (not too far from Tucson), namely: James (saloon), Mrs. J (store) and Miss Ida residing at the Santa Cruz hotel. It turns out that James was listed in Patagonia in the 1900 Census and he had a daughter Ida, age 14, who later married Charles Eperson in 1905. Was it his daughter Ida listed at that hotel or Ida B and, if it was Ida B, was she related to James?
And we found a Baltimore City Directory for 1903 which listed Mrs. Ida B Kane as a resident. There were several dozen other persons named Kane listed but none, so far as I could see, at the same address as Ida.
So the key questions for us are these:
Was she Miss Ida B Kane or Mrs. Ida B Kane at the time of her marriage to Stetson?
The argument for Mrs. is based on that 1903 directory listing but that could have been in error and/or there was some confusion as to whether she was Miss Kane or Mrs. Stetson. The argument for Mss is the Arizona newspaper clipping at the time of her marriage and the Arizona hotel listing (if that was her).
Where was she born?
It does seem she may have been born in Washington DC as stated in the 1910 Census. She may also be the Ida B Stetson listed in Los Angeles, CA in the 1920 Census, age 60, said to have been born in Washington. If that is her, it confirms the DC birth and while she seemed to move around a lot, coast to coast, and that fits her profile, there is just no way to be absolutely certain it is her. Anne also found a Washington newspaper that reported a property transfer from D C Kane to Ida B Kane 21 Dec 1893. So the DC birth seems reasonably confirmed.
So then the key question is: where was she in 1870 and 1880? We would be looking for a girl name Ida, probably Ida Kane, born in the late 1860’s in Washington DC living hopefully with her parents.
One clue she had was that Levi’s widowed daughter Margaret Conoly was reported in the 1910 Census living with her “cousin” Ida B Stetson in Baltimore. We thought if we could figure out who Ida B Stetson was and discover a cousin relationship to Margaret, that would be a major clue as to who Levi H Curry was.
In that 1910 Census, Ida B said she was age 45 [1865] and born in Washington, DC.
There is an Arizona marriage record saying that Ida B Kane age 36 [1867] married James B Stetson 29 Apr 1903 in Tucson, AZ. A newspaper article from that time and place listed her as Miss Ida B Kane. And other articles indicate that she was of Baltimore and apparently traveled back and forth — as did her husband — between Baltimore and Arizona, and also seem to indicate that theirs may have not been a happy marriage. James B Stetson died 20 May 1905.
Searching for more information, we found a directory of Tucson and nearby places dated 1902 which lists three people named Kane living in Patagonia, AZ (not too far from Tucson), namely: James (saloon), Mrs. J (store) and Miss Ida residing at the Santa Cruz hotel. It turns out that James was listed in Patagonia in the 1900 Census and he had a daughter Ida, age 14, who later married Charles Eperson in 1905. Was it his daughter Ida listed at that hotel or Ida B and, if it was Ida B, was she related to James?
And we found a Baltimore City Directory for 1903 which listed Mrs. Ida B Kane as a resident. There were several dozen other persons named Kane listed but none, so far as I could see, at the same address as Ida.
So the key questions for us are these:
Was she Miss Ida B Kane or Mrs. Ida B Kane at the time of her marriage to Stetson?
The argument for Mrs. is based on that 1903 directory listing but that could have been in error and/or there was some confusion as to whether she was Miss Kane or Mrs. Stetson. The argument for Mss is the Arizona newspaper clipping at the time of her marriage and the Arizona hotel listing (if that was her).
Where was she born?
It does seem she may have been born in Washington DC as stated in the 1910 Census. She may also be the Ida B Stetson listed in Los Angeles, CA in the 1920 Census, age 60, said to have been born in Washington. If that is her, it confirms the DC birth and while she seemed to move around a lot, coast to coast, and that fits her profile, there is just no way to be absolutely certain it is her. Anne also found a Washington newspaper that reported a property transfer from D C Kane to Ida B Kane 21 Dec 1893. So the DC birth seems reasonably confirmed.
So then the key question is: where was she in 1870 and 1880? We would be looking for a girl name Ida, probably Ida Kane, born in the late 1860’s in Washington DC living hopefully with her parents.
Census History notes for Ida B (Spouse 1)
1910. Ida B Stetson a widow age 45 born District Columbia lives in Baltimore with Margaret R Coloney age 69 — her “cousin” and Zela W Gootee age 39. Ida says she had 0 children. Margaret says she had one child, still living.
1920. Ida Stetson age 60 born Washington DC is reported in Los Angeles as a lodger in a boarding house with many apparently unrelated persons. She says both her parents were born in Baltimore.
1920. Ida B Stetson age 60 born Washington DC is reported in Los Angeles as a lodger in a boarding house with many apparently unrelated persons. She says both her parents were born in Baltimore. [Note, the Census taker was making notes on each entry referring to the other as apparently he was finding the same people at what seemed like two addresses.]
1920. Ida Stetson age 60 born Washington DC is reported in Los Angeles as a lodger in a boarding house with many apparently unrelated persons. She says both her parents were born in Baltimore.
1920. Ida B Stetson age 60 born Washington DC is reported in Los Angeles as a lodger in a boarding house with many apparently unrelated persons. She says both her parents were born in Baltimore. [Note, the Census taker was making notes on each entry referring to the other as apparently he was finding the same people at what seemed like two addresses.]
Research notes for Ida B (Spouse 1)
1888 Orleans Parish Marriage Records
Gustavus A Kane age 55 to Ida B Fahey 30.
Find-a-grave: Dr. Gustavus A Kane 1818-1893 buried Lorraine Park Cemetery, Woodlawn, Bal County. No sign of a wife.
in 1914 in LA there was a marriage between Ida Belle Stetson, a widow, and Frank Corbin, a divorced 62-year old guy who in 1910 census said he was a "Mining and Real Estate Agent", 58 and living on Normandie Ave. with his second wife. The marriage license lists Ida's parents as Thomas Fahey and Elizabeth Cox, and birth place as something that looks like "Cal" (or maybe "Col" for Colorado or Columbia?).
Gustavus A Kane age 55 to Ida B Fahey 30.
Find-a-grave: Dr. Gustavus A Kane 1818-1893 buried Lorraine Park Cemetery, Woodlawn, Bal County. No sign of a wife.
in 1914 in LA there was a marriage between Ida Belle Stetson, a widow, and Frank Corbin, a divorced 62-year old guy who in 1910 census said he was a "Mining and Real Estate Agent", 58 and living on Normandie Ave. with his second wife. The marriage license lists Ida's parents as Thomas Fahey and Elizabeth Cox, and birth place as something that looks like "Cal" (or maybe "Col" for Colorado or Columbia?).