Flower in the River: A Family Tale Finally Told

From Web to River: Tracing Eastland's Digital Footprints

• Natalie Zett • Season 2 • Episode 74

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Welcome back to Flower in the River podcast! In episode 74, we're uncovering more hidden gems from the Eastland disaster, including a deep dive into one of the very first websites dedicated to this tragic event. Get ready for stories you won’t find anywhere else!

Key Points:

  • Explored personal time capsules, including Aunt Pearl's notes about our family's connection to the Eastland disaster
  • Discussed the importance of an early Eastland disaster website and its impact on research
  • Highlighted the significance of proper source citations in historical research, referencing Elizabeth Shown Mills' work
  • Introduced valuable research resources: Google Books and FamilySearch.org's Books section
  • Shared the story of Michael Kennedy, a Chicago policeman and first responder to the Eastland disaster
  • Recounted the harrowing survival tale of siblings Lena and Karl Roseland

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Music:

  • Artlist

Exploring Eastland Disaster Through Genealogy

Natalie Zett

Hello , I'm Natalie Zett and welcome to Flower in the River . This podcast , inspired by my book of the same name , explores the 1915 Eastland disaster in Chicago and its enduring impact , particularly on my family's history . We'll explore the intertwining narratives of others impacted by this tragedy as well , and we'll dive into writing and genealogy and uncover the surprising supernatural elements that surface in family history research . Come along with me on this journey of discovery . Hey , this is Natalie , and welcome back to Flower in the River podcast . You came back , thank you . I know last week's episode was really a tough one , but you got through and there are some brand new listeners and subscribers to this podcast , so I thank you for your commitment to my telling of the history of the Eastland disaster all of it , not just the cherry-picked parts . I mean , I would rather just talk about the heroes and people like this , but there are the other ones . There are the other ones . Fortunately , this week this is episode 74 , we have more of the stories that are typical of the ones that I have previously shared . They are , for the most part , unknown , but they are people who survived , people who helped as well as I want to pay tribute to people who have gone before me and did a most excellent job of capturing the information about the Eastland disaster . So let's just jump right in . I've got some new resources for you . But first I want to introduce you to a couple of people living ones and talk about their contributions to the Eastland disaster and to genealogy and history , and the standards that need to be maintained in order to do a good job with history like this that is at once powerful and yet fragile .

Natalie Zett

Over the past few weeks I've been diving into a lot of personal time capsules mostly notebooks and photographs that have been sitting inside a couple of cardboard boxes for way too long . Honestly , I forgot about a lot of them until we were doing some cleaning out , and that was where I found my Aunt Pearl's many , many notes and letters to me , and I've been just going through them and trying to absorb them and organize them , because she had a lot more history than just the family history where she shared the information about our connection to the Eastland disaster and our deep Chicago roots . But the rest of this also has been like stepping back in time to that point in my life where I first learned about the Eastland disaster , and that was when the internet , the World Wide Web was brand new maybe not brand new , but very new and there wasn't a ton of information out there . But there was this one website , the story of which I've shared with you previously , but I want to focus in on that because it was a very important part of my journey . It was so important that when I created my fictional character , zara Vrabel , I had her follow the same steps that I followed , and the finding of that website was the thing that ignited Zara's journey in a way that even the information that she received from her family history document couldn't do . It was one thing to read about it in a document , it was another thing to actually see it on a screen , and this was new at that point . So it was multisensory not just multimedia , but multisensory and it was also the connective tissue . So what I found in my box of stuff was that I printed out a number of pages from that old website . I wish I could remember the exact look of that first website that eventually evolved into the Eastland Memorial Society I think that was its last name , and sadly this is now defunct who , interestingly enough , had no direct family connection to the disaster , but she liked collecting photos of ships . Back in the 90s , when I was trying to piece everything together , stumbling across her website was a game changer , and it also helped me begin to grasp the magnitude and the personal impact of the Eastland , though that would take a long , long time . This initial website that Mary created was like a textbook , but a really engaging one . You could easily navigate through it , grasp the big picture and follow the timeline . She shared an impressive collection of postcards , had some eye-catching pie charts and other graphics that broke down the passengers by gender , age and immigration origins , and she was incredibly interactive with her visitors . Her guest book was buzzing with activity from the early 2000s until around 2006 . This week , I managed to track down quite a few of those pages on the Wayback Machine , which is this fantastic online archive that preserves old websites . If you don't know about it , and I came across something that Mary wrote that I have to share with you .

Natalie Zett

I believe that the Eastland disaster should be remembered , if only because so many lives were lost and so many families affected . Although the maritime lessons learned through the disaster are obsolete , the Eastland's true legacy is that it showed that the unexpected can occur even when all conditions indicate otherwise . No one would have ever suspected that a ship preparing to depart for a festive occasion on a warm July day would just tip over , drowning hundreds . Yet the original situation before the disaster and the dire results set up a dichotomy that make the entire event seem almost surreal to anyone who tries to picture the events in his or her mind . Neither the victims of the disaster nor the rescuers who saved lives that day should ever be forgotten by American history . Also , mary did an incredible job of source citations , so when I found these old pages from her internet site , I could actually find the original documents that she referenced .

Natalie Zett

And speaking of source citations , about three weeks ago I attended another seminar given by Elizabeth Schoen Mills . I've talked about Elizabeth in the past and I will continue talking about her because I'm not sure everyone has gotten the memo about what she's about . So Elizabeth Schoen Mills is a legend in the worlds of genealogy and history . If you've spent any time in these fields , you have likely encountered and been influenced by her work , particularly her book Evidence Explained , which is essentially the Bible for genealogists and historians . So Mills emphasizes that proper source citation isn't just a formality . It's the foundation of credible research and without it we're left with a collection of disconnected facts that lack the context needed to build a true understanding of history . Now let's loop back to Mary's website . One of the standout features of that site was its commitment to citing sources . Every fact , every tidbit of information was backed up with a reference , and that let me trace the data back to its origins . So that's exactly what Elizabeth Schoenmills would champion a transparent trail of evidence that ensures the research is solid , reliable and , above all , honest , and it's frustrating when modern efforts don't adhere to these same standards . It's not just about being thorough . No , it's about respect , and respect for the truth , for the stories being told and for the people who live them .

Natalie Zett

Elizabeth Schoen Mills fortunately for all of us is still alive , still teaching . Whenever I'm in a seminar with her , it's one of those things where I start off all enthusiastic and it's like I've got this , I've read evidence explained , I'm doing all this , and by the time the seminar seminars ended , it's like , oh dear , I have a long ways to go . And that's the hallmark of a really good teacher . This is not somebody that's going to give anybody an A in the class . I don't think . Not that she's teaching academically at this point , but she has extremely high standards , and when you're with her , you realize your own shortcomings and you realize what you have yet to accomplish in terms of your own research . If you're doing this sort of thing , and certainly when I finish with her , it's like oh boy , got some work to do here , but that's okay .

Natalie Zett

No one should consider themselves an expert or an authority without going through this very painstaking process of documenting where you got this information from . Elizabeth Schoen Mills always says that the absence of proper sourcing diminishes the credibility of the work . I'll say that again the absence of proper sourcing diminishes the credibility of the work and it makes it difficult for others to build upon or to trust as a reliable account . And , unfortunately , when you see something that is obviously taken from someplace else but you don't know where it came from , it's really easy to discount the whole story , and we shouldn't do that . We should always , if we're doing this type of work , either on our own or formally through some sort of organization , we better make sure that it is as accurate as can be , and we also know that there might be another piece of information that comes along that discredits everything we've done so far . But that's part of it .

Natalie Zett

But I also don't want to present Elizabeth Schoen Mills as this strict , stern schoolmaster type of person . She's more than that Simply stated . She has very high standards and she wants the rest of us to embrace those standards as well . It's a good thing . But she's not just focused on the mechanics , the nuts and bolts of genealogy in history . In a recent interview with Jeff Rasmussen of Family Tree Webinars , where she hosts her monthly sessions , she touched on a range of important topics , including plagiarism . That's a topic that deserves its own episode and I'll do that at some point in the future because it's really interesting and I think everybody in that webinar , including myself , we just felt like whoa , our heads were exploding , but in the best possible way . But for now , let me share a gem from that interview where Elizabeth Schoen Mills shared some timeless advice .

Natalie Zett

The advice I give to brand new genealogists would be pretty much the same that I would give to many seasoned genealogists , because I see the same issues at both ends of the spectrum . I would say to let your work be guided by skepticism and soul . Skepticism is critical . In everything that we do , skepticism is essential . With everything we find , we have to ask ourselves why should I believe this ? What's the evidence that supports this assertion that someone has made ? We have to know how to distinguish between good sources and bad sources , and good information and bad information . An ancestor is not a name and a set of dates and a chart . Every ancestor was a living , breathing human being , with a heart and soul , they had hopes , they had dreams , they had successes and failures , and they had frustrations and they had joys . And if our pursuit of genealogy is going to have any meaning whatsoever , we must get to know each ancestor as a living , breathing human being and get to know their hearts and their souls . In that spirit of Elizabeth Schoen Mills , let's continue .

Natalie Zett

Well , a lot has changed since the late 1990s , early 2000s , when the first Eastland Memorial website was created . The good news about the Eastland disaster is that there is a wealth of information out there , digitized , just waiting for us to find , and today I'm going to talk about a couple of the less obvious places where you can find information about the Eastland disaster or all kinds of things . Whatever you're researching . A couple of valuable sources of information are Google Books and FamilySearchorg , both of which have been instrumental in my efforts , and since both of them are updated regularly , you need to check them regularly if you're looking for information . Most people know about Google Books , but if not , I'll put a link in the show notes and , furthermore , I'll put a link to one of Lisa Louise Cook's presentations about Google Books , because she's who I learned from , and within Google Books you can find not just old books , but newspapers and magazines . Again , I found stuff there about the Eastland disaster that I've never seen anyplace else , and I've documented and shared much of that in these podcasts as well as on my website .

Natalie Zett

You might not be as acquainted with FamilySearchorg or specifically their book area , so just this week I found some incredible new information there . So FamilySearchorg , if you don't know it , it is one of the best resources for any genealogist and , as mentioned , they're always adding new records and sections , so you need to check them regularly . Familysearchorg is a free site . I said that free site . All you have to do is create a login and you're in , and it is operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints , the LDS Church , or , as they used to be called , the Mormons . So what is the books area on FamilySearchorg ? The books section on FamilySearchorg is an awesome digital library .

Natalie Zett

I was blown away by what I found this week , and it houses thousands of genealogical and historical publications that you're not likely to find anyplace else . These aren't just books . They include family histories , detailed accounts and genealogies of specific families , often written by family members and historians . Local histories , histories of towns , counties and regions , providing context and backgrounds to the places where your ancestors lived , and genealogical records , transcriptions of records like wills , land deeds and church registers that are crucial for family history research or for history research . And just this week I found information about people associated with the Eastland disaster that I've never heard of before .

Irish Family History and Eastland Disaster

Natalie Zett

I would like to introduce you to the Kennedy family . Some members of this family took the time to create a booklet about the entire history of their family , from Ireland to immigration to current times . I want to read their opening letter to their cousins From March 2009, . They wrote Dear Cousins , this family history resulted from a desire to pass on the knowledge we had of our great-aunts and uncles . They were the Ten Kennedys of Dune , the children of Bridget Carroll and Matthew Kennedy of Dune County , limerick , ireland .

Natalie Zett

Nothing is known of their early lives . Their mother served as a midwife . Their father , a carpenter , taught this trade to his sons . As the years passed , seven of the children survived into adulthood . Eventually , four boys and two girls made the decision to immigrate to America . One by one , they left Dune forever . We can only surmise that economic issues prompted them to leave for America . We do not know why they chose to settle in Troy , new York . Perhaps other family members had come to New York in earlier years . Then , at the turn of the century , five of the Kennedys moved west to Chicago , illinois . Again , we do not know what motivated them to change location . Okay , you heard Chicago Illinois , here we go . They close this note by saying enjoy our stories and be proud of all who left Ireland to face unknown hardships in hope of a better life . We hope each family member will keep in touch with relatives and continue to honor and preserve the traditions and values of our ancestors . So we're going to focus in on one of the children of this family , michael Kennedy , who made his way to Chicago . Here are the notes from Michael Kennedy's biography .

Natalie Zett

After arriving in America , michael Joseph Kennedy married Joanna Marie Howard , a woman who had left Ireland due to a health condition which was believed to be heart-related . The couple had four children , three boys and a girl . Michael was a somewhat stern father and was very protective of his children . As an example , though , john Erickson's school was across the street from the Kennedy home , michael insisted on taking his daughter's hand and personally escorting her to kindergarten each day . Back in Ireland , michael was a carpenter by trade , and the skills he learned there would come in handy in America . He built two or three homes on Harrison Street just east of Sacramento Avenue of Sacramento Avenue . At some point , michael made the transition from carpenter to Chicago policeman . In fact , he was one of the first responders to the Eastland disaster on July 24 , 1915 .

Natalie Zett

The SS Eastland was a passenger ship based in Chicago and used for tours On the Chicago River . Near Clark Street , the ship was loaded with employees from Western Electric Company . As the ship was leaving the dock , many of the passengers rushed to one side to wave goodbye to their friends on shore , causing the ship to turn on its side . At least 844 passengers and crew members were killed . Michael was quite disturbed by the vast number of lives lost before his eyes . Up until his own death in 1935 , he expressed a reluctance to ever speak of what he had witnessed on that fateful day . Speak of what he had witnessed on that fateful day .

Natalie Zett

That's the conclusion of the piece that this family wrote about Michael , but I also want to add his obituary . He died in 1935 . Here it is Bernard Cornelius Francis and Mrs Mary Constantine , brother of Margaret Kennedy , native of Dune County , limerick , ireland . Funeral Friday , april 26 , at 9.30 am , from residence 2931 Harrison Street to Our Lady of Sorrows Church burial , mount Carmel .

Natalie Zett

Member of the PBA and Holy Name Society . Pba is probably Policeman Brotherhood Association or something similar , and , as you can hear , there's some things that they got about the disaster details incorrect . But what I'm focusing in on is Michael . Michael already had he had protection hardwired into him . He's walking his little girl to kindergarten across the street making sure she got there safely . So his transition from carpenter to police officer makes perfectly good sense to me . And then further , that he would be one of the first people to respond to the disaster makes sense to me . And then further , that he would be one of the first people to respond to the disaster makes sense to me as well .

Natalie Zett

In the late 1990s I did an article about the Citizen Police Academy for the St Paul Police Department and I attended . I think it was about 12 weeks . So each week I would go there and it was an incredible experience to in a sense , get the training of a police officer without having to become a police officer , because , wow , that takes a very special person . But one of the things that was said in the class the chief of police at that point said you can generally tell who the cops are in a crowd because when an emergency is happening , whether a shooting or something else is happening , the cops in the crowd , whether they're plainclothes or not , will generally run toward the source of the problem , not away from it . So there is something amazing about these people , and that's all we have about Michael Kennedy , but we would never know about him were it not for the fact that the descendants of this family took the time to create this document and , furthermore , that they went the extra mile and published it to FamilySearchorg . The extra mile and published it to FamilySearchorg . They give you instructions on how to publish your family histories and other documents there , and I will put the links to that area in the show notes and give it a try If you have anything that you would like to have shared either currently or down the line . It's a great gift to people .

Natalie Zett

For our next story , it's a story of a brother and a sister , and it is one that I found on Google Books under the Newspapers section . It was distributed via the United Press . The date it was distributed via the United Press the date July 26 , 1915 . Please be aware that this witness provides a very graphic account of what she saw and what happened to her Girl Caught in Hull . Tells of ship's dive . Miss Lena Roseland , an Eastland survivor , told a thrilling story of being taken from amidst a score of corpses under one of the ship's big plates that was cut out with electromagnetic drills by the rescuers . She was recovering today from her experience .

Natalie Zett

My brother , carl , and I were standing near the rail on a lower deck when the Eastland tipped over . The girl said I lost Carl as a boat carried me down until I felt the muddy bottom . I can swim and knew how to hold my breath . Then I began to rise , touched victim's body At last . I felt air against my face but could see nothing . And then I felt things bobbing all around me . As I touched the slippery side of the wall that was about me , my hand struck something soft . I had not recovered fully my senses and held on to it . Then , suddenly , the horrible realization of what it was came over me . It was a body . I screamed and felt myself fainting . But then I caught hold of a projection . I screamed again and heard an answering shout . I could not believe my ears . It was my brother's voice . He told me to be brave and he had come in the stateroom next to me , heard the rescuers .

Natalie Zett

I was brave for a time and then I thought I would lose my mind . Several bodies , all of them women or little children , would keep knocking against me , however much I tried to climb higher . Then I heard the hammering and cutting as the men worked to cut away the plates . As a piece came away , a little light filtered through and as I started a prayer of thankfulness , it was choked in my throat , for light fell on the upturned staring faces about me . Then I partly lost consciousness . At last they saw me . I fell back in the water with just sufficient consciousness and strength to remember to float on my back . I could see men finally break through the plate . Then they began taking out bodies . I tried to call them , for as each corpse was lifted out , someone would say , yes , I'm afraid they're all dead . Then at last they saw me and pulled me out . Brother Carl was there urging them on . As I was pulled out , carl had been taken out minutes before . Carl had been taken out minutes before . So siblings Lena Roseland and Carl Roseland continued living together in Chicago . Carl worked as a toolmaker for Western Electric and that's probably why they were on the boat and Lena worked as a dressmaker .

Natalie Zett

No-transcript . Unfortunately , I don't have any photos of either Lena or Carl not yet . Give it some time , perhaps there are some other relatives that have information or photos that they would be willing to share . I'm so grateful to have found this . Well , it's not just an eyewitness account . Lena was nearly a victim of the Eastland disaster and to have her be so articulate and to me she was very calm . I don't know what it was like for either Lena or Carl to live with this for the rest of their lives , but she did give us an account and it is a good thing to have for historical purposes , to not just comment about what somebody might have gone through , but to hear in their own words what this was like . As a journalist , this is a gift , so I'm really grateful to have found this and , as hard as it is to listen to , this is what it was like for these people , but that's what I have for this week .

Natalie Zett

I'm looking forward to sharing some of these smaller pieces that I found on the Family Search book section because , again , I've not seen them any place else and I don't want them to get lost in the big morass of all this information that is available . I will continue to keep sharing it with you and even if it's not shared in the podcast , please take a look at my website . I had to divide some of this stuff up because it's getting out of control in terms of the amount of information that I have , but I just added an Eastland People and Places section on my website so I can include these people and places that may not fit into a podcast , at least right away , but I do want them to be documented and I want them to have their story told . And if you're looking for more information about the people who perished on the Eastland , I want to refer you again to Find a Grave . Every time I look at that Eastland Memorial section that was created by Burt , I see that more information , more source citations are being added , so this is becoming a very rich resource . For the most part , they have added photos for just about everyone and even if they don't have personal photos . They have photos of the headstones .

Natalie Zett

So thanks for taking care of all of that all of you . It really does take a village . So next week we'll have more stories for you and in the meantime , take care and take a look at your family history and see what you can continue documenting . And take a look at your family history and see what you can continue documenting . And take a look at FamilySearchorg and see if you want to maybe upload that information to their collection for future reference . Hey , that's it for this episode and thanks for coming along for the ride . Please subscribe or follow so you can keep up with all the episodes , and for more information , please go to my website , that's wwwflowerintherivercom . I hope you'll consider buying my book , available as audiobook , ebook , paperback and hardcover , because I still owe people money and that's my running joke . But the one thing I'm serious about is that this podcast and my book are dedicated to the memory of all who experienced the Eastland disaster of 1915 . Goodbye for now .

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Natalie Zett

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