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The elusive relative hunt continues…
Belleville, IL
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Belleville, IL
George has been researching his families genealogy for about 25 years. The one thing that cannot be found is where and when the Reckentine’s crossed the ocean.
The chance of the last name being changed is a high probability. But low and behold a Reckentine was mentioned in the church records for the Jackson Street Methodist Church in Belleville Illinois. This is the first time we have found Reckentine with an “E” at the end anywhere else in the country besides New York and Pennsylvania.
So off we go to Belleville to the Historical Society to find records. Unfortunately the Historical Society is not associated with the Genealogical Society and the Genealogical Society does not have a sticks and bricks location. We did find out that three of the older churches merged and became the Union Methodist Church. So off we went to the Union Methodist Church to check their records but unfortunately they close early on Friday.
All was not lost, we met a nice old lady who volunteers there at the Historical Society. I asked her if she could show us around before we left. There were only three rooms on the first floor of the old house, now a museum. The towns big claim to fame was when President Lincoln came to town to stump for a local politician. The story goes after a fine dinner at the Koerner house, Lincoln gave an improtu speech from a second floor balcony to a crowd that assembled in the front of Koerner’s house. So the museum has the wine glass that Lincoln never drank from, and the entire iron railing that was atop of the balcony. There is also some posters and pictures from Lincolns time and other trinkets.
George emailed the Genealogical contact so hopefully he can help us later on. Nothing today but maybe later on we will find something.
The journey continues..
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