Amos and Carrie Casbon in 1950

My previous post looked at the oldest Casbon in Porter County, Indiana, in the 1950 census. Today’s post is about the second oldest: Amos James Casbon, born 6 July 1869 at Cottenham, Cambridgeshire, England. His wife, Carrie Belle (Aylesworth), was born 14 December 1873 in Porter County.

In the 1950 census, we find Amos, age 80, and Carrie, age 76, living in Boone Township.

Detail from 1950 U.S. Census, Porter County, Indiana, Boone Township, enumeration district 64-2, sheet 5, lines 17-18 (U.S. National Archives, https://1950census.archives.gov/) (Click on image to enlarge)

The columns of this census entry show the following:

  • Names: Amos J/Carrie Casbon
  • Relationship to head of household: Head/wife
  • Race: white
  • Age: 80/76
  • Marital status: married
  • Birthplace: England/Indiana
  • [blank column]
  • Naturalized citizen? Yes (Amos)
  • What was this person doing most of last week? U[nable to work] (Amos)/H[ousekeeping] (Carrie)
  • Did this person do any work last week, not counting work around the house? N/N
  • Was this person looking for work? N/N
  • Does he have a job or business? N/N
  • What kind of work was he doing: Farmer/[blank]
  • What kind of business or industry was he working in? Farm/[blank]

I don’t know why Amos was considered “unable” to work; does this mean he was physically unable, or was this simply a reflection of his age and retired status?

By this time, Amos and Carrie were living in a home just south of the boundary between Porter and Boone Townships along County Road S 400W. This was just about one quarter mile south of his original farm (in Porter Township), which was now occupied by his son Herbert.

For those who might be interested, here is the entire census page that contains Amos and Carrie’s entries.

1950 U.S. Census, Porter County, Indiana, Boone Township, enumeration district 64-2, sheet 5
(U.S. National Archives) (Click on image to enlarge)

Perhaps readers will recognize some of the other families named on this census page: Bales, Riddell, Birky, Durham, Ratliff, McKay, and Haggerty. The names of the families listed as “Not Home” include Machowicz, Riley, Gibson, Gesse, Smith, and Alyea.

In 1950, Amos and Carrie also celebrated the 50th anniversary of their wedding that took place on 28 November 1900. The event was memorialized in the Valparaiso Vidette-Messenger (the article incorrectly gives Amos’s birth date as 2 July).

Vidette-Messenger, 21 November 1950, p. 1, col. 6.; Newspaper Archive (accessed through participating libraries) (Click on image to enlarge)

Amos passed away 12 October 1956. Carrie survived until 30 Jun 1958.

I leave you with this undated photograph of the loving couple.

Undated photograph, courtesy of Claudia Vokoun

4 thoughts on “Amos and Carrie Casbon in 1950”

  1. Carol, if you click on the link embedded in the 6 July birth date above (in the post), it will take you to an earlier post showing Amos’s official birth registration in England. This gives the 6 July date. It was recorded on 9 August 1869. Although it’s possible that the registration is wrong, it is more likely to be correct than later records or recollections. Given that Amos’s mother died when he was still quite young, and his father was probably illiterate, the date that Amos was told was his birth date might have been off by a few days. Of course, it is impossible to prove either way.

  2. Future historians will likely have similar issues with my dad’s birthdate as the month was incorrectly recorded at the county records office. He found out that it was wrong when he wanted to enlist, but decided not to wait to correct it before going into the navy. When Mom went to order his military headstone it had to match navy records. It can’t be changed later! So while we always celebrated his February birth as his siblings did, officially it is in January! Which is what you put in your book, while school records will probably show the February date.

    1. Carol, you’re correct. Official records can be wrong, and choosing which dates to believe is a dillema. Can you (privately) send me your dad’s real birth date?

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