I had hoped when I first put the series up for Ancestor Soap Opera that I would be able to help out the families that my great-great-grandfather, George Washington Oakley, had touched and left in a shambles. You have to love the internet because it allows the sharing of information found in what would seem like odd places. The chance of the descendants of these families ordering his Civil War Pension papers would have been slim for one family, although might have been a thought for the other.
We may never know exactly what happened to Elizabeth “Lizzie” McFarland, George’s second wife that was placed in the insane asylum, but I think she might be pleased to know that her son did alright for himself and her great-great-granddaughter now has more of her story to tell. I would like to think after all this time, this would make her smile.
I went through the documentation to make copies to send and reviewed much of the documentation for my own satisfaction. I didn’t notice any small facts or clues that would lead us to a clearer understanding of the events. From what I can find on line the records for the home have been placed on Microfilm and can be ordered through the library. At the time documents were supposedly searched that would have included both living and burial expenses. The Cattaraugus County Poorhouse Building (or what is left of it) now houses the Cattaraugus County Historical Museum, along with a Cattaraugus County Health Department branch.
It could be interesting to see if she now shows as having lived at the Home and her burial. From the story on the old stone house there are at least 123 residents buried in the field.