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From: "David Clinard" <>
Subject: [GADECATU] Decatur County Voter Registration Book 1888
Date: Sat, 2 Sep 2006 19:12:14 -0000


Last week I visited the Decatur Co Courthouse. On the top shelf left
side of the probate court records room, I found an old book titled
Decatur County Voter Registrations 1888. It contained hundreds of
names of Decatur County citizens (all males of couse back then). I
found several of my ancestors in the book which listed them by
General Minitary District and contained their name, age and
occupation. This book to my knowledge has never been copied and
distributed; at least I don't recall seeing it listed in the State
Archives or ever seeing it mentioned on this site or elsewhere. It
should be done because I think it would benefit many, especially in
light of the lost 1890 federal census.

One thing that really puzzled me about my findings in this
registration book - I found some of my ancestors "registered" or
listed in Climax, Rock Pond, and Fowlstown. The same persons listed
in two different places, but with differing ages. My ancestors were
listed as follows: ( placed asterisks "*", "**", etc to indicate same
persons) I also put their actual year of birth next in parentheses)

Page 37:
1888 Fowlstown Age Occupation
Dave Clinard 39 Farmer* (1852)
J.F. Clinard 33 Farmer
Jacob Clinard 65 Farmer
Ben Clinard 28 Farmer** (1858)
John Clinard 26 Farmer*** (1863)
Isaac Clinard 22 Farmer

Page 23:
1888 Climax Age Occupation
B.F. Clinard 26 Farmer** (1858)
D.H. Clinard 30 Farmer* (1852)

Page 50:
1888 Rock Pond Age Occupation
J.E. Clinard 23 Farmer*** (1863)
J.S. Clinard 22 Farmer

There was only one "patriarch" in the area - Jacob Clinard, age 65
listed in Fowlstown. The rest of them were his sons - Davis Hamilton,
Jacob Franklin, Benjamin Francis, John Emory, Joseph S., and Isaac.
So it's not like there were a lot of other to account for the
duplications in the registration book.

I guess it is posible that over time, as they moved around the county
area, they may have registered again, and the recorder just added
them to the book. But I doubt that would be the case. The book says
"1888" on every page I looked at.

Anyway, I was glad to find the book; it helped me establish the
existence of at least one of them - Isaac Clinard. He doesn't show up
in any of the federal census records. Unless he was the same as Noah,
the remaining son unlisted, but who was found listed in the 1880
census. But I doubt that too, because I have in my files that Noah
died in 1883.

If you get a chance to broswe it, I think you will find the 1888
Voter Registration Book of Decatur County interesting at the least
and if you had male ancestors in Decatur County in 1888, most
probably a valuable find.

David


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