Chosen Families #12: The Girl From West 170th St. - Grace I. Calhoun’s Story

Photo has been adjusted for visibility/clarify given age**

Hello! Welcome back to another episode of the Chosen Families Project!

This photograph was part of a photograph lot I recovered from a yard sale hunt recently. Initially the photograph seemed like a lost cause. Its somewhat faded, and has no photographer or location listed on the front. In the photograph, stands a younger girl in the snow.She is wearing a heavy coat and a hat, in front of a row of apartments.There is a figure in the backyard of her too, observing. When I look for new photographs to try to send to relatives, one of the key things I do is check the backs. The backs, more likely then not, will have the information that I am looking for. And that’s where I scored.

On the back, I found the inscription that reads Grace Isabel Calhoun, 5 years old, 565 West 170th St. This is a gold mine of information. However, there is some limitations, I don’t know exactly where, and there is no photographer to say when exactly Grace was 5 years old. However, judging by the fadedness of the photograph, it likely is over a hundred years old, the sepia tone almost barely visible. Calhoun is also a common surname, but with her middle name and exact address I was hoping through research that I would be able to identify her successfully. And I did.

I searched the parameters I had known and was able to find a Grace Calhoun on the 1900 census in Manhattan. She was living with her parents James and Mary Calhoun, the address they were living at, matched: 565 West 170th St.

Here is the story of Grace Isabelle Calhoun. She was born December 24th, 1894 in New York to parents James Calhoun and Mary Rowan. The photograph was taken when Grace was 5 years old, meaning that the photograph was taken around 1899 over 120 years old. She lived with her parents on the 1900 census at 565 W. 170th St. Her dad James Calhoun worked as a harness manufacturer in New York. They lived together at that address in 1910 as well. James would pass at the age of 64, leaving his wife a widower.

James was born April 29, 1850 in Ireland. According to the 1900 census, he had immigrated around 1875, and was Naturalized. He was born to parents James Calhoun and Isabella McCrea. He married Mary Rowan 24 Aug 1887 in Manhattan. Grace was their only daughter. One thing to note is sometimes “lost children” can escape mainstream records like census records, and can be erased from history. For parents, especially of this era with gaps between their marriage and children’s birth years, I always go to check to see just in case they didn’t have any babies that passed during this time period.

Marriage records for Grace shows she would marry on 18 Jun 1921 to Morgan Olcott. Morgan Olcott worked as an Insurance agent/broker. In 1930 the couple lived in Franklin, Somerset, NJ, and then Ridgewood, Bergen, New Jersey on the 1940 and 1950 census records. Mary Calhoun lived with her daughter and grandson Morgan Olcott Jr. throughout her life. Grace’s son Morgan was born 17 Nov 1924 in New York.He attended Ridgewood High School. He enlisted in the army on 10 May 1943, and was discharged 2 Feb 1946. Her husband Morgan Olcott Sr.would pass away in January of 1963. Grace’s son passed on 6 Jan 1984, with Grace still alive listed on his obituary. It reads:

Grace would pass away a few months after her son 11 May 1984 in Glen Rock. Her obituary reads:

The Sunday News, Ridgewood, New Jersey

I could not locate a record for her mother Mary, but assumed she passed before 1984 prior to Grace’s passing.

If you know any relatives of Grace and are interested please reach out to me at thechosenfamiliesproject@gmail.com