Chosen Families Project #17: Repetition: The Story of Mary “Mamie” E. Godown - RELATIVE FOUND
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Hello all! Welcome to another episode of the Chosen Families Project, my name is Julian Rebelo. And today I am so fortunate to tell that I have returned this photograph to a relative; and this just happened because of my the coincidence of my intuition to be in an antique store in my town.
Author Paulo Coelho once said “Coincidence is the language of the stars, for something to happen, so many forces have to be put into action.” I was in this particular store this day, just doing some window shopping in one of my favorite stores. I have sourced photographs from this store before; in any second hand store I dig through the back of the photographs, looking to see if there are any that have the potential to be returned.
In the front of the store, one of the dealers had antique photographs held up in holders. I was talking to one of the dealers about my podcast and what I do with it, and then I recognized the surname “Godown” of the back of the photograph that I had exemplified. I told the dealer to hold the photograph and I came and picked it up the following day.
It turns out, I had returned two photographs previously for the same family. I talked about this family on Chosen Families #6, one of the projects I had done prior to starting the podcast. They were John Alexander Godown, and Susan “Susie” H. Godown, father and sister to Mary. Here is the story of Mary “Mamie” Godown and her family, who I was able to return to the same relative. I am going to discuss Mary first, and then her parents and sister.
Mary “Mamie” Godown was born on Feb 9, 1877 in Hunterdon County to parents John A. Godown and Rebecca Ann Housel, she was the youngest of 5 siblings. In the 1880 census, she lived with her family in West Amwell, Hunterdon, New Jersey. In 1895 she lived with some of her parents and siblings in West Amwell, Hunterdon County. In the 1900 census, Mary Godown was listed as a “House Keeper” and “Servant” for 63 year old farmer Peter H. Conover & his wife Emmeline in East Raritan,Hunterdon County, NJ. In 1910, she was a Servant for a “Private Family” in Trenton, NJ for 69 year old clergymen Edmund Hewitt and his wife Mary Frances.
In 1920, she worked as a waitress in Trenton,NJ for the Indigent Widows and Single Women’s Home, located on Spring St. in Trenton. I looked into this home, which has some pretty interesting history.
From Trenton History’s webpage, it details the history of the home, and it’s origins:
“This institution was founded in the early ‘50’s and incorporated in 1855. Its foundation was largely due to the initiative of the Ewing and Green families…. The interest of many charitable persons having been enlisted, the association was soon able to purchase a permanent home in a portion of the Old Barracks where it remained until it built and occupied its present modern and commodious quarters. The Spring Street tract was a gift from Judge Caleb S. Green. In 1869 a bequest of $30,000 was received from John A. Roebling. This sum as a nucleus, together with other contributions including benefactions from N. R. Ivins and Walter S. Lenox, enabled the institution to erect its present home in 1902….The institution is sustained by the dues of its members and the gifts of others. In addition the inmates each pay $300 as an admittance fee. Before the War an annual supper was held in the home from which a substantial fund was received. Since that time an annual donation day has taken its place, when money is given and supplies provided by friends of the institution. The home has accommodations for some twenty or more persons and there is always a long waiting list.”
I am not sure when the home closed, but I did find a reference to it from the Trenton Historical Society. From an article by Dan Aubrey, about their picks for preservation from January of 2022: “One of the less obvious buildings is the residence at 320 Spring Street. The 1902 brick building’s institutional name was the Widows’ and Single Women’s Home Society that has community-type living accommodations for 27 individuals, an infirmary, living room, and dining room. Currently empty and deteriorating, the building would be “ideal” for apartments, condominiums, or even a school dormitory.”
In 1930, she lived with her brother Harrison in West Amwell, NJ. She was unemployed, by then 53 years old. In 1940, she was listed not as a worker, but an inmate in NJ State Hospital in Trenton, NJ, she was also living there in 1950. So, sometime between 1930-1940 she was placed into the institution. The 1950 census listed as a mental institution. She died on 5 Dec 1957 at the hospital at 80 years old. She was one of the last of her family members to be alive, and she never married.
About the photographer of her photograph, I found some information that supports the fact that this is Mary. I found an archive about a collection of J.C. Sunderlin photographs. “This collection consists of 20 photographic prints of various subjects credited to J.C. Sunderlin, who operated a photography studio in Flemington, N.J. from the 1880s into the early 1900s. The nature of Sunderlin's work was extensive and was said to encompass "every description of in and outdoor work...including portraiture, from the smallest locket to life size" (as quoted in an advertisement ca. 1890). This collection contains several types of subject, including portraits, product shots of manufactured goods, and street scenes, and includes items in the stereograph format as well as conventional prints. Many of Sunderlin's photographs are found throughout the collections of HCHS.”
For John Alexander Godown & Susan Godown, I will read off the previous post I wrote about them.
The relative has expressed previously that they will eventually donate this collection of photographs to the Hunderton County Historical Society. I am so grateful I was able to find this photograph by chance, and send it someone who I know will honor the Godown’s family legacy. The relative also mentioned that they are uploading these photographs to a cloud archives platform at Forever.com so they will be available to family for at least 100 years.
If you have any questions of comments, please reach out to me at thechosenfamiliesproject@gmail.com!
Remember you are loved and always welcome here.
