Historic Building's Gamble Connection

Samuel S. Moore House & Store,

Saltsburg, Pennsylvania

(Image from the Library of Congress)

It's always great to find ancestors mentioned in books, and I was particularly lucky to find a mention when I wasn't even looking for it. I usually don't like surprises, but this was one I didn't mind at all!

When I wrote about the 1890 Kirkendall-Garman wedding last month, I decided to learn more about the location of the event since I didn't know anything about Saltsburg, Indiana, Pennsylvania. I found a book from 1989 in the Internet Archive called Two Historic Pennsylvania Canal Towns: Alexandria and Saltsburg.

In the last third of book, there's information on the historic buildings of the area. As I was browsing through it, I came across a section for the Samuel S. Moore House and Store. Though I didn't remember it at the time, Samuel married Margaret Gamble, who was the daughter of John and Fannie Moore Gamble, my husband's 3rd great-grandparents.

According to the deed details provided in the book, the building passed from the Moore family to Margaret's two sisters, Fannie and Julia Gamble:

"1877 - Deed April 16, 1877, Volume A-40, Page 460. Samuel S. and Margaret Moore to Emma Thomas 

1883 - Deed April 10, 1883, Volume A-46, Page 72. Emma Thomas to Margaret Moore 

1884 - Deed August 21, 1884, Volume A-47, Page 575. Margaret Moore to Fannie and Julia Gamble 

1893 - Deed March 20, 1893, Volume A-57, Page 588. Fannie Gamble to Julia Gamble"

The book also provides some information about Samuel S. Moore:

"Historical Context: The building at 222 Point St. was constructed by Samuel S. Moore, a 'dealer in confectioneries, fruits and nuts, cooking and parlor stoves,' and a 'manufacturer of tin and sheet iron ware' ... Tax records of the 1870s through the early '80s identify him variously as a tinner, grocer and postmaster. His income during these years ranged from $100 to $150. Moore and his family lived on the second floor, and he operated the business on the first, which included serving as the Saltsburg post office for some years. By 1909 the building was completely vacant, but by 1927 both spaces were utilized as offices ..."

Yes, it's definitely a good feeling to find the names of relatives in books. And even if you don't find an ancestor, learning more about the city or town where they lived may give you a new perspective about their lives.