The Shelby Museum Of History

 

Recorders of Shelby Pictorial History

 

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Early Shelby Photographers and their Photographs

 

Augustus Joseph Longe (c. 1866 - c. 1868)

(1870 - 1872 in Kenton, Ohio)

 

 

 

 

Augustus Longe born c. 1800 in the Sachsen region of Germany came to the

United States in 1836 with his wife Ester and family of 3 children: Charles,

Edward and Julia Ann. The following year their fourth child Harrison was born

in Northampton County, Pennsylvania. Four more children: William Henry,

Caroline, Augustus and Caroline (I don't know why there are two girls listed with

the name Caroline) were born in Pennsylvania before the Longe family moved

on to Sandusky Twp, Crawford County, Ohio.

 

The 1850 census indicates that Augustus Longe Sr. was a weaver by trade. Sometimes

this would indicate a weaver of coverlets as discussed in the section on area weavers,

 

The following ad ran in The Shelby Pioneer newspaper in May 0f 1859. It appears to have

been running since September of 1858 which suggests the Longe family has moved to

Shelby and they are involved in many aspects of the woolen business. Notice that they are

offering blankets and coverlets. Whether this includes jacquard style coverlets is uncertain.

 

 

Shelby Museum

 

 

The Woolen Factory mentioned in the above ad was probably located between the

Black Fork and Washington Street, just south of what is now Whitney Ave. It would

have been just north of where City Mills was built along Main Street west of the

Black Fork. It was on this site that the Shelby U B Church was later located.

 

 

The 1860 census confirms the Longe family have moved to the village of Shelby and

Augustus Sr. lists his occupation as "clothier". Oldest son Charles has recently

married (c. 1857) and he and his wife Mary have started their family with the birth

of Emma in 1858. Charles also lists his occupation as "clothier". Son Augustus

does not appear in the Longe household in the 1860 Shelby census.

 

 

 

 

Shelby Chronicle Advertisement

 

 

By the 1870 census, Augustus Sr. and Charles Longe both indicate they "work

in a woolen factory" and reside in Shelby. This is in line with the occupation of

"weaver" and "clothier", but doesn't explain the advertisement (above) that began

running in the Shelby Chronicle on May 23, 1867 or the following photograph:

 

 

 

 

Picture courtesy of Robert Sponseller

Myers Garrett - April 1866

(For information concerning Myers Garrett, please see the Mrs. Mary Madden section.)

 

 

The above photograph proves that A. J. Longe was in the photography business in

Shelby prior to his purchasing Mrs. Mary Madden's equipment in May of 1867.

 

 

 

 

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About one year later an article appeared in the Chronicle newspaper

that read as follows:

 

Photographs for all -- A visit to the rooms of Mr. Longe will satisfy

the most skipticle (sp) that he understands his business. We have visited

a great many operating rooms, and are free to confess that we have never

seen one that recomends (sp) itself as does the one now used by him.

 

His operator Mr. Smith, of Hamilton, Canada, is an artist of ten years

experience (Fred Smith was 19 years old at that time.) and a gentleman

of fine abilities. We hope that the citizens of Shelby will support well

this new gallery.

 

Shelby Chronicle - May 16, 1868 *

 

 

 

 

Picture courtesy of Robert Sponseller

 

 

After purchasing the "Stock and Fixtures" of Mrs.Mary Madden, on December 25, 1867

A. J. Longe presented the above complimentary photo to Julia Elizabeth DuBois -

oldest daughter of Hobart Graves and Lucy Minerva Boardman DuBois. (In 1870

the H. G. DuBois family was living in Plymouth Township.)

 

(Eugenie Marie de Montijo was wife of Napoleon III and Empress of France. She became

widely discussed when Sultan Abdulaziz of Turkey visited France in 1867. She returned

his visit in 1869 to emphasize the strong relations between the two empires.)

 

Surviving photographs seem to show a resemblance between Empress Eugenie and Julia

Elizabeth Dubois.

 

 

Who was the presenter: A. J. Longe?

 

 

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How does a "weaver" or "clothier" conduct a photography studio business?

That puzzlement was probably answered when Augustus and Ester's youngest son

Augustus (bn. c. 1844) was located in the 1870 census. He was then living in

Kenton, Hardin County, Ohio and he listed his occupation as "daguertype artist".

 

It can be assumed that son Augustus Jr., after the period of the Civil War and the

popularization of photography, the return of Zackary Taylor, and the appearance of

Frederick Smith, saw a business potential in this area for another photography studio.

It is not known at this time whether Augustus Jr. had any experience in photography

but certainly Frederick Smith had a good background. The combination of Longe, who was

24, and Taylor, who was 20, and the 19 year old Smith would perhaps be just what

this community needed.

 

It appears that something went awry not long after this studio was born, because

Augustus Longe Jr. was in Kenton, Ohio in 1870, less than two years after the article

appeared in the Shelby Chronicle. Taylor and Smith were running advertisements

in the Shelby Independent News less than a year later. It seems that a breakup

occurred and Augustus Jr. moved on while Taylor and Smith remained together

for a few more years.

 

 

February, 2010

Records of Augustus J. Longe's service in the Civil War indicate that he enlisted

as a private in Co. K, Reg 120 of the Ohio Volunteer Infantry in March, 1864

and was discharged July 7, 1865 at Camp Chase.

 

 

 

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Notice - Shelby Times - Feb. 6, 1868 issue

 

 

 

Note - January 4, 2008:

James Hennessy found the above notice which confirms the break-up of the

Taylor - Longe partnership and the end of the Longe & Taylor photographic era in Shelby.

Thank you again Jim for your contributions!

 

 

 

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Since thie Longe & Taylor partnership lasted only a short time, the number of photos taken

must have been much smaller than those from Mary Madden or Taylor and Smith.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This photograph must have been taken during the period 1867 to 1868. By 1869

Taylor and Smith were taking photos like the one below using the same

backdrops and props (table) as was used in the Longe and Taylor photo.

 

 

 

Picture courtesy of the Shelby Museum

 

 

 

In September of 1870 A. (Augustus) J. Longe, resident of Kenton, Ohio signed papers to sell

Shelby lot 534 to David Lowrie of Shelby. Lot 534 is adjacent to the current location of the

Shelby Museum. The evidence seems to indicate that it was Augustus J. Longe, son of Augustus

& Ester Longe and brother to Charles and William Henry Longe, that was the "Longe" in the

Longe & Taylor partnership.

 

 

 

 

Augustus J. Longe (c. 1865-1869)

 

 

 

This CDV was just discovered (February, 2008) in a collection of Shelby area photos.

It is signed "Gus Longe". The style of dress as well as the construction of the photograph

indicate the photo was probably taken in the late 1860s. This provides further proof

of the existance of a dapper, younger Augustus Longe in the Shelby area.

 

 

February, 2010

(See the reverse of the CDV)

Since Hamilton, Canada West, became Hamilton, Ontario, Canada in 1867, it is

likely that this photo was taken ca. 1865 - 1867. Also note that Fred Smith who was

a partner in Longe's photography business in Shelby was also from Hamilton, Ontario

and may have had connections with the firm of C. H. Wright.

 

 

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A. J. Longe continued his career as a photographer and "daguertype artist" in Kenton,

Hardin County, Ohio. He soon formed a Longe & Baker partnership that appears to have

lasted just a few years.

 

 

 

Picture courtesy of Robert Sponseller

Mary Ella DuBois c. 1872

 

(Mary Ella, born 1855, was the youngest daughter of H. G. & Lucy Minerva Dubois.)

 

 

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c. 1870 - 1872

 

 

 

He later produced photos labeled " A. J. Longe's Fine Art Studio" in Kenton, Ohio.

Mr. A. J. Longe was no longer living in Kenton, Ohio in the 1880 census and we can find no

later information on him.

 

 

 

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March 2010

 

The search for Augustus Longe after the 1870 census has been a bit difficult, however

some discoveries have been recently made. Augustus was found to be a resident at the

Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers at Leavenworth, Kansas during the period February

8, 1907 to June 8, 1907. From this we learned that Augustus served in Company K, 120th

Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He enlisted March 10, 1864 at Mansfield, Ohio as a Private and

was discharged July 7, 1865 as a Corporal at Camp Chase, Columbus, Ohio. In his military

record we find that in 1907 Augustus was fair of complexion, had blue eyes and gray hair.

He lists his occupation as "photographer". He was discharged on June 8th at his own

request and listed his nearest relative as Mrs. J. R. Gooding who was living in Iberia, Ohio.

 

Mrs. J. R. Gooding was Carrie S. Longe / Gooding a younger sister of Augustus. She had

been previously married to William Hall and they were the parents of Elmer F. Hall born

1871. Carrie married James R. Gooding in 1888 but by 1910 she was again widowed and

living in Washington Township, Morrow Co., Ohio with her now divorced son Elmer Hall.

 

Betty Meier of the Morrow County Genealogical Society verified that Augustus J. Longe

was buried at the Iberia Cemetery. After several trips, Augustus's stone was located at the

cemetery. It is a government issue stone that verified that Augustus served in the 120th

Ohio Volunteer Infantry, but no further information. Mary Mc Cown who works at the

Iberia Post Office helped with locating a cemetery employee who searched the burial

files but was unable to find additional information. Just when and where Augustus

died still remained a mystery.

 

A trip to the Morrow County, Ohio courthouse showed no entries during 1907 - 1909 in

the death records for Augustus J. Longe. A trip across the street to visit Betty Meier at the

Genealogical Society yielded nothing more in their death or cemetery records. A final

thought sent us back to the courthouse to check for a possible estate record. Success!

 

His Probate Court record indicates " death by accident at Burbank, Ohio on the line of

the Erie Railroad Company, on or about November 21, 1908 occasioned by his being struck

by an Erie locomotive while walking on the company's right of way at Burbank, Ohio."

 

Benefits of his estate were to go Lina S. Quay, sister, and Carrie S. Gooding, sister

sole heirs of Augustus J. Longe. (Lina S. Longe / Quay was an older sister who

married James F. Quay c. 1871.)

 

A trip back across the street to share the information with Betty Meier and she

immediately went the their archived newspapers and located a front page article

in a Mt. Gilead newspaper dated November 26, 1908.

 

The article reads as follows:

 

"IBERIA MAN KILLED

 

A. J. Long Struck by Erie Train at Burbank -

Dies Instantly - The Funeral Services at Iberia

 

A. J. Long, of Iberia, engaged as cook for a crew of carpenters for the Erie railroad,

under the supervision of Wm Colmery, was struck and instatly killed by an Erie train

Saturday morning at Burbank.

 

Long was crossing the tracks near the station, going for water, when struck by the

engine of train 3. His back was broken and he died instatly. The remains were brought

to Galion on Saturday afternoon and taken to the home of his sister, Mrs. J. F. Quay in

Iberia, where the funeral was held on Monday at 10 o'clock.

 

Mr. Long was a Civil War veteran and was sixty years old. He was unmarried, and

for a number of years has resided with the Quays. He leaves another sister, Mrs.

Carrie Gooding, of Iberia."

 

 

We still don't know the whereabouts of Augustus Longe between 1872 and 1907, but

thanks to Mary McCown at the Iberia Post Office and Betty Meier at the Morrow

County Genealogical Society for their help and kindness we have finally found

Augustus's final resting place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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July 2015

 

Thanks to Susie Holderfield, we now have a better understanding of August Longe's

whereabouts between the years 1880 and 1900. While perusing Arkansas census records

for her webpage research on the 120th Regiment OVI, she found an A. J. Long in the

1880 and a Joseph A. Long in the 1900 censuses. Her email states the following:

 

 

I do believe that I have found the missing years of Augustus J.

LONGE in the census records. He was out "west."

I found these when I was updating his file at my 120th Regiment site.

I am putting each soldier into his own pdf file so that I can give the

information to some libraries.

 

1880 Census, Gravelly Hill, Yell Co, Arkansas, Dwelling 224,

Family 224: M. R. STOUT, age 28 AR, father born AR, mother

born PA; N J, wife, age 22 MO, parents born MO; A J, son, age 7 AR;

W G, age 1 AK, son; A J LONG, boarder, age 35 IN, artist.

 

 

1900 Census, Gravelly Hill, Yell Co Arkansas, Dwelling 104, Family 105:

Joseph A. LONG, boarder, age 58 PA, single, born Sep 1842, father born

Germany, mother born PA, PHOTOGRAPHER. He was boarding with

Redman CAVINESS or CARINESS, a merchant and his wife Maggie and

their children.

 

Best wishes,

Susie Holderfield

 

 

Other than his birth place being listed as Indiana in the 1880 census,

this certainly appears to be where Augustus moved after leaving Kenton,

Ohio. We are grateful to Susie for supplying this terrific lead and will

try to build on this and perhaps locate some Longe photos from the Yell

County, Arkansas area.

 

Thank you very much Susie!

 

 

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If you have further information concerning the Augustus Longe family or have a

Longe and Taylor photograph that you would like to share, please contact the Shelby

Museum.

 

 

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* Thanks to James Hennessy for finding the article in the Shelby Chronicle

that started the hunt for a Mr. Longe and his photographs....

 

 

 

 

If you have questions or if you would like to add information, please contact :

 

The Shelby Museum of History

23 East Main Street

Shelby, Ohio 44875

 

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