Charles Kaighin and Margaret (Christian) Kaighin

and their Descendants

Following the Records and Addresses

Washington near Adams, Brooklyn, New York

1852 to circa 1863

Charles Kaighin Sr. (74), Charles Kaighin Jr. (28), his wife Margaret (29) and eldest son Ebenezer (2) arrived in Brooklyn, New York in 1852 after a voyage by ship from Liverpool. Ebenezer was born two years previous in Birkenhead, England across the Mersey from Liverpool where the younger Charles had likely apprenticed as a ship’s carpenter. He probably found work in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, as he can be found listed in the 1856/7 Brooklyn City Directory as a shipwright at “Washington nr Adams, age 31/32.” Washington Street was about seven blocks west of the ship yard in a neighborhood that still houses laborers for the industrial facilities in that area. The two maps below from 1874 show Washington St, paralleling Adams St. The Brooklyn Navy Yard was located in the elbow of the East River in the first map below.

Production of ships in the Brooklyn Navy Yard increased from about one ship every three years in the 1850s to an average of six per year during the Civil War years of 1861-1864. The yard employed about 1500 workers throughout the 1850s but peaked during the war to around 7000. With war’s end came a significant decrease in production with only one ship launched between 1865 and 1873. This could be the likely reason that we next can find the younger Charles in Cleveland by 1868 again employed as a ship’s carpenter.

At this point it is important to note that I am speculating that Charles was employed at the Navy shipyard, but due to the proximity of his residence and he is know to have been a ship’s carpenter, this is a logical assumption. If that assumption is correct, then he was likely involved in the construction of some or all of the following Navy ships produced during those years:

Ship	Type	Commenced	Launched	Commissioned
NIAGARA	40 Gun Steamer, Frigate	1854	23 Feb 1853	6 Apr 1857
IROQUOIS	6 Gun Sloop of War	1858	12 Apr 1859	24 Nov 1859
ONEIDA	9 Gun Sloop of War	1861	20 Nov 1861	28 Feb 1862
OCTORORA	6 Gun Side Wheel Double Ender	1861	7 Dec 1861	28 Feb 1862
ADIRONDACK	9 Gun Steam Sloop of War	1861	22 Feb 1862	30 Jun 1862
LACKAWANNA	9 Gun Steam Sloop of War	1862	9 Aug 1862	8 Jan 1863
TICONDEROGA	9 Gun Steam Sloop of War	1861	16 Oct 1862	12 May 1863
SHAMROCK	8 Gun Side Wheeler Double Ender	1862	17 Mar 1863	13 Jun 1864
MACKINAW	8 Gun Side Wheeler Double Ender	1862	22 Apr 1863	23 Apr 1864
PEORIA	8 Gun Side Wheeler Double Ender	1862	29 Oct 1863	26 Dec 1866
TULLAHOMA	8 Gun Side Wheeler Double Ender	1863	28 Nov 1863
ALGONQUIN	12 Gun Side Wheeler Double Ender	1863	21 Dec 1863	not comm'd
MAUMEE	7 Gun Steam Sloop of War	1862	2 Jul 1863	29 Sep 1864
NYACK	3 Gun Steam Sloop of War	1862	6 Oct 1863	28 Sep 1864
KALAMAZOO	Double Turreted Monitor	1863	not launched
ONTARIO	Screw Steam Sloop	1863	not launched
MADAWASKA	15 Gun Steam Sloop of War	1863	8 Jul 1865	n.d.
WAMPANOAG	Screw Steam Sloop	1863	15 Dec 1864	17 Sep 1867
QUINNEBAUG	10 Gun Steam Sloop of War	1864	31 Mar 1866	19 Jul 1867
MOSHOLU	13 Gun Steam Sloop of War	1864	1865	27 Aug 1869
JAVA	Screw Steam Sloop	1864	not launched
KENOSHA	Screw Steamer	1867	8 Aug 1868	20 Jan 1869

Charles Kaighin Sr. died August 8^th 1855 and was buried in Brooklyn. There is a reference to Charles Kaighin Jr. in the April 11^th, 1860 edition of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. The City of Brooklyn was incorporating the City of Williamsburgh, and the Town of Bushwick into one municipal government and all property owners owing delinquent taxes were notified that if the taxes were not paid by July 5^th, the property would be auctioned to the highest bidder. The entry did not list an address, but the description of the property was “Lot and House”, and his name “Rev. Charles Kaighan.”

He was also a Primitive Methodist Minister and likely preached at the Bridge Street Primitive Methodist Church located four blocks from his residence. He was mentioned in an article in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle dated October 25, 1860:

This 1874 Map of Brooklyn can be found here. (You will need the MrSid browser plugin to view the map, download that here). Note: North is down and to the left. The above mentioned Brooklyn Navy Yard is in the crook of the East River just above and to the left of the red box. The address of “Washington nr. Adams” is within the red box and can be seen in the second map

Brooklyn to Cleveland

The family arrived in Cleveland, Ohio sometime between 1863 and 1868. Charles Jr. and Margaret had 4 children born in Brooklyn including their youngest Charles Wesley Kaighin, who was born February 2, 1863. The next place they can be found is on Schott Street in the Cleveland City Directory in 1868/9.

The two houses at the corner of Schott St. and Gordon Ave., Cleveland, Ohio

Charles Kaighin Jr. was listed in the 1868/9 Cleveland City Directory at “Schott corner Gordon”

In the 1880 Census he and his family are listed at 8 Schott St.

In 1883, Charles Kaighin Jr. died at age 59 and the death notice lists 16 Schott.

In 1890 Margaret (Christian) Kaighin is listed as a subscriber in “Surnames and Place

Names of the Isle of Man” by A.W. Moore, her address is 8 Schott. St.

In the 1900 Cleveland City Directory, Charles W. Kaighin can be found at 16 Schott St.

Margaret (Christian) Kaighin dies; her burial record shows 32 Schott St.

408 ½ Gordon – Ebenezer Kaighin lived here in 1891 (from his naturalization record). I believe

this is a third house on Gordon just north of Lorain Avenue

617 Gordon Ave.- Ebenezer lived here 1900 (previously 16 Schott St.)

627 Gordon Ave. – Margaret (Christian) Kaighin lived here 1900 (previously 8 Schott St.)

Charles lived here in 1920 with Mona after his divorce, the address, 2135 W. 65^th St.

This was walking distance to the Hague Ave house.

This image is from the 1900 Cleveland City Directory

It would appear that there were two houses, across the street from each other on Schott Street on the corner of Gordon Avenue. Between 1890 and 1900, 8 Schott Street became 627 Gordon Ave, and 16 Schott Street became 617 Gordon Ave. In 1905/6, Cleveland renamed and numbered the streets, and Gordon became West 65^th Street. Schott St. no longer exists. In its place there is a parking lot for the Michael Zone Recreation Center, located at 6301 Lorain Avenue. See the next three images:

Schott Street in an 1874 map of Cleveland West 65^th Street, 2005

Satellite photograph of the same area, 2005

Taylor Street

To date I haven’t been able to positively identify the church that Charles was a minister at in Cleveland. But there is a reference in his death notice that the funeral in 1883 was held at the Taylor Street M. E. Church. This was later known as “The People’s Church”

Taylor Street is now West 45^th Street.

18 Garden Street, Cleveland, Ohio

Robert and Margaret Cubbon resided here in 1880 Census. Per the Cuyahoga Genweb project this is now East 27^th Street See the below two maps:

Corner of Leonard and Winter Streets, Cleveland, Ohio

S. Fix’s Sons Boiler Flue Welding Works in the flats was located here. Charles W. Kaighin was apprenticed at the works in 1875 (age 11) and worked there until about 1935. An article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer in 1935 mentions that he still cooked some of his meals at the works then. The works was owned by brothers Oram and John W. Fix. John was Charles’ sister Catherine’s husband. Catherine and John Fix can be found at 135 White Ave, Lakewood in the 1900 Cleveland City Directory. They are also listed at the same address four years later when her mother Margaret (Christian) Kaighin died. The wake was held here. Catherine’s sister Mona was living here in the 1910 Census as well. See the next four images relating to the Welding Works.

This image is from the 1900 Cleveland City Directory

Leonard Street in the flats from 1874 map of Cleveland Leonard Street, 2005

Satellite photograph of the same area, 2005

West Avenue Corner South Water Street, Cleveland, Ohio

Charles W. Kaighin had a horseshoe company here for many years. This was in the heart of the industrial district in the flats. Water Street is now W. 9^th St. and extended south of Superior Ave. to West. Ave. The roads have changed substantially in this area, but West Ave. is still there. So the business would have been on what is now the corner of West Ave and Columbus Road. See the next three images:

West Avenue in the flats from 1874 map of Cleveland West Avenue, 2005

Satellite photograph of the same area 2005

135 White Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio

John and Catherine (Kaighin) Fix are listed here in the 1900 Cleveland City Directory.

6901 Hague Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio

Charles W Kaighin lived here from at least 1910 until his divorce before 1920. Anna continued living here with children Loretta, Elroy and George and can be found there in the 1920 census. This is directly across W. 65^th Street from the old Schott Street address.

5202 Herman Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio

Ebenezer Kaighin and his wife Elizabeth (Lehman) Kaighin were residing here at the time of the 1920 Census. This is also their address in their burial records. He died in 1926, she in 1927

2209 West 6^th Street, Cleveland, Ohio

Charles E. “Chas” Kaighin and his wife May were residing here at the time of the 1920 Census.

2191 East 69^th Street, Cleveland, Ohio

This address is listed on Mona Kaighin’s burial record. This is on the East Side of Cleveland

1625 Waterbury Rd., Lakewood, Ohio (on the very left of first map)

Anna (Winkler) Kaighin resided here with her son George Cletus Kaighin in the 1930 Census. She had remarried to John K. Waddell, but they had either divorced or he died prior to the census.

1539 Chesterland Avenue, Lakewood, Ohio

Elroy “Bud” and his wife Victoria resided here in 1930 Census

2154 Chesterland Avenue, Lakewood, Ohio

This house was built by Otto and Catherine (Kaighin) Pintner in 1925. Anna (Winkler) Kaighin stayed here for a few months before her death in 1938. Kathlyn Pintner was born here in 1926 and Otto died here in 1950. Catherine remarried in 1951 and then sold the house to her son Roland’s brother-in-law Gerald Lane.

14914 Arden Avenue, Lakewood, Ohio

Helen (Kaighin) Waldeck lived here. George Cletus Kaighin’s wake was here in 1939

3500 and 3538 W. 140^th Street, Cleveland, Ohio

Edward and Loretta (Kaighin) Diehl resided here at her death in 1948. Edward’s residence at his death in 1970 was at 3538.

654 Bolivar Road, Cleveland, Ohio

Charles W. Kaighin lived in a hotel in downtown Cleveland near the end of his life, and his death notice lists this address.

3826 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio

Charles W. Kaighin’s burial record lists both the Bolivar address above, and 3826 Euclid Ave. This is on the East side of Cleveland.

Submissions, corrections or suggestions kindly received by the editor at kaighin@iname.com Copyright 2004, 2005, Gregory D. Kaighin, All rights reserved