#28 - Occupations/ Occupational Patterns

 OCCUPATIONS -  #1/52

Many women and men find their jobs/careers through networks / family.
Of course, most of the early immigrants to the new world, (on both sides of the family) farmers. The 1910 photo here is a family farm in SE PA, north of Gettysburg.

There were school teachers, artists, some military (usually of short duration).  There were plenty of drivers, or "livery" men.
There were servants and cleaners/ "supers"  in New York City parlance.
Most of  the women worked sporadically, as the household duties (especially on a farm) was far more time-consuming than we could imagine.

Many of my Long Island ancestors were surveyors (specifically, the Hawxhurst family). William E. Hawxhurst (below)

WE Hawxhurst, Surveyor, Long Island, NY

Photographer-Horticulturalist-Manager 

My ancestor Charles J Tyson set up shop as an early photographer along with his brother Edwin (Tyson Brothers), in Gettysburg, PA. Coincidentally, right before the Battle of Gettysburg. They evacuated town, but returned, and along with their trusted young assistant (Tipton) took many photos of the town. They also did portraits, apparently. They were happy to find their photography studio was largely undamaged. Here are two photos the Tyson Bros took, one during the Union army's stay, the other during the Gettysburg Address (in November of the same year), Lincoln was under the "Witness Tree."

Camp Letterman (Tyson Bros)

But, things changed and Charles J Tyson sold the business to his assistant Tipton, moved to the countryside with his bride and got into the orchard business. In the meantime his brother wed and moved back to a large city (but kept up his photography).
Later, for some reason, Charles Tyson went back to partner with Tipton (perhaps due to finances?). After a while Charles resold his portion of the photography studio back to Tipton.
Tyson's orchard/farm was growing with the help of his wife's family. But farming is an uncertain source of income. Late in his life he & his wife moved to Baltimore to manage with a fertilizer business. As a farmer, he'd learned that farmers need manure--and that there is money to be made in that business. He made a good deal of money operating the Susquehanna Fertilizer Company.
Eventually he and his wife Maria (Griest) eventually sold their share and moved back to Adams County, PA in their old age.

Orchard country, Adams County, PA

Nurserymen - Hicks of Long Island, NY 

For over a hundred years the Hicks family on Long Island has dealt with trees and shrubs. At some point the sons took over the Nursery Business. In 2016 I stopped by and met the owner, who is named Hicks, of the current nursery. 

According to a cousin, the nursery is always inherited by a Hicks son. This ad from 1938 is the back of a Christmas postcard. It was in possession of my Great grandmother (Bertha Hawxhurst) whose mother was Marianna Hicks.