In many cases, large families were lost as their homes washed away in the 1900 Storm in Galveston. However, a single line entry in the 1900 census at an address in the "danger zone" near the Gulf has another story to tell.
Jenny, or Jennie, Livingston was a widow at 26, and working as a music teacher in 1900. She lived in a rented home on Avenue T at 39th Street and had been employed consistently for the past 12 months. She had been married for 9 years, which corresponds with a marriage licence filed in Harris County by William G. Livingston on 27 October 1891. He swore that he was over 21 years of age, and that his bride, Jennie A. Summers was over 18.
In the 1891/2 City Directory for Galveston, William G. Livingston was listed as a fireman for the Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe Railroad. His residence was at 3202 Avenue R, with a Frances E. Livingston, widow of Edward. These appear to be his parents, based on their entry in the 1880 census in Galveston. In 1893 William paid his $1.50 poll tax in Galveston. In 1895/6 he resided at 4308 Church Street and was again employed as a fireman at or by Santa Fe.
The 1896/7 directory lists Jennie A, widow of W.G. Livingston, living at the southeast corner of 40th Street at Avenue T. where she was still living when the 1899/1900 directory recorded her as a teacher at a private school. A listing in the Lakeview Cemetery in Galveston at Find-a-Grave has W.G. Livingston dying in 1895 at Alvin.
Although Jennie states that she had two children who were both living when the census was taken in 1900, they did not live in her household. Between her husband's death about 1895 and 1900 she must have found herself unable to care for her children. After five years of marriage she had to earn a living, which may not have been enough to provide for three. Her mother-in-law Frances, age 48, was supporting herself and her 17-year-old daughter by teaching as well.
Jennie's boys are likely the Livingston children listed in 1900 among the 43 "inmates" in the Galveston Orphans' Home at 21st and M. Willie was reported on the census to have been born in October of 1892, about a year after Jennie and William's marriage. Next in the listing is Stanley Livingston, born September of 1894. Although she must have been pained to place her sons in the care of others, this action saved their lives. The orphanage, now the Bryant Museum, was damaged in the hurricane of September 1900, but suffered no casualties. The children were moved to Houston during reconstruction, to the Buckner Baptist Children's Home.
Young Willie may have been living independently back in Galveston in 1910, when a William G. "Levingston," age 17, was boarding on 24th and H, and working as a laborer on a ship. There is a Stanley Livingston whose Baltimore WWI draft registration states that he was born in Galveston. At that time, he had a wife and child. Frances Livingston is on the list of the storm dead, but not her daughter, Frances. The younger Frances does not appear to be in Galveston in 1910, but if she survived, she may have married and changed her name by then. The rest of the Livingston legacy is as yet undiscovered.
Jennie's short life had its joys and sorrows. She deserves to be remembered.
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