Meet the Libbeys This is a continuation of the Charles Reif vs SB Paige story. This post is focused on the mother and sister of Mary Elizabeth Libbey Fagin who was the second Mrs. Paige. This is the 9th and final installment in the series. Elizabeth Nelson Libbey was born in Ireland probably in about … Continue reading Curiouser and Curiouser
Part 8 -The Historical Record of Mrs Paige The task of the detective hired to research Mary Elizabeth Libbey Fagin Paige's past would have been daunting. It seems as though Mary - and her mother, Elizabeth Libbey - deliberately tried to muddy the waters regarding their history from the beginning. Even today, with the ability … Continue reading The Curious Case of Charles Reif vs SB Paige
Part 7 - The “Real” Mrs. Paige from the Appleton Crescent, Appleton, WI13 January 1883, Saturday, page 3 The brothers of Mr. SB Paige were suspicious of his new wife from the beginning. She was 30 years his junior and seemed to have materialized out of nowhere after the death of the first Mrs. Paige. … Continue reading The Curious Case of Charles Reif vs SB Paige
Part 6 - The Persecution of Mrs. Paige from the Quad-City Times, Davenport, IA6 July 1883, Friday, page 1 There is an interesting slant to the newspaper stories published in Oshkosh versus the stories written from Davenport. The Oshkosh papers seemed to favor the cause of the Paige family and the Davenport paper seemed to … Continue reading The Curious Case of Charles Reif vs SB Paige
Part 5 - The End of Mr. Paige from the Oshkosh Northwestern, Oshkosh, WI 12 March 1884, Monday, page 4 After the announcement of the marriage of Simon Bailey Paige to Mary Elizabeth Fagin in New York on January 9, 1883, the newspapers in Oshkosh were largely silent on the subject. The afternoon of March … Continue reading The Curious Case of Charles Reif and SB Paige
Part 4 - The Suit The Oshkosh Northwestern newspaper published a brief article detailing three suits brought against Simon Bailey Paige on May 2, 1881. Mr. Paige was preparing to move to Davenport, Iowa and the suits were served before his departure. Former first assistant Charles Reif of the Oshkosh fire department was suing Mr. … Continue reading The Curious Case of Charles Reif vs SB Paige
Part 3 - Dissension in the Ranks In the days following the fire, word began to circulate that the Chief Engineer of the fire department RJ Weisbrod and First Assistant Charles Reif were at odds. The Oshkosh Northwestern published comments on December 7 by Weisbrod accusing Reif of drunkenness and insubordination following the retrieval of … Continue reading The Curious Case of Charles Reif vs SB Paige
Part 2 - The Rescue of Mrs Harlow and the Death of Mrs Paige Beckwith House 4 December 1880 from Discover Historic Oshkosh The fire at the Beckwith House was raging as the fire department arrived on the scene on the evening of December 3, 1880. Mrs. C.E. Harlow had just leapt from the fourth … Continue reading The Curious Case of Charles Reif vs SB Paige
Part 1 - Fire at Beckwith House The Beckwith House From the Oshkosh Northwestern, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, page 2 Saturday, 4 December 1880 On December 3, 1880, a kerosene lamp exploded at a grand hotel called the Beckwith House in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The resulting fire spread very quickly through the large building, trapping two female guests … Continue reading The Curious Case of Charles Reif vs SB Paige
WitzEnd Family History 