Unlocking Doors

My grandfather's key

Picture of website

   My genealogical goal for this year is to find my paternal great grandfather. I have been researching and looking for Edwin/ Edward Johnson for six years. Family members have very little information to contribute to my search because he left his family when my grandfather was only ten years old.

So, when I get a clue to the identity of my great grandfather, I am over-the-top excited! You ask, “What clue did you find?” Well, as I was researching on the computer for information about “Railroads in the 1920s”, I hit the mother lode. As I was reading about working and riding on the railroads, I came to a picture that looked very familiar. I remembered that my mother had a key that my paternal grandfather, Charles Johnson, had. I compared the key with the picture and it was a MATCH!!!!! I had an O.M.G moment. Could this be the clue that I needed to unlock the mystery to my great grandfather? I was looking at “railroads in the 1920s” because there might have been a possibility that Edwin was a Pullman Porter. Some of the places he and his family lived in (according to census records) were accessible by train.

 This particular key that I am referring to is a Pullman Porter’s key. They used these keys to open up the berth (beds) for the riders in the sleeping car compartments. On the key were the words L&N Railroad ( Louisville & Nashville Railroad).  Most likely Edwin Johnson was a Pullman Porter for this railroad. BINGO, clue number one.

The other story is that my grandpa might have used this key when he took the mail from the Post Office to the train station to open the mail car. This car on the train was always locked because it not only held mail, but also money.

 So I have two mysteries to further investigate..

#1 – Did this key belong to Edwin, and was it the only memento his son, Charles, kept of his father?

#2- Did this key belong to my grandpa when he worked at the Post Office?

Although I am still researching about this key, I have an optimistic outlook of the possibilities it could lead to. This key will definitely UNLOCK  DOORS in my search.