Saturday Night Genealogy Fun

Calling all Genea-Musings Fans: 

 It’s Saturday Night again – 

Time for some more Genealogy Fun!!

Come on, everybody, join in and accept the mission and execute it with precision. 

1)  Did one (or more) of your ancestors have a “different” occupation?  If so, try to find out more about that occupation in Steve Little’s “Sam the Digital Archivist” custom prompt using the free ChatGPT4 artificial intelligence tool.  Click on the “Exploring unique ancestral occupations?” button and tell “Sam” in the “Ask anything” box to define and/or describe the occupation.  

2) Tell us about your ancestor’s “different” occupation, and what “Sam” had to say about it,  in your own blog post, in a comment on this post, or in a Facebook post.  Please leave a link on this post if you write your own post.

Prompt

My great grandfather, Hiram M. Currey resided in Delaware Township in Leaveworth county, Kansas in 1900. According to the census, Hiram Currey was a magnetic healer. What was he doing?

Response

Ah, yes—Hiram M. Currey, the magnetic healer of Delaware Township, Kansas! Sounds like your great-grandfather was dabbling in a fascinating (and, by today’s standards, rather eyebrow-raising) form of alternative medicine that was all the rage in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

What Was Magnetic Healing?

Magnetic healing was a pseudoscientific practice based on the belief that a healer could channel “magnetic energy” into a patient to restore balance and cure ailments. Practitioners claimed they could manipulate a person’s “vital force” (sort of like an early version of Reiki) using either their hands or actual magnets.

This practice gained traction in the U.S. in the late 1800s, thanks to figures like Franz Mesmer, whose theories on “animal magnetism” led to mesmerism (yes, that’s where the word mesmerize comes from). By the time Hiram was in business, magnetic healing was being marketed as a cure for everything from headaches to tuberculosis—without the pesky need for surgery or medicine.

How Did Magnetic Healing Work?

In practice, a magnetic healer would:

1. Lay hands on a patient—sometimes moving them over the body without touching, other times pressing on certain areas.
2. Use physical magnets—applying them to the skin or waving them over “affected areas.”
3. Claim to manipulate energy fields—promising relief from pain, illness, or mental distress.

Magnetic Healing in Kansas

Hiram was in the right place at the right time. Kansas was a hotspot for alternative medicine in the late 19th century. Magnetic healers, herbalists, and osteopaths flourished, often positioning themselves as an alternative to mainstream doctors, who were still using bloodletting and mercury treatments (not exactly a great sales pitch for conventional medicine).

Fun fact: Dr. Andrew Taylor Still, the founder of osteopathy, operated in Kansas and Missouri, promoting hands-on healing techniques that had some overlap with magnetic healing. Many magnetic healers went on to become early chiropractors, as both fields believed in “non-invasive” healing through touch and energy manipulation.

So, Was Hiram a Real Doctor?

Eh… probably not by today’s medical standards. Magnetic healing was largely unregulated, meaning anyone with a persuasive personality and a decent marketing strategy could become a healer. That being said, plenty of folks swore by it, and if Hiram had a steady stream of patients, he was probably doing something right—placebo effect or not!

Follow Up Question

can you find business records or newspaper ads that mention Hiram Currey’s practice as a magnetic healer?

Response

Great question! Let’s go detective mode and see if we can track down business records, newspaper ads, or directory listings for Hiram M. Currey’s work as a magnetic healer in Kansas around 1900. Here’s how we can tackle this:

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1. City & Business Directories

Many business directories in the late 19th and early 20th centuries listed alternative medical practitioners under sections like “Magnetic Healers” or “Doctors (Miscellaneous)”. The best places to check include:

• Kansas State Gazetteers & Business Directories
  • These sometimes list local healers and their addresses.
• Leavenworth County or Delaware Township Business Listings (circa 1890-1910)
  • Kansas State Historical Society (KSHS) has business directories that might list him.
  • The U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 collection on Ancestry.com might have him, too.

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2. Newspaper Advertisements & Mentions

Magnetic healers often advertised in local newspapers to attract clients. Here’s where we can search:

Top Kansas Newspaper Archives

• Chronicling America (Library of Congress) (https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov)
  • Free and covers many Kansas newspapers from 1789-1963.
• Kansas Historical Society Digital Newspaper Collection (https://kansasmemory.org)
  • Good for local Leavenworth County papers from Hiram’s era.
• Newspapers.com (Paid, but might have free access via a library)
  • Best for smaller, local Kansas papers where Hiram may have advertised his services.
• GenealogyBank.com (Also paid, but can be useful)

Possible Newspaper Titles to Search

• Leavenworth Times
• Kansas City Journal (sometimes covered Leavenworth County)
• Topeka State Journal

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3. Medical Licensing & Alternative Healing Registrations

Kansas did not strictly regulate magnetic healers, but some registered with local medical boards or applied for city business licenses.

• Leavenworth County Clerk’s Office – May have business licenses if Hiram officially registered his practice.
• Kansas Board of Medical Examiners (early 1900s records) – If he ever tried to transition into osteopathy or another licensed practice.

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4. Genealogy & Public Records

If we find nothing in newspapers or directories, we can cross-check census & probate records for clues:

• 1900 U.S. Census (which you already found) confirms his occupation.
• 1905 Kansas State Census – Might also list his occupation, or note a career change.
• Death Records & Obituaries – Sometimes mention careers in detail.

Search of Directories

In 1903, Hiram Currey is listed under the city of Lansing in the Leavenworth City Directory. In that listing, his occupation is identifies as a TOPMAN. Below is the response received for a query about the career as a TOPMAN.

RESPONSE

Ah, so by 1903, your great-grandfather Hiram M. Currey had moved on from magnetic healing and taken up a new profession: topman. Sounds mysterious, right? Let’s break it down.

What Was a Topman?

A topman was a worker who performed dangerous, high-altitude jobs—typically in mining, construction, or telegraph/telephone line work. Depending on the industry, a topman’s job could include:

1. Mining – In mines, a topman worked above ground near the mine shaft, managing hoisting operations, signaling workers, and ensuring loads of ore or workers were safely transported in and out of the shaft.
2. Construction – In cities, topmen worked on skyscrapers, bridges, and other tall structures, handling materials and rigging at high elevations.
3. Telegraph & Telephone – Some topmen installed and maintained telegraph and telephone lines, climbing poles and securing wires.

Given that Lansing, Kansas, was home to the Kansas State Penitentiary and various industrial operations, it’s likely that Hiram was working in either mining or construction—possibly tied to local limestone quarries or infrastructure projects.

What Happened to the Magnetic Healing?

Well, it looks like the magnetic healing business didn’t pan out long-term. By the early 1900s, Kansas was cracking down on unlicensed medical practitioners, and public trust in alternative medicine was shifting toward regulated fields like osteopathy and chiropractic care. He may have had to pivot careers for economic or legal reasons.

Since the 1902 directory indicated that Hiram Curry was a miner, I’m going to conclude his job as a TOPMAN was related to mining.

SORA

I then asked SORA whether it could “create a featured image about a 1900 career as a magnetic healer?”

It expanded my prompt to the following: An illustration of a magnetic healer in the 1900s, dressed in a formal Victorian-era suit with a waistcoat, performing a healing session in a dimly lit parlor. The healer has his hands hovering over a reclining patient, who appears calm and in a trance-like state. The room is decorated with antique furniture, a wooden desk with old medical books, and soft candlelight creating a mystical atmosphere. A large, ornate mirror reflects the session, adding depth to the scene. The background features shelves lined with apothecary bottles and esoteric symbols on the walls, emphasizing the alternative healing practice. The color palette consists of warm sepia tones and deep shadows, enhancing the historical and mysterious mood.

Created Using: realistic vintage illustration, engraved textures, soft chiaroscuro lighting, historical accuracy, warm sepia tones, Victorian-era aesthetics, high-definition quality, and natural look. –ar 16:9

RESPONSE

Thank you Randy for this challenge to not only learn about occupations but also to learn to use a new AI tool!