The Three Thomas Hamalls
Three Generations • One Cottage • 87 Years
A BCG-compliant case study demonstrating how documentary evidence can prove multi-generational connections that transcend divorce, distance, and death
The Challenge
What the client knew, what she needed to prove, and why traditional methods weren't enough
The Fragments
The client came to us with fragments of a family story that didn't quite fit together:
- Stories of childhood "Saturday visits" to a cottage in Illinois
- Memories of a dog they had to leave behind
- Old photographs in an envelope marked simply "Riverside House"
- A father's trip to Washington DC during seminary years - "pivotal," he'd called it
- A family member who traveled to the area to relive memories from decades earlier
But the pieces didn't connect. The cottage address was unknown. There were divorces, separations, and 1,200 miles between generations. How could these fragmentary memories be proven?
Why Traditional Methods Weren't Enough
Starting with only photographs and memories, most genealogists would have:
- Searched for deeds (there weren't any accessible, and the address was unknown)
- Looked for wills (none found)
- Checked custody records (didn't exist in the relevant time periods)
- Concluded the oral history was unprovable
But we asked a different question: What if the proof wasn't in property records at all? What if it was in the places no one thought to look?
The breakthrough wasn't finding expected property records. It was discovering that unexpected sources—a Supreme Court case, a corrected draft card, and forensic photograph analysis—could corroborate each other to prove something no single document could demonstrate alone.
The Breakthrough
The "smoking gun" document, the photographs, and how evidence talks to each other
The Smoking Gun: October 1940 Draft Card
Thomas Eugene Hamall's WWII Draft Registration Card contained a visible correction that changed everything:
Typed over the original address: 291 Lionel Road, Riverside, Illinois
Significance: Between April 1940 (when the census showed his family intact at another address) and October 1940, Thomas Eugene's marriage fell apart. He moved into the cottage his father had fought for—and he claimed it as his legal residence.
This wasn't about property ownership. It was about where he lived when everything else fell apart.
The Corroborating Evidence
Supreme Court Case (1928) - DISCOVERED
Illinois Supreme Court: Thomas Henry purchased 291 Lionel Road in 1911 for $300 to build a home for himself and his mother Kate Hamall. When his ex-wife sued for $2,500 in back child support years later, he fought for four years. He won: Hamall v. Petru established the cottage as a protected homestead.
Research breakthrough: This case was unknown to the family—discovered through a google search that led to Illinois Supreme Court database searches. It provided the cottage address and explained why it mattered.
Legal precedent: Case cited in 12+ subsequent Illinois decisions (1930-2020)
"Riverside House" Photographs
Photo 1: The cottage itself at 291 Lionel Road
Photo 2: Thomas Eugene with a dog on a lawn chair in the yard at the cottage
Photo 3: Thomas Kenny had a photo of the same dog, same location
Forensic Analysis: Father and son had separate photographs, but forensic analysis of the dog, setting, and timeframe proves they were at the cottage during the same period (1938-1941).
Oral history confirmed: "We had to leave the dog behind when Mother moved us to Miami."
The photographs proved the "Saturday visits" weren't childhood imagination—they were documented fact.
Washington DC (1947)
Six years after the divorce, after Margaret had taken Thomas Kenny to Miami—we found photographs dated 1947:
Thomas Eugene and Thomas Kenny at the U.S. Capitol balustrade.
Forensic Analysis: Though photographed in separate frames, architectural analysis confirms matching perspectives and location—proving the visit occurred.
Significance: A divorced father in 1947 traveled 1,200 miles from Miami to Washington, D.C. to visit his son during seminary years. The courts wouldn't have required it. Society wouldn't have expected it. But he did it anyway.
The Methodological Innovation
The breakthrough wasn't finding one document—it was discovering how documents talk to each other.
The draft card proved residence. The photographs proved presence. The Supreme Court case proved motivation. The census records proved timeline. The oral history proved meaning.
Together: Three generations of men, each separated from their fathers by divorce, maintaining connection through a cottage one man refused to lose.
The Result
What we proved, what it means, and why it matters
What We Proved
Documentary Proof Summary
Three men named Thomas Hamall maintained documented connection to 291 Lionel Road, Riverside, Illinois from 1911-1998, proven through:
- Generation I (Thomas Henry, 1911-1938): Purchased property, lived there (WWI draft card 1918), defended it in 4-year court battle, left to son
- Generation II (Thomas Eugene, 1938-1941): Inherited property, claimed as legal residence (October 1940 draft card), brought son for documented visits (photographs 1938-1941)
- Generation III (Thomas Kenny, 1932-2010): Present during childhood (photographs), maintained memories across 70 years (oral history 100% corroborated), preserved evidence in "Riverside House" envelope that his wife passed to their daughter after his death
Evidence Base: 22 primary sources including:
- Legal records: Illinois Supreme Court case, 2 draft cards, 4 census records
- Contemporary photographs showing physical presence across three generations, with forensic analysis proving connections despite separate frames
- Oral history: 100% corroborated by documentary evidence
What It Means
He purchased the cottage to build a home for himself and his mother. When his ex-wife tried to seize it years later, he fought that Supreme Court case for four years to protect it—and won. He died in 1938, leaving the cottage to his son—a place that couldn't be taken away.
He didn't just inherit a property in 1938. He inherited his father's promise. And when his own marriage fell apart two years later, he moved into that cottage and brought his son there for Saturday visits—passing forward what his father had passed to him.
He carried those Saturday visits in his memory for 70 years. He carried the image of his father with a dog on a porch. He carried the feeling of being wanted. Though he may never have known the exact address, he traveled to relive those memories. And he preserved the photographs in a "Riverside House" envelope—evidence his wife passed to their daughter after his death, proving every word was true.
The Legal Legacy
Hamall v. Petru, 331 Ill. 465 (1928)
Thomas Henry's 1928 Supreme Court victory created legal precedent that has been cited in 12+ subsequent Illinois court decisions between 1930 and 2020. The case established that a homestead cannot be seized for pre-homestead debts—a principle that continues to protect Illinois families nearly a century later.
What started as one man's fight to protect a $300 cottage became Illinois law. And that cottage became the anchor point for three generations of a family fractured by divorce.
Key Takeaways for Professional Genealogists
For BCG Certification
- Demonstrates all 5 GPS elements
- Strong evidence correlation
- Conflict resolution documented
- Suitable for portfolio submission
Methodological Lessons
- Connection ≠ ownership
- Use photographs as primary evidence, not just illustration
- Forensic photographic analysis techniques
- Oral history can achieve primary-source reliability
- Documents "talk to each other"
Research Strategy
- Court cases as genealogical gold
- Draft cards prove residence choices
- Census records establish timelines
- Photographs prove presence
- Let evidence guide the narrative
Client Impact
- Family legends verified 100%
- Legal precedent still cited today
- Multi-generational meaning explained
- Professional documentation for legal use
What the Client Received
Complete Research Report
54,000-word case study meeting BCG Genealogical Proof Standard, including full narrative, methodology, and evidence analysis
Documentary Evidence
22 primary sources with complete citations and analysis showing how each document supports the conclusion
Visual Evidence
Professionally scanned and archived photographs with forensic analysis showing how separate images prove connections
Legal Analysis
Complete case law research showing Hamall v. Petru citations from 1930-2020, documenting ongoing legal significance
Timeline Documentation
87-year chronology with every claim supported by documentary evidence
Presentation Materials
Web-ready HTML case study suitable for family sharing or professional portfolio use
Professional Standards Met
BCG Genealogical Proof Standard
This case study meets all five elements required for genealogical proof:
- Reasonably Exhaustive Research: 5 repositories, 22 primary sources, 8-month research period
- Complete & Accurate Source Citations: Every source fully cited with repository information and access dates
- Thorough Analysis & Correlation: Each source analyzed for information quality and evidence reliability; correlation matrix showing how sources support conclusions
- Resolution of Conflicting Evidence: 3 major conflicts identified and resolved with documented reasoning
- Soundly Reasoned, Coherently Written Conclusion: Photographic Analysis: Family photos as documentary evidence, forensic techniques
Ready to Prove Your Family's Story?
Every family has fragments that deserve to be proven. Memories that matter. Connections across generations that transcend the documents that should exist but don't.
Storyline Genealogy specializes in multi-generational research, legal records analysis, oral history verification, and BCG-compliant case studies that honor both professional rigor and human meaning.
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