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The family story has always been that the building containing our Native American family paperwork burned down. For years, we did not know which building that story referred to—or whether there was any way to recover the lost information.

Knowing what we now know about Dorothy Muriel Hiles, the possibilities have narrowed to two Catholic institutions:

• St. Joseph’s Orphan Asylum in Allouez, near Green Bay • St. Aemilian’s Orphanage in the Milwaukee/St. Francis area

St. Joseph’s did not burn down. It remained open until 1980 and was demolished the following year. More importantly, at least some of its historical records may still survive through the Diocese of Green Bay.

St. Aemilian’s, however, was destroyed by a major fire in 1930. Dorothy may not have lived there, but it remains possible that she was processed through the institution or that paperwork relating to her placement was transferred there. This could be the origin of the family story that the building holding our Native American records burned.

Dorothy was born on August 20, 1921. By the 1930 census, she was living at 612 East Main Street in Fond du Lac and was recorded as Dorothy M. Normile, the adopted daughter of Thomas H. and Virginia Normile.

That gives us a firm outside date: Dorothy was already living with the Normile family by April 1930. She was most likely placed with or adopted by them earlier—probably no later than 1929.

The next steps in the investigation are:

• Contact the Diocese of Green Bay Archives and request a search of the surviving St. Joseph’s records from 1921 through 1929.

• Search for Dorothy under every known name: Dorothy Muriel Hiles, Dorothea Hiles, Dorothy M. Normile and Dorothy Muriel Normile.

• Ask specifically for admission, intake, baptismal, medical, school, guardianship, foster-placement, discharge, transfer and adoption records.

• Search for records mentioning Thomas H. and Virginia Normile or the family’s Fond du Lac address.

• Determine what records survive from St. Aemilian’s and whether it ever processed, referred or maintained paperwork for children who were placed elsewhere.

• Search Fond du Lac County court records for a formal adoption or guardianship proceeding before 1930.

• Obtain Dorothy’s original birth certificate so the exact names, dates, addresses and later amendments can be examined.

We also learned that the statement “the orphanage burned and all the records were lost” may combine two real events: St. Joseph’s, which Dorothy may have passed through, was eventually demolished; St. Aemilian’s was actually destroyed by fire. The family story may have preserved part of the truth while losing the exact institution over the generations.

At the same time, the investigation into Dorothy’s biological mother continues. DNA research involving more than 300 matches across four of Dorothy’s children repeatedly leads back to the interconnected Oneida Hill, Antone, Powless and Archiquette families. Sylvia, also known as Zilpha Hill, remains the strongest known candidate for Dorothy’s biological mother.

Sylvia was the daughter of Aaron Hill and Esther Antone. She attended Carlisle Indian Industrial School and transferred to Haskell Institute in August 1918. A request has now been sent for her complete Haskell student file and inactive-student card. Those records could reveal where she went, who she corresponded with and what happened during the years surrounding Dorothy’s birth.

None of this is finished yet—but the search is getting narrower. We now have specific institutions, a working period of 1921–1929, surviving record collections to pursue and a much clearer idea of what may have happened to the family’s paperwork.

Aaron Hill (about 1863–by April 1931)

Also Known As

Aaron Hill — the only name presently established by original records.

No middle name, Indigenous-language name, nickname, or alternate spelling has yet been documented. The name Cornelius Aaron Hill belongs to a man proposed in compiled trees as Aaron's father; it is not an alternate name for Aaron.[S14]

Profile Summary

Aaron Hill was an Oneida man born in Wisconsin about February 1863. The 1900 federal census recorded him as a farmer on the Oneida Indian Reservation in Brown County, Wisconsin, with his wife, Esther, and four children. Oneida Agency records later place another daughter, Sylvia, in the family and continue Aaron's association with the Oneida community into 1930.[S1–S5]

Aaron is important to the Hiles investigation because Sylvia J. Hill is being investigated as the possible biological mother of Dorothea Muriel Hiles. Aaron's relationship to Sylvia is documented; Sylvia's relationship to Dorothea is not. Aaron therefore cannot presently be identified as Dorothea's grandfather as a documented fact.[S2][S5][S13]

Aaron's exact birth date, parents, marriage date, death date, and burial place remain unresolved. A compiled Ancestry profile supplies exact claims, but the underlying original records have not been reviewed. The latest direct evidence presently identified records Aaron in 1930; a county-claims notice published 21 April 1931 includes a $45 casket expense for an Aaron Hill under the Town of Hobart.[S5][S12][S14]

Lead image placement: Insert aaronhill1900census(1).jpg, preferably cropped to Aaron's household. Caption: Aaron and Esther Hill household, 1900 United States census, Indian Population Schedule, Oneida Indian Reservation, Brown County, Wisconsin, enumeration district 161, sheet 10, lines 23–28.[S1]

Vital Information

CategoryDocumented informationEvidence statusFull nameAaron HillDocumented.[S1–S5]BirthAbout February 1863, WisconsinThe 1900 federal census records February 1863 and age 37; later Oneida rolls are consistent with about 1863.[S1–S5]ParentsNot yet documentedCornelius Aaron Hill and Elizabeth Archiquette are compiled-tree claims only.[S14]Nation/communityOneidaRecorded as Oneida in the 1900 census and contemporary newspapers.[S1][S6–S11]OccupationFarmer in 1900Documented once; no lifelong occupation should be inferred.[S1]WifeEsther HillDocumented by the 1900 census and Oneida family records.[S1][S2]ChildrenJames, Andrew, Elizabeth, Mary, and Sylvia HillThe first four are in the 1900 household; later records add Sylvia and expressly identify her as Aaron's daughter.[S1][S2][S5]DeathAfter his 1930 enumeration and by 21 April 1931Strongly supported; exact date unresolved.[S5][S12]BurialNot yet documentedThe Hobart casket charge names no cemetery.[S12]

Documented Family Relationships

Wife: Esther Hill

The 1900 federal census identifies Esther as Aaron's wife. It records her as born in August 1871 in Wisconsin, age twenty-eight, married for nine years, and the mother of four children, all four living. Those details imply a marriage about 1890 but do not establish an exact date.[S1]

A Holy Apostles Episcopal Church transcription reportedly identifies her as Esther Antone in a birth entry for Jane Hill, daughter of Aaron Hill and Esther Antone. A compiled tree reports that Aaron and Esther married at Holy Apostles on 24 May 1890. The original church register has not yet been examined, so the maiden name and exact marriage date remain awaiting primary-source verification.[S13][S14]

Children

The 1900 census directly documents four children in Aaron and Esther's household:[S1]

James A. Hill, born April 1892, age eight.

Andrew Hill, born October 1893, age six.

Elizabeth Hill, born April 1895, age five.

Mary Hill, born April 1899, age one.

The birth months and years above are transcribed from the attached federal census image. They supersede ages or birth years inferred in earlier drafts unless a clearer original record establishes otherwise.[S1]

The Oneida Agency census dated 30 June 1901 reportedly records Aaron and Esther with James, Andrew, Elizabeth, Mary, and two-month-old Sylvia Hill. The 1930 Oneida roll expressly identifies Sylvia as Aaron's daughter and James as his son.[S2][S5]

A Holy Apostles transcription records Jane Hill, born 26 February 1901 to Aaron Hill and Esther Antone. Jane may have been the child later recorded as Sylvia, but the different given name and the 1901 roll's reported age of two months leave the identity unresolved.[S2][S13]

Compiled tree material also associates Aaron with Mary Denny, Cornelius Denny Smith, and Anderson Denny Smith. No reviewed original record establishes Mary as Aaron's wife or the two Smith men as his sons. They are research leads, not documented family members.[S14]

Chronological Biography

Birth and early life

The 1900 census records Aaron as born in Wisconsin in February 1863. He was thirty-seven years old, and both parents were reported as born in Wisconsin. The special Indian schedule identifies Aaron and both parents as Oneida and records his degree of white blood as one-half.[S1]

A compiled family tree gives the exact date 3 February 1863 at Oneida, Wisconsin, and names Cornelius Aaron Hill and Elizabeth Archiquette as his parents. No birth, baptismal, allotment, or other original record presently reviewed proves those details.[S14]

Household on the Oneida Reservation in 1900

On 9 June 1900, Aaron was enumerated on the Oneida Indian Reservation in Brown County. He was listed as head of household, married, and a farmer. Esther and children James, Andrew, Elizabeth, and Mary followed him. The Indian schedule identifies every member of the household as Oneida. It also records a fixed dwelling for the family.[S1]

This attachment is a United States federal census Indian Population Schedule, not a Bureau of Indian Affairs annual Indian census roll. Earlier drafts mislabeled it as an Oneida Agency census.[S1]

Later Oneida records

The project has identified a 30 June 1901 Oneida Agency roll containing Aaron, Esther, their four older children, and infant Sylvia; a 30 June 1920 Oneida Sub-Agency roll containing Aaron in sequence with Sylvia, Mary, and James; 1925 and 1926 rolls recording Aaron as widowed; and a 1930 roll recording Aaron as a widowed head with Sylvia identified as daughter and James as son.[S2–S5]

The original 1920 page reportedly leaves relationship fields blank. Its adjacency alone should not be used to prove relationships, although the earlier and later records independently support the family connections.[S2][S3][S5]

Death and burial

Aaron appears in the 1930 Oneida record at approximately age sixty-seven.[S5] On 21 April 1931, the Green Bay Press-Gazette published Brown County claims. Under “Charge County at Large” and “Town of Hobart,” the list includes “Aid to Aaron Hill, Casket,” claimed and allowed at $45.[S12]

The casket entry strongly indicates that an Aaron Hill connected with Hobart had died by 21 April 1931. In combination with the 1930 Oneida record, it supports a death after the enumeration and by the newspaper date, provided both records concern the same man. It does not identify the death date, place of death, undertaker, funeral, cemetery, or grave.[S5][S12]

The Ancestry profile reports 10 February 1931 and burial in Hobart, while also containing a contradictory note that Aaron died in June 1930. Neither claim should be published as settled until a death certificate, obituary, burial register, or equivalent original record is located.[S14]

Contemporary Newspaper Evidence

The following items are supported by source images supplied with this profile. Except where the article itself identifies Aaron as Oneida, identity with Sylvia's father remains a correlation rather than absolute proof.

22 and 30 May 1885 — witness in federal liquor case

The Green Bay Press-Gazette and Green Bay Weekly Gazette reported that Aaron Hill, Henry Webster, and Josiah Baird were three Oneida men alleged to have obtained whiskey from Henry Nelson Forsyth on 18 December 1884. The prosecution described was against Forsyth for selling liquor to Indigenous people; the articles do not charge Aaron with the sale.[S6a][S6b]

Image placement: aaronhillmay221885(1).jpg and aaronhillmay301885(1).jpg.

28 May 1889 — assault charge

The Green Bay Press-Gazette reported that William Baird and Aaron Hill, described as two Oneida men, appeared before Justice William Hood at Fort Howard on an assault charge. Examination was postponed, and each was released on $100 bail. The clipping does not provide the outcome.[S7]

Image placement: aaronhillmay281889(1).jpg.

15 and 18 June 1895 — two assault proceedings

The Oshkosh Northwestern reported that a federal assault case against Aaron Hill was continued until October. Three days later, the Green Bay Press-Gazette reported that Aaron Hill, explicitly identified as Oneida, was convicted in Justice Elie Martin's court of assault and battery on John J. Skenadore. He was fined $3 plus costs totaling $30 and, unable to pay, sentenced to thirty days in the county jail.[S8a][S8b]

The clippings do not establish whether the federal case and the local conviction arose from the same incident. Earlier drafts incorrectly merged or generalized these proceedings.[S8a][S8b]

Image placement: aaronhilljun151895(2).jpg and aaronhilljun181895(1).jpg.

16 and 18 October 1895 — federal bench warrant and sentence

On 16 October, the Green Bay Press-Gazette reported that a deputy United States marshal arrested Aaron Hill and Henry House on federal bench warrants at the Oneida Reservation. The warrants did not state the offense; the article merely speculated that it concerned introducing liquor onto the reservation.[S9a]

On 18 October, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Aaron Hill was sentenced to fifteen days while Henry House was acquitted of taking liquor onto the reservation. The clipped text does not show the complete charge attached to Aaron's sentence, so the liquor offense should not be stated as certain.[S9b]

Image placement: aaronhilloct161895(1).jpg and aaronhilloct181895(1).jpg.

21 September 1897 — Gothe saloon case

The Green Bay Press-Gazette named Aaron Hill among six Oneida men charged after a disturbance at Gothe's saloon on the Shawano Road. The report says charges of burglary, carrying dangerous weapons, and intent to kill were preferred; the men pleaded not guilty, and the hearing was postponed. This image proves the charge and plea, not a conviction.[S10]

Image placement: aaronhillsep211897(1).jpg.

Earlier thread transcriptions report a later three-year sentence at Waupun and a conditional pardon in 1898. Because the original images and full publication citations for those later reports were not included in the supporting documents, they should remain in a “citation still needed” research note rather than the documented narrative.

13 May 1907 — conflicting shooting report

The Green Bay Press-Gazette reported that Elias Skenadore swore out a warrant accusing Aaron Hill of shooting him in the left leg during a brawl at a Howard saloon. Later article transcriptions in the project reportedly reverse the roles, describing Skenadore as the defendant and Aaron as the man shot in the heel. Only the 13 May image is attached here; the later trial pages or court file are required before resolving the contradiction.[S11]

Image placement: aaronhillmay131907.jpg.

Reports still awaiting original images

The first two research threads also describe newspaper reports from 1895–1915 involving timber cutting, burglary conviction and pardon, introduction of liquor, drunkenness, and the later stages of the 1907 shooting case. These accounts are useful leads, but their original newspaper images and full citations were not among the supporting documents supplied with this final thread. They should not be silently elevated to the same status as the verified clippings above.

Excluded or Unresolved Same-Name Clippings

25 and 30 December 1868: Two articles describe “Prager and Aaron Hill” in a Milwaukee saloon swindle. The Aaron in this profile would have been about five years old. These clippings almost certainly concern another person and are excluded.[S15a][S15b]

8 December 1890: A Brown County fee list contains the name Aaron Hill but supplies no age, residence, or Oneida identification. It may concern this man, but presently proves only that someone of that name received or was allowed a fee.[S16]

Conflicting Information

QuestionEvidenceConflictCurrent assessmentExact birthCompiled tree: 3 February 1863.[S14]Federal census gives only February 1863.[S1]Publish about February 1863 until the original birth or baptism record is found.ParentsTree names Cornelius Aaron Hill and Elizabeth Archiquette.[S14]No reviewed original record names Aaron's parents.Unverified hypothesis.MarriageTree reports 24 May 1890 at Holy Apostles.[S14]1900 census supports about 1890 but not the exact date.[S1]Wife is documented; exact marriage details need the register.Mary's birthAttached 1900 census reads April 1899, age one.[S1]Earlier drafts and tree material give 1897.Use the census transcription with an explicit source; investigate the discrepancy.Jane versus SylviaChurch transcription names Jane, born 26 February 1901.[S13]1901 Oneida roll reportedly names Sylvia, age two months.[S2]Possibly one child, not yet proved.Second wife and Smith childrenCompiled tree associates Mary Denny and two Denny Smith sons.[S14]No reviewed original source establishes the relationships.Exclude from documented relationships.1907 shootingAttached 13 May report calls Aaron the accused shooter.[S11]Later transcriptions reportedly call Aaron the victim.Unresolved until later pages or court file are examined.Exact deathTree gives 10 February 1931 and also notes June 1930.[S14]1930 roll plus April 1931 casket charge set only a range.[S5][S12]After 1930 enumeration and by 21 April 1931 is the defensible conclusion.BurialTree says Hobart.[S14]Casket claim is charged to Hobart but names no cemetery.[S12]Not documented.

Connection to the Hiles Investigation

Aaron's documented connection to the investigation is his daughter Sylvia J. Hill. The Oneida records place Sylvia in Aaron's family and later expressly call her his daughter.[S2][S5]

The working reconstruction proposes Sylvia as the biological mother of Dorothea Muriel Hiles, born in 1921. No record supplied for Aaron's profile identifies Sylvia as Dorothea's mother or Aaron as Dorothea's grandfather. That proposed relationship belongs under working hypothesis, not in Aaron's documented descendants.

Evidence Assessment

Documented facts

Aaron Hill was an Oneida man born in Wisconsin about February 1863.[S1]

He lived on the Oneida Indian Reservation in Brown County in 1900 and worked as a farmer.[S1]

Esther was his wife, and James, Andrew, Elizabeth, and Mary were their children in the 1900 household.[S1]

Later Oneida records identify Sylvia and James as Aaron's children.[S2][S5]

Aaron was recorded as widowed in later Oneida rolls.[S3–S5]

The attached newspapers document the specific 1885, 1889, 1895, 1897, and 1907 reports described above, subject to the stated identity cautions.[S6–S11]

Brown County claims published on 21 April 1931 include $45 for “Aaron Hill, Casket” under Hobart.[S12]

Strongly supported conclusions

The Aaron Hill appearing across the federal census and later Oneida rolls is the same man, based on name, age, Oneida identity, location, and family continuity.[S1–S5]

The Hobart casket claim probably concerns this Aaron, making death by 21 April 1931 highly likely, although a death record is still required for the exact date and place.[S5][S12]

Most attached post-1885 newspaper reports probably concern this Aaron because they repeatedly combine the name Aaron Hill with Oneida identity and the Green Bay/Brown County area.[S6–S11]

Working hypotheses

Aaron was the son of Cornelius Aaron Hill and Elizabeth Archiquette.[S14]

Esther's maiden name was Antone, and she married Aaron at Holy Apostles on 24 May 1890.[S13][S14]

Jane Hill in the church transcription and Sylvia Hill in the 1901 roll were the same child.[S2][S13]

Aaron died on 10 February 1931 and was buried in or near Hobart.[S14]

Sylvia was Dorothea Muriel Hiles's biological mother, which would make Aaron Dorothea's maternal grandfather.

Unresolved Research Questions

What original record establishes Aaron's exact birth date and parents?

Does the Holy Apostles register confirm the reported marriage and Esther's maiden name?

Were Jane Hill and Sylvia Hill the same child?

Why does Mary's birth information differ between the attached census and later material?

Did Aaron have a documented relationship with Mary Denny or the two Denny Smith men?

Do the court files confirm that all relevant newspaper reports concern the same Aaron Hill?

What were the outcomes of the 1889 assault charge and the later 1897 proceedings?

Which account explains the conflicting roles in the 1907 shooting?

What were Aaron's exact death date, place of death, and burial place?

Does the Hobart relief ledger identify the undertaker, funeral, or cemetery?

Can an original record or targeted DNA analysis connect Sylvia to Dorothea Muriel Hiles?

Research Still Needed

Obtain Aaron's death certificate for the period after his 1930 enumeration and before 21 April 1931.

Locate Hobart and Brown County poor-relief ledgers, county claim vouchers, undertaker records, and cemetery registers corresponding to the $45 casket claim.

Examine the original Holy Apostles marriage and birth/baptism registers.

Retrieve the original 1901, 1920, 1925, 1926, and 1930 Oneida roll images and complete each archival citation.

Retrieve the original pages for every newspaper event presently known only through transcription.

Search federal and Wisconsin court files for the 1889, 1895, 1897, and 1907 cases.

Search Oneida allotment, probate, heirship, enrollment, and agency correspondence for Aaron and his family.

Sources and Citations

Federal census

S1. United States Census Office, Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900, Schedule No. 1, Indian Population, Wisconsin, Brown County, Oneida Indian Reservation, enumeration district 161, sheet 10, lines 23–28, Aaron Hill household; enumerated 9 June 1900; attached image aaronhill1900census(1).jpg. Repository, publication number, and stable URL still need to be added.

Bureau of Indian Affairs / Oneida records

S2. United States Office of Indian Affairs, Oneida Agency census, 30 June 1901, Aaron and Esther Hill family, census nos. 810–816; NARA microfilm publication M595, roll 315; FamilySearch film 579725; digital image 007141515_00093. Citation supplied in the prior research threads; original image not included with this final upload.

S3. United States Office of Indian Affairs, Oneida Sub-Agency census, 30 June 1920, Aaron, Sylvia, Mary, and James Hill sequence; digital image 007141516_00723. Exact roll and page still need verification.

S4. United States Office of Indian Affairs, 1925 and 1926 Oneida Indian censuses, Aaron Hill family sequence. Stable FamilySearch image links are preserved in the project research file; full NARA citations remain to be completed.

S5. United States Office of Indian Affairs, 1930 Oneida Indian census, Aaron Hill, widowed head, with Sylvia J. Hill identified as daughter and James Hill as son. Stable FamilySearch image link is preserved in the project research file; full roll and page citation remain to be completed.

Newspapers — attached and verified

S6a. “For Selling Indians Liquor,” Green Bay Press-Gazette, 22 May 1885, p. 3; attached image aaronhillmay221885(1).jpg.

S6b. “For Selling Indians Liquor,” Green Bay Weekly Gazette, 30 May 1885, p. 3; attached image aaronhillmay301885(1).jpg.

S7. Assault report naming William Baird and Aaron Hill, Green Bay Press-Gazette, 28 May 1889, p. 3; attached image aaronhillmay281889(1).jpg.

S8a. “The United States Court Takes a Recess,” Oshkosh Northwestern, 15 June 1895, p. 1; attached image aaronhilljun151895(2).jpg.

S8b. Assault-and-battery report naming Aaron Hill and John J. Skenadore, Green Bay Press-Gazette, 18 June 1895, p. 1; attached image aaronhilljun181895(1).jpg.

S9a. “Arrests on Bench Warrants,” Green Bay Press-Gazette, 16 October 1895, p. 1; attached image aaronhilloct161895(1).jpg.

S9b. Federal court report naming Aaron Hill, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 18 October 1895, p. 3; attached image aaronhilloct181895(1).jpg.

S10. “Three More Arrested,” Green Bay Press-Gazette, 21 September 1897, p. 6; attached image aaronhillsep211897(1).jpg.

S11. “Indian Shot, Arrest Coming,” Green Bay Press-Gazette, 13 May 1907, p. 1; attached image aaronhillmay131907.jpg.

S12. Brown County claims, including “Aid to Aaron Hill, Casket,” Green Bay Press-Gazette, 21 April 1931, p. 10; attached images AaronHillObit1(1).jpg and AaronHillObit2(1).jpg. This is a county-claims notice, not an obituary.

Church and compiled material

S13. Holy Apostles Episcopal Church, Oneida, Wisconsin, birth-record transcription attributed in the project notes to Barb Skenandore, entry for Jane Hill, daughter of Aaron Hill and Esther Antone, born 26 February 1901. Original register and archival citation not yet verified.

S14. Ancestry family-tree profile, “Aaron Hill,” exported 6 August 2026 as Aaron Hill(1).pdf. Derivative compilation used only as a research roadmap; it is not independent proof.

Excluded or unresolved same-name items

S15a. Milwaukee swindle report naming Prager and Aaron Hill, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 25 December 1868, p. 1; attached image AaronHilldec25th1868(1).jpg. Excluded as almost certainly a different Aaron Hill.

S15b. “Bound Over,” Semi-Weekly Wisconsin, 30 December 1868, p. 3; attached image aaronhilldec301868.jpg. Excluded as almost certainly a different Aaron Hill.

S16. Brown County committee fee list containing the name Aaron Hill, Green Bay Press-Gazette, 8 December 1890, p. 2; attached image aaronhilldec081890(1).jpg. Identity unresolved.

Related Profiles

Esther Antone Hill

James A. Hill

Andrew Hill

Elizabeth Hill

Mary Hill

Sylvia J. Hill / Zilpha Hill

Dorothea Muriel Hiles

Joseph Howard Touchette

Cornelius Aaron Hill (proposed father)

Sylvia J. Hill / Zilpha Hill — documented facts only

Identity and names

The records use the following names:

Jane Hill — Holy Apostles Episcopal Church birth-record transcription.[1]

Sylvia Hill — Oneida Indian census records.[2]

Sylvia J. Hill — later Oneida Indian census rolls.[7–12]

Zilpha Hill — Carlisle Indian Industrial School records.[3]

Zilpha Jane Hill — appears in compiled genealogical material, but the records currently available do not independently establish this as her complete legal name.[13]

The Carlisle file identifies Zilpha Hill as the daughter of Aaron Hill and as Oneida. These details correspond with Sylvia Hill in the Oneida census records, supporting that Zilpha Hill and Sylvia Hill were the same person.[2][3]

Birth

A transcription of the Holy Apostles Episcopal Church records states:

Name: Jane Hill

Birth: 26 February 1901

Father: Aaron Hill

Mother: Esther Antone.[1]

An early Oneida Indian census records Sylvia in the household of Aaron and Esther Hill. The census image records her as born in April 1901.[2]

Therefore, the records agree on the year 1901 but differ concerning the exact month:

Church transcription: 26 February 1901

Oneida census: April 1901.[1][2]

The original church register should be consulted before treating 26 February as conclusively established.

Parents and siblings

Sylvia’s documented parents were:

Aaron Hill

Esther Antone Hill.[1][2][3]

An early Oneida census records the household as:

Aaron Hill

Esther Hill

James Hill

Andrew Hill

Elizabeth Hill

Mary Hill

Sylvia Hill.[2]

These records establish the following siblings in Aaron and Esther’s household:

James Hill

Andrew Hill

Elizabeth Hill

Mary Hill.[2]

Oneida affiliation

Sylvia was recorded as Oneida in federal Indian records and in her Carlisle school file.[3][7–12]

Her later Oneida census entries use annuity or identification number 1185.[10–12]

Carlisle Indian Industrial School

Carlisle Indian Industrial School records document:

Name: Zilpha Hill

Student number: 3101

Nation: Oneida

Father: Aaron Hill

Admission date: 9 September 1916

Age at admission: 15

Departure date: 28 August 1918

Disposition: transferred to Haskell Institute, Lawrence, Kansas.[3]

Her Carlisle file also documents an outing placement with Agnes K. Fox of Greenville, Pennsylvania, beginning 8 June 1918.[3]

Haskell Institute

The Carlisle record states that Sylvia/Zilpha was transferred to Haskell Institute in Lawrence, Kansas, on 28 August 1918.[3]

The National Archives identifies surviving Haskell record groups that may contain her individual student information:

Student Case Files, 1884–1980, NAID 592971

Cards of Inactive Students, 1915–1925, NAID 2173266.[4]

The presently reviewed Carlisle record proves the transfer. A complete individual Haskell student file has not yet been reviewed.

1920s Oneida records

The Oneida Indian census dated 30 June 1920 records Sylvia Hill with:

Aaron Hill

Mary Hill

James Hill.[5]

The supplied research also identifies Sylvia in the Oneida rolls for 1921–1926. The directly reviewed later rolls establish:

1925

The 1925 Oneida Indian census records:

Sylvia J. Hill

Born 1901

Female

Single

She appears immediately after Aaron Hill, recorded as a widower, and before James Hill, recorded as single.[7]

1926

The 1926 Oneida Indian census again records:

Sylvia J. Hill

Born 1901

Female

Single

Aaron Hill appears immediately above her.[8]

1930 Oneida Indian census

The 1930 Oneida Indian census records:

Sylvia J. Hill

Age 29

Oneida

Female

Single

Relationship to Aaron Hill: daughter.[9]

The roll indicates that she was living outside the Oneida jurisdiction, but her outside address was recorded as unknown.[9]

Chicago residence

1933

The 1933 Oneida Indian census records:

Sylvia J. Hill

Born 1901

Age 32

Oneida

Single

Relationship/status: head of her entry

Residence: Chicago, Illinois

Occupation: cook

Annuity identification number: 1185.[10]

1934

The 1934 Oneida Indian census records:

Sylvia J. Hill

Born 1901

Age 33

Oneida

Single

Residence: Chicago, Cook County, Illinois

Identification number: 1185.[11]

1937

The Oneida Indian census dated 1 January 1937 records:

Sylvia J. Hill

Born 1901

Age 35

Oneida

Single

Residence: Chicago, Cook County, Illinois

Identification number: 1185.[12]

This is the latest presently verified record of Sylvia.

Marital status

The reviewed Oneida Indian census rolls record Sylvia as single in:

1925

1926

1930

1933

1934

1937.[7–12]

These records establish that she was recorded as single through 1 January 1937. They do not establish whether she married after that date.

Documented residences

Sylvia is documented in connection with:

Oneida Reservation, Wisconsin — childhood and Oneida census records.[2][5][7–9]

Carlisle, Pennsylvania — Carlisle Indian Industrial School, beginning in 1916.[3]

Greenville, Pennsylvania — outing placement in 1918.[3]

Lawrence, Kansas — transferred to Haskell Institute in 1918.[3]

Chicago, Cook County, Illinois — documented from 1933 through 1 January 1937.[10–12]

Death and burial

No verified death certificate, obituary, cemetery record or burial record for Sylvia has been located.

Compiled genealogical material reports:

Death in 1937

Possible burial in Brookings, South Dakota.[13]

Neither claim is presently supported by an identified primary or contemporary record. Consequently, 1937 cannot currently be stated as Sylvia’s proven death year.

The 1 January 1937 Oneida census proves only that she was recorded as living in Chicago at the beginning of that year.[12]

Relationship to Dorothea Muriel Hiles

No currently held record identifies Sylvia as the mother of Dorothea Muriel Hiles.

Specifically:

Dorothea does not appear with Sylvia in the reviewed Oneida census records.[2][5][7–12]

The Carlisle record does not mention Dorothea.[3]

No Haskell record currently reviewed mentions Dorothea.

No birth certificate, adoption record, guardianship record or court file naming Sylvia as Dorothea’s mother has been located.

No record currently held names Sylvia Hill and Joseph Howard Touchette together.

Therefore, Sylvia’s maternity of Dorothea and any relationship between Sylvia and Howard Touchette are not documented facts and are excluded from this fact-only profile.

Sources

Holy Apostles Episcopal Church records, Oneida, Wisconsin; transcription by Barb Skenandore, entry for Jane Hill, daughter of Aaron Hill and Esther Antone, born 26 February 1901. The original register has not yet been reviewed.

Oneida Indian census image, Aaron and Esther Hill household, image/frame 007141515_00093.

Carlisle Indian Industrial School records, Zilpha Hill, student no. 3101; National Archives, Record Group 75, Series 1328, box 2, file NARA_1328_b002_c00h_0164.pdf.

National Archives, Haskell Indian School records series list.

Oneida Indian census dated 30 June 1920, Aaron Hill household, image/frame 007141516_00723.

Oneida Indian census rolls for 1921–1924, entries for Sylvia Hill in the Aaron Hill family group; supplied research extracts. Exact page citations remain to be attached.

1925 Oneida Indian census.

1926 Oneida Indian census.

1930 Oneida Indian census.

1933 Oneida Indian census.

1934 Oneida Indian census.

1937 Oneida Indian census.

Dorothy HIles Identity

She was born 20 August 1921 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.[1]

She died 22 August 1995.[1]

Her Social Security death record associates her last residence with Millersville, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.[1]

Her FamilySearch identifier is LL3X-1HY.[2]

Recorded names

The following forms appear in the records and research material:

Dorothea Marie Hiles — Social Security record.[1]

Dorothea Marie Goulde — Social Security record.[1]

Dorothy Muriel Hiles — family and compiled genealogical records.[3]

Dorothy M. Hiles — compiled records.[3]

Dorothy M. Goulde — 1950 census.[4]

Dorothy H. Goulde — compiled family records.[3]

Her Social Security file contains identity entries or updates dated:

December 1938

March 1948

20 April 1981[1]

These are Social Security record-entry dates. They are not necessarily marriage or legal name-change dates.

There is an unresolved discrepancy between “Marie” in the Social Security record and “Muriel” in family and genealogical records.[1][3]

Parents named in her Social Security record

Dorothy’s Social Security application information identifies:

Father: Russell Nelson

Mother: Dorothy M. Hiles[1]

The Social Security record does not state whether these people were biological parents, adoptive parents, guardians or the people Dorothy understood to be her parents.[1]

No original Wisconsin birth certificate or adoption record has yet been obtained to explain these names.

Marriage to Harry Baer Goulde

Dorothy married Harry Baer Goulde in Cook County, Illinois, in 1940.[5]

The Cook County marriage index gives license number 1656795.[5]

The working material contains two dates connected with the record:

28 September 1940

3 October 1940[3][5]

The original marriage license and return have not yet been obtained, so the exact significance of the two dates—license, ceremony or return—has not been conclusively determined.

1950 census household

The 1950 census records Dorothy in Milwaukee as:

Dorothy M. Goulde

Wife of Harry Goulde

Living in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.[4]

The household includes their daughter:

Rachel E. Goulde

Born approximately 1941 in Illinois.[4]

Census citation:

1950 United States census

Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin

Enumeration District 73-916

Roll 1506

Page 15.[4]

This census directly establishes Dorothy as Rachel’s mother and Harry’s wife.

Children attributed to Dorothy

The compiled Goulde family information identifies seven children:

Kathleen Ann Hiles/Coyne

Rachel E. Goulde

David M. Goulde

Miriam E. Goulde

Thomas H. Goulde

John I. Goulde

Sarah E. Goulde.[3][6]

Thomas Goulde has described the family as seven full siblings represented in consumer-DNA databases under the surnames Goulde, Goulde-Elizares, Normile, Whitehorse and Thundercloud.[6]

Of these children, Rachel’s relationship to Dorothy is directly documented by the 1950 census.[4] The complete individual vital records for all seven children are not presently in the research collection.

Biological father: Joseph Howard Touchette

A private forensic-genealogy investigation by Legacy Tree Genealogists identified Joseph Howard Touchette as Dorothy’s biological father.[7]

The conclusion was based on multiple DNA matches connecting Dorothy’s descendants to the Touchette–Porter family.[7]

Documented facts about Joseph include:

Born 9 December 1892 in Shawano, Wisconsin.[3][7]

Parents: Étienne Julius “Joseph” Touchette and Anna Marie Porter.[3]

Registered for the World War I draft in Oconto County, Wisconsin.[3]

Married Myrtle Nock on 2 August 1926 in Menominee, Michigan.[8]

Worked as a conductor and brakeman for the Green Bay and Western Railroad, on the Green Bay–Wisconsin Rapids route.[9]

Died 15 April 1941 after his fishing boat capsized in the Wolf River at New London, Wisconsin.[9][10]

Buried at Fort Howard Cemetery in Green Bay following a Catholic funeral at Annunciation Church.[10]

FamilySearch identifier: LJJ8-JM6.[3]

No currently held birth certificate names Joseph as Dorothy’s father. The paternity conclusion rests on the private DNA analysis and supporting genetic matches.[7]

Proposed biological mother: Zilpha “Sylvia” J. Hill

The current family reconstruction identifies Zilpha “Sylvia” J. Hill as Dorothy’s likely biological mother.[3][6]

However, no currently held original record explicitly states that Sylvia gave birth to Dorothy.

What is documented about Sylvia:

She was born approximately April 1901 on or near the Oneida Reservation in Wisconsin.[11]

Her parents were Aaron Hill and Esther Antone Hill.[11][12]

She was Oneida.[11][13]

Carlisle Indian School records establish that Zilpha Hill and Sylvia Hill were the same person.[13]

She was Carlisle student no. 3101.[13]

She entered Carlisle on 9 September 1916, age 15.[13]

She was placed with Agnes K. Fox in Greenville, Pennsylvania, beginning 8 June 1918.[13]

She departed Carlisle on 28 August 1918 for transfer to Haskell Institute in Lawrence, Kansas.[13]

She died in 1937.[3]

FamilySearch identifier: LKTM-8SQ.[3]

Sylvia’s Oneida census history

The newly reviewed census records document Sylvia’s movements but do not name Dorothy.

An early Oneida roll lists Aaron Hill, Esther Hill and their children James, Andrew, Elizabeth, Mary and Sylvia. Sylvia is recorded as born in April 1901.[11]

The 1925 Oneida census lists Sylvia J. Hill, born 1901, female and single, immediately following her widowed father Aaron Hill.[14]

The 1926 Oneida census again lists Sylvia, born 1901 and single, immediately after Aaron.[15]

The 1930 Oneida census explicitly identifies Sylvia as Aaron Hill’s daughter, age 29, Oneida and single. She was living outside the jurisdiction at an unknown address.[16]

The 1933 Oneida census records Sylvia, age 32, single, living in Chicago and working as a cook.[17]

The 1934 Oneida census records her as single and living in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois.[18]

The 1937 Oneida census, dated January 1, again records her as single and living in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois.[19]

The 1933, 1934 and 1937 rolls use annuity identification number 1185 for Sylvia.[17][18][19]

None of these rolls:

lists Dorothy;

calls Sylvia a mother;

records a child in Sylvia’s household;

or directly connects Sylvia to Dorothy Muriel Hiles.[14–19]

Therefore, Sylvia’s identity, Oneida affiliation, parentage, school history and Chicago residence are documented. Her biological maternity of Dorothy is not yet directly documented.

Maternal DNA evidence

Thomas Goulde reports that the Goulde siblings’ direct maternal line has mitochondrial haplogroup:

C1c8

Based on a full mitochondrial sequence

GenBank accession EU327891.[6]

GenBank is the NIH database of publicly available DNA sequences.[20]

This supports an Indigenous maternal-line origin if the reported test and accession have been accurately connected to Dorothy’s direct maternal descendants. Mitochondrial DNA alone does not identify Sylvia Hill by name as Dorothy’s mother.

Adoption or placement information

Thomas Goulde reported that Dorothy was associated with a Catholic adoption agency in Milwaukee, approximately 1921–1923.[21]

That statement is contributor-supplied family research. The following have not yet been found:

Dorothy’s original birth certificate;

an amended birth certificate;

a court adoption order;

Catholic agency intake or placement records;

guardianship records;

or a document naming her biological mother.

The National Archives confirms that Haskell’s surviving Student Case Files, 1884–1980, are held under NAID 592971, and its Cards of Inactive Students, 1915–1925, under NAID 2173266.[22] Sylvia’s individual Haskell file has been requested as a potential source concerning her whereabouts after 1918, but no file contents have yet been received.

Other surnames associated with Dorothy

The family’s research associates Dorothy with:

Hiles

Goulde

Nelson

Coyne

Normile.[1][3][6]

Current documentary status:

Hiles is documented by her Social Security record and marriage index.[1][5]

Goulde is documented by Social Security and the 1950 census.[1][4]

Nelson is documented as the surname of the father named in her Social Security record and appears in family research.[1][3]

Coyne and Normile appear in compiled family information, but the corresponding marriage, divorce, birth or legal name records have not yet been assembled.[3][6]

The available records do not currently establish a verified marriage between Dorothy and James Edward Coyne or a verified marriage involving Normile.

Chicago clue

A newspaper index reportedly contains an item for a Dorothy Hiles in Chicago dated 16 June 1940.[3]

The original article has not been obtained. It has therefore not been established that the person in that item was Dorothy Muriel Hiles.

Sylvia Hill was independently documented as living in Chicago in 1933, 1934 and January 1937.[17–19] Dorothy married Harry Goulde in Cook County in 1940.[5] Those are separate documented facts; they do not prove that Dorothy and Sylvia were together in Chicago.

Erroneous or unresolved “Dorothy Hiles born 1902” profile

The Ancestry GEDCOM contains a separate profile described as:

Dorothy M. Hiles

Born approximately 1902 in Michigan

Associated with Charles Robert Nelson

Listed as Dorothy Muriel Hiles’s mother.[3]

No original record currently proves that this was a separate woman or Dorothy’s biological mother. The profile may represent a duplicate, conflation, adoptive identity or misunderstood guardian relationship. It should not be accepted as a biological-parent record without supporting documentation.

What is conclusively established

The currently held evidence establishes that:

Dorothy was born in Milwaukee on 20 August 1921.[1]

She used the names Dorothea Marie Hiles and Dorothea Marie Goulde.[1]

Her Social Security information names Russell Nelson and Dorothy M. Hiles as her parents, without explaining the nature of those relationships.[1]

She married Harry Baer Goulde in Cook County in 1940.[5]

She was Harry’s wife and Rachel E. Goulde’s mother in Milwaukee in 1950.[4]

She died on 22 August 1995.[1]

DNA analysis identifies Joseph Howard Touchette as her biological father.[7]

Sylvia/Zilpha Hill was an Oneida woman born in 1901, educated at Carlisle and transferred to Haskell, who later lived in Chicago.[11–19]

No currently held primary document directly identifies Sylvia as Dorothy’s mother.

No currently held birth or adoption record explains how Dorothy acquired the surname Hiles.

Sources

U.S. Social Security Applications and Claims/NUMIDENT record for Dorothea Marie Hiles/Dorothea Marie Goulde, user-supplied record extract.

FamilySearch profile LL3X-1HY. Profile identifier only; not independent evidence.

MASTER_FAMILY_TREE.md, compiled from Benjamin Sawinski’s Ancestry GEDCOM, supplied records and continuing research.

1950 U.S. Census, Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, ED 73-916, roll 1506, page 15, Harry and Dorothy Goulde household; National Archives 1950 Census.

Cook County, Illinois, Marriage Index, Harry Baer Goulde and Dorothy/Dorothea Hiles, license no. 1656795, 1940.

Thomas Goulde, contributor-supplied Goulde family and DNA profile.

Private Legacy Tree Genealogists forensic-DNA analysis supplied to the family.

Michigan marriage record, Joseph Howard Touchette and Myrtle Nock, 2 August 1926, Menominee, Michigan.

Contemporary newspaper report, “Green Bay Man Drowns in Wolf,” user-supplied clipping.

Howard Touchette funeral notice, user-supplied newspaper clipping.

Oneida Indian census image, frame 007141515_00093, Aaron and Esther Hill household.

Oneida census material identifying Aaron Hill and Esther Antone Hill as Sylvia’s parents.

Carlisle Indian School records, Zilpha Hill, student no. 3101; NARA RG 75, Series 1328, box 2, file NARA_1328_b002_c00h_0164.pdf.

1925 Oneida Indian census.

1926 Oneida Indian census.

1930 Oneida Indian census.

1933 Oneida Indian census.

1934 Oneida Indian census.

1937 Oneida Indian census.

NCBI GenBank overview.

Thomas Goulde, 12 March 2005 “Dorothy Muriel HILES–NELSON” message-board posting, preserved in the Ancestral Orphans archive.

I havnt used this for artwork in a long time, but I have been huge into geneology and research. so time to repurpose and update.

The Hiles Investigation

Reconstructing a Forgotten Family History Through Documents, DNA, and Historical Records

For years, my interest in genealogy was casual. Like most people, I built a family tree, accepted information that had been passed down through the family, and assumed that what appeared in online trees was probably close to the truth.

I was wrong.

The deeper I researched, the more I discovered that much of my family's history had become tangled through decades of assumptions, copied online trees, incomplete records, and mistaken identities. Every answer seemed to create two new questions.

What began as an attempt to identify one woman's biological parents has grown into a multi-year historical investigation spanning multiple families, multiple states, Native American records, military records, DNA evidence, newspaper archives, church registers, adoption questions, and thousands of pages of original government documents.

This website exists to document that investigation.

The Central Question

Everything on this site ultimately revolves around one person:

Dorothea Muriel Hiles (Born August 20, 1921)

Who were her biological parents?

How did she receive the Hiles surname?

Was she adopted?

How do the Hill, Hiles, Touchette, Goulde, Normile, Antone, and other families connect?

Those questions have led into records that no one in my family knew existed.

What Makes This Research Different?

Most online genealogy begins with family trees.

This project begins with original records.

Whenever possible, every conclusion is based upon primary sources, including:

Birth, marriage, and death certificates

Federal census records

Bureau of Indian Affairs Indian Census Rolls

National Archives collections

Carlisle Indian Industrial School records

Haskell Institute records

Church records

Newspaper archives

Military records

Probate records

DNA evidence

Only after examining the original documents are conclusions drawn.

Separating Fact From Theory

Throughout this project, I try to distinguish between three different levels of evidence.

Documented Fact

Supported directly by original historical records.

Strongly Supported Conclusion

Supported by multiple independent sources, although one final document may still be missing.

Working Hypothesis

An explanation that currently fits the available evidence but remains open to revision as new records are discovered.

Genealogy is an evolving process. I would rather publicly correct a mistake than quietly repeat one.

The Families

Although this project began with Dorothea Muriel Hiles, the investigation now includes research into many interconnected families, including:

Hill

Hiles

Touchette

Goulde

Normile

Antone

Doxtator

Powless

Several of these families are connected to the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, while others intersect through adoption, marriage, and later generations.

Current Status

To date, the investigation has uncovered:

Original Carlisle Indian School student files.

Haskell Institute transfer records.

Annual Bureau of Indian Affairs Indian Census Rolls documenting members of the Hill family over nearly two decades.

Previously overlooked newspaper articles.

Military records.

Church records.

DNA evidence connecting previously unknown family branches.

Numerous incorrect online family trees that have now been ruled out through primary documentation.

Many of the biggest breakthroughs have come from records that had never been cited in online trees.

Why Publish This Publicly?

Because genealogy is rarely solved alone.

Every document raises new questions.

Someone reading this site may possess:

an old family Bible,

a forgotten photograph,

a letter,

a newspaper clipping,

or simply a family story

that helps answer one of those questions.

If you recognize one of these families or believe you have information that may be relevant, I would genuinely appreciate hearing from you.

Where to Begin

If you're new to this project, I recommend reading in the following order:

The Family Tree Overview

Who Was Dorothea Muriel Hiles?

Sylvia (Zilpha) Hill

Howard Joseph Touchette

The Aaron Hill Family

The Dorothy Hiles Identity Problem

Research Updates

Every article includes citations, source images whenever possible, and notes explaining how conclusions were reached.

This is not intended to be the final word on this family's history.

Lavonia Park, on Lavon Lake, outside of Dallas. 

Funny story, This location was only photographed because previous plans fell through due to a catfishing scheme, via tinder, that almost lead to a robbery. 

Be wary when asked to meet someone at a cul du sac in a trailer park that looks half abandoned. 

Point Lobos Ave overlooking Ocean beach, San Francisco from the parking lot of Camera Obscura, a leftover remnant of the SF playland. 

I love old roadside attractions. 

Spending a month in the bay area of California.  Obviously one of my first stops was the golden gate bridge.  The Frommer's travel guide describes the Golden Gate Bridge as "possibly the most beautiful, certainly the most photographed, bridge in the world." At the time of its opening in 1937, it was both the longest and the tallest suspension bridge in the world, with a main span of 4,200 feet

I left State College in July, not wanting to come back.  Well, here it is December, and Im back again.  Working on a project within the city limits, and spending off hours outside of them. 

A vintage styled line art piece featuring a black bird sitting on the rum on a glass of scotch. Also on the table is a revolver and bullets. Print comes digitally signed. This is an older piece, but I just noticed I hadnt made prints available.  So heres a link, and prints are starting off at just 17.00.  Check it out!

Recent trip to Reno, had as problem where pictures from certain city blocks wouldnt save. took multiple trips, with different SD cards, same issue. Odd coincidence.  Anyways, here is Topsy.  The Circus Circus Hotel & Casino opened in 1978 and this huge sign depicting Topsy the Clown appears to be from then. The sign was designed by Gordon Tietjen and produced by YESCO. I believe the panels were replaced sometime after 2003. The clown has different eyes and nose now. The photo above is from 2014. A taller Circus Circus sign with a different design was installed in Las Vegas two years earlier.

TOPSY THE CLOWN HAS BEEN in Reno since Circus Circus opened on July 1, 1978.  He’s hard to miss, as he’s no small clown—he stands 127 feet tall and weighs 44.8 tons.

Topsy was designed by Gordon Tietjen and manufactured by Young Electric Sign Company, YesCo. YesCo is known for their neon in the casino industry. YesCo’s art can be seen across Nevada.

Teton National Forest was first established by the General Land Office on February 22, 1897 as the Teton Forest Reserve with 892,440 acres (3,611.6 km2). A commission was established in 1896 to plan for a system of national forest reserves, recommending an expansion of the territory protected by the Yellowstone Timberland Reserve. President Grover Cleveland's 1897 proclamation established a protected area encompassing the northern end of Jackson Hole, extending from the south boundary of the Yellowstone Forest Reserve south to the area of the Gros Ventre River, and from the Idaho border in the west to the area of the Continental Divide in the east. Much of this area would eventually be incorporated into Grand Teton National Park. In 1902 the southern porion of the Yellowstone reserve was added, while the Teton Reserve was greatly expanded to the south and east while excluding the southern portion of Jackson Hole around the town of Jackson.

Gibbon Falls drops 84 feet (0.3 m) over a remnant of the Yellowstone caldera rim. The caldera was created by a massive volcanic eruption approximately 640,000 years ago.

Gibbon Falls is located on the Gibbon River about midway between Norris Geyser Basin and Madison Junction.  The falls are situated where the Gibbon River falls off the Northern escarpment into the Yellowstone Caldera.

The falls were first described by William Henry Jackson during the second Hayden geological survey of 1872. There is no historical record as to how they got their name, but by the mid-1880s, they were routinely referred to as Gibbon Falls in both government and commercial accounts of the park.

In 1883, in his The Yellowstone National Park-A Manual for Tourists, Henry J. Winser described the falls: