Julia Casey responded to my previous article with some comments on the mother's side of the family andcity directory listings. These provide a little more insight into Browning's early life.

Ard's parents were William Harrison Bolinbaugh (1839-1906) and Mary Virgil (1844-1897). Mary'sparents were Baptist minister Almon Virgil (1799-1890) and Almira Stone (1815-1866). In addition toMary, they had three children, Charles S. Virgil (1835- ), Dr. Thomas S. Virgil (1836-1899) and AlmonKincaid Virgil (1842-1921). Charles is untraced after 1850. Thomas was a prominent Indiana physician.Almon was a music teacher. It is Almon with the greatest connection to Ard Browning.

The 1870 city directory for Fort Wayne shows William Bolinbaugh living with his father-in-law ReverendAlmon Virgil. William had a young family with a wife, a one-year-old son, and another son coming thefollowing year. The elder Almon's wife had died four years earlier.

Everyone on the list is identified with a profession except William. Everyone has an address exceptAlmon.

The 1883 Fort Wayne directory now shows William working as a sawyer.In the 1900 Census, A. W. Browning, age 30, was listed living in Manhattan as a boarder in the householdof A. K. Virgil, age 60.

Almon Kincaid Virgil attended New York Central College in McGrawsville, New York, founded byBaptists in 1849. He later studied music in Europe. He held patent 13,262 on the forteaching keyboard skills. In 1870 he was Principal of the Music Department at Fort Wayne College.

Almon was the father of Charles Stone Virgil (1867-1918). His mother is listed as Jennie Rich, but she isotherwise untraced.

Almon married Mary Hannah Mendenhall (1842-1938) on August 3, 1868, in Wayne County, Indiana.She was a music teacher. In the 1870 Census, Almon, Mary and Charles were living in Fort Wayne with adomestic servant. They were divorced on March 26, 1878.

Almon, age 39, was married in Des Moines on July 23, 1878, to a music teacher, Antha Minerva Patchen (1852-1939), age 26, They opened a music school together. They were divorced onMay 8, 1902. Almon claimed his wife deserted him in 1896 to join a younger man and another musicteacher and spiritualist in New York City. At the divorce hearing, A. W. Browning corroborated Virgil'sstatements.

In 1889 he published The Virgil Clavier Method: Foundation Exercises. He and Florence founded theVirgil Practice Clavier company in 1890 and The Virgil Piano school in 1891.

Almon Kincaid Virgil married Florence Dodd (1869-1944) on March 25, 1903, in Manhattan. She wasyounger than his son.

In 1913, Almon and Florence applied for a passport to travel for a year in England and Germany. It wasissued without any problem. They were forced to leave Berlin in 1914 as hostilities broke out leading tothe First World War. They attempted to return in 1919 but were denied a passport for travel that was notconsidered essential.

Almon died on October 16, 1921, and is buried at Greenwood Cemetery in Saint Petersburg, Florida, withhis wife Florence.

Almon Kincaid Virgil was well known and respected from a family of professionals. Ard Browning camefrom a family of modest means and lived without attracting much attention. He achieved fame only fromwriting one book.

This is a listing of the places of residence for Ard Browning:

In the past twenty-five years, researchers have found various government records for Browning. No onehas come up with stories about him or memories of meeting him.

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
ARD BROWNING DISCOVERY(https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n44a13.html)