Hello,
I just looked at census pages for both the CANAHAN and FRANK surnames in that 1900 to 1920 timeframe, and am not having much luck. There were CANAHAN people in NY State, but in NYC and not in Erie County.
There is a lot more information at
www.familysearch.org this year, so I checked there. I did find this listing which might be something for you to consider:
Name: Harry Franks
Titles & Terms:
Event: Census
Event Year: 1940
Event Place: Ward 11, Niagara Falls, Niagara Falls City, Niagara, New York, United States
Gender: Male
Age: 31
Marital Status: Single
Race (Original): White
Race (Standardized): White
Relationship to Head of Household (Original): Partner
Relationship to Head of Household (Standardized): Partner
Birthplace: Canada
Estimated Birth Year: 1909
Residence in 1935: Tonawanda, Erie, New York
Enumeration District Number: 32-101
Family Number: 132
Sheet Number and Letter: 61B
Line Number: 80
NARA Publication Number: T627
NARA Roll Number: 2697
Digital Folder Number: 005458669
Image Number: 00740
Household Gender Age Birthplace
Head Walter Elliott M 32 Canada
Partner Harry Franks M 31 Canada
.. And perhaps he traveled back and forth:
Name: Harry Louis Franks
Arrival Date: 21 Sep 1929
Arrival Port: Niagara Falls, New York,
Age:
Estimated Birth Year:
Birth Date: 01 Jan 1909
Birthplace: , Niagara-on-th-lake Ont
Birth Country:
Gender: Male
Race: French
Last Residence:
Accompanied by:
Departure Date:
Departure Port:
Departure Contact: Father Harry L Franks
Arrival Contact: Uncle William Bickle
Ship Name:
Airline:
Record has photo?: N
NARA Publication Title: Manifests of Alien Arrivals at Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and Rochester, New York, 1902-1954
NARA Publication Number: M1480
NARA Roll Number: 42
.. While searching, I'm noticing different variations in spelling. For example:
CONAHAN, NORA (1910 U.S. Census)
NEW YORK , NEW YORK, 22-WD MANHATTAN
Age: 67, Female, Race: WHITE, Born: IREL
Series: T624 Roll: 1046 Page: 13
For that spelling, there is this man in 1920 with a wife, named Myrtle, in Buffalo, NY.
CONAHAN, CHARLES (1920 U.S. Census)
NEW YORK , ERIE, 26-WD BUFFALO
Age: 29, Male, Race: WHITE, Born: PA
Series: T625 Roll: 1108 Page: 236
There are many people in NY State in 1900 to 1920 with the FRANKS and many more with the FRANK spelling. I see this man as a possibility:
FRANK, ALBERT (1900 U.S. Census)
NEW YORK , ERIE, 25-WD BUFFALO
Age: 34, Male, Race: WHITE, Born: CANA
Series: T623 Roll: 1032 Page: 39
.. That's all I can look up this morning.
Betty (near Lowell, MA)
Board Administrator