FROM THE REGISTER — STURDY GHOSTS
REPORTED EVERY YEAR SINCE 1880 — NEVER BELOW THE FEDERAL LINE
The New Testament seamstress. Rumors of her disappearance were checked against the raw files, and were wrong. Reported in every single file from 1880 through 2025 — 146 consecutive years — peaking at 142 in 1923. In 2025: 36 births — a 4-fold fade managed without a single year below the line.
| First reported | 1880 |
|---|---|
| Last reported | 2025 — 36 births |
| Peak | 1923 — 142 births |
| Total recorded, 1880–2025 | 7,268 |
| Years above the line | 146 of a possible 146 |
| Longest absence | None — never below the line since debut |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration national names file (1880–2025). Names below 5 occurrences in a year are not reported.
Somewhere, a grandmother is unsurprised.
A collection of THE MUSEUM OF HOPEFUL MACHINES