As I approach my 50th blog post, I realized I haven’t done a Follow Friday in forever. …So here goes! Photography My Daguerreotype Boyfriend – Admit it. You thought Robert Cornelius, the photographer of the very first selfie back in 1839, was hot. (To me he looks like what Heathcliff should look like.) Well, this
After doing so much research in Forsyth County, GA (where old newspapers are few and far between), I was delighted to discover that the Keowee Courier from Pickens County, SC has been printing almost continuously since 1849. Yay! This little gem comes from the Keowee Courier’s very first issue on May 18th, 1849. Tl;dr “Take
Don’t stop reading! I know the topic of this blog post sounds technical and deadly boring, but it may be vital to your continued success as the genealogy world moves increasingly online. Especially if you run a genealogy website or work as a professional genealogist. So hear me out here! What the Heck is Going
Your surname’s spelling was never carved in stone. This is something that most people who’ve been digging through original genealogical sources already know, but I’ve found myself having a conversation about this with a bunch of interested family members and friends lately, so I thought I would write a post about this. More than likely,
Remember how I was complaining that I haven’t been doing any genealogy or genealogy blogging for the past 6 weeks because I had a big contract? Well, I’ve turned in the last work on that contract and – save any edits they ask for – I’m finished. I now feel safe to spend a little
Story #1: From page of the Friday, March 28, 1928 edition of the Cherokee Advance TORNADO TAKES HEAVY TOLL OF LIFE AND PROPERTY IN THIS COUNTY LAST MONDAY NIGHT NEAR LATHEMTOWN Five Killed and a Score Injured. Many Houses and Barns Blown Away CATTLE, HOGS, CHICKENS DISAPPEAR IN TORNADO Most Appalling Disaster Ever Visited Upon
I just had to share this little gem I came across while indexing Georgia Convict registers. (Click it to make it larger.) John Rambo was a cabinet maker in Georgia wanted for… escape. I suppose I should have guessed that one. By the way, I’m working on indexing 900 old historical records through the World
Lately I’ve made a goal to get in shape. This means various fitness classes, circuit training and spending lots of time on my treadmill desk instead of being a Sedentary Sam. Of course, I’ve been doing less original research and blog reading and podcast listening. I plan on remedying that soon with a big trip
This blog post was inspired by a conversation on Facebook with my cousin Leisa Wilkie (another awesome family & local historian!) and some of her friends. Leisa is the authority on ghosts and scary tales in Canton, Georgia. Be sure to like her Facebook page Canton Ghosts or take the Canton Ghost Tour. When I
Sometimes when I’m really, really into researching a certain family or line I’ll realize that I am holding a grudge against a family member. Not sure what I mean? Here are two examples: My 3rd Great-Grandfather Lightner West was killed in the Civil War. He left behind a widow, Sarah Elizabeth Moore West, and an