When I’m not researching history and genealogy, I’m pursuing a career in TV writing. But it doesn’t take a TV writer to tell you that this week’s episode of SUCCESSION was a banger. (Don’t watch SUCCESSION? First of all, do that! Second of all, bear with me.) The main character and monster presiding over the
I’ve blogged that one of my ancestors living in the (later notorious) Forsyth County, Georgia had a 14-year-old Black child named Isaac Suthard living on his farm in 1880. I wrote that blog post 10 years ago, and at the time I just assumed that Isaac was a hired hand, in the same way that
Can you help me identify these Cherokee County, GA photos?
Upon doing some light Sunday evening reading in the 1850 U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedule, I was delighted to discover this little gem about my home county, Cherokee County, GA. These notes are written by the census taker beneath the schedule of people who died between June 1,1849 and June 1, 1850: Transcription: There has been
Early on in the year, genealogist Amy Crow of No Story Too Small challenged all blogging genealogists to write about one ancestor per week for 52 weeks. This is my first entry in the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge. I think it’s fitting that the first ancestor I blog about in the 52 Ancestors
Story #1: From page of the Wednesday, 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
Last Thursday night, this happened less than a mile from my house: That’s the EF1 tornado that hit Canton, Georgia on June 13, 2013. There’s even a very unsettling video on Facebook of the tornado FORMING OVER MY HOUSE AAAHHHHHHH! (In other news, don’t you love how just about every tornado video includes some form
I know, right? War is hell. And from the transcripts of the interview you are about to read, you’ll see that that my grandpa, WW2 vet Edward West’s, experiences were extremely hellish. But he was also very fortunate in that, having a relatively late date of birth, he wasn’t drafted at the end of the
This signature, from the Confederate Pension Application of John Berry Duncan, hurts my heart. It’s so tentative and misspelled. You can tell it was written by someone who doesn’t have to write much. John Berry Duncan was born Feb 16, 1822 in Greenville, SC or Gwinnett County, GA and died April 21, 1915. In 1836,
Apparently I haven’t ventured out into the town square of Canton, GA on Memorial Day before, because I was very proud and surprised to see a field of crosses commemorating the area’s war dead. (Excuse the terrible iPhone pics. I couldn’t see for the bright sun and I’m a terrible photographer as it is.) Flanking