While researching the death of Eli Langley, who died while a prisoner of war at Andersonville Prison in 1864, I came across his widow’s (Rachel McCoy Langley) pension application files. One hundred and four pages of pension records-a genealogist’s jackpot! But this post isn’t about …
McRaven in Vicksburg, Mississippi McRaven 1797-The Beginning According to the McRaven website the first section of McRaven was built in 1797 by Andrew Glass. The original portion of McRaven was a two-story brick structure, consisting of a kitchen downstairs and one bedroom upstairs. The bedroom …
Who doesn’t love a new genealogy tool for their toolbox? I have been playing around with a great online tool I recently came across. It’s called Story Maps and it’s a game changer for those wanting a unique way to present their family history. From …
William was only 20 years old when he was killed in action, one of too many killed in the U.S. Civil War. He was a volunteer in the U.S. 9th Illinois Infantry, Company B. He was killed during a skirmish at Wyatt’s Crossing on the …
A few years ago my husband and I took a ghost town hunting trip to southeast Oklahoma. Perfect for a Halloween weekend. This part of Oklahoma is unlike any other part of the state. Choctaw County and Pushmataha County include the Kiamichi Mountains. It’s a beautiful …
Click here for PDF of Henry Lewis Pesterfield I descendants. I have hit several brick walls in my genealogy research, however, Henry Pesterfield I is my most obstinate brick wall. Family lore tells us that he came from Hanover, Germany and anglicized his name …
I was in Knoxville, Tennessee recently conducting research into several of my family lines. One family in particular-the Pesterfield’s, my most stubborn brick wall. Read more about my Pesterfield line here. I’m stuck on Henry Pesterfield b.ca 1790, so I’m trying to research all of …
What’s in Your Closet? I feel the need to warn you that when you start researching your ancestors you WILL find a skeleton in the closet. More than likely you’ll find several. I’m going to drag one of my skeletons out, dust him off and …
Some of the best memories can be made simply by getting off the highway and going down the back roads. Begin without an agenda or specific destination and get going. Simply put: Coddiwomple Have you ever heard the term? It is slang and means “To …
Make memories on the back roads Recently we decided to drive the Blue Ridge Parkway. I planned our trip, had all the must-see places mapped out, the whole nine yards. Then we got there. Somewhere in all my planning I didn’t account for the parkway …
