May 2010 Blog Posts (55)

I have a passion for America unmeasureable to anything else in life. I'm scared that our current politicians have forgotten the definition of words that make life truly worth living, such as freedom and democracy. My passion and love for my country came in elementary school when I was taught to have pride in my country. In private school, I was not taught a party line. I was taught about the rich history of this great nation, the good and the bad. My passion only grew when my maternal…

For those who don't know,someone is trying to build a casino near Gettysburg.

Such an historic place as Gettysburg should not be turned into a dirty,trashy town because someone thinks they can make money from the people who visit such hallowed ground.

The battle of Gettysburg was something we should charish and share with generations to come,but not with a casino.

This link http://nocasinogettysburg.org/ is an online petition…

Just FYI, brightsolid online publishing have also recently acquired the FriendsReunited group, including genesreunited.co.uk which is the number 2 player in the UK market (behind…

With today's technology, not much really surprises me anymore. However, as I am writing this, I am nearly stunned at what I am looking at.

I have a brittle, old photograph of my 3rd great-grandfather, David Brown (there I go again talking about my Browns...). Time has faded and cracked the photo. Many years ago I scanned/digitized the photo to preserve its current state. I really did not think there was much hope in ever restoring the photo to my…

Often I am asked about town meetings and other terms pertaining to New England town government by people researching their roots from outside of New England. They see the annual reports in the archives, and have questions about the terminology, and the form of government. If you have ever seen Norman Rockwell’s paintings of the “Four Freedoms,” I think the painting of the young farmer standing up to…

Do you want to come along? I am on my way to impress the great OZ with a brilliantly written query letter (version # 53, to be exact). I’ve been here before. In fact, it was just last week that I marched to the emerald city only to discover the doors strong-armed by guards holding WEAPONS OF MASS REJECTION.

I must better prepare this time. I am fearful, but I double back, lick my wounds, and attempt to gain as much feedback as possible before entering the…

United Shoe Machinery Corporation was a major employer in Beverly, Massachusetts. The locals called it “The Shoe,” and when it began manufacturing in 1902 it was the largest factory in the world at that time. By World War I it employed over 5,000 workers. Founded in 1899, they produced machines for the shoe industry, and it was one of…

I have finally found time to write about my recent trip, which featured two intensive genealogy-focused weeks. I returned to a huge backlog of emails and other tasks and then had to firm up the details of my next trip.

First, I want to thank all the wonderful people who hosted me during this…

Our mission is to be a voice for genealogy and local history librarians in the international information community, to…

I rode in the backseat of our 1979 Pontiac Bonneville. The scarlet plush interior cushioned my cheek while the top of my head rested against the rigid window pane. There was a faint smell of peppermint from the hard candy my dad tucked in the pocket of his cheek – melting slowly as he drove the rural highway. On occasion, he’d slip me a piece of…

My Brick wall is my Great Grandfather William Choate - he was born in Germany in 1850 and died in Michigan 9/04/1909. He married Ceprino Hutchinson in 08/04/1887 in Carol Michigan.

I know he lived in Gagtown Village Tuscola Michigan in the 1900s and is buried at Hillside Cemetery in Elmwood Tuscola Michigan

I beleive in came to michigan through Canada - but am not sure.

This article should only be read by those who have a computer....

I believe there are only two types of computer users in the world - 1) One whose computer has crashed and 2) One whose computer will crash.

In November 2008 I joined the first group when upon my return from a nice Sunday car ride I found my computer smoking. I lost everything. Thankfully, just one month earlier I had signed up for an online backup service from which I recovered all of my…