Judy Rosella Edwards's Blog (8)

The Stories of Individuals Who Designate Family Property as Greenspace



Individuals who donate their land as greenspace have intrigued genealogist Judy Rosella Edwards for more than a decade. Greenspace Genealogy is her newly launched newsletter through which she shares the family history of these individuals.



“There are individuals all across the United States who donate their private property to be enjoyed as a public greenspace,” Edwards explains. The first issue… Continue

There is a little corner park, called a tot lot, on the corner of 601 Park Avenue in Pekin, Tazewell County, Illinois. It is the only park on Park Avenue, which probably received its name because it terminates at the much larger Mineral Springs Park.



Blenkiron Park is a tiny little quarter of an acre, part of the fifth largest park district in the state of Illinois. It became a park around 1945 when it was donated to the city by Anna Blenkiron.



If you would like to read… Continue

I have just updated my website and moved my online store. Anyone looking for my publication "Looking into the 1860 U.S. Federal Census" will find it in its new location.



If you're not familiar with it, I explain 33 aspects of the 1860 U.S. Federal Census -- plus I provide lots of free inside info on researching!



About Me

An experienced freelance writer and new media specialist, Judy… Continue

In addition to being on the National Register of Historic Places, Proctor Center represents another example of Outdoor Genealogy. John C. Proctor donated the center to Peoria, Illinois, more than a century ago. The center officially opened in 1913.



The Proctor family hailed from Henniker, Merrimack County, New Hampshire. The local academy, Proctor Academy in Andover, was named in honor of the Proctor family and founded by the Unitarian society.



By some accounts, the… Continue

So maybe Grandpa didn't run off and join the circus, after all. Maybe he ran off and joined a faith-based community. In many cases family members did abandon families to join some sort of community or communal organization. There's definitely a story in there: Did he or she leave the family because the faith required it, did the family choose to stay behind, or did the family reject the person adopting a particular faith? Whatever the reason, when a family member drops off the radar,… Continue

Parks often have a genealogical connection. Detweiller Park, in Peoria, Illinois, has the distinction of being connected to several local families. A large number of family names surface while reminiscing about this park.



In November 1927, Thomas H. Detweiller donated 661 acres to the park district. While the park carries the Detweiller name, it is in honor of Thomas’s father, Captain Henry Detweiller.



Henry Detweiller was born in Alsace Lorraine. His parents, Christian… Continue

Some call it the Shelby County Weedpatch. The Illinois Nature Preserves Commission christened it the Margaret Guzy Pothole Wetlands Land and Water Reserve. The local Department of Natural Resources staff called it a surprise gift. But most people call it Guzy Prairie, in honor of the woman who donated this 159 acre wildlife sanctuary in 1991.





Guzy Prairie exemplifies how diverse a prairie can be and how quickly cropland can be restored after years of row crop production. The… Continue

When I first visited the Ballard Nature Center in 2002, I found a flyer that aptly read, “Where nature and people meet.” The BNC can rightfully make that claim. Some 3,000 visitors from 29 states and four countries visited the BNC during its first year, and the nature enthusiasts just keep coming and coming back.



A $300,000 visitor’s center serves as a meeting place for clubs and a living classroom for educators and schoolchildren.… Continue