By Eilene Lyon Auto makers have been coming up with weird names for cars and trucks for…well, forever. But the auto industry has nothing on the RV manufacturers. I live in a tourist town, so there is no shortage of RVs bumbling through the area, especially in the warmer months. (Full disclosure: we own an... Continue Reading →
Half a World Away
By Eilene Lyon While pondering this week’s 52 Ancestors prompt “So Far Away” (which I will post later this week), the phrase “Half a World Away” came to mind. Though we might use it figuratively to mean someplace rather distant, or a mental distraction (like this post), I wondered about the literal sense. What place... Continue Reading →
Milling Water to the Sea
By Eilene Lyon We recently took a trip to the Netherlands and Norway, so expect a few posts on sights, scenes, and travel. But first, I want to share a bit about the Dutch genius for engineering water. It’s no secret that much of the Netherlands is below sea level. Since more and more land... Continue Reading →
Absurdities #7
By Eilene Lyon I was puzzling over the use of the term "Dogfight" to describe an aerial combat. It seems odd, considering that the only "flying" dogs I've ever come across are Snoopy, who is forever losing his Sopwith Camel (an entirely absurd name for a plane, I might add, especially when it’s really a... Continue Reading →
He Dreamed of Being a Marine
Week 21: #52 Ancestors – Military By Eilene Lyon Nathan Everett Halse entered this world at 3:30 p.m., Friday June 22, 1945, weighing six pounds, 3 ½ ounces. He was the fourth son born to Everett and Reatha Halse. Unlike his brothers, he was born in Corvallis, Oregon, not the family’s home state of South... Continue Reading →
A Cold Day in Milwaukee
Week 20: #52 Ancestors – Another Language By Eilene Lyon “Charlie Gusso (1862 – [19]31) was born in Milwaukee, Wisc. When he was three days old his father was killed in a train accident. Charlie married Olive Springer (1870 – [19]41), daughter of Charles and Margaret Springer of Sparta, Wisc. After their marriage in 1889... Continue Reading →
Race, the Census, and Genealogy
By Eilene Lyon Race in the Census From the very first U. S. Census in 1790, the enumeration was focused primarily on whites, and secondarily on everyone else. A person was listed as Free White, Other Free Person, or Slave. Based on the constitution, non-taxed Indians were specifically excluded.1 It wasn’t until the 1850 Census,... Continue Reading →
Famous Names?
By Eilene Lyon A post by InNate James discussed his possible family connection to the notorious outlaw, Jesse James. He mentioned that the James family tried to disassociate themselves from him. That was not a universal response to his deeds, though. My family tree sports one “Jesse James Brooks,” for example.1 He was born in... Continue Reading →