No Pocahontas

Week 48: #52 Ancestors – Next to Last By Eilene Lyon Note: This post is more about the research process than storytelling. Yes, there really is a John Smith in my family tree. And, no, he isn’t that John Smith, of Jamestown and Pocahontas fame. Fortunately, I’ve been able to trace my mother’s paternal line... Continue Reading →

November 29, 2018 9

Solving a 166-Year-Old Crime (revised)

By Eilene Lyon Introduction I posted the original version of this story on September 13, 2018. Briefly, it involves the 1851 – 1852 partnership between Elias D. Pierce, William S. Good, and Paris S. Pfouts in Siskiyou County, California. Pierce suggested that William Good took off with the company’s assets worth $40,000. I didn’t believe... Continue Reading →

November 24, 2018 10

Genea-liday

Week 47: #52 Ancestors – Thankful By Eilene Lyon This week’s theme is about what we are thankful for in our genealogy research. Since genealogy is all about people, I want to express my gratitude to the innumerable people who have made this such a rich and rewarding avocation. First, I’m thankful for all my... Continue Reading →

November 21, 2018 11

A Sad Situation

Week 46: #52 Ancestors – Random Fact By Eilene Lyon “Benjamin Hull Jones, a native of Ohio, became dissipated, and by accident shot away a large portion of his face.” I found that statement more random and shocking than anything I’ve come across in my decades of research. When I began examining the life of... Continue Reading →

November 15, 2018 17

Slave-owner to Socialist

Week 45: #52 Ancestors – Bearded By Eilene Lyon The Slave Years My 2nd great-grandfather, Melville Cox Davis, was the oldest of five children born to Dr. Hamilton Cunningham Davis and Christina Mock. Hamilton married Christina in their home state, North Carolina, and shortly afterward moved to Lafayette County, Missouri, along with their parents and... Continue Reading →

November 11, 2018 26

Hallowe’en

Week 44: #52 Ancestors - Frightening By Eilene Lyon My grandfather, Laurence M. Smith, was apparently a bit of a prankster, so it's no surprise he enjoyed Hallowe'en. My mother told me a story about how her dad gave her a noisemaker made from a spool and told her to run it along the window... Continue Reading →

November 2, 2018 23