By Eilene Lyon A couple weeks ago I shared the criminal case against Clifford G. Cutting, postal carrier. My inquiry to the National Archives (NARA) in Seattle and procurement of a death certificate are completed. You may be interested in what I’ve found – though I’m afraid it’s not what I’d hoped for. NARA did... Continue Reading →
The Drought Diaries: Reprieve?
By Eilene Lyon The way a crow Shook down on me The dust of snow From a hemlock tree Has given my heart A change of mood And saved some part Of a day I had rued. --Robert Frost Dust of Snow March 14, 2019 The skiing at Wolf Creek was totally awesome! The... Continue Reading →
Women’s Suffrage: My Wiki Life
By Eilene Lyon A Major Milestone This year we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment to the U. S. Constitution. It was ratified in 1920, so we can celebrate another centennial next year. In recognition of women winning the vote, the National Archives (NARA) has a special exhibit opening in... Continue Reading →
Stranger Than Fiction
Week 13: #52 Ancestors – In the Paper By Eilene Lyon You know I don't shy away from even the most salacious aspects of my ancestors' lives. Let's face it, not all people in the past were admirable characters - and some of them left descendants. Someday, I swear, I'm going to find a Nobel... Continue Reading →
A Slow Death
By Eilene Lyon A 19th Century Scourge In my gold rush research, I’ve come across a couple cases of milk sickness – a deadly disease that was common in the 19th century throughout the Ohio River Valley states. I made the erroneous assumption that this was some bacterial illness that was neutralized by pasteurization. Rather,... Continue Reading →
The Striker
By Eilene Lyon We live in a forested area with many birds - and in a house with lots of windows. Once we started using UV decals, the number of birds striking our home dropped, but did not stop altogether. Every year, some continue to perish this way, which really saddens me, but I really... Continue Reading →
Fecundity
Week 11: #52 Ancestors – Large Family By Eilene Lyon Large families used to be the norm, particularly in our country's agrarian years. Studies on U. S. fertility rates show that the average births per woman in 1800 was over 7.0.1 Given that some women had no children and others had a low number due... Continue Reading →
The Odd Brothers
Week 10: #52 Ancestors – Bachelor Uncle(s) By Eilene Lyon The grown children of Robert Ransom and Emma Jenkins, my 2nd great-grandparents, really stump me at times. My great-grandmother, Clara Ransom Davis, was the youngest of the lot. She had one surviving sister and four brothers: James, William, Arthur, and Fred. The sister married in... Continue Reading →
A Baker’s Dozen
Week 12: #52 Ancestors – 12 By Eilene Lyon The year 1961 was tragic for my grandmother, Reatha (Gusso) Halse. She lost her husband, her mother, and her father-in-law. Then I, her first granddaughter, screamed in under the wire on December 31. How’s that for timing? A little grace note at the end of a... Continue Reading →