By Eilene Lyon Old Fort Walla Walla After the Lewis and Clark expedition, fur traders began traveling throughout the Pacific Northwest. The Canadian North West Co. established a fort at the mouth of the Walla Walla River, on the Columbia, and called it Fort Nez Perces (present-day Wallula). When the company merged with Hudson’s Bay... Continue Reading →
First Ascent
Week 26: #52 Ancestors – Legend By Eilene Lyon A Man on the Move In researching my Jones relatives for the California gold rush book, I discovered a legendary figure who eventually married into the family. Elias Davidson Pierce was born in Harrison County, Virginia, in 1824. But upon reaching adulthood, he moved on and... Continue Reading →
The Davis Homestead
By Eilene Lyon Genealogy is about discovery: discovering your ancestors, discovering history, discovering your cultural identity, discovering new family. Anticipating a uniting of the Davis clan in Latah County, Idaho, in late June, I undertook a special project. Though almost everyone gathering in Moscow was in some way connected to Melville C. and Sarah R.... Continue Reading →
Gold Country Tour
By Eilene Lyon After completing my archive research in California (Huntington Library, Bancroft Library, and the California Historical Society), it was time to do some gold rush sight-seeing. My first stop was the Wells Fargo branch on Montgomery in downtown San Francisco. This city owes its explosive growth directly to the gold rush. Wells Fargo... Continue Reading →
About Cousins
Week 18: #52 Ancestors – Road Trip By Eilene Lyon Usually my genealogy road trips involve visiting at least one cousin – sometimes meeting them for the first time. My recent trip to California was no exception. It gave me the opportunity to meet my 5th cousin, Julie. What? A 5th cousin? That’s pretty distant,... Continue Reading →
The Berkeley Bus
By Eilene Lyon (for SB) My recent trip to California included a four-day stay in Berkeley to do research. My hotel was a few miles from the UC campus. I don't often take public transportation - it isn't an option where I live. I asked at the hotel desk about the bus to campus. It... Continue Reading →
The Huntington: Galleries
By Eilene Lyon During my day-long visit to the Huntington, I alternated between strolling through the gardens and visiting the galleries to get out of the sun for a bit. I wrote previously about the gardens. Henry and Arabella were both collectors and particularly enamored with Louis XVI French style. Their former residence is dedicated... Continue Reading →
The Loneliest Road
By Eilene Lyon I asked my iPhone for the shortest route from Georgetown, California, to Durango, Colorado. When it came to Nevada, going across the middle wasn’t presented as an option, even if I said to omit the interstates. So I specifically told Siri to give me directions from Reno, Nevada, to Great Basin National... Continue Reading →
The Huntington: Gardens
By Eilene Lyon Sunday morning, I arrived at the Huntington to see the gardens and galleries. I thought I was there after opening, but it turned out I was fifteen minutes early, because I'd been looking at my computer clock (mountain time) instead of my phone. As I waited for the ticket office to open,... Continue Reading →