Category Archives: genealogy

Clubwomen and the environment

Posted on August 16, 2019 by

In 1910, the official proceedings of the convention of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs reported: We read in the papers that every time one of the great Sunday journals of New York City is issued, thirteen acres of timberland are … Continue reading →

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Clubs and women’s moral superiority

Posted on August 1, 2019 by

When the New York City Press Club gave a reception welcoming Charles Dickens to the U.S. in 1868, journalist Jane Cunningham Croly applied for a ticket. The all-male club treated her request as a joke. The invitation they eventually extended … Continue reading →

Posted in genealogy, history, women's rights | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

I hope my great-grandmother isn’t mad at me

Posted on July 22, 2019 by

Dear Great-grandmother Mary, I hope you’re not upset. You might actually be flattered that I used you as the model for Abbie Bergholtz, one of the protagonists in my historical novel, To March or to Marry. In 1911, Abbie joins … Continue reading →

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Election Day romance

Posted on October 26, 2016 by

Before the commercialization of Christmas took hold, before the Easter bunny was born, and before Thanksgiving became a pig-out, Election Day was America’s big, festive holiday. Amid the Election Day celebration of 1899, my great-grandparents’ courtship began. The history of … Continue reading →

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What’s a pandy? Who’s the tucker?

Posted on September 7, 2016 by

Wed. May 25th [1892]   ….After tea we took a walk to the coal pit from which place we could see the Pandy & Alltiago farm. We got a glass of fresh milk at the Alltiago farm….Continuing our walk we went … Continue reading →

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Off to Wales with my great-grandmother’s diary

Posted on July 25, 2016 by

My mother gave me my first diary when I was 13. It had a yellow cardboard cover and a tiny lock and key. I welcomed the chance to put down my secrets, especially to spill out the doubts and longings … Continue reading →

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Playing games with the ancestors

Posted on May 6, 2016 by

Flinch, a game played with a custom-made deck of cards, was invented in 1901 by A.J. Patterson. He grew up on a farm in Michigan and graduated from high school at the age of sixteen. After working at jobs in … Continue reading →

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Pilgrim versus tourist

Posted on April 7, 2016 by

In his book Spiritual Journeys of an Anarchist (Ardent Press, 2014), Peter Lamborn Wilson described “intentional travel” as a sufi tradition in which the traveler, to fix his itinerary, “waited for ‘signs’ to appear, coincidences, intuitions….” I read these lines … Continue reading →

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Talisman of gratitude

Posted on March 10, 2016 by

According to Mayan shaman Martín Prechtel, all inspiration comes from the Other World. When we create something, we are supposed to give back to our ancestors in the Other World, using the form of “eloquent sound,” or by offering something … Continue reading →

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A Cuban grandfather hands down his stories and poems

Posted on February 24, 2016 by

A guest blog by John Casquarelli Storytelling is as natural to humans as eating. We create our myths and epics as a way of expressing our perceived knowledge, sharing what we believe we know about an event or a person. My … Continue reading →

Posted in genealogy, history, literature, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments