My husband and I were returning from vacation, northbound on Interstate 81. The highway made a backwards question mark, cutting into the southern anthracite fields of Pennsylvania. Signs indicated distances to old patch towns--Tremont, Minersville, Donaldson, Port Carbon. As we passed the Tower City exit our conversation took a genealogical turn. T: "My mother's mother's people came from Tower … Continue reading Taking The Past Exit
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The Union of Martin Corrigan and Mary Walker: Throwback Thursday
The United States was teetering on the brink of civil war as Mary Walker of Tamaqua (PA) made plans for her union with Ebervale (PA) coal miner Martin Corrigan. President Abraham Lincoln spent the Easter season contemplating the resupply of Fort Sumter. Mary and Martin completed the final details for their marriage. On Easter morning, 31 … Continue reading The Union of Martin Corrigan and Mary Walker: Throwback Thursday
The Dodsons Cross County Lines: Surname Saturday
In the summer of 1772, Edward Dodson cast a shadow into my future as he set out from Amelia County, Virginia. The young man crossed the Meherrin River and continued on into Mecklenburg County, passing the farms of Samuel Dedman, William Wills Green, and John Hyde to assess the red soil along the little fork … Continue reading The Dodsons Cross County Lines: Surname Saturday
Shoots, Roots, and Leaves 