During the mid-nineteenth century North Carolina was the global supplier of naval stores. The "Turpentine State" lay in the long-leaf pine belt--a region of dry sandy clay subsoil that ran from North Carolina, south to Florida, and as far west as southern Alabama and Mississippi. The sap of turpentine orchards was harvested and distilled into … Continue reading Examining the Language of Slavery
Strickland
Diagram Your Family Tree with Gutenberg Block
I played around with this Gutenberg Block editor in hopes of sharing genealogy basics in a more visually appealing, less overwhelming format. 'Cause, let's face it, when you're trying to engage with kin that lie somewhere out there beneath your family tree's shade, the typical checklists of names and dates of birth, death, marriage, and … Continue reading Diagram Your Family Tree with Gutenberg Block
Points of View
I look through a viewfinder at least once a day. Photography makes me practice seeing different points of view; the very act of framing the familiar often reveals a hidden detail that adds unexpected meaning, an "aha!" that leaves me changed. Genealogy can be a framing exercise too, with questions serving as viewfinder. During research on my dad's neighbors, the Crute family, … Continue reading Points of View
Surname Saturday–The Crutes of Mecklenburg County
Brainstorming and journaling are good for the future Sorting through my family lore stash, I came across two sheets of yellow paper, folded into quarters. My father, Norman Strickland, had distinctive handwriting, the product of his years as an electrical engineer. So even though the bulleted pencil notes were not dated or signed, I recognized … Continue reading Surname Saturday–The Crutes of Mecklenburg County
Reclaiming all the past
These thoughts are for all you white family historians out there. Particularly the ones who are, like me, struggling to tell the unmentionable, the dishonorable chapters of our ancestors' lives. The plot lines of which extend into our own days, leaving us uncomfortable with our race. Our whiteness. I have been silent on this blog space, … Continue reading Reclaiming all the past
Shoots, Roots, and Leaves 