When my great grandfather James M Dobbs was appointed to a consul generalship in South America at the start of the 2nd Cleveland Administration, his name appeared in newspapers all over the United States. In the majority of those appearances, it was one item in a list of other men who had been appointed to an office that April in 1893. Most of the newspapers … Continue reading International Man of Mystery Part 6
The recent discussions about immigrants eating cats and dogs remind me that my ancestors were immigrants. Some arrived from Europe as early as the 1630s, while others came as late as the 1880s. Their experiences varied—some were treated better than others. For instance, my German ancestors managed to preserve their culture and language long after arrival, which the English-speaking population found objectionable. There was pressure … Continue reading From Bavaria to New York: An Immigrant Journey
In a previous post, I wrote of how I discovered that my mother’s grandfather lied on a passport application that he filled out towards the end of WWI. As a former Consular officer and recently retired from the US State Department, he had to have known that what he had done was illegal. James Monroe Dobbs, Sr. was born July 4, 1859, yet on more … Continue reading International Man of Mystery-Pt. 5
A few days ago, I renewed my Ancestry.com subscription despite my annual vow to resist. This year’s offer—40% off a six-month subscription—was too tempting. This package included access to U.S. and international records as well as newspaper and military archives. As I signed up, I told myself I’d regret it if I didn’t find value within the first few days. Navigating Ancestry’s Value Over Time … Continue reading Found: The Obituary of Col. D. J. Dobbs
Ancestry.com was offering a 40% off sale on its subscription packages over Memorial Day weekend. After debating which of the three six-month options to purchase, from the moderately priced USA Records-only package to the complete package, including access to Fold3.com (the military records database) and Newspaper Archives, I ultimately decided on the whole package. I knew I would regret not having access to everything. On … Continue reading The Fate of Col. David J Dobbs (May 1865)
Although my Southern ancestors on my mother’s side settled in the British colonies sometime before the Revolution, the question of when they arrived and where they first settled is challenging and, in some cases, controversial. Nevertheless, I have found one branch, the Morgan family, that is well documented. In contrast, other branches lack sources for events before the American Revolution. I recently viewed the primary … Continue reading The Carolina Connection
Following up on a previous post I wrote about Marietta Georgia and my third great-grandfather David Dobbs, I discovered that on at least one and possibly two occasions, David, a Colonel in the Georgia militia, had a prior association with General Sherman. Searching the newspaper archives for “Marietta” in November 1864, I wanted to see what the contemporary reports were about the town at the … Continue reading Marietta, 1844
On July 4, 1864, the town of Marietta, Cobb County, Georgia fell to union forces under the command of Gen. Sherman. My great-grandfather, James M Dobbs, Sr. turned five years old on that day. He and his family lived on a plantation outside of Marietta. His grandfather Col. David Dobbs lived in the town in a large fancy house with three orphaned grandchildren, and a … Continue reading Marietta, 1864
I realized the other day that my subscription to the New York Times gives me access to 150 years of archives of that newspaper. At first, I wanted to see the NYT’s take on events such as the Bloody Monday riot in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1855, the fall of Atlanta in 1864, and the destruction of Aspinwall, Panama in 1885. Then I recalled that my … Continue reading Chile Won’t Drink Our Beer
Aspinwall, Panama was a wild-west town deserving of the same notoriety as Dodge, Kansas; Tombstone, Arizona; and Deadwood in the Dakotas. According to David McCullough in his masterpiece on the building of the canal, “The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal (1870-1914), “the three most thriving industries [in Aspinwall] were gambling houses, brothels, and coffin manufacturing.” Years ago, I found my … Continue reading Panama Man
Gathering Leaves 