On April Fools’ Day 2022, the government made public the records of the United States Census for 1950. That night I made two discoveries. The first one is that it is almost impossible to find a particular household in the U.S. Census for 1950 without the aid of an index. The second one was a letter my step-grandmother wrote shortly after my maternal grandfather’s death … Continue reading An Old-school Southern Gentleman
One of the things that I learned about my ancestor, Col. David Dobbs, besides him being once a sheriff and later on the chairman of the Democratic Party in Cobb County, was that in 1859, he and several other citizens of Cobb County were authorized by the state of Georgia to build a railroad from Marietta to the Alabama state line. The legislation was entitled … Continue reading Once I Built a Railroad
I found this online tool called Remini that can be used to enhance old photos. It is free-to-try, so I tried it out with some old photos. The original photos, some over 150 years old, are a little blurry and thus the facial features are a tad fuzzy. The results were amazing. I had been told that my maternal grandfather’s mother was very beautiful, but … Continue reading All I Have is a Photograph
Here is what I found when recently searching for J.M. Dobbs, Sr. in Google Books. Google has a vast collection of old books scanned and indexed from public and private libraries throughout the country. I had thought that when my great-grandfather took a presidential appointment and left Atlanta, Georgia, for Valparaiso, Chile, in the spring of 1893, he had sold his share of a lumber … Continue reading The Dobbs Lumber Company v. Appling
I was searching Google Books for some information on my great-grandfather, James M. Dobbs, Sr., and as I was sifting through items where he was mentioned that I had seen previously, I came across a couple of hits for his son, my maternal grandfather, James Monroe Dobbs, Jr. One discovery was kind of funny: the other, not so much. In two books published a little … Continue reading The Frat Boy, the Flapper, and a Lost Cause
I looked for my great-great-grandfather, George C Spiegel, at NewspaperArchives.com, focusing specifically on newspapers in Savannah, Georgia, and the years 1869 to 1871. We know from census records that George and his wife, Sophia, lived in Savannah, Georgia from 1869 or earlier to 1871 when they moved to Dallas, Texas. In both towns, George’s occupation was Cigar Maker. The couple’s first two children, George, Jr. … Continue reading The Mystery Package
I have solved yet another mystery. For a long time, my working theory has been that my great grandfather, James Monroe Dobbs, was employed by the Panama Railway for several years in the 1880s. I had based my assumption on three things: a relative’s statement over 70 years ago, a newspaper article published in 1893, and two passenger lists that I found from the 1880s. … Continue reading International Man Of Mystery-Pt. 4
In a recent post, I described a research effort into when my slaveholding ancestors began the practice of owning slaves. Reviewing census and probate records, I was able to see evidence of which of my 19th-century antebellum ancestors owned slaves. In the post, I told of how I located a will of one of my seventh great grandmothers who died in the 1740s. I commented … Continue reading A Bill of Sale
The author reflects on the journey of their great-grandfather, James Monroe Dobbs, Sr., from joining the Merchant Marines to a diplomatic position in Valparaiso, Chile, attributed to support from influential figures, including a son from Steinway and Sons. James’ political affiliations reveal his unexpected alignment as a Tammany Democrat rather than a Bourbon Democrat. Continue reading The Piano Man of Mystery
I seem to find the strangest things when I am not even looking. Today, I came across this weird coincidence. I have been studying the Reconstruction era of US history, and I came across a name that when I first saw it, I did not make the connection until I noticed that it was in reference to Wilkes County, North Carolina and the age-old story … Continue reading The Eternal Triangle
Gathering Leaves 