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
This blog began in 2019 as a placeholder for my website GatheringLeaves.org which I had recently taken off the air. I took down the website that I first assembled in December 1994. I did this because I was tired of paying $135 a year to maintain a website that I had not touched in nearly a decade. Since I started the blog, I have published … Continue reading Gathering More Leaves
So, I wanted to find the answer to how many generations of my ancestors owned slaves in the 19th century and earlier. I did not know how much earlier than the American Revolution that they began the practice of enslaving other humans. Still, I had assumed that only four generations were involved in the trade and ownership of human property. Starting with my great-grandfather, James … Continue reading Morgan’s Swamp
The one aspect of my DNA results that I haven’t discussed yet is the ethnicity estimates provided by Ancestry.com and by MyHeritage. I am baffled by the results that I see at MyHeritage.com, and I will write about them later. In this post, I will discuss the results from Ancestry.com where the only real surprise is that it shows that I am not as French … Continue reading Do You Want Freedom Fries with That?
I first read about Maynard Jackson in 1973 when he became the first Black mayor of a major Southern US city. As mayor of Atlanta, he and a young Senator from Delaware were my political heroes of the day. It was not until 30 years later that I learned that Mayor Jackson (1938-2003) and I were fourth cousins. I made this discovery when I read … Continue reading The Question of Judie’s Father
Gathering Leaves 