After discovering that I have free access to the library edition of MyHeritage, it would appear that I have caught the genealogy bug once more after an almost decade long hiatus. I have been finding little trinkets of family history in something as basic as a city directory . According to Wikipedia, a city directory is a listing of residents, streets, businesses, organizations or institutions, … Continue reading Dallas City Directories

Using a little detective work, I believe I have found the family of one of my great-great grandmothers in three 19th-century US Census records. The mother of my great-grandmother Helen Spiegel Dobbs was previously found in two US census records: 1870 and 1880. She died sometime between 1880 and 1887 (the year her husband remarried). She is found in the 1870 census in Savannah, Georgia … Continue reading The Mysterious Case of Sophia B.

This photograph is interesting because there are multiple inscriptions written on the back. In one hand that appears to be that of either my great grandmother or great grandfather, is written “August Spiegel children”. Then in another hand is written “Dorothy and Laverne Spiegel – taken September 1918”August Spiegel was the youngest brother of my great-grandmother. He was born in Dallas and according to my … Continue reading Spiegel Girls

The inscription on the back of this picture identifies the woman in the center as being my great grandmother Helen D Spiegel, that the woman seated on the right is Claudia Meador “(now Mrs. Eli Sanger),” and that the photograph was taken in Cloudcroft, New Mexico. Cloudcroft is a resort town north of El Paso. A famous resort known as The Lodge at Cloudcroft was … Continue reading The Lodge at Cloudcroft

The inscription on the back of this photograph identifies the location as “bed of Rio Grande River” at El Paso and Juarez. It identifies the woman on the left “(Juarez side)” as Claudia Meader (now Mrs. Eli Sanger) and the woman on the right as my great-grandmother Helen D Spiegel “(American side)”. It does not give a year, but this is most likely in the … Continue reading Down on the Border

The photograph is of my great-grandmother holding my grandfather. This was taken in Dallas in 1902. I have now gone through all the photographs and there is one thing that is missing… a picture of the photographer. I believe that the photographs in Dallas and in Mexico in the 1900s and 1910s were taken by my great-grandfather, James M. Dobbs, Sr. He probably used the … Continue reading Baby Dobbs & Daddy

I received a packet of photos from a distant cousin. All of these relate to my maternal grandfather, James Monroe Dobbs, Jr. He was an only child who lived a life straight out of a Southern Gothic novel. There were several surprises. There are two photos of my great-great-grandfather, George C. Spiegel. He was a cigar maker who lived for a time in Savannah, GA … Continue reading George C. Spiegel

There were two very surprising finds in the package of photos.  1)  A photo of my great-great-grandmother, Sophia (?) Spiegel. Her maiden name is unknown (or is it?) Picture was taken in Savannah c. 1870 2) And what appears to be a photo of Sophia’s father! What I know about Sophia is that according to the US Census of 1870 Sophia’s birthplace was New York … Continue reading Breaking Through the Brickwall

Photo of my great-grandmother Helen Spiegel (R) and Cassie Spiegel (L) sisters, Dallas, Texas c. 1877. Continue reading Sisters

This photo is marked: Helen Von Spiegel (left) and Annie Meker(?) (right) Mineral Wells (Texas) Aug 1908 The city is named for mineral springs in the area, which were highly popular in the early 1900s. Mineral Wells is most famous for its Baker Hotel. Mineral Wells also hosts a variety of paranormal hauntings and ghost tours including the Baker Hotel, the Crazy Water Hotel, close … Continue reading Helen & Friend