When I bought my property in 2005, other than falling in love with the house that was built 50+ years ago and wanting acreage to garden and not hear my neighbors, I did not make an effort to get to know the property before closing. Soon after moving in, I realized there was evidence of … Continue reading Follow the Red Brick Road
Florida panhandle
The Bethel, FL Sub-Alliance: Farmers Organizing in the Bethel, Oak Grove & Laurel Hill Areas
A good place to start is probably how these records came to light. As many of you who read this blog regularly know, many of my ancestors helped to found and serve the Yellow River Baptist Church from 1840 through my grandparents. I’ve been working with the church for a while trying to digitize their … Continue reading The Bethel, FL Sub-Alliance: Farmers Organizing in the Bethel, Oak Grove & Laurel Hill Areas
Southern Farmer Unrest, 1865-1905
For Southerners the period immediately after the Civil War, or Reconstruction, lasted from 1865 until 1876 (see blogs Part I and Part II). For the rest of the country, the end of the War brought a significant amount of change and innovation up until the Great Depression. This is the period in our history where … Continue reading Southern Farmer Unrest, 1865-1905
Reconstruction in the South & the Florida Panhandle, Part 2
Until the last few decades, there wasn’t a lot written about Reconstruction that wasn’t either heavily weighted toward one viewpoint (Southern) or the other (Northern), if it was discussed in detail at all. It may be getting a bit better with at least some professors and history writers making an attempt to be balanced in … Continue reading Reconstruction in the South & the Florida Panhandle, Part 2
Reconstruction in the Florida Panhandle, Part 1
I spend a good bit of my reading and studying time focused on the War for Southern Independence (aka Civil War, War Between the States) so I am very clear that it was a horrible war that brought a great deal of destruction to much of the South, including the Florida Panhandle. But I sometimes … Continue reading Reconstruction in the Florida Panhandle, Part 1
Oak Grove in Okaloosa County, FL: It’s Importance & Development in the History of the FL Panhandle
Anyone who knows me, or follows my blogs, knows I have an affinity with the upper Yellow River area known as Oak Grove. For the last couple of years, I’ve been researching the genealogy and history of the area that will eventually culminate in a book. Some of us with family from the area like to … Continue reading Oak Grove in Okaloosa County, FL: It’s Importance & Development in the History of the FL Panhandle
Using Newspapers in Researching Ancestors During the Civil War
Most of us who research our ancestors in the Civil War beyond finding the name in an index and making a note of the service and with what regiment, are familiar with some of the basic options for adding more detail to our ancestor’s service. But just in case I have some folks just getting … Continue reading Using Newspapers in Researching Ancestors During the Civil War
Florida’s Secession and how NW Florida Families Experienced the War – Part 3
For my last two blogs (Part 1 and Part 2), we’ve been looking at Florida’s Secession Convention and its Declaration in support of secession that led to Florida leaving the United States and within a short period of time becoming a part of the Confederate States of America. In this final blog in this series, … Continue reading Florida’s Secession and how NW Florida Families Experienced the War – Part 3
Florida’s Secession from the Union and What That Teaches Us About the War – Part 1
Before I get to Florida’s Convention and Declaration, I want to share my framework for this discussion. For me, the War for Southern Independence (aka Civil War, War Between the States) was a seminal event for our ancestors. It was the second major test of our democratic skills as a nation (the first was the … Continue reading Florida’s Secession from the Union and What That Teaches Us About the War – Part 1
Those Pesky, Elusive Females in Your Ancestry
I personally can’t think of a pastime, hobby or career choice that would be more rewarding than genealogy but as a long-time family historian, and a Southerner inclined to a bit of nitpicking, I do have my complaints. If I could wave a magic wand, I would install good record-keeping, all the way back to … Continue reading Those Pesky, Elusive Females in Your Ancestry
