For many of us who are into history and genealogy, we are always wanting to know what a particular ancestor experienced during certain major events from the past. You might want to know what battles an ancestor was in during the War for Southern Independence (aka Civil War, War Between the States) or what an … Continue reading What Can the 1870 Census Tell Us About Reconstruction in the Panhandle?
Florida panhandle
“Shall We Gather at the River”: A History of Yellow River Baptist Church
I’m sorry I haven’t posted much lately. Given what my schedule is gearing up to look like during the holidays, I decided I needed to seriously focus on getting those few less than glamorous parts of a published book done, and the book uploaded to the printer’s website so I could get a final proof … Continue reading “Shall We Gather at the River”: A History of Yellow River Baptist Church
Upcoming Book on Yellow River Baptist Church History and a Call to Homecoming
For any of you that have followed my blog, either through WordPress or through my Facebook business page, you already know two things about me, I write a lot about northern Okaloosa County history, and I write a lot about Yellow River Baptist Church. There is a reason for both. My Mom was born and … Continue reading Upcoming Book on Yellow River Baptist Church History and a Call to Homecoming
Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Association and Its Role in the early Baptist history in the Panhandle
Have you ever wondered how the early Protestant churches in the Panhandle got their start? If we are lucky in our search for answers, the churches where we are looking will have a written history or records that will give us a hint as to who in the community was instrumental in founding the church … Continue reading Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Association and Its Role in the early Baptist history in the Panhandle
Three of the Older Cemeteries along the western side of the Upper Yellow River
We’ve come to the third and final installment in this series on burial rituals and cemeteries in the Florida Panhandle. The first two, if you missed them are here and here. In this post, I would like to present three small cemeteries that I am as intimately connected to as a person can be with … Continue reading Three of the Older Cemeteries along the western side of the Upper Yellow River
Some of the Oldest Cemeteries in Northwest Florida
Let me start by saying that I do not have connections in every county in the Florida panhandle. Both sides of my family are mostly congregated in the northwestern end of the panhandle: Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, and Holmes counties. In the 20th century when family began moving out of the area they skipped … Continue reading Some of the Oldest Cemeteries in Northwest Florida
April 1864-April 1865 Bringing the Death and Destruction to an End
In this post we will wrap up this series on the Florida panhandle during the War for Southern Independence (aka Civil War, War Between the States). We’ve looked at the conditions at home, and the motivating factors for some of the responses of the men who were expected to defend the homefront by those in … Continue reading April 1864-April 1865 Bringing the Death and Destruction to an End
Late Florida Regiments in the War for Southern Independence: 1863-1865
These later Florida regiments begin to show how the Confederacy was hemorrhaging men by this point. New regiments were formed by consolidating regiments that were no longer able to function as a regiment due to significant loss of men. In working to understand your ancestor’s experiences of the War it is critical that you trace … Continue reading Late Florida Regiments in the War for Southern Independence: 1863-1865
April 1863 – April 1864: The Independence Experiment Begins to Falter and the Florida Panhandle Homefront Becomes Chaotic
Let’s do a thought experiment to open this month’s post. It is June 1863. You are a 32-year man who was born and raised in the Florida panhandle. You are married with four children still living. Your wife is a small woman with a strong will but losing a couple of children over the last … Continue reading April 1863 – April 1864: The Independence Experiment Begins to Falter and the Florida Panhandle Homefront Becomes Chaotic
Early Florida Confederate Regiments in the War for Southern Independence: 1861-1862
Let me shift hats from local historian to genealogist. If you really want to know how your Florida panhandle ancestor experienced the war, you must go beyond finding the same name on an index of Confederate soldiers from the general area where your ancestor lived and assuming it is the correct man and that the … Continue reading Early Florida Confederate Regiments in the War for Southern Independence: 1861-1862
Northwest Florida History & Genealogy 