William Hopkins and the Pennsylvania Oil Boom
In 1859 Edwin Drake struck oil at 69 feet below ground along the banks of Oil Creek in Venango County, Pennsylvania. Drake’s well was one of the first commercial oil wells in the United States. Within a few years the Pennsylvania oil boom was in full swing. Thousands came to the Oil Creek area to strike it rich or just find good work. William Hopkins, … Continue reading William Hopkins and the Pennsylvania Oil Boom
What’s in a Name: Barzillai Ansley
Barzillai Ansley, agent for International Steamship Co., one of the multiple businessman Barzillai Ansleys Continue reading What’s in a Name: Barzillai Ansley
Our DNA Cousins, the Jackson Whites
The DNA trail doesn’t always fit neatly into paper proofs of lineage or family stories. In fact, at times DNA tells a very different story. My DNA cousins, the Jackson Whites, also called the Ramapo Mountain Indians, are part of our family DNA from approximately 5-6 generations ago on the Jones-Sweet and Smith-Edwards lines. This is likely at least a generation or two prior to … Continue reading Our DNA Cousins, the Jackson Whites
Adding Family Memorabilia to our Family Digital Library
Here are instructions to quick start your family memorabilia capture and collection fun! Please provide feedback or your questions regarding these instructions! Libby Continue reading Adding Family Memorabilia to our Family Digital Library
Uncovering Lee Scott’s Lineage
Lee Scott’s obituary states he was born 2 August 1822 in St. John, St. John County, New Brunswick, Canada. There are multiple Ancestry.com family trees connecting Lee Scott with parents Walter C. Robert Scott Esq and Elizabeth Lee and grandparents Robert Scott Esq and Mary Merrill. Nice, but where is the source material that establishes or refutes this lineage? The confirming evidence is hardly a … Continue reading Uncovering Lee Scott’s Lineage
The Big Picture, a Family Tree View
The Boating Genealogists dig into genealogy, family history and history so much that one can forget that others don’t have the background to connect who we are writing about and where they fit in the family tree and history. However, replicating an ever developing family tree on this blog would be silly, if not just plain time-consuming without obvious gain. And human history is an … Continue reading The Big Picture, a Family Tree View
Unlocking Charlotte Hick’s Parentage
Genealogical unlocks are pretty special, at least for family historians. Not because lineage is an end in and of itself. But because it is one’s original life setting that can connect many life dots. Therefore, a family historian sometimes spends a fair amount of time trying to correctly establish this foundation, this lineage. And some ancestors’ lineages are much tougher detective work than others, even … Continue reading Unlocking Charlotte Hick’s Parentage
