“Protecting our customs and culture.” That phrase started showing up in county documents and being tossed around in meetings a few years back as an explanation for decisions made and actions taken. It reminds me of the classic frustrated mother’s explanation: “Because I said so, that’s why.” Every time I[Read More…]
Columns
Not all sources are online
I know that comes as a be surprise to you. As matter of fact, the majority is not. Here is where I push writing or better yet visiting the county where your ancestors spent a few generations. Most of the colorful things about your family may be already available in[Read More…]
A do-it-yourself, homegrown national park
National parks have been getting a lot of love since the pandemic, so much that this summer you need reservations at many. For example, you must make a reservation just to drive Montana’s legendary Going-To-The-Sun Road in Glacier National Park, and passes can sell out within hours of release. That’s[Read More…]
Plymouth didn’t have an immigration station in 1620
Centralized Federal immigration records began about 1880 in response to increasing numbers of people who arrived sick, with no means of support or someone to sponsor them. In 1891 provisions were added to sort people entering by land through Mexico and Canada. In the late 1800’s forty percent of people[Read More…]
Loose Ends: Volunteer spirit
Volunteers are the lifeblood of every community. In small towns like ours, there is an especially visible presence, as so many people of all ages dedicate their spare time to help others. Men and women, as well as youth, pitch in to help and sometimes dedicate even more time and[Read More…]
Kaye’s Corner: New playground equipment
The new playground equipment at the School Admin building is nearly ready for use. Thanks to the hard work of the local Lions Club and other benefactors, the new swings and slides will soon replace the defunct equipment. The former playground stuff did not pass inspection and was deemed unsafe[Read More…]
Editor’s Column: Blessed are the peacemakers
“I’m so tired of all the conflict and division.” “Why can’t people be nice and get along?” “Can we stop with all the drama already?” I hear these statements (and have said them myself) with increasing frequency. I think most of us are “conflict-avoidant” by nature. It’s part of the[Read More…]
You may not have a Mayflower ancestor, but chances are, your ancestors stepped off a boat to get here
Which leads into a very popular subject, “How do I find my family in Ellis Island records? I heard they changed their names there!” A popular misconception is that all immigrants sailed by the Statue of Liberty to get to America. The second misconception is that Port Authorities anglicized names[Read More…]
The value of apprenticeships
“You want me to show you how I do this?” I was often asked by a wide variety of residents over the years, after I expressed an interest in their needlework or leather project. I begged off almost as often, as I had usually made an unsuccessful attempt to learn[Read More…]
Kaye’s Corner: Canyon Pintado
Here’s a nearby outing you might enjoy – Canyon Pintado just south of Rangely. This a preserved, historic district that includes “rock art” created many years ago by Native Americans and others recording some of their history and beliefs. The term “rock art” means human made markings on natural stone.[Read More…]
Editor’s Column: Death and taxes
If you haven’t filed your 2021 taxes yet, you have until Monday, April 18 this year, instead of the usual April 15 deadline, thanks to a locally recognized public holiday — Emancipation Day — in the District of Columbia that has IRS offices closed on Friday. The D.C. Compensated Emancipation[Read More…]
“My ancestor was a Pilgrim on the Mayflower!”
Sounds impressive to the grandkids once a year at Thanksgiving. The truth is that over 30 million Americans are descendants of Mayflower families. As for prestige, the Mayflower was a tiny wooden cargo ship. The cargo on this run was a bunch of Pilgrims. Of that thirty million, only 23,000[Read More…]