Author: mblauss

Cemeteries2 Comments

Joshua Thomas, died 9 April 1833, Bolton, NY

mblauss

I came across a poignant epitaph today from the Bolton Rural Cemetery, Bolton Landing, Warren County, New York. Joshua Thomas of Bolton, NY predeceased his wife, Molly (Streeter) Thomas by over 20 years. She was the one who handled his funeral arrangements, including his gravestone. His gravestone reads: Joshua Thomas(husband of Molly Streeter)died April 9th 1833AE 67 years 3 mos. & 27 days “I loved him.” Continue reading Joshua Thomas, died 9 April 1833, Bolton, NY

How-To1 Comment

Exploring Brooklyn in Street View of Google Maps

mblauss

Googlemaps has come out with a wonderful new feature called “Street View”. It allows you to explore neighborhoods visually through photographs. You can click on a spot, then see what it looks like from 360 degrees, and “travel” along the road. Watch a demo of it here. There are only a few cities available in this mode, and unfortunately Boston has not yet been added. But I explored New York City and then took a tour over the Brooklyn Bridge into Brooklyn. I’ve always wanted to get to Brooklyn to explore and photograph the large cemeteries in the area, and … Continue reading Exploring Brooklyn in Street View of Google Maps

Artifacts2 Comments

Cole Mill, Carver, MA

mblauss

The other day Holly & I went to explore Cole Mill in Carver. It is located right near her home, a wonderful old farmhouse, and set back in the woods. We picked up a copy of the Carver, MA Images of America book, because I was interested in comparing photographs of how the mill formerly looked like versus how it appeared today. But first some history (and of course a bit of genealogy!):The first colonial settlement in Carver, MA was in North Carver, along the North Carver Green, known today as the Lakenham Green and district. Carver was originally the … Continue reading Cole Mill, Carver, MA

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Welcome, readers of "Touch the Elbow"!

mblauss

I was contacted the other day by Donald Thompson, one of three Civil War researchers who run a wonderful website and related blog about the Civil War, and specifically the 18th Regiment of Massachusetts. Donald Thompson, Tom Churchill, and Stephen McManus research and collect records, memorabilia, letters, etc. about the men who served in the regiment, and have compiled great biographies of the men. One of those men from the 18th, my great-great-great uncle Erastus Everson, was recently featured on this blog as the subject of one of my genealogical biographies. He served in three regiments, and sustained head, chest, … Continue reading Welcome, readers of "Touch the Elbow"!

How-To1 Comment

FamilyTreeMaker and Reunion Genealogy software

mblauss

Yesterday my new genealogy software arrived in the mail! I have been thinking about buying new software for awhile now. I have Reunion, a wonderful program for the Mac. But I also have a subscription to Ancestry.com, which uses FamilyTreeMaker as its featured software. FamilyTreeMaker seems to be the most popular Windows program, so I decided to order a copy for our Dell laptop and see what the fuss was all about. I’ve had fun exploring its features over the past two days! Here’s some of my initial observations: Pros: – FamilyTreeMaker is directly integrated with the Ancestry.com website. That … Continue reading FamilyTreeMaker and Reunion Genealogy software

Research1 Comment

Mini-Genealogical Biography of Elizabeth Ann (O’Reilly) Mahon

mblauss

Elizabeth Ann (O’Reilly) Mahon (1852-bef1920) Elizabeth Ann O’Reilly was born in November of 1852 to Thomas and Eliza O’Reilly, the fourth of nine children. In 1860, the O’Reilly family was living in Fairfield, Franklin County, Vermont. Fairfield is in northern Vermont, slightly to the east of St. Albans, and to the south of the Canadian border. Thomas and Eliza O’Reilly had immigrated from Ireland, and had probably entered the United States through Canada. Franklin County, Vermont was full of many Irish and Scots that had immigrated first to Canada, and then crossed the border to America. Probably a younger Irish … Continue reading Mini-Genealogical Biography of Elizabeth Ann (O’Reilly) Mahon

Research1 Comment

Mini-Genealogical Biography of Adelia Deborah Everson

mblauss

Adelia Deborah Everson (1849-1867) Adelia D. Everson was born on June 3, 1849 in the town of Hanson, MA. Her parents, Barnabas Everson and Deborah Bates, had married the previous August of 1848. Adelia was Barnabas’s first child, but the second for Deborah. 1846 had been a terrible year for Deborah, in which she first lost her husband Warren in January of consumption, and then lost her 9 month old son, also named Warren, of “cholera infantum”. The widowed Deborah lived next to Maquan Pond, and she remarried Barnabas Everson, a neighbor who owned a large property across the street … Continue reading Mini-Genealogical Biography of Adelia Deborah Everson

BIPOC, Research2 Comments

Erastus Everson and the Laurens County, SC Riot

mblauss

In 1871, Massachusetts-born Erastus Watson Everson was summoned by a government committee which was investigating the “Ku-Klux Klan conspiracy”. Erastus had worked for the Freedman’s Bureau after the Civil War throughout South Carolina. In particular, he was summoned for an experience he had after his duty in the Freedman’s Bureau, when he was working again for the army as an assessor. Erastus was an inadvertent witness to the Laurens County, SC riot in October 1870. He testified his belief that the riot was planned in advance in part by the Ku Klux Klan. He testified that he had traveled to Laurens county … Continue reading Erastus Everson and the Laurens County, SC Riot

Research2 Comments

Mini-Genealogical Biography of Erastus W. Everson

mblauss

Erastus W. Everson (1837-1897) Erastus W. Everson was the eldest child of William F. Everson and his wife, Salome B. Crocker. He was born about 1837 probably in Hanson, MA. Three years later, his brother Frederic O. Everson was born, followed by his sister Sylvania Everson. They grew up on Pleasant Street in Hanson. In 1850, at the age of 13, Erastus was living in Hanson with his family, and a 17 year old servant (or boarder) named Fidelia Hunt. He and his siblings were attending one of the small schoolhouses in South Hanson. Next door to them, extended Everson … Continue reading Mini-Genealogical Biography of Erastus W. Everson

Artifacts2 Comments

McClellan Sterling Silverware

mblauss

Here’s a story with many questions still left unanswered. Nevertheless, it is amazing what a bit of oral tradition, combined with document research and material culture can reveal. For my bridal shower, I was blessed to receive from my aunt Maria a set of silverware that belonged to my great aunt Lillian McClellan, the sister of my great-great grandfather, Roddy McClellan. I also received a family bible that had also once belonged to Lillian (although the bible, along with the bookmarks within it, will be an interesting story for another time!) This is the silverware, with a note from Maria: … Continue reading McClellan Sterling Silverware

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Musings of the blog…

mblauss

The blog format can serve many purposes, and is ever-evolving. Some post about politics, religion, or a variety of their interests. Blogs can be very personal, or just focused on world events. Recently my father has been writing about his childhood memories . One of my friends simply posts about dreams. My mother, a writer, uses hers for both the pleasure of writing, and also as a useful exercise in writing daily or weekly. My colleagues often use theirs to discuss current events in history, archaeology, museums, cemeteries, or genealogy. This blog itself is a variety of styles and topics. … Continue reading Musings of the blog…

Folklore5 Comments

Ghost stories of Hilton Head, SC

mblauss

The majority of places we visited on the island were related to historical and cultural locations or events. However, most of Hilton Head has been developed in recent years. The majority of the island is divided into tourist and residential resorts with condos, hotels, and summer rental homes. With such relatively recent history, it was interesting to note the preponderance of ghost stories on the island. They were printed in restaurant menues, referred to in tourist literature, and displayed within the little museum in the Harbour Town Lighthouse. It would be fascinating to do a study to see at what … Continue reading Ghost stories of Hilton Head, SC