History
Historical context of places, people, and events tied to Southern heritage
Did the Georgia Wilkinson County Courthouse Have a Curse on it?
The bane of genealogists and historians is courthouse burnings, especially those in the South. I wanted to stop by the little town of Irwinton to follow up with some possible genealogical research at the local library and historical society. I already knew about the Wilkinson County courthouse fire in 1924, but I had not realized just how many there had been. How could this county be so unlucky! But there might be a chance that there were some remnants of my McCullar and Pace families who had se
From a Secret Bunker to the Wilderness Road: Why Context Matters
Several years ago, my husband and I were with a group of businesspeople staying at the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. I really had not heard much about this place. Looking up their website, I saw that it was a resort built around the area's natural mineral springs, whose mineral-rich waters had been used for medicinal purposes by wealthy Virginians since the 1830s. The Allegheny Mountains served as the backdrop, with the large historic "white" building as the resort's
Moses Austin - Virginia's Forgotten Founding Father
When you think of Virginia, you think of George Washington and Mount Vernon, Thomas Jefferson and Monticello, James Madison and Montpelier, along with other famous Virginians. However, you usually do not think of Moses Austin as one of those other famous Virginians. But he should be considered one of them because there are not many people who helped start a new country, and one that would later become the proud and great State of Texas! Located in New River State Park and Austin Memorial Park i
You Can't Miss It! How Our Ancestors Found Their Way Home
Traveling down Interstate 74 heading south, you can't help but notice this big "knob" of a mountain sticking up out of the green forest of trees and shrubs. It is Pilot Mountain in North Carolina — along with the nearby town of Pilot Mountain and Andy Griffith's own hometown of Mount Airy — that inspired his fictional towns of Mayberry and Mount Pilot. Pilot Mountain is one of North Carolina's most striking natural landmarks — a lone quartzite peak jutting 2,421 feet above sea level, all that re
From Childhood Wonder to Ancient Lives — The Mounds That Stay With You
Traveling across the South, you see occasional road signs for Native American Mounds. We try to stop and visit each of them when we come across them. Mounds have been important to me since I was a child. We visited the LSU Campus many times since my father went to LSU, and my parents took us to the football games as soon as we were old enough to walk the long distance from the parking lot to the stadium. Two things on campus were always our favorites: Mike the Tiger and the mounds! At first, we
Lincoln Slept Here — And Maybe My Ancestors Did Too!
The old Talbott Tavern in Bardstown, Kentucky, established in 1779, has bragging rights as the place where our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln, and his parents stayed during a land dispute before moving to Indiana. In the Nelson County Court Minutes for the 1780s and 1790s, a few taverns were specifically mentioned as located in Bardstown. The rest of the tavern licenses only noted that the person's dwelling was to be used as a tavern. That is a 20 to 30-year difference from when my ancestors se
Texas Courthouses and the Stories They Tell!
I admit it! I have traveled through Texas for many years. Whether by car, plane, or train (yes, by train, too), there are very few counties and courthouses I haven't visited. I also admit that it has taken me years to visit them. Texas has a total of 254 counties! (The next state in terms of the number of counties is Georgia, with 159.) I have been to the largest county, Brewster, and to the smallest county, Rockwall. After a while, it seems that some of these courthouses begin to look alike. Wa