Archive Pages
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Unusual Happenings in Early American Colonies
Aug 11
There are many backstories as to why some things happened and what life for the early American Colonists was like. Starting with the Pilgrims in Plymouth, Massachuettes. It was the summer of 1620 were moved to Massachusetts because they ran out of beer. It began on August 5th, 1620, when they departed Plymouth, England, for a journey across the...
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Children’s Sewing Machines
Aug 9
The early smaller sewing machines developed for the homemakers were Chain Stitch Machines originally marketed as both lightweight portable devices and then later as toy machines for little girls to use. The latter half of the 19th century saw many machine designs being sold. The patents filed by James Gibbs in 1857 and 1858 were critical in the de...
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Code Talkers of World War One
Aug 7
During World War Two (early 1940s), an important group who assisted in defeating Germany and Japan was the Navajo Indians who served as code talkers. What most people do not know there were Native Indians – used as code breakers during World War One (1917-1919). These Native Americans - Choctaw Indians many of them came from Texas and Oklahom...
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Men’s Straw Hats of the 1920s
Aug 5
Men of all ages loved the new fashion trend of wearing a straw hat in the early 1920s. By 1922 it was a full-blown revival style. Straw hats were fashionable and comfortable to wear during the summer months because they would shade you from the sun but after the 15th of September, it was essentially an unwritten fashion mandate to switch to hea...
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Christening Ships
Aug 3
A long-time practice is the christening of new ships using a bottle of champagne smashed at the bow sending the ship into the water. Ususally, the person breaking the bottle at the ship's bow also announces the ship's name. Going back to ancient history, there were tons of rituals and ceremonies that varied in their specifics, but they all had ...
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1800s Photos – No Smiles
Aug 1
So many of your early family portraits, no one is smiling. There are several reasons. Back in the 1800s, wide-mouthed, toothy grins were considered inappropriate for a portrait. People in normal life still smiled and laughed but not for a portrait, including a painting. Here is a quote by Mark Twain about smiling for a photo. “A photograph...
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Slang Phrases Your Ancestors Used in the 1950s
Jul 31
The decade of the 1950s saw many changes and good times had by young people. Your relatives and ancestors who grew up during the decade would have grown up with some of these popular slang words and phrases of 1950s. Include some in your family history. A new word became popular, it was “Unidentified Flying Object” or UFO. Rockets and space...
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Inventions that Date Back to 1770-1790s
Jul 29
Many items we take for granted today and for many decades as used by our ancestors originally were invented in the late 1700s (American Revolutionary era). Here are a few. The beginnings of the Telegraph started with the optical telegraph operated visually via a set a relay stations and signals, viewed with a telescope. The semaphore telegraph ...
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Things Not Always True about Genealogy
Jul 27
It is amazing what items related to genealogy that people think make their research 100% accurate when in truth, they are not. Here are some examples to be aware of. If some date, name or location is in print, it is not necessary the correct or accurate date, name or location. It can be due to misinterpreted records or reliance on other inaccur...
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Decorating Ideas Used by Your Ancestors
Jul 25
Your ancestors had some great ideas on how to decorate their home. Here are some are the ideas they did and could be in style here. For example, the decorating rage during the 1800s was houseplants throughout the house. Plants were most fashionable in the 1890s. The use of plants continued in the 1930s and 1940s. The most popular plants during ...