An Unexpected Discovery
  • Home
  • Online Exhibits
    • Heather Wylie Online Exhibit
    • Ezra A. Frantz Exhbit
    • Harvey Girls
  • White
    • Bumpas >
      • Morey >
        • Bartlett >
          • Warren
    • Finch
    • Daugherty >
      • Kenney
    • Huggins
    • Sherlock >
      • Powis
      • Doncaster
      • Holcomb >
        • Harmon
    • Watt >
      • Menown
      • McClelland >
        • McConnell
      • Woods >
        • Hamilton
        • Witherspoon
        • Larence >
          • McConnell
      • Hamill >
        • Hixson >
          • Best
        • Dowlen
    • Cobb >
      • Greer
      • Gossett
      • Griffith
      • Riddle >
        • Higgins
        • Woods
        • Cox >
          • Henderson
          • Dacus
      • King >
        • Johnson
        • Harris >
          • Payne
  • Wylie
    • Hutchison >
      • Root
      • Elder
    • Easton >
      • Lindsay
    • Heil >
      • Brill
    • Frantz >
      • Zug
      • Garst
      • Neher
      • Brubaker >
        • Myers
        • Flora >
          • Oberholtzer
        • Crist >
          • Hob
      • Buckley >
        • Webb
        • Ezell
        • Pigg >
          • Fields
          • Keyes
  • Blog

52 Weeks of Selfies: Week 11

8/25/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
I am a stress-filled, average sized person. I live my life as one knotted up little ball of stress- and I know it's bad for me. I heard that garlic will reduce your risk of stroke and heart disease and so I try to eat some when I cam remember it. I'm so stress-filled that when I was working on my two M.A.'s I have my DOG stomach ulcers. Not that his life was hard, just that I was stressed out all the time.
Picture
I think that I make a lot of my own stress. I'm stressed about the classes I'm teaching. I'm stressed about the bookkeeping I do (which by the way, there really isn't that much to stress over), I'm stressed about the move I'm going to make (ok, there is a LOT to be stressed about), and my family, and my dog (why, why are you trying to lick hotspots on your arms!!!). The list is pretty much endless. Some things give me more stress than others. If I had a little stress reader I'd say that my jobs and my family rank pretty high on why I'm stressed out. 

All that being said, when I look at this picture I see a face that has weathered a tough week. The stress (see above) is still bearable. I see a face that smiled even though the hiccups in getting ready to teach were a little overwhelming. I see the face of a strong, proud granddaughter (even if she doesn't feel that way all the time) who will try to bend the universe to make things work for her grandfather and family.

This picture was taken on a milestone day in my grandfather's care. My grandfather will no longer drive his vehicle. When I think about how happy I was to drive, and how long I waited to drive, I'm so sad for him. But, I also know that this is the best thing for everyone. This picture was taken on an important day in my family's history. 
0 Comments

There's A New Online Exhibit On An Unexpected Discovery!

8/19/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Great news! An Unexpected Discovery is in the process of expanding the online exhibits! Be sure to visit the newest page of the Ezra A. Frantz Online Exhibit. The Ezra A. Frantz: Residences and Travel features an interactive map of Ezra's travels around the country and a listing of the properties once owned by the Frantz family in Texas and Florida. Be sure to click here to visit the newest exhibit page. 

We're also pleased to announce that a new Online Exhibit will be coming to An Unexpected Discovery. Be sure to look for it in the coming days!
0 Comments

7 Secrets of Old Documents

8/17/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Have you ever opened a box to find it full of old documents and family photos? Usually, when I find a box like this I'm drawn to the photos first. I want to see the faces of the people I came from looking back at me. I take great delight in viewing these pictures. However, the old papers in this box are just as important as the pictures. Documents can include anything from letters to ledgers to calling cards. They are wonderful primary sources for researchers as they provide insight into a moment in time. 
Picture
I've found 7 secrets of old documents in my research. 

1. Old records represent a specific time period. 

Old letters, ledgers, legal documents, etc. may be dated, providing a time frame for the researcher. 
Is a postcard you found postmarked 1969? This is a great starting point for further research. What was your ancestor doing that year? What historical events took place in 1969? Dates can help you, the researcher, better understand the time period that the ancestor lived in. 

2. Documents can display geographic information. 

Did you come across a receipt? Does it tell you where an item was purchased or where a building was located? You can determine where your ancestor did business and places they visited, which may indicate where they lived or what their interests were.

Maybe you've noticed a specific phrase used in your great-grandfather's letters that is associated with the North East? Language analysis is a great way to gain insight into your ancestor's life and clues about regional speech patterns!

3. Occupational information can be revealed. 

When I think about some of the papers that I have, I see insight into my life. I see items that I purchased or job applications. Old documents can tell you if  your ancestor was buying supplies for their farm. Maybe they were working on another project! Did they purchase construction material? Sometimes ledgers can provide important insight about projects that your relative was working on. 
4. Did you know that some documents have names on them? 

Diplomas, church programs, and account documentation can provide insight about to who your family member really was. Did their brother pay on their account? Does that card have more than just names signed at the bottom? 

A fellow researcher found a series of letters to her grandmother from a cousin. The letters chronicled  her struggles to conceive and maintain a successful pregnancy. They were absolutely devastating. After reading those letters, this researcher went on to see if the cousin was ever able to have children. Upon further research she found that her ancestor had one child, and was able to contact a previously unknown living relative. She then provided copies of the letters to the descendant to let them know how desperately their grandmother had wanted children, and what a joyful miracle their father's birth had been.
Picture
If you pay attention, the possibilities of the material you uncover are endless.

5. As primary sources, many documents provide first hand accounts of events. 

I found a postcard of the dustbowl once with a first hand account of an ancestor watching a dust storm roll in to town. They reported that the dust was so thick and made the sky so dark, they couldn't see their hand in front of their face. Paperwork can provide information about the social and political happenings of a specific year in history. 
6. Documents can also be a great source of economic information. 

Have you ever found a document with financial data listed on it? Who would have thought that gas was $.20 for your ancestor, but their ledger has given you insight into what their financial day-to-day life was like. Financial reports provide information on  inflation, market trends, and the value of items at a time in the past.

7. You can learn about your ancestor's educational background through their old documents. 

A friend's grandfather never completed high school, but that information was unknown until they read it in a letter.  We take for granted that our ancestors completed high school, but it is more likely than not that your grandparents completed school with a minimum level of education. Diplomas verify that your forefather graduated from high school or college. Have you found old report cards? You can learn what subjects were being taught in school. In the early 1900s, some schools even handed out mementos with pictures of the teacher and a list of the students in the class. Now you know who your great-grandmother had classes with! 

There's a popular saying that it's not the dates on the headstone that matter, it's the dash in between. That dash seems to be what researchers struggle with the most. Although they may not be as visually interesting as photographs at first, documents can provide more insight into the daily life of your ancestors. So, sit down and take the time to read and scan those old letters and postcards. You never know what you might find!

0 Comments

52 Weeks of Selfies: Week 10

8/16/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
This week was a busy week. I got the dress for my cousin's wedding in the mail, met with more contractors and worked on renovations, and worked on several blog posts. 
Picture
This week I want to focus on my background. It's a sea turtle, and I painted it. My friends say that I should talk about my paintings more. I really just want my paintings to speak for themselves (which they won't do without a little help). 

So here it goes: I've been painting for a decade and now my paintings are for sale. My work has been in shows and in magazines. I love painting landscapes and animals. My favorite medium is acrylic. 

My work is showcased here and you can buy some of my paintings here. Sometimes I can be persuaded to do some commission work. If that's something you're interested in please send me an email and we can talk about it. 

And there you go. 
0 Comments

Be Our Next Guest Blogger!

8/15/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Are you interested in family history? Personal history? Research? Tell your story by submitting a guest blog post. Read the submission requirements here.
0 Comments

52 Weeks of Selfies: Week 9

8/9/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
The house renovation continues! I met with some more contractors about installing central heat and air in the old house, had some deadbolts installed, and met with an electrician about a washer and dryer hookup. I received a wedding invitation for a cousin at the end of the month (yay! But now I've got to find a dress!) this week, so that will be new addition to the family tree. My "niece" found her feet this week and has really started cooing a lot. She's so cute! 

This has probably been the hottest week this summer. I've gotten one heat advisory warning after another, so I was trying to find a good place to hang out with my boys. 
Picture
It took this picture on Tuesday. I had to get the boys out of the back yard because of an inspection. It's all part of the process, right? There aren't any dog parks in our area, and both boys can be kind of a handful for one person (they have a tendency to think that you're always talking to the other one instead of to both of them with just one adult present...I guess they're more like kids than people think). We got ice cream, checked the mail, and drove the loop a couple of times. 

Thor is in the very back and Bronson is right behind me. In this picture we're waiting for one of my best friends to come and say "hello" to them. All of his co-workers came over to the car and talked to them and petted them - they had a great time. It wasn't a bad way to stay out of the heat with the guys. 
0 Comments

52 Weeks of Selfies: Week 8 

8/2/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Another busy week! Home renovations are the pits. I met with two different contractors this week, so that was an accomplishment. The meetings were very productive. This coming week I'm meeting with three more, so the projects continue. 
Picture
My selfie this week is with this chick - my favorite infant and niece. I'm not the only one working on home improvement projects. The trek to Lowe's was to locate an astragal. While the astragal business was being handled my tiny partner in crime and I escaped the door section to test out patio furniture (we really liked the swings). 

I keep a journal for my niece so that when she's an adult she can read about the first year of her life. I can't wait for her to read about the different adventures that we've had and for her to be able to look at the pictures that correspond with the stories. 

When I look at this picture I think of the old man that came chasing his wife through the garden section. 
When he saw us swinging he told me "that's smart." Yeah, that's how it is. Trying to constantly appease this precious, bossy little person who is totally worth it. I hope that years from now when I look at this picture I will always remember this moment in Lowe's: cuddling this sweet baby, swinging alone in a pretty deserted section of the store (except for the old couple), and listening to the Backstreet Boy's over the store speaker system. It was a perfect moment on a Friday. 
0 Comments

    The Blogger

    Picture
    I love family history and the various ways that it can be approached by researchers! I hope that this blog is interesting and inspiring! 

    Archives

    December 2019
    September 2018
    July 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    August 2017
    July 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    January 2013

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.