Favorite books from the last five years

A selection of the best books I’ve read in recent years, as logged in my most recent five-year diary. I looked back at the book log in my first five-year diary as well, but that book list reads more like a combination of things I barely remember and classic favorites I’m ready to revisit. Anyway […]

More pioneer family

I’ve just read a second fascinating account of my pioneer family history. This one centers around my grandmother’s great-grandfather Peter Franklin Clark (related to William Clark of Lewis and Clark fame, apparently). He managed to hit all the major 1800s pioneer highlights in his life: the California gold rush, the Civil War, and the Oregon Trail. […]

Family trees and cousins

Reading the account of my pioneer family history inspired me to try and sort out second and third cousins and cousins once or twice removed (I know I’ve looked this up many times before but I think this time I actually got it to stick in my head), and I thought I’d share some of […]

Pioneers and family history

I happen to have in my possession a copy of a family history account written by my great-grandaunt (my father’s mother’s father’s sister), that just kind of blew my mind. First off, it amazes me what a short distance I can go back in my family tree and find someone homesteading in “Indian country” and […]