This small booklet contains all the known men and women who participated in World War 1 and claimed their home of record as Stephenson County, Illinois. By participation, this record does not limit this to soldiers, but also contains the records of those men and women who served the Red Cross, Y.M.C.A., and other non-fighting positions. This book is free to read or download.
In 1895, Cyrus Henry Brown began collecting family records of the Brown family, initially with the intention of only going back to his great-grandfathers. As others became interested in the project, they decided to trace the family lineage back to Thomas Brown and his wife Mary Newhall, both born in the early 1600s in Lynn, Massachusetts. Thomas, John, and Eleazer, three of their sons, later moved to Stonington, Connecticut around 1688. When North Stonington was established in 1807, the three brothers were living in the southern part of the town. Wheeler’s “History of Stonington” contains 400 records of early descendants of the Brown family, taken from the town records of Stonington. However, many others remain unidentified, as they are not recorded in the Stonington town records. For around a century, the descendants of the three brothers lived in Stonington before eventually migrating to other towns in Connecticut and New York State, which was then mostly undeveloped. He would eventually write this second volume of his Brown Genealogy adding to and correcting the previous edition. This book is free to search, read, and/or download.
The Amidon Family genealogy book details the lineage of Roger Amadowne, a French Huguenot who fled to England and later to America after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. Documented in Salem, Massachusetts in 1637, variations of his surname include Amadon, Amidown, and Ammidon. The work, organized with biographical sketches and two helpful indexes, presents the family’s history and is richly illustrated. Originally published in 1904, it serves as a valuable resource for descendants and historians alike.
FREE – Readable and downloadable copy of the Portrait and biographical record of Genesee, Lapeer and Tuscola counties, Michigan published in 1892.
Nathaniel Reynolds Packard, 2d, a notable shoe manufacturer from Brockton, Massachusetts, passed away on November 6, 1908, at seventy-five. His lineage traces back to Samuel Packard, an early settler from England. Born in 1833, Nathaniel transitioned from wheelwrighting to shoe manufacturing, establishing his successful business in Brockton after relocating from Easton amidst local disputes. A respected figure in his community, he was also a Mason and a member of local clubs. He married Juliette V. Thayer, but they had no children.
The Shaw family, founded in America by Abraham Shaw, who immigrated before 1636, has deep roots in East Abington, Massachusetts. Abraham married Bridget Best and had several children, including Joseph. His grandson, Elijah Shaw, born in 1745, settled in East Abington, where he was a farmer and Revolutionary War lieutenant. Elijah’s son, Jared Shaw, born in 1778, married Lydia Whiting and had multiple children. This lineage illustrates the enduring legacy of the Shaw family in the region’s history.
In March 1635, George Allen and his family sailed from England to New England with Rev. Joseph Hull, settling initially in Weymouth before moving to Sandwich, Massachusetts. As a yeoman farmer, he became involved in local governance, serving as constable and deputy to the General Court. George’s descendants include prominent figures in Old Dartmouth, with familial branches spreading throughout Massachusetts and beyond. The Allen family navigated challenges of religious intolerance while establishing their legacy, and their story reflects the broader historical tapestry of early New England settlements.
A historical record of marriages solemnized and confirmed at St. Catherine, Jamaica, before 1680, presented from a British Museum manuscript source.
Luedders’ historical and pictorial city directory of Angola, Indiana for the year 1923, containing an historical compilation of items of local interest, a complete canvass of names in the city, which includes every member of the family, college students, families on rural lines, directory of officers of county, city, lodges, churches, societies, a directory of streets, and a classified business directory.
The 1899 Directory for Middleboro and Lakeville, Massachusetts, compiled by A. E. Foss & Co., provides a comprehensive list of residents and businesses, alongside town officers, schools, churches, and societies. It includes notable historical events and offers a detailed account of the local community, featuring numerous surnames from both towns. This directory serves as an essential resource for understanding the demographics and social structure of Middleboro and Lakeville during that period.
This cemetery record from Oxford, west of Burdick Street, lists hundreds of burials collected in September 2001 by Christopher Schnur. The transcription includes names, birth and death dates, military service, family relationships, and epitaphs, offering a detailed historical snapshot of local families, veterans, children, and spouses buried in the cemetery.
Stephen Best, an Irish emigrant, settled in Pennsylvania before the American Revolution and fathered several children, including Isaac and Ebenezer. Ebenezer, an accomplished horse racer known for his chicken fights, left a legacy of educating sixty children. Isaac relocated to Missouri in 1808, building a fort for his family amid Indian hostilities. He later moved them to Fort Clemson for safety. His extensive family included sons John and Stephen, and daughters Polly, Phoebe, Sally, and Peggy, with John marrying twice and having multiple children.
H. B. Best was born on July 7, 1818, in Howard County, Missouri. The son of Humphrey and Catherine Best, he grew up on a farm and received his education in Clay County. He established himself in Benton Township in 1845 and became a prominent landowner and stock dealer. Married to Rebecca McCummon in 1838, they had twelve children, eight of whom survived. Best is recognized as a pioneer who transformed from poverty to owning over five hundred acres of land, earning a reputation for integrity.
A detailed account of the 1894 Hinckley forest fire in Minnesota describes how drought, hurricane-force winds and smoldering fires turned the region into an inferno. It recounts the destruction of Hinckley, Brook Park, Pokegama and nearby settlements, desperate escapes by train and refuge in ponds and pits, and the confirmed death toll of 413.