On the Trail of the Great-Grandmothers

There must be a gene that compels certain people to want to be on the move. And I'm pretty sure I inherited it. Throughout my fifty-plus years on this planet, I have always wanted to see as much of it as possible. Circumstances prevented much travel when I was growing up, but we did get to St. Louis, Memphis, New Orleans, Dallas, and we lived in Kansas for a time (yeah, I know...).

But that has never been enough. When I got the chance after college, I moved to New York. Then trips out west and back east, mostly to see my mom at her various nursing assignments. (Did I mention this urge might be inherited?)  And after I started teaching, I discovered that if you could get enough kids to sign up and pay for a trip, you could go to Europe for FREE! Hot dog! I was all over that. Three times.

That brief rambling leads to my point: my great-grandmothers, who never seemed to stay in one place for too long. And for a family researcher, that means I chase leads and head to unexpected locales to track down documents. Not that I mind that, really. It means I get to see new places, and explore some totally new libraries or courthouses.

So this week, I am off on a week-long excursion to Georgia and Alabama, and I'm taking my aunt Reta with me. I have come to a wall in the online material on these two little old ladies, and have made two trips to Oklahoma looking for documents, so now we're headed to where they were born and lived for many years. Having aunt Reta's eyes on some of these old newspapers and things will help me immensely. Besides she's nearly as curious as I am.

We are looking for any information on my great-grandmother, Ella Elizabeth Gregory Gillihan, who was born on January 29, 1875 in Dawsonville, Georgia, and her mother, Kissiah Rhoden Manning Gregory, born in 1845 in Lumpkin County, Georgia. I have made some connections with people online who have provided some information, but I need the proof, so we're headed there to see what we can find.

I mentioned before that these ladies never stayed very long in any place. Both were widowed when they had young children at home. Once on their own, these ladies moved around the country, living for months at a time with each of their children. That's genius, really. Who's gonna say no?

My next post will probably be next week, after I get a chance to process what I (might) find on this trip. If nothing else, I should have some pretty swell photos to post for you.

An Introduction to Backstories

White River at Calico Rock, AR April, 2017

A backstory is the part of a story a writer creates for a fictional character to explain why the character is the way he or she is, and to give context to the actions of that character in the story. It is that character's history, his or her walk in life. Since in any fictional account we only see one brief point in time when the story takes place, a backstory is essential to the plot of a novel.

I like the word backstory because it is a history. I thought it a good word to title my blog, since this blog will be about the histories of people in my family; not one person, but multiple people, each with a story that deserves telling.

For a little personal introduction, I grew up along the White River in the small town of Calico Rock, Izard County, Arkansas. My family on both sides has been in this county for several generations. My family history has been traced by my aunts and grandmother on my father's side to at least the American Revolution.  We know very little about my mom's family, especially her father's parents, so I have made that my quest. I want to know who these people were, what they did, where they traveled and lived. I am hoping that my mom, my aunts, my brothers and cousins will all enjoy learning about our ancestors and discovering the people who made us who we are.

My goal for this blog is to not only share the factual information and documentary evidence I find of these long gone family members, but to try to develop their stories. Why was Great-grandmother such a traveler? Who was that Cherokee ancestor? Those are the types of questions I want to explore, and hopefully write about what I find. In these stories I also hope to share photos and documents that help to pinpoint these folks in time and place.

In this endeavor, it may be difficult to post with any regularity, especially the stories. I want to make certain each story is factual, and will probably go overboard with evidence, but that is the job of a good historian. So bear with me as I start this new venture, You will learn an awful lot about the Gillihans and Gregorys, but maybe you'll find out more about me, too.