America’s Red Summer – 1919

As I continue to dig more deeply into my family's history, I am learning more about their life and times.  Today I received more leads and resources from the National Archives and The Wake County Historical Society.  I hope these help me find my third maternal great-grandfather, Henry Ford, who was from Wake County, North …

Mashpee Indians in Massachusetts Sue for Recognition

I subscribe to Mass Moments daily posts about events in the history of Massachusetts.  I copied today's (October 17, 2017) slug because of its relevance to my ongoing research into my Native American heritage.  What's different about this article is this piece comes from our 20th-century history and not the 16th century, and shows that Native Americans …

They Migrated From Maryland to Virginia – Just 300 Years Apart

Our eldest son moved his family from Maryland to Lynchburg in Virginia's Southern Piedmont Valley about 12 years ago to allow his sons to attend Christian colleges there.  He knew little of the area's history but found a home and a job just outside Bedford County and the City of Lynchburg.  As it turns out, …

“Wingapo” – Welcome, My Beloved Friend

"Welcome, my beloved friend" European colonists arriving in Virginia may have been greeted with, "Wingapo,"  (pronounced win-gà-po), which translated means "Welcome, my beloved Friend."  So we know that the State of Virginia's history did not begin in 1607. We are learning that Indians have lived in Virginia for thousands of years.  In fact, if you …

My Heritage: A View From The “Great” American Indian Wars

My post of January 12, 2013, mentioned my maternal great-grandfather, John Carpenter Ford, from Wake County, Raleigh, North Carolina.  John's U.S. Army Enlistment Records of August 14, 1888, show his date of birth as January 15, 1864, which would have been just one year before "The 'Great' American Indian Wars began (1865-1890). His enlistment record …