a little history you didn’t ask for
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Helen, You’ve Been Called Out – 1907 Edition
While searching old ephemera connected to my genealogy research, I stumbled across this 1907 postcard from Tecumseh, Michigan. It has absolutely nothing to do with my family – but after 119 years, I feel morally obligated to share it. The sender “E. B. W.” aka “E. B. Whaley” apparently had not heard from Helen in… Continue reading
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Hercules Mulligan: The Tailor, the Spy, and the “Hamilton” Character You Thought You Knew
From the first time I watched the musical “Hamilton” on Disney+, I was hooked. By the fourth time, I knew that if I had the opportunity, I had to see it in person. In New York City. At the Richard Rodgers Theater. In April 2023, I had one of the best – and most emotional… Continue reading
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The Eyes Ulysses S. Grant Fell In Love With
Ulysses S. Grant is usually remembered as the commanding general who helped win the Civil War and later became the 18th President of the United States. But there’s a much softer piece of Grant history. When Grant met Julia Dent, the woman who would become his wife, he apparently knew he’d found his person. Julia… Continue reading
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Cause of Death: Visitation of God
While digging through old church records for my Guerin ancestors in Morristown, New Jersey, I came across an entry that made me pause. “Robert Todd, found dead in the road. Verdict of Jury, came to his death by visitation of God.” Apparently “Visitation of God” was once used in coroner’s verdicts for a death believed… Continue reading
