lake ridge cemetery

September 21, 2026

From Bloodletting to Cholera: Dr. Anson Colman and Early Medicine in Rochester

In 1824, Dr. Anson Colman (1795-1837) was 29 years old, practicing medicine in the Rochester, New York area during a time when American medicine was only beginning to become more organized and formerly taught. Wanting to expand his knowledge, he traveled east to attend lectures and demonstrations at the Boston Medical School – an impressive… Continue reading

paternal history

bloodletting, cholera, colman, lake ridge cemetery, maynard, rochester new york

“The creation of a thousand forests is one acorn.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson~

Welcome! My name is Lisa, and I’m a family historian, storyteller, and unapologetic history nerd with a deep love for discovering the ordinary people, places, and stories that came before us.

What began as curiosity about my own ancestors has grown into a passion for researching, preserving, and sharing the stories, photographs, documents, and places that connect generations across time. Along the way, I’ve discovered that some of the best stories aren’t necessarily found on my family tree. Sometimes they’re hiding in an old newspaper, a forgotten recipe, a historic place – or some random bit of history I simply can’t resist sharing.

I believe every ancestor – whether they left behind a diary or only a name on a census record – deserves to be remembered. My hope is that this site not only preserves my family’s history for future generations, but also celebrates the fascinating, surprising, and sometimes wonderfully everyday stories of the past.

Because history is everywhere. You just have to be curious enough to look.

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lake ridge cemetery

From Bloodletting to Cholera: Dr. Anson Colman and Early Medicine in Rochester