The $64,000 Question: Did Virgil Earp (Wyatt’s Nephew) Get the Answers Ahead of Time and Was He Really Born in Tombstone?
This may seem like an odd topic, but I couldn’t help but wonder after a YouTube video popped up in my feed, entitled “Wyatt Earp’s Nephew, Virgil Earp (Born in 1879), Talks About the Wild West“. There are two reasons why this is of interest to me. I just finished a two-part magazine series on the 1950s (in honor of the 1950 census release in April of this year). In the last issue I wrote extensively about one particular aspect of that far-reaching (and “fabulous”) decade: “Prime Time & Misdemeanors: The Rise and Fall of Television’s First Golden Age”.
The late 1940s through the late 1950s have been referred to as the first “Golden Age of Television”, a time when the airwaves were awash in a sea of game and quiz shows which aired morning, noon and night. Unlike radio, which had long provided audio entertainment to the masses, television was an audiovisual format – a way to not only hear, but see live events. Some shows, like College Bowl, Who Said That, Truth of Consequences and Queen for a Day, had been radio shows which later moved to television (or for a time aired on both formats).
The height of quiz show-mania occurred between 1955 and 1958, dominating the airwaves with shows like The $64,000 Question, The $64,000 Challenge, Dotto and Twenty-One, all of which offered the chance to win hundreds of dollars by answering “general knowledge” questions. However, the main purpose of these “get-rich-quick” shows was to enrich the network and show sponsors like Geritol, Colgate-Palmolive and Revlon. Revlon made a boat-load sponsoring The $64,000 Question — to the tune of a $64 million increase in sales — by the time the show (and others with similar formats) were cancelled by late 1958.
However, in early 1958 Virgil Edwin Earp, the son of Newton Jasper Earp (Wyatt’s half-brother), appeared on The $64,000 Question and his category was (surprise, surprise!) the Wild West. The episode which popped up on YouTube was the chance to double his previous winnings of $16,000 (to $32,000). Virgil was asked three multi-part questions related to the “Wild West” and he answered every one correctly and scheduled to appear again the following week where he would have the chance to win $64,000. It appears, however, that Virgil Earp, a self-proclaimed gambler, decided not to proceed to the next level, ending his streak at $32,000 in winnings.
In 1958 Virgil Earp was 79 years old and the last Earp of any fame. His father Newton and all his half-siblings (James, Virgil, Wyatt, Morgan, Warren and Adelia) had all passed on. It just so happens this particular Earp is related to me through my maternal grandmother (Okle Emma (Erp) Young). Even though my grandmother’s family (and a generation or two before her) changed the spelling of their name to “Erp” vs. “Earp”, we are related. According to Marc McDermott’s “Cousin Calculator” I (and all my first cousins on the Young side of the family) are related to Wyatt and his siblings, including Newton, as fourth cousins, three times removed. That would make Virgil Edwin Earp a fifth cousin, twice removed, and the ancestor we all share is Joshua Joseph Earp (1706-1771).
Not only did Virgil win $32,000, but he made a name for himself by regaling viewers and the studio audience with tales from the Old West. Mind you, the Earp family was still making headlines in the 1950s. Newspapers around the nation would, from time to time, feature articles about their legendary (factual and fictitious) escapades as lawmen and gunslingers. Before exploring answers to the two questions – did Virgil get the answers ahead of the show and was he really born in Tombstone – some Earp history is in order. . . .
The rest of what will be an extensive article on the Earps and the answer to these two questions will appear in the next issue of Digging History Magazine in “The Dash” column. Some of the stories will be familiar, but at least one incident involving Wyatt Earp is one which very few biographers mention. If you’d like to read the article (and the entire issue — see what’s brewing here), email me and I’ll send you a special link to purchase the upcoming issue for $3.99 ($2 off regular price) — [email protected].
Currently Brewing: Digging History Magazine (Volume 2022: Issue 4)
Having spent two or three weeks working on genealogical research projects and a special chart project, I’m back to researching/writing/editing the next issue of Digging History Magazine. The issue will be out in early September and will feature a number of topics which I’ve had on the back burner for awhile:
- Courtship, Marriage and Divorce: Early American Style – a look at courtship, marriage and divorce in early America — customs, laws, finding records and more.
- Ye Olde Runaway Marriages: Tying the Knot at a “Gretna Green” – Have you ever found it difficult to locate an ancestor’s marriage record? Perhaps they didn’t wed in the county where they lived. Maybe the couple, like my own great grandparents, traveled to a distant county where the marriage laws were a bit more lax, or where no one knew them (my great grandfather was 19 and my great grandmother was only 13). A fascinating history and lots of stories!
- Mining Genealogical Gold: It Pays to PERSI(st): uncovering buried treasure in newsletters, magazines and journals – A look at one of the research tools many family history researchers may never have heard of. The Periodical Source Index (PERSI) is maintained by the staff of the Genealogy Center of the Allen County Public Library (Ohio). According to their web site PERSI is the premier subject index for genealogy and local history periodicals, consisting of more than 3 million citations to readily-available periodical sources. The articl
e will feature techniques, tips and examples of stories to be uncovered. - Oh, Dear! The Pitfalls of Genealogical Research (gold mine or land mine)? This particular article covers the “Oh, Dear!” moments most genealogists have come across in their research. These days many people are uncovering devastating family secrets through DNA testing, but in early America you might find references to ancestors accused of witchcraft or even incest. When we come across these shocking facts, how should we respond?
- The Dash: Virgil Edwin Earp (1879-1959) – The premise of this article was formed when a YouTube video appeared in my feed. Wyatt Earp’s nephew was appearing on the wildly popular 1950s quiz show, The $64,000 Question. He was also regaling viewers with tales from the Old West (his category was the “Wild West”). Had he really killed a man at the age of 18? Was he really born in storied Tombstone? Given the scandals surrounding the show (and others), did Virgil get the answers ahead of time (he won $32,000). It will be a fascinating article about not only Virgil’s life and quiz show appearance, but a great deal of Earp family history (I am related to this family through my maternal grandmother who was an Erp/Earp).
It will be a great issue, filled with stories, tips, book reviews and more! Look for it in the magazine store in early September. Or consider a subscription and never miss an issue!
It’s Been Awhile (Time Flies)
It’s been a busy year which means I have found myself “behind schedule” a LOT, blog posts included. So, here’s a synopsis of what I’ve been up to, especially writing-wise. Given my busy schedule, my new motto is “Better Late Than Half-Baked”.
I started off 2021 with what I thought would begin perhaps a two-issue series entitled, “From Whence We Came: Appalachia”. Little did I know what was in store. It was an ambitious project and, as it turns out, couldn’t be accomplished in two issues. I just finished the FOURTH (and final!) issue of this interesting and informative series. Here’s a synopsis of each issue’s highlights and a link to purchase or subscribe:
- Part 1: This issue featured a cover depicting Daniel Boone leading settlers over the Cumberland Gap into Kentucky. This issue featured a “Mining Genealogical Gold” column which highlighted the history and resources for finding ancestors who settled in the Appalachian regions of Kentucky, Tennessee, North and South Carolina. “Hurrah for the Ladies: The Confederate Women of East Tennessee” was a fascinating article to research and write. East Tennessee was a unique place to be during the Civil War — more voted against secession than voting for it, and after the Union Army took over early in the war, it made for an interesting way of life for “the other side”, in particular the Confederate-sympathizing women. The issue included book reviews and a fascinating “Family History Toolbox”. The issue wrapped up with a genealogical mystery — just how old was John Shell. Everyone knew when he died, but when exactly was he born? January-February 2021 issue available here.
- Part 2: This issue featured a “Mining Genealogical Gold” column which highlighted the history and resources for finding ancestors who settled in the Appalachian region of Virginia and West Virginia (which lies entirely in Appalachia). Also included were a couple of articles which featured a bit of Kentucky history — one from the early twentieth century (“Moonlight School: Teaching ABC’s to Mountain Moonshiners”) and another from the Depression area (“Book Lady, we’ve been waiting for you!”). I have been wanting to write an article on the so-called Melungeons for some time and I finally got around to it — “Melungeons: a very strange people (who made moonshine whiskey)”. A great story about a much maligned and misunderstood people. March-April 2021 issue available here.
- Part 3: This issue featured a “Mining Genealogical Gold” column which highlighted the history and resources for finding ancestors who settled in the Appalachian region of Georgia and Alabama. This one was of particular interest to me since I have ancestors who settled in this part of Alabama. This issue also featured yet another article I’ve been meaning to write for some time. This one, set in the Depression era, is entitled “Moving Mattie”. It’s the story of one woman’s defiance when Franklin Roosevelt and one of his many “alphabet soup” agencies decided to flood the land she and and family lived on. After coming across the records documenting her scrap with the government some time ago, I knew I had to write about Mattie Randolph’s plight. May-June 2021 issue available here.
- Part 4 (The End!): This issue was a wrap-up of the series and featured three extensive articles which I wasn’t able to squeeze in earlier. Another “Appalachian Way” article features everything from folk medicine, folk magic and granny witches to snake handlers and child brides. A second article — “Appalachian Feuds (between people not named Hatfield or McCoy)” — features two long and bloody Kentucky feuds. An article entitled “Oh, The Stories I Find!” features what I call a “December-May” marriage which began making headlines in 1946. What a character was Mattie Lyons Large Sprouse! July-August 2021 issue available here.
I have a special offer with these four extensive Appalachian issues. Subscribe before the next issue comes out (October 31) and you’ll get all four issues. Subscription options are available to fit any budget: https://digging-history.com/digging-history-magazine-subscription/. Need help subscribing? Contact me for assistance: [email protected].
Looking Ahead
The next two issues are shaping up. The September-October issue will be another “Un-Shelved” issue, similar to a couple of 2020 issues when I featured a number of articles that were previously “shelved” because I couldn’t squeeze them in (or I was too far behind schedule!). Plans are to include an article from last year’s two-issue New Mexico series, entitled “Tales From the Bootheel and Beyond: The Ghost Towns and Storied History of Southwestern New Mexico”. An “OK, I Give Up… what is it?” column will feature some obsolete terminology I’ve come across in researching family history. Should be a fascinating article!
The last issue of 2021 will be an ambitious one covering what became known as “Manifest Destiny”, a phrase coined by John O’Sullivan and executed by President James K. Polk (and beyond). Some historians view it as a way for 1840s-era Democrats to justify the Mexican-American War. That war was in fact central to the whole concept of Manifest Destiny and this issue will also feature an article about finding resources for Mexican-American War ancestors.
All of which means I will be busy from now until the end of the year with not only writing but genealogical research for clients. Say a prayer for me!
Sharon Hall, Publisher & Editor, Digging History Magazine
About those courthouse fires . . .
The bane (one of many, I might add) of genealogists everywhere is the brick wall known as the “courthouse fire destroyed my ancestor’s (whatever) record”. While many of these fires occurred during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, I was reminded again after seeing a headline this morning about a fire at a historic court house in Mason County, Texas. While today the county’s records are stored “off-site”, it is a reminder that sometimes we have to find other ways to find the records we need. No doubt, many fires were nefariously set by arsonists in days gone by.
Last year the first issue of 2020 (2020 being a census year) highlighted the census. It was a massive issue filled with not only what you’ll find in census records dating back to 1790, but the stories behind them. Here’s the Jan-Feb 2020 Table of Contents. As you can see it contains other stories of interest to both lovers of history and genealogy. Besides the articles related to the census, my favorite one of this issue was “OK, I give up . . . what is it? Did My Ancestors Ever Violate Intercourse(!) Laws?”. Purchase the January-February 2020 issue in the magazine store or better yet become a subscriber!
FYI, there is a great promotion currently running for subscriptions and a chance to win you very own custom-designed family history chart (worth up to $350). Magazine samples are available for free if you’d like to review first. The current promotion ends on Valentine’s Day, February 14, so the clock is ticking!
Have a great day . . , someday it will be history!
Family History: How Much is it Worth to Preserve it?
I wear many hats — publishing (writing, editing and graphic design) Digging History Magazine, researching family history for clients (and myself!) and helping clients preserve their research by creating custom-designed family history charts.
When I display my charts at conferences (or share this link: https://digging-history.com/charts/), people are awed at how stunning they look. Then, they want to know how much it costs to have their very own chart designed. They really want it, but like most anything related to dedicated genealogical research, it costs something.
I always have a hard time answering that question. I don’t mean to waffle — it’s just that the cost is dependent on how much history is being documented (I charge by the hour). Another factor — I always start with the same blank “canvas”, but each chart is unique by design because each client’s family history is different. I absolutely LOVE doing these charts! I learn a lot of history, sometimes picking up stories I might tell in the pages of Digging History Magazine someday. I wish I could do them for free, but a girl’s gotta eat and pay bills!
That being said, prices at a minimum normally range anywhere from $350 to $400, with some taking more time due to content and/or extra research required to ensure dates, names, etc. are accurate. These custom-designed charts are quite time-consuming. They are not “computer-generated” or some magic “AI” creation. Most charts depict at least 6 or 7 generations, while in some cases I can depict as many as 9 generations (includes children, grandchildren and maybe grandchildren). Just so you know — not everyone fills up each and every box on their chart. It still makes a stunning chart, and if you later discover who your third great grandmother was, we can update and reprint.
Like I said, I wish I could do them for free, but that’s neither wise nor feasible. If you really, really want a chart, however, we can always budget it out with an automatic monthly payment until the project is complete. You choose the amount and time table.
OR
You can check out this new promotion – a chance to win your very own custom-designed family history chart: https://digging-history.com/special-promotions/. At the very least, if you become a Digging History Magazine subscriber you get the extra benefit of 20% off all services, including charts. That will lower the cost and you can also set up a payment plan — win-win.
I hope you’ll check out the promotion. If you have questions, please feel free to contact me at [email protected].
Sharon Hall, Publisher & Editor, Digging History Magazine
A Special Promotion (Not to be Missed!)
Subscribe to Digging History Magazine and you have a 1 in 20 chance of winning! For every 20 new subscribers, I will have a drawing. All the details are here: https://digging-history.com/special-promotions/
Good Luck!
Digging History Magazine – September-October 2020 Issue
The latest issue of Digging History Magazine features Part II of a series of articles on one of my favorite places: New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment. Although I originally planned one big issue, time got away from me, and thus the two-part series.
This issue includes extensively-researched articles, including an update of one of the first “Tombstone Tuesday” blog articles:
When conducting genealogical research it’s beneficial to know just where our ancestors settled, but why. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, many came for their health.
It was a dreadful, wasting disease – afflicting young and old, rich and poor. Sometimes called “the great white plague”, it was more commonly referred to as “consumption” or by its scientific name, “tuberculosis”, coined in 1834 by Johann Schonlein. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries New Mexico would become the place where consumptives, or “lungers” as they were colloquially called, came to “chase the cure” for this then-incurable disease.
One of the best aspects of publishing entire issues which focus on a single state is finding the stories, pictures and records which tell the real story. Last year I learned so much about the great states of Colorado and Kansas by digging around for some unique records, like the Colorado State Hospital records which told the stories of hundreds of people through newspaper snippets, or the Kansas Registration Affidavits of Alien Enemies obtained at the height of World War I.
As genealogists it’s important to find records, but don’t forget the stories you might uncover! I hope the resources highlighted in this article will inspire you to explore New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment. I’ll start with the most common records genealogists tend to begin their search.
You might have noticed that I like to choose alliterative titles for my articles. The premise of this article began late last year when I received an email regarding a blog article I published in May 2014. It is one of the most commented-on articles at the blog – some visitors thanking me for the article and a few who wanted to “put in their two cents worth”. Family feuds are like that. Everyone has their own opinion about which side was right and which was wrong.
In this case it was known as the Spikes-Gholson feud. While the feud started years before in East Texas, it was later carried forward to West Texas and then into what would one day be Quay County, New Mexico. The email’s author, Kate, had come across the article and was intrigued because it mentioned an ancestor – a missing one. Henry Hawkins was the ringleader of a gang of bandits known as the “Mesa Hawks” and he was likely acquainted with the Spikes family.
Not only is this article an overview of the early days of Quay County, New Mexico, it’s what I like to call (genealogically speaking) an “adventure in research”.
This updated article was first published on November 5, 2013 as one of the early “Tombstone Tuesday” posts at the Digging History blog. The column would become my favorite each week to research and write. However, since then I’ve honed my research skills considerably and have access to newspaper archives unavailable to me at the time. It was an article left dangling with no information as to how Adolphus E. Sipe had died since there was only a 1909 date. In addition, some of the information provided at Find-A-Grave has since been removed. An update, with additional research and local history, is definitely in order – I actually missed quite a bit of this family’s history (gave up?). Text highlighted in blue indicates mistaken assumptions from the original article, followed by the result of new research.
Plus, “Essential Tools for the Successful Family History Researcher” and “May I Recommend” (book reviews). This issue is on sale here: https://digging-history.com/store/?model_number=sepoct-20
A subscription is always the best deal with three budget-minded options: https://digging-history.com/digging-history-magazine-subscription/
Upcoming Issue: The last issue of 2020 will feature the Spanish-American War — stories, book reviews, tips for finding records, and more!
Digging History Magazine – July-August 2020 Issue
The latest issue of Digging History Magazine features Part I of a series of articles on one of my favorite places: New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment. Although I originally planned one big issue, time got away from me and Part II will be featured in the upcoming September-October issue.
This issue includes two extensively-researched articles and an update of one of the most popular “Tombstone Tuesday” blog articles:
I have only traveled through Colfax County on my way to Colorado or heading south to Albuquerque, usually stopping in Raton, the county seat. As you’ll see there’s so much more to Colfax County – its storied history and more than a few ghost towns. One of these days I want to go and really explore!
There really isn’t any way to write about New Mexico history without including one of the ways people made their way to the state. “Coming to New Mexico The Fred Harvey Way” is both a history of the iconic Harvey Houses and Harvey Girls, but also contains a generous dollop of New Mexico history made in the railroad towns across the state.
This article was featured several years ago in a “Tombstone Tuesday” article. Since then several comments have been made by Corn family members and descendants. This article will refresh the original with more information about Corn family origins.
Also included in this issue: New Mexico history book reviews and Family History Tool Box: Essential Tools for the Successful Family Researcher.
Exciting News!
Digging History is now offering a special benefit for one-year recurring Digging History Magazine subscribers. It’s called “BOG20” — buy a one-year recurring subscription and receive 20% off a custom-designed family history chart (no expiration — whenever you’re ready as long as you’re still a subscriber). Purchase an annual recurring subscription here and receive the latest issue: https://digging-history.com/store/?model_number=subscription-yearly
Please let me know if you have questions or need assistance signing up for a subscription: [email protected]. Thanks for stopping by!
Digging History Magazine: May-June 2020
This issue of Digging History Magazine is themed (again) as “Un-Shelved”, stories which, for one reason or another, were pushed back from their original planned publication. Included in this issue are three articles which have been extensively researched (in addition to regular columns (May I Recommend and Essential Tools for the Successful Family Researcher). The first two articles are geared toward both genealogy and history — the twisted kind:
Untangling the Web of Twisted History: Family Stories, Inheritance Scams and Internet Speculation: One of my favorite maxims – “genealogy is not for the faint of heart” – is the underlying premise of this article (actually, pretty much the entire issue!), a collection of challenges I’ve run across in my “research adventures” in pursuit of my own family history or that of my clients. Genealogy is fraught with challenges and the all-too-often need to untangle twisted history, but untangle I must (or at least try!) – whether it’s a client with family lore they wish to prove (or disprove) to scaling brick walls built on years of misleading information via either genealogical fraud, inheritance scams or Internet speculation.
Don’t Be Hornswoggled! Although no one seems to know the origin of the word, we hope most people know when they’ve been “hornswoggled”. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case in the age of modern genealogical research. It just isn’t the spread of Internet speculation, however. Some of the most dubious “documentation” comes from long-ago published (purported) works of history.
Not long after the “Buchanan Bubble” burst, a controversy arose following the publication of a distinguished-sounding historical work known as The Horn Papers. Almost anyone who saw the substantial three volumes entitled The Horn Papers: Early Westward Movement on the Monongahela and Upper Ohio, 1765-1795 lying on a library table probably accepted them as an unusually impressive collection of data on local history. The respectable bulk of the books the discreet gold lettering of the title on the back cover, given no hint of the furor excited by their publication. Everything about their external appearance is reassuringly undramatic.
Genealogists have, for better or worse, come to depend on these types of books as sources – perhaps not “gospel” but a source nonetheless. Caveat Investigator.
American Self-Portrait: The Federal Writers’ Project: When President Franklin Roosevelt took office in 1932 America’s social and economic structures were teetering on the brink of collapse. No one would dispute something drastic had to be done in order to pull the country out of the Great Depression. Whether or not some of his programs actually made a difference in the long run is still debated to this day. There are those who believe some of his programs unnecessarily drew out the process of recovery. However, one program certainly had an impact which still resonates today, especially for historians and genealogists.
The term “self-portrait” often evokes crude images of a self-sketched personage. It might not be pretty, but it’s how we see ourselves. It is what it is – and so it was with one very important Work Progress Administration (WPA) project conducted in Depression-era America. Since most of Roosevelt’s program were known by an alphabet soup of acronyms, let’s use “FWP” for The Federal Writers’ Project. Collections such as this one are a perfect example of how history and genealogy intersect – know your history, know (more about) your ancestors.
This issue is available in the magazine store as a single-issue purchase: https://digging-history.com/digging-history-magazine-monthly-issues/
OR
Available as your first issue when you sign up for a subscription (choose the option which best fits your budget): https://digging-history.com/digging-history-magazine-subscription/
Since it’s the census . . .
While many Americans are focused on COVID-19 and preventing its spread, it’s important to remember this is also a census year. By now most of us have received mail and email notices about the opportunity to complete the short questionnaire online. If you can do so, please fill it out — it’s important, as have been all the censuses taken since 1790.
The current issue of Digging History Magazine is themed “Since it’s the census” with articles and anecdotal stories from the current publicly available censuses (1790-1940). You might think these stories about a bunch of tick marks and statistics would be rather dry . . . and you would be wrong! This issue of over 140 pages is packed with stories like these three from the 1930 census (God Bless the census takers!):
OKLAHOMA CITY THREATENED BY GIANT GUSHER
Farm Lands for Over Mile and Half Covered With Black Crude Oil
Those who plumb the earth for wealth of oil and gas fled from their riches here today when a giant and unconquered gusher imperiled lives and property, belching inflammable oil and gas for miles around.
A small army of oil workers, farmers, and nearby residents evacuated the area like refugees fleeing ravages of war.
Oil and gas, spewed by the gusher over and above every living thing, overwhelmed the section.
Guards and details of workmen, risking their lives against even the striking of a match in the danger zone, fought to prevent what could be disaster.
Oil was thrown like a dark waterspout high into the air. It fell in black blotches or in a malignant, smelly spray for miles around.
Cheers of suddenly enriched men became warning shouts of peril. . .
Since it happened on April 1, would their newfound wealth be enumerated? Perhaps not, as “one hundred wells, representing uncounted wealth, were halted in their wealth getting while men stood aghast by the thought of peril.”87
God bless census takers! They never knew what knocking on someone’s door would bring, especially (among other trying enumerator experiences) that of a Yiddish-speaking immigrant in Brooklyn :
The life of a census enumerator could hardly be termed a bed of roses. If you think it fun to pry into the secret lives of your neighbors around the corner, to find out when papa last worked and how old mama is, harken to the trials of an average census enumerator who stepped blithely forth at 10 o’clock this morning, to begin the big task of counting Uncle Sam’s children. . .
Enumerator Flees
With her big yellow folder under her arm, Mrs. Hewitt set forth in the early morning breezes to canvass her route in the upper Bedford section. The first number on her list was the flat over a corner store, the family on the first floor was not at home. The mother and two little girls came out on the second floor landing. The mother spoke no English, but she fell on the neck of the census enumerator. She mumbled something to one of the little girls in Jewish. The child invited us in.
The door was opened and we were already inside before we noticed the big sign on the door, announcing in bright red letters that there is scarlet fever in the house.
“I have children of my own, I’d better come back next week,” called the census enumerator, as she hurried downstairs.
“Aren’t you going to take the sign off the door, so we can go out to play,” one of the little girls begged, tears running down her dark cheeks.
The little family had mistaken the census enumerator for the Health Department nurse. . .
The 1930 census was taken after the October 1929 stock market crash. Stories from this census are heart-wrenching, perhaps not unlike what some of our fellow citizens might be facing today:
No Work for Six Months
In another house in the same row, there was a Jewish family of five where no one had worked in six months. The father, who fortunately owned the house, was a carpenter by trade and he had not had a job in a year. His daughter, a girl of 29 and a widow since she was 22, had been laid off by a Fulton street department store, where she was a salesgirl, six months ago. The son, who followed his father’s trade, could not get any work either.
Both children were born in Glasgow, Scotland, where their parents had gone from Poland and remained for three years, saving for enough money to come to the Promised Land. . .
Just a small sampling of stories extracted from census records (with, I might add, a tremendous amount of research to bring the stories to readers). Another extensive article is dedicated to the 1880 census, one which genealogists refer to as a “mother lode”…. oh, the stories I found from this important census!
The January-February issue is on sale in the magazine store (click the link). Subscriptions are the best way to ensure you don’t miss an issue and I offer three budget-minded options (recurring until you let me know you’d like to cancel): 3-month, 6-month and one-year. A new “trial” subscription, a non-recurring one is now available here. Give it a try for a year and I’ll send you a no obligation offer to become a regular, recurring subscriber in one year. As a bonus, the trial subscription offers the opportunity for you to choose two issues from the archives. That’s 8 issues for the very special price of $24.
Have questions? Contact me directly: [email protected]. For information on the 2020 census, complete with operational updates: https://2020census.gov/en.html
Be safe and well,
Sharon Hall, Editor/Publisher/Writer/Research/Graphic Designer of Digging History Magazine