Stories

You might not have to go to a museum to see a breathtaking slice of history — it might be sitting in your attic. It sounds far-fetched, but what is above your head or below your feet could surprise you.

One of my friends has the last name, Keefe. I have gotten into a habit of calling her O’Keefe to try and make her laugh. I am not very funny. Recently, mid-FaceTime, I had an idea. Could we find out if her ancestors were O’Keefe’s?

An estimated 3,000,000 people served in the Civil War. Were your ancestors among them?

I bet you haven’t seen many elevator tenders (operated elevators), hostlers (watched people’s horses at inns), or milkmen (delivered milk multiple times per day before refrigerators were common in homes) on the streets recently. What did your ancestors do to make a living 100 years ago?

On a November night in 1896, somebody scaled a fence and stole my 3rd-great-grandfather’s carrier pigeons.

Wednesday, July 22, 1903: “[Mr. Morrison’s] elbow was badly mangled and fears are entertained that he may lose his arm.”

I never thought I would find a family heirloom for sale on eBay.

Hannah Lovejoy’s Unusual Claim to Fame When She Died in 1804 at age 101.