My grandfather, William B. Thompson, who ran the construction accounting division of Merritt-Chapman & Scott, knew something was wrong.
Ely City Nevada: The Town That Went Poof!
William Boyce Thompson’s first crack at city building taught him a valuable lesson — never try it again.
Stop the Presses: Marie Gingras Mystery Solved
For half a decade, I’ve been working with relatives to try to figure out where the bedeviling Marie Gingras (1861-1937) came from. I’m pleased to report that, thanks to the hard work of cousin Sue Wolfe, the mystery has been solved
Former Editor Keeps Old Mug Around House, Much to Wife’s Chagrin
It’s anyone’s guess why Boyce Thompson, the founding editor of ProSales magazine, still keeps an old Modem to Load ‘Em mug around the house. The mug, dating back to 1992, has survived several moves and innumerable kitchen purges designed to reduce kitchen inventory to only essential items. Thompson appears to have a lasting sentimental attachment […]
My Six Most Awful Discoveries — So Far
Beware of what you might find when researching your family history. My family in particular seems to have more than its share of ghosts in the closet. Here are a few that I’ve discovered so far.
Family Research Confirms Link Between Wealth and Obesity
Have you ever wondered why some of your relatives were fat and others weren’t? Thanks to the results of an admittedly shallow survey, we now have the answer: It’s because they had the money to buy more food.
Five Bad Pieces of Genealogy Advice
I’ve been at this family history business long enough, six years (the equivalent of 56 years in Internet terms), to be considered something of an expert. So I thought I’d jot down some of the worst advice I received during my quest, for the benefit of neophytes who want to embark on a family history […]
Remembering Some Pioneering Inventors
Some families are lucky to have a single relative who invented something famous, like the Egg McMuffin, the fins on Cadillacs, or, more important, the electric fork, which my father used in conjunction with an electric knife to carve a holiday turkey. I consider myself very fortunate to have had three highly enterprising ancestors who […]