This amateur genealogists has spent many frustrating years trying to trace his Boyce line back to Hardy County, West Virginia, and its beginnings in North America. This dogged pursuit took me to the home of the genealogical society in Logan County Kentucky, where my third great-grandfather, J.R. Boyce, was born. When I showed the eminently […]
The Rough and Rocky Road to Peter’s Rock
It took a good two hours of calling around the Covington, Va., area to find someone with the foggiest notion of where Peter’s Rock might be found. Local history books said the historic site was out on Highway 311, just past the entrance to the Alleghany Cemetery. But no Alleghany Cemetery shows up on Google […]
J.R. Boyce Tells All in Revealing Graveside Interview
This blogger caught up the other day with his third great grandfather, J.R. Boyce, for a graveside interview at the Benton Avenue Cemetery in Helena, Montana. Though available for only a few minutes before he had to return to his rightful place in heaven, James Richard (1817-1898) was characteristically gracious and clear-minded during his first contact […]
Ancient Document Reveals Tie to Legendary Mountain Man
Legend has it that mountain man Peter Wright, snowbound in a cave for four days, resorted to eating part of his moccasin for sustanance. Thankfully, before he had consumed all of his footwear, a deer ambled by. He promptly shot it and made a meal out of raw venison. He returned home safely, most likely with very cold feet. A recent trip […]
J.R. Boyce Pays Tribute to Dead for Benefit of Living
James Richard (J.R.) Boyce was a real sweetheart, a deep believer in the nobility of womankind. The Confederate Army major, who became a merchant in Virginia City, Montana, wanted to make sure that his ancestors knew what great stock they came from. So he left behind an highly detailed October 23, 1893, letter addressed to his […]