Musings on New England People

Growing up in the mountains of NC, I became numb to my surroundings. Why did my Florida friends love to come visit when they lived near the beach? The mountains were so boring! I have longed to live in New England many times--the place rich in history--the place with mountains, rocky shores, rugged people and accents. But have the New England people become numb to their heritage and surroundings?

I love history--the good kind--people searching for a better way of life and making history protecting our freedom and making the world a better place. It seems every family in America started in Massachusetts. There aren't many buildings in the south that have been around for 200 years, and sometimes it seems everything is made of plastic. Things aren't built to last and neighborhoods are  ridiculously overgroomed and overplanned. Nothing is natural...sorry...I digress.

My point is, I don't think New England people fully appreciate what they have. A good friend of mine who has lived in Lunenberg for many years didn't really understand why my husband and I used take a trip up to Boston and other areas each fall. That's because she's in Boston every day. I would probably be the same way.

I have a pretty big blog on my Newfoundland roots and it draws a fairly decent crowd. People are really interested in their Newfie roots. I have found hundreds of cousins I never knew existed and have formed bonds with some really wonderful souls. I travel the globe just sitting here at my computer and it has been a great experience. THIS blog, however, has been a completely different experience...but time will tell.

Funny 1870 Newspaper Clip

I love old newspapers as they wrote about everything! This mentions the fat men of Athol, along with their weights. LOL! My ancestor is on the list--1 year before his death.

Genealogical Research Resources

Everyone, please get senior family members to fill out a Biographical form. It's important for future generations!

Biographical Form

Basic Charts and Worksheets by Family Tree Magazine (Also, more free forms here)

101 Best Websites

For historical local area books, go here: http://archive.org/

Massachusetts, Deaths and Burials, 1795-1910

Massachusetts Vitals

• Vital Records (1841 - 1910)
• Vital Records: Pre 1841: City and town clerks in Massachusetts are the custodians of pre-1841 vital records for their respective towns. A list of all the city and town clerks in Massachusetts can be found at: Massachusetts City and Town Directory
• Vital Records: Post 1920: Vital records after 1920 are located at the municipal clerks' offices and the Department of Public Health, Registry of Vital Records and Statistics (150 Mount Vernon Street, Dorchester, MA 02125). Researchers may contact the Registry of Vital Records at 617-740-2600, or through the DPH website:
  http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/gov/departments/dph/programs/vital-records.html
  Indices of the DPH vital records volumes through 1971 are available at the Archives, although there are no copies of the actual records at the Archives. These indices can be used by visitors to the Reading Room.