Introduction

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      Like so many people, I knew absolutely nothing about my family history beyond a brief outline of my great-grandparents' lives. (Watch "Finding Your Roots" and similar shows to see how common that is.) I was always curious, but pre-Internet, it was hard to access information, and after the Internet, life was busy, raising kids and working full-time. When I could finally devote time and resources, I was stunned at how much is out there. My "people" weren't rich and famous. But thanks to newspapers, especially in Fort Wayne, Indiana and Coffeyville, Kansas, I unlocked a-l-l kinds of stories and long-buried secrets. 
     My research focuses on the Barbour family. I am a descendant of Thomas Barber (original spelling of the name), a young Puritan who arrived in Connecticut in 1635 as an indentured apprentice carpenter. Like everyone's family tree, it is sprawling. We really are all connected to the Family of Man - all God's children. 
     One thing I should note is that, of necessity, I've made some speculation here and there, some good guesses based on the evidence I have. As soon as I have proof that I was wrong, I am happy to scrap what I wrote and start over or fix a portion of what I wrote. I am not an expert and cannot travel to archives around the country to dig deeper. Therefore, my intention is that my stories will provide a springboard, a small foundation for anyone else who wants to take that deep dive. 
     I don't want the countless hours of research to be just for my own benefit. I don't want the stories to be buried again. I share some on Ancestry.com. I am sharing with the wonderful Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne. And I am sharing here. 
     Many of my stories are about people I don't descend from -- they are just "In the tree." If I think they're interesting, then I write a story. I feel especially sympathetic to those who left no descendants because I feel like no one is looking for them -- yet their lives mattered too. 
     Then something kept happening as I poured over old newspapers from the 1870s-1910s. I would see a second or third reference to something that I had no idea what it meant. Red kernels and kisses? Riding the goat? Mush and milk parties? This reminded me of the saying, "The past is a foreign country." I had to know more! And then I might as well write about it. 
     So that's why this blog is more than my family history. The quirky stories, the once commonly-known, but now forgotten - to me, it's all worth sharing to gain a better understanding of our ancestors' lives and times. 



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