Category Archives: History

Our popular imagination of Indian Kidnaps are framed by the red sands of Monument Valley in post Civil War times from movies like John Ford’s  The Searchers.   In reality, Indian kidnaps were common on the Massachusetts frontier two hundred … Continue reading →

When I first started this genealogy project, I was thrilled to find our ancestors David WING, John COLEMAN and Seth RICHARSON “marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775”  celebrated today as the civic holiday Patriots’ Day in Massachusetts and Maine. The rebellion’s leaders, Samuel … Continue reading →

Ebenezer FOSTER’s son-in-law Benjamin Taylor was born in Yorktown, Westchester Co, NY ca 1736. His parents were William Benjamin and [__?__] Van Pelt.  He married Jemima Foster ~1763 Verplanck Point [outside Peekskill], Westchester Co, NY.  Benjamin died in Sep 1832 in … Continue reading →

By the end of the war, after more than eight years service, Ebenezer Smith was the longest serving captain in the Massachusetts Line. He was present in the 6th Massachusetts Infantry when the regiment was furloughed Jun 12 1783 at West Point, … Continue reading →

The Battle of Wyoming was an encounter during the Revolutionary War between  Patriots and Loyalists accompanied by Iroquois raiders that took place in the Wyoming Valley of Pennsylvania on July 3, 1778.   340 Patriots were killed in the battle out of a total force of about 400 with the Iroquois raiders hunting down … Continue reading →

Our ancestor Francis BROWN’s (1716 – ) namesake grandson Francis Brown played a pivotal role in a  landmark decision from the United States Supreme Court dealing with the application of the Contract Clause of the Constitution to private corporations.  He won the case, but the strain of the high … Continue reading →