The details make so much difference

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 22:07:07 GMT

Like many other geneabloggers, I have some Google alerts delivered to my inbox in the never-ending quest to find relevant bits of information about my ancestors and collateral kin.

Today, I skimmed through the alerts in my inbox, and found a really interesting one.

The Tri-County Herald had a reprint of an article originally published on 6 Aug 1973, in which Alta Callaway reminisced about her arrival in Outlook, WA with her parents, and the first winter they spent there in 1910-1911.

The details made it so precious.

There were board sidewalks from the depot to the north end of Outlook. "When you stepped off you stepped into ankle deep dust," she said.

"Everyone carried water from the town well. My husband would carry water for me to do the wash before he would go to work," she said.

I cannot imagine having to carry water from town to do the wash.

And sidewalks were truly a necessity, if you were going to keep your skirt out of "ankle deep dust."

I did a little checking on Alta Callaway.

She was the second wife of Luman Callaway, who was descended from the same Callaway patriarch as I, meaning he was some many-times-removed cousin of mine. The Callaway Family Association Rootsweb file on Peter I's descendants has this entry on Luman Callaway.

Most days, the Google alerts get skimmed and deleted.

Today's was a keeper.

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Shakin' the Family Tree

The details make so much difference