Atlanta Historical Tidbits

7 States of Genealogy Records

2019-09-05T09:12:00.003-07:00

Georgia Pioneers (8 Genealogy Websites) has wills, estates, traced families etc in AL, GA, KY, NC, SC, TN and VA. In particular, our Virginia collection contnues to grow, representing the oldest surviving county wills and estates, from 1600s to about 1800.

click here to become a member

Index to Georgia Wills and Estates

Genealogy - Holiday Discount

2019-05-24T11:43:00.001-07:00

Over the holiday we are offering a discount for 1-year's membership in Georgia Pioneers (8 genealogy websites) for $135.00 (instead of $150.00). To take advantage now please click here

Offer expires Monday, May 27th!

Index to Georgia Wills and Estates

SPECIAL GENEALOGY OPPORTUNITY NOW for yourself and friends! $7 (auto expires after 1-month)
Try it out now to see if you can find your ancestors

Bibles are Lost to us Now #gagenealogy #georgiapioneerscom

2019-04-18T13:03:00.000-07:00

Bibles are Lost to us Now

Genealogy Tips by Jeannette Holland Austin

There are certain standardized references which we have lost. I am thinking of the family bible. When I was growing up during the 1940s it seemed as though everyone had a large family bible displayed in their home. In addition to the recording of Births, Deaths and Marriages there were cut-outs from old newspapers, usually pertaining to funerals of the relatives. I managed to collect a fair number of bible records (copied them) from persons who kept them during the 1930s and published them as follows: North Carolina-South Carolina Bible Records; Virginia Bible Records; Alabama Bible Records and Georgia Bible Records. All of these have been converted to databases and are available to members of Georgia Pioneers (home of 8 genealogy websites)

Index to Georgia Wills and Estates

SPECIAL GENEALOGY OPPORTUNITY NOW for yourself and friends! $7 (auto expires after 1-month)
Try it out now to see if you can find your ancestors

The Distinct Influence of the British #genealogy #georgiapioneerscom

2019-04-04T12:53:00.000-07:00

The Distinct Influence of the British

Genealogy Tips by Jeannette Holland Austin

Virginia settlers were influenced in so many ways by the British. In dress, style, architecture, customs, laws and so on. I can remember when modern America followed the dress styles of France and Italy. I have photos of my great aunt wearing her fur coat whenever she went to Atlanta, and especially to the famous Fox Theatre. Whenever the hem was lengthened or shortened, everyone made the adjustment. Until the Hippie movement of the 1960s when that generation decided that "anything goes." Hems of skirts were both long and short; shoes and boots of all styles were part of the mix, and a fad of stringy necklaces, gaudy pins and rings changed the landscape. Until then, everyone dressed appropriately, wearing hats, gloves and carrying umbrellas to match. I was working downtown Atlanta at the time. Suddenly, everything changed from the appearance of nicely dressed people with good manners to a slum city of deadbeats. Atlanta took on the appearance of motorcycles, leather coats and pants, and the clothing of the "flower children." viz: ragged, torn, faded, etc. Hairstyles went long and stringy for everyone. They slept on the street and in parks. It was a period of utter disgrace as LSD entered the scene and young girls were stolen away. However, the period of the foreign styles mimic had last for hundreds of years. This is the way that it was for Virginians throughout the early periods of immigration, the 17th through 19th centuries. In those days, people saved just about everything. The seams were removed and the old dress was used as a pattern for the new dress.

Index to Georgia Wills and Estates

SPECIAL GENEALOGY OPPORTUNITY NOW for yourself and friends! $7 (auto expires after 1-month)
Try it out now to see if you can find your ancestors

Glamorous 1918 Automobiles #gagenealogy #georgiapioneerscom

2019-03-28T10:23:00.000-07:00

Glamorous 1918 Automobiles

Top to bottom: Anderson Six, Columbia Six, Haynes Car, National Speedster, Oldsmobile Touring Cars

Index to Georgia Wills and Estates

SPECIAL GENEALOGY OPPORTUNITY NOW for yourself and friends! $7 (auto expires after 1-month)
Try it out now to see if you can find your ancestors

An Old English-Style Garden in Atlanta #gagenealogy #georgiapioneers

2019-03-21T13:05:00.000-07:00

An Old English-Style Garden in Atlanta

The early colonists took their ideas from old England, particularly with respect to building cottages and manor houses. And they also included lovely gardens for strolling, as well as kitchen gardens. The first settlers were eager to construct a vigorous economy and mindful of the agricultural landscape. Many of the plants and hedges which we enjoy today are left-overs from English stock.

Index to Georgia Wills and Estates

SPECIAL GENEALOGY OPPORTUNITY NOW for yourself and friends! $7 (auto expires after 1-month)
Try it out now to see if you can find your ancestors

1918 Anderson Six

2019-03-14T10:49:00.001-07:00

1918 Anderson Six

Did you know that about the “Anderson Six” automobile? It was advertised and sold in Atlanta during 1918. Do you imagine yourself taking one of the first rides? There are so many interesting stories to learn about our ancestors. Just as we seem to speed quickly along the avenue of life, embracing new ideas and transitioning through new technology, our ancestors also had a grip on the changing fads. 1916 was the last days of Queen Elizabeth’s staunch Victorian Era, and our relatives stepped up for the changes. You don’t really think that your ancestors were boring old trolls who did little to bring out changes, do you? When tracing, it is always a good idea to read the newspapers of their times and see what was happening. Also, 8 Genealogy Websites features genealogy databases in 7 States! Why not check it out?

Index to Georgia Wills and Estates

Hunting Foxes with the Hounds near Atlanta

2019-03-04T07:58:00.000-08:00

Hunting Foxes

Gerald Stucki brings his hounds from South Georgia to ride with the Shakerag Hounds in Hull, Georgia ca 1950.

Index to Georgia Wills and Estates

SPECIAL GENEALOGY OPPORTUNITY NOW for yourself and friends! $7 (auto expires after 1-month)
Try it out now to see if you can find your ancestors

Extracts of Genealogical Notes in "The Austin Collection"

2019-02-25T10:18:00.000-08:00

The Austin Collection, Vols. I (603 pp.) and 2 (340pp. ), by Jeannette Holland Austin and is available to members of Georgia Pioneers. It contain abstracts of valuable information discovered by me while tracing the families. The set has been out-of-print for a number of years, however, is now available online to members of Georgia Pioneers

Here are a few tidbits of data:

Jacob Autrey, RWS of GA
Jacob Autrey resided on Little Beaverdam Creek in Wilkes County, removed to Greene County. Some deed records concerning the Autrey families and other information is included.

Reuben Boyette
Reuben Boyette died in a cotton explosion in Chambers County, Alabama in 1858. Before that, he was a resident of Troup County and was among those families who went to Alabama after the removal of the Indians in Georgia. The Boyette family descends from Thomas Jefferson Boyette who died in Burke County before 1790.

Jeptha Brantley of Washington County
In 1860, the estate of Jeptha Brantley was divided among the heirs in Washington County. All of the heirs are named in the The Austin Collection. Also mentioned are the families of Joshua Brantley, Jesse Brantley, Levi Brantley and others.

Tillman Buckner of Putnam County
Tillman Buckner was born ca 1770 and died 1810 in Putnam County. The names of his heirs as well as other information is found in The Austin Collection.

Paul Castleberry of Georgia Colonial Era
Georgia Colonial Records, Vol. X, p. 257 "Read the petition of Paul Castleberry. He has settled the province and has no land. Has a wife and four children, and prays for 350 acres on the southside of the Great Kyoka Creek in St. Paul's Parish, at a place called the Hawtree Branch. Granted May 1767." More information on other Castleberry families is found in The Austin Collection.

Isham Chaffin, Revolutionary War Soldier
Isham Chaffin of Prince Edward County Virginia died in Wilkes County Georgia in 1822. His genealogy has been traced and is in the "Genealogy Vault" on Georgia Pioneers. Also, More information is found in The Austin Collection.

Rev. John Cleveland died aged 91 years
Rev. Cleveland, a Baptist clergyman well known, of Cleveland's Ferry on the Tugaloo River in South Carolina, died ca 1821. Family members removed to Carnesville, Georgia, and more information is found in The Austin Collection.

John Banister Collins of Habersham County
John Collins was born ca 1788 in South Carolina and settled in Habersham County. He was married to Sarah and by her had a large family. More information is found in The Austin Collection.

The Cowan Families
Details of some of the members of the Cowan families of Jackson County is found in The Austin Collection.

Dickson Families
Dickson families in Hancock and Wilkes County Georgia appear to descend from Michael Dickson of Lunenburg County Virginia. Details of these families are found in The Austin Collection.

Rountree of Emanuel County
The family was found at Swainsboro, Georgia and descends from Richardson Rountree, born 1751, died 1819 in Georgia. He was a Captain in the South Carolina Militia, Colonel Brandon's Regiment. He was a resident of Union County, South Carolina during the Revolutionary War, later removing to Georgia. 4 pages of abstracts of Rountree genealogical information is found in The Austin Collection.

Shepherd and Hillhouse Connecticut and Wilkes County
Andrew Shepherd was born ca 1760 and died 1828 in Wilkes County, Georgia. He was married to Mary Hillhouse, the daughter of David and Sarah Ann Hillhouse of Connecticut who resided in Orange County Virginia. More information is found in The Austin Collection.

Index to Georgia Wills and Estates

SPECIAL GENEALOGY OPPORTUNITY NOW for yourself and friends! $7 (auto expires after 1-month)
Try it out now to see if you can find your ancestors

Dodson Print and Supply Depot

2019-02-18T11:50:00.000-08:00

ca 1900 in downtown Atlanta

Index to Georgia Wills and Estates

SPECIAL GENEALOGY OPPORTUNITY NOW for yourself and friends! $7 (auto expires after 1-month)
Try it out now to see if you can find your ancestors

Learn where your Ancestors Left their Wills and Estates

2019-02-11T10:36:00.000-08:00

Check to see where your Ancestors left their Wills and Estates

Want to know if your ancestors left a will or estate record? An easy, quick (and free) way to find out is to click on the links below.

County Records of 8 Genealogy Websites

Alabama
Georgia
Kentucky
North Carolina
Virginia
South Carolina
Tennessee

BARGAIN! Subscribe to 8 genealogy websites! Easy entry using same password.

Index to Georgia Wills-See Names of your Ancestors

The Computer and Genealogy

2019-02-04T10:29:00.000-08:00

When the Computer is Not the Answer to Genealogy

The modern age of technology is wonderful! However, we must not rely upon genealogy programs to find the ancestors. Everyone knows that tracing the family roots is a tedious process involving many long years of hard work. To the new researchers out there: one cannot just sign up somewhere and expect to find the family tree. Should you think that this is the case, the work itself is riddled with errors. For this reason connecting to a World Tree is not advisable. One must keep their errors to themselves, not share them! That is, until they are resolved with factual evidence. Otherwise, in the end, that World Tree will be a trash dump no one wants to tackle. Already the term "junk genealogy" has emerged and cleanup is near impossible. The computer programs of today merging data are not cutting it. Hence, human beings must continue to control genealogical research and maintain it privately on a simple computer program.

Index to Georgia Wills-See Names of your Ancestors

Searching Land Lotteries to Find the Old Home Place

2019-01-28T08:37:00.000-08:00

Searching Land Lotteries to Find the Old Home Place

My grandmother lived in McPherson, a village spun off for temporary housing for those who built train tracks throughout Georgia. My grandfather had the local merchandise store and my grandmother would board the train and go to Atlanta. Ironically, her stop was Terminal Station. I wonder if she realized that as the being the actual land which was once owned by Archibald Holland in 1824, having drawn all of Atlanta in the land lottery. Memoirs of Georgia published in 1895 consists of interviews with Georgia residents. A son of Archibald Holland gave his account of having been born on Capitol Avenue in Atlanta. This information, combined with a plat of the land drawn in the lottery, located the site of the old home place for me. Later on, I was surprised to discover that during the early part of the 20th century the Atlanta Constitution published a photo of the old house which was reported to have been the oldest house in Atlanta which was temporarily used about 1845 as the residence of a local official. A good reason to search the Georgia Land Lotteries and newspapers,eh?

Index to Georgia Wills-See Names of your Ancestors

The Evacuation of Atlanta

2019-01-21T12:35:00.000-08:00

The Evacuation of Atlanta

In 1864 when General Sherman was en route to Atlanta, its citizens were panicking to leave. The general exit plan was to hide all precious commodities, such as silver and coins and this was usually done by digging holes in the garden. Some families carried precious items on the train to Kennesaw and when word came that the enemy was nearby, the train stopped and allowed people to hide their stuff. One known stop was along the Chattahoochee River near the Atlanta Water Works. Afterward, they returned to sweep up the ashes of a burnt city and to suffer the repression of Northern politicians during Reconstruction Days.

Index to Georgia Wills-See Names of your Ancestors

Economy during the War

2019-01-14T12:29:00.000-08:00

Economy during the War

Gentlemen wore white shirts to work during the War and when the collars and cuffs were stained or worn, they were removed, turned, and re sewn to reflect a newer finish. Shoes were polished and socks regularly darned. The ladies wore wool fedora hats and matching gloves. My grandmother saved every dab of cotton in her medicine bottles to stuff pillows. Also, women were still selling hair, and I noted a large sack of reddish hair (from her girl hood) in her closet. Although it was a time of saving items and penny-pinching, proper fashions were worn at all times, and good manners were still in style.

Index to Georgia Wills-See Names of your Ancestors

Quarintines in the Old Neighborhood

2019-01-07T12:28:00.000-08:00

Quarantines in the Old Neighborhood

During the 1940s, when scarlet fever or measles struck, a quarantine sign was tacked on the front door. It was a warning tacked on the door by the communicable disease people not to go inside the house. Scarlet fever could last as long as a month, and it called for bed confinement for the duration of the illness. When a child was attacked by German measles (rubella) , the neighbors were in a tizzy because it spread easily and was very contagious.

Index to Georgia Wills-See Names of your Ancestors

Flour-Sack Dresses

2018-12-31T12:27:00.000-08:00

Flour-Sack Dresses

During the second World War, everyone scrimped and saved. There was little money to be earned by children, except coat-hangers brought a penny each at the local dry cleaners. Sugar and flour were rationed, and my mother counted her food-stamps carefully. Home made wheat bread was commonly consumed, but so were biscuits and delicious vegetable pot pies. When Merita bakery sold white bread, we all begged for it. As the war wore on, flour sacks were saved to make dresses. A faded design was imprinted on the sack, which was cleverly used to fashion the latest styles.

Index to Georgia Wills-See Names of your Ancestors

Things we did not tell our Parents

2018-12-24T12:27:00.000-08:00

Things we did not tell our Parents

Since my sisters walked everywhere as children, one afternoon we discovered an old railroad track and followed it some distance. Eventually, a freight train rattled along and we easily jumped aboard. To our delight, the spur ended in Piedmont Park! Oh delicious! We walked on a historical terrain that day, because it was the spot where Buffalo Bill had brought his Show to Atlanta! William Frederick Cody lived the life of an adventurer, he was a showman, a scout and a hunter of bison. He died 1917 in Denver and was buried atop Lookout Mountain.

Index to Georgia Wills-See Names of your Ancestors

Mrs. Minx

2018-12-17T12:26:00.000-08:00

Mrs. Minx

During the 1940s our next-door neighbor on Edgewood Avenue in Atlanta was and old lady, Mrs. Minx. One afternoon I had the nerve to knock on the front door and ask if I could cut some of her beautiful blue hydrangeas in the front yard. I so admired the delicious blooms which seemed to last all summer. She invited me inside house of a dark rooms. Dark, because the windows were well-draped with curtains. She must have resided in that house for many years, because of the narrow garage in the back which was too small for 1940s automobiles, but probably accommodated the 1915 models! She would not let me cut the flowers, because she said that "they would not keep and would just die!"

Index to Georgia Wills-See Names of your Ancestors

Renovations do not always Fit the Era

2018-12-10T12:23:00.000-08:00

Renovations do not always Fit the Era

Renovations of old neighborhoods are not exactly what I would call "true to the era." In my old Atlanta neighborhood of the 1890 Victorian homes, there was a rush to renovate during the 1970s. Having grown up there, I had friends residing in just about every house in the area. So I remember the dark tiled fireplaces, built in pantries, dark woodwork, stained glass windows on the landing half-way up the stairs. The ceiling of each room had one ugly iron chandelier with two or three light bulbs which was turned on by a button on the wall. Because a ladder was needed to change the light bulb, sometimes, a long string was attached. I could be describing the old Asa Candler home on Elizabeth Street, just as well as any other home. The 1890s colorful flora on wallpaper was usually enclosed by oval fancy designs was hypnotic to those who slept in the bedroom. Oh how I remember the red roses in this particular wallpaper! In some homes the renovators striped away the beautiful tiled fireplaces and mantles leaving a shell of red construction brick. Since there was only one bath in the large Victorian homes, bathrooms were added to the once-beautifully-large individual bedrooms along with extra closets.

Index to Georgia Wills-See Names of your Ancestors

Protecting the Work of a Lifetime #georgiapioneers

2018-12-06T11:36:00.001-08:00

Protecting the Work of a Lifetime

After the close of the War Between the States, the South was without the means of paying a labor force on the farm. Too, many lost their homes to back taxes. As a result, by 1900, many families had removed to the cities in search of work. A series of shot-gun houses were built in Atlanta, and seldom painted. The wood work inside the old Victorian homes in Atlanta's first neighborhoods were stained with brown hues. and walls decorated with subdued colors of flowery wallpaper. There was one over head light in each room, often having a long string. Also, homes typically had one bath room which featured a bare bones sink, tub, toilet and a piece of furniture for a medicine cabinet. The era of the 1930s bore a poorly depressed economy when vital records were coming into being. It was an era when people gathered around the kitchen table and read the family bible and that this bible served as an important family record of births, marriages and deaths, replete with newspaper clippings. Twas a quaint method of keeping family records, yet lost to this generation. For those of us keeping a family pedigree chart on a genealogy website, beware! Despite the security measures being taken today, it is still incredibly easy to grab data. These precious records could also be lost to foreign governments who hack our data without giving it a thought, bankruptcy, sellouts, etc. Like the old days, we should keep a paper copy for ourselves and protect the work of a lifetime.

Index to Georgia Wills and Estates

SPECIAL GENEALOGY OPPORTUNITY NOW for yourself and friends! $7 (auto expires after 1-month)
Try it out now to see if you can find your ancestors

Our Memories are Real

2018-12-03T12:22:00.000-08:00

Our Memories are Real

951 Edgewood Avenue. Childhood fixes memories in a certain way. The first time that I returned to the old home place on Edgewood Avenue, I was rather shocked to see a narrow driveway and small backyard. As I recall, my father separated the space by with chicken pins. In front was a wire clothesline and I enough space to pay. Behind the chickens were huge fig trees which led to a dump owned by a business facing DeKalb Avenue. Later on, after the chickens, the yard was a baseball diamond, imaginary lines, of course, where the big game was played in the neighborhood. My memory registered a large space. I will always remember it that way.

Index to Georgia Wills-See Names of your Ancestors

Why you did not Find your Georgia Ancestors

2018-11-30T11:04:00.001-08:00

Why you did not Find your Georgia Ancestors

1889 Atlanta Post Office

Sometimes the records are not good enough. For example, the 1820 and 1830 census records of Georgia appear to be incomplete. After viewing the microfilm, one gets the impression that there are illegible entries and missing pages. Of course, tax digests can help us on this, if we can find surviving records and specific dates. Again, in Georgia, there are few surviving tax digests compared to the number of counties. And legibility is always an issue. Marriage records also take a hit due to faded ink on the paper. There may be some visible entries, while a portion of the page is totally faded. A visit to the Forsyth County court house revealed county books where the writing was so dim that the effort to preserve them utterly failed. The method of storage is the culprit. In certain court houses, I discovered file cabinets of original wills destined for cold storage in boxes. In the world of today where there is insufficient room for the old records, one has to learn where the county is storing them. It is often an off-site location, like in Chatham County, which requires a request slip and a wait of several days before they are brought to the court house. My search at the Hancock County Court house found loose bindings and books carelessly thrown about. Were it not for the microfilming by the LDS Church during the 1950's, much would be lost! Thus, examining the microfilm is your best bet! Or, view records on Georgia Pioneers which digitizes records from microfilm!

Index to North Carolina Wills and Estates

SPECIAL GENEALOGY OPPORTUNITY NOW for yourself and friends! $7 (auto expires after 1-month)
Try it out now to see if you can find your ancestors

Life on Edgewood Avenue during the 1940s

2018-11-26T12:21:00.000-08:00

Life on Edgewood Avenue during the 1940s

The trolley on Edgewood Avenue near the car barn. Not too much time has passed before we boarded trolleys to go downtown and shop in one or two stores, Richs or Davisons. There were few automobiles and no expressways or ells. In Atlanta, it was simplier times, with Piedmont Road a far distance away. Little did I know but what after the war, we were transitioning into a new era. Certain laboring jobs like ditch-diggers gave way to modern equipment. When we visited the country, tractors were rusting in the year. Although black coal continued to be dumped down the coal shute, and the ice man delivered his hunk of ice, an era of hard physical labor was depositing a visual of poorer times with unpainted houses and the paperboy on a bicycle. Too, the dismal display of black smoke puffing out of the furnace, train tracks, overhead trolley lines and telephone polls delivered the general impression of a colorless world. Inside, homes were paneled with dark wood, or decorated with floral wallpaper, a ceiling light of one or two bulbs lit by a ""punch button." Downtown, Five-Points was a conglomeration of tracks where five trains met. A great tragedy was citizens jumping from the windows of the Kimbal House as it burned down. Does anything last? No. However, it still lives in our memories.

Index to Georgia Wills-See Names of your Ancestors

Family History Trips

2018-11-19T12:08:00.000-08:00

Family History Trips

There are lots of interesting places to take the children these days. Especially for genealogists who have traced their ancestors back in time to forgotten places. It is possible to find the actual site of the old home place with the help of deeds, plats and county maps. The DAR has marked many old graves. Church yards and cemeteries hold an abundance of history. Instead of visiting National Parks and the plantations of wealthy planters, why not take the children down an old country road and reveal some
of the struggles of emigrants and early settlers who prepared the way for future generations?

Index to Georgia Wills-See Names of your Ancestors