by Justin Durand Recent genealogical research into frontier-era figures led me to examine the life and lineage of Michael “Mike” Roark, a relatively obscure outlaw associated with the 1878 Kinsley Train Robbery. While Roark has been noted in historical accounts of 19th-century crime, little has been done to trace his personal history or genealogical roots….
Author: Justin Durand
Untangling the Story of Lawrence (Alloway) Howery
I’ve been meaning to write this post for a while. I often get messages from other genealogists who are confused by the case of Lawrence (Alloway) Howery. And to be fair, the confusion is understandable—his life story involves adoption, name changes, and multiple family households. With some luck, this post can serve as a one-stop…
Grandma Went to Alaska
Grandma Vivian Luce took a trip to Alaska after she retired. We kids had a discussion about it recently, and found out none of us really knew the story. Here’s the basic story as I remembered it. Some caution is warranted here because I was only 10 or 11. No one told me the story….
Notable Kin
The person links below are to FamilySearch. Other links are to sites with additional information. American Revolution These men fought to liberate the thirteen original colonies from England between 1775 and 1783. California Gold Rush Civil War Clergy Colorado Gold Rush Colorado Pioneers Colorful Characters Danites The Danites were a group of Mormon vigilantes. Gateway…
The Search for Thomas Place
When I first began researching my Place ancestors, I concluded Brig. Gen. Solomon Place was our direct ancestor. Cousins had reached the same conclusion; it seemed to be a family tradition. But years later, it became clear we were mistaken. It was just wishful thinking. And it was easy to demonstrate our mistake with just…