Tag Archives: personal histories

A Personal Historian Who Loves the Outdoors

Stone marker near parking area at Lane Conservation area, Foxboro, MA

Stone marker near parking area at Lane Conservation area, Foxboro, MA

Neponset reservoir, viewed along the trails of Lane Conservation area

Neponset reservoir, viewed along the trails of Lane Conservation area

When I first set out on my quest to document very local trails in the towns near where I live, I kept wondering what this had to do with my work as a personal historian. Surely these were two separate parts of me. Perhaps my life was headed in a different direction that I had thought. But slowly, in my travels I’ve come to realize that walking the trails and properties of south central Massachusetts is often a lesson in history, a tracing of family life, of walking the same track as many who have gone before me.

While visiting a new (to me) property in Foxboro, MA yesterday, I encountered not one, but two markers, memorials along the way. Continue reading

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Old Letters Become Time Machine to the Past

Letter from Dad to mom june 1948

One of my dad’s first letters to the woman who would be his wife for the coming 50 years

I’ve been a personal historian for a number of years, and have seen how powerful the experience of documenting and preserving one’s family stories can be. We personal historians often talk about the gift of passing on family stories to the next generation, assuring that you’re not forgotten and more. But I never realized that doing the work of preserving your family legacy—the photos that tell stories, documents, letters, and the stories themselves—can actually be a powerful time machine. Continue reading

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Time Machine a Reality? Only if You’re Very Lucky

I was recently invited to guest post on Family Legal Partner’s blog about ‘legacy’ and thought of a story I could share. It’s a simple story of something my dad taught me as we worked to share his stories of growing up. When I thought about what happened to him in this process, I realized he had given me a key to creating a personal time machine.

One of my dad's first letters to the woman who would be his wife for the coming 50 years

One of my dad’s first letters to the woman who would be his wife for the coming 50 years

To learn more, Continue reading

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