Treasures from Pennsylvania

My package arrived safely yesterday. It took a week to get here because I chose the less expensive method. I have found that shipping accumulated research papers, literature, conference syllabi, and books that I buy along the way is better than trying to drag them home on the airplane. With the new rules about luggage and the fees airlines are requiring it is better to ship from a UPS store or find one at a Staples or Office Depot. It might cost a little extra but it is worth it. Fortunately the Sleep Inn Hotel gave me directions to a Staples in King of Prussia where they had UPS shipping.

I had little time to review and read all these treasures that I accumulated while I was traveling in Pennsylvania so that will be my challenge in the next months to unlock there secrets. Meanwhile I thought you might find it interesting to see what this packrat collected:

I had previous to the trip purchased a overview book on genealogy in Pennsylvania. This book is titled Pennsylvania Genealogical Research by George K. Schweitzer, PhD, ScD, Self-Published, 1997. Make sure when you look for this booklet that you find as recent a copyright as you can. There are older versions of them. I had the good fortune of attending two of Dr. Schweitzer’s lectures at the FGS 2007 in Fort Wayne and the recent FGS 2008 in Philadelphia. Dr. Schweitzer comes dress in costume and then presents his lecture from the view of the person he is portraying. His lectures are usually about migration patterns. He has written other booklets on different subjects. I also have his Revolutionary War Genealogy and Civil War Genealogy.

His book on Pennsylvania genealogy was very helpful in getting overview of the archives and records that exist in an area. He also gives ideas for research strategies at the various archives. I read it several times before I went to Pennsylvania. It is proving to be a valuable aid and I will use it in the future as well. Do you think he takes fan mail?

While at the 2008 FGS Conference in Philadelphia I picked up my copy of the Genealogical Proof Standard, Building a Solid Case, by Christine Rose, CR Publications 2005. As I get farther back in my research beyond the 1850 U.S. Census I find that it gets harder and harder to find information and to prove that someone is your ancestor or a relative of an ancestor. This is a guide to how use the sources you have found to build your case. It is a small booklet very easy to read.

Although I do have a book on state census that was out several years. I decided to buy the 2 Volume set by William Dollarhide, Census Substitutes and State Census Records Eastern States Vol. I and Western States Vo. II., Family Roots Publishing Company, 2008. This will act as a guide to my online research on census at Ancestry and Heritage Quest.

At Washington Crossing National Historic Park at the Visitor Center I purchased two books. The Pennsylvania Militia, Defending the Commonwealth and the Nation 1669-1870 by Samuel J. Newland, PhD, Pennsylvania National Guard Foundation, 2002. Mr. Newland is a Profession of Military Education at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, PA. See my blog entries on the park. The park probably has a link for their store.

The other book was The Pennsylvania Line, Regimental Organization and Operations, 1775-1783, John B. B. Trussell, Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission, 2nd Edition 1993. There is some interesting information on the Artillery unit and more. This I will be studying carefully along with the book above.

I also purchased a souvenir copy of the Washington Crossings Historic Park, Pennsylvania Trail of History Guide, Stackpole Books, 2004. Since I was not allowed to photograph inside the buildings these was the best I could do.

At The National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg where I stopped for several hours before heading for Sunbury I picked up a few booklets.

1. Sherman’s March to the Sea 1864 Atlanta to Savannah, by David Smith, Osprey Publications 2007. It is filled with photos, maps and interesting information. My great uncle Alexander Barclay marched with Sherman to the Sea. I have his Civil War service records and pension in which he talks briefly about this event in his life.

2. A souvenir booklet on The National Civil War Museum, An Illustrated Guide, The Creative Company 2007. Again more pictures of the museum and its contents and establishment.

3. I was surprised to find this booklet: The Civil War Research Guide, by Stephen McManus, Donald Thompson and Thomas Churchill, Stackpole Books, 2003. There actually might be more recent edition and that would be good because the Internet site chapter would be out of date quickly. However, it is still a good reference guide and I am curious as to what they suggest. Again go to my blog on my visit to the museum and see the link for more information.

When visiting the Northumberland Historic Society in Sunbury I picked up Index to Wills of Northumberland County Pennsylvania 1772-1859. It is a little booklet that I felt was helpful to me in determining family names. It will be useful in studying the county records to see if there are any gems in them for my family.

At the FGS I stopped by Retrospective’s booth and spotted a CD on Frontier Forts, this is based on the Report of the Commission to locate the site of the Frontier Forts of Pennsylvania, Vol. I and II, 2nd Edition, Thomas L. Montgomery Editor. I was very interested in forts now I can study the history of the different forts especially Forty-Fort from this CD.

My visit to the Luzerne County Historical Society prompted me to buy several titles:

1. Warrior Road, The Story of Sullivan’s March Through Pennsylvania Before the Invasion of the Iroquois Homelands, Narrated Auto Tour 3 DC’s & Guidebook, 2006. It was a little pricy but I decided it was worth it. I have yet to review the CD’s but I did review some of the guidebook while I was touring the Battle of Wyoming sites in Luzerne County. See my blog entries on the Battle sites.

2. I bought the book: The Susquehanna Frontier: Northeastern Pennsylvania during the Revolution Years, by James R. Williamson and Linda A. Fossler, Wilkes University Press, 1997. They also wrote the Zebulon Butler book that is so expensive. I am excited about reading this book and about the good sources it may provide. I wonder if they take accept fan mail?

3. The Battle of Wyoming, Pennsylvania, CD Rom, Rhino Media 2005. I hesitated on this but decided I would see what it might reveal?

I also have my conference syllabi from the Professional Management Conference (PMC) by APG (Association of Professional Genealogists) 2008. My copy downloaded from Footnote.com of Elizabeth Shown Mills, Evidence Explained. Not exactly a book for bed-time reading but it will prove invaluable as I start to work through the Goss manuscripts and their sources/citations to prepare them for updating and publication.

The syllabi for the Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference 2008 in Philadelphia is on CD Rom this year. I could have purchased a big thick volume at the conference but decided not too. I am interested in reviewing the lectures I attended and studying the ones I could not because I cannot clone myself yet.

Lastly are of course are the piles of literature I picked up at the two conferences from the vendors in the Exhibit Hall. There is literature collected from societies, archives and libraries I visited. In addition, is the pile of travel literature I accumulated on Pennsylvania as I traveled through.

Whew!!

Acknowledgements and Thank Yous!

My trip to Pennsylvania was a success. It was made that way because of the people I met along the way. I had great conversations with several individuals at the PMC and FGS Conferences. I will be contacting you to at least say “Hi.” I stopped at many archives and societies and had good experiences in each. See my individual blogs on many of them.

Here are some special thanks yous:

First to my roommate at the PMC and FGS Conferences, Barbara de Mare. Barbara is a fellow APG member and you can find her in the APG Directory. Barbara shared a room at the Marriott with me and I am grateful for her company. She also kindly took me to the Budget Rental Car lot at the Philadelphia Airport after the conference. Thanks a bunch! Barbara recently completed the DAR Certified Genealogist 4 day course at DAR in Washington D.C. I think that is pretty amazing.

Doug Nicols for all his tips on Northeast Pennsylvania Genealogy. Doug is also a fellow APG member and you can find him in the APG Directory. He is an expert on NE Pennsylvania genealogy and many other topics. He suggested I visit the Northeast Pennsylvania Genealogical Society in Shavertown. Unfortunately I did not get a chance to meet Doug personally because he was doing research in Germany and on his way to England! He saw my posting to the APG-L and answered my many questions. Thanks so much for the tips Doug.

A hearty thank you to Ann at the Northeast Pennsylvania Genealogical Society for assisting me with the cemetery records and making me feel welcomed. I am a member now and looking forward to more sharing.

To the Northumberland County Historical Society in Sunbury thanks to Jack and Ann for taking time to pull items from the shelves and pointing out possibilities in their collection. My goal there was to determine if records for the area of Wilkes-Barre were at Northumberland. The other counties could be Lycoming or Northhampton.
A big thanks to Mary, Elizabeth and Donna at the Plymouth Historical Society in Plymouth, Pennsylvania. They took time out of their busy lives to arrange to come down to the Society to open the doors. This was out of the regular hours. I enjoyed my chat with them and appreciate their answering my questions. I also joined this society and I received a lovely thank you card.

A thank you to Irene. I kept running into this fellow researcher at various Wilkes-Barre area archives. She offered me goat cheese, crackers and special apples from upstate New York. I brought the wine. We were sharing different rooms at the Best Western Genetti. Thanks a lot Irene. I ate all the apples and they were delicious. What a delightful and unexpected exchange of genealogical knowledge and sharing.

To Katherine at the David Library of the American Revolution for all her help, her friendly and guidance. We had several very interesting conversations about our genealogical experiences in old overgrown cemeteries and family history. What a great library there in Washington Crossing.

To John B. Koehler, Financial Specialist for Wachovia a thank you for the unexpected lesson on migration routes in Pennsylvania. John was having lunch at the Wagon Wheel in Shickshinny and overheard my conversations about where to get a Shickshinny T-Shirt and that I was researching my family. He has a love of history and we chatted while I ate my hamburger about the French & Indian War, the Revolution and other items of interest. This was another unexpected fun exchange.

A very big and hearty thank you to Donna Goobic of the Greater Shickshinny Historical Society for being my tour guide in the Shickshinny area. Donna opened her home and took time out of her life to show me around. She coordinated with me and the Historical Society my talk on Genealogy. Thanks for the T-shirt and all the fun stories and being willing to answer all my questions. I am still trying to say it right “Wapwallopen!”

To the Pineapple Bed and Breakfast in Washington Crossing a thanks to Kathy and Cookie for their warm hospitality. The story of Cookie finding the falcon and returning it to his owner was the kind of story that Puffer, my 133 year old cat likes to hear. I wonder if they found some strange pole in their shed? I could not take it home a little hard to carry on the plane. It was for stomping in steep cemeteries and it really is a handle for a broom. To Linda proprietor of the River View B&B in Sunbury a thank you. We had a wonderful chat at breakfast and I think that her B&B is one of the loveliest that I have seen. I wonder what adventures await Linda, she is quite the clever lady.

To Tony Brooks of the Luzerne County Historical Society for his interest in my research. I will be getting in touch with you Tony. Thanks for caring.

My trip to Pennsylvania was enjoyable and to all the people above I am grateful and to those that I did meet along the way and who answered my questions, helped me with directions, pointed me to food and more. Thank you!

My Final Hours in Eastern Pennsylvania!

Taking the Trolley Tour at Valley Forge really helped to give a great overview of that national park. They only stop at two sites along the way and zoom by the other locations in the park, but at least that gives you an idea of where things are and then you can go and explore later. Unfortunately there is a lot of construction going on so that is cutting off areas of the park and I was not able to see the Artillery field.

As I left the park I stopped at the National monument and then I found Valley Forge road that took me to Hiway 202 and then Hiway 252 which was a little longer than the toll road 476 but I like to see the country side. Hiway 252 becomes 320 or N. Providence Road and led me right into Chester where I found the Days Inn just in time. I was hungry! King of Prussia was crazy, Chester was a little more relaxed and less overwhelming. In King of Prussia they have the huge Mall and that makes things busy.

There is a Staples on 202 off Henderson road not far from the King of Prussia Mall where I packed up some items and had them shipped home with UPS. I am finding that helpful when I can’t resist books and literature buy them at the conferences or along the way. With the new fees they are adding on the airlines added weight is not a good idea.

I settled in to the Days Inn in Chester and found a diner next door, yeah salad bar! Signs out of my room window pointed to I95 and that was good because I was going to be up at 3 a.m. to get myself to the Philadelphia Airport. My flight was at 6:08 a.m. and I was not going to miss it or be rushed.

I managed to get a little sleep but 2 a.m. was there before I knew it and I was up because I could not sleep and 3 a.m. was my real target. Soon I was out the door and on my way to the airport. Getting onto I95 was a little odd but I managed it in the dark. I was told to take Exit 12 on I95 going North to the Philadelphia Airport. I found the Car Rental Return Road without a problem and was back at the Budget Lot in without an incident. I had completed my circle of Eastern Pennsylvania.

This is a major major feat for me. As I have aged, I have found that I am less and less excited about driving and that swishing cards, big speeding trucks and unfamiliar territory, hills and other assorted driving conditions do not thrill me. So I plan and study the routes carefully and try not to scare myself and other drivers. I am patting myself on the back for this accomplishment. There were a few mishaps and I had to double back on some things because signage was terrible but no disappearing streets like in Hartford.

The Philadelphia Airport was sleeping when I got there at 4 a.m. There was no food or drink that I could see available. The United ticket counter was empty of humans till about 20 minutes later. The security for D gates had not opened up and that was another 20-30 minute wait. So I probably could have chopped off 30-45 minutes from my arrival time but I would rather spend it in the airport at the gate reading a good novel (like reviewing Eragon for the coming of the 3rd in the series due out Sept 20th) then get caught in long lines at the ticket counter, security or other problem unforeseen. I know I was born a worrier!

All went well and I was on my flight at 6:08 a.m. and on my way to Dulles, yeah United had me going from Philly to Dulles to Chicago – 3 flight changes. I had used my UA Mileage points and they changed it on me about a month ago. It worked. I made it through all three stops without a problem but it was a long day of being in airplanes and various airports. I am familiar with Dulles (Wash D.C.) and O’Hare (Chicago). So that helps. I actually go to the airport website before I go and get a map of the airport. Philly’s was terrible. The back of the Hemispheres Magazine in your airplane pocket has good information and maps on airports.

Things got a little dicey in Chicago when people were lined up due to messed up flights. I heard someone on their cell phone talking about running out of fuel? That sounded scary.

I was determined that since I got that far, Chicago, and United had already changed my flight plan to stick it out. The 3rd flight was delayed a little but according to my hubby we arrived on time in Seattle and he was glad to see me. He gave me a big hug and kiss and then he went off to find my luggage which actually was there. I must be the luckiest traveler ever. I just smoothly get through airports with very little trouble. My time may be up one of these days. HA!

So I am back on my own turf here in Shoreline, Washington a city just on the northern border of Seattle and still in King County but right on the border to Snohomish County. We walked into the door at my home at 4 p.m. Pacific time Sunday, September 21, 2008.

Now the process of unpacking, reviewing my research, documenting my research and figuring out what I have to do in the next weeks begins.

This is not totally the end of this blog. I will be fixing some glitches, contact those who have made comments and thank them for their interest, add more pictures and links and making some ending comments. I will probably keep it up for about a month and then move onto other things.

Thanks for watching!

Valley Forge, In Search of American Revolution War History

Today I visited Valley Forge National Historic Park. I came to honor my cousin the Rev. Paul H. Goss and his ancestor Ebenezer Goss who served there. Ebenezer was a brother to my Solomon Goss and youngest son of Philip & Mary Goss. Paul wrote in one of his manuscripts that he walked Valley Forge trying to visualize what his 3rd great grandfather experienced.

The first stop was the Visitor Center where I looked at the shop and then signed up for the 1.5 hour tour of the park sites. The tour started at 1 p.m. and we first stopped at Muhlenberg Camp and listened to one of the park recreators tell us about what it meant to participate in a revolution. The cabins reminded me of logging camps. We then moved on and saw the National Monument Arch, the Pennsylvania Columns and Wayne's statue other items. They did not stay long at these instead giving us time at only two stops. The next leg of our journey was to Washington's Headquarters and we went past David Potts house. They were doing construction at Washington's Headquarters but we still were able to go inside and see what it might have been like for him. Along the way there were many deer crossing the road and in the fields. Two actually stopped us for about 5 minutes while they were on the road.

At Washington's Headquarters there were recreators out on the lawn, the Redcoats were there. Actually they had camped there at Valley Forge first before Washington made it a winter camp. One man was dressed in the red version of the Stuart colors and told me the reason the tartan on the ground was green and blue was to hide them when they were hunting. The group was eating their lunch and it smelled rather good. The tour was over and we headed back to the visitors center. I learned that the Artillery field was closed due to the construction. Ebenezer had been in the Artillery.

I set out in search of my road to Chester by driving through the park and revisiting some of the same places like the Monument arch and seeing the Pennsylvania Columns. I was soon my way to Chester my last stop on this tour of Eastern Pennsylvania. My actual wanderings were about to come to an end.

I had booked myself into the DaysInn in Chester which was a little ways from the Philadelphia airport. I drove through several towns along the way and saw many big houses and lovely settings as I made my way south. I found the Days Inn really easily and was soon having dinner at the diner next door. I settled in for the night. Wake up time 3 a.m. My flight 6:08 a.m. I have to return the rental car and get myself to the airport and get my ticket and check my bags. I hope I can do this without too much trouble. It will be dark. I do remember how to get to the car rental return because I watched Barbara, my roommate at FGS drive it very carefully when she dropped me off at the Budget Car Rental lot.

The David Library of the American Revolution at Washington’s Crossing!

When I was preparing for this trip I stumbled on this library. Being the curious person that I am I could not pass up visiting it. So on Friday, September 19th I prepared to find out its secrets.

After a hearty breakfast, several cups of coffee at the Pineapple Bed & Breakfast I packed up my car and left to climb Bowman’s Tower a part of the Washington Crossing Historic Park. I was encouraged by a woman at the Visitor Center who felt it was spectacular and joined the tour I was on the day before. Apparently Washington used it for a look out while the Revolutionary army was camped here. It means driving along a road till you get to the gate and then up another road that is very steep and a little bumpy. You come to a parking area shaded by trees and you are on this hill which is pretty high up.

Today the wind was a little chilly, Fall was making it presence known. I waited while the attendant prepared the area for the day. When I was given the okay, I entered the elevator to the top. The elevator is enclosed so you don’t see anything at all. Once at the top you have to climb circular narrow steps to the lookout platform. The view was excellent but the wind was bitting…brrr. It was sunny and a beautiful day in the Delaware Valley. I quickly took my pictures of the surrounding views and returned down the tiny circular staircase and elevator. It was worth it. The park opens at 9 a.m. but you might want to wait till 9:30 a.m. Give the attendant time to get there and open up the two gates, visitor center and the elevator.

My real main goal to come to this area along the Delaware River was the David Library of the American Revolution. It is about ½ mile from the Pineapple Bed and Breakfast and before you get to the Visitor’s Center for Washington Crossing. As you are driving along the narrow road by the Delaware River which is on your left you come to a big open field on your right and a driveway with a sign indicating that it is the David Library. Can’t miss it unless you are driving to fast or enjoying the view of the river. Their driveway is long and travels through a big open field of green grass and over a little bridge. I arrived a little bit before 10 a.m. and the door was opened at that time by the Librarian.

The Librarian, Katherine, inquired about my interests and I told her my shopping list one was the very early militia specifically the Connecticut militia for the Wyoming Valley about 1776 to 1780. I was trying to pin down Solomon Goss and Philip Goss’ involvement in the revolutionary years. This was not my only interests. I had looked at their webpage before coming and studied their listings for microfilm, books, subjects and more. They have British information, Loyalist information and of course American Revolutionary War information.

As usual I was probably a little ambitious for one day of research. I proceeded to examine their book shelves, pulling books off as I spotted interesting titles. I love one stop shopping at a library. Their brochure reads “Dedicated to the study of American History in the era of the American Revolution.” This library was started by Sol Feinstone when he dedicated and donated his collection and gave them his farmstead. The present library was built in 1974. It is very nicely laid out, with plenty of room for tables to sit and spread out your research.

This library has three rolls of the Susquehanna Papers films from the Connecticut State Library. The library will tell you in the description where the information comes from. I looked at the Susquehanna Rolls of film and was happy to find several of the Liber’s and the actual copies of the pages of these liber’s. I immediately pulled my copies of Donna Bingham Munger’s “Connecticut’s Pennsylvania “Colony” 1754-180, Susquehanna Company Proprietors Vol. I.” I made copies of the references there for my family. I have all 3 copies of these books by Donna: Proprietors, Settlers and Claimants. I shared this information with the Librarian and I know that she will probably obtain copies and then review the films to get a really good description of them.

I looked at Obadiah Gore, Jr.’s diary which was a published booklet and found on one page a statement made that the lists for Capt. John Franklin’s militia are not found regarding the Sullivan Expedition. I am wondering if any of the militia for that time period prior survived?

Katherine assisted me with Bounty Land warrants that I had found on Footnote.com. I had two signed by a Solomon Goss? I am wondering if there are my Solomon Goss and he was speculating? They are dated 1790 and the men who bought from him are from Connecticut? I do not know if it is Solomon Goss my 4th great grandfather yet, more research is needed. Katherine informed me that these federal records were destroyed in 1800 and then in 1812 the British did worse damage. We found more in the two books so I will have to go back to Footnote and do a little digging. She found several other things. I found a Comfort Goss 1832 petitioning the Congress.

Now I know that a lot of these sources can be found elsewhere in other repositories but when you have someone who knows these sources and they are all in one place it makes cross referencing easier and it also makes it easy to revisit something if you need to. There are always titles I have not seen and you can study them to see what secrets they contain. They had several books on Timothy Pickering’s papers, indexes and explanations of the collection in Massachusetts. Now I know that these books exist and I can revisit them when I have the time.

Hours: Tuesday through Saturday 10 to 5 p.m., 215-495-6776, website http://www.dlar.org/

They do basic research for people and will answer questions. Katherine told me that she does do presentations and a tour on the sources in the library. I wish I could have her for my group. It is a little far for her to commute but they were talking about lecturing online at the APG Conference in Philadelphia two weeks ago. Hmmm….??

It was 3:30 p.m. and I was fading fast and getting tired. I had to drive from the library in Washington Crossing to King of Prussia so I could visit the Valley Forge National Park on Saturday. I had some driving to do in strange country and from what I was being told it was not going to be easy. I was getting hungry. So I packed up and said goodbye to this great resource. It was fun chatting and sharing stories with Katherine about family, stomping overgrown cemeteries. Thanks Katherine for your help.

Sometimes I wish I could be like Mr. Feinstone…wealthy and able to building fantastic libraries…!

Washington Crossing Historic Park on the Delaware River!

Washington Crossing Historical Park is located below New Hope. New Hope is a quaint tourist town along the Delaware River. It is filled with shopped, restaurants, a couple of museums and more. There are several bed and breakfasts, inns and more in the area. There were lots of people coming and going, sitting in the restaurants and enjoying a wine or brew. You can park along the street keeping a meter happy or find a parking lot. I did not linger in New Hope but I did drive up and down the main street which is quite picturesque. I had arrived in the area on Wednesday evening September 17th.

Washington Crossing Historic Park is divided into two parts. In order to really understand it you need to go to the Visitor Center which is down the road in the lower part of the park. If you get to the bridge that goes to Hiway 532 you have gone too far. The sign is on the left for the Visitor Center but the parking lot is on the right. The park attendant sitting behind the desk in the Visitor Center can explain to you how to get around the park and where to find interesting sites.

There is a website for them at but beware when you actually come to the area and start exploring it gets a little confusing because the signs are not that good and there are these large expanses of park areas. It is big and has many areas to it so if you are looking for history you need to stop and get oriented first. The Visitor Center has books about the Revolution, the Crossing and more and other items for sale. Yeah, I bought three one on the Continental Line and the other on Militia for Pennsylvania.

They have a 15 minute film about the big event of the crossing of the Delaware by Washington and his troops. There are tours of at the Visitor Center that describe the crossing and then take you through the remaining houses from Taylorsville and give you the history of that thriving town and the colorful people that lived in it. You do get to go inside a couple of the houses and see what life was like in the early 1800’s. They also have more detailed information about the different sites in the park in brochures that you can pick up at the Visitor Center.

There is the upper area where Washington stayed and the lower area where they actually crossed the Delaware and were the town of Taylorville grew up after the Revolution and was the economic hub of the area. On the upper part of the park you will find the Bowman’s Tower, Thompson-Neely House, Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve, and the Thompson-Neely Gristmill and there are picnic areas and more.

I went down to the Visitor Center in the lower part of the park and looked around. I saw a little bit of the film explaining the crossing and the events that lead to it. There was a tour at 2 p.m. so I took that and learned that Washington crossed and then engaged the enemy and then he returned. He did that all in a snow blizzard, at night on Christmas Day and the day after. The Delaware River can be treacherous and they lost the first boat upon the crossing. They had Durham Boats in the barn that were like the actual boats used in the crossing. The painting that is so famous is not historically accurate. These boats were a good size and the oars were very long. We toured Taylorsville and were able to go inside of several of the houses. It was a very pleasant an interesting tour.

Hours are Tuesday thru Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday is Noon to 5 p.m. There is an admission fee. Website: www.ushhistory.org/washingtoncrossing Call them if you have questions they are helpful and friendly (215) 493-4076.

I chose to stay at the Pineapple Bed and Breakfast Lodging located in Makefield about 4.5 miles south of New Hope on the left. It is located right before Stoney Brook Road and the Taylorsville Road. You can look for the Pineapple Flags. This house was built in 1790. My room was the John Scott and it was very comfortable. Take it easy driving into their driveway for it is narrow and a little steep but there is a great parking area which makes it nice. I was great to be able to stay in this circa 1790 house because when I visited the Nathan Denison house in Forty-Fort, PA. I was unable to go inside. My breakfast was delicious both days and the coffee was good and strong. The proprietors are friendly, helpful, welcoming and will answer your many questions and give some good advice. They also have Sherry to sip. They have wireless in their dining room area. The other good thing about the Pineapple Bed and Breakfast is the location is right in the middle of all the action. New Hope is just up the highway. There is a big binder in the dining room filled with suggestions for restaurants. This B&B is between the two parts of the Washington Crossing Park and they are mostly importantly just about 1 mile north from the Washington’s Crossing Visitor Center and less than that to the David Library of the American Revolution where you can go and research from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

I would be ready to deal with the tailgating impatient locals. I was advised to turn up my mirror ignore them. Also be aware that the road is only two lane and narrow and it is hard to find a place to turn out to retrace or get out of the way. I also noticed that there were not a lot of street lights so if you drive at night please be careful.

It is lovely country with beautiful big and old houses and lovely estates and parks to explore. There were lots of houses for sale? Anyone got a $1 million plus? It is really tough for a photographer to not want to jump out and take a shot here and there but there are not too many areas to do that so you have to do a little reconnaissance and planning. This is an area to come relax, have fun bring your spouse, your significant other and just explore enjoying the sites. You can even explore the other side of the Delaware River by crossing the bridges into New Jersey.

I spotted several signs about wineries in the area. Hmmm, a little wine tasting sure sounded good.

It Was Time to Say Goodbye to the Susquehanna Valley, Wilkes-Barre and Shickshinny!

It was time to leave and I started south on Hiway 239 towards Wapwallopen to find Hiway 93 and head for I80 going east to 476 and south to Quarkertown Exit 44. I waved my goodbyes and felt a slight tug at my heart and tears in my eyes.

It has been a tough week. I was tired but happy. There is never enough time to do all you would like, but I think I crammed a lot in. I hope it helps the descendants of the Goss families or at least touches them.

Hiway 239 get real close to the Susquehanna River and level to it. When I found Hiway 93 I had to do almost a complete 360 to turn south on it when I felt I was going east. I found a gas station store along this highway and stopped to ask if I was really going in the right direction. They said that I80 was just over the mountain. I took off and drove about 2 miles and found I80 and was soon zooming along through green tree filled hills and over bridges with signs that read “Bridge could be Icy.” I’ve been told that Pennsylvania gets 2 to 4 feet of snow sometimes. I live in Seattle, if we get snow it melts quickly but it does stop the traffic! The scenery was beautiful. I like Pennsylvania it is green like western Washington. A little too muggy for me. It was bit cool in the morning to my surprise. Of course if you come to Seattle it is probably cooler so bring a sweater or light jacket.

After about 20 miles I came to the exit for the Turnpike Exit 277. It took about 5 minutes to get up to the Ticket/Easypass booths for there was lots of traffic and construction going on. I headed for the Ticket/Easypass booth and saw a ticket dangling in the wind. So I grabbed it. In Washington we have no turnpikes, we call them freeways or highways. We have no toll roads. We did at one time pay a toll for the Evergreen Floating Bridge but that was long ago. So this was a big deal for me. I didn’t want to upset the locals by not practicing good entrance and exiting of the turnpike. So far so good.

Zipping along the scenery was green with rolling tree filled hills then the signs read slow to 55 miles and hour and I was at the Lehigh Tunnel. I was impressed. It was well lighted and similar to tunnels we have. Ours are a little shorter.

As I drove along I noted that the natives were going a bit faster than the speed limit? No offense they do that in Washington. There were emergency phones every 1 mile. That was reassuring. There were refreshment refueling stations every once and while. That was good. There were very few exists, so it was important not to miss the one you wanted. I could see the toll booths so I was getting an idea of how things worked. Very nice system.

At Exit 44 I exited and the man at the toll booth was very pleasant took my ticket and charged me $2.75. Good thing I was ready with my change. I think I had asked about 5-10 people about the toll road.

Once on Hiway 663 which changed to 313 I was passing through Quakertown (very nice) and then Dublin (even better). No time to linger, I needed to get to New Hope and my B&B. After 70 miles of traveling I was getting hungry. However, the traffic along these 663 and 313 was busy and they were not forgiving, tailgating! Of course there were no restaurants on the right for me to turn into until I got on Hiway 202 (going north again when I was suppose to go east???) I found something just before the turn off to Hiway 179 to New Hope.

After my dinner, I made my way to New Hope. I was not expecting this clever fun touristy town at all. For some reason I thought it would be like Huntington Mills or something like that but it was filled with people enjoying their dinners and drinks at the local establishments. By this time was I really tired forgetting that I had been up since 5 a.m. and I was getting real annoyed with the tailgating.

I went a little too far and had to call the Pineapple Bed & Breakfast to ask where they were. Fortunately I was only about 1 block away and I retraced and found them on the right side. I don’t do well with things on the left when I am concentrating on narrow highways. I knew I had gone to far when the Delaware River was very close to the road on my left.

I was greeted by Kathy the proprietor and taken to my room. She told me about the Sherry in the corner table of the main dining room. When I came down to get my Sherry she had already poured some for me and had some pound cake. I had a sip and started to eat the cake it was good. I had just eaten so I was a little surprised. My dinner was not that good.

I settled in for the night. I am in this area for the next two days. I plan to visit Washington Crossings National Park and then do some research at the David Library of the American Revolution.

Shickshinny, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania

When I first came to Luzerne County I drove right through Shickshinny. These towns are not labeled very well so I suddenly realized I was there. I could not linger because I needed to get to the Luzerne County Historical Society in Wilkes-Barre and I was late for my first day of research. So I come back on my way out on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 and ate lunch at the Wagon Wheel. As I ate my lunch I made new friends. I walked around the main area and I took pictures of the town. I bought a Shickshinny T-shirt at the Graphics store past the mini-mart and gas station. I wish the Greater Shickshinny Historical Society much success with their new building.

On Sunday at 3 p.m. between the visits to the cemeteries, I stopped for about about 2 hours to give a talk on Genealogy for the Greater Shickshinny Historical Society. I own BJM Genealogical Research Services and am current President of the Puget Sound Chapter of the APG. My talk was about hiring a genealogist to assist you with your genealogical research and explained the differences between the APG (Association of Professional Genealogists) and the BCG (Board of Certification). I also gave tips on hiring a professional genealogist. I then explained my family research and why this Scottish girl was visiting the area. I gave a description of the family I was researching and the surnames Goss, Scott and Seward are the main ones. There are more names but it can get a little overwhelming.

I then went over some principles about doing genealogy and things to look out for. I left my presentation board with the Historical Society for their use. A small group had gathered for this talk and it was fun to answer their questions. Again, thanks Donna and Phil for putting this together. I appreciate it.

Other Genealogical Possibilities in Wilkes-Barre

Luzerne County Historical Museum: I was unable to visit the Luzerne County Historical Museum because it had the same hours of the Bishop Library. I did go inside for a brief moment. I like to visit the historical society museums in the areas that I am studying because it gives me an overview of the areas history and it might point to something I did not give thought to. To find it you locate the Osterhout Free Public Library and it is right behind it along the east side in the back. Hours are 12 noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. It is open Saturday 10 to 4 p.m.

The Farley Library: The Wilkes University is located approximately South St. to Northhampton and from River St. several blocks over from the river. I decided to take a quick tour of the Farley Library to see what they might have. It is on Franklin St. almost to South. I discovered that you have to enter the library from the campus side, not the street. They have a reference desk on the 1st floor with the reference materials behind that desk. I was told that the Pennsylvania books were on the 2nd floor. There is an elevator tucked in the back.

On the Second floor I found the Pennsylvania books in the F section. I took a quick look and found a complete set of the Pennsylvania Archives Volumes and the Susquehanna Company Papers. There were other titles for Luzerne County history. They had a copy of the Zebulon Butler book. I did not check the catalog for any other items of interest and did not look for any thesis written on historical subjects. Universities are set up to serve the students and faculty. You have to dig for the information. Who knows what treasures might be at this library and it is only two blocks from the Luzerne County Bishop’s Library. The Farley Library has very long hours. So if you want to study a Luzerne County history book that they have. You can do it here and save yourself some time.

The Osterhout Free Library was about 3 buildings west of LC Bishop’s Library. Their hours are longer. They have newspapers for the area and city directories back to 1881 or about. Again you might have to do some digging to find the genealogical gems in this library. I just went inside to get a look at the interior and see how it was organized. They do have a print out of what they have genealogically but it is a little vague. I would check the online catalog and see what might be there. I did take their listing of the Library of Congress subjects to use for searching a catalog from home.

I was told there were at least 4 libraries within walking distance along Franklin Street. That could be interesting! I will have to investigate when I get home on Sunday.

The Luzerne County Courthouse is located on River St. right on the Susquehanna River. You cannot miss it for it is a large stately building. I understand that the records however are divided among several other buildings and not all at the Courthouse. So you need to do some research to determine where you want to go. I decided not to go to the Courthouse. I felt I could get the information I needed from other sources like the Family History Library. Deeds (Grantor/Grantee) are located at the Courthouse in the Recorder of Deeds office at 200 North River Street. Go to their website and do searches for information and give them a call to make sure. It is a little far to be walking all around the area by the Courthouse. http://www.luzernecounty.org/search/results.

If I had gone, I would need to go to the building located on the corner of Pennsylvania Ave. and Market St. (20 N. Penna. Avenue, Wilkes-Barre 9 to 4:30 M-F). It is right across from the Best Western Genetti. They have the marriages, deaths, probates and wills. I was also told that if the records are very old regarding the probates they might have to be ordered. They do this twice a day and retrieve the documents. If you are lucky it comes the same day, otherwise you have to wait till the next day. I looked through the window glass of the door to see if there was a directory and there is one right inside the door. I could not read it for it was too far away. There is also a security check down the hall. They were closed by the time I got there.

There is a group on the web called the Courthouse Gang. They are at Yahoo Groups. You have to join Yahoo Groups before you can access their chat group. Once you do you then ask to join the Courthouse Gang. They are also listed on the Luzerne County PAGenWeb. So you can check there.

The Luzerne County PAGenWeb has a much more complete listing of libraries, archives and societies with links.

Happy Hunting!