Hilltop family cemetery still in use Gusher, Jetstream or Waterfall? Preparation I appreciated group guidance recently about preparing for a genealogy trip. I am going to a marvelous Appalachian region where a half dozen of my ancestral families settled. Their times in the mountains were exciting to me as they were part of the westward push in the wake of the Revolutionary War. They included patriot warriors, some guarding local lead mines against loyalists, several in the militia warding off raiding Shawnees, and one who was a Continental survivor of the siege of Fort Laurens. So much to explore! Four of these families landed in Philadelphia in 1738, coming from Bavaria and Prussia. They spent some  time in Lancaster, where German was as common as English. Were they working off indentures for their  passage? Then the Great Road called, and they travelled down the Shenandoah to the New River Valley.  I had visited southwest Virginia before, finding archival treasures abou...

 The Life of Sarah Ann Mitchell Editor's note:  Today's blog is the result of a comment posted to a recent blog about finding context in research. Thanks for your comments! Military bounty check for Sarah Ann’s husband, Fantley H. Naylor. https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/LSTACivWar/id/11319/rec/1 Civil War Ancestors I had several Civil War ancestors' families near Muncie, Indiana. A few months ago I found an Indiana militia bounty check (like a signing bonus) from the county. It was endorsed by the first husband of my great-great-grandmother, Sarah Ann. I love his name: Fantley Hopkins Naylor. This was in the Archives and Special Collections of the Ball State University Library in Muncie. Digital Media Repository at Ball State University Library’s Archives and Special Collections    https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/LSTACivWar    My discoveries were in the Delaware County section.  I have yet to peruse the rest!  Location Search on...