My dad served in the Korean Conflict in 1951-1952. He was stationed in Hokkaido, Japan for most of that time. As I was sifting through his photo album, I was hit with the historical significance of his photographs. They show the beginnings of the integration of the United States military–the end of segregated service. On…
Category: Historic Events
Where were you when the Loma Prieta Quake Struck?
Today marks the anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake. 17 October 1989 started out as a day of hope and excitement. People were excited about the Bay Bridge Series between the A’s and the Giants. They got in their cards, sat down in a seat on a BART train, or waited for the bus to…
In Remembrance of the 1906 Earthquake and Fire
Were your ancestors living in San Francisco on April 18th, 1906? My Kelly, Dolan, Jones, and Segalas relatives were there. The Mazeres and Breilh cousins were over in Oakland and Berkeley. The Cosma’s and a couple of Pacheco’s were new arrivals in Oakland. I like to think of what that period must have been like…
Have You Ever Wondered Who’s to Blame for Income Taxes?
Sewell Boutwell was the son of Jonathan Boutwell and Abigail Eames. He was born 5 Jul 1774 in Reading, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. Sewell married Rebecca Marshall on the 23rd of Mar 1815. Rebecca was the daughter of Jacob Marshall and Mary Richardson. Sewell and Rebecca had at least 6 children, one of them being George…
The Lady Engineer: Olive D. Wetzel Dennis
Another fearless female, though not in my family tree. Olive Wetzel Dennis was a university graduate and became the first female engineer for B&O Railroad. This is her story. Olive D. Wetzel Dennis was born in 20 Nov 1885 (some sources have her born in 1895) and died in 1957. She held degrees in science…