Historian
Finding Otho: The Search for Our Enslaved Williams Ancestors, by Kathy Lynne Marshall, officially hits the bookstores today. I wrote the foreword for this book, which is a rare work on black family history in Washington …
Continue Reading about Finding Otho, a New Book about Local African-American Genealogy
In December 1861, the Civil War was well underway. Both the Union and Confederate armies had marched into Washington County that summer, and western Marylanders were suffering from wartime shortages. African Americans hoped …
Continue Reading about Civil War Christmas at Ebenezer A.M.E. Church, Hagerstown
I’ve created a driving tour of some of my favorite local African-American history sites, for the Washington County-Hagerstown Convention and Visitors Bureau. Head on over to the CVB blog to read all about it. Sites on …
Continue Reading about An African-American History Tour of Washington County
Irvin Sullivan served his country in World War I, and then returned to his native Hagerstown. He was one of many African Americans from Washington County who fought in the Great War and are largely forgotten today. Next …
Continue Reading about Irvin Sullivan, Black WWI Veteran from Washington County
Recently a colleague of mine emailed to ask me, “Do you have any advice re. the request below? Not asking you to do the research, just wondering if you have any tricks?” She was working with a researcher who knew when her …
Continue Reading about Finding Local Black Ancestors: A Genealogy Road Map
This talk will explore the experience of African-Americans, both enslaved and free, in the Cumberland Valley during the Civil War, focusing on civilians in western Maryland. …
