Knowing History

These days most everyone is into history whether it is about United States, World or family history. It is amazing how many people go on line to find out where they come from. Of course how accurate the information and the family tree depends on who enters the information.

My dad’s family has been traced and I can find it anytime I want on line by a cousin who is related to me back to our great-great-grandfather.  What does that make us fourth cousins or something like that? Anyway I emailed her a few years ago to find out if we were related not knowing that she was the one that traced the Nightingale family tree. She is about four months younger than me and lives in Colorado. Anyway when she replied to my email she asked me if I still lived in Gig Harbor, Washington. I was really surprised by that question because I didn’t think she even really knew who I was.

I have friends who have gone back to like their family tree where coming to America being a pilgrim. Quite amazing to think people can go back that far. In fact I read about a lady in the local paper where she traced her family back before Jesus Christ and the New Testament. She was able to find that her family was back in the times of early Egypt. My Nightingale family was traced back to the early 1500s. Most of these five hundred years has been in England. My grandfather was born in Nebraska however he was raised in England. His father and family returned to England shortly after he was born. He came back to the United States after graduating from college. My grandmother who was born in Nebraska as well grew up there too. They got married in British Columbia, Canada before settling in Bremerton, Washington. This was before my dad was born in Seattle and raised in Tacoma. During my dad’s youth grandfather bought the property in Gig Harbor that housed a cabin before it became a house after I and my younger brother were born and we grew up at.

On the other hand if you have read early blogs my mother grew up in Edmonton, Alberta Canada. Her family on both sides of parents came to Canada much earlier than the Nightingale did to United States. My grandfather was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec. His grandfather was a colonel in the Canadian Army back in 1812. My grandfather was Scottish however I am not sure when his family migrated to Canada.

My grandmother was born and raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She came out west as a young teacher to take a job and that is how she ended up meeting my grandfather who came out to be a banker. Of course like many they struggled during the depression. Her family was in the United States after coming from England during the 1700s. Since her family was pro-British they went up and settled in Canada instead of staying in USA.

Like I said earlier we do have knowledge of United States and World History. Of course I have some knowledge of Canadian history as well. My mother spent time during World War 2 working as a young woman with the Canadian government so I have another perspective of that War along with World War One.

With search engines on the internet along with E-Books history is more at our fingers than ever before. All we have to enter a subject to find out all we want to know whether it has to do with current affairs or history.

I know in the future I would like to do some traveling around the United States and the world. Of course my health and bank account will determine where and how much time will be spent. There are many people writing blogs about travel and I hope to be able to do that to as well. I haven’t looked it up at this point however I am sure there are a lot of people writing blogs about history as well. In some respects my blog here I write some about history especially about my life and memories along with my family. I am sure you have all enjoyed my writings. I recommend that if you have come aboard recently go back and read my posts over the last twenty-months or so.

Anyway when you find the time to do so if you haven’t done already I recommend that spend time looking at history. Who knows maybe you can write a blog like me. I am sure everyone will enjoy it as much as you do mine. Everyone have a great weekend.