Poem: Loni’s garden after the first frostThe first frost does more than lower the temperature. It changes the shape of a familiar place, turning green leaves brittle, silvering the grass, and leaving…Loni’s Photo Album: The Tidwell Church Picnic, 1947A photograph from a family album can preserve far more than a single afternoon. It can hold the appearance of a community, the habits of a church congregation,…Genealogy research: deciphering handwriting in old census formsOld census forms can turn a family history search into a close reading exercise. Names, ages, birthplaces, occupations, and relationships may appear in hurried…A Chronology of South Family Burials in Hickory Grove CemeteryHickory Grove Cemetery preserves more than names and dates. Its gravestones connect the South family to a particular place, to neighboring households, and to…A Morning Along the Telford Family FarmSome places remain in a family story because they are named in a deed, marked in a census, or preserved in a photograph. Others stay alive through sensation:…The Brighton Family Bible: Transcriptions and MarginaliaA family Bible can preserve a household’s history in several forms at once. Printed scripture provides the original setting, while handwritten entries record…Home exchange in France: lessons in hospitality from LoniA home exchange can begin as a practical arrangement: two households trade places, care for one another’s belongings, and discover a new region without staying…Using Probate Records to Trace the McCarthy Line in TennesseeProbate records can reveal family connections that never appear clearly in a census or vital record. A will may name children, spouses, grandchildren, and…Martha Tidwell Brighton, 1842–1915The obituary of Martha Tidwell Brighton, who lived from 1842 to 1915, preserves a small but meaningful piece of family history. Her name connects the Tidwell…Allen’s poem and the iron gate at Telford CemeteryAllen Hackworth’s poem about the iron gate at Telford Cemetery brings together two kinds of remembrance: the intimate memory carried by a family and the…