Is Social History Real Research?

 

 

 

Google AI says: Social history studies the everyday lives, experiences, and cultures of ordinary people, focusing on social structures, class, gender, and community rather than just elites or politics, often called "history from below". It explores how societies function through the perspectives of different groups, examining work, family, belief, and culture, using diverse sources like diaries, newspapers, and material artifacts to bring the past to life and understand societal change from the ground up. 

Social History is learning what our ancestors did and did not do. What they wore and why. What they ate and why. Why they feared bathing. Why they believed the homilies they recited. Why they moved to and/or lived where they lived. What sort of shoes did they have? Did colonial women smoke?  How did they cope with pain? What was share-cropping?

Amazon offers hundreds of books on this subject; just type in "social history California" or your state. Or just type those words into Google. 

If you're not satisfied with only knowing the names-dates-places for your ancestors, and what to know who they were, then dig into the social history of their lives and times. 

Sunset Highway.... Spokane to Seattle

 

Did you know that one of Washington's first cross-state highways, the Sunset Highway, provided the first automobile route over the Cascade Mountains? When it opened in 1915, the highway largely followed the route of an Indian trail that had been developed into a wagon road. The Sunset Highway changed designations a number of times over the years.... being known as Highway #2, U.S. 10 and Interstate 90. The route serves as the primary east-west route in Washington." So states the HistoryLink article by Jennifer Ott.

As early as 1853, a passable route over Snoqualmie Pass was becoming a necessity. There were several trails connecting points in Washington, but the Cascades were a major headache to cross. By 1867, a wagon road was open from North Bend to Easton. A 1906 report emphasized the importance of such a route, calling it "the most important trans-mountain road projected." 

The 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition's transcontinental auto race form New York to Seattle underscored the urgent need for better roads. During the race, cars were frequently bogged down in mud, particularly along some sections over Snoqualmie. 

By 1913, the Sunset Highway was designated as a primary state route and on July 1, 1915, it was officially opened. But what did it look like then compared to today??

I've been state-crossing in I-90 since 1954 and I can tell you that without a doubt there has not been a single year without road construction! The route is getting busier and busier and better and better all the time. 

And by-the-by, it's Sno-qual-mie NOT NOT  Sno-qual-a-mie. 

DAR....What's In It For ME?

 

"The DAR of our grandmothers has grown and flourished. Inspired by our Founders, we are celebrating history while shaping the future." So stated an email message from DAR headquarters inviting me into membership. 

The email went on to extole and explain:

*DAR member achieved 7.4 million service hours to their communities in 2024.

*DAR is heavily involved and promoting the America 250! celebrations nationwide.

*DAR gave a $2 million contribution to help preserve Washington DC's iconic cherry trees.

*DAR's Patriots of Color Database now featured on the 10 Million Names project, providing public access to research on those of African descent who lived in pre- and post-colonial America.

*DAR donated $250,000 to the Military Women's Memorial.

And the list went on for a full page. 

Did you know there are 36 DAR chapters in Washington State? Surely there is one in or near your town. Click to www.dar.org/national-society/become-member-chapters to find one.

If you've been doing family history for most any time at all, and if you have Colonial era ancestors, you do most likely qualify for DAR membership. You most likely do have a patriot ancestor. Be proud to recognize your connection! 

An Apple A Day?

 

David Benscoter is a pomologist on a mission. That means he studies fruits and in his case, his passion is apples. 

He's given several presentations in the area, and I enjoyed learning about his apple passion at a Westerners meeting in November, 2025. 

David explained that by the early 1900s, there were over 17,000 cultivars of apples in North America. A "named cultivar" is any apple someone thought was good enough to give a name to after immigrants first came to North America. But unfortunately, over 12,000 of those apples are lost and probably extinct today, he told us. 

In his 2024 book, Lost Apples: The Research for Rare & Heritage Apples in the Pacific Northwest, Benscoter states "When the earliest settlers reached Washington, Idaho and Oregon, one of the first things they did was plant apple trees. They knew each apple tree planted had a specific purpose. Some apples ripened early and could be enjoyed in the middle of summer. Fall apples were especially good for canning or drying while late fall apples kept well in the cellar until the next spring."

For over a decade, Benscoter has searched out old homesteads.... old apple trees.... wanting to resurrect some of the lost apples. And he has succeeded in identifying (by DNA) some 1623 previously-lost varieties. He said that evening that he's still on the hunt. 

"Did you know," he said, "that the Spokane Beauty apple was introduced about 1900 by a WSU nurseryman? This was a big commercial success. Cosmic Crisp is one of the newest varieties to come out of WSU."

David ended his excellent presentation with a quote from Henry David Thoreau: "Surely, the apple is the noblest of fruits."

Dead Fred..... A Delightful Website

 

What can you do here? "Trace your roots for free with our searchable dtabase containing thousands of identified and mystery photos for genealogy enthusiasts looking for long-lost family." Wowsers, indeed!

Did you catch the word "free?" And could you read the fine print under the photo? 23,659 surnames, 163,161 records 

At this really fun website (and it's FREE to use, remember) you can search photos and post photos. I searched for the surname "Gurney," and there was one entry, for baby Forrest Gurney. I don't know where he fits into my tree, but I'll be looking. 

Do check out www.DeadFred.com.  You'll be glad you did.

Baby Names..... Opinion, Please?

 

One of my favorite things to do is, when I spot a nametag showing a most unusual name, I'll ask that person, "How did your mother come up with such an unusual name?" And most usually they know! And are happy to share their story.

Besides the baby girl names listed above, Google helped me find rare baby girl names: Perach,  Phannie,  Salomi,  Megara,  Caliste,  Lune,  Zixuan and Darana. (Yes, these were really-used names.)

Baby boy names weren't much better:  "Nicodemo,  Cathan,  Finian,  Prentice,  Lazare,  Sophus, Thorley and Negasi. 

Google also found the best exotic baby boy names:  Amari,  Daxton,  Kairo,  Ryker,  Zephyr, Bodhi,  Jaxon and Koa. 

Overall, would you choose one of these baby names:  Akira,  Averill,  Sky,  Cayson,  Petronilla,  Osbert, Vidura,  Finrod,  Ares, Jovan,  Nyx or Caiman. 

Personally, I'm watching out for names from Star Trek or Deep Space Nine:  Odo,  Kira,  Nerys, Quark, Ezri,  Nog,  Dax, Dukat or Sisko. 

So far my great-grandchildren have pretty standard names. What about YOUR grandchildren? And do you know the reason your mother chose YOUR name? 

Ken Burns American Revolution

 

The 12-hour, 6-part, series telling the background, history and story of the American Revolution was surely one of Ken Burns' best efforts. It first aired in November, 2025. This was an university-level presentation and one that really needs to be watched a second, or third, time to fully grasp the whole story. And every American should know this story. 

There was so much more to this story than men-painted-like-Indians-dumping-tea-in-Boston-Harbor. Perhaps that's the highlight taught in grade school. To quote Burns' words, given in a September 2025 interview with David Leonhardt:

"I'm just offering a good story. I'm not offering it as anything other than an attempt to tell a complicated story, to make it come alive and to suggest that maybe it's possible to coalesce around the complexity of our origin story..... to revel in it, rather than reduce it to something binary and simple."

"Within that complexity, it may be possible to draw people to the ironies, the tragedies, the exultant ideas. Because this....the American Revolution.... is the most important event in world history since the birth of Christ. Period. Full stop. And I'll defend that. Because for the first time, there was possibility, even for those who did not yet have ownership of themselves. And to me, that is the essence of the liberating story of the American Revolution."

Yes, those are big words and deep thoughts. But that IS the story of America's Revolution. I encourage you to watch it, perhaps twice.