Dear Cousins! I have returned from the Eastern verge of civilization, and am back once again on the Western verge! I find it's always good to go away and always good to return home once again. This trip was special for several reasons: First, our new baby in Maryland, born on my birthday. Then, the trip enabled me to meet with several persons I hadn't met before, but wanted very much to see, and finally, the ostensible purpose, to attend the GENTECH 2002 convention! Victoria, our baby, is wonderful. Of course! What a joy for a Grandma whose other two grandchildren are in Australia. It was nice to visit with my wonderful daughter Andrea and my wonderful son-in-law Daniel. (They're a matched set, the three of them!) I also got to see my son Doug and daughter-in-law Lynn. While still in Maryland, one big present was getting to meet one of our newer list members, Cousin John O. Pennington. I had hoped to do more research, but wasn't feeling up to par so meeting John made up for some of the missed agenda. Also got a chance to visit my long time co-searcher Sybil Hampton. On up to Boston, and the convention, then a chance to meet our Cousin Isabel and hubby Dick for Maine Lobstah! I spend two of the most lovely days with them. Another cousin, Ric Blake and his wife Dianne, whom I've been hoping to meet for several years now drove me around Boston and then on up to Iz and Dick's place. Folks, genealogy is most about just this: meeting relatives and making connections with real people. What a complete joy. This trip has provided me with family connection, networking, and the meaning of community: Everything I've hoped to promote with American Crossroads. It's been one of my happiest in a very long time. At the convention I gave my speech on the "State of State of the Art." It's a much needed topic. It is increasingly clear to me that the state of the art is pretty poor in our sphere of interest: Genealogy, History, and Technology. The internet has provided access to so many resources and possibilities, but people are not learning how to employ old standards within the new technologies to evolve new methodologies. How to improve? GENEALOGY: Improve the state of the art by employing more History (local, regional) in one's search. Copying down names, dates, and events for one surname does not produce the results one needs when in pursuit of the elusive frontierspeople from which most of us seem to descend. When we study details about the other people of the regions, their motivations (and records) become clearer. Isabel has loaned me several books, and one illustrates this concept: Petter Stebbins Craig's book "The 1693 Census for Swedes on the Delaware." This book spells out and interweaves the genealogy and history of this unique area which spawned so many of us. The online pages of the Swedish Colonial Society has much to offer that emulates the tenor of the book. http://www.colonialswedes.org/ http://www.colonialswedes.org/Forefathers/FFPro.html You may also find it interesting to visit the Historic Elk Landing site for ideas about your own local preservation efforts, and the need to search out local history in order to find your roots. John Hans Steelman was an early hunter and trader. Some of the Hollingsworths, who lived nearby, were among those migrating to Virginia, the Carolinas, and on, always on. http://www.elklanding.org/ http://www.trellis.net/steel/steelman/johnhan.htm HISTORY: I think "Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways," by David Hackett Fischer is an excellent example of how including genealogy in writing history would provide a more accurate picture of the topic. For instance in Albion's Seed, the Delaware River "folkway" is very skewed, as Fischer seems to have forgotten the impact of the Swede/Finns, the Germans, the Dutch and many other central Europeans. Again, in following the "Scotch Irish" into the Virginia backcountry Fischer ignores the same infusion of these "Others" on the "folkway." Genealogical studies would have pointed up his fallacies. TECHNOLOGY: There is so much wrong with the state of the art in technology, it's hard to know where to begin. I believe that the worst is the continual focusing on software which merely herds lineage based families into one "improved, updated " (read more expensive) version after another. Best is the the "Deed Mapper" type software which enables us to plot with accuracy where our ancestors lived and their proximity to people and places which gives us added, needed insight into fresh interpretations about them. These ideas will be expanded over the next month or so while I try to improve communication about the focus and goals of American Crossroads. I hope to be able to undertake more articles in other mediums, establish a newsletter or some other type of American Crossroads publication, and possibly even begin undertaking other speaking engagements. If you have suggestions, on any of these ideas, especially speaking opportunities, Iz will tell you, if you make lobster and Indian Corn Pudding, I will come! Love, your Grateful Cousin, Carolyn Carolyn McDaniel cmacdee@centurytel.net ========================================= To subscribe to the American Crossroads Discussion List: Send a message to: AMXROADS-L-request@rootsweb.com with the single word subscribe in the body of the message --- Visit American Crossroads --- http://freepages.history.rootsweb.com/~amxroads