What I Did On My Summer Vacation: Pittsburgh and Steubenville, Part 2

 

The Cathedral of Learning at the University of Pittsburgh, seen from the Carnegie Library's Main Branch

 

After one last trip down The Strip – and a stop in the candy shop – my parents and sister headed back to Philadelphia and left me behind.Why? I’d planned an additional few days in the area to conduct some family history research, knowing that despite how close Pittsburgh and Philly are on a map, the logistics of getting and staying there meant research trips weren’t easy to just make happen. Getting to Steubenville, 45 minutes west of downtown Pittsburgh, nearer to Wheeling and Weirton, WV, would mean even more effort from Philly, but would be easy to do since I was already in the area. In fact, that was the purpose of my extended stay.

What I Did On My Summer Vacation: Pittsburgh and Steubenville, Part 1

 

View from the Monongahela Incline

It’s been quiet around here, I know, but I’ve actually managed to do a fair amount of research behind the scenes these past few months – what else are weekends for? Throw in a vacation or two and a girl can learn a lot! In fact, I just returned yesterday from a trip to western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio to learn more about my Whaley roots. And in the spirit of back-to-school season, here’s a “What I Did on My Summer Vacation” trip report.

San Diego Field Trip: The Whaley House!

Imagine this: You’re all the way across the country on a work trip, it’s your last day away from home, and you have a good few hours to pass until you have to head back to the airport. So you pop onto the website of the local historic district to see if there’s anything of interest, and, holy crap, there is! There’s a historic house with your name on it. Literally.

 

Sounds far-fetched, right? But that’s exactly what happened to me this past Friday, the last day of a work trip to San Diego. You see, that city’s Old Town - known as the birthplace of the state of California - is the site of a building called The Whaley House.

A Washington Weekend: Family, Photos, and Old Family Homes

In my last post, I mentioned that I needed to plan a trip back down to Washington, DC to return some family history materials that had been loaned to me for digitization. Well, last weekend, we made it happen!

And who do I mean by “we?” Well, it wasn’t just me and the cousins I’d hung out with on my last visit (Barney, Shelia, and LaVerne) – it turned into a bit of a family affair. Not only did my mom come down with me, but my Aunt Sandra joined us, driving down from NY to Philly and then completing the ride with us. 

My mom and my aunt, on a bench in a park by their old stomping grounds in DC.

 

A Treasure Trove of Family and Community History

Family, I‘ve been in genealogy heaven for a little over a month now, and I have to tell you why! (Or, at least those of you who haven’t already been cornered by me. Sorry/Thanks!)

 

ONE stack of funeral programs from the Willie Mae Davis Allen Genealogical Collection, generously shared by Cousin Barney Allen.

Back in February, I had to head down to DC for a work event. Now, I love visiting DC for so many reasons – the museums, the libraries and archives, the architecture, the history, and just strolling through some of the fun and funky neighborhoods. But one of the best things about visiting the city is that I have family there, and a lot of it. You see, my mom was born in DC, and through her mother, father, and step-mother, there are cousins upon cousins upon first- and second- and half- and step- and twice- and thrice-removed cousins there. So, when I head down, I’ll often make an effort to hang with family.

Semi-Successful at Arlington National Cemetery

Memorial Ampitheater and Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Arlington National Cemetery. Photo Credit Below.

Last April, I had the opportunity to visit Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, VA to attend an event connected to one of my favorite aspects of my job: meeting members of Black descendant groups tied to the early history of our nation. In this case, I was heading down to attend a public ceremony at Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial, commemorating the ongoing reconciliation work being done between descendants of the Lee family and descendants of the enslaved Black men, women, and children who labored for them at Arlington House. They have titled themselves the Arlington House Family Circle, and it is absolutely worth looking up what they have been up to.