The beginnings of the known story about my 5th great-grandparents originates in Fishkill, NY. Fishkill is a town in the mid-Hudson River part of New York state. The records we have show that Primus and Parmelia Storms traveled to Vermont with Parmelia’s enslaver, Platt Rogers. Platt – with the help of Primus – founded the town of Basin Harbor, Vermont. But we don’t know much … Continue reading Fishkill, NY Trip – The Storm Slave Cemetery
I’ve had this site for some years but never promoted it. Omeka is a free, open-source platform that allows you to display collections as well as stories that explain the collections. I use it in the opposite manner – I tell stories and add documents or videos to support the stories. If you visit ‘We Never Left’, you can download the photos and documents that … Continue reading Check out my Omeka Site!!
Susanna Toney was born around 1789 in Barre, MA to Abraham Toney and his wife Mary Harry. She was commonly known as Susan. Barre was and is a small rural farming community just northwest of Worcester. Her mother, Mary Harry, was part of the Narragansett tribe and her father, Abraham, was a Black man born free in Upton, MA to free parents. Upton was another … Continue reading The Root Doctress
On May 31, 2021, William Francis Shepard, Jr was remembered and honored by the City of Worcester for his sacrifice during World War I. The ceremony took place at his gravesite in Hope Cemetery. William was born in Worcester, MA on 15 April 1899 to Mabel and William Shepard, Sr. William, Sr was the 2nd son of Jeremiah James Shepard of Monson, MA and Nipmuc … Continue reading Remembering the Sacrifice of William Francis Shepard, Jr.
Thank you for following along this month and reading the short sketches of everyday Black citizens of the city of Worcester. Our ancestors lived through times that we cannot imagine and survived for us. They hoped for the future we have now. We are the answers to their prayers. Continue reading Black History Month
As the image above states, Amos Webber was born a free Black man in 1826 Attleborough, PA. His parents were Samuel Webber and Fannie Johnson. In the 1852, he married Elizabeth Douglas. Around the same time, he began keeping a series of diaries which he called Thermometer books. Each day he recorded the temperature and other weather conditions in the books. He also commented on … Continue reading “We All Got History”
Sunday nights as a teenager was spent watching “The Jeffersons” on CBS. The show premiered in 1975 and lasted 11 seasons. But never, until a few short years ago, did I know that the actress that played Mother Jefferson was born and raised in the same town as me. Zara Frances Cully was born on 26 Jan 1892 to Nora Gilliam and Ambrose Cully both … Continue reading Mother Jefferson
Cheryll Toney Holley 