Tag: African American genealogy
Isaac Mason’s Escape Site Joins the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom
A Legacy of Self-LiberationIn May 2025, the U.S. National Park Service named the Isaac Mason Escape Site to its National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program, one of only 31 new listings nationwide. This is a powerful acknowledgment of the courage of Isaac Mason, a man born enslaved in Kent County who self-emancipated from slavery and later published his story here in Worcester, MA in … Continue reading Isaac Mason’s Escape Site Joins the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom
Slavery did Exist in New England
Slavery did exist here, both Africans and Indigenous peoples were enslaved. Written records online can be difficult to find though paper trails exist throughout the 6 states. Below are some statistics. Connecticut Rhode Island Vermont New Hampshire Maine Massachusetts 1754 Slave Census in Massachusetts In 1754, Governor William Shirley had ordered that an enumeration of all enslaved individuals, both male and female, over the age … Continue reading Slavery did Exist in New England
Reconstructing Family Trees Post-Emancipation
3 Key Steps After the 1870 Census After the Civil War, once enslaved Black families began to appear in U.S. federal records by name for the first time. The 1870 census is the earliest point where formerly enslaved people were recorded in a standardized, accessible way. That makes it a starting line for many researchers building African American family trees. But finding someone in 1870 … Continue reading Reconstructing Family Trees Post-Emancipation
Vergennes
This post has been sitting in my draft box for ages. I want to write about Vergennes from the point of view of my ancestors that lived there in the late 18th to late 19th centuries. But I never seem to get around to it. Recently, I saw a BETA test of an AI app in Ancestry.com. So I tried it and below is the … Continue reading Vergennes
Mason Family Bible Pages
I visited the National Archives last month and was able to see Lafayette Mason’s Civil War pension file in person. Although I have a copy of the bible pages, I had not before seen the actual pages that were torn from my ancestors’ bible for the pension application. I took photos (lots of photos) of the two pages and here they are below- Beautiful, aren’t … Continue reading Mason Family Bible Pages
Lafayette Mason
**My family and I owe a debt to researcher Greg Furness for much of the information that we have about Lafayette and his family. Thank you Mr. Furness!** My 4th great-grandfather was Lafayette Mason. Born in Ellenburg in Clinton County, NY on March 20, 1827 to William Mason and Diana Robinson. In 1846, at age 19, he married Mary E. Wheeler from Willsboro in Essex … Continue reading Lafayette Mason
Cheryll Toney Holley 