Tomorrow, Thursday August 11, 2016 I will travel up the Big Thompson Canyon to Estes Park to present a program to the genealogical society there. I have always enjoyed the times I have spoken there. The ride up into the Rocky Mountains is gorgeous and the people are so nice. This year I hesitated because Highway 34 is under construction once again, but I have been checking CDOT and all looks well for tomorrow. Maybe a few one lane areas to go thru but I will allow plenty of time.
The subject is Connecting Ancestors and History. The picture above has nothing to do with the story of my ancestors in Bloody Kansas, 1854-1859. It is the opening slide because it shows 103 historical people -- and all of our ancestors were somewhere in the world of history when they lived. I like to look at the picture and see how many I can name. It is sort of a mind relaxer.
The story is of my Meech ancestors that lived in Kansas before it became a state in 1861 and were in the state in the pre-civil war era that was Bloody Kansas. It is so interesting to discover what was going on at the time any of my ancestors lived in any particular place. My great grandmother Faithy Ellen Meech Craig was the daughter of Dennis and Margaret Meech. Dennis and Margaret raised my grandfather, Claude Craig, after his mother died in 1888. Dennis and Margaret were in Kansas before June 1860.
Now I can understand the events going on around them and appreciate their survival skills so that many descendants can be here today.
And we cannot forget that in 1976 the Big Thompson canyon was flooded with what was called a 100 year flood. I will not forget it as it was catastrophic and many lives were lost --- and Highway 34 was under construction to make it flood proof. But the flood of 2013 proved that it was not successful so another construction project is under way. Adding to the story that there is never anything new under the sun.
Over and out from your humble correspondent, Patj
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