My Short Tenure at GenealogyWise

by Terry Thornton
email: hillcountrymonroecounty@gmail.com

UPDATE: PLEASE NOTE MY REMARKS AND UPDATE IN THE COMMENTS SECTION BELOW.

On July 10, 2009, I joined a new genealogy networking group called GenealogyWise.

On July 16, 2009, I resigned from the genealogy networking group called Genealogy Wise.

In between those dates, I had made contact with numerous other family historians, genealogists, and writers including almost forty from Mississippi all of whom were members of GenealogyWise. They and other members of the networking group were making rapid progress in forming groups and helpful links with each other.

During my time at GenealogyWise I posted three or four blogging articles which I believe helped some readers with specific issues about writing family history blogs. Certainly the numbers of comments and replies I received indicated that there were several in the networking group who read and benefited from my efforts.

During my time at GenealogyWise I read dozens of posts and articles by other writers and left comments scattered about the networking blogosphere.

During my time at GenealogyWise, ninety-eight other people became affiliated with me through the "Friends" function of that networking group.

During my time at GenealogyWise I joined fifteen other specific groups and participated in the discussions at several. The Mississippi Roots group was really beginning to take off as were several others which I joined.

During my time at GenealogyWise I formed the HOGS BOGGERS Group and invited individuals to join --- and seventy-two (at last count) did so. We were just beginning to take off and soar. The Hogs Bloggers Group was often the daily most active group at GenealogyWise.

Today I deleted my blogs articles at GenealogyWise, removed myself from all of the groups I'd joined, abandoned close to a hundred Friends I had there, pushed the button to delete the HOGS BLOGGERs Group and all of the comments and suggestions from the seventy-two members there, and then I removed myself from GenealogyWise.

All because of censorship. Not because GenalogyWise implied that my writings were disrespectful and bashing --- but because of simple censorship.

Yesterday GenealogyWise announced plans for a contest with cash prizes to be awarded to the member with the most numbers. I wrote a critical piece about such a contest based upon numbers and posted it at the Discussion Forum. Last evening the article was receiving one comment after another. The GenealogyWise representative (or a person who represented themselves to me as being on the staff at GW) wrote me several messages soliciting my input into the contest. I responded and sent specific suggestions which were announced today when the contest rules were changed.

While GW was busy changing the rules of the contest and incorporating all of the suggestions I made and announcing their new contest, they were also busy with censorship. My critical post, all of the comments, and all of the replies I'd made to the comments were removed without notice in an action that can only be called censorship.

Today someone named Nathan from GenealogyWise posted a comment to my replacement article on the Discussion Forum implying that I was disrespectful and bashing.

I've lived ten days shy of seventy years and never have I been accused of disrespectful and bashing in the same breath.

I resigned from GenealogyWise and cannot recommend that genealogy networking service to anyone. You'll not catch me going there again.

And, yes, the comments feature is open on this post. And, no, I'll not censure any of the comments.

© 2009. William T. "Terry" Thornton, Fulton, Mississippi. All Rights Reserved.

New Search Feature --- Its LIJIT

by Terry Thornton
email: hillcountrymonroecounty@gmail.com

I've recently added a new search box at HILL COUNTRY OF MONROE COUNTY MISSISSIPPI which seems to find people, places, and events of which I've written better than any search feature I've tried. It is the LIJIT Search Box.

You will find the LIJIT Search Box currently in the upper left side bar of my home page at HILL COUNTRY. Yes, I know it doesn't fit the space just yet but it is most functional as is. (The good folks at LIJIT are helping me to figure out why their box doesn't all show. If we can't "fix it" the LIJIT Search Box will be moved to the bottom of my home page eventually.)

Please try the LIJIT Search if you need to quickly search all of the articles at HILL COUNTRY for a specific person or a specific place or a specific event. I am amazed at how well this new feature searches the almost 1200 articles at HILL COUNTRY and gives a link to the articles one needs to see.

I hope to add the LIJIT Search Box to all twelve of my blogs.

To use the LIJIT Search, type in the key words on the search bar line and hit enter (or hit the green search button of which only a portion shows in my current layout). A separate window will appear with links to all on my articles containing your search word(s). This feature is an excellent way to quickly find articles you remember reading at HILL COUNTRY but have forgotten where and when as well as to quickly search for a surname mention at HILL COUNTRY.

Try LIJIT. I think you'll agree that it is an asset to using HILL COUNTRY. If you publish a blog, you may wish to consider adding LIJIT to your site too.

Posted at HILL COUNTRY OF MONROE COUNTY MISSISSIPPI, at the HOGS BLOGGERS Discussion Forum at GenealogyWise, and as a blog at GenelogyWise.

UPDATE TO BLOG ARTICLE, Noon, Wednesday: The staff at LIJIT (primarily JJ --- "thanks JJ") worked until they got their search bar feature to fit the space on my blog layout. I was amazed that this group started immediately yesterday trying to correct the problem. Within minutes of my advising them of the issue, they responded. Late yesterday an attempt was made to reconfigure which failed --- and just now the LIJIT group corrected the problem. THANKS.

© 2009. William T. "Terry" Thornton, Fulton, Mississippi. All Rights Reserved.

Memorial Dedication Ceremony for Private Amos McKinney, 1st Alabama Cavalry USA

A photographic essay

by Terry Thornton
email: hillcountrymonroecounty@gmail.com

Saturday afternoon, June 11, 2009, I had the pleasure to attend a memorial dedication ceremony for Private Amos McKinney at Sykes Cemetery, in Decatur Alabama. Private McKinney (1834 - 1910) was born into slavery, volunteered and fought and was wounded in combat during the Civil War, and served as one of the few black soldiers in the primarily white unit, the First Alabama Cavalry USA. That unit was made up mostly of volunteers from northern Alabama --- and at least three of my relatives served in the 1st Ala Cav USA, two dying while in service.

Below is a brief look at the memorial dedication ceremony for Private McKinney.

Portion of crowd gathers prior to start of ceremony at Sykes Cemetery, Old Moulton Road, Decatur, Alabama.

Austin High School ROTC Color Guard prepares as trumpet player stands at the ready.

Reenactors in period costume were scattered throughout the audience.

Welcoming remarks were made by the Reverend Dr. Wylheme H. Ragland.

The invocation was given by the Reverend Edward Owens.

Greetings and a resolution were read by the Honorable Mayor of the City of Decatur, Mr. Don Stanford.

Color guard and the Pledge of Allegiance by members of the Austin High School ROTC.

"Steal Away" was sung a cappella by baritone Floyd L. Jones, Jr. His rendition of this grand old song was one of the most emotional performance I've ever heard. It was wonderful.

Recognition of local dignitaries by Peggy Allen Towns. Mrs. Towns was the primary organizer of the event. It was because of her effort that the previously unmarked grave of Amos McKinney was located.

A brief history of the First Alabama Cavalry USA was provided by reenactor Ryan Dupree. Dupree publishes the excellent web site, First Alabama Cavalry USV (click to view).

United States Colored Troop historical moments was presented by a member of the 13th United States Colored Troops, reenactor Norm Hill.

Author Juanita Moss discussed black soldiers who served in white regiments. Mrs. Moss has researched this topic thoroughly and has published a book on the subject.

First Alabama USA reenactor Ryan Dupree fills in for Glenda McWhirter Todd and read her prepared remarks about Amos McKinney and his military unit. Mrs. Todd, author of First Alabama Calvary USA: Homage to Patriotism became ill and had to cancel her talk at the last minute.

Mrs. Towns recognizes members of the McKinney family in the audience.

Some members of the McKinney family prepare to unveil the monument.

Amos McKinney's military marker and two of his descendants.

The dedication prayer was provided by the Reverend Dr. Ragland.

The salute with muskets was provided by reenactors from the First Alabama Cavalry USA.

Another view of the troopers providing a musket salute.

The benediction was given by the Reverend Owens.

A farewell statement was provided by a reenactor (name not obtained).

At the close of the services, members of the 13th USA Colored Troops gathered at Private McKinney's grave and newly installed monument, and sang songs of praise and farewell.

Thanks to son William T. "Teb" Thornton, Jr., for going with me to Decatur today for this event. His assistance is most appreciated.

Heritage and history BEING destroyed --- A MUST READ ARTICLE AT DEEP FRIED KUDUZ

Yesterday's link to Ginger's article about the possibility of the destruction of an important historical site in Alabama has generated a lot of concern. But folks if the notion that the destruction of this Indian mound was just a possibility bothered you, Ginger's post today updating the situation will make you ill --- see the sad report with photographs at her blog, Deep Fried Kudzu and judge for yourself if a landmark historical site is being ruined for all time.

If I get confirmation that the dirt is indeed being used as landfill for a new Sam's Club, I will henceforth boycott Sam's Club and cancel my membership there.

That link again to Ginger's report is http://www.deepfriedkudzu.com/2009/07/oxford-alabama-destroying-1500-year-old.html

Read it and weep.

From MONROE JOURNAL, July 8, 2009: My First Picnic

Because of an eye problem, Terry Thornton's Hill Country this week is one of his favorite posts from his blog, Hill Country of Monroe County, Mississippi. The column today was originally published online on July 30, 2008. Thornton hopes to resume his regular columns in August.

MY FIRST PICNIC

by Terry Thornton

The first picnic I ever went on was an arranged affair by my mother and the mother of a kid I didn't know, Paul Ray Parham. At the time Paul Ray was six years old, I was five, and my brother Sherman was seven. Somehow our mothers got together and decided that if we were all going to school together, we should get to know each other.

So they arranged a picnic --- a picnic for three boys.

But first, for me at least, someone had to define what a picnic was. I'd never been to one. Oh, I'd been to family reunions and ate at the kids table which was sometimes set up on the porch or even under a shade tree, but it was food off a table. And I'd been to all-day-singings with dinner on the grounds but that involved a lot of folks eating and praying and singing and trying to eat outdoors without getting dirty. But I didn't have a clue as to what a picnic was or how it would work.

"Picnic" was defined, and although I was somewhat skeptical as to why we would want to take our food in a basket and go somewhere and spread it on the ground and eat it, I agreed to go.

On the appointed day Paul Ray arrived at our house with a container of his picnic stuff. I think Sherman already knew him but it was my first time to be in the presence of Paul Ray.

I think all three of us guys just wanted to hang around the house and have someone serve us --- but eventually we were shooed out the door and told to go where ever we wished and spread our picnic and eat it. We had the entire backyard and all the world to walk to with our picnic.

Paul Ray and Sherman suggested we go completely out of sight of the house --- and we walked down across the garden and orchard and into the edge of a field owned by John Sharp Parham. We found along the edge of that field a washed out spot. The location was not a ravine nor a gulley but had hallmarks of both --- it was a spot where all the topsoil had washed away exposing the dark red clay found in much of the Hill Country.

We decreed the spot perfect for our picnic because no one could see us from any direction. We opened our picnic baskets and started to spread out our food on the tablecloth as we had been instructed when Paul Ray asked, "Wanna a cigarette?"

So we had a smoke before our picnic.

We ate some of the picnic foods our mothers had prepared, but mainly we smoked Paul Ray's cigarettes. We declared them good --- we thought we were grown.

I don't have any memory of the foods we ate on that picnic --- but I remember those cigarettes well. I never think of picnics without wanting a smoke.

Paul Ray Parham [1938 - 2006] and I graduated in the same class at Hatley School; we went into the army at the same time to Fort Jackson SC for basic training in 1957. We were the only two members of our graduating class at Hatley not expelled from school one day during our senior year. But that is a story for another time.

Everyone needs a childhood friend like Paul Ray Parham.

Since that first picnic in 1944 I've done out-door dining with family and friends in a variety of places and settings but none compares with my smoker picnic, my first picnic.

Terry Thornton is a retired college administrator and former Amory Middle School principal who resides in Fulton. He can be contacted at his blog Hill Country of Monroe County or at hillcountrymonroecounty@gmail.com.