Throughout human history, few things have remained as personal and powerful as the signature. Whether written with ink, stamped with a seal, or typed with digital encryption, a signature stands as a testament to identity and agreement. But where did the idea of signing your name come from and how did it evolve? In thisContinue reading “The Enduring Mark: Exploring Ancestral Signatures”
Author Archives: Dale Spaulding
From the Frontier Files: The Story of Buckskin Johnny Spaulding
Do you ever get envious of someone with a really cool call sign or nickname? The movie Top Gun immediately comes to mind with the naval aviator characters of Maverick, Iceman, and Viper. Let me introduce you to man who lived back in the 1800s with an equally cool nickname—“Buckskin Johnny” Spaulding. Buckskin Johnny is a distantContinue reading “From the Frontier Files: The Story of Buckskin Johnny Spaulding”
A Family’s Fight: The Spauldings at Gettysburg
July 1-3, 1863 marked the turning point in the American Civil War. In a small town in central Pennsylvania, a massive force of Union and Confederate troops clashed at a place called Gettysburg. Gettysburg was the “High Water Mark” of the Confederate Army’s penetration into the north. The fate of the republic was at stake – ifContinue reading “A Family’s Fight: The Spauldings at Gettysburg”
The Arrival Debate
This is the immigration story of my 9th great-grandfather, Edward Spalding (1601-1669), the progenitor of the Massachusetts branch of the Spalding/Spaulding family, and the first to bring the surname from England to the New World.1 Arrival Theories Historical and genealogical research is exhilarating, challenging, and yes at times, frustrating. New evidence is discovered each year,Continue reading “The Arrival Debate”
Purple Heart Stories
The Purple Heart is a military decoration awarded to U.S. Armed Forces personnel wounded or killed in action. The Purple Heart is the nation’s oldest military award first introduced by General George Washington in August 1782 as the “Badge of Military Merit” towards the end of the American Revolution. Inexplicably, Washington’s Badge of Military MeritContinue reading “Purple Heart Stories”
Combating the Fugitive Slave Act: The Story of Congressman Rufus Spalding
April 9, 2025 marks the 160th anniversary of the end of the American Civil War. That event began a long period of healing and restoration for our Republic. President Lincoln declared an end to slavery by signing the Emancipation Proclamation two years earlier in 1863. But it wasn’t until the passing of the 13th Amendment (Abolition ofContinue reading “Combating the Fugitive Slave Act: The Story of Congressman Rufus Spalding”
The Soldiers Home
On July 21, 1930, President Herbert Hoover signed Executive Order 5298 which consolidated three agencies managing veterans affairs into a single organization called the Veterans Administration (VA). The VA then began to serve the five million veterans of World War I, over 200,000 of which were wounded and/or disabled.1 So, how did the United StatesContinue reading “The Soldiers Home”
Are You Related to a U.S. President?
A cousin of mine recently asked if our family was related to any U.S. Presidents. Great question – right? In this month’s Fortitude post, I share what I discovered when diving deeper into that question and how you can unearth your family connections to former presidents. The 2024 population of United States is over 337 million.1 AccordingContinue reading “Are You Related to a U.S. President?”
Don’t Call That Sailor Mister
I’d like to introduce to you Florence Wilhelmina Momberger (1896-1991), my great-aunt. Florence was a World War I Navy veteran, a deputy sheriff, and a leader in the community of veterans. Here’s the remarkable story of this one tough lady. Florence was born on May 10, 1896 in Hamburg, New York just south of Buffalo inContinue reading “Don’t Call That Sailor Mister”
Navy Jargon – You Got The Gouge!
Military life brings with it a distinctive set of phrases that new recruits must quickly learn. In addition to the countless number of acronyms (alphabet soup), there’s a unique jargon that comes with each branch of the service. After serving 22 years in the U.S. Navy, it took me several years to “talk like aContinue reading “Navy Jargon – You Got The Gouge!”