NOTE from Dale (Fortitude Blogger): I’m excited to introduce my cousin Karen Aumond, our guest blogger for this month. In this post, she chronicles her 2024 journey to Washington D.C. to hold a piece of family history that is 170 years old. It was an opportunity of a lifetime – enjoy the story! I amContinue reading “Holding History: My Visit to the Smithsonian to see Addison Spaulding’s Artificial Leg Model”
Tag Archives: Spaulding
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?”
Coach Bill Spaulding – An American Football Pioneer
NOTE from Dale (Fortitude Blogger): Some of my most enjoyable moments of researching family history occur when I meet distant cousins and hear ancestral stories they’ve discovered. One of these distant cousins, Dr. Scott Spaulding of Wisconsin, is my guest blogger this month. Dr. Spaulding is a lifelong entrepreneur, innovator in the veterinary profession, and passionateContinue reading “Coach Bill Spaulding – An American Football Pioneer”
Harvard Naval Radio School in WW1
When I examine Harvard University through political lens today, I don’t perceive an ardent support of the United States military. Writing for History News Network, Richard F. Miller discusses reasons why in his article titled, Why Don’t Harvard Graduates Join the Military Anymore.1 This, however, wasn’t always the case at Harvard. During World War I, HarvardContinue reading “Harvard Naval Radio School in WW1”
Andersonville: Walking in Our Ancestor’s Footsteps
NOTE from Dale: I launched the Fortitude Blog in 2021, and this month, I’m thrilled to introduce my first guest blogger. Clare Cory is the great-great-granddaughter of Civil War veteran, SGT Dewitt C. Spaulding. SGT Spaulding kept a personal diary during the Civil War from August 1861 to December 1864. Here’s SGT Spaulding’s compelling storyContinue reading “Andersonville: Walking in Our Ancestor’s Footsteps”
A 400 Year Legacy of Faith
Last month (May 2024) marked the two-year anniversary of the publishing of my book, Fortitude: Preserving 400 Years of an American Family’s Faith, Patriotism, Grit and Determination. In the course researching and writing the book, I noted several ancestral attributes consistent throughout the centuries. As I reflected on the stories I’ve discovered, several words describing the characterContinue reading “A 400 Year Legacy of Faith”
Repatriation: The Bodies of War
May is an introspective month on the calendar each year in the United States as it concludes with Memorial Day. As I reflect on Memorial Day this year, my thoughts take me back to World War I. This month’s post wasn’t easy to write, and may not be comfortable to read, but it’s a storyContinue reading “Repatriation: The Bodies of War”
The Typhus Miracle
Cold and flu season is finally behind us. Did you catch a cold, the flu, or perhaps even COVID 19 or RSV this winter? So many of us did. And when you get sick, the search is on for anything that will help relieve your symptoms and fast-track you to recovery. We are blessed withContinue reading “The Typhus Miracle”
An American Blacksmith
If you could travel back in time to the early 19th century and choose an occupation in your small town, what would it be? Would you espouse to be a farmer, pastor, grocer, teacher, barber, tailor, or perhaps a cobbler? I think I would follow the path of my 2nd great-grandfather, William Sidney Spaulding, andContinue reading “An American Blacksmith”