Writing about People from the Past is Fun
By Val
@valmnz (17097)
New Zealand
January 10, 2019 1:22pm CST
In an exchange of comments this morning I mentioned to @just4him that I never set out to become a local historian. I'm not trained in this field in any way, but have spent a lot of time researching and learning how to present my stories. Somehow I've become a local historian without meaning to.
The fun part is I've chosen to write social history stories, stories about people from the past who in their own way contributed to the growth and development of our city. Writing about people is fun.
In the first fifty years or so of our town newspapers reported in events in the most wonderful detail and this gives me lots of information on which to base my writing. I love learning about the little lesser known things that contribute to the bigger picture.
I am not really a historian, just someone obsessed with local past. Writing about people from the past is fun.
Photo above from Pixabay
16 people like this
15 responses
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
10 Jan 19
At the end of last year, I got an itch to look up things about my city. I searched onlne for the town minutes and simply put in a year "Winston Salem Town Minutes 1949" for instance. I found out some interesting things, and i was happy that I also go to see the Town Minutes for Old Salem.
I love learning this way, it makes the history more personal, more human.
3 people like this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
10 Jan 19
@valmnz I found one entry amusing. Apparently someone had brought up the necessity of lighting in an area of Old Salem (1700's) and the thing was not tended to for several years. Old Salem was a Moravian settlement.
2 people like this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
10 Jan 19
@ScribbledAdNauseum 
I discovered the street I lived in as a child had sewerage problems for many years. Letters to the Editor in the papers are my favourites
I discovered the street I lived in as a child had sewerage problems for many years. Letters to the Editor in the papers are my favourites1 person likes this
@pjmurphy (2499)
• United States
10 Mar 19
When I returned to live in the area near where I grew up someone gave me a paper from our local historical society about my great, great, great, great grandmother who had come in a wagon with her two children to live on a small farm about a mile from where I had built a home. Her husband had been killed in wartime I had never heard of her or her children until I read the story.
What you do sounds fascinating.
@andriaperry (117146)
• Anniston, Alabama
10 Jan 19
I bet no one would care about the people of this town
2 people like this
@ilocosboy (45156)
• Philippines
10 Jan 19
Just like you I have the obsession of the past, collecting vintage things and writing stories-- I'm not a historian too.
2 people like this
@responsiveme (22926)
• India
18 Jan 19
You are doing it with your heart and that makes all the difference
1 person likes this
@jstory07 (139996)
• Roseburg, Oregon
22 Jan 19
I know a lot of stories about people from the past I should write about them.
