“Mr. James don’t want nobody up there.” Russellville, Alabama is in the northwest corner of the state. It’s where my grandfather Morris, his father, his grandfather, and his great-grandfather had all been born. I’d heard about it ever since I was a kid, but I’d never been down to see it. The closest big airport to it is in Huntsville which is to the east and over an hour away. Huntsville is a major aerospace center, but even so, there are no direct flights to it from New York. They all go through Atlanta. We had decided to come down to Alabama to see a friend who’d just lost her wife, so I tacked on a few days beforehand.
What a fascinating and exciting narrative!! And what a spectacular find, discovering your great great great and great great grandparents!!
I lived in a small town in Vermont in the late sixties and early seventies. On “my” land, there was a very small Potter family cemetery. I have often wished I belonged to a family with a rich local history and a small family cemetery…
Interestingly, the person who now lives on that land is actually a potter!
My Irish roots tell of “thin places”. It seems you travelled to one and perhaps the joining of your and Robbie’s respect and interest in the past helped bridge between the worlds. We have to ground somewhere even if we travel. I am a bit sad that you had to create an illusion to feel safe. Maybe someday...here is hoping. Thanks for another great story.
What a fascinating and exciting narrative!! And what a spectacular find, discovering your great great great and great great grandparents!!
I lived in a small town in Vermont in the late sixties and early seventies. On “my” land, there was a very small Potter family cemetery. I have often wished I belonged to a family with a rich local history and a small family cemetery…
Interestingly, the person who now lives on that land is actually a potter!
Fascinating and so well told. So glad you persisted and now have and feel your connection to family and place even more.
Another fascinating story, Richard! All the side paths and story telling make for a gripping read! I see a play or movie in this. Xx
My Irish roots tell of “thin places”. It seems you travelled to one and perhaps the joining of your and Robbie’s respect and interest in the past helped bridge between the worlds. We have to ground somewhere even if we travel. I am a bit sad that you had to create an illusion to feel safe. Maybe someday...here is hoping. Thanks for another great story.