Anatomy of My First Kindle Book: All Eight Went (Getting Started)

1910-1911

All Eight Went

From the diaries of

ELOISE JAMESON . HETTY JOY JAMESON

BERNICE JAMESON TODD . HETTY JAMESON ELMORE

In 1977 I helped my grandmother edit a cherished bit of family history which culminated in the 224-page self-published paperback, All Eight Went. Grandma (Bernice Jameson Todd) provided family diaries, wrote pages of additional material to fill in the story, and answered my many questions as best she could after a lapse of 67 years. Her sister Adelaide Jameson David also supplied personal insights. I set the type and pasted up the pages, designed the cover and chapter titles, and wrote introductions for each country.

The first printing was about 200 copies, and I remember that Grandma was surprised when they were all sold and given away. One relative in particular liked to buy ten at a time and give them to friends. Soon they were all gone, and we discussed a second printing, but I don't remember if we actually printed more. I think we did. The only copy I have left is the faded cover you see above. I decided this year that it was time to digitize.

Fortunately I had kept the original paste-up boards through 36 years and countless moves. I found them on my bookshelf in a box originally made for selling a ream of paper. The box was the perfect size to hold this book, and it was all there and nicely protected. My first task was to scan everything to PDF files so I could copy the text into a Word file. I completed that over the last few weeks, proofed it for scanning mistakes (and typos in the original), formatted the text, and ran the spell-checker, which brought up interesting points in how people wrote back then vs. now. 

Most of the pages were still attached in their original 2-up signature format. In other words, page 75 might be followed by page 73 so the order would come out right when printed on both sides and cut for the book. The white scotch tape on most of the pages was still in place and flexible, but for some reason I'd had to use masking tape on the last part, and the masking tape was brittle now, so I removed it. That's why the last part is stacked as single pages. The cover you see in the box is one that was never used on a book and didn't fade.

I've gotten so used to digital type that it's fun to look back and see how we used to send things to the printer. This is strike-on type set on an IBM Selectric Composer, not the Selectric typewriter everyone used, but its upscale cousin that would do many of the things word processing programs do, only slower. We used "photo blue" (or maybe that should be "non-photo blue") pencil to draw the margins because the camera didn't see that shade of blue. You could even write notes in blue to yourself or to the printer. The pieces were hot-waxed on the back with a roller (blue wax was the best, again because it wouldn't show up when photographed onto a plate) and carefully positioned and burnished to the card-stock "boards." I was impressed that not a single piece had fallen off in 36 years.

Every one of the 143 photos was shot through a screen to create a halftone and pasted onto the page. This is what I have to work with next. I have to scan all the photos and figure out the best way to make captions for an e-book. I've read that the caption will often fall on another page from the photo if you don't connect them. Ugg. More learning curve. I've seen good text captions in e-books, but of course I don't know how they did it. Right now I'm using Cyberken Blog's info as a guide, and soon I'm going to have to read the guide on Smashwords. I don't mind doing the work, I just don't like having to figure it out. But it's a brave new world out there in digital publishing land, and I hope what I learn now will serve me well on the next phase of my journey.

My Web Page: Tapirback.com

Brattcat finds our Townshend ancestral home

Please check out the Brattleoro blog written by Brattcat for the source of the photo above. Brattcat researched the location of the William Howe and Hetty Leonard Joy home in Townshend, Vermont, and this became her photo for the day. More bits about the ancestors who lived there can be found in the comments section of her blog. Meanwhile, we sometimes just have to get back to work, and now is one of those times. I'm thrilled and grateful to Brattcat for sharing this photo!

"The lives - and remnants - of others"

This is not about my family, but it could be about anyone's family. The article appeared in a copy of last month's Oregonian. I found it while looking up an article from today on walruses. I'll have to stop by the location mentioned in the article the next time I'm in Portland. Sounds interesting to a family historian like myself, and a might-have-been archaeologist. "Archaeologist" was one of the occupations I had on my list in Junion High School for "What I want to be when I grow up." Nice article.

The Civil War Letters of Napoleon Bonaparte Hudson

Since postage stamps were few and far between at the front in the American Civil War, those in the military were allowed to write "Soldier's letter" on the envelope, and this would be treated the same as a stamp. The writing is Napoleon's.

Download PDF file [623 KB]
Transcriptions of letters, with maps and commentary

Download Napoleon B. Hudson's siblings and ancestry [13 KB]
FamilyTreeMaker chart

In the 1980s I was privileged to have come into possession of over 1,000 letters and documents written by and to, or saved by, my ancestors and their relatives during the 1800s and early 1900s. The discovery of these letters is a story in itself. After spending several years organizing and filing them, I began transcribing. They were so interesting that transcription led to research, not only of the family members and their genealogy, but of their locations, associates, and the periods in which they lived. I began printing this research for the family, but being so interested in the history and being a perfectionist at heart, the project grew and grew until I had stacks and files of reference material and, by comparison, not much edited into publishable form.

OK, this is not quite fair. I had edited 14 volumes, printed them and mailed them to a few family members, libraries, and museums. I had divided the material into folders and projected 50 volumes. I had become so enamored by the material and the characters, and what could be learned from the details as much as more than from an abridgement of the story, that I was unwilling to edit for length. I felt that the collection, which had, for the most part, been preserved in so glorious a sequence, seemed to have a life of its own. As its curator, I wanted to present it whole (in installments, fine, but not truncated) so it could be studied with all of its fascinating detail. There are always decisions to make. I agonized over whether it might not be best to abridge the letters and present the story. But somehow I could not imagine losing the detail and flavor that had made the writers of these letters come alive, and bring me into their time in a way I had never experienced in all my reading of history and historical novels. I wanted to share that. But I also didn't want my obsession to keep the material under wraps for who-knows-how-many more years.

At some point in the decision process, I began to compile Napoleon's letters. They were few by comparison, and the Civil War is a subject of huge interest in the US. It feels incomplete to present his thoughts without the intervening letters from his brothers and others in his life that round out the picture. I interjected some of the history and some quotes from these other letters, and then the project languished unfinished. But I feel the time has come.

Today I am posting an incomplete document, or fledgling book. These are the transcribed letters of a man who left no descendants. He was the brother of a man who married into my family, but not into my direct ancestry. Nathaniel Carlos Hudson, brother of Napoleon Bonaparte Hudson, married Helen Rosetta Joy, whose genealogy chart can be found elsewhere in this blog, and who was the sister of George Lewis Joy, my ancestor. [Also see Dirk Hudson's tree of the Hudson genealogy here.] Realizing that it will be years, if ever, before I complete this massive work, I want to make as much of it as possible available - incomplete or not - to those interested. I do not like producing flawed work that could contain misinformation, so the decision to begin posting the material was difficult. However, even more than that, I dislike the idea of hoarding documents that others might want to read. I've proof-read the transcriptions carefully, left the original spelling and punctuation, and made clarifying comments where I felt they were needed or were of particular interest. I have also indicated text I found undecipherable and have left questions in my commentary - like "to do" notes, as I've said in the PDF file. Here is the first installment - Napoleon's complete letters. Sadly, I have no photo of him. I hope that many will find this material as interesting as I do.

By the way, I found one other Napoleon Bonaparte Hudson online. Based on the dates and location, I don't believe he was related to our Hudsons.

Helen Rosetta Joy

Here is a link to Dirk Hudson's FamilyTreeMaker page, where you can find Helen Rosetta Joy. Her brother, George Lewis Joy, was my ancestor. Her husband, Nathaniel Carlos Hudson, was Dirk's ancestor. There is also a searchable PDF chart on Dirk's page where you can find Helen and her ancestors.

The Old Ship Meetinghouse

Hingham, Massachusetts ~ May 6, 2006

Interior, photos, and history

A drawing from Thomas Joy and His Descendants

Wikipedia / The Old Ship Church history page

Where does the name come from? The huge wooden beams inside are reminiscent of those used in ship-building. I didn't get a chance to see the inside, because it was late in the day when we visited.

"The Old Ship Church is the oldest meetinghouse in continuous ecclesiastical use in the United States" [see The Old Ship Church link above] and is "the only remaining 17th century Puritan meetinghouse in America." It is also famous for its hammerbeam roof, constructed in a bold Gothic style. The Washington Post said, "Within the church, 'the ceiling, made of great oak beams, looks like the inverted frame of a ship.' "

At least two of my immigrant ancestors, Thomas Joy and his wife, Joan Gallop, are buried behind the church along with ancestors of Abraham Lincoln and are still listed on web sites as notable burials in the churchyard. I'll post photos of the cemetery in future blog entries. After arriving in the New World in 1635, Thomas Joy, a carpenter, made his home in Boston, where he built wharves and a number of other buildings. Although styled as "a carpenter," he in fact became one of the area's most prominent builders and architects. He built the first Town-House (Town Hall) in Boston "from his own design," which we know from an extant contract dated 1657. The Town House burned down in 1711 and was replaced by The Old State House.

The building of the Town-House in Boston took place after Joy's return to Boston. He had moved to Hingham (about 12 miles from Boston) about 1646 to enlarge a grist mill and establish a sawmill, and had stayed for a number of years. He had been persecuted in Boston by Governor Winthrop because Joy had signed a petition to grant suffrage to a greater number of men than had been allowed under the colonial government which, "since 1631 had restricted the right of suffrage to the members of the local Puritan churches, excluding more than three-fourths of the adult male population from any participation in public affairs." [Thomas Joy and His Descendants, p. 14, by James Richard Joy.] Thomas Joy had acquired property in both locations, but died in Hingham in 1678.

Thomas died a few years before the 1681 construction date given for The Old Ship Meeting House, but it has many features of Boston's first Town House, which Thomas Joy designed and built. The 1681 Old Ship replaced a "first rude meetinghouse." I don't see Thomas Joy listed anywhere in conjunction with the design of The Old Ship Meetinghouse, but his influence was certainly felt and emulated.

I would also like to honor the memory of Bradner (Brad) Petersen, and thank him posthumously for compiling and writing the book, Ancestry of the Jameson,Gilbert, Joy, Skinner and Related Families, which has been and continues to be such a tremendous resource for me.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Bisbee, Arizona

Outside Bisbee, Arizona ~ December 28, 2004

It was hard to picture my grandparents living in this small, isolated town in the 1920s, but my grandfather had just left the Coast Guard and graduated from the Colorado School of Mines. He had gotten a degree in mining engineering, and Bisbee was all about mining. 

They tried to raise two little boys here, but they soon left. One of the reasons my grandmother gave was that it was too hard on her chasing my dad and uncle up and down the hill that Bisbee was built on. I can imagine.

Bisbee, Arizona ~ December 28, 2004

My Web Page: tapirback.com

c. 1964, Corona: Portrait of Elizabeth V. Todd

This is the only time I can remember that Mom went out and had her portrait taken without the rest of the family. We didn't have family portraits taken very often, but we did on occasion. I remember her coming home with this photo. I think she said she just felt like having a nice photo made of herself. I wonder if we should all do that sometimes. I thought it was kind of silly then, and maybe she did, too, but now I'm happy to have it. I dated the photo "about 1964."

Sep 1959: Sheryl with a calf

I've always liked animals. This may have been on a cattle farm owned by my father's relatives, the Sortors, in Tulare, California. As I find them, there will be a lot more pictures of me with animals before we get to the tapirs in 1968. The photo was dated Sep 59, when I was 10. Sometimes the film was in the camera for awhile before it was developed, but the date will be close. Yeah, yeah, I know. Somehow I turned into a chronologist and historian. Wait until you see how precise I am about some of my other projects. Anyway, why not? Don't worry about the posting date, above. I'm trying to work out a system where the older pictures fall into the right order - and the earliest date Blogger will allow is January 1, 1970. You can organize the pix using days, hours, and minutes, too. This could be fun, but if anyone has an easier work-around for dates before January 1970, please let me know!

Feb 1956: Ted with Kathy and Sheryl, printed February 1956

Ted with his first two kids, either 1955 or 1956. From left: Kathy, Ted, Sheryl, and Sheryl's doll. The photo was printed in February, 1956. I almost remember that we were supposed to be singing Christmas carols, so it was probably taken in December. Remember when film stayed in the camera for months? Gary was born in 1954, but was not in the photo.

Jan 1956: Ted with little Gary, printed January 1956

Gary was born November 1, 1954.

c. 1952, Summer: Dad with kids at the beach, about 1952

I (Sheryl) am the kid on the right. The other little girl was a friend of the family. I have no idea who the body-builder is on the far right, but arm at left probably belongs to the little girl's father. I'm guessing she is Shauna Haugan, but don't quote me. Growing up in Southern California, we went to the beach a lot. That had also been a tradition in Dad's family growing up. They went to Corona del Mar most of the time; we usually went to Newport or Balboa. I think Dad was a pretty good swimmer. At least he usually went in and got wet.

c. 1951: Aunt Jan's Wedding - Mom Putting on the Garter

Aunt Jan's wedding, May 26, 1950. Here's my mom putting the garter on her sister's leg. Janice Versteeg was marrying James Hampson. I don't know who the other women are - friends of my aunt.

Click on the photo to enlarge, then click again.

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Feb 22, 1951: Sheryl, Dad, Mom, and tricycle

My first tricycle. I wasn't as brave as Kathy was. I was probably scared, although I loved riding the trike later. In the picture are Ted, Betty, the tricycle, and Sheryl. It was in an envelope that was printed February 22, 1951. That would make Mom 7+ months pregnant with Kathy. I can't tell from the print date when the photo was taken. The dates weren't marked or printed on the photos. The picture was taken on the patio behind our house.

c. Aug 1950: Sheryl with her dad at the beach

This is a small photo with no date on it, so I'm just guessing. Everyone enjoyed going to the beach, and both families have a tradition of spending time there. My mom grew up near the beach, and Dad's family had spent time there for several generations.

Dec 25, 1949: Sheryl and Dad at Grandma's house

I think I always liked dolls. Here is Dad playing on the floor with me, and this may be a doll I'd gotten for Christmas, I'm not sure about that. The date the photos were developed was December 29, 1949. Grandma's parents had brought Oriental rugs back to Corona after a trip around the world in 1910 and 1911. It looks like they were still in good shape after lots of use by 1949!

c. 1950: Dad with Sheryl (top) and Kathy (bottom)

I think it's possible that the top photo is me and the second is Kathy, and she agreed with me, but we're not positive. Kathy had darker hair and I had a wider face. I think Dad looks a little older in the second photo, too, but that's really hard to tell. If my guess on who's who is right, the first is 1949, and the second 1951.

"I'm touched that Adam liked them and yeah, they sort of look like Life Magazine. They're of that era, black and white. I took out a few spots in the prints and lightened up my dad's face in a couple of them so you could see it. I was struck by one of the pix where he's holding Kathy or me. His t-shirt has holes in it, his fingernails have grease in them. It was like him, working on the ranch and then coming home to the family. It's a kind of 1940's image, maybe. The baggy t-shirt. We weren't exactly poor, but nobody bought new stuff every time it had a few holes in it! It's just a different age."

c. Jul 1949: Ted with baby Sheryl, 1949

Sheryl was born May 6, 1949.

c. 1940: Clement J. and Bernice J. Todd family passport

Clement Joseph Todd and Bernice Jameson Todd family passport, c. 1940. This is a scan from a xerox. Stamps on the passport say not valid for travel in either China or Spain.

Top row from left: Ted Todd, Clem Todd
Second row: Bernice and Clement
Front row: Helen and Bernice

June 1, 1947: Mom and Dad Get Married

Westwood (Los Angeles), California ~ June 1, 1947

This is a more relaxed, less formal photo of Mom and Dad's wedding. (Elizabeth Louise Versteeg and Theodore Jameson Todd.) I have the official one they kept on the dresser somewhere also and will scan it when I find it.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.