From Dora’s Trunk to the Archives: The Cutshaw Family Papers

"Ten more years passed before my mother and I decided to go through the contents of the trunk... " Read more from D. Jean Rushing, historian and archives assistant who recently donated a collection of family papers to the Archives of Appalachia.

Civil War Claims

In 1873, Congress established the Committee on War Claims. This committee expanded on the former Committee on Revolutionary Claims to include “claims arising from any war in which the United States has been engaged.” The Committee on War Claims provided an avenue for individuals who lost property during the Civil War (1861-1865) to file for …

The Moon

Be sure to catch a glimpse of the harvest moon, which is due to arrive in the Northern Hemisphere this Saturday, September 29. According to Weather Channel meteorologists, the harvest moon occurs when “the full moon closest to the autumn equinox” rises. (For more information, see the Weather Channel’s report by clicking here.) Last week, …

Happy Autumn!

Here is a bit of reflection on autumn by 10 year old A.B. Bowman. Notations on the back of the document indicate he wrote it for a composition assignment on October 15, 1863 in Johnson's Depot, E. Tenn. Click to enlarge or see transcription below: Transcription: "We look a round and see the beautiful trees …

Summertime Fun

School's about to start for many students, but there are still many nice summer days and weekends ahead. Perhaps you might find some inspiration from the Archives? Check out some of these summertime photos:

An Appalachian in Mexico

In the early nineteenth century, the idea of “Manifest Destiny” – the desire of Americans to spread the country across the continent - was popular thoughout the United States. With Texas in flux after its 1836 revolution against Mexico, some U.S. politicians and citizens believed Texas should be annexed into the union. This sentiment was also shared …