Appomattox History is a privately owned Web site that falls under the umbrella of Appomattox News. This site is intended to impart information and news about the historical significance of Appomattox County, its surrounding areas and national news of interest to the historian with a focus on Virginia. The owner, publisher and managing editor of Appomattox News and its family of Web sites is Linda Goin.
Although this site is privately owned, it is intended as a site for anyone who is passionate about the people, places, things, events and news that built Appomattox history. Accordingly, since Appomattox County was developed from Buckingham, Prince Edward, Charlotte and Campbell counties in 1845, those county histories – as well as history along the James River – are important as well. After all, people don’t always stay in one place, and boundaries often change.
Therefore, this site is open to anyone who wishes to impart their knowledge about these areas and how that knowledge might have affected Appomattox history.
PERSONAL INTEREST
As an historian, I’ve learned that history cannot be compartmentalized – history is full of theories, gray areas and it is often colored by opinion and perspectives. One person may read an article from 1890 and see one story, and another person can read that same article and build another story. Although facts often are interpreted with various perspectives, citations for those facts can help others read what has been studied so other opinions can be formulated. This practice of improving on perspectives into the past is an ongoing process, and one that is – with all good intentions – constructive. It’s a learning process.
Despite the fact that Appomattox Court House burned in 1892, other records exist that show how this county grew through time. Some records may exist in Kentucky, as many former Appomattox residents migrated to that state after the American Revolution and again after the Civil War. Newspapers throughout the nation printed news about Lee’s surrender at Appomattox, and many other papers printed information about occurrences in this region throughout the past. So, use what you have at hand to help build upon that past.
My goal is to encourage Appomattox residents and people who have interest in Virginia’s past to find and share information about this area. There is no ulterior motive, as this is your site; and, I hope that anyone who loves history would be encouraged to use this venue to share their passions.
HOW THIS SITE WORKS
I do have two requests: 1) Most information shared with others through this site must be cited. In other words, actual documents or references to authentic primary sources (meaning newspaper articles, books, letters, or other original documents) must be noted, if not shared as an image or as a transcription to support theories; 2) This site is not about genealogy, so family information – unless it is used to document an historical event – must be saved for later. The reason behind this last request is that ‘Appomattox Genealogy’ will go live in 2009, and genealogical information will be shared on that site.
The aberration for citation would include interviews or stories based upon family traditions. In this case, I’m quite happy with the journalistic method of relaying a story that includes the “who, what, when, where, how and why” for construction. If you include that information, then it will be possible for others to understand your full intent and – possibly – help add to your story. In other words, if you grandfather grew tobacco or made pipes for smoking tobacco, and you have a personal story relating to those topics, then you can omit the citations and relay your information as long as you tell readers about who you’re talking about, what happened, when and where it happened and how and why the story is important.
For others who want to include theoretical information based upon fact, I do have preferences for citations. I received my master’s in history from DePaul University in Chicago. There, we used the Turabian method for citation, and this is what I still lean upon for accuracy in citing papers, articles and stories. If you’re an amateur historian or genealogist who has a story to share based upon primary documents, Elizabeth Shown Mills’ book, Evidence: Citation & Analysis for the Family Historian, is fairly close to the Turabian method. In either case, I will act as editor and I will be happy to help you craft your story if necessary (both books noted at bottom of page and are for sale at Amazon).
In this light, anyone who wants to share information about the history of businesses in the area, people who shaped the county’s history, events that altered how the county moved forward, archaeological and architectural information or any other insights into the past are welcome. You will receive a by-line (your name or an alias if you want to hide), and you will live in infamy. Additionally, the more you contribute, the more freedom you’ll have within the site as you rise from contributor to author. As many students know, this is a fine way to build an article repertoire for a portfolio, resume or Curriculum Vitae.
COMMENTS
If you wish to comment on any article, you do not need to register or sign in. However, all comments are held for moderation to help keep the site free from spam. Also, Appomattox History does not tolerate hate mail, intolerant behavior, or anything less than adult discourse. Please do not include phone numbers, addresses, or any other information that you wish to keep private. Although you will be asked for your email address, that address is not visible to the public when your comment is published.
For more information on how we protect your privacy, please read our Privacy Policy.
MORE APPOMATTOX ON THE WAY
The following sites are available to browse if they have active links. The unlinked domains will become active within 2009. For further information, you can contact Linda at “publisher @ appomattoxnews.com” (remove the spaces before you hit “send”):
Appomattox News
Appomattox Calendar
Appomattox Directory
Appomattox Classifieds
Appomattox History
Appomattox Genealogy
Appomattox Realty
RECOMMENDED BOOKS
The following books are available at Amazon:
[...] you’re interested in area history, feel free to contribute. Information about how to contribute is included at the site. We’re also interested in press releases, photographs and links to [...]