Two Hundred Fifty Years of Courage: From 1776 to Today

Posted on 3 July, 2026 by Janice Brown

1776 Flag

On this 250th anniversary of the United States, may we pause to honor the courage, imagination, and stubborn hope that shaped 1776.

New Hampshire stood early and firm among the colonies: on January 5, 1776 at Exeter, New Hampshire, our Provincial Congress became the first to adopt a formal constitution independent of Great Britain—6 months before the Declaration in Philadelphia.

And on July 4, 1776, New Hampshire’s delegates—Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, and Matthew Thornton—signed their names to the Declaration, binding our small but fierce state to the great experiment of liberty. Continue reading →

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The Thread That Never Breaks: Why mtDNA Matters to Everyone

Posted on 3 May, 2026 by Janice Brown

Mary Webster with her mother Addie. Rare photo of them together as my mom often was the photographer not the subject.

On Mother’s Day, mtDNA gets top billing—because it’s the one gift Mom passes down 100% every single time.

When people first step into the world of genealogy, they often imagine themselves wandering through dusty courthouses, squinting at old census pages, or chasing down rumors of a great‑grandmother who may or may not have existed. But there is another kind of record—one that doesn’t fade, burn, or get misfiled. It lives quietly inside every person, waiting to be read. And that record is mitochondrial DNA. Continue reading →

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The Best Place to Build Your Family Tree (and Keep Your Sanity Intact) — WikiTree

Posted on 17 April, 2026 by Janice Brown

I rarely promote products or services because genealogy should be about shared knowledge, not advertising. But there is one free resource that truly matters: it provides genealogists with tools to confirm family lines, correct mistakes, and strengthen the accuracy of our shared trees. When something directly supports good research and costs nothing, it’s worth pointing people toward it.  I am speaking about WikiTree.

If you’ve ever tried to build a family tree alone—armed with a stack of photocopied census pages, a half‑remembered story from Aunt Marge, and a suspiciously vague “family history” book—you know genealogy can feel like assembling IKEA furniture without the instructions. Or the screws. Or the correct Allen wrench.

Continue reading →

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Twenty Years of Cow Hampshire: Celebrating New Hampshire’s Heart and History

Posted on 27 March, 2026 by Janice Brown

First Cow Hampshire (2006) blog photograph of an elm tree that grew next to my grandparents’ house.

On March 22, 2006, two decades ago, a small but mighty corner of the internet sprouted in New Hampshire soil—equal parts granite dust, genealogy notes, and the faint smell of molasses cookies cooling on a colonial hearth.

Today, Cow Hampshire stands as a living archive of the state’s quirks, characters, and quietly extraordinary history. It’s only fitting to mark its 20th anniversary with a story worthy of the blog’s own blend of wit, reverence, and delight.

Continue reading →

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The Birds and the Bees in New Hampshire: Strutting And A Whole Lot of Buzz

Posted on 14 March, 2026 by Janice Brown

New Hampshire’s birds and bees form a surprisingly rich, distinctly local tapestry—one shaped by granite ridges, cold forests, and pollinator‑friendly meadows. The state’s mix of boreal and temperate habitats creates pockets of species you won’t find just anywhere, and together they form an ecosystem that’s both rugged and delicately interdependent.

Continue reading →

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