Sunday, April 6, 2008
Friday, April 4, 2008
One week to go
Is it too late to switch the person I'm going to write about? It would appear that I have enough information on the Munds to get going, but I have no idea what do with it. I'm considering dropping the class. Kidding. I'm, however, considering the following angles:
The trip across the Atlantic/Steerage conditions on the Suevia. Although that doesn't feel all that fresh and exciting to me.
A sort of historical look at the day the Munds arrived in NYC, 11/27/1882. This would be light on the family and might be too much like a encyclopedia entry.
A comparison/contrast kind of thing about how John Munds rented farm land and later his daughter would go to court over farm land she thought she owned with her husband. Again I'm too sure how to do that. I thought I could find some information on farm condition in Champaign County in the early 1900s when the Munds were renting farm land, but so far I've found nothing.
I'm sure I'll figure something out.
The trip across the Atlantic/Steerage conditions on the Suevia. Although that doesn't feel all that fresh and exciting to me.
A sort of historical look at the day the Munds arrived in NYC, 11/27/1882. This would be light on the family and might be too much like a encyclopedia entry.
A comparison/contrast kind of thing about how John Munds rented farm land and later his daughter would go to court over farm land she thought she owned with her husband. Again I'm too sure how to do that. I thought I could find some information on farm condition in Champaign County in the early 1900s when the Munds were renting farm land, but so far I've found nothing.
I'm sure I'll figure something out.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Man vs. Microfilm
For a second today it seemed that the microfilm might win. If it wasn't falling off the reel as I scrolled through the archived issues of Champaign News-Gazette, it threatened to make me go blind with its tiny font. However, I prevailed and wasn't kicked out of the Library for nearly destroying what they've tried so hard to perserve.
Anyways, I got a ton of good information from the obits for John and Frederika Munds. Combine this with the information from Sunday and I might just have an essay to write. I know their hometown in Germany. The name of the ship they travelled on when the moved to the US. As well as the fact that they rented a farm near Bondsville. John's obit had a list of the jobs he'd held since moving from Germany. Frederika's death was bit on the mysterious side. She suddenly became ill two hours before her death. The cause of death on her death certificate was impossible to read. Why can't all of these documents be typed instead of handwritten.
I'd given up on their children because I wasn't finding anything, so of course today I discover that one of them had gone insane and spent sometime in a mental institution. This information came out in a court case over some disputed property. I wanted more info about her illness, but the case only wanted to deal with deeds and property value. Still, some great info.
Anyways, I got a ton of good information from the obits for John and Frederika Munds. Combine this with the information from Sunday and I might just have an essay to write. I know their hometown in Germany. The name of the ship they travelled on when the moved to the US. As well as the fact that they rented a farm near Bondsville. John's obit had a list of the jobs he'd held since moving from Germany. Frederika's death was bit on the mysterious side. She suddenly became ill two hours before her death. The cause of death on her death certificate was impossible to read. Why can't all of these documents be typed instead of handwritten.
I'd given up on their children because I wasn't finding anything, so of course today I discover that one of them had gone insane and spent sometime in a mental institution. This information came out in a court case over some disputed property. I wanted more info about her illness, but the case only wanted to deal with deeds and property value. Still, some great info.
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