User:Dtbrey
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Family Genealogy, Family History, and Historical Events Related to our Families
This is the Gardner Family cabin located near Arnolds Park, Iowa. Also known as the site for the 1857 “Spirit Lake Massacre” an event that in the end resulted in the deaths of 33 settlers and the abduction of Abbie Gardner and three other women, two were killed before a ransom was paid for the release of the captives. History does not record the loss of life among the Dakota Nation during this event that began in Iowa and ended in the Dakotas. Although none of our ancestors were directly involved in this historical event, they did live in the State of Iowa at this time and would have heard the news of this significant event.
Following her release Abbie Gardner joined her sister in Hampton, IA, and later married Cassville Sharp. They raised two children, seperated in the 1880's and she returned to Arnolds Park in 1891 and where she purchased the family cabin. She operated it as a tourist attraction until her death in 1921. The Iowa State Historical Society owns the Gardner Cabin and Museum and the cabin is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This picture was taken in January 2006, about 150 years after this tragic conflict occurred.
There is a difference between a Family Genealogy and a Family History Research project. Although they are both centered on a central subject, which is the surname(s) of a particular family and those related by birth and marriage, recording names, dates, and places is a very small part of the overall project.
A family genealogy records the names, dates, and places of our ancestors. But the study of our family history involves the study of historical events that are in some related to the life of our families or events that became part of the shared experience of our extended family. In many cases the historical events were motivating factors for our families to make decisions that affected us today. It is also a collection of the stories that are passed from generation to generation.
