Specials at Projectkin

Special » Lori Olson White » Tips from Annie Deihm for Creating Your Own Time Capsule

Many thanks to Kathy Stone [https://substack.com/profile/177868959-kathy-stone], Ann Rockley [https://substack.com/profile/13227539-ann-rockley], Linda Teather [https://substack.com/profile/185449888-linda-teather], and all of you who have taken the time to read and engage with this special story and idea. We’re supporting and inspiring each other to take these next steps into history. Our community is made up of subscribers just like you. All programs are free, supported by our Projectkin Patrons [http://projectkin.org/patrons]. More at Projectkin.org/about [http://projectkin.org/about]. If you enjoy pieces like these, dropping a ❤️ below 👇 is another way to say thank you. It introduces this post to new viewers, benefitting both Projectkin and our guest, Lori Olson White [https://substack.com/profile/61971012-lori-olson-white]. The idea for today’s program came up soon after Lori Olson White [https://substack.com/profile/61971012-lori-olson-white] dropped her first post about Annie Deihm and her 1876 Century Safe. This incredible 5-part series takes us from an idea to the challenges she faced in pulling it together and delivering it to the US Capitol. As Lori shares in her new “Building My Bridge to 2076 [https://loriolsonwhite.substack.com/s/the-century-safe-method]” series, Annie’s Century Safe idea wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment project. It’s held together by a thoughtful method that’s both coherent and extensible. Lori’s time capsule collapses the national method down to a personal scale. In her talk today, Lori shared what she’d learned so far about Annie’s methods. The irony is that significant elements of this project went horribly wrong. The several-ton safe was forgotten. The code was lost, as was the key to the inner glass enclosure. And yet, it succeeded. It wasn’t magic, nor force of will. In her ongoing project to create her own Century Safe in the form of a family time capsule, Lori has methodically parsed Annie’s project to document the elements that can give a time capsule its best chances for success, among them are tips you can use now: * Make it participatory: Annie invited participants to sign their names to a book and included a line for their descendants to sign as well. For various reasons, this counter-signature line hasn’t worked yet, but the lesson isn’t one to be missed. * Be intentional about the goals and obsessive about the details: Annie took her time to consider every detail she could imagine from the start to the changes she made along the way. * Get buy-in from everyone involved: Armed with the scale of her mission, she pursued the project like a salesperson, getting the meetings and ensuring everyone understood their role. * Make yourself a better ancestor: If you’ve uncovered a diary, album, book, or other compilation curated by an ancestor, you will appreciate the joy of insight into what their lives were actually like. Annie’s process of including objects and contemporaneous artifacts was a first step here. * Document the process along the way: Taking the time to document how you built your time capsule can inspire your descendants to make their own preparations for future descendants. It’s an obvious pay-it-forward mechanism. Lori is currently working on a 23-part series documenting her process as she creates her own “century safe,” a family time capsule to be opened 50 years after the American semiquincentennial in 2076. This post was part 1: If you’re a regular participant in our programs here at Projectkin [http://projectkin.substack.com], you probably have already taken note of the obvious technical challenges posed by the archival requirements of such a project. Archival sleeves, acid-free paper, and a thoughtful selection of enclosures can make a huge difference in preserving the carefully curated materials inside. Join us in May [https://tockify.com/eventscalendar/detail/97/1780009200000?startms=1777618800000] as Lori joins Kathy Stone for her special time capsule episode of Kathy’s Corner [http://projectkin.org/kathys-corner]. As Projectkin [http://projectkin.substack.com], this story is especially interesting because it represents storytelling in an interactive form. You’re involving the entire family in telling a story through chapters and points of view. Remember, too, that this isn’t limited to a family. Annie’s project encompassed the entire country in 1876. Lori’s plan is to include her family and extended family. It could be your community group, neighborhood, or church; it doesn’t matter. Lori’s documented process is now sorting out the details that do matter. I expect we’ll all be following her on her journey. Did you enjoy this program? Why not recommend it? Get full access to Projectkin at projectkin.substack.com/subscribe [https://projectkin.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Special » Rhonda Lauritzen » Handling the Hard Stuff: Sensitivities, Surprises, and Trauma

Let me begin with deep thanks for this wonderful, generous group attending today. Rhonda Lauritzen [https://substack.com/profile/392942307-rhonda-lauritzen] became an important part of my previous startup and has been incredibly generous as I began this journey into Projectkin. I’m also especially touched to see so many active Projectkin members, including Kathy Stone [https://substack.com/profile/177868959-kathy-stone], producer behind the Kathy’s Corner [http://projectkin.org/kathys-corner] series, Linda Teather [https://substack.com/profile/185449888-linda-teather], Kyla Bayang [https://substack.com/profile/316733498-kyla-bayang], Bill Moore [https://substack.com/profile/51729824-bill-moore], Marci KR [https://substack.com/profile/185449859-marci-kr], Gwynn Socolich [https://substack.com/profile/263853724-gwynn-socolich], Diane Burley [https://substack.com/profile/183003391-diane-burley], Bill Butcher, Ann Rockley [https://substack.com/profile/13227539-ann-rockley], and so many more. I’m truly grateful. This program, like our subscriptions, is available free thanks to the generous support of our Patrons [http://projectkin.org/patrons]. Learn more [http://projectkin.org/about] and join us 👇. Many of you will have heard me talk about the wonderful family history book my grandmother self-published in 1948. It’s a beloved heirloom from a limited print run of 100 copies. It’s also an artifact of its time that doesn’t touch the difficult conversations. Unraveling the stories of our ancestors from the knotted balls of expectations has fueled much of the energy I devote to Projectkin. From what I’ve seen, that’s true for many of you. About Rhonda Rhonda Lauritzen [https://evalogue.life/rhonda-lauritzen/] of Evalogue.Life [http://evalogue.life/], our speaker for today’s program, is one of the great storytelling talents in our genealogy community. She’s an accomplished speaker and professional biographer. As a professional biographer, Rhonda is a frequent speaker at RootsTech [http://Rootstech.org] and other national conferences. You'll find a number of Rhonda’s inspiring talks on YouTube, including this one for Ponga, “Storytelling Through Your Family Photos [https://youtu.be/1NEzud1ODCE?si=qMaPp5TGCvF9pEE-],” and two for Projectkin [https://projectkin.substack.com/t/rhonda-lauritzen]. The first followed our All About That Place series in 2024, “The Curious Call of Ancestral Places [https://open.substack.com/pub/projectkin/p/the-curious-call-of-ancestral-places?r=2tc6pc&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web].” A second, in January 2025, was part of Jan Hutcheon's Forget-me-Not series about stories told at memorials [https://open.substack.com/pub/projectkin/p/forget-me-not-rhonda-jan-2025?r=2tc6pc&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web]. Get notified of all events posted to YouTube by subscribing to @Projectkin [https://www.youtube.com/@projectkin?sub_confirmation=1]. Links, Toolkits & References Rhonda always comes to these programs from a teacher's perspective, generously sharing resources and, in this case, a toolkit designed to help you address the Hard Stuff. Toolkit: * Toolkit for handling the Hard Stuff: Evalogue.life/sensitive2 [http://Evalogue.life/sensitive2] Recommended Books: * “Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents” by Lindsay Gibson: amazon.com/Adult-Children-Emotionally-Immature-Parents/dp/1626251703 [http://amazon.com/Adult-Children-Emotionally-Immature-Parents/dp/1626251703] * “Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When the Stakes are High”: amazon.com/Crucial-Conversations-Talking-Stakes-Second-ebook/dp/B005K0AYH4 [http://amazon.com/Crucial-Conversations-Talking-Stakes-Second-ebook/dp/B005K0AYH4] About Journaling: * Article on journaling that includes info about therapeutic journaling and other techniques: Evalogue.life/journal-writing [http://Evalogue.life/journal-writing] Rhonda’s Most Recent Books: Rhonda's two most recent books were traditionally published last year: * A Child in Berlin [http://evalogue.life/a-child-in-berlin/] by Post Hill Press * To hear Heidi tell her story on NPR, go here. It’s the second news item on the page: Evalogue.life/news [http://Evalogue.life/news] * Creative Insecurity: Lean Into the Unknown and Unleash Your Inner Misfit [https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Creative-Insecurity/James-M-Sweeney/9798888455395] by Simon & Schuster. RootsTech: Ride Along with Us! With RootsTech starting in a little over a week, let me take this opportunity to invite you to join in on our community “Ride Along.” You’ll join a global community of family historians and genealogists attending the 2026 RootsTech conference together, both on-site and online. Follow along at Or subscribe to get recordings and notifications. You’ll be joining the partnership of Geneabloggers [http://geneabloggers.com] and Projectkin [http://projectkin.org] as community members support each other with special events, livestreams, and even a little swag and a table in the Society Hall at the Salt Palace. Whether you’re there in your tennies or at home in your bunny slippers, let’s get the most out of it by enjoying this conference together. 🐰🐰 Thanks for reading Projectkin! This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to Projectkin at projectkin.substack.com/subscribe [https://projectkin.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Genealogy Storytelling and Junk Journals with Taneya Koonce

What an incredible treat today. My deepest thanks to our very special guest, Taneya Koonce [https://substack.com/profile/112244905-taneya-koonce] and all of you attending live today from across the US, Canada, and Australia. Your active participation live transformed a formal presentation into a joyful celebration of personal moments in time as captured by the ephemera of our daily life. These are special ways for a community to come together to inspire, encourage, and support one another. Feel free to drop your questions in the comments below and share your support with a ❤️. Algorithms are listening. If Projectkin [http://projectkin.substack.com/] is new to you, we’re thrilled to have you. Subscribe to get these free posts delivered to your inbox. More Projectkin.org/about [http://projectkin.org/about]. Archiving your life as you live it Today’s program came about after I read my friend Taneya [https://open.substack.com/users/112244905-taneya-koonce] of 🌳Academy of Legacy Leaders [https://taneyakoonce.substack.com/]’ post about archiving your life as you live it. That sparked a larger conversation, and I was hooked. Today’s program brought that moment full circle with its own special moment with a large crowd of enthusiastic participants. Joining us today was none other than DearMYRTLE [https://substack.com/profile/147418052-dearmyrtle] herself. As she put it: And the attendees went WILD. They CLAMMORED for more. We did, indeed. I can’t even do justice to the comments from today’s session, but an important element was an agreement settled moments after the program to schedule one of Myrt’s “WACKY Wednesdays to explore the tips, techniques, and practicalities of this kind of journaling. I know you’ll want to join in, just as I will. Register for Myrt’s WACKY Wednesday on February 25th (or the 26th in Australia/New Zealand). Learn more about the session in Myrt’s post released just a few minutes ago: From the session chat: The exuberance from our audience is palpable in the recording. I’ve captured just a few of the comments as a way to keep the enthusiasm going. Please feel free to expand on these ideas and contribute your own in the comments below: * Joyce Chancellor: The «diagnostic» lead from that you kept from your husband reminded me of an art display in an art museum many moons ago of a person who passed away from AIDS, and there was a clear, multiple-shelf cabinet that had one bottle of each medication he had been on over time. There was also a blanket that every nurse had written or embroidered their name on. It was sad, but it was so amazing and thought-provoking. * Susan Jaycox: I love scrapbooking, but really want to do the junk journal, especially for my travels. I was amazed at this quilt at the American Folk Art Museum in NYC. It reminded me of junk journal, if you end up with too many items. It was a 365 Day Quilt of scraps of papers. collection.folkartmuseum.org/objects/8061/365-days-of-the-year [http://collection.folkartmuseum.org/objects/8061/365-days-of-the-year] * Kyla Bayang: I vote we all junk journal about our time together tonight!!!!! And how it impacted us and inspired us!!! * Marcia Keats Rudolph: Mary you have sparked an idea for me! Bits of wool from the sweaters, hats, afghans, etc., I’ve knitted or crocheted, and stories about the lovely people I gave them to. * Deborah Fries: If you are interested in incorporating images and words, check out Kelcey Ervick [https://substack.com/profile/49185675-kelcey-ervick]’s Substack, “The Habit of Art [https://kelceyervick.substack.com/]” -- everything analog. Putting Your Hands on the Temporal Nature of Daily Life At the risk of overstating it, today’s event has felt like a special moment when stars collide, and something very new and special was created. While we were deeply disappointed that a family emergency prevented Taneya from joining our program on Sunday, it may have been just a prelude. My dear friend and special partner in Kathy’s Corner [http://projectkin.org/kathys-corner], Kathy Stone [https://substack.com/profile/177868959-kathy-stone] stepped in to introduce the topic in our livestream program. * In case you missed it, I’m adding it here as a recording. Taneya will also be my guest in a series of livestreams during the RootsTech series in March. Stay tuned for more at Projectkin.org/RootsTech [http://Projectkin.org/RootsTech]. To learn more about Taneya Koonce and the wonderful community that’s developed around her work with Legacy Leaders: As Projectkin, we’re here to help families tell their stories in any form. I feel strongly that our collections of photos and other artifacts are key to our memories and, in turn, our stories. Have a friend who may benefit from this? Please share it and invite them to learn more [http://projectkin.org/about] and join us — free [http://projectkin.substack.com/]! Get full access to Projectkin at projectkin.substack.com/subscribe [https://projectkin.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Special: Storytelling, County GIS Maps & Land Patents » The 7 Ranges & Belmont Co., OH

Let me start by saying thank you to Jennifer Jones [https://substack.com/profile/260013785-jennifer-jones], Bill Moore [https://substack.com/profile/51729824-bill-moore], Bill Butcher, Cathy Horvath, Paul Zuros, director of the museum at Historic Fort Steuben [https://www.oldfortsteuben.com/], and so many more of you who attended today’s program. This was a very special program made possible by a suggestion from one community member and introductions from another. It’s precisely the kind of thing that, as family historians, we’re always looking for. Support from our Projectkin.org/patrons [http://Projectkin.org/patrons] allows us to keep all of these programs free. Recordings and posts are also sent to all subscribers for free. Join us! If you enjoyed this recording, you’d do us a favor by leaving us a little ❤️, adding your thoughts in the comments, and sharing the post with friends. Overview Like a trio of superfriends, Crystal Lorimor, Jason Garczyk, and Anthony Atkins were civil servants working to serve the people of their county in Belmont, Ohio, when they landed on the idea of connecting historic documents to GIS data. And, as Anthony put it: If you offer a GIS person data, they’re going to say “yes!” Belmont County, Ohio, sits within the Seven Ranges, a region of the historic Northwest Territories. This region was the first effort by the young nation to create a means to raise funds and settle debts with the Revolutionary War veterans who helped win American independence from Britain. The urgent business of selling the land created pressure to survey great swaths of land as quickly as possible. The result was this Seven Ranges strategy of square plots of land. As embedded into the resulting tool, the 1787 ordinance authorized the Seven Ranges land survey. While watching Anthony’s detailed demonstration of the tool, you can follow along with your own instance of the web application. You’ll find it at: Explore the web application: gis.belcogis.com/Northwest_Territory [http://gis.belcogis.com/Northwest_Territory]. As of this writing, access is completely free, and no login or registration is required. Resources Several resources useful to genealogists, family historians, and history buffs were mentioned, among them: * Historic Fort Steuben [https://www.oldfortsteuben.com/], referenced by the director of the museum, Paul Zuros, who attended today’s program. * The Bureau of Land Management [https://glorecords.blm.gov/] site, where patent documents can be found, and more details can be explored. * If you have suggestions, additions, comments, or corrections to the GIS webmap, please direct them to Anthony using this tool at the Belmont GIS page [https://belcogis.com/php/blm_correction.php?preAccessNum=CV-0041-460&prePatNames=MCDIVIT,%20GEORGE&prePatDate=10/8/1818&preAliquot=NW%C2%BC&townshipNum=011&rangeNum=005§ionNum=35]. * Anthony referenced documentation for James Evans [https://www.familysearch.org/en/search/discovery/results?results=12&q.givenName=JAMES&q.surname=EVANS&q.anyPlace=Harrison%20County%20OH&q.anyDate.from=1830] on FamilySearch.org [http://FamilySearch.org]. * Dohrman Tract example, Anthony demonstrated links to both * Original land patent document, Township VIII, Range VII [https://belcogis.com/Northwest_Territory/OldSevenRanges/OH350130N0070W.pdf] * Wikipedia page [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dohrman_Tract] describing the history behind the tract. * As an example of the beautiful, handwritten detail of these patent documents, Anthony shared: * Township VI, Second Range [https://belcogis.com/Northwest_Territory/OldSevenRanges/OH350040N0020W.pdf] Today’s program shows you what can be done and the extraordinary potential when a few curious and talented people get together. You’re welcome to share this recording to introduce this idea to others in your community, GIS team, or local authorities. You can find team members either here on Substack or through their websites: * Crystal Lorimor, Belmont County Community Improvement Corp. [https://belmontcic.com/contact-us] * Jason Garczyk, Belmont County Recorders’ Office [https://belmontcountyrecorder.org/] * Anthony Atkins, Belmont County GIS Office [https://belcogis.com/] As a follow-up to today’s presentation, Crystal Lorimor will join me on Sunday, November 2nd (see the event calendar for your local time [https://tockify.com/eventscalendar/detail/128/1762106400000]). I expect this will be an ongoing conversation, and I look forward to your feedback, suggestions, and ideas. Thank you again for your encouragement of this project. Have an idea about a local project in your area? Reach out and let me know! Get full access to Projectkin at projectkin.substack.com/subscribe [https://projectkin.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Special » Family History Asks Large Questions in Small Places — Lisa Maguire

Many thanks to Lisa Maguire [https://substack.com/profile/29373378-lisa-maguire] for her fascinating program today and for all of you in attendance, including Ann G. Forcier [https://substack.com/profile/177700710-ann-g-forcier], Anne Young [http://anneyoungau.substack.com], Daniel Nilan [https://substack.com/profile/20147231-daniel-nilan], Diane the FH Bowerbird [https://substack.com/profile/263711402-diane-the-fh-bowerbird], Jane Chapman [https://substack.com/profile/99426408-jane-chapman], Jill Swenson [https://substack.com/profile/17281869-jill-swenson], Linda Teather [https://substack.com/profile/185449888-linda-teather], Mark Hochstetler [https://substack.com/profile/79003103-mark-hochstetler], Wendi Funchess [https://substack.com/profile/127840623-wendi-funchess], Lisa E Oakley [https://substack.com/profile/332130606-lisa-e-oakley], Lori Olson White [https://substack.com/profile/61971012-lori-olson-white], Cynthia Boatright Raleigh [https://substack.com/profile/34129658-cynthia-boatright-raleigh], and so many in our community for joining the talk live today. Have you just discovered Projectkin? Learn more at Projectkin.org/about [http://Projectkin.org/about], then join us 👇 Today’s very special event came together through the magic we’re brewing here in a shared community of family historians, genealogists, and others. Lisa Maguire [https://substack.com/@ancestory]’s insight as a professional historian led her to pay attention to the nature and scope of some of the stories shared in the community. The result was her observation that many of us had started to explore microhistory. Lisa designed today’s program as an introduction to the field. As you’ll see in the recording, the result inspired ordinary family historians and made us appreciate the importance of our work. In anticipation of today’s program, Lisa published a post last week that might be helpful as background: She’s also provided the slides below you can use to dive deeper into the six approaches she mentioned: Finally, the presentation wouldn’t be complete without the opportunity to use it to curate a series of recent posts here in the Substack genealogy community. These are by no means a compendium of all microhistory-relevant pieces. Instead, these provide an easy way to find the links she mentions in the talk. First, is Dr. Mary M. Marshall [https://substack.com/profile/21244770-dr-mary-m-marshall], whom Lisa reminds us is an academic and has taken to the careful work of microhistory quite naturally. This is the post Lisa referenced. Lori Olson White [https://substack.com/profile/61971012-lori-olson-white]’s Culinary History publication is a delightful example with an examination of community cookbooks or her Ration Book post. Here is a piece on the anti-slavery society. Lisa described it as an outstanding bit of microhistory that ticks all the boxes! Jill Swenson [https://substack.com/profile/17281869-jill-swenson] has many pieces about the Ojibway community on Lake of the Woods [http://jillswenson.substack.com]. Lisa mentioned her series about the various "legal" ways the land was taken from them. Here’s the piece that Neil Sagebiel [https://substack.com/profile/35509402-neil-sagebiel] used to introduce his 1937 Flood Journal [https://neilsagebiel.substack.com/]. From Ann G. Forcier of Acadiann [https://acadiann.substack.com/] who comes to this work from the perspective of ancestral memory. Lisa describes it as a community identity that comes from memory of the event. She also references Diane Burley [https://substack.com/profile/183003391-diane-burley]’s recent program on Memory for Projectkin [https://open.substack.com/pub/projectkin/p/special-the-scoop-on-memories?r=2tc6pc&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false] for a discussion of semantic memory. Lex Knowlton [https://substack.com/@knextgengenealogy]’s work on her publication, Lex Knowlton | Knext Gen Genealogy [https://knextgengenealogy.substack.com/], in the story about Jo Couche caught Lisa’s eye because it retold the same history of the Irish Civil War that her family told her but from the Protestant minority perspective. Bryan Demchinsky [https://substack.com/profile/11717713-bryan-demchinsky] kicks off with a story of Dominion Day. We hold various events for family historians, storytellers, and genealogists several times monthly. I hope to see you at more of these kinds of events. Explore our Projectkin publication [http://projectkin.substack.com/] and join us. Our calendar is available at Projectkin.org/events [http://projectkin.org/events]. Thanks to the support of our patrons [http://projectkin.org/patrons] and speakers [http://projectkin.org/event-recordings], these events are free, and everyone is welcome. To learn more about Lisa Maguire’s work at Ancestory [http://ancestory.substack.com], please visit: Get full access to Projectkin at projectkin.substack.com/subscribe [https://projectkin.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]