On August 13th the Terry family will celebrate their bi-annual family reunion in Springfield, Tennessee. The reunion festivities will include a tour of Wessyngton Plantation. Hundreds of descendants across the country will attend the reunion. The Terry family is one of the largest families from Wessyngton with over 1,000 descendants, spanning eleven generations from their first ancestors, Dick Terry and Aggie Washington Terry.
Posts Tagged ‘family tree’
Terry Family to Celebrate Family Reunion
Tuesday, July 26th, 2011Author Shows History Begins at Home
Thursday, March 4th, 2010The Washingtons of Wessyngton Plantation reviewed in Nashville City Paper by Todd Dills. Click here to see review.
International Black Genealogy Summit in Ft. Wayne, Indiana
Sunday, November 8th, 2009
Meet the Authors event, International Black Genealogy Summit
I just returned from a very exciting event—The first International Black Genealogy Summit held in Ft. Wayne, Indiana on October 29-31, 2009. Several hundred people participated. Throughout the conference I shared my research experience with genealogists. It was wonderful to speak with many people who had already read my book. The give and take of ideas illustrates that we are just at the beginning of a long and interesting journey to learn about our roots.
At the Meet the Authors event everyone could talk to the authors of books related to African American genealogy. The authors posed together for this photo. (L-R) Tony Burroughs who wrote Black Roots: A Beginners Guide To Tracing the African American Family Tree; myself; Tim Pinnick, author of Finding and Using African American Newspapers; and (Seated) Frazine Taylor, with her book Researching African American Genealogy in Alabama.
Book Signing at Missouri History Museum
Friday, June 5th, 2009
Book Signing at Missouri History Museum
My presentation at the Missouri History Museum was followed by a book signing, which was well attended. I enjoyed meeting the members of the St. Louis African American History and Genealogy Society who sponsored the event.
Presentation for St. Louis African American History and Genealogy Society
Friday, June 5th, 2009
St. Louis African American History and Genealogy Society
On May 23rd I gave a presentation about my book The Washingtons of Wessyngton Plantation: Stories of My Family’s Journey to Freedom to the St. Louis African American History and Genealogy Society at the Missouri History Museum. I made many new friends among avid genealogical researchers. I had a great time in St. Louis and look forward to visiting again.
Creating a Family Tree
Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009
Washington Family Tree
One of the most exciting things about genealogical research is meeting new family members. In conducting research for more than thirty years I’ve found hundreds of relatives. I created this tree which spans ten generations and includes more than 600 names of descendants from my great-great-grandparents Emanuel and Henny Washington. I have genealogical information on all the families that came from Wessyngton including: Washington, Blow, Gardner, Terry, White, Williams, Lewis, Scott, Green and many others.
Gardner Family Tours Wessyngton Plantation for 75th Family Reunion
Friday, May 29th, 2009
Gardner Family Tour at Wessyngton Plantation
In 2008 the Gardners celebrated their 75th annual family reunion. As part of the reunion festivities I led them on a tour of Wessyngton Plantation. The tour included the Wessyngton mansion, Washington family cemetery, slave cemetery and a restored slave cabin. The Gardner earliest ancestors, Aaron Gardner, his wife Betty and their three sons, Daniel, George and Jackson came to Wessyngton in the late 1830s. There are more African Americans in Robertson County, Tennessee with the Gardner surname than any other family.
Television Interview with John Seigenthaler Sr.
Monday, May 18th, 2009My half-hour television interview with John Seigenthaler Sr, A Word on Words, is available as a free downloadable Podcast.
http://www.wnpt.org/productions/wow/
Mr. Seigenthaler asked me many in-depth thought-provoking questions. At the end, he said, “I learned more from your book than I learned from reading my friend Alex Haley’s book called Roots.” I hope you enjoy the interview. Leave a comment with your reaction.
Atlanta Book Tour
Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009The book tour in Atlanta went very well. On the first day of my trip I visited the home of Mrs. Ann Nixon Cooper and presented her with an autographed copy of The Washingtons of Wessyngton Plantation. I was very honored to have Mrs. Cooper sign a copy of the book for me.
Baker presents Mrs. Cooper with The Washingtons of Wessyngton
The second day of my tour I was interviewed about the book by Dr. Collette Hopkins, director of the National Black Arts Festival, who graciously accompained me to the book signing at Waldenbooks.
Collette Hopkins Director of the NBAF with John Baker
Baker at Waldenbooks
On the third day of the tour Dr. Opal Moore interviewed me at the Auburn Research Library. I later gave a presentation followed by a book signing.
Baker interview with Opal Moore at National Black Arts Festival
Baker presentation at NBAF
Baker at NBAF book signing
The event was well attended and I met two new Washington cousins Jonathan and Jordan Terry who live in Atlanta. They were excited to find their names on the Washington family tree among more than 600 names.
Baker meet new cousins at NBAF
Jordan and Jonathan Terry display Washington Family Tree
My good friends Beverly Shelley and her daughter Kimberly attended the event. Their ancestors also came from Wessyngton.
Baker meets with Wessyngton descendants Beverly and Kim at NBAF