A Saturday workshop at the P.J. Ahern Home instructs participants in the intriguing, intertwined history of both Bowie and Miller counties.
Part of the Texarkana Museums System's ongoing focus on genealogy, "Two Counties, One History" features Nancy Tribbey, Texarkana Genealogical Society president, talking about Bowie County's past, while Christine Woodrow, director of the New Boston Public Library, provides insight into Miller County's formation.
They'll lead the workshop, which starts at 10 a.m. and runs to 2 p.m. with a noon lunch break.
"Basically, we want to do a foundational lecture on an overview of the history of the two counties," said Jamie Simmons, curator at the TMS. As she puts it, such knowledge is important for anyone doing research into their own family history. Making connections is easier if the broader history is understood.
The histories of Bowie and Miller are connected, so an exploration of their histories should be done together, said Simmons.
"Bowie and Miller counties have a complicated history of shifting boundaries and lost settlements. Once you have that foundation of knowledge, it makes finding your own family in local records much easier," Simmons said,
She points out that Miller County has undergone three incarnations. Woodrow has conducted extensive research on this history and will discuss the complicated boundaries of its early history. One incarnation included land claimed by both Mexico and the United States. Old Miller County included a section of what's now Bowie County.
"There was disputed land anytime you had an original boundary trying to be set up," Simmons said.
Also under discussion will be lost communities, clues for which reside in legal records, the curator saying, "There are lots of lost communities that no longer exist."
When it comes to finding records of our families, understanding these changing boundaries and local history can make the process easier.
Simmons points to her own experience of an ancestor who moved to this area to be part of the Wavell Colony, which explains how part of her family migrated to this area. The Wavell Colony was formed in what was then Mexico by Arthur Wavell in the 1820s, bringing new European settlers to the area.
"Knowing the reasons for being here explained some other things," Simmons said of this foundational knowledge that provides insight into family history.
Tribbey, whose ancestral roots date to 1890s Bowie County, will provide an overview of Bowie County history with a personal perspective on its evolution.
As is the case with Miller County, there are complexities and unusual things to explore. For example, in the area there are three Bostons: Boston, Old Boston and New Boston. "Those are three distinct places," Simmons said.
"We will have a few Miller County maps out as well to take a look at after the session," the curator said.
(Tickets: $15 for non-members, $10 for Texarkana Museums System members. Registration required. Find tickets at the Facebook event page or P.J. Ahern Home Facebook page. More info: Contact Jamie Simmons at 903-793-4831.)
