Obscure Family History…

For past 50+ yrs thought my grandfather was first over here in 1906, so thought my family’s been here over 120 yrs.

Talked to mom recently and she told me for first time that her grandfather actually came first so my family has actually been in US over 150 yrs. (Told my Italian buddy and he said I got him beat by over 50 yrs)

How about your family?

 

My distant cousin is often credited with coining the phrase “All men are created equal” in the Declaration of Independence.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filippo_Mazzei

 

My grandfather once had to be shuffled out of town when he shouted to the Mexican President that if he kept imposing on the people, he was going to meet the same fate as the other assassinated presidents. It didn't help the president was eventually assassinated.

 

There are cites named after my ancestors in Massachusetts, New Mexico and Utah.

 

A cousin of mine was married to Dorothy Parker and was nominated for an Oscar for writing the original "A Star Is Born."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Campbell_(screenwriter)

 

One of mine was a US Senator and railroad robber baron, or at least in tight with them.

 

Peabody, Marblehead, and Athol?

 

One of my fourth great grandfathers helped draft our original state constitution. One of my third great grandmothers was scalped in some kind of Indian raid or something and had to wear a head covering the rest of her life. My third great grandfather was a Confederate officer who somehow survived Vicksburg, was captured and paroled in July '63, and sent home. In October of that same year, the largest battle in our immediate area was fought on his farm. I like to think of him sitting on his front porch with a drink say, "Sittin' this one out, boys."

 

My great, great grandfather and my great grandfather owned one of the largest newspapers in Europe. They were friends with Theodor Herzl, who’s considered the father of modern political Zionism. Great Grandpa owned the paper until it was shut down by the Nazis. He was apparently beaten and put in a concentration camp, but the family paid off some Nazis, got him out, and they escaped to various European countries.

One of my grandmother’s sisters became an author and was a mistress of Elias Canetti, who won a Nobel Prize for literature.

Another one of my grandmother’s sisters worked for Radio Free Europe. The few times we spoke by phone, she was pleased that I was in newspapers, but didn’t like that I was in sports. She wanted me in news instead.

 

A second cousin was one of Grantland Rice's more cantankerous proteges. It would be nice if it was Fred Russell, whose writing I love. Nope. I got the cranky one who used to yell at his writers to put on a tie.

 

Stanley Woodward?

 

This is all I got: If my grandfather had been successful, you folks in Florida might be drinking Ouzoonian Family cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay. Grandpa (who I never knew) took the family to Milton, Fla., near Pensacola to try to grow wine grapes. He didn't know about Florida bugs, which ate his crops. They came back to L.A. broke and destitute.