Two complete years of Amanuensis Monday

Back on February 16, 2009 I began a weekly meme I called Amanuensis Monday.  This past Monday I completed two years of transcriptions -- a total of 105 posts.  (The first two weeks I posted an extra three transcriptions, for a total of five.  I have also 'taken off' both Labor Days.  This explains why there are 105 transcriptions, and not 104.)

Awhile ago I created a chronological index of transcriptions, which I have kept up-to-date.  Originally I had one chronological  list of all my posts, but at some point last year I created two lists - depending upon whether the document referenced a maternal or paternal ancestor.  And I realized there was a significant imbalance.  As of this Monday, that imbalance has been corrected.  52 posts relating to paternal ancestors; 52 posts relating to maternal ancestors.  And one transcription relating to my self.

I find the differences between my research on my maternal and paternal ancestors interesting.  My maternal grandparents saved a multitude of letters.  However, finding mention of kin in newspaper archives has been difficult.  On the other hand, while less letters seem to have been saved by paternal branches, I have found a multitude of references in newspapers.  Part of the difference may be due to the fact I live where my paternal ancestors lived at least for a few generations.  I have a greater access to St. Louis newspaper archives than I do to Texas or New England newspapers.

What does the future hold for this space? As I mentioned in early January when I reached 100 transcriptions

I believe in 2011 I may begin including some transcriptions that don't directly mention kin, but are of interest historically, either in the Greater St. Louis area, or in other ancestral locations.  I also have a couple more audio tapes I still wish to transcribe - one of which excerpts from may appear here.

I also still have a lot of letters that haven't been transcribed.