As I write today, I have so much anticipation for this year's research trip. While this trip will mark the third time that we've traveled to the South to research our family, each and every trip has had it's distinct memories and experiences. I am eager to see what is going to fall before us as the result of our research efforts.
This year, a cousin who has never met us in person or been to Louisiana, will be joining us for four days. RaiChel was so moved by the small amount of footage from the last trip on our reunion DVD, that she told herself that she had to join us the next time we went. Jean and Gene will also be accompanying me to various locations.
We have sent a call out to family members to give their part of our family history which will be combined and included in the 2009 reunion DVD.
In addition, this trip will mark the first time in over 1/2 a century that descendants of three, and possibly four, of the six children of King Atlas, Sr. and Rachel Day will be around each other at the same time.
Now, if that isn't enough, there are two other Atlas families that have been discovered that we will be conducting research on to find out if they are related to us. (We believe they are, so that's enough!) One is from Port Gibson, Claiborne County, MS and the other was based out of New Orleans, Orleans Parish, LA. Representatives for the Port Gibson Atlas' are as eager as we are to meet us and we are still in the process of locating living descendants of those from New Orleans.
My hypothesis, for both the Port Gibson and the New Orleans Atlas', is that our families were separated by slavery. The key will be locating documents for both families that link them to a last slaveowner who had relations with the last slave owner of the Lake Providence Atlas'.
In early March, I sent the research team the 2008 Research Trip Feeder which consists of documents that need to be read and absorbed before the trip. This feeder ties together all the pieces of information we have found thus far and then prepares each of us for what we need to look for now. The total document was about 60 pages and included search lists for each of our research locations, lodging information, possible family members we may meet or connect with, etc.
The tentative schedule for the trip is as follows:
April 18: Arrive in New Orleans, LA
April 19-20: Louisiana State Archives, Baton Rouge, LA
April 21-22: New Orleans Public Library, New Orleans, LA
April 23-26: Mississippi State Archives, Jackson, MS; Port Gibson, MS
April 27-May 1: Lake Providence, LA
In addition to maintaining this blog, we will also be posting pictures at http://atlasfamily.shutterfly.com/ during the duration of the trip. So, as you follow along in the blog, you will a photographic representation of what is taking place. We also anticipate being able to post video as well to http://www.youtube.com/AtlasFamilyOrg .
