Southwest USA Genealogy & History

Although this book is not an actual history book… It is an historical novel in the style of Nancy E Turner.  If you have read Sarahs Quilt and liked it…. then you will love One Thousand White Women.

The author, Jim Fergus, knows the country and the history of the American West and its native people. This book is a chronicle of the Old West in way that helps you live in that time period.  You are not reading a historic representation of the times, but living with the people of the times.

One Thousand White Women is a story of sorrow.  You will be completely engaged by the characters in the book and learn the personalities and quirks of each one. It is always an emotional roller coaster for me, when a beloved character dies… especially if that death is particularly violent.

But… the times were violent and this fact should always be remembered.

Jim Fergus envelopes us into the heart and minds of each character and their everyday lives. You will find mourning, and courage throughout. The main character is Mary Dodd, she is fictional of course, but seems to be a blend of Sacajawea and Anne Okley.

Mary Dodd keeps a running journal or diary for us all to read. It is personal and probably was never meant to be shared. Although, at times, she writes letters to her lost children and distant family in this diary, we know that Mary never expected them to be read.

One thousand white women are promised to the Cheyenne nation and Mary Dodd is one of them.  She along with her companions share this adventure with dread and camaraderie.  Their is jealousy, cattiness and emotional ties that seem to bind these women through all perils. 

Each woman is married off to a "savage" to bear a child. The idea was that these children would better assimilate into the white mans world. Of course, this idea was doomed from the beginning, and yet these women had made a commitment and stuck to the plan.

The years that are chronicled in Mary Dodd's diary will transport the reader to another time and place. This is one of those books that you will never want to end. It is also one of those books that gives the reader pause thinking about the wisdom of our government.

  One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd: A Novel

When Arizona was a territory, it still had a census taken. Can you imagine a census taker working in 120 degree heat, walking through blistering sand and with out a tree 30 ft from the river bottom. 

Hmmm, I wonder how many errors could have been made? Or, maybe a few census workers took a siesta instead of recording names.

You can find the 1870 Census at Yuma County 1870 Census 

The  Yuma County 1880 Census can be searched at FamilySearch.org

New genealogy data base is available. Find or submit Arizona Obituaries. 

At the time of this article, about 800 obits have been posted. This site should grow very fast.

Tip for genealogy volunteers: When you do a volunteer lookup, take the time to post the obituary to this site. Someday… we won't have any obits to look up. They will all be available online. How cool would that be?

Click here: Arizona Obituary Look Up