Cornelia Wendell Bush

06/23/2026

Come and see the signature that changed the course of history.

This handwritten note, signed by George Washington in October 1781, accepted Britain’s surrender at Yorktown, bringing major fighting in the American Revolutionary War to an end.

The letter was given to Charles Cornwallis, Britain’s Lieutenant General commanding the southern campaign, in Yorktown, Virginia, following the British request to end hostilities to agree the terms of their surrender. Washington replied stating his ‘ardent desire to spare the further effusion of blood’.

After the war, Cornwallis took Washington’s letter home with him to Audley End in Saffron Walden, Essex, where it remained in the family archive before being presented to the Public Record Office, a predecessor of The National Archives, among other papers in 1880.

This letter will be on display for the first time as part of our new exhibition which opens tomorrow, Revolution 250: America's Independence Story 1763-1783.

Find out more about the exhibition: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/revolution-250-americas-independence-story-1763-1783/

06/22/2026

06/22/2026

Researching your family genealogy? Here’s some helpful tips!

1. Many Maine towns submitted their pre-1892 vital records to the State Archives. Those birth, marriage, and death records are easily searched online for free at https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1803978
The towns included are:https://www.maine.gov/sos/sites/maine.gov.sos/files/content/assets/delayedvrlist.pdf
If you do not see the town you need on the list, please contact the town directly.

2. Naturalizations from the 19th and 20th centuries can also be searched at https://www.familysearch.org/en/search/collection/2040046 .

3. For the certification of citizenship documents, please reach out to the Bureau of Corporations, Elections, and Commissions for an apostille. You can find more information here: https://www.maine.gov/sos/corporations-commissions/authentications-and-apostilles

4. Probate (wills) and land deeds are kept at county courthouses and are often full of family information.

5. Don’t forget to check local libraries and historical societies for town histories, which often contain genealogy information. You can also contact local churches for baptismal and marriage records.

06/22/2026

Troy, NY was featured in CBS’ A-Z countdown marking the United States 250 th anniversary, highlighting the letter U for Uncle Sam, also known as Sam Wilson. Wilson came to Troy as a young man and was a meat packer during the war of 1812. He earned the name of Uncle Sam by soldiers as he stamped barrels of pork and beef with U.S. James Montgomery Flagg’s iconic poster some 100 years later, featured Wilson in red, white and blue attire forever linking him to American history. As the final resting place of this iconic symbol, we encourage visitors to add Oakwood to their list of must-visit sites during our country’s 250th celebration.

06/21/2026

Christine Gregg was last seen 50 years ago on June 16, 1976, in Sac...

06/21/2026

Join us for the fourth meeting of Barbara’s Book Club, a discussion series exploring Barbara Vines Little’s A Researcher’s Guide to Virginia’s Historical Records. This month’s session, led by Nicki Peak Birch, CG®, will focus on Chapters 7 and 8, which examine Vital Records and Probate. W...

06/20/2026

Appointments for in-person research are available on a limited basis.

For the most up-to-date information, please visit: https://history.pcusa.org/plan-your-visit

06/20/2026

One of the primary documents in the WCHS Revolutionary War Manuscripts collection is this “Militia Roll” from June 18, 1776. Col. Pierre Van Cortlandt (1721–1814), Commander of the 3rd Regiment of Westchester County Militia, prepared this return of officers and privates, volunteers, and drafted men for Brigadier General Lewis Morris (1726-1798). The 3rd Regiment comprised militiamen from northern Westchester County. Find this and other American Revolution documents related to Westchester County at https://westchesterhistory.com/hufelandmss76-3/

06/20/2026