About

Welcome to Digging in the Roots (formerly called Genealogical Research: A Hobby or an Obsession?), a blog about genealogy and family history research in the Southern Appalachians.

My name is Dawn Watson, and I’ve been a genealogical researcher for over 30 years. My area of interest is the 19th century Southeastern United States, particularly Georgia and the Carolinas. This interest is so strong that it moved me to found the now-defunct Southern Appalachians Genealogical Association with a handful of other researchers.

What will you find here? Whatever catches my interest! Many of the families mentioned on this blog are not my own. Likewise, many of the records discussed may not pertain directly to my family.

Professional Services:
I am no longer offering professional research services and lectures.

Please see the Board for Certification of Genealogists, the Association of Professional Genealogists, or the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists to find professional researchers.

Contact Information:
If you need to contact me, my e-mail address is info@bonediggerspress.com. Please put something in the subject line that will let me know your message isn’t spam or junk mail. If you would prefer using the postal system, you may write to: Dawn Watson, c/o Richard E. Hopkins, Jr., PO Box 1049, Clayton, GA 30525.

Copyright Information:
Each post on this blog is copyrighted and falls under the protection of the copyright laws of the United States of America. Please act accordingly.

Pictures Used On This Blog:
When reducing most of the scanned images for inclusion on this web site, I tried to retain an unedited picture for sharing. If you would like a copy of an old picture or tombstone photograph, please e-mail me at the addy above.

Comments:
In order to control spammers, comment moderation has been activated. Please do leave comments. I ask only that posters refrain from using invectives, and that comments pertain to the posts under which the comment is left. If you have a question about something that is off-topic but still genealogical in nature, please leave those comments on any post, or feel free to e-mail me at the addy given above.

All-time Top 5 Posts:
Here are readers’ favorite posts for the entire life of the blog. (No kidding.)

  1. State of NC and Payne vs. Dills
  2. Now Available: Rabun County, Georgia, Newspapers, 1894 – 1899
  3. Four Brick Wall Breakers
  4. The Crew of the Little Lulu
  5. Noteworthy Blogs for 2013

My Favorite Posts:

4 Comments to “About”

  1. I really like the name of your blog! Sums it up quite nicely.

  2. You’ve got a great blog! I’ve had some time to take a look at it since I stumbled upon your post regarding Jeremiah Dills.

    You have some great tips on here for beginners and intermediates like myself.

    It’s definitely going in my bookmark list!

  3. Dawn……….check out http://www.hrcga.org. Maybe we can work together whenever we start working up in North Georgia. I know there are some old church treasures tucked away in the mountains.

    • I received an e-mail about your work with historic rural churches just a few days ago, and hope to include some information on it in an upcoming issue of a newsletter I write. Please keep me in mind when you make it this way!

Leave a comment