Taking Inventory: Lithuanian immigrant tops all on Stray Leaves
Immigrant stories are particularly meaningful today. Just how much became evident on Stray Leaves with the publication of “Breaker Boy – The Separation of John Papnick.” This biographical story went viral internationally, gathering just under 2,000 readers in less than 48 hours. John Papnick became known to more people in that short time than he had in all of his 61 years.
To date, two stories have garnered top readership honors on Stray Leaves. In first place is “Great Grandchild of Jesse James Has Three Lines of James Ancestry.” In second place is “Attention Jesse James Kinfolk…Send Me Your Ears.” Neither of these two stories, however, has gone viral like the present pacesetter.
I think this post is one of the better biographies I’ve written.
The Leaf Blower explains how the Lithuanian immigrant story went viral. “The announcement of this new post first appeared on my personal Facebook page, mainly because the story is more personal to me than it is to the Jesse James family at large. New posts to Stray Leaves always have been announced first via email to member subscribers of Stray Leaves. After subscribers are informed, a general announcement appears on Stray Leaves’ Facebook page. I’ve purposely strayed from that policy a bit because this post is about my maternal grandfather.”
In the future, the Leaf Blower says, subscribers to Stray Leaves can expect more posts about immigrants to America among the James family and their kin. The Leaf Blower also promises more stories from his personal life. For now, meet Jonas Pupininkas, the maternal grandfather of Stray Leaves‘ Leaf Blower.
John Langford: The Kentuckian Who Shot Quantrill
Missouri Life magazine has a very good article about Kentuckian John Langford who shot William Clarke Quantrill. Langford’s shot resulted in Quantrill’s death. You have to wade through a lot of Missouri boasting in the article first.
From the Goodland Stockpile
Goodland is the subject of Joseph McJames and the James family in Chapter 3 of Jesse James Soul Liberty. Now you can own a piece of Goodland. Very inexpensively, too. This 1896 Victorian fixer sits on Jasper Street directly across from the First Baptist Church of Goodland. Nancy Angeline Logan-Wood-James, the wife of Francis Marion James Jr., was a founder and teacher of First Baptist Church.