Seeking Mary Smith
a blog by Lillian Craton
In the summer of 2024, I set out to solve a mystery: the identity of the woman buried in a grave across from my driveway.
According to a fading headstone, Mary Smith died in 1829 and was a “Heroine of the American Revolution.” Sounds like a great story, right? Unfortunately, the tale behind Mary’s heroism (and in fact, the story of her entire life) became blurry through the passing generations. How much could I hope to discover about a woman with such a common name who died nearly 200 years ago?
As part of the summer ENGL 373 / HONS 390 class at Lander University, I chronicled my attempt to fill in the blanks of Mary Smith’s life, taking what are hopefully the first steps towards writing a historical novel about Mary Smith. The following blog entries record what I did—and didn’t—uncover about her her life so far.
Thanks for coming along on my journey!
Seeking Mary Smith…on the internet
In this entry, I explore the opportunities and limits to identify Mary Smith from the comfort of my own couch.
Seeking Mary Smith…in the library archives
In this entry, I explore the historical resources available through my local library.
Seeking Mary Smith…through historical context
In this entry, I explore ways that broader historical inquiry has helped me understand Mary Smith.
Seeking Mary Smith…in the future.
In this entry, I share my unfruitful visit to the Anderson County Museum along with my reflection on what I’ve learned and how this project can develop in the future.