Hello again! Have you ever wanted to go somewhere not necessarily well-known, but that holds deep significance for you? For me it was Quincy, Illinois, a town that loomed large in the lore of my late father’s family history. I have been curious to learn more about this side of the family, and as I mentioned in my previous posts, the extra free time I had during the pandemic allowed for research, discovery, and much perusal of old photographs.

My great grandparents Thomas Lucien and Lillie Collins Morris in Quincy, IL. I honestly think Lillie and Lucien would be great names for twins.
My Historical Society of Quincy and Adams County membership card with a classic river scene

Since earliest childhood, I had heard of Quincy as a town where a grandfather I never met was buried, along with several other generations of Morrises. A place peppered with tales of ancestors on familiar terms with Abraham Lincoln (perhaps to the shock of some in the Southern side of my family), views of the Mississippi River, and Victorian charm. So in Summer 2021 without a full-time job, I used my time to finally set forth on a roots-searching odyssey through the Midwest. In keeping with Honeysuckle Roads’ themes, you can guarantee that this trip contained musical performances! But first let’s start at the beginning of the trip (in my next post)…

-Emily Morris