Looking at this great family photograph of my grandparents and their five sons, I wondered when it was taken. Perhaps the automobile in the background might provide some clues. Read more »about Dating An Old Family Photograph
Category: Father's Family
These are articles about my Bates relatives and ancestors.
A Radio at the Ranch
In researching family history, I often look through old newspapers for articles involving family members. Many old papers published even the smallest events that happened in a community. Searching through one of these newspapers from 1923, I came across a brief mention of a radio at my grandparent’s farm in Valley Center, California. Read more »about A Radio at the Ranch
Walnut Slope Ranch History
In 1921, Gilbert and Beatrice Bates purchased Walnut Slope Ranch in Valley Center, California and moved their family from nearby Ramona. This year (2021) marks the 100-year anniversary of that purchase. This article takes a look at how the property came to be the home of at least four generations of the Bates family. Read more »about Walnut Slope Ranch History
The Bates Family Celebrates Christmas 1912
In December 1912, the Santa Ana Register ran an article describing a Christmas celebration at the home of my grandparents, Gilbert and Beatrice [Lockwood] Bates. Of the twenty-two attendees, at least twenty-one were close family members who had moved from Michigan to California. Read more »about The Bates Family Celebrates Christmas 1912
Grandma Honors Veterans With Service Banner
Near the end of World War II my grandmother, Beatrice (Lockwood) Bates created a service banner to honor those in her community that served in World War II. The banner is now on display at the local history museum in Valley Center, California. Read more »about Grandma Honors Veterans With Service Banner