About

May 16, 2014
It’s been some time since I updated this site. I have completed the series of books on the Austins of Eldred, New York. I am currently researching the Smith family of my husband.

December 2, 2011
Hello to my Crabtree, Higginson, and Briggs relatives. I haven’t posted anything new on this side of the family since 2007. I am going to try and post some new photos I recently received from Cal Bivens as I have time during the month of December. Hope you enjoy the photos and information, some of it is new, so that is exciting.

October 2011
Echo Hill and Mountain Grove is now available at HalfwayBrook.com. It is about the many boarding houses in the area. Echo Hill was the Leavenworth boarding house and Mountain Grove was the Austin one.

The Mill on Halfway Brook, Book 1 in the series I’ve called, Memoirs of Eldred, New York, 1800–1950, is also available at HalfwayBrook.com.

The Mill on Halfway Brook takes place from 1800 to 1880. Echo Hill and Mountain Grove takes place from 1880 to 1920.

Thanks for stopping by.

Louise

January 6, 2008

Happy New Year!! Mine is off to a busy start. I have been working as often as I can scanning photos and gathering material for my book about my Austin/Leavenworth Grandparents. I’m excited about it, but it will be a bit until this book will be done. I post some of the photos I have once-in-awhile.

Hope your New Year is off to a good start.

September 1, 2007
Hello!

My name is Louise Smith and this site is to update friends and relatives on my latest family book projects. I also post photos and information that I hope relatives and friends find interesting.

I would love to hear from you. And please if you have questions…or answers, feel free to email me.

Surnames on my mom’s side: Briggs, Crabtree, Higginson, Sharp, Giggey.
Surnames on my dad’s side: Austin, Leavenworth, Eldred, Myers, Van Pelt, Laserlier.

Completed Family Book Projects

Grandma Jennie Austin’s Ledger: The scans of the recipes and poems from her ledger.

Grandma and Me: This book is about my Grandma Amanda Myrtie Crabtree Briggs born in 1891, in Nebraska, and the stories she told her children and grandchildren. http://www.lulu.com/content/494949

Aida Austin’s 1881 Diary: Aida was my great aunt and this is the diary she kept the year she turned 20. Note 11/2010. A new updated Aida Austin’s 1881 Diary is available at http://halfwaybrook.com/

Special thanks to my son Andrew for setting up this site and doing the technical stuff I’ll never understand how to do. And special thanks to my husband Gary for his expertise in book design.