You might notice some new faces popping up around here — one of them is mine, just a little shorter and a lot cuter!
Meet my new sidekicks. Little cartoon-me is going to be dropping in all over the blog with side notes and tidbits as you read:
Coni’s Tip — when I have a research trick or a hard-won lesson to share, she’ll pop up with her magnifying glass.
Did You Know? — for the fun little facts and surprises I dig up along the way.
Ancestor Story — she’ll mark the stories of our ancestors, hugging the old books close, just like I do.
And here’s the best part: I’m hiding a treasure on every page of this blog. It’s a little bronze emblem — a tree growing out of an open book, with stars sprinkled around it. The tree is our family, roots deep and branches reaching, growing right out of the stories these books hold. The stars are our ancestors, watching over us.
If the names Chagum, Chaugham, Barber, or Mossuck make your ears perk up — if your grandmother told stories about the Lighthouse, or you’ve got a mysterious old photo of kinfolk in Barkhamsted you can’t quite place — then YES, I’m talking to YOU!
It all started with two rebels in love…
Around 1740, Molly Barber did the unthinkable — she walked away from her wealthy family and married James Chaugham, a Narragansett Indian from Block Island. They headed for the wild hills of Barkhamsted and built a life together. And around them grew the most extraordinary village: Native Americans, poor whites, and African Americans, all living side by side, sharing everything. The stagecoach drivers called it the LIGHTHOUSE — because the cabin lights twinkling through the cracks told travelers they were almost home.
That light? It’s US. And it’s still burning! 🔥
I’m Coni Dubois — James and Molly’s descendant — and I’ve spent 30+ years tracing our people (2,354 families and counting!). But a book is about the ones who came before. I want something for the ones who are HERE. Right now. Living, laughing, raising babies, growing gardens, telling stories.
I’m gathering the LIVING — and YOU are invited! 🎉
Here’s the deal: this is NOT some stuffy organization. No bylaws. No dues. No officers, no meetings, no agendas — none of that! 😄
It’s a KINSHIP CIRCLE — family finding family:
🎂 Birthdays, babies, graduations, milestones — we celebrate TOGETHER
📸 Photo swaps — your kids next to their 1700s cousins (how cool is THAT?!)
📖 Stories — the funny ones, the wild ones, the ones grandma only told at the kitchen table
🎪 Reunions and gatherings where the kids finally meet their cousins
🔥 Keeping our history alive by LIVING it — together!
So what are you waiting for?! 👇
Fill out my quick sign-up form — tell me who you are, which of James & Molly’s kids you come down from, and where life has you now. There’s a big ol’ box for your story — tell me EVERYTHING:
Everyone is welcome — just say hello! But to receive your verified descendant card and Member ID, we do need proof: real records tracing your line back to James and Molly. No genealogy degree needed — share what you have and we’ll figure out the lines together, like family does. 💛
P.S. — There’s MORE coming! 👀
I’m updating the Descendants Book RIGHT NOW — four years of new research going in, 2,354 families and growing. When the new edition drops, it’ll be available for a fee — and circle members hear about it FIRST.
Plus: the newspapers book is getting stuffed with new articles — and every descendant who signs up gets added to the BLVD Roll Call, our living sheet of Barkhamsted Lighthouse descendants. Our story keeps growing — come grow with it!
The people of the Barkhamsted Light House Village are gone now, their lives a whisper in the wind. But if you walk in those hills today and listen closely, you can still hear the echo of their laughter. You can still feel the warmth of their light. It is a light that never goes out.
We’ve been scattered long enough, family. Come home to the circle! 🏠💛
With love, Coni
Ever Widening Circle Research by Coni Dubois — We are the storytellers.
📬 Share Your Family Photos!
Calling all cousins! Our Barkhamsted Lighthouse Village Facebook group has a brand-new ‘Newsletter Photos‘ album — drop your old and new family photos in there anytime. Adding your photos gives permission to feature them in our annual Descendants Newsletter! Our group is public, so they’re visible to everyone. Come join the family and share your piece of our story! 💛
Every village has a founding couple. Ours has a legend — and a record. Today I’m giving you both, honestly, because that’s the pledge I made yesterday.
The legend goes like this. Around 1740, Molly Barber of Wethersfield was forbidden by her parents from marrying the man of her choice. She declared she would marry the first man who offered himself. That man was James Chaugham, a Narragansett man from Block Island. They married — some versions say in secret — and left Wethersfield for the wilderness of Barkhamsted, where they raised a family and founded a community. The poet Lewis Sprague Mills put it in verse in 1932, and a thousand retellings followed.
That’s the story. Here is what I can tell you with a document in my hand.
I cannot find Molly’s birth record. I cannot find her marriage record. No one can — the historical sources say so plainly. What I CAN show you is the end of her life, itemized in a clerk’s handwriting.
In January 1821, the estate of “Mary Chogum, late of Barkhamsted” was inventoried: one iron kettle, $1.25. One small kettle, fifty cents. One old chest of drawers, fifty cents. Fourteen acres of land at ten dollars an acre. Total: $142.25. That was her whole world, appraised.
Her estate couldn’t cover her debts — the town of Barkhamsted itself held a claim of about $272 for the support she had needed in her old age. Her 14 acres were sold to her son-in-law, William Wilson, for $100, and the town took the loss. I’ve transcribed the whole probate packet on this blog — the administrator’s bond, the inventory, the final settlement of January 1822 — and you can read it here: https://conidubois.com/2026/07/23/unlocking-history-the-1821-estate-of-mary-chogum/
So the legend gives me a defiant young woman of Wethersfield, and the record gives me an old woman whose kettles and chest of drawers were worth two dollars and twenty-five cents. Both of them are Molly. Both of them are mine. She was one of the two people who founded the Barkhamsted Lighthouse community — the white wife and the Narragansett husband, about 1740 — and her descendants, in the hundreds, are still here. I’m one of them.
That’s the thing about ancestors. The story tells you who they were to the world. The record tells you what they had when they left it. I want both.
Your turn: What legend lives in YOUR family tree — and what record backs it up, or breaks it? Tell me in the comments. I want to hear it.
Tomorrow afternoon: another ancestor, another record. And remember — once a week, one of YOUR ancestors takes this spotlight. Got a brick wall? Send it through my contact form at https://conidubois.fyi/contact.
I’ve traced over 70,000 people in more than 30 years of research. To most folks they’d just be names and dates. To me, every one of them is a story.
So I’m starting something new: every afternoon, I’m going to introduce you to one ancestor. One person. One record — a census line, a will, a land deed, a newspaper clipping, a photograph. And the story behind it: who they were, what their life tells us, and sometimes what the record tried to hide.
Why daily? Because genealogy isn’t a once-a-year hobby. It’s a daily practice. I want this blog to feel like sitting down at the kitchen table with me every afternoon. (I’m a night person — mornings are for the roosters.)
Why me? Because these are my people, out of my own research. Nobody else can tell you these particular stories. And here’s what I’ve always believed: we are all related in one form or another, in an ever widening circle. So my ancestors’ stories have something to say to your family too.
And here’s my pledge: every story comes with its receipts. Each Ancestor of the Day names its record — the deed book and page, the census line, the newspaper — and links you to the source, so you can check my work yourself. No made-up stories. If I can’t prove it, I’ll tell you so.
Here’s how it works: – Every afternoon, a new Ancestor of the Day right here on the blog — this is home base. – I’ll share each one on Facebook and Instagram too, so you can follow along wherever you already are. – Every story ends with a question, because I want to hear YOUR ancestor stories in the comments. – And once a week, one of YOUR ancestors takes the spotlight. Got a brick wall, a family mystery, an ancestor with a story begging to be told? Send it through my contact form at https://conidubois.fyi/contact and I may feature them — with full credit to you.
And if reading these makes you think of your own brick wall — that one ancestor you just cannot find — that’s what I do. I opened Ever Widening Circle research for exactly that reason. More on that soon.
See you tomorrow afternoon. We’ve got 70,000 introductions to make.
This spring two major things happened at once. FamilySearch pushed a huge batch of new and re-indexed records in its April 2026 update, over one billion records total, and inside that update was an expansion to the core Native collection: United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940. At the same time the National Archives and Records Administration has been finishing a multi-year push to get Bureau of Indian Affairs records out of the basement and online, including a new BIA Photographs Finding Aid and near-complete digitization of the most-used BIA microfilm publications in Record Group 75.
The center of all of this is NARA microfilm publication M595, Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940. It is 692 rolls of annual censuses that Indian agents were required to file after an Act of Congress on July 4, 1884. This is not the regular federal census. This is the reservation census taken every year, often on June 30. If your ancestor was enrolled and living on or near a reservation, they should be in M595. The information changes by year. Early years are just name, age, sex. By the 1920s and 1930s you often get English name and Indian name, roll number, age, sex, relationship to head of household, marital status, degree of blood, and sometimes allotment or residence notes. NARA now has these rolls digitized in its Catalog as Indian Census Rolls and they are also on microfilm as M595, and copies are on FamilySearch, Ancestry and Fold3.
FamilySearch also maintains state-specific slices of the same film, most notably Washington, Native American, Census Records, 1880-1952. If you have Northwest ancestry it is worth searching both the national collection and the Washington collection because indexing was done at different times and a name that is missing in one can appear in the other. The national collection recently had 112 newly indexed entries added, which sounds small but each entry unlocks a full page of relatives.
There is a second collection that most people miss: United States, Native American Birth and Death Records, 1885-1940. This is the birth and death supplement that was filed with the annual rolls, especially for 1925 to 1933. When it is present it gives you census roll number, surname and given name, date of birth or death, sex, tribe, ward status, degree of father’s blood, degree of mother’s blood, degree of child’s blood, and whether the person was at the jurisdiction where enrolled. For western reservations like Western Navajo this supplement is often on roll 644 and similar rolls.
The NARA side is equally important. NARA has said that digitization of the most heavily used BIA microfilm publications in RG 75 is about 95 percent complete, including records that used to be held in Anchorage for Alaska Natives. That includes school censuses, allotment records, and annuity rolls. In early 2026 NARA also expanded its BIA Photographs Finding Aid, which finally brings together photos that were scattered across regional facilities. You can now search by tribe, school, or agency. For boarding school history, the National Indian Boarding School Digital Archive is building a parallel portal and so far offers records from nine schools including Chemawa, Carlisle Indian Industrial School, Cushman Indian School in Tacoma, and Pipestone Indian School. NARA itself also holds school land and building records and maps that can help you pinpoint where a school was and what records might exist for it.
How to use it all together in practice. Start with one solid hit in M595. Write down the agency name exactly as written, the year, the roll number, and the page number. Then browse that same agency three years before and three years after. Agents kept families in the same order year to year, so you can track births, deaths, and marriages even when the index fails. Pay attention to the roll number column. A sudden new number often means marriage to someone from another family or enrollment from another agency. Note the remarks column, it often says died, married, transferred, or dual enrollment.
Once you have a cluster of years, pull the birth and death rolls for that agency. That gives you exact dates and parental blood degree, which you will need for lineage packets. Then go to NARA’s Indian Census Rolls page and its tribal rolls overview. If your family is one of the Five Civilized Tribes in Indian Territory before 1907, M595 is just a clue. You will need to go to the Dawes Commission Final Rolls and enrollment cards. For almost every other tribe, you will want to use the agency and years you found to ask for that tribe’s base rolls, allotment rolls, and other enrollment lists in RG 75. The government has never created one master list of all Native Americans, so you have to work agency by agency.
For organizing and sharing, make a simple packet per ancestor. One folder with all M595 images for that person across years, one image of the birth or death roll, any BIA photo or school attendance record, and a full citation that reads NARA M595, Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940, roll number, agency, year, and line or family number. Tribal enrollment offices and family members both want the citation, not just a screenshot.
Finally, search the same name in three places. FamilySearch search, the NARA Catalog, and Ancestry or Fold3 free at a library or NARA facility. All three use the same M595 film but different handwriting interpretations. If you search all three you will find about twenty percent more relatives that one index alone would miss. If you have a surname and a state or a suspected tribe, start with M595 and then layer the birth and death rolls and the photo finding aid. That combination is what makes the 2026 releases so powerful.
We are living in an era of profound overwhelmedness. Behind the closed doors of our neighborhoods, people are quietly carrying immense burdens. We are seeing friends navigate painful divorces, neighbors losing businesses they poured their hearts into, and everyday Americans simply losing touch with the joy of living because they are entirely focused on just surviving.
Depression is a very real, very present issue in our communities. The compounded grief of personal loss, economic instability, and a deeply divided political climate has left many feeling isolated and exhausted. It is time we talk about it openly, look at the facts, and most importantly, share the resources that can save lives.
The Real Toll of Economic and Political Stress The stress we are feeling is not just in our heads—it is a documented, national crisis. Financial insecurity and political division are fundamentally altering our mental well-being.
In the American Psychological Association’s (APA) 2024 Stress in America survey, 77% of adults reported the future of our nation as a significant source of stress.
The economy is the second most common stressor, affecting 73% of adults. Day-to-day survival is becoming harder, with 65% of adults citing housing costs as a significant driver of anxiety.
Sadly, the very financial pressure causing this distress is also a barrier to healing, as 60% of people have avoided seeking mental health support specifically because of the cost.
When we talk about the “economy,” we aren’t just talking about numbers on a screen; we are talking about the loss of livelihoods, the strain on marriages, and the deep anxiety of not knowing how to pay for basic necessities. This chronic stress keeps our bodies in a constant state of fight-or-flight, eventually leading to severe anxiety and depression.
A Silent Epidemic: Understanding the Suicide Crisis When the weight of these losses—whether it is a business, a marriage, or a sense of hope—becomes too much, the consequences can be devastating. We must face the reality of the suicide crisis in our country so that we can actively prevent it. Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States, resulting in over 49,000 deaths in 2023 alone.
Overall, suicide rates have increased by about 31% from 2003 through 2023. These numbers represent mothers, fathers, siblings, and friends. They represent people who felt they had run out of options. But there are options, and there is a massive network of support waiting to catch those who are falling.
Hope and Help: Suicide Prevention and Resources If you are reading this and feeling like the walls are closing in, please know that you are not alone, and your life is incredibly valuable. Reaching out for help is the bravest thing you can do.
In July 2022, the federal government launched the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. This service provides 24/7, free, and confidential support for people in distress, as well as prevention and crisis resources.
You can call, text, or chat 988 from anywhere in the country to be connected with a trained crisis counselor.
Between July 2022 and September 2025, about 19.1 million calls, texts, and chats were routed to these crisis centers.
That number tells us something vital: Millions of Americans are asking for help, and they are receiving it. You do not have to carry this weight alone.
Let’s Check on Each Other
We cannot always fix the economy or change the political climate overnight, but we can change the environment in our own circles. Check on your strong friends. Check on the friend who just closed their business. Check on the family member going through a divorce.
Grace, compassion, and a listening ear can be the lifeline someone desperately needs today.
Sources and Documentation For further reading and to verify the statistics shared in this post, please refer to the following official reports:
American Psychological Association (APA): Stress in America 2024: A nation in political turmoil. This report details the significant stressors impacting Americans, including the economy and the political climate. (Available at: https://www.apa.org/pubs/reports/stress-in-america/2024)
U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO): Suicide Prevention: Capacity and Federal Assessment of the 988 Lifeline (July 2026). This report documents the tragic rise in suicide rates to over 49,000 in 2023, alongside the utilization metrics for the 988 Lifeline. (Available at: https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-26-108114)
LifeStance Health Research: Financial Stress, Anxiety, and Depression (July 2026). This details the psychological load of financial distress and the barriers to affordable mental health care. (Available at: https://lifestance.com/blog/financial-stress-anxiety-depression/)
To my family and friends, Recent events have really put things into perspective for me, reminding me just how much we all rely on one another. Life can be heavy right now, and so many of us are carrying things we don’t always talk about.
I just want to remind everyone: we got you. We are here for each other. Let’s make a promise to get back to taking care of one another, checking in, and making sure nobody has to walk through hard times alone.
❤️Love you all, just pick up phone and call someone, we are stronger together~
The document “LINEAGE LOG – DUBOIS KINSHIP PRESERVATION SERIES.pdf” is a comprehensive genealogy workbook created by Coni Dubois.
It is designed as a professional working archive to meticulously document family history. The workbook provides structured templates for recording a wide variety of genealogical data, from basic relationships and vital records to oral histories, migration patterns, property ownership, military service, and family artifacts. Key Features and Organization
This Revised & Expanded Edition contains a Master Index that outlines 30 distinct, purpose-driven worksheets to help researchers organize their findings. The 34-page PDF is fully fillable, allowing readers to type directly into the fields. Four worksheets are brand new to this edition: Research Plan & Next Steps, Ancestor Timeline, Tribal & Native Heritage Record, and DNA & Genetic Genealogy.
The major categories include: * Core Ancestral Profiling: Includes individual biographical data, vital record analysis and mapping, ancestral profiles, and a master family profile for lineage reconstruction. * Family and Household Reconstruction: Features dedicated logs for spouses and unions, children of those unions, grandchildren summaries, and household census extractions. * Research and Evidence Tracking: Provides structured sheets for a master source and citation log, an evidence review and lineage proof summary, and a log for research notes and findings. * Historical and Cultural Context: Contains an ancestor profile deep-dive for narrative biographies, migration and movement logs, and a dedicated worksheet for family legends and oral histories. * Specialized Historical Records: Includes highly specific templates for logging land and property records, military service data, occupation and skills profiles, community and social standing, medical and health histories, religious and spiritual life, and economic and financial profiles. * Artifact and Media Preservation: Features an heirloom and artifact catalog, as well as a two-part photographic record index to catalog family objects, provenance, and historical images. Each worksheet is designed with verification checklists at the bottom to ensure all sources are cited, dates are verified, and relevant data is fully confirmed.
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity…”— Preamble to the United States Constitution(1787)
1. Native American Sovereignty and the Foundation of America To understand who “We the People” truly are, we must start at the beginning—long before 1776. For thousands of years prior to European contact, hundreds of Indigenous nations cultivated, navigated, and maintained the North American continent through sophisticated agricultural systems, complex governance models, and deep ecological stewardship.
When European colonists arrived, the taking of Native lands unfolded through military force, forced removals, broken treaties, and legal constructs designed to strip away sovereignty [^1].
The sacred connection Indigenous peoples held with the earth was met with deliberate dispossession—evidenced by historical events ranging from the Indian Removal Act of 1830 to the forced marches of the Trail of Tears and hundreds of systematically unfulfilled federal treaties [^1].
HISTORICAL LAND DISPOSSESSION
Pre-1492: Sovereign Indigenous Nations spanning North America 1789–1827: Early treaties & boundary negotiations (ASP Records) 1830: Indian Removal Act: Systematic forced relocation Late 1800s-1900s: Allotment Acts & Reservation System established
The sacrifice made by Native Americans was not merely physical land; it was the sacred interruption of continuous, sustainable civilizations.
The true foundation of North America rests upon blood, sweat, and tears shed on Indigenous land long before the word “immigrant” was ever weaponized to divide working people.
2. Who Are the “True Americans”?
Reframing Labor and Sacrifice Throughout American history, political and economic elites have frequently labeled arriving working-class populations as “foreigners” or “outsiders.” Yet, the very infrastructure of the United States—from the Transcontinental Railroad built by Chinese and Irish laborers, to the agricultural fields tended by immigrant workers, to the cities erected by Black labor both forced and free—was constructed by working hands.
The phrase “True Americans” does not belong to an elite minority, nor does it belong to those who inherit intergenerational wealth.
The True American People are those of every ethnic origin and DNA profile who:
• Perform the essential labor that powers daily life (construction, sanitation, agriculture, caregiving, manufacturing). • Pay their fair share of taxes from every hard-earned paycheck. • Sustain community infrastructure during times of crisis. • Bear the physical burden of military service and manual labor.
Calling these foundational workers “immigrants” or “outsiders” to marginalize them is a historic tactic of division.
Anyone who gives their labor, sweat, and devotion to building and sustaining society carries the true DNA of “We the People.”
3. A Brief History: The Machine vs. The Working Class
The rapid growth of the United States into a global powerwas driven by relentless industrialization.
While the industrial revolution created unprecedented wealth, that wealth became heavily concentrated at the top, building a system where the rich profit off the backs of everyday labor.
Industrial Expansion ──► Wealth Concentration ──► Working Class Squeeze │ │ │ Built by labor Controlled by elites Stagnant wages vs. & innovation & corporations rising cost of living
Over the last several decades, structural economic shifts have accelerated this disparity.
According to long-term demographic data from the Pew Research Center, the American middle class has steadily contracted, shrinking from 61% of adults in 1971 to roughly 50% in recent years[^2]. Meanwhile, the share of aggregate national wealth held by upper-income households continues to grow, leaving working families to fight over an ever-smaller piece of the pie.
4. The Economic Breakdown: Middle Class vs. Lower Income Struggles
The modern economy forces working-class and middle-class Americans to bear the financial burden of the state while receiving minimal social protections in return.
U.S. Income Tiers & Economic Realities Household Category Income Threshold (3-Person HH) [^3]
Primary Economic Challenges Lower-Income: Less than $56,600 / year = Housing instability, lack of healthcare access, basic inflation Middle-Income: $56,600 – $169,800 / year = High childcare costs, education debt, shrinking savings Upper-Income: Greater than $169,800 / year = Capital gains accumulation, lower relative tax burdens & every other American benefits we so desperately are fighting for and you keep from us.
The Unanswered Question’s: “Why?”
The True American People are asking fundamental questions about our national priorities:
1. Why spend trillions on military operations while domestic healthcare remains non-universal?
“According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), federal discretionary spending on defense routinely accounts for hundreds of billions annually” [^4], while millions of working Americans face medical debt or lack comprehensive care.
2. Why neglect our Elders our Military?
Senior citizens who worked four or five decades building this nation are often left surviving on fixed incomes that barely cover medicine, housing, and long-term care.
3. Why do the wealthy profit while workers pay?
Corporate subsidies, bailouts, and tax loopholes routinely protect corporate interests, while the working class faces wage stagnation and rising costs for basic necessities.
5. What If America Was Never Invaded?
The Unbroken Dream
What would a True American Dream have looked like if this continent had not been invaded, enslaved, and fractured by commercial exploitation?
” I think it would have been a civilization built on the foundational principles of Indigenous governance. “
I believe we would have: • Care for the Vulnerable: Elders were honored as living libraries, the sick were nursed by the community, and no one went hungry while others hoarded wealth. • Ecological Balance: Living with nature rather than extracting from it until destruction. Taking only what was needed and preserving the land for the next seven generations. • Mutual Protection: Clothing, feeding, and sheltering one another as an interconnected tribe, rather than treating basic human survival as a commercial commodity.
In this alternative reality, “progress” would not be measured by stock market indices or billionaire net worth, but by the health of the water, the security of the elders, and the unity of the people.
6. Gilded Palace in Washington: Why Are “We the People”just find this not a political issue but to Suffer?
When we turn our eyes to Washington, D.C., the disconnect between power and the people has reached a boiling point.
Everyday Americans are suffocating under inflation, sky-high housing costs, debt, and healthcare expenses.
Yet, while the working class struggles to survive, our political leaderssurround themselves with gilded luxury, framing self-enrichment and corporate conquest as “progress?“
Why is the system operating this way?
Progress Built for the Rich, Not the People: Laws originally designed to ensure equal protection, labor rights, and public welfare are systematically dismantled to clear the runway for deregulation and corporate monopolies.
The legal architecture of the nation now prioritizes the rights of capital over the rights of human beings.
The Spectacle of Power: Watching leaders clad their surroundings in gold and claim national achievements as their personal property reveals a profound decay in republican virtue.
The presidency was built to be a public trust—a service rendered to the people—not a personal brand or an empire to be inherited.
A Forgotten Electorate: Washington feels indifferent because the political establishment has surrendered to dark money and corporate lobbying.
When billions flow into campaigns, representatives become responsive to donors rather than the working men and women whose blood, sweat, and tears keep the lights on in this country.
The True American Peopleare not asking for handouts; they are demanding the basic promise of the Constitution—that government exists to promote the general welfare, not to enrich a select few while leaving the majority to bleed.
7. Personal Reflection and Conclusion
My Take on “We the People“:
“The true spirit of America has never resided in corporate boardrooms or political rhetoric. It lives in the hands of the working people who carry this country on their backs.
“We the People” must mean ALL the people—honoring the original Indigenous caretakers, respecting the immigrant and working-class families who built our infrastructure, and protecting the civil rights and economic dignity of every person who pours their life into this nation.”
If I had to live a TRUE American dream,it would follow the path of Native traditions: taking care of our elders, our sick, and our poor; clothing, feeding, and protecting one another; and using nature to survive instead of destroying it.
All things are connected.
We come from the earth, and we leave by the earth.
“We Are All Related.”
Final Author’s Note
A Note to the Reader: “Writing this piece is not about division; it is about remembering who we are when the noise of political spectacle tries to make us forget. Every bridge built, every harvest gathered, every elder cared for, and every sacrifice made on this soil was paid for by working hands—long before gilded towers were built to overshadow them. If we want a future that honors “We the People,” we have to stop letting those at the top divide us by origin, income, or lineage.
Look around you: the person working next to you, bleeding and sweating for their family just like you are, is your relative in this shared struggle.
Honor the land, protect one another, and never stop demanding the dignity we have all earned.”
— Coni Dubois
References & Documentation
For further reading and resource materials related to socio-economic reform, civil rights advocacy, and cultural commentary, visit conidubois.com.
This work, including all original commentary, philosophical reflections, and structural synthesis, is protected under United States and international copyright laws (17 U.S.C. § 101 et seq.).
Unauthorized reproduction, redistribution, or republication of this content without explicit written permission from the author is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Coni Dubois with appropriate and specific direction to the original content at [ConiDuBois.com] (https://conidubois.com).
3/30/1818 – CT Mirror Newspaper – Donated by Ken Feder
“…in February last, Mrs. Mary Chogum, aged 100.”
When we dive into old court archives, we often expect to find a grand last will and testament detailing exactly who got the family heirlooms. But sometimes, what a person doesn’t leave behind tells an even more compelling story.
The Context: A Legend of the Barkhamsted Lighthouse
For local history and genealogy buffs, the name Mary Chogum (other spellings as Choggum, Chagum, Chaugham or Chaugum) is legendary.
Mary—famously known as Molly Barber—was the matriarch of the Barkhamsted Lighthouse Village.
Around 1740, tradition holds that Molly, a white woman from Wethersfield, defied social boundaries to marry James Chagum, a Narragansett Indian from Block Island. To escape her family’s disapproval, they fled into the rugged hills of northwestern Connecticut, establishing a pioneering, multiracial settlement that endured for generations.
Molly outlived her husband by decades, surviving to 100 years. When she passed away in 1818, she left behind a profound cultural legacy—but almost no physical wealth.
While this historical probate packet from the Simsbury Probate District in Connecticut is filed under estate records, it actually reveals that Mary Chogum died intestate—meaning she left no will at all. Thanks to the digitized collection Connecticut, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1609-1999, these surviving documents give us a rare, bittersweet glimpse into the humble life and financial struggles of an early New England icon.
The Details at a Glance * Who: Mary Chogum (Molly Barber) * What: Intestate Probate Packet (Administration Bond, Inventory, and Final Financial Settlement) * When: January 1821 – January 1822 * Where: Town of Barkhamsted, Litchfield County, Connecticut (Simsbury Probate District) * Case Number: 715 * Key Individuals: Drayton Jones (Administrator), Zophar Case (Surety Bondholder), Solomon Everest (Probate Judge), Judah Roberts & Jesse Ives (Appraisers)
Why Records Like This Matter Mary Chogum didn’t leave behind gold or silver, but her court packet is a treasure trove for social historians and genealogists alike. It paints a vivid picture of early American life, showing how communities managed debt, valued everyday household items, and took care of their aging residents.
Mary was a survivor who lived to see a century of change on this earth, anchoring her family through sheer strength of will. Her 14 acres may have been sold to the town to settle a debt, but the bloodline she created could never be bought or sold. I carry her story in my veins, and by bringing these documents to light, we make sure that the world never forgets the name of the woman who started it all at the Barkhamsted Lighthouse.
Molly Barber and James Chagum/Chogum/Chaugham didn’t leave behind a grand mansion, silver spoons, or gold coins. What they left behind was far more enduring: a legacy of fierce independence, boundary-breaking love, and a resilient, beautiful lineage that survived against all odds.
They built a sanctuary in the hills of Barkhamsted when the rest of the world told them they didn’t belong.
Document Transcriptions Below are the transcriptions of the key documents found within Mary’s 9-page probate packet, preserving the unique legal terminology and spelling of the era.
1. The Administration Bond (January 2, 1821) Know all Men by these Presents, That we Drayton Jones & Zophar Case both of Barkhamsted in Litchfield County are holden and stand firmly bound and obliged unto Solomon Everest Esq. Judge of the Court of Probate for the district of Simsbury in the penal sum of Five hundred dollars…
THE condition of this obligation is such, That if the above bounden Drayton Jones administrator of all, and singular the goods, chattels, credits and estate of Mary Chaugum late of Barkhamsted deceased, do make or cause to be made, a true and perfect inventory, of all and singular the goods, chattels, credits, and estate of the said deceased… at or before the 2 day of March next ensuing…
Dated at Canton the 2nd day of January Anno Domini 1821. Drayton Jones Zophar Case
2. The Estate Inventory (January 29, 1821) This short list represents the entirety of Molly Barber’s physical world at the time of her death—a stark reflection of the poverty experienced by the Lighthouse community in its later years.
An Inventory of the Estate of Mary Chogum late of Barkhamsted in the District of Simsbury Deceased appraised by the Subscribers on the 29th day of January 1821
One Iron Kettle ————————- $1.25 One Small do. ————————— 0.50 One Old Chest of drawers —————- 0.50 Fourteen acres of land a $10 ———— 140.00 ——- 142.25
We Certify the above to be a true appraisal of all the Estate Exhibited to us Judah Roberts } Appraisers Jesse Ives } on oath
(Note: Court clerk William Stone officially accepted and filed this inventory on February 10, 1821.)
3. The Final Settlement & Land Payout (January 1822) Because Mary died with significant debts, her estate was declared insolvent. The Town of Barkhamsted itself held a massive claim against her for financial assistance provided during her old age.
The Financial Accounting:
Dr. Adm. of Mary Chogum Estate To personal Estate ———————- 2.25 Sales of real Estate —————– 140.00 ——- 142.25
Cr. By your Administration account —— 14.72 paying Barkhamsted on their debt of 272.50 against the Estate an average of 46 cents 8 mills —— 127.53 ——- 142.25
The Land Order Return: Barkhamsted 1821 Then by Virtue of an order from the Court of Probate for Simsbury District me Directing to Sell the real Estate of Mary Chaughum Decasd I sold to the Town of Barkhamsted 14 Acres of Land it being all the real Estate she owned at her Decease for the sum of 140.00.
Drayton Jones Administration on sd Estate Approved Jan. 16 1822 — E. Phelps Judge
Timeline Gap: The documents reveal a clear three-year delay between Mary Chogum’s death in 1818 and the official resolution of her land and estate records, which did not formally commence until 1821.
Death Record (1818)
Based on the records provided, here is the historical summary concerning Mary Chogum:
Probate and Land Proceedings (1821): Despite her passing in early 1818, her estate was not officially entered into probate until 1821. Her file (Case No. 715) was processed through the Simsbury Probate District, spanning 9 distinct document images that detail the administration, inventory, and accounting of her estate.
In genealogical research, a multi-year gap between a person’s death and the probate of their estate—especially regarding land—is actually quite common. Given that Mary Chogum passed away in 1818 at the age of 100 and her estate wasn’t probated until 1821, a few classic historical factors are likely at play:
No Immediate Need to Sell or Transfer: If family members or occupants were already living on the land and using it, there was often no urgent pressure to clear the title. Legal action was frequently delayed until the family decided to sell the property to an outsider, divide it among heirs, or until the occupant also passed away.
Settling Debts First: Sometimes, family members spent a few years informally settling outstanding debts, tracking down heirs who had moved away, or gathering the funds required to pay for court and administrative fees before bringing it to the Simsbury Probate District.
Lack of a Will (Intestacy): Because the jacket shows “Administration Papers” rather than an active executor named by a will, she would have died intestate. Without a clear will, it often took much longer for the family to agree on who would step up as the administrator to handle the estate assets.
The “Age 100” Factor: Reaching 100 years old in 1818 was extraordinary. It’s highly possible she had outlived some of her own children, meaning the land rights had to be traced down to grandchildren or more distant relatives, adding a layer of logistical delay to getting everyone’s paperwork together.
💐 A Note from me as her 10th Great-Granddaughter: Holding these digitized pages in my hands today feels less like a routine genealogy search and more like stepping onto sacred ground. As Mary’s 10th great-granddaughter, looking at the transcription of two simple iron kettles and an old chest of drawers breaks my heart—but it also fills me with immense pride.
Are you also a descendant of the Chaugham/Barber line, or are you currently researching the Barkhamsted Lighthouse community?
PLEASE REACH OUT TO ME AND LET’S CONNECT.
Ancestry shows that several of us are actively piecing this tree together right now! If you are tracing our family lines or have stories passed down through your branch, please leave a comment below. Let’s connect, collaborate, and keep our grandmothers’ and grandfathers’ legacies alive for the next ten generations.
❤️ Coni Dubois
Documents:
Death Notice – context from the surrounding entry: The record appears under the DIED section and is nestled between an entry for a death in Barkhamsted on the 16th inst. and a death in Washington on the 14th instant. Because it lists “in February last,” it indicates she passed away in the February preceding the publication of this notice at the remarkable age of 100
Record 1: FamilySearch Catalog Entry (3198.jpg) * Title: Land records, 1732-1913; general index, 1732-1907 * Authors: Barkhamsted (Connecticut). Town Clerk (Author) * Format: Microfilm 35mm * Language: English * Publication Date: 1948, 1986 * Publisher: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah * Place of Publication: Salt Lake City, Utah * Physical Description: 14 microfilm reels ; 35 mm. * Notes: * Microfilm of original records in the Town Hall, Barkhamsted, Connecticut. * Additional indexes within most volumes.
Record 2: Ancestry Probate Record – Mary Chogum (3196.jpg & 3194.jpg)
Source Collection: Connecticut, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1609-1999 * Name: Mary Chogum * Probate Date: 1821 * Probate Place: Simsbury, Connecticut, USA * Inferred Death Date: 1821 * Inferred Death Place: Connecticut, USA * Case Number: 715 * Item Description: Probate Packets, Case, Wealthy-Cossit, Roger, 1769-1880
Document Image Preview Details (from the file jacket visible in 3196.jpg): * Heading: Estate of Chogum, Mary * Town of: Barkhamsted * Date: 1821 * No.: 715 * District: Simsbury Probate District * Document Checklist Marked on Jacket: * Inventories (1) * Accounts of Administration (1) * Total Documents: 4 Note on jacket: “DEPOSITED IN CONNECTICUT STATE LIBRARY UNDER PROVISIONS PUBLIC ACTS 1909 CHAP. 175 December 5, 1913”
Death Record (1818): A contemporary death index confirms that Mrs. Mary Chogum died in February 1818 in Barkhamsted at the advanced age of 100 years.
