Where Are The Skeletons?

Last week I attended Ms. Pat Dupuy's Lecture hosted by Save Our Cemeteries: Skeletons in Our Closets: 1850's New Orleans Personalities. I would first like to say that Ms. Dupuy is a walking wealth of information and has selflessly given so much of her time to SOC. She even took time out to show me around Lafayette No.1 in N.O. one Saturday. I was very excited about the lecture, but how much can you cram in to one hour? Well, I found out...not much. Maybe it's just me, but I wanted to hear stories of scandal and intrigue. Maybe even just interesting anecdotes. Alas, it was not to be. There were no "skeletons". I guess I should say, that if there were, she didn't mention them. What I did get from the lecture was a great snapshot of what New Orleans was like during the 1850's and it was not exactly a pretty place.
I am always curious about what conditions my New Orleans' ancestors were living under during certain periods and this lecture was fairly informative along that avenue. I also really enjoyed the fact that it was given at the Cabildo and therefore I was able to peruse their "museum". It is very well done and interesting as far as historical exhibits go and I would encourage anyone who has not been to visit. It was the seat of colonial government and along with the Historic New Orleans Collection really sheds some light on the historical timeline of the city. The SOC gives some fabulous lectures during their series and while they are typically not genealogy oriented, they often give clues. So, I attend as many as I can and will continue to do so. I would also encourage others to take advantage of any workshops or lectures that you come across. It is usually well worth it. Ms. Dupuy did have some fantastic photos of burial sites and homes that were wonderful to view.
I did attend a genealogy workshop at the Public Library and while I didn't learn anything new, I did find out that a particular branch of my family in New Orleans is well known, but no one has taken the time to research them. They have been around since the beginning and seemed to have slipped under the radar. So, there it is....another goose chase for me...you all know how that goes!