Overview

A con man, philanderer, and at least seven-time bigamist by relocation, David Wilson Bethel used the mobility that his job as a railroad station agent provided, as well as aliases, to dodge the consequences of his actions for years. This true history of the author's great-grandfather, who was born in Ohio in 1860, was meticulously researched for over two decades. It details the hunt for an elusive forebear and the discovery of Bethel's skims, scams, and masquerades. It examines the transgressions of his abusive and predatory father. The story also explores the lives of his many wives and children-the author's cousins he never knew he had, some of whom were only discovered because of DNA matches. Rolling through various stops across North America, it finally ends with the subject's supposed death in 1911 during the Mexican Revolution. But there is evidence that event was staged, and that he lived at least into the 1920s. He almost certainly had other descendants who are yet to be discovered. Do you have an ancestor whose origins are mysterious? Might he really be The Railroad Skunk? Get the old photos out of the trunk in the attic and compare them!

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9781954786684

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A college professor for twenty-four years, Charles Caldemeyer was trained in the visual arts. His paintings, which have been exhibited widely across the country, employ implied narratives to explore the interactions of cultural and personal histories. He has also published two essays about the artistic process. An avid and lifelong reader of history, Caldemeyer has pursued the genealogical research of some of the more interesting characters in his family tree since his retirement from academic life. His goal is to develop accounts of common persons, the folks unnoticed by historians, whose stories nevertheless illuminate their eras. Caldemeyer lives in northern Michigan on the remains of an old family farm. When he is not researching or writing, he spends his time painting, woodworking, swimming, kayaking, and snowshoeing on frozen lakes. The Railroad Skunk is his first book.

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