boots and shoes

I loved surfing the Internet. I enjoy finding family links when I've got some spare time (not much these days). Today I was looking for my great grandfather on my father's side. His name was Murdoch Uriah Finlayson. I know that he had a Dry Goods store in Cheraw, SC (Chesterfield). He's buried at the old St. David's church on the edge of town. It's a beautiful little cemetery. He moved from Wilmington, NC when my grandfather Burruss was very young. Burruss grew up in the dry goods business as well.

Several years back my aunt gave me M.U. Finlayson's civil war dog-tags. Dog tags in those days were not issued by the Northern or Southern armies. Soldiers would take coins and such to blacksmiths or jewelers and pay to have them made...with hopes that if fallen from sickness or in battle...could be identified.

Both advertisements were found in the 1871 edition of Haddock's Wilmington, N.C., Directory,and General Advertiser, Containing a General and Business Directory of the City,Historical Sketch, State, County, City Government, etc. If you read, you'll see my great grandfather mentioned there. "We have secured the services of Mr. M. U. FINLAYSON, who will be pleased to see his old friends and customers."
By the way, 8 North Front Street in Wilmington, NC is now the location for a restaurant called Circa 1922. The building there is more than likely NOT the actual building where my great grandfather Mudoch once had his dry goods business, it is the plot of land where our forefather once toiled. The image below is a picture of the East Side of North Street. This should give you a taste of our Murdoch Uriah's surroundings way back when. Some of the images and text for today's blog was reprinted so I need to give these generous folks credit:

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