A few months back, I wrote a post about using eBay as a source of genealogical finds and mementos. Since eBay is a constantly changing database of sale items, it is worth revisiting regularly.

eBay crossed my mind today so I decided to see if I could find any treasures. Here is what turned up:

1. Postcard of Calais Avenue, Calais, ME, c1907, $4.20

Calais Avenue

My 2x great grandparents lived on “the avenue,” as it was called in the early 1900’s so this is the view they had from their porch. I actually have a photo of them sitting on that porch. This is a fun find.

2. Original list of the 8th Regiment Of Maine Commissioned Officers, $77.48

8th Regiment, Commissioned Officers List, May 1865

None of my Maine family fought in the Civil War, but if one was an officer in the 8th Regiment, this would be genealogical gold for me.

3. Taylor Douthit, 1933 baseball player, Cincinnati Reds card, $6.00

Taylor Douthit Card

I had never heard of Taylor Douthit, but a quick check shows that he was the son of Abraham Lee Douthit, born in 1873 in Missouri. Dave’s 2x great grandmother, Susannah Douthit Alberty is related to this family. Abraham was the son of Andrew Douthit living in Newton County, MO in 1880. Two doors away are “Bige” (Abijah) and (Martha) Susan Alberty “Sturgil.” Andrew Douthit was the brother of Susannah. “Susan Sturgil” was the first cousin of Abraham Lee Douthit so a first cousin once removed of baseball player Taylor Douthit.

4. Photo of Brig. General George Foster Shepley, $6.62

Right, George Foster Shepley

These look like they came from a page in a county history. George F. Shepley attended Harvard and Dartmouth, was a brigadier general and served in the Maine House of Representatives and as a circuit court judge. This distinguished gentleman is the great grandson of John Shepley and Lydia Lakin, my 8x great grandparents. Not too close of a cousin, but it is interesting to see what a member of the Shepley family looked like.

Except for the Calais Avenue postcard, I wouldn’t be bidding on any of these items. However, I did learn a few things about my family while searching the auctions – we have both an early American baseball player and a brigadier general-U.S. Circuit Court judge in the family and I now know what both of them look like.