"The Woodsman"

Where the Story Begins

A grandnephew and cousins had suspicions, but could never uncover what happened to their granduncle. For several years, their questions continued to be unanswered. All that remained in their possession of this individual was a letter with an undecipherable post marked envelope.

Research Highlights

The approach to finding this missing fellow was a mixture of forensic methodology and unravelling the family’s oral stories. Once a biographical sketch was located, secondary sources were used to help discover the rest of his life events.

The Result

Through research, the granduncle was found. He was not a hermit, a fugitive or a “black sheep”, but a man who found companionship and solitude with nature as a trapper. It was through a domino effect that secondary sources unfolded a life story under an altered surname.