About
My first love was motion pictures. Classic Hollywood movies, to be exact. Los Angeles beckoned and, after earning a doctorate in cinema studies at the University of Southern California, I taught and wrote about film history for many years.
In 1995, I began to explore my mother’s Virginia roots. Causal curiosity gradually turned into a full-time occupation. Virginia, especially rural Buckingham County, has replaced the glamour of Hollywood. From 2011-2020, I wrote regularly for the Buckingham Beacon and have published five books about Virginia and Virginians: “At a Place Called Buckingham” . . . Historic Sketches of Buckingham County, Virginia (2011), The Jefferson Brothers (2012), “At a Place Called Buckingham” ~ Volume Two (2015), Peter Field Jefferson: Dark Prince of Scottsville & Lost Jeffersons (2018), and Peter Jefferson’s Snowdon: A History of Settlement at the Horseshoe Bend. Visit my author page online at Joanne L. Yeck. Follow me at Instagram at joanneyeck.
When I’m not exploring Virginia, either in the field or in the archives, I live quietly in Kettering, Ohio, planning my next trip to Buckingham County. . . .
Thanks for dropping in!
Joanne Yeck
slate river ramblings . . . . 
Hi Joanne… My name is Brien. I am in the process of restoring a historic civil war era house off Evan’s mill Rd in Dillwyn,VA. There’s a ton of history that came with this home. Originally built around 1765 by John ganaway, burned down in 1845, current brick home built by his grandson the same year. Anne, the lady that past, was a family friend for thirty years (my dad’s neighbor) and there are generations worth of notes, letters, photos, etc. If you’re interested I’d be happy to share for your research…. You may even already know a lot about these folks. My email is bnaylsfree@yahoo.com. stay safe.
This is so much fun to read. My sister told me about Slate River Ramblings. She caught an article you wrote that included a comment about our grandmother, Louise Poindexter, who married Dr. Overton Fontaine. How could I find that article? Would love to read it.
Kaye, I have a feeling that the discussion of Dr. Fontaine was in comments following a post. Did he live near Diana Mills? If so, put Diana Mills in the search box on the right side and read the results. If not, give me a clue as to his location or, perhaps, his church affiliation. Glad you have joined us! Joanne
Joanne, I absolutely enjoy your blog! Keep educating me (and the general public)!
Thanks and will do!