AF-1038: The Coal Miner Who Preached with Concrete: Henry Harrison Mayes
01/24/25 • 7 min
Henry Harrison Mayes wasn’t a preacher in a pulpit or a theologian in a seminary; he was a coal miner with a profound sense of purpose. Born in the Appalachian heartland of Tennessee in 1898, his life was shaped by faith, hard work, and an unrelenting determination to share the Christian message. What set him apart was not his profession but his unique mission to spread the gospel. Through concrete crosses, hand-carved markers, and even messages in bottles, Mayes carried his faith to highways, rivers, and communities across the United States. His story is one of resilience, creativity, and unwavering devotion—an ordinary man with an extraordinary mission.
Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/the-coal-miner-who-preached-with-concrete-henry-harrison-mayes/
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Henry Harrison Mayes wasn’t a preacher in a pulpit or a theologian in a seminary; he was a coal miner with a profound sense of purpose. Born in the Appalachian heartland of Tennessee in 1898, his life was shaped by faith, hard work, and an unrelenting determination to share the Christian message. What set him apart was not his profession but his unique mission to spread the gospel. Through concrete crosses, hand-carved markers, and even messages in bottles, Mayes carried his faith to highways, rivers, and communities across the United States. His story is one of resilience, creativity, and unwavering devotion—an ordinary man with an extraordinary mission.
Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/the-coal-miner-who-preached-with-concrete-henry-harrison-mayes/
Genealogy Clips Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast
Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups
Genealogy Giveaway: https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway
Genealogy eBooks: https://ancestralfindings.com/ebooks
Follow Along: https://www.facebook.com/AncestralFindings https://www.instagram.com/ancestralfindings https://www.youtube.com/ancestralfindings
Support Ancestral Findings: https://ancestralfindings.com/support https://ancestralfindings.com/paypal
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Previous Episode
AF-1037: A Well of Freedom: The First Continental Congress and the Road to Independence
Let’s set the scene: it’s 1774, and the colonies are in turmoil. Britain’s taxes and punishments have pushed things to the edge. The Coercive Acts, those harsh measures slapped on Massachusetts after the Boston Tea Party, were the last straw. But here’s the thing—no one was quite ready to shout “independence” just yet. Instead, the colonies decided to send delegates to Philadelphia to hash things out together. This meeting, the First Continental Congress, became the starting point for something much bigger.
I like to think of it like a well—quiet on the surface, but when you start drawing water, you find the depth and nourishment that’s been there all along. The First Continental Congress was where the colonies began to draw from the well of unity and freedom.
The delegates weren’t out to break away from Britain (not officially, anyway). Instead, their goal was to address their grievances and try to find some middle ground. Spoiler alert: they didn’t succeed in reconciling with the Crown, but they did create something far more powerful—solidarity and the foundation for independence.
The meeting wasn’t flashy. No grand declarations, no fireworks. But beneath the surface, the groundwork for revolution was being laid...
Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/a-well-of-freedom-the-first-continental-congress-and-the-road-to-independence/
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Next Episode
AF-1039: Genealogy Discernment: A Thoughtful Journey into Family History
Picture yourself in a dim attic, beams of sunlight falling over a weathered trunk filled with brittle letters, sepia-toned photographs, and the faint scent of old paper. Each scrap seems to whisper stories of the people who came before you—laughter around a farmhouse table, the bustle of a family business, or the sight of a hopeful passenger boarding a steamship. It’s natural to feel an instant rush of excitement as if you’ve just discovered a hidden gateway to your family’s past.
Genealogy often begins this way: a spark of curiosity and a collection of aged items or whispered tales that make you want to know more. Yet, amid the thrill, it’s all too easy to accept every rumor or scribbled date at face value. This is where genealogy discernment enters the picture. Think of it as a guiding principle that blends curiosity with thorough fact-checking, ensuring that each precious detail you uncover can stand on its own. When you practice discernment, you protect your research from errors and give future generations a clearer picture of who their ancestors truly were.
In the sections that follow, we’ll explore how to approach your family history with enthusiasm and caution, sharing personal anecdotes, strategies for verifying information, and a few insights on organizing your discoveries. Let’s set off on a quest that is both exhilarating and grounded in accuracy...
Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/genealogy-discernment-a-thoughtful-journey-into-family-history/
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