Mysteries in History

I recently read The Midnight Assassin, Skip Hollandsworth's account of a series of murders that plagued the Austin area of Texas between 1884 and 1887. Attempts were made to link these unsolved murders to the more notorious exploits of Jack the Ripper, who started his murderous spree just after the events in Texas. Both case still remain unsolved and the links between them are tenuous at best.

These cases still have the ability to intrigue and, in the case of the Ripper murders, remain in the cultural consciousness because they are still mysteries. Think of the disappearance of Amelia Earhart, if her wrecked plane had been found right away she would be a footnote in history, instead we still wonder what happened to her. Another mysterious event was the death of Tom Thomson. Was it an accident, suicide or murder and where does his body actually lie? These questions have spawned books and films exploring the possibilities.

I really appreciate all the media coverage on Tom Thomson. It makes researching his part of the family easier as there is so much information. Yes, he is part of the family I am researching. As am immigrant to Canada I get a kick out of being related to a Canadian icon. But really, any family contains mysteries. I know that the families I am researching are full of mysteries, missing persons and events that are hard to understand and I look forward to exploring them further in future stories.