That’s me.
Not because I set out to be. But because someone had to do it. Someone had to save the letters in the biscuit tin, to read between the lines of the land deeds, to digitize the fading photos and ask: Who were you? And who am I because of you?
Welcome to The Great Greats.
What started as a private hobby (some might call it an obsession) has now found its way here, onto a public page. After 45 years of research, stone rubbing, microfilm scrolling, cemetery kneeling, and story chasing, I’ve decided to stop hoarding and start sharing.
This is not just about genealogy. It’s about memory. It’s about art. It’s about recovering the lives of people who dared to begin again, to stake a claim, to make a life—and letting them echo into the future.
In this new leg of the journey, I’ll be experimenting with:
Podcast episodes featuring readings from family manuscripts, community histories, and newly discovered letters.
Visual storytelling that treats every document like a design object (because it is).
Cultural storytelling that places our ancestors within the broader context of what was happening in the world at the time.
Guest features on craftspeople, artists, preservationists, and maybe even a surprise relative or two.
We’re calling this project a love letter to legacy. But more than that, it’s a living quilt—stitched together from both the personal and the universal, the scanned and the spoken.
Let me be clear: this is not just for my family. It’s for yours, too. And for anyone who wonders what gets lost when stories are boxed up, buried, or burned.
So if you find yourself curious, emotional, inspired, or even skeptical, that’s good. That means something is stirring.
And if you ever wondered who keeps the records? The answer is: We do.
Coming Soon:
A preview of the Great Greats Podcast
Our first featured archival gem: "Lest We Forget: The Rise and Fall of Newnansville" by Mary Lois Forrester
Notes from the field: gravestone restorations and roadside memory work
Thanks for reading. And thank you, especially, to those who’ve already subscribed. You’re now part of the band.
P.S. Early supporters are keeping this archive alive. If you'd like to help fund the work—scanning, restoring, storytelling, and researching—there are a few ways to subscribe:
🕰️ $5/month | 📜 $50/year | 🧡 $80/year as a Founding Member
Every bit helps. And every name is part of the legacy.
~ Will Forrester
The Great Greats
~ Will Forrester The Great Greats