Yankeetown Happenings

Submitted by Kevin Alfultis

As you know I am related to Nettie Alfultis who wrote "Yankeetown Happenings." About 13 years ago the family was allowed to take the original out of the Newburgh Library and have a copy made (the original is now in the Indiana State Library in Indianapolis).

Recently while visiting with a relative that lives in Yankeetown they shared a copy of the 'typed' version by Mrs. Chester Vanada. They thought this was a copy of the original. We compared the two and have found many discrepancies. I feel compelled to let you know because on your site you tell researchers that if their name isn't in the list of surnames it isn't in "Yankeetown Happenings."

We have found out that Mrs. Vanada edited out ANY and ALL original references to anything that was written about in Newburgh, Evansville, etc. If it didn't happen in Yankeetown she left it out. I think it important for many reasons: Newburgh and Evansville were once part of Warrick County and there may indeed be many families in the original that stopped looking for info in "Yankeetown Happenings" when told these are the only families in the journal. It is also important because Nettie Alfultis obviously thought these 'other' details important enough to include in the original.

We have written a new index for Mrs. Vanada's version that includes names NOT included on the list on your site and we are currently typing out the entire original and will index it as well. Once we are done we will offer CD versions of all the information at a small charge with all monies going into a fund for the Alfultis family reunions. Our version will include everything from the original.

Facts about Yankeetown Happenings:

*Nettie Moore Alfultis was only 15 years old when she started the journal in 1890. She was 70 when she wrote her last entry. She passed away a couple years later in 1947.

**story of how Mrs. Vanada was able to type her version: Mrs. Vanada called Mrs. Aud Arnold (who Nettie Alfultis gave her journal to) and asked her if she could borrow the journal to do research on the Vanada family. Mrs. Arnold was very reluctant to loan it out because the journal included a dark, deep family secret about a suicide. Mrs. Arnold was fearful that if the journal was ever made public the living children of this relative would find out their mother committed suicide when they were young. Mrs. Vanada agreed to NOT publicize the journal in any way. Mrs. Vanada returned the journal when she was done. Later when Mrs. Arnold decided to donate the original journal to the Newburgh Library they told her they already had a copy of it. That is when she found out that Mrs. Vanada had donated her typed/edited version to the library. Mrs. Arnold's family told me they have never seen her so upset at someone as she was that day.

***The original is over 400 pages of ledger paper, front and back. It also includes many pictures, obituaries and newspaper articles she felt relevant. These were also NOT included in the typed/edited version of Mrs. Vanada.

I just wanted to make sure you were aware of this information. It was quite eye opening to us and we are committed to making sure we are as accurate as possible.