It’s the end of the decade… or maybe that’s the end of 2020 instead of the beginning. Either way, jcshepard.com is 10-years old, a decade since we went online 1 January 2009. Happy birthday to the blog. In 2018, our site here had 1,400 visitors give about 6,200 views, with August 2018 garnering more clicks than any other month. In 2019, traffic pulled back, with 1,300 visitors and almost 1,900 views.
It is what it is. I just post about what I’m reading and what I’m listening to. Thank you for visiting.
#1 post of 2019: Cheyenne-Laramie County, Wyoming, Historical Timeline. Repeat winner by far, Cheyenne-Laramie County, Wyoming, Historical Timeline: a 2014 keyword-rich retrospective of the capital of the Cowboy State, which celebrated their 150th Anniversary in 2017.
#2: Be Here to Love Me…for free. Yeah, the “free” part is gone since this 2011 post posted, and it feels kinda click-baity, but it is what it is. ICYMI, listen to Townes Van Zandt’s new release, Sky Blue. You can stream Spotify that for “free”, too.
#3: Diary of Orrin Brown–Nov 20, 1864. From my series on the Civil War. The Day Pvt. Orrin Brown sold his shoes.
#4: Behind the Bakken Boom. As I noted last year, and the year before that, I really need to update my series on Oil & Gas drilling out here in the West. The Albuquerque Journal did an in-depth series on oil and natural gas development in the Permian Basin of southeastern New Mexico and West Texas, and BP sold their natural gas interests in the San Juan Basin.
#5: On the Brink of War — America’s Christmas 1916. Post 2016 election look at the events of 100 years before. Up from #8 last year, and hopefully not a look ahead to 2020.
#6: Little (Lego) House on the Prairie (Style). Perennially popular post from 2009. A little Lego love for Frank Lloyd Wright.
#7: About. Thank you for your interest.
#8 overall & #1 NEW POST OF 2019: The Martyr Richard Woodman. The story of Richard Woodman reminds us that once upon a time, Western peoples were willing to die for their religious beliefs. 1557 wasn’t really that long ago.
#9: All Thing Shepard. History meets genealogy. Down a spot again. Dramatically due for an update. Rootsweb got hacked late 2016, though, and Ancestry had it down for a good while. The site’s back up but re-arranged and due for some attention.
#10: The Day the Music Died. Tribute from 10 years ago for the late, great Buddy Holly and company,
Our #2 NEW POST of 2019: Quicksand Soup – Miss You Darling Doesn’t Miss, at #13 overall. It was good to hear new music from Sand Sheff. Ride ’em, cowboy.
Most of you are viewing the blog from the gold old U.S. of A. My next largest number of views this year and last are coming from Red China and South Korea. Interesting. It is what it is. Thank you for visiting in 2020.
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