The McCall Family – An American Family Since 1776: From Southern Roots to Modern Branches
- Publication Date: March 2026
- Pages: 800
- Formats:
- Hard cover
- Paperback
- Digital (PDF)
- Hard cover for Global Distribution (this version is intended for Book Sellers and Libraries and includes an ISBN number) – COMING SOON
The McCall Family – – An American Family Since 1776: From Southern Roots to Modern Branches traces the history of the McCall family from their arrival in America during the Revolutionary era through generations who lived, worked, and raised families across the American South and beyond.
Drawing on census records, land and probate documents, military service files, local histories, and other primary sources, this volume brings together biographical sketches, family connections, and historical context to present a fuller picture of their lives. From Franklin County, Virginia, to Burke County, North Carolina, and Callaway County, Missouri, the story follows the family’s migration, settlement, and growth across changing landscapes and generations.
As descendants moved westward and outward, the McCall family became part of the broader American story — shaped by southern roots, frontier expansion, war, hardship, and opportunity. Thousands of descendants are identified, documented, and connected within these pages, creating both a narrative family history and a carefully organized genealogical reference.
Designed for descendants, genealogists, local historians, and libraries, this work preserves names, relationships, and historical context for present and future generations. It stands as both a readable family narrative and a substantial reference volume — a lasting record of the McCall family story.
Pedigree Chart
Following is a pedigree chart for Zelpha Lou McCall. Please use with the caveat that, as explained in The McCall Family book, generations beyond Robert McCall and Elizabeth Aiken are not proven. The same is true for more ancient names in associated lines. The family tree is a continuous work in progress.
Pedigree Chart for Zelpha Lou McCallWhere are they in the tree?
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Profiles and Posts:
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The Big Survey – 7,056 Arpents of Land in Missouri
While I was writing my book on The McCall family, I came across a piece of Missouri history that adversely affected my ancestors. Digging deeper, I found that it was not only my McCalls who had trouble. My Estes and Linville families were wrapped up in the drama too. So, I took a little diversion and wrote a short book about a piece of land called The Big Survey. -
The McCall Family – An American Family Since 1776: From Southern Roots to Modern Branches – It’s Here
When I started on this book in May 2022, I never imagined that I would still be working on it nearly four years later. In these last years, real life got in the way of genealogy work way more often than I anticipated. But, the McCall family also proved to be more extensive than I… Read more: The McCall Family – An American Family Since 1776: From Southern Roots to Modern Branches – It’s Here -
A Troubled Branch: More Stories from the Blackburn Family
Nearly every week, a mystery is solved or some interesting twig (or nut) appears somewhere on the family tree. Here is a little news of recent findings. Not every story is happy. Some carry stories of trouble, tragedy, and unanswered questions. In the Blackburn family of Callaway County, Missouri, several siblings lived lives that would… Read more: A Troubled Branch: More Stories from the Blackburn Family -
Married to Mayhem: The Stormy Life of Ruth Blackburn
Every now and then, while tracing the branches of the family tree, I stumble across a story that’s just too colorful to leave buried and untold. This one belongs to Ruth Blanche Blackburn—a distant McCall cousin whose life led her through marriages, bootlegging charges, and brushes with the law in Depression-era Oklahoma. -
Showbiz & Scandals: The Forgotten Life of Virginia Best
Who was Virginia Best? I was struggling last week with one of the descendants of my McCall ancestors – Virginia Best. After having set her aside for a month, I was finally able to put the pieces together on the life of Virginia Best. What an interesting story I found! An actress in our family?… Read more: Showbiz & Scandals: The Forgotten Life of Virginia Best -
Our Relative Helped with the Nicaraguan Canal—Wait, Not Panama?
Warren Steele Doss, a “cousin” from the McCall side of the family helped with the Nicaraguan Canal. Yeah, I’d never heard of it either. It is so easy to get distracted as I gather the descendants of my ancestors for my books. This week, I met Warren Steele Doss. His military transport records made me… Read more: Our Relative Helped with the Nicaraguan Canal—Wait, Not Panama? -
Glory Days – The Pride That Baffles My Modern Mind
With the holidays behind me, I’ve been slowly getting back to working on my McCall book. This week I have been spending most of my time back in Callaway County, Missouri, and nearby places, learning about children and great-grandchildren of third-great aunts and uncles. Besides many new cases of consumption, I’ve been running into a… Read more: Glory Days – The Pride That Baffles My Modern Mind -
Consumption
Last week, as I recovered from Thanksgiving and started thinking about Christmas, I was able to find a bit of time to work on family history. I was mostly consumed with work on children and other descendants of my ancestors William and Milly McCall. During the week I ran into a couple relatives who died… Read more: Consumption -
Ruminating on Coverture
My time for family history was limited this week and will likely be non-existent next week. There used to be a time when I was very excited for time off work, but now that I do something I love, I feel a little sad when it is time to take a break. When the guests… Read more: Ruminating on Coverture -
More AI and a Place I’d Like to Visit
This past week was a continuation of the study of the probate for William McCall’s estate. There is so much to go through – it is tedious and seemingly endless. Why didn’t they put dates on all the papers when they put them in the files? Despite it being a difficult work week (doing something… Read more: More AI and a Place I’d Like to Visit -
AI and Estate settlement
This past week has been especially rough for many of us. Lucky for me, my work on the McCall book has me crawling through the details of probate records from the 1820s, 30s, 40s, and 50s. It’s tedious and occupies my brain. What I’ve found will be reported in my book but I thought I’d… Read more: AI and Estate settlement -
Maimed and Murdered
Nearly every week, a mystery is solved or some interesting twig (or nut) appears somewhere on the family tree. Here is a little news of recent findings. Like most weeks, my work on the McCall book has led me to some fascinating stories. In this post, I’ll introduce you to one McCall descendant who was… Read more: Maimed and Murdered -
Vaccines and No Nothings
Nearly every week, a mystery is solved or some interesting twig (or nut) appears somewhere on the family tree. Here is a little news of recent findings. It is so hard, impossible really, to not get distracted while working on family history. I am trying so very hard to finish my McCall book but nearly… Read more: Vaccines and No Nothings -
Peter Holland McCall
Peter Holland McCall (1800-1867) Peter Holland McCall was born in 1800 in Glade Hill, Franklin, Virginia, as the first child of William S. McCall and Mildred Holland. He had nine siblings, namely: Lydia, Jane, Robert Henry, Mary Lyle, Thomas Fewell, William Stokes, James Elbert, Frances, and John Meador Holland. Peter grew up on his parents’… Read more: Peter Holland McCall -
Zelpha Lou McCall
Zelpha Lou McCall (1866-1900) Zelpha Lou McCall was born in July 1866 in Callaway County, Missouri as the second child of Samual Christopher McCall and Elizabeth A. Linville. She was named after her paternal grandmother, Zilpha Hodges McCall. Zelpha had three siblings, namely: Anna C., Mary Mildred, and James M. McCall. The exact date of… Read more: Zelpha Lou McCall -
Elizabeth Linville
Elizabeth Linville (~1842->1871) Elizabeth A. Linville was born about 1842 in Callaway County, Missouri, as the first child of Archilles James Linville and Martha Jane Wren. She had two siblings, namely: Martha Jane, and Lewis Harrison. We don’t know her exact birth date. Callaway County didn’t record births back then. When she was really little,… Read more: Elizabeth Linville -
Happy Birthday Mildred Holland
Mildred Holland (1779-1854) Today is the 238th anniversary of the birth of Mildred Holland. She was called Milly. I thought about skipping Milly in my series of birthday posts, and to be honest, I started this a year ago and then just couldn’t bring myself to celebrate her birthday in November 2016. But, remembering the trouble that… Read more: Happy Birthday Mildred Holland -
Going back 102 years to 18 October 1915
Most days of most lives are “ordinary.” But our ordinary is likely very different than the ordinary of our ancestors. Though, in some ways things are probably similar. So, this is the first of a series of what will become regular blog posts in which we will go back in time to explore what our… Read more: Going back 102 years to 18 October 1915 -
Happy Birthday Zilpha Hodges
Zilpha Hodges (1807-1884) Zilpha Hodges was born on 18 Jan 1807 in Franklin, Virginia, as the second child of Rebecca and John “Redhead” Hodges. She had one sibling, namely: Gabriel. Not much is known about her childhood. It is quite likely that she had additional siblings. There was more than one man in the neighborhood with… Read more: Happy Birthday Zilpha Hodges -
Happy Birthday Samual Christopher McCall
Samual Christopher McCall (1833-1922) Samual Christopher McCall was born on 18 Jan 1833 in Franklin County, Virginia, as the third child of Peter Holland McCall and Zilpha Hodges. He was born on his mother’s 26th birthday. Sam had six siblings, namely: John William, Robert Henry, Nancy Ann, Thomas Alexander, Mary Mildred, and James Franklin. When… Read more: Happy Birthday Samual Christopher McCall -
A Wee Bit Irish
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! According to my Ancestry.com DNA test, I am of 6% Irish heritage. That confirms that I am only a wee little bit Irish. My watered down Irish genes come from both the paternal and maternal sides of my mom’s family. Grab a Guinness and read my tale. The McCalls My 5th… Read more: A Wee Bit Irish
