About Shannon Historical Associates
Shannon Historical Associates, also known as Shannon Historical Research, is a non-profit/non-religious organization that researches; abandoned cemeteries, tombstones/headstones, extinct towns, abandoned/extinct amusement parks and property history. Shannon Historical Associates was founded in May of 2007 by Dustin Ray Shannon. In 2012, Shannon moved to Wichita so he can volunteer at Old Cowtown Museum. Shannon then relocated to Huntsville, Alabama in October of 2018 to work with other historical/genealogical groups.
Dustin Ray Shannon
Alabama & Florida Real Estate Agent, Genealogist, Real Estate & Cemetery Historian and Author
Dustin Ray Shannon is an expert historian and author currently residing in quaint Alabama. Since 2007, he’s been actively researching and analyzing origins and genealogy, while organizing historical facts to offer accurate information to the public.
As a dedicated historian, Dustin is currently furthering his work with projects such as The Bingham Cemetery Project, while researching gravestones and sites of the deceased. His goals are to register abandoned and uncared for cemeteries with the Alabama Historic Commission in hopes of protecting the cemeteries with preservation. Dustin’s initiation into the historian field began in the early 2000’s, with the research of his family home in Salina, Kansas. Shortly after, he began researching Gotthart Schippel, major land owner of Saline County. While researching Mr. Schippel, Dustin discovered the ghost town of Glickville and an abandoned cemetery, “Sanborn.” When reviewing real estate records and tracing cemetery ownership to the 1860s, he utilized ancestry.com to identify each individual to their respective families, spending an impressive 2 years on the successful Sanborn Cemetery Project. Some of his other noteworthy projects include the research of the town of Chico, Kansas, the Sanborn Cemetery Project, publishing books about multiple abandoned amusement parks and locations, as well as the publication within articles by the Salina Journal. He’s well-studied on cemetery and archival preservation, as a graduate of Salina Central, as well as previous Old Cowtown Museum volunteer and undertaker. From a young age, he’s had a fascination for abandoned cemeteries, ghost towns and rural America. His passions extend to local histories, which he’s published 4 books on (and 2 more on the way). These topics include abandoned amusement parks, beach towns, regional history, as well as spooky stories that weave their way through time. Dustin is proud of his diverse background including working in real estate in Florida as a Realtor, genealogical research, real estate history, as well as volunteering. Dustin has also worked with organizations such as the Smoky Hill Museum, Wichita Postcard Club, Smoky Valley Historical Society, The Madison County Alabama Cemetery Rehabilitation Authority, as well as the Old Cowtown Museum — to name a few. Additionally, he’s the founder and owner of the Shannon Historical Associates non-profit, an organization dedicated to research into genealogy, cemeteries and relics of the past. Dustin is a member of the Association of Gravestone Studies, Alabama Cemetery Preservation Alliance and the National Genealogical Society. He is also authoring a sixth novel about Chico, the Ghost Town of Saline County which is based on his research and recollection of the paper’s published stories and events occurring during the early life in town. His most recent project includes the Sandidge Cemetery Project, where he studied graves as well as researched the deceased, registered the cemetery with the Alabama Historic Commission and received a certificate from the Commission for his work. Contact Emails: d.shannon@sha.associates drs@dustinrayshannon.com |
Research Specialties
Genealogical
- Cemetery and Burial record - Headstone inscription and photograph - Obituary - Death Certificates/Mortuary record - Birth and Marriage certificate - Deed and Land record - Newspaper - Hospital & Institutional record Non-Genealogical - Extinct Towns - Amusement Parks |
Research Fees: $15.00 each hour of research. There will be a $45 Nonrefundable Fee.
Billing/Payment: You agree to pay the invoice after the research has been completed (note: we only accept PayPal, Credit and Debit Card as payment). You are responsible for the cost of print copies. Meetings/appointments are free. Shannon Historical Associates is incorporated under the laws of the State of Alabama as a non-profit, non-charitable business. It is a tax exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
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