It’s been quite some time since a visit to Cape Newagen was much more than an exercise in zen renewal. Standing on the end of the town pier, looking out across the harbor toward Seguin is a truly spiritual experience any day of the week, any time of the year. So when I got an invitation to visit with Gary Snowman at his under renovation cottage at water's edge, I was feeling pretty pleased.

My last visit of any length with a Snowman of Newagen was with Gary's father, Leyland, quite a long time ago. The family had asked me to photograph Mr. Snowman for a postcard that he could give out to his adoring fans. It was a fun visit, but poor Mr. Snowman, all dressed in foul weather gear, was pretty well spent by the time we got done with him. The postcard was a big success, a suitable remembrance for a generous and thoughtful person.

Gary contacted me from California where he now spends his winters. He’d been working on a history of Newagen off and on for 14 years and was now pretty sure he had finished ... at least with Book One! I was quite honored to get the call and anxious to see what I could learn about this special community. Boy, was I surprised! What a document. 230+ pages of information about families and relatives back as far as the 1600s. Gary has done his homework. And I, slow reader that I am, still have a long way to go until all the photos and stories and lineages have been reviewed. The book is chockablock full of all sorts of history. It is really quite amazing to see how this tiny little spot at the southern tip of Southport could have been so active in so many ways over such a long period of time.

I was most curious about what had motivated him to compile such a document. His answer was very simple and direct. “I always wanted to see where I came from.” By the looks of things, he came from a lot of places, nearby and in some cases from quite a distance. He's connected to a lot of people. And, I was surprised to learn that much of his information came from Census material. It was a way to match faces in old photos with who was living where and when. But, holy mackerel, it must have taken a huge amount of time and endless curiosity. It is a story that can't be imagined. When I look at Cape Newagen harbor today, there is no way possible for me to see the unfolding events of time that Gary has revealed.

The other bit of information that interested me, flat lander that I am, is the book's title, “Searching the Horizon.”

“Where did that come from?” I asked. Gary, obviously wondering if I had read the book at all, quoted these words from the opening dedication — “to all the families and their loved ones of the Village of Cape Newagen. To those women who sat with folded hands upon the Bible and anxiously searched the horizon.”

For more information or a copy of this fascinating history, you can contact Gary at his email address, gsnowman11@aol.com

Otherwise, I hope there will be an opportunity to share, sign and purchase somewhere soon. It’s quite an amazing document! Or, contact me at my email, info@mitchellphoto.com and I will see that Gary gets your message. Thanks. And thanks to you, Gary Snowman.