As a young boy in the early '60's, I received a slot car setup which had a manual with it. The manual mentioned a Richard Trevithick as the one who invented the first self-propelled passenger vehicle in 1801. Trevithick being my surname got me curious and I started asking questions of my Dad. He was aware of Richard as the inventor, it turns out he is Cornwall, England's most prolific inventor, and favorite son.
For some unknows reason I never asked my Grandfather, who my Dad claimed knew the relationship to Richard. Unfortunately, he took that knowledge to the grave without me ever finding out.
Perhaps seeing two Trevithick graves at Central City, Colorado spurred the initial interest in beginning my search over thirty years ago. I now know that I am not a direct descendant of Richard, though every Trevithick I communicate with has that as a family story as well.
I discovered the Colorado Cornish Cousins and met some fabulous Cornish cousins including Phil Hoskin the former publisher of "Cornish World" magazine. We have remained in contact over the years, and he is a prolific writer with many books.
In the days before the Internet and email, I used to correspond with folks in Australia, Devon, and New Zealand. The gentleman from Australia was an actual descendant of Richard and had a wealth of information. The two graves at Central City are some of his semi-distant relatives though Family Search (LDS) incorrectly attributes them to mine.
I'm the only one in my family with any interest in genealogy, which puzzles me, but to me it's a quest to the great puzzle of family.