ancestors
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Mug Shots
Sep 13
There might only one type of photographs of certain individuals, maybe some of your ancestors, in existence. These photos are known as police mug shots. From the Grand Rapids, Michigan police files, about 5,000 of the city’s historic jail photos ranging from 1928-1939 are made available online. Plus more added to Instagram. True, that...
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Recognize Your Grandparents
Sep 7
Founder Marian McQuade wanted to set aside a special day not only for the lonely elderly but also to encourage grandchildren to “tap the wisdom and heritage their grandparents provide.” President Jimmy Carter in the 1970s was so on board with this initiative, he made the first Sunday after Labor Day an official national holiday to honor g...
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Profiling on Census – German-Born
Sep 5
Having a nation-wide census done every ten years dates back to 1790 with the first one. At first, it was just numbers in a household (males-females and by age ranges). The only name was the first considered 'head of the household'. After the American Civil War, the Census Bureau had a particular interest in the presence of an ever-increasin...
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Burial Ground for Earliest Pilgrims
Sep 3
If you have located any ancestors who were part of the original Pilgrims who settled that early colony in Massachusetts in 1620-1621, you may not have been aware of the oldest United States maintained cemetery which has been the final resting spot for many Pilgrims. Its name is 'Miles Standish Burial Ground' located in Duxbury, Mass. It ...
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Ancestors Traveling
Sep 1
It was traditional for families to stay in the same general area or locations for generations. As the new United States expanded with acquired lands further west, it encouraged people to settle these new frontiers, leaving the family homes in the eastern region of America. In fact it might be very unusual if you have a family lineage going ...
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Jamestown Ancestors
Aug 29
On banks of the James River on May 14, 1607, 104 men and boys set foot on what would soon become Jamestown in the Virginia Colony. Nine months later the first of women and children arrived to the colony. Only 38 of the 104 original settlers were still alive by January 1608 mostly due to the hard conditions including little fresh water. One co...
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Family Group Photos
Aug 27
As you go through either your or another relative's collection of family photos take the time to really study and research about individuals in group photos. You might originally have thought it was just your grandmother pictured but there could be other relatives you are not aware of in the group photo. It was common with the early phot...
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Ancestry.com – School Yearbooks
Aug 26
Starting August 27 and running to September 2nd you will be able to asset the vast Ancestry.com database of school yearbooks. This includes middle schools, high schools and colleges with approximately 400,000 yearbooks from across the United States. The years covered are 1900 to 1999. Who knows what type of new information you can find ...
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Google – History as Illustrated
Aug 23
Being able to identify some of the notable historical events in America and the world can really add to your family history. It helps to have a basic overview of some of those major historical events along with available illustrations and photos. Google has done that with its Historical Events page. There are three different methods to search a...
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Middle Child Day
Aug 11
Always on August 12th is the annual Middle Child's Day. This day gives a little well deserved recognition to the wonderful and special middle child in the family. For parents of three children, you likely know the "Middle Child Syndrome" all too well. If you grew up the middle child with both older and younger siblings, you know the feeli...