ancestors
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Daily Activities Not Done as Much in the 21st Century
Aug 13
There are many activities and simple pleasures of years ago enjoyed by your ancestors. These many things are not done anymore, especially in the 21st century. Here are a few examples to see what was done by your ancestors. After most people in the 1930s and beyond had a telephone, just one, and to get a phone call from a person you knew is such...
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Foods of the 1950s-60s Not Eaten Today
Aug 11
The meals, beverages and snacks Americans ate over the decades have changed, even those items popular in the 1950s, 1960s and some beyond into 1970s and 80s. If you or your parents grew up during these years, many of these food items might remind you of a different era. But these foods and products are not as popular as they once were. There...
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American Cut Glass
Aug 9
Just about everyone has at least one piece of American Cut Glass in their home, but usually it was a piece passed down through the family. The original pieces of cut glass were expensive because it took a great deal of skill to produce such a product. Over the years new methods came along to mimic cut glass, so all pieces are those original expens...
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Bland Foods of Your Ancestors
Aug 7
In the 20th Century, some of the big events your ancestors went through included the Spanish Flu, World War One, Prohibition (no alcohol), Women getting the right to vote, the Roaring Twenties; the Stock Market Crash in 1929, and then the Great Depression-with people out of work. Many people saw the introduction of more ethnic foods due to the ...
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Texas Digital Records
Aug 5
It is very helpful when states place online (digital format) the many records they have. This is what Texas has done with the state Texas Digital Archives (TDA) which now makes more than five and a half million records of state government, as well as business, family, and organizational papers, prints and photographs, artifacts, audio, and video a...
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Victorian Etiquette
Jul 29
Rules of Victorian etiquette came to the middle classes due to the rise of the Industrial revolution and merchants. So such proper behavior was not just for the upper classes but spread to the middle classes and even on the edge to lower classes. Such etiquette rules were during the 1800s and some into the early 1900s. For example to meet a new...
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Card of Thanks – For the Deceased
Jul 27
Another overlooked resource for information about a deceased ancestor besides an obituary is the Card of Thanks. Many times in a newspaper there may be placed ONLY a Card of Thanks and no obituary. Such notices can provide some basic info on the ancestor or the family. The early Card of Thanks was actually to thank the communities, organization...
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Many Uses for Newspapers by Your Ancestors
Jul 25
For many decades your ancestors have enjoyed reading the daily (sometime twice a day) newspapers. Learning what was happening in the community, town, state, nation or the world. With no local radio or TV news yet, this was important. Of course with the 21st century that would change, paper print papers are nearly gone, people get digital editions ...
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Dick and Jane School Books
Jul 23
Most all school children from the 1930s to mid-1960s had the popular 'Dick and Jane' books as their early readers. About 4 out of 5 schools in America used these books. There are some interesting early aspects of the books that changed over the years. Popular pet animal started off first as 'Spot' a cat. It was changed to a dog in 1940 and the ...
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What is a Shotgun House?
Jul 21
Shotgun houses were a common type of architecture in the South for many years between the Civil War (1860s) and the Great Depression (1930s). The name stems from the fact that you can see straight through the house from the front door to the back door like the barrel of a shotgun. Most were 12 feet wide and long and narrow. These homes were als...