Introduction: Mary Harrell-Sesniak is a genealogist, author and editor with a strong technology background. In this guest blog post, Mary shows how the fashion pages in old newspapers can help you date family photographs based on the clothes your ancestors are wearing, especially ladies’ hats. If you’re having difficulty dating family photographs, you could... (Read More)
I ran across this interesting obituary in an old newspaper today. It ended with this line: “She once shook hands with Abraham Lincoln.” In 1912, or even today, it would be impressive to know someone who shook hands with a President—especially one of the stature of Abraham Lincoln. There were, no doubt, many highlights... (Read More)
Being a genealogy site, most people use GenealogyBank by searching on the name of an ancestor. But there are other ways to search for genealogical information in GenealogyBank’s online database. Did you realize that you can search using any topic or search terms? It is not necessary to always enter an ancestor’s name for... (Read More)
Online genealogy research is endlessly fascinating—you never know what you will find. I was doing some family history research in GenealogyBank’s newspaper archive when this double obituary caught my eye. Baltimore Patriot (Baltimore, Maryland), 25 July 1834, page 3. Just a short, simple notice, 4½ lines long—and yet what a sad story it tells.... (Read More)
From the earliest days of the nation our presidents and governors have proclaimed annual days of “publick Thanksgiving and Prayer” in gratitude for their families, lives and success in the New World.Then as now we pause as families gather to give thanks.Lucky for us many of these holiday family gatherings were recorded in newspapers,... (Read More)
Alex Haley home dedicated as a genealogy library and museum. When 17-year-old violinist Joseph Matthews performed at the dedication of the Alex Haley Museum and Interpretive Center, he had no idea he would discover his family roots. Joseph, a high school senior from Memphis, Tennessee, was among hundreds who participated in two days of... (Read More)
The steady flow of newspapers, records and documents going online on GenealogyBank gives family historians a lot to search and comb through. These newspapers and documents were published over the past 3 centuries – so sometimes it takes a little detective work to find our ancestors. Here are a few tips:1. First search for... (Read More)
Get the most out of GenealogyBank! The annual reports of the Department of the Interior are in GenealogyBank. They were published annually as part of the US Serial Set. I didn’t know that was in GenealogyBank! What the Commissioner of Education did was publish the obituaries of teachers and educators at all levels.... (Read More)
National Archives Celebrates 75th Anniversary on Friday, June 19th.Susan Logue (Voice of America) distributed this commentary on the 75th Anniversary of the National Archives. Before the National Archives was founded, many governmental records were kept in poor conditions. On June 19, 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the legislation creating the National Archives. “There... (Read More)
Get Helpful, Usable Tips for Your Genealogy Research.
Get Helpful, Usable Tips for Your Genealogy Research.