Old Music in Historical Newspapers: Tips for Finding Songs

Introduction: Mary Harrell-Sesniak is a genealogist, author and editor with a strong technology background. In this blog post, Mary provides newspaper search tips to find articles and musical scores about the songs our ancestors enjoyed When doing your family history research, have you ever wondered about the old music your American ancestors enjoyed? What... (Read More)

Take a Music Break & Listen to ‘I’m My Own Grandpa’

Take a break today and listen to this old country song performed by Dennis Warner. Click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7x1ETPkZsk. You’ll need a pad and pencil to work out all the genealogy connections in this funny ballad loaded with connections on the old family tree. The song lyrics to “I’m My Own Grandpa” are below for... (Read More)

Finding Your “Roots” at Alex Haley Museum Opening

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)

On, Wisconsin! – Statehood May 29, 1848

Here’s to Wisconsin! It became a state on this day in 1848. On, Wisconsin is the state song. (The image is from the Library of Congress, American Memory Project.) GenealogyBank has millions of records for Wisconsin – even newspapers that were published before it became a state. Here is the list: Capital Times, The... (Read More)