Ghost Stories & Séances: History and True Life Paranormal Events

Introduction: Mary Harrell-Sesniak is a genealogist, author and editor with a strong technology background. In this blog article, Mary searches old newspapers for stories about ghosts, séances and psychics – and tells two related stories from her own family’s history. Starting in the Victorian Era, séances, psychics and spiritualists seemed to be everywhere, as... (Read More)

Civil War Genealogy: How to Find Union Soldier Uniform Clues

Introduction: Mary Harrell-Sesniak is a genealogist, author and editor with a strong technology background. In this guest blog post, Mary uses information from a historical newspaper article—and photos from the Library of Congress—to show how you can read clues from the uniform your Civil War ancestor is wearing in that old family photo. Are... (Read More)

Valentine’s Day History Facts & My Sweet Genealogy Karma

Introduction: In this article, Scott Phillips turns to old newspapers to research the history of St. Valentine’s Day—and shares a personal Valentine’s Day story. Scott is a genealogical historian and owner of Onward To Our Past® genealogy services. Nothing much beats holidays as a way to get everyone talking about family, memories, stories, and... (Read More)