January 17, 2024
Introduction: In this article, Gena Philibert-Ortega gives tips for researching your ancestors’ lives 100 years ago. Gena is a genealogist and author of the book “From the Family Kitchen.”
A new year has me pondering my ancestors who lived 100 years ago. The year 1924 was an interesting time. The late 1910s saw the world dealing with the end of World War I and the Influenza Pandemic. The “Roaring Twenties” eventually led to the Great Depression of the 1930s.
What newspaper articles were your family reading and talking about in January 1924 as the new year began? Learning more about our ancestors’ world means taking time to become familiar with historical newspapers, such as GenealogyBank’s Historical Newspaper Archives. A look through the newspapers of 1 January 1924 gives us a sense of what our ancestors were thinking and understanding about their world as they looked forward to a new year.
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Predictions for the New Year
One type of article that was front and center in the January 1st edition of many newspapers was a look ahead to what the new year would bring. An example is this front-page article announcing that the 1924 business outlook was good. It begins with the statement:
“If good business is a matter of psychology, the year 1924 should be a ‘humdinger.’”
Whether it truly was a humdinger or not requires a study in history and reading subsequent newspaper articles.
Genealogy Tip: If your ancestor was a business person, you may want to consider following the business news throughout the year to get a sense of what he or she would have been facing. Don’t forget to look for articles and advertisements about their business or where they worked.
Historical Insight
The nice thing about reading the newspaper for 1 January 1924 is that you get a sense for the history our ancestors were living through. Think for a minute about what was happening in the United States in 1924.
One law that would have impacted some of our ancestors (but not all) was prohibition. Prohibition was the law of the land from 1920-1933. Knowing that helps put one of the front-page headings I found in the Dallas Morning News into context.
Genealogy Tip: If you’re not sure what was happening in history for a specific year, one place to look is Wikipedia. For example, this is the Wikipedia page for 1924. Use Wikipedia as a finding aid and then seek out other sources to verify information.
Prohibition made the manufacture, transportation, and sale of alcohol illegal. However, you could drink it if you had some available (alcohol was still used in medicinal prescriptions and for religious reasons). But as we see in the above newspaper article, hip flasks were prohibited in D.C.
Typically, the end or beginning of the year is when government officials and leaders are asked to pontificate on the year’s successes and failures. This short article on prohibition in 1923 explains the good that was done the previous year and what they were looking forward to in 1924, as explained by Federal Prohibition Director Sam Rutter.
Businesses
Business New Year greetings and mentions can be found in newspapers from 1 January 1924. Consider this Dallas Morning News example. This directory provides one way to recreate what businesses your family may have patronized. If your ancestor owned a business, you may even find them listed. Notice that this list includes individuals as well as businesses, including public officials such as the tax assessor and judges.
Obviously, this listing is limited to those who purchased advertising space – but it’s a start to better understanding their community and should be used in conjunction with other materials such as city directories.
Genealogy Tip: Research your ancestor’s occupation by consulting the census or a city directory. Take some time to document mentions of that workplace in the newspaper.
Retail Sales
After-Christmas sales have been around for at least 100 years. New Year’s Eve editions of newspapers announced sales for a new year, perfect for those who needed to stock up or purchase what they weren’t gifted.
Genealogy Tip: Items and clothing found in family photographs can be matched up with sale advertisements. Finding that item in the newspapers gives a clue to its cost, which may also hint at the family’s socio-economic status. Grocery store advertisements help to shed light on what foods were available locally.
1924 in 2024
What was life like for your family in 1924? Take a look at historical newspapers to learn more about international, national, and local news. Look for information that helps you get a sense for their everyday life and community. Take some time to document their January 1924 and your January 2024.
Happy New Year!
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