Introduction: In this article, Scott Phillips explains what he does to refresh himself when experiencing genealogy burnout after hitting a brick wall in his family history research. Scott is a genealogical historian and owner of Onward To Our Past® genealogy services. One of the most common concerns I hear from genealogists is burnout. It... (Read More)
Genealogists and the curious have been touring cemeteries since time immemorial. Here is a newspaper article about a 1913 tour of Portland’s pioneers buried in the Lone Fir Cemetery in Oregon. That cemetery is still actively offering tours today: see Friends of Lone Fir Cemetery – 2012 Calendar of Events. Be sure to check... (Read More)
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)
On 13 December 1747 a “most terrible Fire” broke out in Boston, MA. It was just after six o’clock in the morning when the “Watch” spotted the flames at the Court House. The building was a total loss: the “spacious and beautiful Building, except the bare Walls, was entirely destroyed.” It was an intense... (Read More)
A 1918 Oregon newspaper has an interesting article about an effort in Portland, Oregon, to enlist farm worker volunteers to help save that year’s crops, due to the labor shortage caused by WWI. The old newspaper article reads: “Vacation helpers are going to have a big part in saving the Oregon farm crops this... (Read More)
Introduction: Gena Philibert-Ortega is a genealogist and author of the book “From the Family Kitchen.” In this guest blog post, Gena writes about her favorite ancestor Mary Ann, a Mormon who married a polygamist when she was 15 years old, in 1868. Do you have a favorite ancestor? Maybe it’s that one ancestor you... (Read More)
Introduction: In this article, Scott Phillips tells how he got his grandsons interested in genealogy by enhancing his family stories with articles from old newspapers. Scott is a genealogical historian and owner of Onward To Our Past® genealogy services. When I was growing up, I was blessed to be in a family that told... (Read More)
Oliver Cromwell was no ordinary soldier of the American Revolution. This military hero’s discharge was signed by General George Washington “stating that he was entitled to wear the badges of honor by reason of his honorable services.” Cromwell’s story first appeared in a newspaper interview conducted when he was 100 years old by a... (Read More)
We often get this question: What do I do when the surname I’m searching for generates thousands of hits because it is a common word (like Brown, Green or Coffee)? Yes, searching for information on ancestors with ambiguous surnames can be a problem. GenealogyBank often recommends searching using only the surname as the best... (Read More)
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Get Helpful, Usable Tips for Your Genealogy Research.