‘The Pilgrim’ Statue in Philadelphia
By Melissa Berry on April 9, 2025
In this article, Melissa Davenport Berry writes about the unveiling of “The Pilgrim” statue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in April 1905... (Read More)
Tag: Philadelphia
New Year’s Day: The Mummers Parade through the Years
By Melissa Berry on December 28, 2022
Melissa Davenport Berry describes how Philadelphia celebrates New Year’s Day – with the fantastic Mummers Parade, the “Mardi Gras of the North.”.. (Read More)
In the 1st U.S. Epidemic, Alexander Hamilton Leveraged Newspapers to Save Lives
By Jane Cook on March 18, 2020
Jane Hampton Cook writes about the Yellow Fever Epidemic that hit Philadelphia in 1793, very relevant in light of the current Coronavirus pandemic... (Read More)
African American Slave Born in 1686 Dies at Age 116 in 1802!
By Thomas Jay Kemp on June 5, 2015
While doing genealogy research recently in GenealogyBank’s Historical Newspaper Archives, I came upon the obituary of a woman identified only as “a female slave named Alice,” who died at Bristol, Pennsylvania, at the remarkable age of 116! Alice was only 10 when she was taken from her parents in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Bristol, Pennsylvania... (Read More)
Historical Italian American Newspapers Online
By Thomas Jay Kemp on January 5, 2015
Per favore, provalo! See: Street vendors at the Feast of San Gennaro in Manhattan’s Little Italy. GenealogyBank is pleased to announce that these historical Italian American newspapers are available in our online archives. State City Newspaper Start End CA San Francisco Corriere del Popolo 1916 1962 NY New York Cristoforo Colombo 1892 1893 NY... (Read More)
‘Gencaching’ Challenge: Find Historical Maps in Old Newspapers
By Mary Harrell-Sesniak on July 2, 2013
Introduction: Mary Harrell-Sesniak is a genealogist, author and editor with a strong technology background. In this guest blog post, Mary shows some of the unique historical maps that can be found in old newspapers, and proposes a fun “gencaching” game to find more of these maps. Some of the greatest tools of genealogical research... (Read More)
Genealogy Find: Deaths Reported in Philadelphia Alms House
By Thomas Jay Kemp on February 22, 2013
Americans have taken care of their vulnerable neighbors in different ways over the centuries. For example, in Colonial Philadelphia there was established an “Alms House & House of Employment,” often called the Alms House for short. It was located on Spruce Street. Back in Colonial and Early America, when families, the elderly, or those... (Read More)
102-Year-Old Ex-Slave Once Shook Abraham Lincoln’s Hand
By Thomas Jay Kemp on July 20, 2012
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)
Using Newspaper Birthday Announcements for Genealogy Research
By Thomas Jay Kemp on June 15, 2012
Genealogists spend years getting to know their sources. We learn the ins and outs of archives and their collections of genealogical records, looking to get the maximum amount of information on our ancestors. In combing through the Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper archives I noticed that they ran a regular feature called the “Birthday Bulletin,” starting... (Read More)
