Finding an old photograph or illustration of your ancestors, their house, or something else associated with their lives and times can be a highlight of your genealogy research. It is exciting to see the faces and places that are a part of your family’s history. Have you noticed that many historical newspaper articles are... (Read More)
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)
In time for the 2012 election countdown, I recently did some genealogy research to learn more about the background of both President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney, and guess what—they’re related! What’s more: they’re also related to several former U.S. presidents, English kings, outlaws and celebrities. This is really huge! So huge in... (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)
Andy Williams, platinum-selling musical artist renowned for his smooth voice and classics such as “Moon River,” died Sept. 25, 2012, at 84 years old. Find old newspaper articles and recent news about famous American singer and entertainer Andy Williams in GenealogyBank’s online archives. Read the latest news about Andy Williams’s recent death in our... (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)
