Revolutionary Patriot George Shell Fought Two Wars Simultaneously

When Revolutionary War patriot George Shell died in 1818, newspapers in Maine, Massachusetts, and New York carried the news – but they each gave him a single-line obituary. However, Revolutionary War veteran George Shell deserved much more; the man fought two wars simultaneously, as detailed in this longer obituary found in another old newspaper.... (Read More)

Genealogy Case Study: Researching Isaac Fernald

I recently was researching a man from Oregon named Isaac Fernald (1814-1871), and found information related to him in a variety of places online. Isaac’s Death Reported in the News I began my search with GenealogyBank’s Historical Newspaper Archives, and I found Fernald’s obituary in his home town newspaper: the Portland Daily Press. I... (Read More)

John M’Donogh – Loyal American Patriot ’till Death

Deemed an upstanding citizen by the Salem Gazette, two-time American war veteran John M’Donogh passed away, losing a long fight with disease on 19 March 1809. M’Donogh is noted for serving directly under a young General George Washington during the French & Indian War. M’Donogh fought during British General Braddock’s failed expedition in 1755... (Read More)

Gershom Beach Dead at 77 – the Forgotten Paul Revere

Gershom Beach, a blacksmith in Rutland, Vermont, was 77 when he passed away on 2 September 1805, according to his obituary. Born 24 September 1728 in Cheshire, Connecticut, Gershom Beach was credited as being one of the original settlers of Rutland, Vermont. Beach is most noted for his Paul Revere-style message delivery for Colonel... (Read More)

Historical Italian American Newspapers Online

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)

Funny Genealogy Quotes: End-of-the-Year Fun for Genealogists

Introduction: Mary Harrell-Sesniak is a genealogist, author and editor with a strong technology background. In this blog post, Mary helps end your year on a humorous note with these funny genealogy quotes. When asked to suggest 2015 New Year’s resolutions for genealogists, I thought about reminding everyone to back up computers, check out new... (Read More)

Descendant of Texas Declaration of Independence Signer Dies

Martha F. Fenstermaker (1943-2014) recently passed away, and in her published obituary it mentioned that she was “a direct descendant of Samuel Augustus Maverick, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence.” Her obituary also states she was a member of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. Her ancestor’s last name “Maverick” is... (Read More)