Photo: Whitcher's Falls, Dover, New Hampshire; from a c. 1910 postcard. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.

Finding My Quaker Ancestors in Dover, New Hampshire

By Thomas Jay Kemp on November 1, 2017

In this article, Thomas Jay Kemp searches old newspapers to learn if his Hanson ancestors from Dover, New Hampshire, were Quakers... (Read More)

Photo: a Jack o' Lantern. Credit: Toby Ord; Wikimedia Commons.

Our Ancestors’ Humor: Halloween Jokes

By Mary Harrell-Sesniak on October 31, 2017

In this article, Mary Harrell-Sesniak searches old newspapers to find Halloween jokes that made our ancestors chuckle... (Read More)

Family Tree Mystery: Jedediah Hanson Drowned While Bathing?

By Thomas Jay Kemp on October 27, 2017

An article about Thomas Jay Kemp’s family tree puzzle: a cousin, Jedediah Hanson, whose 1822 obituary said he “drowned while bathing.”.. (Read More)

Photo: detail of a picture of the King’s Mark on a white pine in New England. Credit: King’s Mark Resource Conservation & Development Project, Inc.

My Colonial Ancestor Worked in the Masting Industry for the King of England

By Thomas Jay Kemp on October 25, 2017

An article about Thomas Jay Kemp’s ancestor Silas Hanson, an American colonist who supplied timber to be used for masts for Great Britain’s navy... (Read More)

Photo: fortune cookies. Credit: Ksayer1; Wikimedia Commons.

Fortune Cookies: As American as Apple Pie?

By Gena Philibert-Ortega on October 24, 2017

An article (complete with recipes) about Chinese fortune cookies – which are not Chinese at all, but an American innovation... (Read More)

Photo: detail of the Apple Press Monument (a relic of the 1894 Mid-Winter Fair), Music Concourse, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California. Credit: Joe Mabel; Wikimedia Commons.

My Great-Uncle Albert: No Wonder I Like Apples

By Thomas Jay Kemp on October 23, 2017

An article about Thomas Jay Kemp’s great-uncle Albert Sawyer – who, it turns out, was busy making cider in the late 19th century... (Read More)

Photo: detail from the drawing from Susan T. Converse’s patent for women’s underwear. Credit: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office; Google Patents.

An Intimate Look at our Female Ancestors’ Lives: Their Underwear

By Mary Harrell-Sesniak on October 20, 2017

In this article, Mary Harrell-Sesniak searches old newspapers and records from the U.S. Patent Office to learn about the patents for women’s underwear... (Read More)

Happy Birthday GenealogyBank!

By Thomas Jay Kemp on October 19, 2017

An article celebrating the 11th anniversary of the launching of GenealogyBank, during which time it has grown from 2,700 newspapers to more than 7,000... (Read More)

Photo: detail of a picture of William and Maria Garcelon

What Do You Do When Your Findings Don’t Seem to Be in Sync?

By Thomas Jay Kemp on October 18, 2017

An article about Thomas Jay Kemp searching old newspapers to learn about his ancestor William Garcelon – but seemingly finding two William Garcelons... (Read More)