{"id":12340,"date":"2016-02-03T11:17:03","date_gmt":"2016-02-03T16:17:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=12340"},"modified":"2021-04-21T11:23:49","modified_gmt":"2021-04-21T15:23:49","slug":"why-are-newspapers-vital-to-your-genealogy-research","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/why-are-newspapers-vital-to-your-genealogy-research.html","title":{"rendered":"Why Are Newspapers Vital to Your Genealogy Research?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction<\/em><\/strong>: In this article, Gena Philibert-Ortega shows that searching old newspapers should be a vital part of every genealogist\u2019s family history research. Gena is a genealogist and author of the book \u201cFrom the Family Kitchen.<\/span>\u201d
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019m always surprised when family history researchers confess they haven\u2019t searched newspapers for information about their brick wall ancestor. Sure, it\u2019s a good idea to start your research project by searching the census and vital records. In addition to checking government records and official documents, part of your research plan should include newspapers \u2013 such as the collection in GenealogyBank\u2019s Historical Newspaper Archives<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Newspapers allow you to verify and add information to your family tree. They often complement the government documents that you are using to verify your ancestor\u2019s event dates and places by adding stories that tell you more about your ancestor\u2019s life and experiences.<\/p>\n

Every family history project should involve ongoing newspaper research. Why? Consider the following reasons:<\/p>\n

Newspapers Reported On Events as They Happened<\/strong><\/p>\n

While a newspaper article is not an original source for documenting events like a birth, marriage or death, it is an important addition to confirming or finding information. For example, you may not know the exact date of an ancestor\u2019s death, but finding a newspaper obituary<\/a> or probate<\/a> notice might provide the clue you need to successfully find that original \u201cofficial\u201d death certificate.<\/p>\n

\"obituary<\/a>
Seattle Daily Times (Seattle, Washington), 27 January 1953, page 21<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What types of newspapers articles complement vital records? Birth notices; engagement, wedding and anniversary announcements; obituaries; and probate notices are just a few examples.<\/p>\n

Newspapers Reported On Your Ancestor\u2019s Life like No Other Document<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are some limitations to those vital record certificates that you are gathering to document your ancestor\u2019s life. One of the big frustrations is the lack of detail, or even the additional questions they raise. Official government or church documents only provide so much information. They are meant to provide the basics, not tell a story. However, newspaper articles use the details to tell a story. Sure some of that detail may not seem as important, such as \u201cThe bride will wear a gown of white figured chiffon over white silk, with trimmings of Irish lace\u201d \u2013 but every little detail helps give a deeper picture of your ancestor\u2019s life.<\/p>\n

Newspaper articles also provide genealogically relevant gems like relationships and names, occupations, and addresses. Consider this newspaper article about a 1910 New Jersey wedding. Aside from reporting on the wedding, we find the bride\u2019s grandmother\u2019s married name (Mrs. Wade H. Brown) and that she is giving the bride away. The article mentions that the bride is a member of the First Presbyterian Church, and that the groom works for Bell Telephone Company. The bride and groom\u2019s residence at 62 South Hermitage Avenue is also mentioned.<\/p>\n

What a goldmine! We now know the name of the bride\u2019s grandmother (and grandfather), the bride\u2019s religion and the groom\u2019s employer, and where the newly married couple will live. Now we can take that information and search censuses, city directories, church records, and other genealogical records.<\/p>\n

\"wedding<\/a>
Trenton Evening Times (Trenton, New Jersey), 9 June 1910, page 10<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Newspaper Articles Help You Find Documents<\/strong><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s face it, research is not easy and in some cases it can feel impossible to find a document that you know should be online or on that microfilm reel. Online content might be mis-indexed or simply not where we think it should be. In some cases even trying to find documents in a library, archive, or courthouse may prove unsuccessful.<\/p>\n

One friend faced a problem when the probate of her grandfather seemed to not exist at the county courthouse. She knew there was a probate because her father had been the executor of the estate. Unfortunately, this courthouse does not allow patrons to search indexes, microfilm or older files. She had to pay a search fee only to be told that no probate file existed.<\/p>\n

So she asked me what to do. I told her to go search the legal notices section of the local newspaper. The probate notice would help \u201cprove\u201d to the courthouse that a probate action had occurred. Sure enough she was able to easily find the probate notice in the newspaper. She showed it to the courthouse clerk who then found the missing file. Without that newspaper proof she would never had been able to obtain the document she needed.<\/p>\n

\"probate<\/a>
Duluth News-Tribune (Duluth, Minnesota), 25 January 1908, page 9<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What\u2019s the lesson here? Newspapers provide us with information that leads to other documents about our ancestors.<\/p>\n

Newspapers Provide a Look at Our Ancestor\u2019s Community<\/strong><\/p>\n

We don\u2019t take the time to really read our ancestor\u2019s newspaper. As researchers, we tend to be singularly focused on finding mentions of our own ancestor and not much else. I understand too well how addicting it is to enter an ancestor\u2019s name into a search engine and get a result. But it is important to invest some time to read that ancestor\u2019s hometown newspaper to learn more about their life, and what events or activities impacted them.<\/p>\n

\"article<\/a>
Cincinnati Daily Gazette (Cincinnati, Ohio), 19 June 1875, page 1<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Don\u2019t forget that your ancestor was part of a community. Their children went to school, they attended a church, and were active members of organizations. Those types of activities generate newspaper articles. So don\u2019t conduct your family history research with blinders on.<\/p>\n

One of the suggestions I always make to researchers is to create a timeline. In that timeline you are going to add the cradle-to-grave events of your ancestor\u2019s life \u2013 but you should also add events that they may have been a part of or that might have affected them, like a natural disaster or military service during a time of war. These types of events help to fill out the story of their life, and one of the few places to get that type of information is the newspaper.<\/p>\n

Newspaper Research Should Start Today<\/strong><\/p>\n

There\u2019s no doubt that newspaper research is an important piece of your genealogical puzzle. Newspapers complement the genealogy documents that we use in documenting our ancestors. Their value lies in recreating the story that is uniquely your family\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Are You Attending the RootsTech Genealogy Conference?<\/strong><\/p>\n

GenealogyBank is helping to sponsor the RootsTech conference. If you\u2019re attending, come visit us at booth #523<\/strong> to discuss genealogy in general, or any specific questions you have about your own family history research.<\/p>\n

For more information about RootsTech, visit the website at: http:\/\/www.rootstech.org\/?lang=eng<\/a><\/p>\n

Related Newspaper Research Articles:<\/strong><\/p>\n