Writing a Personal History or Keeping a Journal 

I love reading my ancestor's personal histories, journal entries, and letters they have written to their posterity. It is frustrating when I can't find any of these materials when researching an ancestor. Trying to piece together the story of their lives from documents like birth, marriage, and death certificates as well as census and newspaper stories is gratifying and yet oftentimes frustrating. I so wish I could read of their life in their own voice; I miss the emotion.   Read Spencer W. Kimball's advice and then review the weeks topic question.  Click here.

Identifying Everyday Clues in Photographs 

How many of us have received boxes or albums of photographs from relatives, only to be dismayed to find them unlabeled and undated? This is a concept familiar to many genealogists. Even if our ancestors did not properly annotate their treasured photographs, clues can still be found to help date them. Trends in clothing and hairstyles can be used to narrow down time frames. The type of photography used and the imprints of long gone photographers on cardboard frames offer further evidence of when and where a photograph was taken. Knowing an ancestor's lifespan and their family's unique dynamics helps to fill additional puzzle pieces. Here's help for the average genealogist to recognize fashion trends in their own photographs and to provide resources for further study.  Call up this link.

Massive 1700s-1800s Newspaper Collection Added to GenealogyBank!

 GenealogyBank is especially pleased to announce a major addition to its vast newspaper archives - the single largest release of newspaper titles since the launch of GenealogyBank. More than 450 historical newspapers have been added with more coming soon - all newspapers are digital so that you can easily search every word.  Click here to learn more. 

Church Pew Plans Show Where Members Sat

 Many of us try to determine where an ancestor worshipped since church records are often critical to our genealogy research. Another item that's interesting to find is an actual layout of the church pews showing where members sat.  See a pew plan I found in The History of the First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Pittsburgh, 1837-1909 and learn others that are available-click here.

Genealogy and Continual Learning

 The more we learn about our family roots the more we realize that what was taught in our high-school history class just scratched the surface. Events like how a nation was formed or the major events in our ancestors lives were often distilled down to a few key dates and a page or two in the history text book. So where can we go to learn more about historical events, those apparently tiny (yet important) changes in borders, or the changes to village and town names?  We are fortunate that there is a wealth of information and videos being made available to us. Click here to see just some of the sites to go to when your seeking help or just wanting to learn about genealogy research tips.