| Genealogy of Communities: Intentional Community in the Next Century |
| U.S. Census information is not made public for 72 years after collection. Looking back 72 years, let's consider communities that have been a fabric of our lives, but not necessarily our written history. $$ |
Published: 13/Nov/2009 |
GenWeekly |
|
Genealogy of Communities: The Utopias |
| Utopias differ from faith-based communities in that they don't form around a religious belief. Instead, some other concept or life brings the residents together. While they are not traditional communities, their residents still call them home. Don't overlook them as genealogical sources. $$ |
Published: 06/Nov/2009 |
GenWeekly |
|
Genealogy of Communities: Faith-Based Communities |
| Too often we overlook faith-based communities when we are researching genealogy. The Catholic church institutions, such as convents, are the faith-based communities that immediately come to mind. But there are many others where we find people living with intentional communities they have created or joined, rather than with their families. $$ |
Published: 22/Oct/2009 |
GenWeekly |
| Genealogy of Communities: Prostitution |
| Prostitution represents a researchable community. Whether legal or not, members of the prostitution community have long been reported in census enumerations. $$ |
Published: 15/Oct/2009 |
GenWeekly |
| Genealogy of Communities: Asylums, Hospitals, and Sanitariums |
| In her continuing series "The Genealogy of Communities," Judy Rosella Edwards takes us inside residential hospitals, asylums, and sanitariums. These institutions were considered the full-time residence of the patients – and many of the staff. It was a different era and you'll find an astonishing amount of detailed genealogical data on the residents. $$ |
Published: 08/Oct/2009 |
GenWeekly |
|
Genealogy of Communities: Prisons |
| Everyone lives someplace. Even prisoners are counted in the census. If they happen to be residents of the penal system, they are counted where they reside. $$ |
Published: 03/Oct/2009 |
GenWeekly |
|
Genealogy of Communities: Indian Reservations |
| Because the Native American family-naming system varies from the English tradition, census returns are not always useful for locating Native American on reservations. Look a bit deeper and you'll find surprising things you can easily find on a reservation. $$ |
Published 24/Sep/2009 |
GenWeekly |
| Genealogy of Communities: Seminaries and Other Educational Communities |
| Understanding terminology is essential for researching educational communities. In the late 1800s, seminaries appeared across the country. For years there have been academies, colleges, and universities. Students and others associated with these institutions, were counted in various ways and there are techniques for researching them. $$ |
Published 17/Sep/2009 |
GenWeekly |
|
Genealogy of Communities: Logging Camps |
| First generation residents of an intentional community are not born there. They come for a specific reason. Skilled lumberjacks were drawn to logging camps for employment well off the beaten path—much too far to commute. The result was the logging camp community composed mainly of men able to harvest large forests of much-needed lumber and drive the logs downstream. As with any community, there were other residents who provided related services and goods. We can study a logging camp much as we would any community because they were counted by census enumerators as though they were cities. $$ |
Published: 01/Sep/2009 |
GenWeekly |
|
Genealogy of Communities: Fishing Camps |
| Researching individuals who lived and worked in fishing camps is possible through traditional censuses and other documents. Fishing camps were communities of residential employees. Fishermen who lived primarily in a fishing camp were counted in the census enumeration for that location regardless of the style of accommodations. $$ |
Published: 10/Sep/2009 |
GenWeekly |
|
The Genealogy of Communities |
| Most of us define family by genetics. Judy Rosella Edwards takes a look at intentional communities like religious movements, utopias and other self-defined groups within American society to share some insight into researching their genealogy. $$ |
Published: 24/Aug/2009 |
GenWeekly |
|
Map Reading 102 |
| Reading a map is not easy. Ask all the frustrated drivers who have to stop and ask for directions, or turn to their digital navigation system! They still need to pass Map Reading 101. In Map Reading 102, Judy Rosella Edwards keys us in on some lesser-known map-reading directions. $$ |
Published: 09/Aug/2009 |
GenWeekly |
|
Historical Pageants as a Genealogical Tool |
| Communities often celebrate centennials and other milestones with elaborate historical pageants, or plays. Judy Rosella Edwards explains the genealogical background of these events that continue to exist. $$ |
Published: 03/Aug/2009 |
GenWeekly |
|
Newspaper Treasures |
| Researchers search newspapers for obituaries and wedding announcements. Judy Rosella Edwards shares unique finds you might not have thought of and teaches you a new way to read a newspaper. $$ |
Published: 30/Jul/2009 |
GenWeekly |
|
When Land Disappears |
| Locating property can be challenging. When property has been altered, either by man or nature, the task becomes especially tricky. Judy Rosella Edwards sheds some light on how to locate intentionally altered lands. $$ |
Published: 23/Jul/2009 |
GenWeekly |
|
The Wonders of the Family History Center |
| With so much genealogy online, does the local Family History Center still serve a purpose? Judy Rosella Edwards explores the importance of the FHC. $$ |
Published: 25/Jun/2009 |
GenWeekly |
|
When a Picture Is Not Worth a Thousand Words |
| Every family has collections of photographs. Judy Rosella Edwards takes a look at photographs from a professional researcher's perspective. $$ |
Published: 21/May/2009 |
GenWeekly |
| New FamilySearch: A Database to Capture Your Imagination |
| The New FamilySearch is being gradually rolled out. If you are aware of a correction that needs to be made to your existing FamilySearch data but you don't have access, how do you correct it? Judy Rosella Edwards tells us how. $$ |
Published: 07/May/2009 |
GenWeekly |
|
A Simple High-Tech Solution For Genealogists |
| Wouldn't it be great if all the data we needed was already scanned and tucked away into nice neat database fields? That's not likely to happen in our lifetime. There is too much data out there. But as we gear up for a summer of onsite research, Judy Rosella Edwards shares an innovative and earth-friendly way for using computerized gadgets you already have. $$ |
Published: 29/Apr/2009 |
GenWeekly |
|
How To Read a Cemetery |
| It's spring. It must be time to think about reading cemeteries! Judy Rosella Edwards shares some insights into doing it well and issues a challenge! $$ |
Published: 29/Apr/2009 |
GenWeekly |
|
The Census Code |
| Judy Rosella Edwards recently sat in on a beginner's genealogy class to jog her memory about the beginner's experience. She came away with the realization that many genealogists don't know the secret code of the census. $$ |
Published: 28/Apr/2009 |
GenWeekly |
|
New FamilySearch: Depending Upon The Kindness of Strangers |
| FamilySearch is a free online genealogy database that has been around for a number of years. It is undergoing a major overhaul. The free database is not yet available to everyone but Judy Rosella Edwards shares her experience as one of the early users and offers advice on how to prepare for using the new system. $$ |
Published: 27/Apr/2009 |
GenWeekly |
|
Conducting Research Through Societies and Fraternal Organizations |
| Whether you are strolling through a cemetery or reading an obituary, you are likely to find insignia or other indications that a relative was a member of a society or fraternal organization. These organizations can be used as genealogical research tools. $$ |
Published: 26/Mar/2009 |
GenWeekly |
|
Turning Michigan-Canadian Research Upside Down |
| Immigrants did not always follow a straight and obvious route. Michigan-Canada migrations create an intriguing panorama of people on the move. Browsing through biographies from the 1800's it becomes obvious that arrivals from the Old World traipsed back and forth between the United States and Canada.$$ |
Published: 12/Feb/2009 |
GenWeekly |
| Licensed Ordinaries: Liquor Licensure Throughout American History |
| Glance through old gazetteers and you're likely to encounter place names like Nine Mile Ordinary, Virginia or Spencer's Ordinary. These ordinary places were not really so ordinary and, in fact, they required a license to be ordinary! $$ |
Published: 05/Feb/2009 |
GenWeekly |
|
What Good is Genealogy? |
| This is a common question. My answer is that it gives us a chance to correct the past, where necessary, and create a better future. That answer is at the heart of a movement that grown out of one New England family's search into their own genealogy, as documented in the PBS movie "Traces of the Trade". $$ |
Published: 21/Jan/2009 |
GenWeekly |
|
Life, Death, and Everything in Between |
| A common frustration among genealogy researchers is knowing what information is available. A bigger question would be what information might you anticipate finding. Preserved information obviously varies from one location to another. Some archivists have been meticulous about saving records for a century and carefully identifying the data. Other records have been lost in fires, floods, and frustration over where to store them. Everyone knows to look for federal, state, and county censuses. But what else is on that paper trail between Life and Death? $$ |
Published: 13/Jan/2009 |
GenWeekly |
|
Start the New Year Right – Cite Your Sources! |
| If you are among those of us who started our genealogical research journey by furiously jotting down notes and copying pages out of books without citing your sources, this is a great time to turn your life around. In the process, you might find your research becomes more productive. $$ |
Published: 01/Jan/2009 |
GenWeekly |
| New Orleans Interments |
| Death and burial rituals may differ dramatically between countries, among cultures, and among religions. New Orleans, because of its location and varied culture, has always had unique and interesting cemeteries and customs. In her article, "New Orleans Interments," Judy Rosella Edwards explores burial practices in New Orleans during the mid-1800s when disease was rampant, and offers ideas and resources for research. $$ |
Published 21/Nov/2008 |
GenWeekly |
Migration Patterns Reflected by Township Government
|
| Even genealogists might be surprised to learn that townships can reflect migration patterns. $$ |
Published 1/Sept/2008 |
GenWeekly |
|
Religion In New Orleans |
| Religion has always played a big role in New Orleans. From early arrival of the Ursuline sisters throughout New Orleans history, religion has been important. $$ |
Published 23/Oct/2008 |
GenWeekly |
Education in New Orleans
|
| School records are often overlooked as a genealogical resource. They can document students as well as teachers. That is certainly true of New Orleans. $$ |
Published 9/Oct/2008 |
GenWeekly |
| The Walking Pioneers |
| Today we resent it when airlines restrict us to 50 pounds of luggage. Imagine moving from Illinois to Utah -- and having a 17 pounds luggage restriction! $$ |
Published 2/Oct/2008 |
GenWeekly |
The Arts in New Orleans
|
| Music,dance, art, and Mardi Gras. New Orleans is known for its entertainment. That is nothing new. But why New Orleans? $$ |
Published 25/Sept/2008 |
GenWeekly |
| The Ethnicity of New Orleans Immigrants |
| The ethnicity of New Orleans arrivals varied greatly. So who were they? $$ |
Published 18/Sept/2008 |
GenWeekly |
| Looking "Into" Rather Than "At" Census Returns |
| It was not until I began transcribing census returns that I realized the depth of what I was reading and how important the details are. It was also then that I realized how critical the details are, even the ones that are not obvious and sometimes eliminated by inexperienced transcribers. $$ |
Published 28/Aug/2008 |
GenWeekly |
| Mustering Up the Courage to Delve into Military Rosters |
| Military rosters are long, long lists of who served in which regiment during a given war. They can be exhausting to browse. Here is how to come out a winner when researching military rosters. $$ |
Published 14/Aug/2008 |
GenWeekly |
|
New Orleans: Healthy Life in the New World |
| Many emigrants were escaping starvation and poor health care in Europe and elsewhere. But just getting to the New World healthy and alive proved to be a challenge. $$ |
Published |
GenWeekly |
| The Ethnicity of New Orleans Immigrants |
| The ethnicity of New Orleans arrivals varied greatly. So who were they? $$ |
Published: 18/Sep/2008 |
GenWeekly |
| New Orleans Series New Orleans Immigrant Origins |
| Arrivals in the port New Orleans were not exclusively French. And, while there certainly were a lot of French immigrants who arrived in New Orleans, they were not all from France. $$ |
Published 21/Aug/2008 |
GenWeekly |
| New Orleans Series New Orleans Occupations, Part II |
| The impression many of us have of immigrants is that of travel-weary blue-collar families escaping to the New World. Immigrant occupations ran the gamut in New Orleans, and included entertainers. $$ |
Published 31/Jul/2008 |
GenWeekly |
New Orleans Series New Orleans Revisited: Early Occupations
|
|
|
| Mention New Orleans, and most people think of levees and French culture. While both are certainly a part of New Orleans, the city is so much more significant in the development of the United States – and much older than we often realize since it predates statehood by decades. $$ |
Published 10/Jul/2008 |
GenWeekly |
| Illinois Mennonite Heritage Center - Research & More! |
| I only live about 30 miles from the Illinois Mennonite Historical and Genealogical Society's Illinois Mennonite Heritage Center in Metamora, Illinois. I finally took the time to visit their library. What a treasure! $$ |
Published 29/May/2008 |
GenWeekly |
Google Books: A Source for Ancestral Handwriting
|
| Finding a sample of your ancestor's handwriting is always fun. The angle of the writing can also indicate if your ancestor might have been left-handed. Here is a unique resource for locating handwriting samples. $$ |
Published 24/Apr/2008 |
GenWeekly |
Coles Station: The Ever-Changing Place Name
|
| Today, the name has been cut in half, most of the houses are gone, and modern day Coles Station is mainly on the map because Staley Grain Elevator is located there. It may take twice as much effort to research Coles Station residents. $$ |
Published 17/Apr/2008 |
GenWeekly |
Revisiting the Research Library
|
| Genealogical research is a whole new experience. If you have not visited a research center lately – or ever – you may be surprised at what you will find! $$ |
Published 10/Apr/2008 |
GenWeekly |
Shocking Genealogy Sources
|
| An unsettling source for genealogy can be true crime magazines. While the stories are often embellished, these magazines are a unique eye on history. I discovered this while researching a family member who was the victim of crime. $$ |
Published 20/Mar/2008 |
GenWeekly |
Great-Great-Grandpa's Alma Mater
|
| All too often, we seem to think of college as a modern invention and mostly for urbanites. Although some of the colleges have changed names and even locations over the years, you just might be surprised where great-great-grandpa went to college. They might also provide insight into the family's migration history. $$ |
Published 06/Mar/2008 |
GenWeekly |
History & Genealogy - Through Music
|
| We tend to focus on census returns, biographies, and legal documents as sources for history. Then we record the information on family sheets or in a database. A unique source for downstate Illinois history is a CD of radio music from the 1930s punctuated with true stories about the performers and an oral record of the performer's own genealogy. $$ |
Published 14/Feb/2008 |
GenWeekly |
The Missionary Bands
|
|
|
| We have grown up with the image of the little prairie church perhaps without even considering where they came from. Beginning in the mid-1840's, young graduates from East Coast schools of theology began a movement that established both churches and colleges in the new frontier. $$ |
Published 07/Feb/2008 |
GenWeekly |
Researching Civil War Volunteer Infantrymen from Havana, Illinois
|
| Finding original copies of historic records is always a challenge, especially because few copies remain. If you're looking for the "History of the Eighty-Fifth Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry," you'll find that American Libraries Internet Archive has the entire text online for free. You'll also discover this volume has some special features researchers will find extremely helpful. $$ |
Published 31/Jan/2008 |
GenWeekly |
And He Knew Daniel Boone...
|
| Any biography that includes a reference to a famous person like Daniel Boone is just a little more interesting. But it sometimes seems more like legend that so many people claim to have known Boone. $$ |
Published 17/Jan/2008 |
GenWeekly |
Migrations from Vechta, Germany to Teutopolis, Illinois
|
| If you are looking for German immigrants in the United States who spent some time in Ohio before disappearing from your genealogical timeline, try looking for them in Teutopolis, Illinois. $$ |
Published 03/Jan/2008 |
GenWeekly |
Gold Between the Census Returns
|
| Gold miners during the mid-1800s are very much a part of American history. But how do you find who they were? $$ |
Published 13/Dec/2007 |
GenWeekly |
Ahoy, Lighthouse Museum Interns!
|
| An internship experience adds another dimension to a job hunter’s resume. If you love the sea, why not intern at a lighthouse museum? |
Published 16/Dec/2007 |
Suite101.com |
Nauvoo Retains Its Place in History
|
| Mention Nauvoo to just about anyone and the Mormon Church comes to mind. But the Mormons left Nauvoo 150 years ago. $$ |
Published 15/Nov/2007 |
GenWeekly |
Memento mori: Funeral Photography
|
| My sister died at age 14 and our family has an 8x10, black and white glossy professional photo of her lying in her casket. I grew up thinking this was macabre. But funeral photography is actually common and has a long history. $$ |
Published 22/Nov/2007 |
GenWeekly
|
Orphan Trains: The Illinois Apprenticeship Agent
|
|
|
| In the mid to late 1800s, Orphan Trains transported East Coast orphans to new homes and new lives in the Midwest. The New York Juvenile Asylum was one institution that relocated boys and girls to Illinois. In order to better serve their clients in the West, they opened the Western Agency in Illinois. $$ |
Published 08/Nov/2007 |
GenWeekly |
Font Study in Belgium
|
| Discover there is nothing modern about the Garamond font on your PC. Visit the Museum Plantin-Moretus/Prentenkabinet, Antwerpen - UNESCO World Heritage, in Belgium. |
Published 24/Oct/2007 |
Suite101.com |
Faith as Archivist
|
| Don't overlook faith-based organizations as archives-preserving genealogical resources. Of course, most religious communities maintain records of their leaders. But, religious archives often contain papers belonging to members such as obituaries, and other documents you'll find useful for researching. $$ |
Published 18/Oct/2007 |
GenWeekly |
The Black Heritage Trail Museums
|
| Explore Boston's 19th Century African American History at Ten Sites |
Published 18/Oct/2007 |
Suite101.com |
Reinventing A Day at the Museum
|
| How do museums come up with such clever programs for kids? The National Museum of Education provides ideas for activities for exploring a kid's favorite museum. |
Published 17/Oct/2007 |
Suite101.com |
Mohawk Dutch
|
| Being a Midwesterner and a descendant of the Palatine immigration, I thought I knew my history on this subject. Then I came across a term new to me, the "Mohawk Dutch." $$ |
Published 11/Oct/2007 |
GenWeekly
|
| Faith as Archivist |
| Don't overlook faith-based organizations as archives-preserving genealogical resources. Of course, most religious communities maintain records of their leaders. But, religious archives often contain papers belonging to members such as obituaries, and other documents you'll find useful for researching. $$ |
Published 18/Oct/2007 |
GenWeekly |
The Boyana Church Museum
|
| Sometimes a museum is actually the exhibit. The medieval frescoes at Boyana Church National History Museum in Bulgaria, preserve the Veliko Turnovo School of Painting. |
Published 9/Oct/2007 |
Suite101.com |
Museum Memberships
|
| Enjoy the Privileges of Supporting Your Favorite Museum |
Published 8/Oct/2007 |
Suite101.com |
Become a Museum Docent
|
| What does a docent do? How do you learn to give docent guided tours? Learn about docents and docent training at National Docent Symposium. |
Published 7/Oct/2007 |
Suite101.com |
Dickson Mounds Museum, Lewistown
|
| More recently famous as home to Edgar Lee Masters and his semi-biographical "Spoon River Anthology," Lewistown, Illinois, is also home to the Dickson Mounds Museum. |
Published 26/Sep/2007 |
Suite101.com |
From Apples to Oranges: Portrait and Biographical Albums
|
| I am always curious – and sometimes dubious — about who writes genealogical resources. Lately I have been researching a number of tomes with titles that all begin with "Portrait and Biographical Album of...," all published by either Chapman Bros. or Chapman Publishing. It seems impossible that so many of these coffee-table size leather-bound books the size of a family Bible include so many biographies of local residents, especially since they were written in the last decade or so of the 1800's. So how was all this information collected a century before bloggers and genealogy databases? $$ |
Published 20/Sep/07 |
GenWeekly
|
Snoozeums and Museum Overnights
|
| Even a kid who falls asleep in science class is likely to perk up at the idea of spending the night in a museum. Some even let the kids stay up all night. |
Published 29/Sep/2007 |
Suite101.com |
20 or 40: How many acres do you work?
|
| My mother grew up on a farm called "The Twenty" and I always wondered why it was called that. It turns out there is significance to farms called The Twenty and The Forty, and not just in the United States. $$ |
Published 09/Aug/2007 |
GenWeekly
|
Which way is North?
|
| There is an old song that goes something like, "How can you keep them down on the farm once they have seen Paris?" The spirit of the song has always hinted that the big city is for people who have experienced life and adventure or had an impact on the world. Charles A. Manners who settled in Christian County, Illinois in the mid-1880s proved that wrong by proving which way is North. $$ |
Published 12/Jul/2007 |
GenWeekly |
The Value of the Newspaper: A Unique Window on the Past
|
| The Maine Newspaper Project, which has inventoried all known state newspapers dating back to the 1785 Falmouth Gazette, probably sums up these newspaper project best. The MNP web site notes, "Each time a newspaper disappears from the public eye, a unique window to the past closes forever." $$ |
Published 28/Jun/2007 |
GenWeekly
|
An Inventor in the Family: Google Patents as a Genealogical Tool
|
| Finding an inventor in your family is easier than ever with Google Patents. But what does that have to do with genealogy? $$ |
Published 24/May/07 |
GenWeekly |
| Genealogy In The Park |
| While it is tradition to gather for family reunions in park pavilions, we rarely think of the park itself as a genealogical tool. American parks tend to be named either for significant historical figures, such as presidents -- or self-named by a land donor who leaves behind a trail that defines a family beyond the realm of census returns and marriage licenses. $$ |
Published 03/May/2007 |
GenWeekly |
Rediscovering Our Best Words: |
| A Long-Forgotten Central Illinois Newspaper. |
Published 9/Oct/2003 |
Conference on Illinois History |
