Historical Records

Researching in old newspapers no longer means sitting at a microfilm reader for hours on end, winding through a seemingly endless string of news stories and advertisements. Today, the results we seek could be a matter of minutes away, thanks to the many digitization projects that have placed millions of newspaper pages on the Internet. But what are the pitfalls? This presentation takes you through the digitization process, from hard copy to your computer screen. It is designed to help you achieve the best results from your work. (Note: Dave Obee has worked in newspapers for 50 years, has researched with them for 50 years, and has been behind a major digitization project. This talk draws from real experience.)

U.S. City Directories are useful for finding a person’s residence at a given place and time, but we can glean many more facts from City Directories. Discover how to use MyHeritage’s U.S. City Directories collection to find not only residential information about your ancestors but much more. Learn how to use MyHeritage’s unique features and search capabilities.

Corporal Joseph King born on July 4 1776 served during the War of 1812. This cases study follows King before, during, and long after the war ends to his death in 1877.

After Pearl Harbor was attacked in 1941, thousands of Japanese and Japanese Americans were incarcerated in “Internment Camps.” German, Italians, and Latin Americans were also interned. The various sites of confinement and the records created will be examined, covering the period of time immediately preceding World War II through resettlement and redress.

Successful Quaker research requires a familiarity with typical Quaker migration routes, and no two Quaker migration events are the same. This was true for the Hunt family of Burlington County, New Jersey. Once they began to move, they covered a lot of ground. Follow them from New Jersey to Virginia, Western Pennsylvania, and on to Ohio, then moving again to Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa. This case study will also identify when and where the family ceased to be members of the Society of Friends.

Genealogical research involves identifying ancestors, linking them to family members, and then connecting them to the previous generation: sons and daughters to fathers and mothers. As our research moves back in time, particularly once we’ve gotten to the 19th century, connecting one generation to the previous generation becomes more difficult. Vital records expressly stating a parent-child relationship are rare. Consequently, to establish kinship we must broaden our research approach. Using case studies, Teri will demonstrate how to use probate and property records to identify family members and connect them to their ancestors.

Not every ancestor left a death certificate, even after death registrations were required by the states. But don’t give up hope! You may still be able to find an ancestor’s death date using these 10 resources.

What has almost a billion names from a couple of centuries, therefore putting the odds in your favor of finding relatives? Well, it’s the MyHeritage “Newspaper Name Index, USA and Canada” database! Learn more about newspaper research as well as some tips and tricks to work with this massive database!

Most are thick books listing the heads of household with address and occupation; later the spouse and adult children appear. Add business listings and ads plus government agencies, relief agencies, civic and religious organizations, and other listings and you have a goldmine of information. Do you know how and when the material was collected? The differences in the early ones? How to use them for the history of businesses, owners, and other entities. What about the unique directories that serve as a census, tell of military service, where someone moved to, include fake names, and provide clues to vital records. The problems with some digitized directories, issues with the canvassing for listings, and the sales pushed that occurred will be covered. I’ll share the rewards of in-depth sleuthing about the directories, their compilation, some surprises, and obvious and hidden places to find them today.