With the release of the 1950 U.S. Federal Census, family historians of all levels are primed to uncover new information about their ancestry—or verify previously known details. Lindsay Fulton will discuss what information is provided and how to search the indexed and non-indexed databases, and provide tips on how the 1950 census can be a springboard to other records. April 14 at 3 p.m. (ET). Register Now
Free American Inspiration Author Series Event
Carole Emberton with To Walk About in Freedom: The Long Emancipation of Priscilla Joyner
Hear about the journey of Priscilla Joyner, whose life story was recorded in a 1930s oral history for the Federal Writers' Project, as well as the experiences of other formerly enslaved people who gained freedom at the end of the Civil War and built their lives in the Jim Crow-era South. Presented in partnership with Boston Public Library. April 11 at 6 p.m. (ET). Register Now
Preserve Your Legacy
Create a Free Will Through NEHGS
Nearly 70% of Americans don’t have an updated legal will, despite it being an essential task. Many don’t know where to begin. Now you can get started with a free, online will-creation tool from our friends at Free Will. Create your will with their step-by-step process, identify beneficiaries for your assets, and make plans to support the causes that are most important to you. Create Your Free Will
Spotlight: Ohio Newspaper Database
by Valerie Beaudrault
The city of Perrysburg is located in Wood County, in northern Ohio. Bowling Green is the county seat. A digital newspaper archive, comprising more than twenty newspapers from 1830 to 2021, is available on the Way Public Library website. The archive also includes the Ohio Historical Society Rosters of Ohio Civil War soldiers (1893-1938) and Perrysburg’s Exchange Hotel Registers (1869-1890). Search by keywords and filter results by title and date range, or browse the entire database. Click the newspaper title and date link to view page images. Search Now
In-Person Lecture
The Love of Scotland: Artistic Fascination with Scotland's Landscape
Join National Trust for Scotland Chief Executive Phil Long, OBE, FRSE as he explores the international artistic fascination with Scotland’s landscape and history. April 10 at 2 p.m. (ET) at the American Ancestors Research Center.
Did you know that American Ancestors members can access other organizations' databases for free? Discover this under-utilized yet invaluable resource for conducting your online family history research. April 15 at 3 p.m. (ET).
Take your research skills to the next level! This seminar will help you get the most out of your family history research, whether you're a beginner or an experienced genealogist. Live sessions: April 5, 12, and 19 at 6 p.m. (ET)
Get $25 off your new American Ancestors membership
Now is the perfect time to trace your family history. Get started today with $25 off a new American Ancestors membership! Unlock access to more than a billion searchable names, award-winning publications, unique educational resources and more. Offer valid with code APRIL0422 before 4/30/22 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Not valid on current membership renewals. Join Now
What We’re Reading
Seven Decades Later, the 1950 Census Bares Its Secrets “Federal law kept the answers on millions of census forms secret for 72 years. The forms went online on Friday, a bonanza for historians, genealogists and the merely curious.”
My Grandfather’s Second Wife “Finding the woman who’d been left out of our family’s history helped me to reconnect with my father, my family, and my past.”
Last week's survey asked about Canadian connections. We received 3,636 responses. The results are:
36%, At least one of my ancestors lived only in Canada.
55%, At least one of my ancestors was born in Canada or lived in Canada before immigrating to the U.S.
41%, At least one of my ancestors arrived at a Canadian port as part of an immigration journey.
30%, At least one of my ancestors left the American colonies or the U.S. for Canada.
20%, At least one of my ancestors was a Loyalist who moved to Canada after the American Revolution.
3%, I was born in Canada.
3%, I currently live in Canada.
2%, I previously lived in Canada.
70%, I have not lived in Canada, but I have visited.
16%, I have a connection to Canada not mentioned above.
4%, I have no connection to Canada and have never visited.
This week’s survey asks if any of your ancestors or relatives worked underground. Take the survey now
Want to share your thoughts on the survey with us? We are always happy to hear from our readers. Email us at weeklygenealogist@nehgs.org. Responses may be edited for clarity and length and featured in a future newsletter.
Readers Respond: Canadian Connections
By Jean Powers, Senior Editor
Last week's survey asked about your Canadian connections. Thank you to everyone who replied. Below is a selection of reader responses.
Chris Foley, Winnetka, Illinois: My great-grandparents were among the thousands of Canadian immigrants recruited to the Amoskeag textile mills in Manchester, New Hampshire, in the late 1800s. Shortly after arriving in America, my great-grandmother divorced her husband on the stated grounds of “habitual drunkenness.” She and her two teenage daughters toiled in conditions rife with injuries, fatalities, and child labor in what was by that time the largest textile mill in the world.
Linda Mathew, Essex, Connecticut: My grandfather came to Ellis Island from England in 1905 and went immediately to Boston to have an eye operation. After recovering, he moved to Toronto, where he lived and worked for just six months before returning to the U.S. and settling in Providence.
Nora Hansen, Fair Oaks, California: My ancestor, Ephraim Downer, was taken prisoner, along with his two young sons, in the British-led Indian raid on Royalton, Vermont, October 16, 1780. Ephraim was a widower. His 3-year-old daughter (from whom I descend) was living with another family at the time of the raid; they escaped on horseback. Ephraim’s younger son was rescued by Hannah Handy/Hendee, who caught up with the raiders and negotiated the release of a group of boys. Ephraim and his older son were marched with a group of other captives into Canada and there kept prisoner. Ephraim’s name appears two years after the raid on a list of men who were brought to Lake Champlain by the British for a prisoner exchange. His young daughter never heard from Ephraim again, and I have found no further trace of him.
The Search for Missing Friends: Irish Immigrant Advertisements Placed in the Boston Pilot
All Eight Volumes On Sale Now
This collection contains 5,655 personal ads published nationwide from 1831 to 1920. The surprisingly detailed and at times agonizing public service notices were placed most often by family members attempting to locate relatives who arrived in America before or after them. These books are a wonderful source of maiden names, origins and physical descriptions. Purchase Now
Database News
New Volumes added to Boston Catholic Records
53 new volumes have been added to Massachusetts: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records,1789-1920 from St. Francis of Assisi (Braintree); Holy Rosary, Sacred Heart, and St. Anne (Lawrence); Holy Trinity and Notre Dame de Lourdes (Lowell); Sacred Heart (Middleborough); and Sacred Heart and St. Mary (Quincy). This update is part of our multi-year collaboration with the Archdiocese of Boston. Search Now
