Summer Issue of American Ancestors Magazine is Now Available!
This issue of American Ancestors magazine foocuses on genealogical travel. We offer advice and tips, as well as engaging accounts of family history journeys to Maine, New Mexico, Italy, and Lithuania. Other articles include the tale of a Jewish nun, an epilogue to a colonial Massachusetts murder case, and stories from A British Country House Alphabet. As always, the issue contains information about our membership benefits, news, events, and educational opportunities. Members of American Ancestors can access this issue and our entire magazine archive. View Now
August Membership Sale—Get $25 Off Your New American Ancestors Membership!
Now is the perfect time to join American Ancestors. Get started today and you'll gain access to billions of searchable names, family tree software, award-winning publications, and hundreds of online educational tools to help you become a better family historian. Take advantage of this special offer using code August24 through August 31, 2024! Join Now
Upcoming Online Seminar, September 3–October 1
Expert Strategies for Breaking Down Genealogical Brick Walls
Research your ancestry long enough and you’re bound to hit a brick wall—the paper trail vanishes, the family seemingly disappears, and you’re unable to go back to earlier generations. Tackling a different research challenge each session, expert genealogists David Allen Lambert, Rhonda R. McClure, and Melanie McComb will provide real-life examples and successful strategies for breaking down your genealogical brick walls. Register Now
The Weekly Genealogist Survey
This Week's Survey:
U.S. States or Canadian Provinces That Have Been Closely Associated with Your Family History
Share your thoughts about the survey!Please limit submissions to 150 words or fewer. Your submission may be featured in an upcoming newsletter or shared on social media; please note in your email if you do not want your story to be shared. Published responses may be edited for clarity and length.
Ancestors or Relatives Who Were Injured in a Work-Related Accident
Total: 2,595 Responses
30%, Yes, at least one of my ancestors or relatives suffered a minor work-related injury.
39%, Yes, at least one of my ancestors or relatives suffered a significant work-related injury.
36%, Yes, at least one of my ancestors or relatives died from a work-related injury.
29%, No, I am not aware of any of my ancestors or relatives suffering a work-related injury.
Readers Respond
Carolyn Hall, Amston, Connecticut: When my great-grandfather Thomas Mahan was in his teens, he went to work at the Eaton Dikeman paper mill in Lee, Massachusetts. In February of 1921, he was working as a paper finisher when “a bundle of paper weighing about 80 pounds fell a distance of about seven feet, striking Mahan in the right side.” Thomas died two months later at age 58. An article in the Springfield Republican reported that his estate’s claim for compensation was dismissed because the industrial accident board was not convinced the accident caused his death.
Jane Ventimiglia, East Setauket, New York: My grandfather Walter Conley "Dick" Daughtry was a semi-professional baseball player for the Monroe Louisiana Elks. During a game in 1920, he was hit in the forehead by a ball and was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. One of the nurses assigned to his care was Armande Olympia Renaud—my grandmother. The couple married in 1921.
Naomi Long, Indianapolis, Indiana: On April 7, 1936, my great-great-grandfather Joseph P. Long was working at the Waters Ice House in Kingston, New York, when a freak accident occurred. He was standing on a platform supervising the loading of trucks when a large cake of ice landed next to him, creating a springboard effect that sent him hurtling through the air. He landed in a wagon and was immediately struck by an ice pick. Although his co-workers rushed to his aid and he was whisked to the hospital, he died two hours later from his injuries.
Hardy Pottinger, Mission, Texas: Jesse Blanche (Smith) Daniels, the second wife of my great-grandfather William Henry Daniels, suffered a horrible fate. Census records show that Jesse had been a railroad car cleaner in St. Louis. Her 1928 death certificate states she died of "shock" due to burning kerosene igniting her clothes on fire—most likely a result of using kerosene as a cleaner in an enclosed area. There was no OSHA back then!
J. Shapiro, Ann Arbor, Michigan: In the 1930s, my grandfather was working on the line at a tire manufacturing plant in Ohio. He was engaged to be married. One day, the sleeve on his shirt got caught in some of the equipment and crushed his right arm. It had to be amputated up to the shoulder. He told my grandmother he’d understand if she no longer wanted to marry him. She said she still did. If she hadn’t, I wouldn’t be here.
What We’re Reading
Finding Addie “Of the thousands of photographs Lewis Hine took of child laborers, a handful have become iconic, perhaps none more so than an image he took in Vermont in August 1910 of a slender, barefooted girl standing in front of the spinning frame she was operating.”
Rarely Seen Titanic Artefacts Kept in Secret Warehouse Thousands of items recovered from the wreck of the Titanic are stored in a secret warehouse in Atlanta, Georgia. This BBC story shares the stories behind some of these objects.
Stonehenge Has a Scottish Heart “Long thought to be from Wales, the monument’s Altar Stone is from northern Scotland, nearly 500 miles away.”
The Material Culture of Picket Duty during the Civil War In this post from Unfolding History, the blog of Manuscripts at the Library of Congress, a letter written by Private William M. Phile, Company I, 27th Regiment Connecticut Infantry, is discussed.
Powder Horn or Map? Both! Kristi Finefield, a reference specialist in the Prints & Photographs Division of the Library of Congress, wrote a blog post based on a 1930 photo showing a modern map and a powder horn map.
Lancaster County, seated in the city of Lancaster, is located in southeastern Pennsylvania. LancasterHistory has made a number of digitized newspapers available on its website. The collection comprises eight local newspapers. Titles include The Columbia Spy (1850-1870), The Lancaster Intelligencer (1847-1871) & Lancaster Daily Intelligencer (1880-1890), The Lancaster Examiner & Herald (1834-1872), The Lancaster Farmer (1864-1884), Lititz Newspaper Collection (1877-1942), and The New Holland Clarion (1873-1950). Select a title from the newspaper database homepage, then click on the title link to begin. The databases are keyword searchable and can also be browsed. Search Now
Young Family Historians Essay Contest
The 2025 American Ancestors Young Family Historians Essay Contest is open for students enrolled in grades 4–12 in public, private, parochial, and home schools across the nation and US territories. This year's contest invites students to share a story from their personal family history about an ancestor who faced a challenge, and how they overcame it. We encourage teachers to use this essay contest as a class project. Our Family History Curriculumhas everything you need to help students explore their roots, including inquiry-based lessons, teaching strategies, and editable student worksheets. Learn More
Free Guide
Getting Started with the 17th-Century Great Migration to New England
“Getting Started in Family History with American Ancestors” is a series of free downloads and short videos that covers the basic research methods genealogists use to find and verify information. Download our free “Getting Started with the 17th-Century Great Migration to New England” guide for essential help on this sometimes complicated topic. Download Now
Upcoming In-Person Research Tour, November 10–17
Salt Lake City Research Tour
Navigate the resources of the world’s largest genealogy library with help from American Ancestors. Our organization has more than 40 years' experience guiding researchers of all levels through the vast resources of the FamilySearch Library. Benefit from our special orientations and tutorials, one-on-one consultations, informative lectures, and more! Register Now
Database News
AM Explorer: Migration to New Worlds
The Migration to New Worlds collection charts the immigration experience of millions of people across 200 years of turbulent history. Explore the rise and fall of the New Zealand Company; discover British, European and Asian migration; and investigate unique personal accounts, shipping logs, printed literature, and organizational papers—as well as carefully compiled teaching and research aids. You must be logged into your American Ancestors account to view this collection. Explore Now
As a family historian, you know that wills are important in your research—but have you created a will for yourself? Free Will, an easy and free online will creation tool, will guide you step-by-step through identifying beneficiaries for your assets, supporting the causes that are important to you, and planning for the preservation of your research. Learn More
