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title: The Weekly Genealogist, December 7, 2022
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Weekly news about genealogy and history, databases, educational resources, and more from American Ancestors/NEHGS.

| View in browser     December 7, 2022   Read Past Issues   Feedback? Email Us   New Digital Collection Theodore Roosevelt Family Papers   We're excited to announce the digitization of hundreds of Roosevelt family documents and photographs, thanks to a generous donation from the Theodore Roosevelt Association. Researchers can explore the collection at our Digital Library & Archives. Learn More   Recently on Vita Brevis Following Irish Migrant Workers   How did Irish tenant farmers earn the money they needed to pay their yearly rent? One possibility: they traveled to Great Britain to work for the summer. Read More   The Weekly Genealogist Survey This Week's Survey: Were You Named After a Family Member? Take the Survey Now Share your thoughts about the survey at weeklygenealogist@nehgs.org. Responses may be edited for clarity and length and featured in a future newsletter.       Last Week's Survey: Did You Begin Your Genealogical Research Pre-Internet?   Total: 5,511 Responses 78%, Yes 21%, No 1%, I can’t remember. Readers Respond   Kathy Sullivan, Saugus, Massachusetts: I began my research 58 years ago, when I was twelve. When visiting my grandparents, my parents believed children should be seen and not heard, so we kids were to "entertain ourselves." On one visit I read all the genealogies in volume 3 of the History of Jaffrey, New Hampshire!   Brooke Harlowe, Lock Haven Pennsylvania: Before the internet, there was the NEHGS lending library. This past summer I came across a folder full of old library receipts. I lived in a rural community in the 1980s and 1990s and large city and university libraries were too far away to access on a regular basis. The lending library brought key resources right to my house. I kept the receipts because they helped me keep track of the resources I had already consulted. (Digitization does have its drawbacks. My right arm no longer gets a workout from cranking through rolls of interlibrary loan microfilm!)   Pat Flaherty, Boston, Massachusetts: I remember going to the McCormack Building in Boston (where vital records were kept) in the 1970s. We had to sign in and then were let loose in the stacks to look up whatever vital record we wanted. The clerk usually said, “If you see an adoption, just don’t look at it.” Things were much looser back then.     Bill Kirnan, Walden, New York: In the late 1970s, I would regularly drive several hours to the New York State Library in Albany with an elderly friend to go through old censuses on microfilm. We would enter the library when it opened at 9 a.m. and we would continue until it closed at 5 p.m. My friend would generally take a break for lunch, but I never stopped, only munching on a breakfast bar. I didn't want to waste even a minute.   Merrilee Carlson, Hastings, Minnesota: In 1979-1980, I was newly married and living in the woods outside of Webster, Wisconsin. I was researching my great-grandfather, who was born just outside Madison, in Dane County. I found the title of a book I wanted and was lucky enough to be able to request it through the bookmobile that came to town once a week. The History of Dane County, Wisconsin gave me so much information on Peter Borst and his family!   James A. Streeter, Coarsegold, California: My family history research began about 1962 when I was 14. My Dad's mother gave me a list of names that took me from her grandfather back eight generations to John Alden of the Mayflower. I currently have proven lines that connect to thirty Mayflower passengers and continue to research daily.   Rachel Dobson, Cottondale, Alabama: Did I begin my genealogical research before the Internet? No, I began researching in 1998, when I started a new job and learned how to use computers for the first time. However, my uncle gave me a copy of his legal-sized, multi-paged, paper pedigree chart with lines back to Charlemagne, so I got an incredible head start. He had done all his research in the late 1960s and 1970s at the Los Angeles County Public Library. So, although I am grateful for the ease of access that the Internet provides, my research stands on the shoulders of the hunched-over family members and library patrons of old.   What We’re Reading   A Mystery Hidden in a Family Photograph David Botti, a senior producer on The New York Times Visual Investigations unit, wondered if he could use his skills to find his great-grandfather’s house in Scanno, Italy.   Now Casting! Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is about to start filming its 10th season. A search is underway for someone with a family mystery that the show’s team can solve.   Heirlooms Revisited The New York Times asked readers to share stories about their treasured possessions. Twelve of the most notable keepsakes were featured—including one belonging to NEHGS member Meg Kenagy.   Holocaust Survivors Offered Free DNA Testing Kits to Help Find Family “The New York-based Center for Jewish History is launching a project offering DNA testing kits for free to Holocaust survivors and their children.”   The Story of the US Army Air Forces in Britain During the Second World War The Historic England blog tells the story of the over half a million United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) servicemen who were stationed in Britain. See What Women Wore to Work in 1904 in This AI-Enhanced and Colorized Footage Enhanced video footage shows a stream of women clocking into their jobs at the Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company in Pittsburgh.   Spotlight: Mountain View Cemetery, Auburn, Washington by Valerie Beaudrault   The city of Auburn is located primarily in King County, in central Washington. Mountain View Cemetery was established in 1890, a year before the town of Slaughter was incorporated—the name Slaughter was then changed to Auburn in 1893. The cemetery was renamed Auburn City Cemetery in 1946, then changed back to Mountain View Cemetery in 1967. Click 'Find a Loved One' to search burial records by name and birth/death dates, and filter results by veteran status. Search Now   Upcoming Lectures, Courses, Tours, and More December 8 Free Online Lecture: Stories from the Archives: Family Recipes   December 12 Free Author Event: Paul Fisher with The Grand Affair: John Singer Sargent in His World   January 5–7, 2023 Online Research Tour: Genealogical Skills Bootcamp View All Upcoming Events   Database News The Genealogist: New Volumes Available   Volumes 16-20 (2002-2006) of The Genealogist are now available to search. The update adds over 27,600 records to this free database, which is presented in partnership with the American Society of Genealogists. Search Now   Free Video from American Ancestors How to Progress from Inherited Research   When your ancestors or relatives leave you with boxes and binders of their own genealogical research, how do you pick up where they left off? Genealogist Ann Lawthers explains how to assess research from previous eras, and provides tips for sorting through and preserving inherited materials. Watch Now   Your Legacy. Your Peace of Mind. Your Free Will.    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   Educational events brought to you by Vol. 25, No. 49, Whole #1132 Copyright ©2022 New England Historic Genealogical Society. All Rights Reserved.. American Ancestors, 99-101 Newbury Street, Boston, MA 02116, 1-888-296-3447 Unsubscribe Manage preferences Membership   \|   Database News   \|   Expert Help   \|   Give   \|   Live Chat |
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