Fatherhood: A History of Love and Power with Augustine Sedgewick
Special for Father’s Day! The whole family will enjoy this evening’s exploration of fatherhood, from the invention of this fundamental institution in the Bronze Age through its transformation to the present day. Augustine Sedgewick’s bold and original work of history provides a collective portrait of emblematic fathers who have helped to define how the world should be ruled and what it means to be a man. Learn More
Free Online Event, June 12—Last Chance to Register
10 Million Names: A Conversation About African American Family History & Healing
On the eve of Juneteenth 2025, you are cordially invited to witness the power of family history. Together, we will honor the lives of the estimated 10 million men, women, and children of African descent who were enslaved in pre- and post-colonial America before emancipation.
Hear from Marc H. Morial, President & CEO of the National Urban League, as he reflects on his family history with renowned genealogist Kenyatta D. Berry and learn about the work of 10 Million Names—a groundbreaking project undertaken by American Ancestors and our partners. Register Today
New Issue of Mayflower Descendant
A new issue of Mayflower Descendant (vol. 73, no. 1) is now available! Articles include a tribute to Robert Charles Anderson with his descents from William, Susanna, and Resolved White; more updates on Matthew Fuller's origins; the family of Warren Rogers alias Sparrow, a Thomas Rogers descendant who changed his name after leaving his first family behind in Cape Cod; and a tale of two John Whites in competing genealogies. Subscribe Today
The Weekly Genealogist Survey
This Week's Survey:
Changing or Embellishing Identities
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.
Ancestral Families Who Settled in a Location That Was Not Their Original Destination
Total: 2,260 Responses
49%, Yes
8%, No
43%, I’m not sure.
Readers Respond
Cheryl Wilson Fornelli, Aurora, Illinois: In 1845, my husband’s ancestors set out in covered wagons from Crawford County, Pennsylvania, on the Old Joliet Road (now a defunct section of Route 66) for McHenry County, Illinois. Upon arrival, the family encountered a malaria outbreak. They left, intending to return to Pennsylvania. However, misfortune struck again on the return journey, when the patriarch of the family died, most likely of malaria. The family instead settled in Porter County, Indiana.
Dan Kraft, Boston, Massachusetts: My ancestors Edward Fuller, his wife (name unknown), and their son Samuel, along with the other Mayflower passengers, were given permission by the Company of Merchant Adventurers to settle in the Colony of Virginia. However, strong winter seas forced the ship to land in Massachusetts, where my ancestors and their shipmates founded the Plymouth colony.
Jennifer Ewing, Urbandale, Iowa: My great-great-grandfather Ludwig DeGraff came to Chicago from Germany in 1847 at age 16. Ludwig was extremely homesick. He worked as a wagon painter and was eventually able to save enough money to relocate; his plan was to move to German Valley, Illinois, where he would be among other German speakers. However, he got off the train at the wrong stop and ended up in Forreston, which at the time was largely unsettled. For reasons now unknown, Ludwig decided to stay. He had a successful life in Forreston. He built the town’s third house and established its first funeral home and furniture store. And Ludwig was lonely no longer—he married Jantje (Boecklman) in 1868 and together they had seven children. Ludwig died in Forreston in 1926.
John W. Coffey, Raleigh, North Carolina: My 3x great-grandfather Jules François Marie Lesage (1811-1888) was born in Paris and immigrated to New York in the early 1830s. In 1850, Julius (as he was now known) decided to join the French utopian socialist colony of Nauvoo, Illinois. He and his family traveled west along the Ohio River, but the boat's paddle wheel broke and the passengers became stranded in what was then western Virginia. Too impatient to wait for repairs to the boat, Julius gave up on Nauvoo and purchased a farm fronting the Ohio River in a place known today as Lesage, West Virginia. His decision was fortuitous—the Nauvoo community was beset with troubles and by 1856 had collapsed entirely.
Hinesburg House Really Rings a Bell Howard Russell’s house in Hinesburg, Vermont, which has been in his family for seven or eight generations, features a bell on the top of the structure.
Spotlight: Ericson Public Library, Iowa
by Valerie Beaudrault
The city of Boone, seat of Boone County, is located in central Iowa. The Ericson Public Library has made a number of newspapers available in its Community History Archive. The newspaper collection comprises more than 102,000 pages from thirteen newspapers, including Boone News-Republican (1906-2023), Boone Daily News (1898-1906), Boone County Republican (1874-1906), Boone County Democrat (1868-1911), The Boone Standard (1871-1908), and Boone Weekly News (1895-1899). The databases can be searched by keyword or browsed. Search Now
Our partner GEDmatch has launched “Fallen Warriors: The Unknowns,” a powerful initiative to help identify thousands of unnamed U.S. service members from WWII and the Korean War. By uploading your DNA, you can play a role in restoring their names and stories—offering families long-awaited closure. Learn More
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
