Our Newbury Street Press publication Ancestral Lines of Iain W. F. Shepherd and Helen Waugh (Gray) Shepherd—Journeys in Time was selected for the Award for Excellence: Genealogy & Family History Book by the National Genealogical Society Board of Directors at their meeting in March. Eileen Pironti, Senior Genealogist of the Newbury Street Press, and Jenifer Kahn Bakkala co-authored this beautiful book on the ancestry of our Trustee Helen E. R. Sayles. Purchase Today
Upcoming In-Person Research Tour, July 15–19
Come Home to New England
American Ancestors has been gathering information about families in America for more than 175 years. Our collections span the globe and cover the United States, especially New England and New York. Devote nearly a full week to leveraging the resources and expertise at the American Ancestors headquarters. Learn More
The Weekly Genealogist Survey
This Week's Survey:
Ancestral Families Who Settled in a Location That Was Not Their Original Destination
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.
Janice Miller Welch, Clifton, Virginia: My grandfather Charles Thomas Miller, born in 1879 in Montgomery County, Iowa, had terrible allergies to the grains grown there. His parents moved him and his brothers to Tacoma, Washington, for the sea air. Charles’s son, Charles Stuver Miller, moved to Iowa but didn’t stay long—he had inherited his father’s allergies. Since then, all Charles Thomas Miller’s descendants have stuck to the coasts.
Frances Taylor, San Francisco, California: In 1850, my great-grandfather Barton Stout Taylor of Michigan was diagnosed with consumption. In November 1851, Barton and his wife, Marietta Rowland Taylor, purchased a horse and carriage and began traveling south with their children, four-year-old Augustus and an infant daughter, as well as a young woman described by Barton in his journal as a “nurse girl” hired to help Marietta. Marietta paid for the trip through the vocal performances she gave at each stop along the way. Marietta also kept a journal detailing the family’s travels through Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi, and their return by a different route to Michigan in May 1852. Sadly, Marietta died of consumption in 1857. Barton died at 78 in 1898.
Connie Duffey, Braselton, Georgia: My mother had severe rheumatoid arthritis. In the 1970s we moved from South Bend, Indiana, to Phoenix, Arizona. My parents hoped the drier climate and warm winters would help my mother’s arthritis. Unfortunately, the weather did not significantly improve her symptoms and medications were not as effective in those days, so she became more crippled.
Christine West, Annapolis, Maryland: My great-grandfather David Murray (1862-1909) was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and immigrated to Massachusetts to work in the textile industry. Due to the poor air quality of the factories, David developed breathing problems. In his late thirties, David moved his family to the mountains of Lynchburg, Virginia, in search of fresh air. He supported his family by working in a haberdashery but died in 1909 of an illness—possibly pneumonia—related to his long history of breathing problems.
How to Interview Your Family Members Like an Oral Historian Nicole Wong originally set out to document how her family—and, later, other families—played Mahjong. This article describes Wong’s project and offers expert advice on how to get started with preserving family memories and community stories.
Sears Kits Built Many Homes in the Rural Midwest “The convenience of Sears catalogs worked well for rural residents, who could treat them as a one-stop shop for many of their everyday needs, as well as monumental purchases like family homes.”
Spotlight: Historical Records, Greenville County, South Carolina
by Valerie Beaudrault
Greenville County, seated in the city of Greenville, is located in northwest South Carolina. A number of historical records have been made available on the Greenville County website. To begin your search of the collections, click on the collection name to open a new page with database links. Click the database name link to access the records by date range. Resources include Council Commissioners Minute Books, Court of Common Pleas records, Court of General Sessions records, Register of Deeds records, and Sheriff’s Office records. Under the Probate Court records are account books, an index to estate papers, marriage license indexes, and will books. Search Now
We have added new sketches to the Early Vermont Settlers, 1700-1784 database: Thomas Hill (Peru) and Samuel Stratton (Vernon). This study project, researched by Scott Andrew Bartley, treats heads of households who lived within the present-day borders of Vermont by 1784. Each entry includes known vital records and a list of children with spouses. This database is available to American Ancestors members only. Search 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
