Learn about a little-known chapter in the early history of American adoption: the controversial Orphan Train Movement, which transported around 250,000 children identified as needy, neglected, and orphaned from Eastern cities to other regions of the United States and Canada between 1854 and 1929. Read More
Free Online Webinar, June 17
American Ancestors Virtual Open House
Do you want to make real headway in your family history research? American Ancestors can help! Join us for a special online discussion highlighting the many benefits and services available to our members, including unique databases, expert one-on-one research assistance, award-winning publications, and much more.
Probate records are a crucial—but sometimes overlooked—source for family historians. These legal documents can help fill missing gaps in vital information and provide a glimpse into your ancestor’s property and possessions. This three-week online course will teach you how to leverage probate records in your family history research.
Ancestors or Relatives Who Were Members of the Clergy or a Religious Order
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.
29%, Yes, at least one of my parents attended a one-room school.
6%, Yes, at least one of my parents taught in a one-room school.
44%, Yes, at least one of my grandparents attended a one-room school.
21%, Yes, at least one of my grandparents taught in a one-room school.
18%, I don’t know whether my parents or grandparents attended a one-room school.
8%, I don’t know whether my parents or grandparents taught in a one-room school.
61%, No, I did not attend a one-room school.
56%, No, I did not teach in a one-room school.
41%, No, neither of my parents attended a one-room school.
47%, No, neither of my parents taught in a one-room school.
20%, No, none of my grandparents attended a one-room school.
36%, No, none of my grandparents taught in a one-room school.
Readers Respond
William L. Kidder, Ewing, New Jersey: My great-grandmother taught for ten years (1860s-70s) in a one-room school in Wisconsin. Women teachers were not allowed to be married, so she had to quit in order to marry my great-grandfather. They moved to Minnesota and established their farm, donating a parcel of land for the local one-room school attended by their children. I attended a two-room school in Indiana for two years, and that experience led me to become a teacher. I am a retired fourth-generation teacher, and my daughters are fifth-generation teachers.
Alice Marsh, Jericho, Vermont: I attended first through fourth grades at a one-room school in Orwell, Vermont. At the start of each day, our teacher played the piano and we sang patriotic songs. There were fourteen to eighteen students in grades one through eight. My best friend, Margaret, and I were the only students in our grade until a nearby one-room school closed and a boy named Raymond joined us for third and fourth grades. Each day, two students went to a neighboring farm to get our drinking water. A large wood stove kept the classroom warm, but our lunches sometimes froze in the coat room. The Orwell school closed in 1960, and students were sent to the “big” school in the village.
Edward Stewart, New York, New York: Starting around age 18, my great-grandmother Rachel (Fairbairn) Todd (1875-1961) taught in several one-room schools in the Catskills, including the Pink Street, Grants Mills, and Seager schools. On one occasion, some of the older boys concocted a plan to test their teacher’s mettle. During lunchtime, the boys dug and ate wild leeks. As the afternoon grew warmer, the leek odor became overpowering in the small room. Gram Todd instructed the boys to open the window and let in some fresh air, and then told them that the next time they dug leeks, they should bring some for her.
Rita (Kelley) Wuehrmann, Prescott, Arizona: My father, Ira Kelley, attended a one-room schoolhouse in central Arizona. By the 1990s, when the structure was in danger of succumbing to the ravages of time and weather, he assisted with the building’s restoration. My husband ran an Elderhostel service program and, with permission from the school district and assistance from the local historical society, he organized an effort for senior adults from around the country to restore the schoolhouse. My father was in his element as he worked on the restoration with the group. He enjoyed regaling everyone with his stories from the 1930s of riding horseback from his family’s ranch to board at the Hays family ranch and pursuing his education there.
Tonya Ward Singer of California traced her genealogy to the Moffatt and Whipple families of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. She then tracked down Laurel Guild Yancey of Georgia, a descendant of Prince Whipple, who had been enslaved by Singer’s ancestors.
The Historic England Blog describes some leading contenders for the earliest surviving home in England.
Spotlight: Genealogy Resources, Fall River Public Library, Massachusetts
by Valerie Beaudrault
The city of Fall River is located in Bristol County in southeastern Massachusetts. The Fall River Public Library has made available on its website an index to obituaries published in the Fall River Herald News (1928-2012). The data fields are first/last name, maiden name, spouse, and date of publication. To view an obituary published from 1926-1965 and 1998-2000, click the "access the newspaper online" link, which will take you to the library’s Community History Archive. The archive comprises more than 378,000 pages from six newspapers (1924-2000), Fall River city directories (1853-2021), and historical maps. These databases are keyword searchable and can also be browsed. Search Now
Database News
Irish Newspaper Archives
More than 6 million searchable images of newspaper pages—including obituaries and birth, death, and marriage notices—are available from the Irish Newspaper Archive. This database from our partner organization covers both Ireland and Northern Ireland, 1738 to present. Members of American Ancestors can search this database from our partner organization for free. Learn More About External Databases
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
