--- title: The Weekly Genealogist, March 12, 2025 --- The Weekly Genealogist, March 12, 2025 | View in browser     March 12, 2025   Read Past Issues   Feedback? Email Us Ask a Genealogist—FREE Live Chat Available 10 a.m. –6 p.m. (ET) Upcoming Online Seminar, April 2–30 Revolutionary War Research: Tracing Patriot and Loyalist Ancestors   Nearly 250 years ago, the United States declared its independence from Great Britain, changing the course of history. This five-week online course will delve into the many primary and published records that can help document your Patriot or Loyalist ancestors. Learn More From the Bookstore at American Ancestors Genealogist’s Handbook for Portuguese Research   Modeled on our other popular Genealogist’s Handbooks, this is the first essential guide to finding your ancestors from mainland Portugal, the Azores, and Madeira. We also provide information for Brazilians with Portuguese ancestry. After reading the primer on genealogical research principles and a brief history of Portuguese immigration, follow our step-by-step approach to searching first in US records and then in Portuguese records. The handbook includes real-life examples, detailed maps, key terms in English and Portuguese, and activities to reinforce your new skills. This book will give you the tools—and the confidence—to dive into researching your Portuguese family history! Purchase Now Recently on Vita Brevis The Kimball Family   Researcher Kate Gilbert visited cemeteries in Haverhill, Bradford, and Ipswich, Massachusetts, to locate the gravestones of some of her Kimball ancestors. Read More The Weekly Genealogist Survey This Week's Survey: American Ancestors Marks its 180th Anniversary on March 18. This Week’s Survey Asks About Your Relationship to American Ancestors. 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. Take the Survey Last Week's Survey: Ancestors Who Worked in Building Construction or an Associated Trade   Total: 2,369 Responses 65%, Yes, at least one of my ancestors worked in building construction or an associated trade such as carpentry, masonry, plastering, bricklaying, etc. 6%, At least one of my ancestors was an architect. 60%, At least one of my ancestors built or helped to build his (or her) own house or a house for a family member. 21%, No, I am not aware of any of my ancestors having worked in building construction or an associated trade. Readers Respond   Ruth Huggler, Youngsville, New York: In 1952, my father, a plumber, built the New York house that I grew up in, with help from his family. He kept an account of materials and their cost, and what each family member contributed—right down to the number of sandwiches my mother and grandmother made for the men working on the job. He also took photos of the stages of the house being built, from preparing the foundation to plumbing the radiant heat system he'd drafted himself.   Deryn Avritt, Broomfield, Colorado: I am a descendant of both Henry Sherburne (1611–c. 1680) and John Sherburne (1615-1693), brothers from Odiham, Hampshire, who settled in what is now Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Henry arrived in Boston in 1632 aboard the James from London and John likely arrived in 1641 or 1642. Several houses built by later generations of the Sherburne family still stand in Portsmouth, including the Sherburne House at Strawbery Banke Museum, built in 1695, and the Henry Sherburne House at 62 Deer Street, built about 1766.   Sharon Laduke, Spring Hill, Florida: My ancestor and his sons were well-known carpenters in Pulaski, New York, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They built furniture, homes, businesses, and churches. They went bankrupt in 1918 from heavy losses sustained in a fire. When my sister and I stayed at a bed & breakfast in Pulaski a few years ago, the owners told us that our ancestor had built their barn. We went out to have a look at it and saw where our ancestor had carved his initials.   Glenna Geiger, Coatesville, Pennsylvania: My great-great-grandparents Robert Shirley and Rachel Gilbert moved with their children from Virginia to Chillicothe, Ohio, and then north toward Fort Defiance. In 1822, they settled on the banks of the Auglaize River. Robert and his sons built the first brick house in the area, making their own bricks from the clay deposits along that river.   Teri Edwards-Hewitt, West Alexandria, Virginia: My maternal grandfather was a cement mason. He learned the skills through a New Deal program; the first big project he worked on was the Hoover Dam. He and his family lived at the worker’s camp at Boulder City, Nevada; my mother remembers playing with lizards on the grounds. When his family settled in Salt Lake City, Utah, my grandfather built their house from a Sears kit. He later added a small room onto the back of the house so my mother and her brother could have their own bedrooms. What We’re Reading   Letting Go of Sentimental Objects Is Hard. Here’s How to Start. “Decluttering experts share their best tips.”   With $40M Worth of Restoration Needed, Vermonters Debate Future of Bennington Battle Monument “While some uphold the historic and economic value of the monument, others consider innovative replacements. The state has affirmed its focus on restoration.”   Brooklyn’s Fraught History with Slavery Is Examined in a New Exhibit “With 10 archival files, Trace/s upends simplistic narratives about New York’s history with enslavement.”   Highlights From The Vault: Mapped By Her - The Uncharted Influence of Women in Cartography This article from the Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center at the Boston Public Library highlights compelling works by female map creators, designers and educators.   "Come West, Young Woman, Come West!" Susanna Salter and Her Unlikely Rise to First Woman U.S. Mayor This Readex blog post shares the story of Susanna Salter, who was elected the mayor of Argonia, Kansas, on April 4, 1887. Spotlight: Digital Archives of the Haywood County Public Library, North Carolina by Valerie Beaudrault   Haywood County, seated in Waynesville, is located in western North Carolina. The Haywood County Public Library has made a number of newspaper resources available in its Digital Archives. The collection comprises more than 312,000 pages from ten newspapers, including The Waynesville Mountaineer (1925-1996); The Enterprise Mountaineer (1996-2021); The Mountaineer (2018-2024), The Carolina Mountaineer and Waynesville Courier (1917-1925), and Waynesville Courier (1888-1917). Click the See All link to view the full list of titles. The database can be searched by keyword or browsed. Search Now Database News Vermont Genealogy, Volume 22 (2017)   We’ve updated our Vermont Genealogy database, adding Volume 22 (2017). This update adds 224 pages and 5,003 names. The database index includes full names, publication year, and article titles and authors. This database is available thanks to our partnership with the Genealogical Society of Vermont. Access to this database is available to American Ancestors members. Search Now Upcoming Lectures, Courses, Tours, and More March 13—Free Online Lecture Friend or Foe: Researching Colonial Ancestors During the American Revolution   March 14—Free Online Lecture Eyewitness to Revolution   April 1—Free Online Author Event The Power of Learning Your Family History—A Panel Discussion Featuring Authors Lee Hawkins and Martha S. Jones View All Upcoming Events and Tours 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. 28, No. 11, Whole #1250 Copyright ©2025 American Ancestors. All Rights Reserved.. American Ancestors, 97 Newbury Street, Boston, MA 02116, 1-888-296-3447 Unsubscribe Manage preferences  FREE Research Guides   \|   10 Million Names   \|   Courses On Demand | | --- |