New Issue of American Ancestors Magazine is Now Available!
This issue features an exploration of the life-enhancing benefits of family history by our new President and CEO Ryan J. Woods, as well as his vision for our organization’s future. Other articles discuss an American who rescued his ancestral English manor, the newest Great Migration publication, the story of a Jewish immigrant family told through meaningful objects, and much more. Join American Ancestors today to access this issue and our entire magazine archive. Learn More About Membership
Upcoming In-Person Research Tour, May 5–12
Canadian Research Tour
Join the experts from American Ancestors on our inaugural research tour to premiere research centers in Ottawa, Canada’s capital city! Whether you have ancestors from Ontario or across Canada, you’ll find key family history records that are not available online. The tour includes personal consultations with our expert researchers.
Despite a wealth of genealogical resources, 17th-century New England research presents unique challenges. This online seminar will discuss settlements and migrations in early New England, how to find and use available records, and strategies for breaking down brick walls. Members save 10%. Register Now
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.
Last Week's Survey:
Ancestors or Relatives Who Worked at a Circus, Carnival, Fair, or Amusement Park
Total: 2,408 Responses
7%, Yes, at least one of my ancestors or relatives worked at a circus.
10%, Yes, at least one of my ancestors or relatives worked at a carnival or fair.
7%, Yes, at least one of my ancestors or relatives worked at an amusement park.
6%, At least one of my ancestors or relatives was connected to a circus, carnival, fair, or amusement park in a different way.
5%, I worked at a circus, carnival, fair, or amusement park.
74%, No, I don't think any of my ancestors or relatives worked at a circus, carnival, fair, or amusement park.
Readers Respond
Kathy Johnson, Appleton, Wisconsin: My grandfather travelled from Switzerland to work as a yodeling waiter in the Swiss Village at the Chicago World's Fair in 1934. He decided to stay in Chicago. My grandmother came from Switzerland to join him two years later.
Carol Austin, Garden Grove, California: Our children worked at Disneyland during their college years. Our daughter was on the Small World ride, one son worked on the submarines, and another son worked in the kitchen of the New Orleans Square restaurant. The rebel of the family worked on the Jungle River Cruise. He altered the official spiel to include questionable jokes and was ultimately fired for failing to cut his hair to their specifications. On his last night, he hung by his knees from a tree in the jungle while the boats passed and children exclaimed, “Look, Daddy—there’s a real person out there!”
Leann McWhorter Blackman, Clermont, Florida: My father (b. 1935) and his older brother (b. 1931) worked for a traveling carnival when they were 8 and 12 years old. Father said the trunk of one of the automobiles they traveled in was so big, the boys slept in it at night! They brought the money they earned back to their family in Pittsburgh.
Tricia Stewart, Modesto, California: My great-grandmother Gertrude was in a circus/vaudeville act with her brother and sister when they were children. Gertrude was a sword dancer, her sister was a singer, and her little brother was a contortionist. I learned from a newspaper article that Gertrude nearly eloped with a trapeze artist when she was 15.
Nina Reauveau, Charlottesville, Virginia: My grand aunt used to say that her first marriage was to Bozo the Clown. We thought she was joking until research revealed that Doris Ann "Dorothy" Kirby had married Arthur George Montaigne Jr. (1905-1956), whose stage name was Arthur "Bozo" Lamont. Arthur was a clown with several circuses, including Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey, from the early 1920s until he retired in 1949. Dorothy and Arthur’s marriage was brief, and Arthur went on to marry several more times.
Maria L. Reedy, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania: My grandmother Evelyn Ahrensfield (b. 1900) and her sister Maude (b. 1902) ran away from home with a circus that came through their Pennsylvania town. After Maude fell during trapeze training, the girls quit the circus. They made their way to Manhattan, where Evelyn performed in Minsky's burlesque show. Maude (known to me as Aunt Pink) remained in Manhattan until she passed in 1981. The 1920 census lists Evelyn, an actress, living with a husband and daughter in Reading, Pennsylvania. Evelyn continued her show business career into the 1930s.
“I dream about buying my childhood home. But is it the house I miss—or the people who once lived there with me?”
DNA Reveals Biggest-ever Human Family Tree, Dating Back 100,000 Years “The research, carried out by scientists from the University of Oxford’s Big Data Institute, combines human genomes from a variety of sources—both ancient and modern DNA—to better understand human history and evolution.”
Surprise! You Own a Long-Lost Cemetery “Families across the U.S. are finding each other through a forgotten, historically Black graveyard” in Chattanooga.
Beatrice Zweber Remembers Appendicitis in 1914 The Scott County Historical Society adapted a memoir written by Beatrice (Zweber) Mahowald of New Market, Minnesota, into a blog series. This installment recounts an incident that happened when she was 16.
Spotlight: Arlington Cemetery, Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania
by Valerie Beaudrault
Arlington Cemetery is located in Drexel Hill, a neighborhood in Upper Darby Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The online database for this cemetery can be searched by name and limited by date and year of birth, death, or funeral service. Scroll down and click "Locate A Loved One" to begin your search. Click the record in the search results to view more detailed information which may include birth date, death date, burial date, age, and location of the grave, as well as a list of nearby graves. When you select a grave, a pin indicating its location will appear on the cemetery map. Search Now
We are excited to announce a new database comprising three volumes of biographical sketches for 715 original members of the Connecticut Society of the Cincinnati. The society was formed in 1783 by officers who had served in the Revolutionary War as a way to maintain their friendships.
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
