Follow Senior Genealogist Melanie McComb to the Irish town of Mullacrew, where the pub owned and operated by her ancestors still stands alongside a rural highway. Find out how she tracked down its location—and how you could use similar methods to locate your own Irish ancestors.
Whether Ohio was a final destination for your ancestor or a stop along their journey west, this four-session online seminar will provide a deep dive into family history research in the Buckeye State. Our experts will discuss the records, resources, and strategies you'll need to explore your Ohio roots. 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 Who Were Killed or Injured in Transportation Accidents
Total: 2,911 Responses
4%, Yes, at least one of my ancestors or relatives was seriously injured in a bicycle accident.
2%, Yes, at least one of my ancestors or relatives was killed in a bicycle accident.
8%, Yes, at least one of my ancestors or relatives was seriously injured in a wagon accident.
12%, Yes, at least one of my ancestors or relatives was killed in a wagon accident.
22%, Yes, at least one of my ancestors or relatives was seriously injured in a motorcycle, car, bus, or truck accident.
25%, Yes, at least one of my ancestors or relatives was killed in a motorcycle, car, bus, or truck accident.
10%, Yes, at least one of my ancestors or relatives was seriously injured in a train accident.
22%, Yes, at least one of my ancestors or relatives was killed in a train accident.
4%, Yes, at least one of my ancestors or relatives was seriously injured in a boat or ship accident.
12%, Yes, at least one of my ancestors or relatives was killed in a boat or ship accident.
1%, Yes, at least one of my ancestors or relatives was seriously injured in an airplane accident.
5%, Yes, at least one of my ancestors or relatives was killed in an airplane accident.
3%, Yes, at least one of my ancestors or relatives was seriously injured in an accident with a type of transportation not mentioned above.
5%, Yes, at least one of my ancestors or relatives was killed in an accident with a type of transportation not mentioned above.
29%, No, I don't think any of my ancestors or relatives were seriously injured or killed in a transportation accident.
Readers Respond
Debra Lawson, Clayton, California: In 1899, my great-great grandmother Margery Kenniston Mower travelled from San Francisco to Massachusetts to meet her newborn granddaughter, my grandmother Doris Abell Hendricks. While visiting more family in Maine, Margery and her friend Ellen booked an excursion to Bar Harbor to see Navy ships that helped to win the Spanish-American War. While they waited to board a steamer that would bring them to the great ships, the gangplank on which they were standing collapsed. Margery and Ellen were two of twenty people to drown in the harbor.
Jim Farrell, Lee, New Hampshire: My relative Annie Kelly tried to emigrate from Ireland in 1915. A medical exam at Ellis Island detected a heart murmur, and Annie was refused entry to the U.S. due to the belief that she could become a “public charge.” Despite appeals from her family and even Mayor James Michael Curley of Boston, Annie was deported aboard the same ship that brought her to America, the RMS Lusitania. She died May 7, 1915, when the ship was sunk by a German U-boat off the coast of Ireland. She was 19 years old.
Kelsey Petersen, Medford, Massachusetts: My Swedish great-grandmother, Martha (Grant) Colang (b. 1916), was a concert pianist who studied in New York and played for Seattle Opera previews. In 1959, Martha suffered a life-changing accident when she was struck by a car. She broke more than forty-eight bones and was in a full body cast for months. Her doctors massaged her hands daily as part of her rehabilitation. One year later, Martha was back to playing piano—performing Christmas carols for patients at the same hospital that treated her injuries.
Melody Doering, The Bronx, New York: In 1901, mygreat-great-grandmother Isabella Stevenson died in what the OshkoshNorthwestern called the worst traffic accident in the city's history. Isabella was traveling in a carriage driven by her teamster son, Walter. The horse bolted, and Walter tried to control it by steering it around a corner. Unfortunately, there was a newly dug sewer trench nearby. The carriage hit a pile of sewer tiles and toppled into the trench. Isabella died and Walter was injured.
Robert A. Malseed, Albuquerque, New Mexico: My great-grandfather James R. Russell was a railroad engineer. On the morning of November 10, 1884, James was taking his scheduled train north from Snow Hill, Maryland, to Selbyville, Delaware. When he reached Berlin, Maryland, the area was blanketed in fog and forest fire smoke. Unbeknownst to James, another train was on the track. The two trains collided a couple miles north of Berlin. A news article reported that James “was caught between his engine and tender, where, in a conscious condition, he was shockingly scalded by the escaping steam. Amidst most heartrending cries he was extracted from his excruciating position. He [left] a widow and seven children”—including my grandmother, who was four years old.
"A collection of more than 7,000 letters will form a publicly accessible digital archive that offers a window to the past."
Filling in the (Almost) Lost World of Maggie Thompson Candice Buchanan, a reference librarian in the Library of Congress’s History and Genealogy Section, explores a photograph album created by Maggie (Thompson) Pauley in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Play Ball! Melissa Lindberg presents images from the Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division showing children playing baseball.
Spotlight: Cork Graveyards Database, Skibbereen Heritage Centre, County Cork, Ireland
by Valerie Beaudrault
The town of Skibbereen is located in County Cork, Ireland. The website of the Skibbereen Heritage Centre hosts a burials database which can be searched by name and limited to a specific graveyard and/or year. After you click Search, you will see a table listing what kinds of records are available, and how many—click View to see a list of individual records. You can also click the View link next to an individual record to access detailed information. From there, access PDF page images by clicking the View Register tab. Click the cross symbols on the map for a description of each graveyard and the years covered. Search Now
Young Family Historians Essay Contest: Last chance to enter!
The submission deadline for our student essay contest is April 1. Students are invited to submit stories from their personal histories and discuss the lessons they learned. Prizes range from $250 to $500. This is a great opportunity for young people to deepen their understanding of family history. Share this link with the grade 4-12 teacher or young family historian in your life! Learn More
Database News
American Ancestors Magazine, Volume 23
Volume 23 of American Ancestors magazine is now available as a searchable database! This volume includes 264 pages, 2,838 records, and 2,689 names. Records are indexed by full name, publication year, article title, and author. 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
