How can "Crowley" and "Cohane" be different versions of the same family name? Surname variants in Ireland can be tricky to navigate—expert Sheilagh Doerfler explains why. Read More
Upcoming Online Author Event
Ken Burns and Ron Howard discuss Our America: A Photographic History
Join us for a special event featuring renowned documentary filmmaker Ken Burns and Academy Award-winning director Ron Howard in a discussion of Our America, a stunning new collection of Burns’s favorite American photographs. Ticket includes signed copy. Register Now
Contest for Students in Grades 4–12—April 1 Deadline
Young Family Historians Essay Contest
Do you have a young family historian in your life? American Ancestors/NEHGS is holding an essay contest for students currently enrolled in grades 4–12 in public, private, parochial, and home schools across the nation. Prizes range from $250-500. Submission deadline is April 1. Learn More
Share your thoughts about the survey at weeklygenealogist@nehgs.org. Responses may be edited for clarity and length and featured in a future newsletter.
Last Week's Survey:
Do you have a hobby in common with one or more of your ancestors?
Total: 3,355 Responses
20%, Yes, I share one hobby with one ancestor.
22%, Yes, I share one hobby with more than one ancestor
4%, Yes, I share multiple hobbies with the same ancestor.
22%, Yes, I share multiple hobbies with more than one ancestor.
11%, No, I don’t share a hobby with any of my ancestors.
22%, I don’t know.
Readers Respond
Wendy Callahan, Plattsmouth, Nebraska: My nana taught me to cross-stitch. About twenty years ago, when she was no longer able to sew, she gave me her collection of fabric, floss, and patterns. I still have hundreds of skeins of embroidery floss, thanks to my nana, and each piece I stitch makes me feel connected to her.
Dean T. Hillman, Haverhill, Massachusetts: My great-great-grandfather Richard B. Hillman, of Pelham, New Hampshire, was a beekeeper. My grandfather Ralph Hillman wrote that “Honeybees would never sting him, he would hive them and take up honey or anything else bare handed and bare headed.” Ralph was a beekeeper in Shirley, Massachusetts. Eventually he had an allergic reaction, which caused his face to swell up so much it broke his glasses. Fortunately, he got to the local hospital in time and survived, but he was done with beekeeping. I kept bees for over 25 years, and was stung plenty of times, luckily with no ill effects!
Dani Boscarelli, Santa Cruz, California: My great-grandmother died unexpectedly in 1929 and left a hope chest full of incomplete embroidery projects. One was a hardanger table runner, along with the instruction page from a magazine and sufficient thread. I feel I have honored her memory in finishing this piece—and I won first place at our county fair!
Noreen Morgan, South Windham, Connecticut: I share a fun hobby with my Slovakian grandmother Mary Rittlinger—making dandelion wine. One day, while clearing my side yard of dandelions and thinking about what to do with them, I remembered Grandma and her wine. That’s how I got started.
Marta Mougin, Tulsa, Oklahoma: I quilt, as did my maternal grandmother and her mother. In fact, I'm currently creating an art quilt from diamond-shape pieces of fabric cut by my grandmother. Some were from feed sacks of the ’40s and I recognize some fabrics from dresses she made for me in the ’50s. It is a pleasure to complete a quilt project that she began.
Elsa Campbell, East Boston, Massachusetts: I moved to Boston in the early 1970s to attend art school to study traditional black and white photography. Not long afterwards, my grandparents’ house in Maine was cleared out and I discovered a treasure trove of photographic equipment, glass negatives, glass slides, and photo albums. These items belonged to my mother’s father, Charles Blaney Breed (1875-1958), who had been an amateur photographer in his youth. I preserved his negatives and printed them in both black and white and the cyanotype process that he had used. It made me feel connected to my grandfather in a very unexpected way.
Railroad Chapel Cars Brought God to the People “Between 1890 and 1946, thirteen railroad chapel cars made their way across America, spreading a Christian message in rural communities.”
Spotlight: Historical Newspapers of Amador County, California
by Valerie Beaudrault
Amador County, seated in Jackson, is located in the Sierra Nevada Foothills of central California. The county's website includes a searchable newspaper database comprising thirteen titles. Click the link labeled "Historic Amador County Local Newspapers: 1855-2018" to access the search page. Search by keyword across the entire collection, or select a single title. To view digital images in the search results, click the title, followed by year, month, and publication date. Click the arrow in the upper left corner to exit the page. Return to the main search page by clicking the links above the search box. Search Now
New Database: Boston Tea Party Participant Biographies
We've recently added a new database containing biographical sketches of proven Boston Tea Party participants and their descendants, in collaboration with the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum. This database will be updated regularly and is free to search. Search Now
Free Research Guide from American Ancestors
Native Nations of New England
Researching Native ancestors can be a challenging process. Our Native Nations of New England research guide provides webinars, lists of records, contact information for tribes and repositories, and more to help you identify your Native roots. Learn More
The Bookstore at NEHGS
Experts' Choice Sale—Save 20%
Treat yourself—or the family historian in your life—to our handpicked collection of genealogical classics. For a limited time, our popular Experts’ Choice books are 20% off, so there has never been a better time to add to your personal library. This limited-time offer runs through March and is subject to availability, so shop now! Use promo code ExpertChoice323. Save Now
Planning for the Future?
Name Your Beneficiaries Today
Did you know that non-probate assets—such as an IRA, 401(k), or life-insurance policy—are not automatically covered in your will or trust? Our friends at FreeWill.com have provided a free and secure online tool that makes naming your beneficiaries easy. Preserve your legacy and make sure your loved ones and most important causes are supported—get started today! Learn More
