Featuring panelists Bill Griffeth, Libby Copeland, and Christopher Child
Unexpected DNA test results can open a can of worms: revealing unknown parentage, long lost siblings, and other family secrets.
Through a combination of instructive videos, educational resources, and a lively panel discussion, you will hear how DNA testing has affected how we do family history, learn about the prevalence of genetic surprises, and discover tools to interpret and cope with unexpected test results. Register Now
FREE Guide to Massachusetts Research on AmericanAncestors.org
American Ancestors has a massive collection of resources and records pertaining to Massachusetts from the seventeenth to the twentieth century. This guide will introduce you to some of the most useful online records to help you with your genealogical quest. Download now
Tomorrow! Tamara Payne with The Dead are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X
The Dead Are Arising traces Malcolm X's life from his Nebraska birth in 1925 to his Harlem assassination in 1965. Don’t miss hearing from Tamara Payne, the author’s daughter – who, following her father’s death, heroically completed the biography – about this penetrating and riveting work. Register Now
Online Conference: 20th Century Immigration to America
The twentieth century was a watershed for immigration to America. Between 1900 and 1915 alone, more than 15 million immigrants arrived in the country. Amid this influx of immigration and major world events, the United States responded with key changes to its policies. Luckily, for family historians, this was also a period of increased record keeping. This online conference will provide you with the context, records, and strategies for more fully understanding your ancestors’ arrival in the United States. Register Now
Just for Members! 62% off Family Tree Magazine
Did you know that American Ancestors members get a one-year subscription to Family Tree Magazine for 62% off? That's the lowest price you'll find anywhere. Every issue of Family Tree Magazine brings you clear advice, tech guidance, resource round-ups, and inspiring, real-life genealogy success stories. Inside each issue, you’ll also find two collectible State Research Guides. Join American Ancestors
Spotlight: San Juan County Historical Society Newspapers
by Valerie Beaudrault
San Juan County is located in southwestern Colorado. According to the county’s website it is the least populated county in the state with only 669 residents. The county seat is Silverton. The San Juan County Historical Society has made a searchable newspaper collection available online. The collection comprises the following newspapers: Silverton Standard (1889-1916), Silverton Weekly Miner (1890-1919), La Plata Miner (1879-1886), Silverton Democrat (1883-1888), Animas Forks Pioneer (1882-1886), San Juan Herald (1881-1885), Silverton Miner (1919-1920), San Juan (1886-1901), Red Mountain Review (1883-1883), San Juan Democrat (1888-1888), and more.
To begin your search, enter your search terms in the search box. You can limit your search by date or a date range. Click the Discover button to begin. The database can also be browsed by title or year. Click the newspaper title in the search results to view a digital image of the page. Search Now
Nathaniel Philbrick, Baxter Lecture onMayflower: A Story of Courage, Community and War Register Now
Presidential History: Read the story of a surprising family connection to Lincoln in the Vita Brevis archives Read Now
Navigating the Digital Library & Archives at AmericanAncestors.org Register Now
Chat with a Genealogist!
Our experts are available to chat Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (EST) to answer simple genealogy or local history questions. This service is free and open to the public. Learn more
“Given 10 ‘dead letters’ from the early 20th century that never made it through the postal system, I set out to track down the families of their senders.”
“The University of Southern Maine institution is among 10 top map libraries in the country featured in a digital project called 'Mapping A World of Cities.'”
Richard Stuart discovered that a section of the farm he had purchased was full of grave markers from Columbian Harmony Cemetery, a historic African American burial ground that was dug up and relocated in 1960 to make way for commercial development.
“My wife and I thought we were two strangers meeting on social media. Turns out, we shared some history.”
Long-lost Siblings Finally Meet “I’d been living in this void of personal history,” said Richard Auer, who recently drove from Oklahoma to upstate New York to meet his sister for the first time.
This Year Only: The Pilgrim Quadricentennial Membership
Commemorate the journey that changed the world with our special Pilgrim Quadricentennial Membership. This 2020-only Membership includes exclusive benefits not available through any other membership, including an 11 x 17 certificate, and more. Learn More
The Weekly Genealogist Survey
Last week's survey asked about your genealogical experiences with cemeteries. The results are:
54%, I have viewed one or more ancestral gravesites at 2 to 9 cemeteries that I visited solely for genealogical purposes.
30%, I have viewed ancestral gravesites in a different country than the one I live in.
29%, I have photographed and/or transcribed non-family gravestones for Find a Grave, USGenWeb Tombstone Transcription Project, or BillionGraves.
27%, I have viewed one or more ancestral gravesites at a cemetery that I visited solely for genealogical purposes.
24%, I have viewed one or more ancestral gravesites at 10 to 19 cemeteries that I visited solely for genealogical purposes.
16%, I have viewed one or more ancestral gravesites at over 20 cemeteries that I visited solely for genealogical purposes.
15%, I have had the gravestone of an ancestor (not including a parent) or other relative repaired or reset.
15%, I have photographed and/or transcribed non-family gravestones for another website, a genealogical or historical society, or a cemetery transcription project.
13%, I have purchased a gravestone for an ancestor (not including a parent) or other relative.
12%, I have a genealogical experience with cemeteries not mentioned above.
2%, I have not had any genealogical experiences with cemeteries.
2%, I have encountered a QR code or other technological means of accessing genealogical information on an ancestor's gravestone.
<1%, I have placed a QR code or other technological means of accessing genealogical information on an ancestor's gravestone.
This week's question asks about ancestors who were orphans. Take the survey now
Want to share your thoughts on the survey with us? We are always happy to hear from our readers. Email us at weeklygenealogist@nehgs.org. Responses may be edited for clarity and length and featured in a future newsletter.
Readers Respond: Ancestral States and Provinces by Lynn Betlock, Editor
Last week's survey asked about your genealogical experiences with cemeteries. Thank you to everyone who replied. Below is a selection of reader responses.
Susan Robertson of Boston: My sister and I inherited a cemetery from our father. It’s on Maryland’s rural Eastern Shore. It holds the remains of our grandparents, great and great-great grandfathers, and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins. We arrange for maintenance and visit from New England when we can. We are chronicling the lives of the cemetery’s internees on our blog Perfect Day, as a tribute to their mostly unknown and unremarked lives.
Susan Hintz, Missoula, Montana: For many years, I have participated in Stories and Stones. Sponsored annually by the Missoula City Cemetery, the event features volunteers dressed in costume who tell the stories of people buried there. Guests are given a map and a list of storytellers and choose which presentations to attend. The three-hour event includes a variety of personalities, from founders, celebrities, politicians, teachers, musicians, and even murderers and their victims. Some of the stories can be found on YouTube (search for Missoula "Stories and Stones"). Some storytellers are related to their characters, but my person is not a relative so I prepared her story by doing genealogical research.
Norma M. Milne of Concord, New Hampshire: I am fascinated with cemeteries! I convinced my husband to join me on a tour of cemeteries in Massachusetts in lieu of giving me a traditional birthday present. My goal was to confirm exact locations of burials and look for gravestones for a number of ancestors and relatives that I had been researching for years. They included a Revolutionary War Patriot buried in Rowley, the author John Greenleaf Whittier buried in Union Cemetery in Amesbury, and my 8th-great grandparents and other generations buried in either the Pentucket Cemetery in Haverhill or the Salisbury Colonial Burying Ground. We had great success, took photographs, and enjoyed a lovely fall day together. I followed up by sharing my experience with my cousins, who aren’t able to travel to these destinations.
Brenda Brubaker of Durham, North Carolina: One year in late November my husband and I visited the Suedberg Cemetery on a hillside in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. Focusing on a great-grandfather’s grave, I stepped backwards to get a better photo. Suddenly my foot dropped straight down into another grave. I was left seated on a gravesite with my leg straight below me. Alerted by my scream, my husband came to help me retrieve my leg stuck in the hole. Later, my mother-in-law took great delight in calling her friends to report that I had had “one foot in the grave”—and that my husband’s ancestor had grabbed my ankle and tried to pull me into the grave! In fact, I had slipped into one of the cemetery’s gopher tunnels.
