Enjoy $30 off an AncestryDNA Kit with Admission to the Family Heritage Experience
Are you curious about your family history? We invite you to explore the interactive exhibits and family heirloom displays at our Family Heritage Experience (FHE). Learn about your family’s place in history from American Ancestors, a trusted leader in genealogy and historical research. Receive $30 off an Ancestry DNA Kit with admission to the FHE. In addition, ourBrim-DeForest Library is free the entire month of October.Learn More
Upcoming Online Lecture, October 22
Who's Who?: Same Name, Same Place, Same Time
Your research may uncover individuals with the same name living in the same community at the same time. How do you determine which person is your ancestor? In this online lecture, Senior Genealogist Rhonda R. McClure will share best practices and organizational tools to add people to your family tree with confidence and accuracy. Learn More
Upcoming In-Person Conference
New England Regional Genealogical Consortium Conference
Join American Ancestors at the 2025 NERGC Conference in Manchester, New Hampshire! Our experts will present seven talks at the conference. We will also have a booth in the exhibit hall--be sure to stop by and say hello! Learn More
The Weekly Genealogist Survey
This Week's Survey:
Pre-1850 Houses, Commercial Buildings, Churches, or Synagogues Associated with Your Ancestors or Relatives
Share your story! Each week in our Readers Respond column, we publish a selection of reader-submitted stories related to our most recent survey. Submissions must be 150 words or fewer and include your full name, city, and state. Published responses may be edited for clarity and length.
44%, Yes, I have made significant family history breakthroughs in historic newspapers.
32%, Yes, I have found a moderate amount of useful family history information in historic newspapers.
20%, Yes, I have found a small amount of useful family history information in historic newspapers.
3%, No, I have researched in historic newspapers but have not made any family history discoveries.
5%, No, I have not used historic newspapers in my research.
Readers Respond
Kathy Astrom, Wheeling, Illinois: The November 18, 1892, Isabella County [Michigan] Enterprise published a story about the custody battle my great-great-grandparents Benjamin and Nancy “Carrie” Dunston were waging over their daughters. After losing in court, Carrie had the daughters smuggled out of the courthouse to the train station, where she was waiting with tickets for Canada. The group was apprehended by the sheriff, and the girls were returned to Benjamin that evening. Subsequent newspaper articles led me to theorize that Carrie bribed Ben with cash and land in exchange for custody. By 1895, Carrie had custody of their daughters and sons.
Jim Boulden, London, England: My relative Henry A. Neilson, born in New Jersey in 1824, was the sixth and youngest son of John and Abigail (Bleecker) Neilson. Henry never married. His death notice in an 1862 New York Evening Post reported that he died in Honolulu and had worked for the king. The Polynesian reported that Henry "was taken ill" in late 1859 and died in 1862. An 1859 New York Times article stated that he was shot by the king. In 2010, Honolulu Magazine gave more detail. Henry was the private secretary to King Kamehameha IV. He was shot by the king, who believed that Henry was having an affair with the queen. According to the article, “Neilson[’s] health ebbed and flowed. He never recovered, living as an invalid for more than two years. He died at his home on Feb. 12, 1862. He was 38.”
Carol Marchegiani, Readsboro, Vermont: I found an article in theJuly 9, 1860, Greenfield [Massachusetts] Recorder that described a lightning strike at the home of Franklin Oakes of Stamford, Vermont: “The lightning traveled down the stovepipe, shattering the stove, and knocking the 6 family members senseless, with the exception of a baby in a cradle.” Asa Oakes, my third great-grandfather, was standing near the stove. Lightning hit his shoulder, traversed his chest, continued down his leg, and “deprived him of the heels to both his boots.” Despite being severely burned and knocked unconscious, Asa—and the other family members—survived the ordeal.
Spotlight: Digital Archives of the Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library, Nassau County, New York
by Valerie Beaudrault
The hamlet of Hewlett, part of the town of Hempstead, is located in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island. The Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library has made a number of newspaper databases available in its Digital Archives. The collection comprises more than 207,000 pages from eight newspapers, including Nassau Herald (1975-2006), South Shore Record (1953-2020), The Rockaway News (1905-1941), The Herald (1934-2021), and Far Rockaway Journal (1909-1934). The database can be searched by keyword or browsed. Search Now
Database News
Update: American Offshore Whaling Crew and Voyage Lists, 1799-1927
We are excited to announce that we have added crew lists to the database American Offshore Whaling Crew and Voyage Lists, 1799-1927. 186,873 records and names are now available to search or to browse by category or surname. This database is part of our 10 Million Names project and available for free to the public. Search Now
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
