In 1852, a Mr. John Griffin petitioned the city of Boston to let him dig up his father's pre-Revolution cache, buried somewhere beneath the Common. Don't miss the story of this intriguing discovery from researcher Jon Hill! Read Now
Spotlight: Leach Public Library Newspaper Database
Wahpeton, North Dakota
by Valerie Beaudrault
The city of Wahpeton, seat of Richland County, is located in southeastern North Dakota. The Leach Public Library's online newspaper database contains over 85,000 pages from fifteen newspapers published between 1883 and 1962. Titles include the Richland County Farmer Globe (1927-1962), The Globe Gazette (1907-1921), Richland County Gazette (1883-1902), Richland County Farmer (1919-1935), Wahpeton Globe (1899-1927), The Wahpeton Times (1888-1903), North Dakota Globe (1890-1898), Wahpeton Gazette (1902-1907), and The Medina Citizen (1929-1932). Browse the database or search by keywords, and click the title and date link in the results to view page images. Search Now
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Authors Sofi Thanhauser and Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell discuss their new books on the history of fashion, from the early history of textiles to the modern runway.
The Match “A generation of Europeans is now returning to Sri Lanka, a country from which they were adopted as children, to search for their birth mothers. What they learn about their families, and themselves, has deep consequences.”
A Journey Through Black Nova Scotia “The 400-year history of African culture in this maritime Canadian province is expansive, but it’s a story that’s been tucked into the shadows of Canadian history. Now, grass-root initiatives are changing that.”
Digging in the Dirt: Arad Munn’s Second Job The Historic Deerfield blog describes how Arad Munn (1772-1866), a local carpenter and cartwright, worked as a gravedigger between 1814 and 1829.
Last week's survey asked about your connections to newspapers. We received 3,462 responses. The results are:
95%, I found my ancestors or relatives listed in newspaper birth, marriage, or death announcements.
66%, I found my ancestors or relatives listed in another type of newspaper announcement (graduation, sports, etc.)
58%, I found my ancestors or relatives listed in a newspaper ad (including classifieds) or a public notice.
71%, I found my ancestors or relatives pictured in a newspaper photo, illustration, or other image.
62%, I found my ancestors or relatives mentioned in a newspaper feature story.
45%, At least one newspaper item allowed me to make a major breakthrough in my research.
31%, At least one of my ancestors or relatives worked for a newspaper.
36%, At least one of my ancestors or relatives wrote an article published in a newspaper.
36%, At least one of my ancestors or relatives delivered newspapers.
8%, I worked for a newspaper.
23%, I wrote an article published in a newspaper.
65%, I appeared in a newspaper notice, ad, announcement, or image.
18%, I delivered newspapers.
6%, I have a connection to newspapers not listed above.
2%, I am not aware of any connection to personal or family connection to newspapers.
This week’s survey asks about descent from royal families. 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: Connections to Newspapers
By Jean Powers, Senior Editor
Last week's survey asked about your connections to newspapers. Thank you to everyone who replied. Below is a selection of reader responses.
Peggy Davis Littrell, Madison, Wisconsin: My mother wrote a society column for a local newspaper in the 1960s. She was on the telephone much of the day, and my siblings and I had to close the door quietly and tiptoe if she was on a call. At that time we had a “party line” on our phone. Several families could listen or make a complaint and ask Mom to get off the phone. Mom would try to obtain snippets of gossip from the interrupting person. I was too young to care about reading the column, but I felt very daring reading her notes on the pad she carried with her at all times.
Denise Richards, Fremont, Nebraska: While my great-great-grandfather, Lewis W. Rose, was dying of tuberculosis in his parents’ home in Sydney Plains, New York, in 1885, his second wife, Flora Cumber, was openly carrying on an affair with a married dentist, Dr. Louis Ireland. Flora attempted to leave Lewis’s daughters, Kate (my great-grandmother) and Eleanor, at the Iowa School for the Blind—although neither girl was blind. The Sidney Record covered the scandal in lurid detail.
George Bradley, San Diego, California: One snowy Maine evening in 1936 my mother went into labor, and my father bundled her into the backseat of our car and headed to the hospital. On the way, the car slid off the edge of the road and into a ditch. My mother delivered me in the back seat of the car. This event was picked up by the AP news service and the story of my dramatic entrance went national.
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