John Harmon, a highly respected citizen is shot and killed in cold blood by Peter D. Cole on Main Street in the town of Deshler, Ohio just outside of Toledo, Ohio. Several witnesses were present in the six shot murder, including Mr. Harmon’s young son, as he is gunned down, traumatizing both families involved, as well as the town for one last time.
Read MoreI want you all to stop and think for just a minute. Think about all the friends, coworkers, and neighbors you see each and every day. How many of those people will show up on your family tree one day? It's a good question, right. Something we don't often think about. And probably a few of those surnames might pop up in your tree. But, it's important to remember that you're part of a bigger community, one that shapes who you are and the decisions you make, just as much as your blood relatives.
Read MoreAmerican history was made with our immigrant and ethnic ancestors. Everyone has immigrant ancestors. It doesn't matter if your ancestor came to America in the 1900s, the 1600s, or were here to meet the rest of the settlers, all American ancestry leads somewhere else.
Read MoreLand records are one of the most underutilized resources in genealogy, believe it or not. What once brought immigrants to America, the ability to obtain land, is often completely forgotten in research. Established countries, like Europe, almost all land had been titled for years, even centuries. Laws of primogeniture (inheritance by only the FIRST SON) ensured that properties wouldn't be split up into smaller parcels, but that also meant that other children couldn't inherit the land.
Read MoreUS Federal Census reports are an important part of a Genealogist research. Census were taken every 10 years, providing the opportunity for genealogists to follow families back in time. They would provide locations of ancestors, age information, occupations and geographical data. They also hold clues about an ancestor's educational background, and even military status. So, with Census documents holding so much valuable information... it's so frustrating when you run a name search for an ancestor and you end up with NO RESULTS!
Read MoreOur ancestors' lives were influenced by society, events, and external forces. Everything from the lands where a family lived to the social causes they endured could affect how our ancestors made decisions about where to settle down, where to start a family, and where to work. These values and motivators go far beyond traditional genealogy records, and can help you break down your brick walls!
Read MoreIt's summer vacation... and as a Professional Genealogist, running my own business, working for myself... that means I have two eager kids fighting for my time in between projects. We decided to set out and see Ohio this summer, taking in the History, learning about the land through visits to local battlefields, a trip to the public library and a tour of the Genealogy archives, and even some historical home tours that aren't too far from our home.
Read MoreSometimes the KEY to solving a genealogy mystery is going BACK to the BASICS!
When you run up against a genealogy BRICK WALL - try these nine (9) old-school ways to break that wall DOWN. You'll find that not only can old dogs learn new tricks... but dogs both young and old will benefit from practicing these time-tested strategies!
Read MoreAs a Genealogist... you've probably already discovered that the term "Brick Wall" is discussed almost regularly! We love to chat about the brick walls that are blocking our search into families' pasts. Usually, these brick walls are only detours that we can find our way around by stepping back and taking a fresh look at our research.... seeking out different record types... or doing some cluster research to find a clue buried in the overload of information.
Read MoreWhen you start looking into family research, nine times out of ten the trail will lead you to start questioning how immigrant ancestors got to America.
Read MoreSitting down to start your genealogy research... it is common practice for many professional genealogists to begin by looking at DEATH RECORDS, first. Death certificates and records give us the most recent evidence of our ancestor's lives.
Read MoreAs recently as the 20th century in the United States and elsewhere, the death of a father meant that his children were orphans, no matter if the mother survived him or not.
Read MoreFrom relocations to relationships, deeds have the dirt on your family. Discover how to use property records to solve 10 genealogy roadblocks!
Read MoreHow often do we stop to think about who is behind the camera on those old, vintage photos we have collected from our ancestors?
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