As colonists began settling along the eastern seaboard in the late 1660s and early 1700s, they realized the need for accessible routes between those settlements. Trails used by the local Indian tribes were the first means of getting from one place to another. These trails often followed the natural landscape, moving through the region’s river … Continue reading Trails to Roads: Down the Atlantic Seaboard
Category: U.S. Research
“Eighteen Hundred and Froze to Death”
When we look at the factors that caused our ancestors to migrate from one place to another, specifically within the United States, do we consider the effect that climate disasters may have had? Most of us are familiar with the Dust Bowl, which forced thousands of families in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas, to abandon their … Continue reading “Eighteen Hundred and Froze to Death”
Seaman’s Protection Certificates – An Unusual Source
In an earlier post I compared Ancestry’s then new “U.S., Army Transport Service, Passenger Lists, 1910-1939” to draft registrations to answer the question of whether someone who registered for the draft actually went on to serve. I used as an example, the five Zimmerman brothers, who all registered for the draft but didn’t all end up … Continue reading Seaman’s Protection Certificates – An Unusual Source
The Story Behind the Headstone of George A. Craft
Last year I came across a photograph of the gravestone of George Albert Craft, my husband’s second great-grandfather. He is buried in the Chico cemetery, in Chico, Butte County, California. 1 As I studied the gravestone I realized that I really didn’t know much about him. What I discovered was a hardworking, family oriented man … Continue reading The Story Behind the Headstone of George A. Craft
The Goodman family of St. David, Arizona
The Homestead Act of 1862 opened up the American West to settlement. Any person (a citizen or someone who intended to become a citizen) could apply for a section of land (160 acres) in any one of the "public domain states". "Public domain states" were all the states except for the 13 original states and … Continue reading The Goodman family of St. David, Arizona
‘Where there’s a (contested) will …Thomas Lantry of St. Lawrence Co., New York
Well known as one of the first settlers in Massena, St. Lawrence county, New York, Thomas Lantry died at the age of 98 in August 1887. 1 He left an estate of some $35 000.00, equivalent to approximately $890 000.00 today. For the thirty years previous to Thomas’ death, he had been living with his … Continue reading ‘Where there’s a (contested) will …Thomas Lantry of St. Lawrence Co., New York
Charles and Ella Zimmerman – an Enduring Love Story.
The moment I saw photographs of my husband’s great grandparents I wished that I had been fortunate enough to have met them. They seemed to radiate happiness and love for each other, for their family and for life. They are the perfect choice for a post on Valentine’s Day. Charles & Ella Charles Stephen Zimmerman … Continue reading Charles and Ella Zimmerman – an Enduring Love Story.
Silence and her granddaughter, Experience.
Silence and her granddaughter, Experience. We probably all have them in our family trees. Those Puritan virtue names popular in the 17th century. Mercy, Thankful, Liberty, Faith, Prudence, and in my case …. Silence, and her granddaughter, Experience. Silence Potter was born in Exeter, Washington county, Rhode Island on 22 January 1753 1. Her parents … Continue reading Silence and her granddaughter, Experience.
Guest Post – Full Circle: A Transplant Michigander’s Surprise Homecoming
by Kirsten McNelly Bibbes Orphan. I was an “orphan” in Lansing, Michigan for many years. Don’t get me wrong—my parents were alive and pretty perky—but lived in Arizona. Not knowing a soul, I moved to Lansing in 1996. I started my legal career based in Lansing, practicing in Ingham, Clinton, and the surrounding counties. I … Continue reading Guest Post – Full Circle: A Transplant Michigander’s Surprise Homecoming
He registered for the Draft but did he serve? Using Ancestry’s new collection U.S., Army Transport Service, Passenger Lists, 1910-1939
Ancestry’s new collection U.S., Army Transport Service, Passenger Lists, 1910-1939, consists of passenger lists detailing all those departing from or arriving at U.S. ports on Army Transport ships. World War 1 Draft registrations show who registered for the draft but that does not mean they served. The Army Transport Services Lists show the men enlisted … Continue reading He registered for the Draft but did he serve? Using Ancestry’s new collection U.S., Army Transport Service, Passenger Lists, 1910-1939
KindredPast 