Is There a Llolf in Your Family Tree?

 

The Llolf

By Juliana Szucs

By now, you’ve likely heard a lot about artificial intelligence (AI) and its many uses as well as its potential drawbacks. The other day I happened across a YouTube video that morphed various animals and creatures like dragons into composites of sorts. Just for fun I looked for a way to try it for free and found a link to create one on Canva. It took me all of two minutes to combine two of my favorite animals, a llama and a wolf, into what I guess you could call a Llolf. It occurred to me that when we use online tools and resources to build our family tree, we could be inadvertently doing the same thing with our ancestors.

Many popular websites now use forms of AI to suggest new records and ancestors. You have this person in your tree and a website like Ancestry might suggest a match to a record or to a person in someone else’s tree. But as with my composite Llolf, you may be combining two different animals of the human variety. So how do we go about making sure we don’t take our family history down the wrong path?

Does the Timeline Make Sense?

Create a timeline based on everything you know about a person. Is the record created in the place where your ancestor lived at that time? Are there inconsistencies? For example, did your great-great-grandmother really give birth at age six?  Is someone somehow appearing as living in records years after he or she is known to have died?

Research the Whole Family and Then Some

Use a whole family approach to research. Conduct lineal research on direct ancestors as well as on siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, and the whole clan. Then go beyond and make a list of people beyond your family who were associated with them: your ancestor’s FAN club (friends, associates, and neighbors). All can be useful in identifying the correct person in the records. 

Use the Genealogical Proof Standard, or ECARC            

The Genealogical Proof Standard (or GPS) describes the standards recommended by the Board for Certification of Genealogists for reaching a sound conclusion in genealogical research. So, then what’s an ECARC? Just a simple mnemonic that helps me remember the steps to making my research as solid as possible.

·       E is for Exhaustive Search. Go beyond suggested records and do manual searches to make sure there are not other candidates that look like your ancestor on paper.

·      C is to Cite Your Sources. Know the provenance of the records you are using and—as we talked about in the recent blog post Family History Jumpstart: Get to Know the Records—know why and how they were created.

·      A is for Analyze Your Findings. Again. we want to make sure the timeline makes sense. Does everything in the record match up with what you know about your ancestor?

·       R is for Resolving Conflicting Evidence. If the answer to the previous question is no, can you explain why it doesn’t match up without rearranging the boundaries of space and time? Read the records and examine original documents or images where they are available to ensure everything is correct.

·       C is for Writing Your Conclusion. And trust me, this one is a biggie. I’ve been writing about family history for more than twenty-six years now, and you can believe me when I say that if you ever want to find a hole in a theory you’ve been holding, just write about it. The act of putting your rationale for a conclusion into writing will show you exactly where you need to shore up your research.

Sure, creating hybrids of animals can be fun, but in family history research, they can cost you time and energy spent researching the wrong family. And while their family story may be an interesting diversion, it’s probably not nearly as fascinating to you as your own people’s stories.

Native American Heritage Month

In 1990, a congressional resolution designated November as National American Indian Heritage Month, a time to celebrate and honor the culture and traditions of America’s Indigenous Peoples. This is a good time for family historians to uncover the stories of Native American ancestry. But where do we start? 

• Document any oral history that may have been passed down and ask multiple relatives what stories they’ve heard. Look for common threads in the stories that are shared with you.
• Use traditional research methods, tracing the family with census, vital, religious, military, and other records to trace your family lineage and identify potential Native American ancestors and their specific tribes.
• Research the history of relevant locations, including tribal nations, forced removals, and original settlements, to provide context for your family's story. Knowing the history is critical to successful research.
• Investigate your entire family, including collateral relatives. Family structure can be key in ancestor identification, and records of extended family members may contain additional clues.
• Explore records created through US government interactions with Native American tribes, such as Indian census records and the Dawes Rolls, available on genealogy websites like FamilySearch and Ancestry, as well as the National Archives. 
• Examine religious records. Your native ancestors’ first interaction with Europeans may have been missionaries. Again, knowing the area's history may tip you off to what religious records might include your relative. 
• Remember that spelling wasn’t always important to our forebears. Watch for and search using similar names or variants in collections that may have recorded your ancestor. 
• Dig deep into local records, including manuscript collections, storekeepers' account books, and residents' diaries, for details to enrich your family history. Seek out American Indian-specific collections, such as allotments, removal records, school records, and interactions with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and other entities.

For more tips and resources for tracing your Native American ancestry, see the following:

• The National Archives and Records Administration
• Bureau of Indian Affairs 
• National Parks Service
• FamilySearch
• Cyndi’s List
• Free PDF for Researching Your American Indian Ancestors on Ancestry
• NGS Culture Conversation with Filmmaker Alicia Hawkins, November 2023 (free)

Articles in the NGS Magazine archive (free benefit for NGS members):

Deeben, John. “Trail of Tears, Part I: Census Rolls Relating to Indian Removals,” NGS Magazine, Jul/Aug/Sep 2013, vol. 39‐3, page 38.

Deeben, John. “Trail of Tears, Part II: Emigration Lists & Reservation Applications,” NGS Magazine, Oct/Nov/Dec 2013, vol. 39‐4, page 37.

Muhn, Judy Nimer. “Researching Children in Indian Boarding Schools,” NGS Magazine, Jan/Feb/Mar 2022, vol. 48‐1, page 22.

Stuart‐Warren, Paula. “Researching Your American Indian Ancestry,” NGS Magazine, vol. Jan/Feb/Mar 2005, vol 31‐1, page 43

Family History Jumpstart: Census Records and Your Ancestor’s Education

Discovering your ancestors’ education can be fascinating and can add to your understanding of your family’s history. Before World War II, only one-third of Americans had completed twelve years of schooling.[1]In fact, the US census did not begin to ask for the highest grade attained in education until 1940. Nonetheless, much can be gleaned from earlier enumerations.

One hundred years prior, the 1840 Census asked for the number of scholars enrolled in “universities or colleges,” “academies & grammar schools,” or “primary and common schools.” It also inquired how many scholars were “at public charge” and the number of White persons= and free people of color in the household, who were over twenty years of age and could not read or write.

Between 1850 and 1880, censuses included those who in the household had attended school within the year, coupled with age. This can give you an idea of what level of education individuals received at the time of the census. These enumerations also asked how many individuals over twenty could not read or write. The lucky genealogist whose relatives’ 1890 census schedule survived can find these same questions as well as whether the enumerated individual could speak English and, if not, the language or dialect spoken.

From 1900 to 1930, the censuses again asked whether an individual had attended school that year and about literacy and English-speaking abilities.

Even without the specific questions regarding education in the population schedules, clues can be found by seeing what age an occupation replaces “scholar” or “at school.”

And what about other members of the household? Comparing the ages at which children began joining the workforce can also provide insights into the family economic situation.

When Thomas Howley’s family was enumerated in 1880, his 15- and 17-year-old daughters were working as coffee packers, while his younger children, Margaret (7) and Thomas (5), were still in school. Looking closer, we can also see that Thomas, a gas pipe fitter, had been out of work for three months that year, so they may have had to pitch in to help make up for that loss of income.

In June 1944, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Serviceman’s Readjustment Act, better known as the “G.I. Bill.” It was aimed at helping returning servicemen and/or eligible family members further their education—finishing elementary or high school, going to college or learning a trade—as well as buying a home, setting up a business, or landing a government job. The opportunity it provided for many White families was a game changer. Tragically, the majority of Black servicemen were unable to take advantage of the GI Bill due to racist policies and attitudes in housing and education throughout the country.

Every generation wants their children to do as well or better than they’ve done, and education has long been seen as a path to future success. How has education—or barriers to education whether from racism or poverty—impacted your family throughout the years? Perhaps it’s time to take a closer look.

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[1] Nilsson, Jeff, "How the G.I. Bill Changed America," The Saturday Evening Post, 22 June 2019 (https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2019/06/how-the-g-i-bill-changed-america/ accessed 17 Oct 2024).

Culture Conversation with Ashlee Davis Now Posted to NGS YouTube Channel

Check out the recording of our recent Culture Conversation with Ashlee Davis on the NGS YouTube Channel. There's plenty more on the channel as well, including SLAM! Idea Showcase videos and other webinars.

October is Polish Heritage Month: Finding Passenger Lists

October is Polish American Heritage Month. The National Genealogical Society is pleased to share with you the following article on researching your Polish roots.

Polish immigration to the United States began with the Jamestown settlement in 1608 when the Virginia Company hired Polish artisans skilled in trades needed in the new settlement.[1] Count Kazimierz Pulaski and Tadeusz Kościuszko distinguished themselves as heroes during the Revolutionary War. They were joined by about one hundred other Poles who fought alongside the Americans in the cause of freedom. Throughout US history, Polish immigrants have been arriving in the United States, with immigration peaking between 1870 and the start of World War I.[2]

Poland was partitioned between Russia, Prussia, and Austria at the end of the 18^th century. During this period, you may find your ethnically Polish ancestors identifying as Polish, Russian, Austrian, or Prussian, which might clue you in to the area of origin for those immigrants.

Locating the immigration records documenting your Polish ancestors’ arrival in the US can be tricky but rewarding. Before the 1890s, passenger arrival records didn’t include many details. However, records created beginning in the mid- to late-1890s—particularly after 1906—may include incredibly helpful information, such as birthplaces, the names of relatives in the old country, friends or relatives who the immigrant was going to meet, their last residence, and more.

Here are some tips for locating your ancestor’s arrival record.

• Create a timeline to estimate the immigrant’s arrival. Dates and places of birth for family members found in US census records can help. Censuses from 1900-1930 also asked for the year of immigration for immigrants, and you may find this information in some state censuses as well.  
• Naturalization records for those who opted to obtain citizenship may reference the arrival date, the name of the ship he or she arrived on, and other important details. If your ancestor went back to Europe to visit family, you might also find a passport record that may include that information. 
• Death records sometimes include how many years the deceased had been in the country.
• Passenger lists were created at the port of departure, and as such, the immigrants typically used the native version of their given name (e.g., Jan vs. John, Josef vs. Joseph, Elzbieta vs. Elizabeth, etc.). 
• Also look for variants of the immigrant’s surname. Last names were often Americanized or spelled phonetically after the immigrant’s arrival (but not at Ellis Island as some family stories claim). Learning about the Polish alphabet and pronunciation may help you locate the family in arrival records. My great-grandfather John Mekalski often spelled his name Menkalski. I learned that the e with the “little tail” (ę) is, in some situations, pronounced “en,” so that solved that little mystery. (He also spelled his name Wagner for a while, but that’s a story for another day.)
• Surnames may also have masculine and feminine variations, like Krakowski/Krakowska.
• Following the Quota Acts of 1921, which limited the number of immigrants arriving by country, some immigrants may have tried to circumvent restrictions by coming in through Canada or Mexico. 
• Bear in mind that some immigrants went back and forth between the US and Europe several times before settling in the United States or returning home for good. Keep looking even after you’ve found one arrival to see if there are more. Records from the post-1906 era asked whether the immigrant had been in the US before, and when, so that’s an easy clue to look for.
• FamilySearch, the National Archives, and Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation maintain collections of immigration records, as do subscription websites like Ancestry.com, FindMyPast, and MyHeritage. You can learn more about immigration records on the website of the National Archives and Records Administration.

Locating your ancestor’s arrival record marks the start of a new life in America, and the details provided can shed important insights into how they came to the US and much more.

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[1] “Polish Settlers at Early Jamestown,” Virginia Humanities Encyclopedia Virginia website, (https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/polish-settlers-at-early-jamestown/ :accessed 17 Oct 2024).

[2] “History of Poles in the United States,” Wikipedia, (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Poles_in_the_United_States: accessed 17 Oct 2024)

Image credit: A Polish emigrant boarding ship - he carries trunk on his shoulders, Nov 1907, digitized photograph, Library of Congress website (https://www.loc.gov/item/2001704434/: accessed 24 Oct 2024)

The October-December 2024 Issue of NGS Magazine is Now Online

The October-December 2024 issue of NGS Magazine, Volume 50, No. 4, is now available to members only on the website. This issue’s theme is Tax Records.

Read NGS Magazine

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Features

The Genealogical Value of Tax Records

Carol Cooke Darrow

 

Expanded Free Access to New Jersey Ratables

H. Husted, MLIS

 

Using Early Ohio Tax Records

Dana Ann Palmer, CG, CGL

 

Records of Tax Delinquency

J. Mark Lowe, FUGA

 

Taxation During the American Revolution

John D. Sinks, PhD

 

DAR and Revolutionary War Supply Taxes

Sara Louise Sukol

 

Irish Tax Records, Part 1: Tithe Applotment Books

Fiona Fitzsimons

Departments

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

David Rencher, AG, CG, FUGA, FIGRS, FNGS

 

EDITOR’S NOTE

Deb Cyprych

 

NGS NEWS

 

REFERENCE DESK

American Tax Revolts: Shays's Rebellion and the Whiskey Rebellion

Kathy Petlewski, MSLS

 

THE GENEALOGY TECHNOLOGIST

FamilySearch Full-Text Search: Part 2, Beyond the Basics

Robert Raymond

 

DNA DISCOVERY
DNA and Family Tree Tools

Paul Woodbury, MEd, AG

 

SOCIETY FORUM

History Helpers: Ten Volunteer Roles Every Genealogical Society Needs

Amy Lenertz, MLIS, MS, CFE

 

BOOK NOTICES

 

Celebrating 23 Years of Family History Month

In September 2001, the U.S. Senate passed the Family History Resolution, designating October as a month to promote the value of knowing your family story.[1] Genealogical societies like the National Genealogical Society (NGS) were at the forefront of the fight to gain official recognition for Family History Month. At the heart of the celebration is collaboration, advocacy, education, and preservation, all of which are pillars of the NGS mission statement, as well as those of many genealogical and historical societies across the U.S.

So what can you do to join the Family History Month Celebration?

·       Start your preservation project. Catalog old photographs and share them with your family. Write a biographical sketch of one of your ancestors based on the research you’ve done, and share it with your family. Interview relatives and share those interviews with your family. Are you sensing a pattern here? Share, share, share. The more widely your family story is disseminated, the better chance that it will be carried on and preserved. NGS is here to help to help you document your family history with free downloadable PDFs.

·       Find a society and join the family history community. We’re a fun bunch, dedicated to helping each other and preserving records important to family history research. Hundreds of societies offer research content and guidance that may be specific to your area of interest. Meetings and online webinars allow you to collaborate and gather insights from others who share your interests. You can find a society matching your research interests in NGS’ searchable directory here.

·        When you become a member of NGS, you help preservation efforts like the NGS Preserve the Pensions Project: Phase II, which kicked off in collaboration with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in January. NGS is also a founding partner of the Records Preservation & Access Coalition (RPAC), which works as an advocate to ensure the preservation of and access to records we need as genealogists.

·       Volunteering for society indexing projects can yield benefits to your own research, by exposing you to record collections and filing systems you may have never dealt with and give you a keener understanding of how to search similar collections for your research. ConferenceKeepers.com has a list of genealogy volunteer opportunities. 

We hope you’ll take a moment to remember your ancestors in some way this month and share the joy of your ancestors’ legacy with your relatives and community.

 

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[1] https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-107sres160is/pdf/BILLS-107sres160is.pdf

 

 

 

Family History Month Jumpstart: Get to Know the Records

It’s an all too familiar scenario. Your ancestor’s name shows up in a mega-database of

genealogical records. You click, and like magic, information from that record can be added to

your tree. But is that all there is?

I found my ancestor, Eliza Dooner, in a collection of New York, U.S., 

Alien Depositions of Intent to Become U.S. Citizens, 1825-1871, on Ancestry. 

Click and boom, it’s part of my tree. Done, right?

So what did that add? Actually, just the record in the source list. Not one new fact or detail.

Is the record worthless? Well, let’s look at these records and why they were created. Most

record collections, online or off, have some form of descriptive materials and you’ll often be

rewarded with new insights regarding the history and use of the records.

The database description of the records tells me that in New York, before 1925 only citizens

could own, sell, or bequeath real property (land). Beginning that year, un-naturalized

immigrants could file a deposition of intent to naturalize, allowing them to participate in these

types of transactions while going through the naturalization process. This prompts me to dig

deeper and investigate why she took this step.

I have census records, directories, and a death notice, including mentions of Eliza and her

family. Her husband had died in a construction accident just four years before the creation of

the petition, leaving her widowed woman with five children. Her need to even file this

deposition tells us she was an immigrant, so she was relatively new to America. I learned from

city directories that she started a business selling candies after her husband's death. By the

1860 US census, Eliza’s occupation had turned to “grocer” and at this point—two months after

she filed the deposition—she now claimed real estate valued at $1800, a value that was not

listed in the 1850 census record for the family.

So even though there were no new facts from the petition, does this record tell me something

about Eliza? Absolutely. When we search for the meaning behind the records and put it all in

context, it tells me that despite the loss of her husband, she was able to buy property within a

few years of his death, and with her family, she was able to thrive despite that tragedy. 

Yes, this record she signed was worth a closer look.

Grouper Returned Over $22,000 to NGS Members with Medicare Plans

We recently heard from the team at Grouper that over 260 members (over the age of 65 who have Medicare Advantage or Benefit plans) received dues reimbursement checks returning over $22,000 to our members.

Grouper is a "social fitness" company, working with health plans to keep Americans physically and mentally active as they age. When you join and participate in qualifying activities with organizations like NGS, Grouper works with your health plan to support the costs of participation by reimbursing you for membership dues. 

If you or someone you know if 65 and over, have them check out how to have their NGS dues reimbursed at https://www.ngsgenealogy.org/grouper-covers-your-dues/.

October is Family History Month

The fall is a perfect time of year to begin or expand your family history research. We've added new and updated free Family History Month resources for individuals and organizations.

Look for refreshed PDFs on how you can record, scan, write, and share your family
stories. Use them to ease into your own projects or as a resource your genealogy
organization can share to inspire more people to begin or restart their family history
journey. This year we also included a new PDFs on joining and participating in NGS and other genealogy societies and organizations.

You can also find downloadable social media graphics for you to use freely. Organizations can insert their own logos (clear backgrounds only please; no logos on white backgrounds) onto all documents as necessary.

New Board Takes Office

The National Genealogical Society's 2024-2026 Board of Directors officially takes office today, 1 October 2024. Elected in August, the new board includes 16 officers and directors. Executive Director Matt Menashes, CAE, is a non-voting member of the board bringing the total to 17 members. One officer vacancy will be filled before the end of the year.

The new board is led by President David E. Rencher, AG, CG, FUGA, FIGRS, FNGS, and Vice President Rebecca Koford, CG, CGL.

Additional board members are:

Secretary Ellen Pinckney Balthazar, MS

Treasurer Doug Klein, CPA

Director, Region One Reem Awad-Rashmawi, JD

Director, Region Two Lisa Fanning

Director, Region Three Marlis Humphrey

Director, Region Four Pamela Sayre, CG Emeritus, FUGA

Director at Large Ed Donakey

Director at Large John Dougan

Director at Large Janice Cross Gilyard

Director at Large Andre Kearns

Director at Large Judy Nimer Muhn

Director at Large Cheri Hudson Passey

Director at Large Fr. Symeon Williams

Past President Kathryn Doyle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Occupation: Laborer—Discovering the Stories of Your Hardworking Ancestors

By Juliana Szucs

Our first introduction to the occupations of our ancestors usually comes from census and vital records, or from city directories. For many of us that introduction reads, “occupation: laborer.” While not terribly insightful, with some digging, we can learn much more about our ancestors’ labors.

William Dennis, “milkman” living at State n. R[ed] H[ook] Lane in the Spooner’s 1834 Brooklyn city directory, doesn’t tell us much, but Henry R. Stiles’ A History of the City of Brooklyn,[1] reveals details about the “Milkmen’s dock,” at the foot of Orange Street, near his home.

“Here every morning, rain or shine, came the vendors of lacteal fluid, stabled their horses in a row of sheds erected for the purpose, under the shelter of the Heights; and, clubbing together in the hire of boats, were rowed with their milk-cans over to New York, encountering, not infrequently, during the severe winter months, much suffering and even serious danger from fierce winds and floating ice. Their cans were suspended from yokes across their shoulders, and thus accoutered they peddled off their milk in the city and returned in the afternoon, wind and weather permitting, to the Brooklyn side where they hitched up their teams and started for their homes.”

Local histories, like this one, are available online via resources including Internet Archive, Google Books, Hathi Trust, and at websites of local libraries, archives, and genealogical and historical organizations.

Newspapers provide coverage of working conditions, strikes, local economic conditions, and so much more. The day-to-day insights into your ancestor’s hometown (albeit sometimes tinged with the political undertones of the reporting newspaper) can give you an up close and personal look at the impact your ancestor’s occupation had on their lives and the lives of those in the community.

For example, in March 1910, a general strike was called by the Central Federated Union[2] on behalf of Philadelphia’s rapid transit workers. Strikebreakers and police were brought in, and temporary housing was set up, in an effort to thwart the strike. Violence, resulting in injuries and the loss of life and property, occurred regularly over the course of the nearly 3-week strike, including an incident where new employees of the Rapid Transit Company (RTC), fired from streetcars into a crowd in the street.

Other unions stepped up in solidarity with the RTC, including an estimated 40,000 workers from the building trades, 30,000 textile workers, 20,000 metal workers, 19,000 from the garment industry, and thousands in transportation.[3] The strike had a direct impact on their families, as well as those living and conducting business in Philadelphia.

 

The Philadelphia Inquirer, online at NewspaperArchives.com. 

As with local histories, historical newspapers are becoming increasingly available online in subscription collections and free with projects like the Library of Congress’ Chronicling America, among others. Members of the National Genealogical Society enjoy free access to the collections of NewspaperArchive.com as a benefit of membership. Searches for your ancestor’s employer or a union they may have been a part of can bring some wonderful insights into your laboring ancestors.

Other clues can be found in sources like census records and related agricultural, manufacturing, and industrial schedules. Changes of occupation or in assets recorded in census schedules can reflect upturns and downturns in a farm or business. And look for columns in state and federal census records that may provide clues regarding employment and/or unemployment during the census year. For example, the 1880 U.S. federal censuses the number of months that a person was employed within the census year.

City and county directories may show changes of occupation from year to year, in which case some additional research in the sources mentioned above may reveal a cause.

Where there were strikes, go beyond the impact of the strike and get to the reasons behind it. What were the working conditions like? How old were your laboring ancestors when they entered the workforce? When did they leave? The answers to these and so many more questions can enrich your family story as you seek to commemorate your ancestors and how their labor helped build America.

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[1] Henry Reed Stiles, “A History of the City of Brooklyn: including the old town and village of Brooklyn, the town of Bushwick, and the village and city of Williamsburgh, vol. II” online images, Internet Archive (https://archive.org/details/historyofcityofb02stil/page/n145/mode/2up: accessed 27 Aug 2024).

[2] Julianne Kornacki, “General Strike of 1910,” online article, The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia (https://philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/essays/general-strike-of-1910/: accessed 27 Aug 2024.

[3] “P.R.T. Still Firm Despite Threat of State Strike,” The Philadelphia Inquirer, online at NewspaperArchive.com, p. 1, col. 7. (https://access.newspaperarchive.com/us/pennsylvania/philadelphia/philadelphia-inquirer/1910/03-10: accessed 28 Aug 2024)

NGS Magazine articles (Archived and available to logged in NGS members here.)

Antaya, Jeff. “Reference Desk: Mining Families with Employment Records.” NGS Magazine 42 (Jan–Mar 2016): 44–47.

Baldwin, Jen. “Going Underground: Mining Industry Records.” NGS Magazine 41 (Jul–Sep 2015): 31–35.

Kluskens, Claire Prechtel. “Butter Makers and More: Revelations of the 1929 Census of Manufacturers.” NGS Magazine 43 (Jul–Sep 2017): 61–64.

Lyttle, Annette Burke. “Uncovering the Stories of Farming Ancestors.” NGS Magazine 43 (Jul–Sep 2017): 31–34.

Martin, Joseph F. “Calumet and Hecla Mining Records.” NGS Magazine 35 (Jan–Mar 2009): 55–58.

Pinnick, Tim. “Coal Miner Research.” NGS Magazine 32 (Jul–Sep 2006): 23–26.

Stamm, Patricia Walls. “Occupations in Our Family Tub.” NGS Magazine 32 (Jan–Mar 2006): 12–15.

Stuart-Warren, Paula. “Tracking Railroads and Railroad History.” NGS Magazine 32 (Apr–Jun 2006): 21–25.

Join our Culture Conversation with Ashlee Davis, Global Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Ancestry

Join us for a captivating conversation on the Power of Conversations To Tell the Stories That Unite Us with Ashlee Davis, Ancestry's Global Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Ashlee Davis, J.D. brings 15 years of diversity and civil rights experience to lead Ancestry’s global end-to-end Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) strategy. Her professional experience spans the industries of private, nonprofit, and the Executive branch of the federal government, where she held roles in agriculture, finance, banking, and social services. Ashlee served six years in the Obama administration in positions including the Senior Advisor for Civil Rights and Director of the National LGBT Rural Summer Series, a national initiative to connect LGBTQ+ and other marginalized communities with resources to address food insecurity, housing, and youth empowerment.   

In her role, Ashlee heads policies and programs to foster an inclusive and equitable work environment where there are diverse voices and backgrounds at the table. She also partners with product and marketing leaders to create inclusive product experiences to help everyone easily discover, craft and connect around their family story.

Ashlee is a native of Nashville, TN, a proud graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and Howard University School of Law, an avid sports fan, and someone with wanderlust who is always planning her next adventure with her life partner.

23 October 2024 8:00 p.m. ET

Registration

NGS Announces Special One-Time Only GRIP Course with Tom Jones

NGS is pleased to announce the addition of a one-time only special GRIP Genealogy Institute course with Tom Jones. Work with the expert on mastering genealogical proof standards with the special course offering and new case studies! 

Registration opens on 14 August [NEW DATE]

Courses Announced for GRIP Genealogy Institute's 2025 Lineup

NGS has announced the lineup for the 2025 GRIP Genealogy Institute courses. Plan ahead to join us online or in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the Summer of 2025.

Join our Culture Conversation with Mark Russ Federman about Food, the Family Business, and New York City

Join David Morrow for a "chew and a chat" with Mark Russ Federman, author of Russ & Daughters: The House That Herring Built, which made the NY Times extended best-seller list. Mark is NGS Executive Director Matt Menashes's first cousin once removed; Matt will join David and Mark for the event.

The conversation will explore the "Jewish food" experience in New York City, starting with Joel Russ, a Polish-Jewish immigrant selling pickled herring from a pushcart on the Lower East Side to the ubiquity of bagels in modern America. The conversation will cover New York City life, family business, and generational change over 100 years, with fun and a lesson on lox.

Mark's passion for food and family history, and the Russ family's connection to the immigrant experience in New York make for a memorable conversation, incredible stories, and a chance to learn more about the food and culture that add so much to the American experience.

7 August 2024 8:00 p.m. ET

Registration

The June 2024 Issue of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly is Now Online

The June 2024 issue of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly (NGSQ), Volume 112, No. 2, is now available online in the members-only section of the website.

The NGSQ is published four times per year in March, June, September, and December.

The NGSQ editors invite you to take the #iReadtheQ Quiz at the end of this article. It's like a scavenger hunt, and answers to the questions can be found as you read the articles in this issue. We'll email the answers to NGS members in August so you can see how you did and pat yourself on the back! Let us know your results on social media by posting with #iReadtheQ and in the #iReadtheQ and Genealogy Methods community for individual members of NGS on FORUM.

CONTENTS

FEATURE ARTICLES

• "Mitochondrial DNA and an Inferred Conclusion: Revisiting Eleanor (—?—) Tureman Crow Overton in Culpeper and Madison Counties, Virginia," by Thomas W. Jones, PhD, CG, CGG, FASG, FNGS, FUGA
• "A Family for Mike Fendricks of Hardin County, Tennessee," by Robyn N. Smith
• "Generations of Familial Ties Identify Parents for Nathaniel Atwell of New York," by Jenny Rizzo Irwin, CG
• "Parents for Ann Cosden of Calvert County, Maryland," by Gary L. Ball-Kilbourne, PhD, CG

EDITORS' CORNER

• The Need for Roots

SIDELIGHTS

• A Peculiar Deed
• Choices Matter in Love
• Heirs Commence Treasure Hunt
• Qualifications of a Mississippi Editor

REVIEWS

• Mills, Elizabeth Shown. Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace. Reviewed by Jill Morelli, CG, CGL
• Sayre, Pamela Boyer and Richard G. Sayer. District of Columbia. NGS Research in the States Series. Reviewed by Darcie Hind Posz, CG, FASG
• McDonald, Thomas O. Texas Rangers, Ranchers, and Realtors: James Hughes Callahan and the Day Family in the Guadalupe River Basin. Reviewed by Mary Wiley Campbell, CG
• Lenzen, Connie. Oregon. 3rd ed. NGS Research in the States Series. Reviewed by Barbara Northrop, CG
• Broglin, Jana Sloan, ed. Our Quaker Ancestors: Finding Them in Quaker Records. Reviewed by Katharine Korte Andrew, MS/LIS
• Hanson, Anne. Buried Secrets: Looking for Frank and Ida. Reviewed by Sara Gredler, CG, AG
• Clampitt, Bradley R. Lost Causes: Confederate Demobilization & the Making of Veteran Identity. Reviewed by David M. Morehouse, JD, BCL, MSc, CG
• Ullmann, Helen Schatvet, ed. Western Massachusetts Families in 1790. Vol. 5. Reviewed by Michael Brophy
• Dollarhide, William. American Migration Routes: Part I and Part II. Reviewed by Sheila Benedict
• Rowlands, John and Beryl Evans. Genealogy at a Glance: Welsh Genealogy Research. Reviewed by Deon Holley Bingham
• Andrews, Gregg. Shantyboats and Roustabouts: The River Poor of St. Louis, 1875–1930. Reviewed by Amanda Clark
• Dollarhide, William. Federal, State & County Land Records & Maps, Names & Places. Reviewed by Bryna O'Sullivan
• Smith, Drew. Generation by Generation: A Modern Approach to the Basics of Genealogy. Reviewed by Teresa Steinkamp McMillin, CG

JUNE 2024 #iReadtheQ QUIZ

1. When was Eleanor, whose parentage is discussed in the article, likely born?
2. According to the prior publication about Eleanor, who were Eleanor's likely parents?
3. Which characteristic of mtDNA makes it useful for identifying unknown mothers?
4. Who was the informant on Mike Fendricks's death record, and what was notable about their relationship to him?
5. Where did Mike Fendricks and his family primarily reside after migrating from Alabama?
6. What area is included in the Black Belt?
7. Who were Nathaniel Atwell's parents according to the handwritten letter?
8. Who was Nathaniel Atwell's wife?
9. What war did Nathaniel Atwell serve in?
10. Who stood bond when Ann Cosden administered her husband's estate?
11. When did Ann (Brooke) Beanes die?
12. What source suggests that Ann Cosden's parents were Christopher Beanes and Elizabeth Higham?
13. How does Evidence Explained approach the use of templates in citation examples?
14. The District of Columbia holds records for which group of people?

Remember, we'll email answers to the quiz to NGS members in August. Please join us in the #iReadtheQ and Genealogy Methods community on FORUM. If you need assistance with FORUM, visit the Help/FAQs page.