While the weather in some places may disagree, most of us have already gotten our first taste of fall. With cooling temperatures, the temptation is great to curl up with a pumpkin-spiced beverage and a good read. Whether you're just starting your family history journey or you're a seasoned genealogist, you’ve likely discovered that the key to unlocking new insights often lies in going beyond the usual records. Here are a few reading suggestions to help you dig deeper for clues to new avenues you haven’t explored. They may help add context, color, and interest to your family history.
1. Read Historical Newspapers
Curl up and read the Sunday paper the way your ancestors did. Beyond obituaries and birth announcements, newspapers are the diary of your ancestor’s community, offering glimpses into their lives through local news, crop and industry reports, weather events, anniversaries, advertisements, court reports, social columns (sometimes with juicy gossip), and so much more. You might find mentions of school achievements, business ventures, or even personal disputes.
Reading newspapers from your ancestors’ time and place can help you understand the world they lived in—and sometimes even uncover stories that lead to previously overlooked record collections.
Tip: There are many free and subscription-based digitized newspaper collections online just waiting to breathe new life into your research. NGS members enjoy free access to NewspaperArchives, one of the largest online newspaper databases. When searches for your ancestors’ names have been exhausted, use town and community names, businesses, or addresses to find stories based on location.
2. Read Local Histories & Social Histories
Local histories are often rich with biographical sketches of local residents; historical details about migrations to and from the area; the formation of municipalities; and details about the local economy and industries in the area. Going beyond the basic stuff you find in history books, you’ll find in-depth looks at your ancestors’ community and the history of various institutions such as churches, schools, cemeteries, etc.
On the other hand, social histories provide context about the customs, challenges, and daily life of people during a particular era or from a particular location or background. These resources help you move beyond names and dates to understand how your ancestors lived, worked, and interacted with their communities. Social histories can focus on a particular ethnic group—sometimes in a particular location—a religious community, or those engaged in a particular trade. Others may center around events (e.g., the Louisiana Purchase Exposition—aka the St. Louis World's Fair—of 1904) or eras (e.g., the Civil War, or the Great Depression).
Tip: Always verify personal details found in local histories. Authors and contributors sometimes stretched the truth for storytelling purposes or to please subscribers. That said, a fair amount of clues in these narratives can usually be verified with other resources.
OK, maybe it’s not “reading” in the traditional sense, but one of the best skills my dad ever taught me was how to read a map. The love that grew from following highlighted AAA maps on summer road trips turned into a family history obsession—making me an easy mark for historical map vendors at conferences.
Maps can reveal migration patterns, annotated national roads and trails, and in cities, ward boundaries that help locate census and other records. You can identify local industries, cultural neighborhoods, and institutions.
Land ownership maps show proximity to other families, making it easier to spot relatives with associated surnames. Transportation routes and natural features—rivers, valleys, mountains—may have influenced where residents conducted business or worshipped.
Tip: Compare historical maps from different years (and with contemporary maps) to see how places and boundaries have changed—or disappeared.
4. Re-read Records You’ve Forgotten
Take a trip down memory lane in your research. Revisiting sources you previously dismissed might reveal new leads when viewed with fresh eyes or in light of recent discoveries.
Take an inventory of all the records and details you’ve gathered for a particular ancestor. For longer documents, create extracts that pull out pertinent details and read every word. Note names and dates exactly as listed so you’ll recognize them when they reappear in future research.
Tip: Recheck databases you haven’t searched in a while. New details you’ve uncovered may help surface records you missed before.
“If all else fails, follow directions.” True in many areas of life—and especially true in genealogy—when it comes to record creation, indexing, and digitization.
One essential set of directions for genealogists is the IPUMS USA Census Enumerator Instructions. These provide context for the information recorded in US federal censuses. For example, in 1870:
Personal estate (column 9): “Inclusive of all bonds, stocks, mortgages, notes, livestock, plate, jewels, or furniture, but exclusive of wearing apparel. No report will be made when the personal property is under $100.”
These definitions help interpret the dollar amounts listed in census records.
Instructions also specified how Native Americans were to be recorded—depending on whether they were living “out of their tribal relations” or were “Indians not taxed,” residing on government reservations.
Tip: Always read the directions and descriptions in online collections and introductory materials in print publications. These often include search tips, reasons the records were created, arrangement details, provenance, and index limitations.
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Family history is more than just collecting names—it's about context and remembering lives lived. By taking the time to read about the times and places where your ancestors lived, you’ll gain a richer, more nuanced understanding of their lives. So, find a comfy sweater and curl up in your favorite corner to do some reading. Then watch as the stories unfold.
