Every family has secrets. But some secrets are darker than others—and some leave behind headlines, scars, and a trail of records in their wake. Murder cases, unsolved crimes, public hangings, or even...
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Petty Crimes, Big Consequences: Minor Offenses That Shaped Family Histories
Not every crime makes headlines. In fact, many of the offenses found in old court records are small—petty theft, vagrancy, disturbing the peace, trespassing, or breaking local ordinances. These...
Women on Trial: Forgotten Cases and Family Scandals
In most family trees, the women are harder to trace. They often changed names, had fewer legal rights, and were less likely to appear in records that followed property or voting. But court...
10 “Must-Do” Genealogy Projects for August
Are you in search of distinctive genealogy projects to work on during August? Look no further, as we have compiled a list of ten projects that you can do with or without children. Engaging in each...
Prohibition, Moonshine, and the Law: Tracing Bootleggers in the Family Tree
During the 1920s and early 1930s, a jug of illegal whiskey could change a family’s fortune—or tear it apart. Whether your ancestors ran stills deep in the woods or simply served homemade brew at a...
Courthouse Clues: Civil Cases That Tell Family Stories
When most people think about court records in genealogy, they imagine criminal charges, jail time, or dramatic trials. But there’s a quieter, more common type of legal record that can be just as...
The Family Felon: Finding Criminal Records in Your Tree
Not every ancestor was a pillar of virtue. Some were drunks, swindlers, thieves—or worse. You may have been told stories about them, or maybe you found hints in old letters or whispered rumors passed...
Snow White’s Dance with the Dwarfs | Postcards from the Past
I remember watching Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs on VHS with my parents when I was very young. That memory is still fresh. The soft hum of the tape rewinding, the old Disney clamshell case with...
Win a Copy of The BCG Genealogical Standards Manual (ENDED)
This giveaway has concluded. Stay tuned for our next giveaway. Are you looking to take your family history research to the next level? This month, I’m giving away a copy of one of the most trusted...
Thomas A. Hendricks: The Vice President Who Died Before He Could Lead
As we continue “The Forgotten Seconds” series — exploring the lives of U.S. vice presidents who never became president — we arrive at a man whose political career spanned decades and...