When the Civil War ended in 1865, the United States was scarred but standing. The fields were silent, the guns were still, and the soldiers — Union and Confederate alike — began the long journey home...
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Pension Paper Trails: Post-War Struggles and Paperwork
When the gunpowder settled and the flags were folded, Revolutionary War soldiers had to return to lives that often looked nothing like the ones they’d left behind. For many veterans, survival during...
Why You Should Incorporate Periodicals into Your Genealogy Research
What are periodicals, and how can they help you with your genealogy research? These are actually highly valuable and woefully underutilized tools you need.
Murder, Mayhem, and Infamy in the Family Tree
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...
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...