Blog – Family Locket

RLP 378: The Jewish Board’s Unique Collections – Interview with Gavin Beinart-Smollan

Today, Nicole and Diana welcome Gavin Beinart-Smollan, the Public Historian in Residence at The Jewish Board, one of New York State’s largest and oldest mental health and social service agencies. Gavin is also a PhD candidate at New York University, researching the history of Jewish immigration and the Jewish immigrant family. He is the project lead for 150yearsofcare.org, a digital history exhibition and genealogy database. In this episode, Gavin discusses two incredible resources: the National […]

By Nicole Elder Dyer October 6, 2025 Podcast

Revisiting the Father of Cynthia (Dillard) Royston: Part 1 Objective

If you’ve been following the saga of my research into Cynthia (Dillard) Royston’s father, you may be wondering if I’ve made any progress lately. I’m happy to report that, after four focused projects and taking a break for a few years, I have a new lead and am back on the quest. I’m tackling the Dillards again as part of the Research Like a Pro 11 Study Group and will share each step of the […]

By Diana Elder October 3, 2025 Research Tips

RLP 377: Visiting the Cassia County Historical Society & Museum

In this episode, Diana and Nicole discuss the value of visiting a local historical society and museum for genealogical research. Diana shares her experience visiting the Cassia County Historical Society & Museum in Burley, Idaho. She talks about finding scrapbooks with newspaper articles, including tributes to her Uncle Ted Kelsey and details about her family’s donated pioneer cabin. Nicole also recounts the significance of the cabin’s donation to the museum. They describe the museum’s features, […]

By Nicole Elder Dyer September 29, 2025 Podcast

Disappearing Act: John Royston Apprentice (1750 – after 1814)

Ancestors who tend to disappear can leave interesting records that provide more information about them than we often find in the usual census or deed. Such is the case of John Royston, who ran away from his employer when he was a 19-year-old apprentice in Virginia. I discovered this record in the early stages of my research, and upon revisiting it, I utilized AI to enhance my understanding of the context and gain further insight […]

By Diana Elder September 28, 2025 Artificial Intelligence, Creating and Sharing Family History

RLP 376: Preparing for Onsite Research – Part 3

Nicole and Diana discuss the final and most important step in preparing for an onsite genealogy research trip: calling the facility. Diana opens by referencing previous episodes that covered foundational steps like creating a research objective, developing a timeline, conducting locality research, and crafting a detailed research plan. Nicole emphasizes that calling ahead is her number one tip for successful onsite research because it can reveal critical information not found online. They share anecdotes from […]

By Nicole Elder Dyer September 22, 2025 Podcast

Review of Women and the Law of Property in Early America by Marylynn Salmon

When we encounter women named in deeds, probate, or court records, finding and understanding the law behind the action helps us in our research. We find the law by looking for the federal or state statutes on which the action was based. Understanding the law can be more difficult. Marylynn Salmon’s book, Women and the Law of Property in Early America fills that void. Published in 1989 by the University of North Carolina, a description […]

By Diana Elder September 20, 2025 Research Tips

RLP 375: Preparing for Onsite Research – Part 2

In this episode, Nicole and Diana discuss preparing for onsite research, focusing on the critical importance of thorough locality research and detailed planning. They explore Nicole’s contrasting experiences with Love County, Oklahoma, where she conducted comprehensive research into the county’s 1907 creation from Chickasaw Nation, clerk responsibilities, and record locations, versus her rushed approach to Hardin County, Kentucky, which led to challenges with the Kentucky Department of Library and Archives’ broad catalog system and difficulty […]

By Nicole Elder Dyer September 15, 2025 Podcast

Visiting My Love County, Oklahoma, Roots

Visiting the land where ancestors lived out their lives provides much-needed context when researching and writing about their lives. My paternal lines all lived in Texas in the mid-1800s and moved north to Indian Territory by 1900. After twenty-three years of studying their lives through the records, histories, and photographs, I visited some of the places where they lived. Walking in the cemetery, visiting the historical museum, and driving through the countryside drew me closer […]

By Diana Elder September 14, 2025 Creating and Sharing Family History

RLP 374: Preparing for Onsite Research – Part 1

Nicole and Diana discuss the critical steps to ensure a productive genealogy research trip. They emphasize the importance of thorough preparation to avoid frustration and wasted time and money, highlighting that onsite research presents unique challenges compared to online research. Listeners learn that creating a clear research objective is the first crucial step, and Nicole shares contrasting examples from her own experiences: a successful, targeted trip to Love County, Oklahoma, for her Kinship Determination Project, […]

By Nicole Elder Dyer September 8, 2025 Podcast

Early Love County Records: Tracing the Transition from Indian Territory

After my first day uncovering over twenty Harris family records, I returned to the Love County Clerk’s office with curiosity about what other records might exist, particularly from the county’s earliest years. I didn’t have a specific research plan beyond exploring the oldest volumes to see what I might find. Day two would prove interesting in unexpected ways—sometimes courthouse research yields valuable discoveries not because you know exactly what you’re looking for, but because you […]