In this podcast episode, Diana and Nicole talk with guest Michelle Mickelson, AG, about the significance of the Homestead Act of 1862 in spurring westward expansion and its implications for genealogy. They explore how this act allowed people to claim and cultivate land in states like Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah, and discuss how genealogists can access these land records through the National Archives, Bureau of Land Management’s General Land Office, and...
In this podcast episode, hosts Diana, Nicole, talk with Michelle Mickelson, AG, and discuss the crucial role of church, cemetery, Native American, and Spanish language records in Southwestern genealogy. They emphasize that these records, often predating government documentation, are indispensable for exploring family relationships, migration patterns, and cultural practices through details found in baptism, marriage, and burial entries. The discussion covers a variety of denominations including Catholic, Episcopal, and Methodist, among others. They also offer...
In this episode, Diana and Nicole welcome guest Michelle Mickelson, AG, to discuss key records and repositories for researching ancestors in the Southwestern United States. They explore the differences between federal, state, and local records, highlighting the importance of each for uncovering vital information. Michelle guide listeners through navigating the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), state archives, historical societies, local government records, university archives, and private collections. They emphasize the value of collaboration...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about the story of Eliza Ann Isenhour (1850-1898) and the family lore that claims she was a full-blooded Cherokee. The conversation starts with the 1884 incident that left Eliza a widow with four young children and another on the way after her husband, William Henderson Shults, died following an accident. Faced with the challenges of widowhood, Eliza remarries Jacob Meek, and they eventually move to Indian Territory,...
In this episode, we discuss breaking up complex research projects into phases. This is a great way to make progress on a research question that might otherwise seem daunting. We’ll talk about how to identify the mother of Elsie, a woman born in 1820, as an example of how to set up phases for research. We’ll also discuss how to determine which phases are necessary and how to write research objectives. We wrap it up...
In episode #300 of Research Like a Pro, Diana and Nicole discuss the evolution of their genealogy research methodology, Research Like a Pro (RLP), over the years, focusing on past, present, and future perspectives. Past Developments: Technology: Initially, Diana and Nicole utilized tools like PAF and Ancestral Quest for family trees, Google Sheets for research logs, and Evernote for notes. They also used a lot of paper files and some digital files for organization. Genealogy...
In this episode of Research Like a Pro, we discuss strategies for researching ancestors who emigrated to the United States after 1820, emphasizing the wealth of ship manifests and other records available for identifying individuals among those with the same name. We explore immigration trends from the 19th to the early 20th century, the impact of U.S. immigration laws on the process, and the roles of key immigration stations like Castle Garden and Ellis Island....
Diana and Nicole discuss tracing ancestors back to the Colonial Era in the United States, emphasizing the scarcity of immigration records before the establishment of the U.S. Federal Government in 1789. They highlight strategies such as cluster research and the use of DNA testing to overcome the challenge of limited documentation, particularly for those who emigrated from England, Scotland, France, Germany, and other regions. They explain the significance of creating a locality guide based on...
This episode of Research Like a Pro focuses on the intricacies of tracing immigration records in genealogical research. Diana and Nicole discuss the common challenges faced when trying to locate an ancestor’s passenger list and the various entry points into the U.S., such as New York, New Orleans, Boston, San Francisco, Canada, and Mexico. They emphasize the importance of combing through U.S. records for clues about an ancestor’s home country, ship’s name, date of immigration,...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro features a discussion with Barry Chodak from genealogical.com about a new feature called the My GPC Library. This digital library provides access to 800 of the best titles in genealogy and family history, making it an invaluable resource for researchers. Diana and Nicole, the hosts, share their excitement about this tool and its potential to enhance genealogical research. They explore various aspects of the My GPC Library, including...
