Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about pensions given to soldiers of various U.S. conflicts. Our guest, Michael Strauss, AG, discusses each war, the kind of pension records that are available to veterans and survivors, and where to find them. Join us as we talk with Michael about this substantial federal record group. Links Prologue Magazine – National Archives Publication Genealogy Research Network – website of Michael Strauss, includes his lectures, speaking schedule,...
Have you heard of the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) and their annual conference? The mission statement of FGS is “The Federation of Genealogical Societies empowers the genealogical and family history community, especially its societies and organizations, by advocating for the preservation and access of records, and providing resources that enable genealogical organizations to succeed in pursuing their missions.” Like other family history conferences, FGS holds classes on a wide array of topics taught by professional genealogists. This...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about United States Homestead Records. Do you have anyone in your family who took advantage of the Homestead Law of 1862? It is estimated that 2 million individuals applied for up to 320 acres of free land and your ancestor might be among them. We talk about two applicants for 320 acres in New Mexico about 1906 and 1911 and the details we learned about their family...
How did your ancestors receive their land? Did they win the land lottery? Could they have received a bounty land grant for military service? Perhaps they homesteaded and lived on the land long enough to obtain a land patent. If your ancestor was the first person in the chain of land transfer, he would have either received the land directly from the colony/state or from the federal government. After the initial land distribution, the subsequent...
I interviewed Chris Voutsas, an outstanding junior high history teacher, about the family history project he assigns his 8th graders each year, called “My Story in American History.” After our correspondence, I attended the school’s academic showcase open house which featured the family history projects. I was wowed by the outstanding work each student shared. Let’s hear from Chris about why he does what he does. Be sure to check out the video of the students...
Have you ever discovered a family secret and thought, “this would make a great novel?” Beverly Scott did and the result is her first work of fiction: Sarah’s Secret: A Western Tale of Betrayal and Forgiveness. As an avid reader and a family historian, I am always on the lookout for interesting books based on family stories so we’re featuring Sarah’s Secret as our May book club selection. If you’re ready to step back in time to 1911,...
What do you do when you have a great family history story and have just learned how to use a new set of historical records? If you’re my friend, Karen, you share the story with your extended family then help your interested niece find some land patents. Today we have a guest post from Karen telling how she helped her teenage niece connect with her ancestors. By Karen Walters A few months ago, we were...
Today I’m pleased to share a guest post written by Beverly Scott. Bev tells about the mystery of her grandfather’s life, her genealogical journey to uncover the truth about him, and her decision to turn the story into a historical fiction novel. She had always wanted to write her family’s story, but as she researched, she realized that it would be best to write historical fiction. Read a little bit about her decision to write her...
This is part 3 of a 3 part series: Where Did My Ancestor Live? How Enumeration District Maps Can Fill in the Blanks. Part 1: Enumeration District Descriptions Part 2: Civil Districts and Other County Divisions Part 3: Maps of Enumeration Districts Maps of Enumeration Districts In this post, we will learn how the NARA Enumeration District Maps can help pinpoint the exact boundaries of county divisions with each state. Back to our example of James...
Do you have anyone in your family who took advantage of the Homestead Law of 1862? It is estimated that 2 million individuals applied for up to 320 acres of free land and your ancestor might be among them. What kind of records did the Homestead Law generate? How can you find out if your ancestors filed claims? What does a case file look like? September is “back to school month,” so get ready to learn the...