5 Reasons for Not Finding Ancestors’ Occupations

Research Mistakes & Remedies Photo credit: By Pierce, C.C. (Charles C.), 1861-1946 [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons Family historians should always be thinking of out-of-the-box ways to trace the steps of their ancestors, especially when they hit brick walls.  But what if you’ve finally found a handful of your once-elusive ancestors, yet still can’t seem to figure out…

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7 Strange Interests of Our Victorian Ancestors

 Your 19th Century Ancestors Were into Some Seriously Weird Stuff  Photo Credit: Wurzeltod via Compfight cc Back in the 19th century before modern technology took over the entertainment scene, our ancestors were forced to figure out how to alleviate their boredom. Sometimes, reading a book or story telling just didn’t cut it. In addition to their fondness for dressing their pets…

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7 Reasons Why You Can’t Find Your Ancestors Online

Avoid These Common Research Mistakes Photo Credit: TaylorB90 via Compfight cc Researching your family’s history has become increasingly easier thanks to the power of the internet. Whether you’ve opted to search online census records, library collections, or Flickr for old family photos, you’ve likely found some ancestors along the way. But what if you continue to painstakingly search online for…

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The State of Census

The United States Federal censuses from 1790 through 1940 are some of the most valuable records that genealogists use. They enable researchers to track families in numerous ways, including:  Migration patterns (or lack thereof) Size (as they increase or decrease) as children are born, grow up and move out to form their own households Social…

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10 Free Historical Photo Sites for Finding Your Ancestors

Find Old Family Photos Using These Free Sites Photo Credit: Robin Hutton via Compfight cc If you’re like us, you love flipping through old family photo albums to discover more about your family’s history. And if you’ve been fortunate enough to interview your elderly or extended family members, they’ve likely divulged some fun and interesting stories behind those photos that you’ve…

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You Won’t Believe These Strange Deaths From the Victorian Era

Please leave a comment Your Victorian Ancestors Died in Some Truly Bizarre Ways Photo Credit: Interiorrain via Compfight cc In this day and age, death is feared more often than it is celebrated. But back in the Victorian era, even though death was still frightening to our ancestors, it was also glorified in some particularly morbid ways. Victorian era mourning photos that…

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