Ancestral Findings

Some postcards you flip past quickly. Others make you stop. This one made me stop. It’s not flashy—there’s no massive landmark or postcard-perfect sunset. Just a simple church nestled among a few trees, with a neat little gatehouse and a quiet street. What caught my eye was the caption: The Little Church Around the Corner. That name alone makes you want to find out more. It sounds like something you’d say if you were giving directi...

Every June, many of us pause to honor the fathers in our lives—the ones who taught us how to change a tire, tied our fishing lines, and maybe even showed us how to be brave in the quietest of ways. But for all the neckties and backyard barbecues, few people know the full story of how Father’s Day came to be. The holiday didn’t spring up as easily as Mother’s Day, nor was it without its share of controversy, setbacks, and surprising...

The 1925 New York State census holds a prominent place in the lineup of state enumerations. This is not only because it was the last one conducted by the state but also because of the historical moment it captured. Taken just five years before the 1930 federal census, the 1925 enumeration offers researchers a final glimpse of New York families as they transitioned from the post–World War I years into a new, modern era marked by rap...

By the time New York took its 1915 state census, the state was in the midst of dramatic social, political, and demographic shifts. The five years since the 1910 federal census had brought even more industrial growth, continued waves of immigration, and the rise of new housing, labor, and reform movements. Capturing all of this change in the middle of a federal census decade, the 1915 New York State census stands as one of the most ...

The 1905 New York State census is a cornerstone resource for anyone researching individuals or families who lived in New York at the beginning of the 20th century. Coming just five years after the 1900 federal census and five years before the 1910 federal count, this state census captures a critical snapshot of life during a dynamic and rapidly changing time in American history...

Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfind...

The 1892 New York census is an essential source for family history researchers working in the late 19th century. With the destruction of the 1890 U.S. federal census, the 1892 state count offers one of the only large-scale snapshots of life during that decade. For anyone tracing New York families through immigration, urbanization, or internal migration in the 1880s and 1890s, this record is a key substitute for the lost enumeration...

This postcard brought it all back. The steel-gray tones, the Point Bridge stretching across the Monongahela, and Pittsburgh’s unmistakable skyline—narrow, bold, and rising up from the meeting of three rivers. I remember the first time I ever drove through the Fort Pitt Tunnel. You’re surrounded by mountain, nothing but concrete—then suddenly, you burst out into the open and the whole city hits you at once. There’s nothing quite lik...

Among the many state censuses conducted across the United States, Iowa’s 1925 enumeration stands apart. Genealogists frequently cite it as one of the most detailed and valuable non-federal census records available. What sets it apart is not just the volume of information collected but the nature of that information—specifically, its emphasis on lineage. This census doesn’t simply capture who was living in Iowa at the time; it provi...

While most genealogists rely on the federal census as a foundational tool, those researching ancestors in New York State have a distinct advantage. In addition to appearing in the federal census every ten years, New Yorkers were also counted in a robust series of state censuses. These records, taken at regular intervals between federal censuses, offer an extraordinary opportunity to fill in gaps, confirm relationships, and capture ...

If you’ve spent any time researching your family history, you’ve probably developed a familiar rhythm. You track your ancestors through the federal censuses, taken every ten years like clockwork. It’s a comforting structure: 1850, 1860, 1870… they show up like old friends, giving you names, ages, occupations, and places of birth. For many researchers, these are the backbone of American genealogy.

But then something strange happens....

In this episode, we’re talking about ten meaningful genealogy projects you can take on during June. This time of year brings a lot of opportunities—warmer weather, Father’s Day, family gatherings—and all of it pairs perfectly with digging deeper into your family history. Whether it’s researching summer traditions, hosting a vintage-style picnic, or discovering how your ancestors celebrated Father’s Day, these projects...

I pulled this one from the stack and couldn’t look away. Moss hangs low in the scene, soft and heavy like it’s weighed down by memory. A quiet glade in City Park, dappled in sunlight—until you notice the duel. Two men, swords drawn, captured mid-motion. The postcard tells us it’s the De Lissau–Le Bouisque duel of 1841. But that’s only the beginning.

What you’re seeing is more than just a stylized illustration. This postcard opens a...

William Rufus DeVane King was born on April 7, 1786, in Sampson County, North Carolina. His ancestry reached back to some of the earliest European settlers in the Southern colonies. His father, William King, was of Irish descent, with ancestors believed to have emigrated from Ulster to the American colonies in the early 1700s. The King family settled in North Carolina, became landowners, and took part in the political and agricultu...

George Mifflin Dallas, who served as the 11th Vice President of the United States from 1845 to 1849 under President James K. Polk, is one of the quieter figures in American history. Though the city of Dallas, Texas, may or may not be named after him, his influence was far greater in his own time than the legacy we associate with his name today. He was a man of learning, diplomacy, and political acumen, with roots tha...

This time of year always stirs up reflection, and not just because summer is starting to peek around the corner. Memorial Day is here—a day that means different things to different people. For some, it’s a long weekend. For others, it’s deeply personal.

But beyond the cookouts and parades, there’s a story to tell. A history worth remembering. A reminder of sacrifice, and why it matters.

So ...

I pulled this card from the stack and instantly felt the spray of seawater and the tension of a harpoon rope straining against the power of something far too large to control.

This is no tourist snapshot. It’s a painting—an artist’s concept of a whaling scene, likely imagined from stories passed down, museum displays, or old journal entries. The men are mid-chase in a longboat, bearing down on the massive, thrashing tail of a whale...

The 1960 U.S. Census sits just over the horizon, scheduled to be released to the public on April 1, 2032. It’s a highly anticipated snapshot of American life during a time of rapid change: the rise of suburbia, the baby boom cresting, the Cold War in full effect, and the Civil Rights Movement gaining national attention. For genealogists, it promises to unlock new details about ancestors who lived in the modern era—but for now, it r...

The 1950 U.S. Census is the most recent one released to the public, and it marks the end of an era and the beginning of another. Taken just five years after the end of World War II, it captures a nation in transition—from wartime sacrifice to peacetime prosperity. Suburbs were growing, baby carriages were rolling down sidewalks, and television sets were beginning to flicker in living rooms. If the 1940 census shows a country on the...

The 1940 U.S. Census gives us a remarkably detailed portrait of America just before everything changed. In a few short years, the United States would enter World War II, and millions of lives would be transformed. But in 1940, Americans were still in recovery mode. The Great Depression had taken its toll, but new programs like the New Deal had started to shift the tide. This census captures that fragile balance: a nation still scar...