Ted Talk: How We're Building the World's Largest Family Tree

 From Ted.com in 2018.

  

Ancestry Blog: Thanksgiving Recipes

Next week is Thanksgiving, and that means family and feasts. Recipes passed down from generation to generation can help us to connect to our family's past. From the Ancestry.com blog.

Grave Stone Symbolism

 Read about it  here.

Climate and immigration from Germany

 Your German ancestors may have immigrated in the 19th century due to changes in climate in Europe.

DNA and Genealogy

 From WebMd.com: another article on DNA and genealogy

Becoming a Professional Genealogist

Considering becoming a professional genealogist? You'll want to earn either the Accredited Genealogist (AG) or Certified Genealogist (CG) credential. 

In the U.S., the most prominent organizations to offer these credentials are the The International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists and the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG). 

Gravestone Preservation

 This website provides some advice on what to do and not to do to preserve cemetery markers.

Genealogy fiction

 British author Steve Robinson writes historical mysteries featuring Jefferson Tayte, a genealogist who uses his expertise to solve crimes. 

This list from Goodreads.com includes books by Robinson as well as other genealogy-related fiction.

19th Century Female Names and Nicknames

 This article from FamilyTree Magazine  lists female names that were popular in the 19th century, along with their nicknames.

Enumeration District Maps

 Learn more about where your ancestors lived by looking at enumeration district maps from the censuses.

The census bureau divided land up into districts in order for enumerators(census takers) to do their jobs more efficiently.

One source for maps is the National Archives. Another is the Unified Census ID Finder.

Newspapers.com Adds More Titles

 The list is here.   Newspapers.com is available 24/7 to library card holders. Find it under research tools on the library's homepage.

Genealogy Coloring Book

 From FamilyTreeMagzine.com: Create A Family History Coloring Book

20 Reasons You May Have Trouble Finding An Ancestor In the Census

 From  historyhub.history.gov

The Internet Archive

 The Internet Archive (archive.org) has a large collection of genealogical materials scanned from books, periodicals, and microfilm, including census records, passenger lists, and vital statistics. You will also find a collection of 4000 books on family histories, and yearbooks from academic institutions. You can start by searching "genealogy" in the search box to the right of the logo, clicking on 'GO",then narrowing your search by checking the boxes on the left.

New additions at newspapers.com

Newspapers.com has added 148 new titles from 13 states and Canada to its collection. This resource is available 24/7 to library card holders. You can find it under "Research Tools" on the library's homepage.

Here is the list of new additions.

Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps

 We mentioned this website from the Library of Congress in 2019. It has been updated since. From the Public Domain Review:

"Created for US insurance firms during a period of devastating fires across the 19th and 20th centuries, the Sanborn maps blaze with detail — shops, homes, churches, brothels, and opium dens were equally noted by the company’s cartographers. Tobiah Black explores the history and afterlife of these maps, which have been reclaimed by historians and genealogists seeking proof of the vanished past".

Revolutionary War Records

Good places to search for your ancestors who served in the Revolution or lived at that time are Ancestry (accessible only in the library) and  Fold3 , which is available 24/7 to library card holders. 

Ancestry

Connecticut Revolutionary War Military Lists 1775-1783

Land Grants to Georgia Revolutionary War Veterans

Roster of Revolutionary Soldiers in Georgia

Maryland Revolutionary Records

Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the Revolutionary War

New Jersey, Complied Census and Census Substitutes Index

Inhabitants of New Hampshire 1776

North Carolina Revolutionary War Soldiers 1776-1783

North Carolina Taxpayers 1701-1786

The Rhode Island 1777 Military Census

Roster of South Carolina Patriots in the American Revolution

Historical Register of Virginians in the Revolution

Fold3

Final Payment Vouchers- Delaware

Final Payment Vouchers- Georgia

Final Payment Vouchers Index for Military Pensions 1818-1864 (New York)

Pennsylvania Archives

Virginia Half Pay Pension Application Files

Slave surnames

This article from the theroot.com  explains why determining the surname of an enslaved person can be difficult. 

New titles added to newspapers.com

 Newspapers. com, which is available to library card holders from the library's website, has added 450 more papers from 15 states and 3 countries. More will be added in the next few months. The database can be found 24/7 at hernandocountylibrary.us under Research Tools, and at the bottom right of this page under Links to Related Websites.

blacksheepancestors.com

 This website is a collection from the U.S., U.K., and Canada of miscellaneous records of prisons, courts, insane asylums, executions, and a brief section with biographies of outlaws. The scope is limited, so the chances of finding an ancestor of yours is slim, and there are a lot of ads on it. Still it worth a look if you're curious.

Gravestone symbolism

 The meaning of symbols on gravestones can be a mystery. This article from gravestonestudies.org
presents some interpretations of some and resources to research others. 

New additions to Newspapers.com

newspapers.com has added 150 new papers from 17 states since January 1st. See the list here. 
Newspapers.com is available 24/7 on the library's website. You can find it under Research Tools
on the library's home page, or on the lower right of this page under links to related websites.

Mc and Mac

This article from todayifoundout.com talks about the Irish and Scot Mc and Mac surnames. 

Atlas of Historical County Boundaries

Over the course of U.S. history, county boundaries and names changed, and large counties were broken up into smaller ones. In 1883, for example, Hernando County was broken up into 3 separate entities, and Citrus and Pasco counties were born. An ancestor who shows up in the 1880 census as a resident of Hernando County may have been living in what is now Citrus or Pasco.

The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries  created by the Newberry Library in Chicago, will tell you what county your ancestors lived in. Make sure you look at the "Using the Atlas" section to get the most from the database.

Unclaimed letters

Back in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when the mail moved slowly and some citizens had to travel a good distance to check for mail, letters often accumulated at the post office. The Postmaster would place lists of names from unclaimed letters in the local newspaper. 

These lists may be helpful for genealogical research. You can use your library card to access newspapers.com on the library's website and search "unclaimed letters" or "list of letters", along with a date range and location. 

You will find newspapers.com under Research Tools on the home page. 

National Homes for Civil War Soliders

 fold3.com has added records for disabled Civil War soldiers  and sailors who resided in 12 National Homes between 1866-1938. Read about the homes here.

Fold3 can be found on the library website under research tools. Its available 24/7 for library card holders.

FamilySearch.org

Learn what is new for 2024 at this website for free genealogy records.

Historical abbreviations

Records encountered when doing genealogical research often include abbreviations.  Family History Daily published this list of abbreviations for terms and also for names.