Episode 208
Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 208
with Lisa Louise Cooke
In this episode:
- A free webinar!
- Great comments from you: An inspiring Google Books success story, how one listener gets her shy husband talking about his life story, and a listener’s own version of the poem, “Where I’m From”
- The Archive Lady talks to us about historical scrapbooks at archives that may be packed with genealogy gems for us
- A genealogy hero who saved a life story
- Your first look at RootsTech 2018
FREE GENEALOGY WEBINAR
“Reveal Your Unique Story through DNA & Family History”
Handouts:
Googling and Making Videos with Lisa Louise Cooke
Newspaper Research Worksheet from Lisa Louise Cooke
Genetic Genealogy: Here’s What You Need to Know from Your DNA Guide Diahan Southard
NEWS: FIRST LOOK AT ROOTSTECH 2018
Going to RootsTech for the first time? Read this RootsTech Q&A.
MAILBOX: PAT INTERVIEWS HER SHY HUSBAND
“Remembering Dad” video
Pat’s tip: When someone is shy about sharing life stories, interview them informally while traveling. Pat uses her iPad to transcribe his responses, then polishes it up when she gets home and transfers it to her own computer. “Eventually we will have enough to write the story of his life, with lots of pictures. And it’s completely painless.”
MAILBOX: GOOGLE BOOKS SUCCESS STORY FROM KIM
Click here for another inspiring genealogy discovery using Google Books?with how-to tips and a free video preview of Lisa Louise Cooke’s Premium video tutorial, “Google Books: The Tool You Need Every Day”
MAILBOX: “WHERE I’M FROM” POEM SUBMISSION
Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 185: Learn more about the “Where I’m From” poetry project and hear a conversation with the original author, Kentucky poet laureate George Ella Lyon.
THE ARCHIVE LADY: HISTORICAL SCRAPBOOKS
Scrapbooks are one of my favorite record sources to do genealogy research in and to also process in the archives. There are all kinds of scrapbooks; each and every one is unique and one-of-a-kind. They were put together with love and the hope that what was saved and pasted onto those pages will be remembered.
The origins of scrapbooking is said to go back to the 15th century in England and it is still a hobby enjoyed by many today. Most archives, libraries, historical and genealogical societies have scrapbooks in their collections. They will most likely be found in the Manuscript Collection as part of a specifically named collection.
Scrapbooks contain all kinds of wonderful genealogical records, photographs and ephemera. There is even a scrapbook in the Houston County, Tennessee Archives that has candy bar wrappers pasted in it. This particular scrapbook is one of my absolute favorites. It was compiled and owned by Evelyn Ellis and dates to the 1930’s and 1940’s.
Among the normal newspaper clippings and event programs are interesting pieces such as a Baby Ruth candy bar wrapper with a handwritten note by Evelyn that reads “Always remember June 11, 1938 at Beach Grove at the Ice Cream Supper.” There is also an original ticket pasted into the scrapbook from the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee where Evelyn Ellis visited and recorded her comments on April 1, 1939.
There are scrapbooks for just about any subject. Aside from personal scrapbooks, you can find war scrapbooks, obituary clipping scrapbooks and scrapbooks that collected and recorded local or national events. The obituaries found in scrapbooks could be a real find because sometimes they are the only pieces of the newspaper that survive and can be a treasure trove for any genealogist. Many scrapbooks contain one-of-a-kind documents, photographs and ephemera.
To find scrapbooks in an archive, ask the archivist if they have any scrapbooks in their records collections. Many times scrapbooks are housed with a particular manuscript collection and will be listed in the finding aid. Some archives have a collection of just scrapbooks that have been donated to them and can be easily accessed. Most scrapbooks will not be on research shelves and will be stored in back rooms at the archives and will have to be requested. You should also check the archives online catalog for any listings of scrapbooks before you jump in the car and drive to the archives.
I encourage all genealogists to check with the archive in the area where your ancestors were from and see if they have any scrapbooks in their archived records collections. Scrapbooks are like time capsules: you don’t know what will be found in them until you open them up.
BONUS CONTENT for Genealogy Gems App Users
If you’re listening through the Genealogy Gems app, your bonus content for this episode is a PDF with tips for what to do if your own scrapbook gets wet. The Genealogy Gems app is FREE in Google Play and is only $2.99 for Windows, iPhone and iPad users.
ANIMOTO
Start creating fabulous, irresistible videos about your family history with Animoto.com. You don’t need special video-editing skills: just drag and drop your photos and videos, pick a layout and music, add a little text and voila! You’ve got an awesome video! Try this out for yourself at Animoto.
MYHERITAGE.COM
MyHeritage is the place to make connections with relatives overseas, particularly with those who may still live in your ancestral homeland. Click here to see what MyHeritage can do for you: it’s free to get started.
GEM: SAVING A LIFE STORY
Original story on SWVA Today: “String of Pearls: Marion’s Bob White Shares Family History Collection” by Margaret Linford, Columnist
Smyth County Public Library Local History webpage
Genealogy Gems how-to resources to help you:
Video record a loved one telling their life stories
How to video record a fantastic family history interview
How to create a family history video with Animoto
Digitize and share your research and your own life story: Interview with Larsen Digital in Genealogy Gems Podcast episode 183
How to Start Blogging series in the free Family History: Genealogy Made Easy podcast (episodes 38-42) and this article: 3 Ways to Improve Your Genealogy Blog
RootsMagic family history software has publishing tools (for print and online publishing):
Visit www.RootsMagic.com
Lisa Louise Cooke uses and recommends RootsMagic family history software. From within RootsMagic, you can search historical records on FamilySearch.org, Findmypast.com and MyHeritage.com. RootsMagic is now fully integrated with Ancestry.com: you can sync your RootsMagic trees with your Ancestry.com trees and search records on the site.
A BRILLIANT WAY TO “MEET” YOUR ANCESTOR
Your DNA Guide Diahan Southard shared this story from Christine:
“Friday night I brought out large cut out of my Grandmother, Christine Doering, sitting in an easy chair so it looks like she is talking with you, and I played a recording done in 1970’s of her talking and giggling about coming to America in 1896 at the age of 9. For some they had never heard her voice before.”
Subscribe to the free Genealogy Gems YouTube channel.
PRODUCTION CREDITS
Lisa Louise Cooke, Host and Producer
Sunny Morton, Editor
Diahan Southard, Your DNA Guide, Content Contributor
Vienna Thomas, Associate Producer
Hannah Fullerton, Production Assistant
Lacey Cooke, Service Manager
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Resources
Got Criminal Ancestors? How to Investigate Their Crimes
Lydia thinks her great-grandfather was murdered–perhaps even by her grandfather! Here’s some advice for her and everyone researching “cold cases” for criminal ancestors on your family tree.
I heard recently from Lydia with these intriguing questions:
My great great grandpa William John Gabriel Nelson disappeared one day, never coming home from work. It was family lore that he had been “shanghai’d.” But even as a child the story didn’t add up. [Through a] few other mentions of the account throughout the years, and recently reconnecting with cousins through Ancestry.com/DNA and your advice to just email DNA matches, I have a growing reason to believe my great-grandfather was murdered. An even bigger fear is that my grandfather may have been the one to do it.All parties involved with this are now dead, so follow-up is impossible with them. But I’m wondering about contacting the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) or the library to determine if indeed there was a cold case, missing persons report or John Doe. Since this happened in the mid 1940’s, would I contact the LAPD or is this now a job for a historian?
As a citizen, Lydia can certainly contact the LAPD here. It might take a bit of persistence to get to the right person or resource. I would start by asking for how you can find out the status of a cold case from the year in question.
Here are 4 ways to follow up on your own criminal ancestors’ cold cases:
1. Look for cold case files online.
As I often say, all good searches start online because they will help you prepare to go offline. In other words, not everything is online, but searching online first will give you a lay of the land, revealing what is available, who to contact, and where to go in person. Start with a Google search such as LAPD cold cases. The search results include several good leads:
With a case like Lydia’s that is over 70 years old, I wouldn’t expect to pull it up in an online database (though you never know!) But I do see several sites here that provide phone numbers to gain access to those who can lead you in the right direction.
2. Search Google for clues.
Use Google’s powerful search technology to look for online mentions of the names, places, and dates of your particular case.
In Lydia’s case, she might begin with keywords relating to her great-grandfather’s disappearance, with his name, year, and the place he was last seen. Including descriptive keywords such as disappear, mystery, vanished or murder might also yield helpful results.
Learn more about effective search techniques in my book, The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox, Second Edition.
3. Check old newspapers.
Newspapers in your ancestor’s hometown (or further afield) may have mentioned the incident. With a common name like William (or Bill) Nelson, you may need to weed out the overabundance of unwanted results you get. Let me show you how I did this in GenealogyBank, a popular genealogical newspaper website:
The initial results of searching GenealogyBank (above) for the terms William Nelson and Los Angeles brought up over 1,000 search results! (The red arrow points to the tally.) Since I don’t like wasting valuable research time on irrelevant results (who’s with me?!), I refined the search. I specified Nelson as a last name, William as a first name, Los Angeles as a keyword, and I added a date range: the decade during which he disappeared. Next, I limited my search to Los Angeles-area newspapers, shown below:
This search narrows results down to under 200: a robust number, but at least manageable to look through for relevant material.
I want to be able to use these same search parameters in the future, so I click Save My Search. The search now appears in My Folder for future reference.
4. Look for criminal records.
If you knew (or suspected) that a relative was prosecuted for a crime, it’s time to start looking for records relating to the criminal case. There may be several kinds:
- In cases of suspicious death (where there was a body, unlike Lydia’s case), look for any surviving coroner’s records.
- If a trial may have occurred, research the jurisdiction to find out what court would have handled it, and then look for files relating to the case.
- If an ancestor may have served time, look for prison records. Genealogy Gems Premium podcast episode 29 is devoted to the topic of prison records.
Get inspired!
Read this article about a woman who was researching not one but two mysterious deaths on her family tree.
Want to help investigators lay to rest their own cold cases?
Click here to read about the Unclaimed Persons Project and how you can help.
House History Search – How to Find the History of a Home
Elevenses with Lisa Episode 20 Video and Show Notes
Live show air date: August 13, 2020
Join me for Elevenses with Lisa, the online video series where we take a break, visit and learn about genealogy and family history. (Please note: the sound temporarily goes silent at the end when I discuss the cross stitch picture. It is not your computer. See the story below at the end of the show notes.)
How to Find the History of a House
Researching the history of a house takes a special combination of records and we’ll cover them in this case study.
Whether you want to learn the history of your own home, research for a friend, or find out everything you can about your ancestor’s home, this episode is for you.
Home is where the heart is, and each home has a history waiting to be discovered. Watch the video and follow along with these show notes.
My Guest: Kathy Nielsen
Kathy Nielsen is a reference librarian and an educator. She has a masters degree in History and in Library Science. Kathy is currently a popular genealogy speaker on California’s Monterey Peninsula. She incorporates her skills as an historian, a storyteller and a librarian in her search for her family’s history.
Reasons for Researching the History of Houses and Land
- Every home where your ancestors lived has a story.
- Every home where you lived has a story.
- This is where your family lived, loved, laughed, cried, and maybe even died.
- These homes left their mark on your family and perhaps on you.
- And you and your family left your mark on that house or that land.
- Learning about the house and land can give you insights into the daily lives of your ancestors.
What prompted Kathy to research her great grandparents land?
“As a child I visited Prunedale and Castroville and the dairy farm of my aunt and uncle frequently. I heard stories of the ranch house down the road…even visited it between renters….played an important role in my mother and aunt’s lives and their story.”
Questions to Ask When Researching Your House
- When was the house built?
- What is the architectural style of the house?
- Who was the architect? The builder?
- Who was the original owner?
- Who else owned and lived in the house?
- How has the house changed over the years?
- How does the house fit into the history of the area? Of the time?
Architectural Styles of Houses
Identifying the house style can help you narrow time location and time frame.
Recommended Reading: A Field Guide to American Houses by Virginia Savage McAlester
Get the book here: https://tinyurl.com/11house
U.S. Architectural Styles
- Colonial 1625-1840
- Sod prairie 1800s
- Folk Houses 1850-1930
- Romantic Houses 1820-1880
- Victorian Houses 1860-1900
- Craftsman 1905-1930
- Spanish Revival 1915-1940
- Monterey House 1925-1955
- Minimal Traditional 1935-1950
- Ranch House 1950s
- Mid-Century…Organic 1950s
Records that Help Pull the Story Together
- Census
- Voter Registration
- Directories
- Maps
- Deeds
- Wills
- Newspapers
- Photos
- Local Histories
Timelines
A timeline can help you identify the gaps in your knowledge and pinpoint research tasks.
The Prunedale Family Timeline
- c1874 Marriage, Helen Georgina Ross and George Kemsley
- 1891 Divorce
- 1891 Trip West
- 1891 Marriage
- 1892 Purchase of Prunedale property
- 1931 Construction of Highway 101
- 1931 Death of Great-Grandfather
- 1941 Death of Great-Grandmother
- 1967 Death of Grandmother
- 1960-1980 Accident on Highway 101
- 1982 Sale of Prunedale property
- 1986 Division of property into two lots
Research Log
Click here to download Kathy’s simple yet useful research log for land deeds.
The Prunedale Property History:
- Purchased from Hiram C. Tuttle and his wife Rebecca, July 11, 1892
- Hiram was an upholsterer and had nine children
- Land purchased for $3000 in gold coins
- Tuttles originally had 138 acres and they sold 50 acres to the Collins family
- Tuttles remained neighbors
The property was part of the original Rancho Bolsa Nueva Y Moro Cojo land grant:
- 31,00 acre Mexican Land Grant given to Maria Antonia Pico de Castro
- Mexican Land Grant extended from Moss Landing to Prunedale and south to Castroville
Finding and Reading House Deeds
The deed that Kathy found described the Metes and Bounds. Learn more about metes and bounds here at the FamilySearch Wiki.
Check the county courthouse website for access information and to see if perhaps they are digitized and available online.
The Prunedale House
The house in Prunedale was a of the Folk House National Style:
- Gable-Front-and-Wing Family Home
- A shed-roofed porch placed within the L made by the two wings
- Small windows in the attic
- Common in rural areas
- With the development of the railroads…abundant lumber and balloon framing
Kathy used the book Monterey County Place Names: A Geographical Dictionary by Donald Thomas Clark. Check www.WorldCat.org, Google Books, or your local library to see if a similar book is available for your county.
Excerpt from 1893: [Carl] Bates grandfather came to Prunedale in 1893 and ‘this place was orchard at that time,’ he says. ‘There was no prominent person to name if after, or any prominent features; so they just called it Prunedale.’
Using Census Records to Research a House
Kathy traced the home through the U.S. Federal Census:
- 1900 census – no address, but we see the neighbors
- 1910 census – more neighborhood changes
- 1920 census – the street name is written in the margin.
- 1930 census – The family owns their farm and a radio. The street name is written in the margin.
Census research tip: Always look at the page before and after the page of interest.
Record: Voter Registrations
Found at the Monterey County Historical Society:
- 1900 – John F. Collins
- 1904 – John F. Collins listed
Record: Telephone Directory
Directories can often be found at the public library or online. Kathy found the 1906 Telephone Directory found at the Monterey Public Library. J F Collins is listed but no address.
Find Photos of the House
Check with your local library reference librarian to see if they have local area photo collections.
Weather History
Try the (U.S.) National Weather Service: This Day in History Archive
The Timeline Continues
1931: Highway 101 Began Construction
- Collins family sold the Right of Way, 2 and1/2 acres, to the State of California
- March 6,1931
- Received $2000
- Deed of sale Monterey County Recorder’s Office, Salinas
Newspaper Obituary: John F. Collins passed away June 3, 1931
Record: Death Certificate: Helen Collins passed away December 1, 1941. The address is listed: 171 Prunedale Road (Prunedale District.)
The Property was Inherited by Kathy’s Grandmother and Great Uncle
- Kathy’s aunt, Helen Lyons, managed the rental property because her grandmother and her brother lived in Tacoma.
- In 1950 Helen Lyons married James Lyons. His family had a dairy ranch on Blackie Road. So it was convenient for her to look after the Prunedale Ranch.
Found in the Home During a Return Visit
Many years later upon returning to the house for a visit, Kathy found a book from the Grand Union Tea Company, New York, 1889!
1967: Kathy’s Grandmother Dies
- The property then went to Kathy’s aunt, her mother and cousins (the children of her grandmother’s brother, Ray).
- They continued to rent out the property until the accident on Highway 101
Find the Property Title
Address listed: 9575 Prunedale Road South, Salinas, CA 93907
Virtually visit locations by searching the addresses you find in Google Earth (free software.) There may also be Street View available. Click and drag the yellow peg man icon in the upper right corner of the screen over to the location on the map. Wait a moment to see if blue “Street View” lines appear. If they do, then Street View is available. Drop the Street View icon on the blue line and you will be able to look at the location from the street level.
Return to the Timeline – 1986:
The Property was Divided into two properties: 9575 Prunedale Road South and 9585 Prunedale Road South.
Survey & Tax Rate Area Maps
Check with the County Recorders and Assessors Office. You can also get the history of permits on your own home.
Additional Sources to Search
- Architectural References
- Zillow, Google Maps (sq. feet, year built)
- Historic Surveys
- National Register of Historic Places,
- State Register of Historical Resources
- County Local Register of Historical Resources
Maps that Can Help with House History Research
- Plat Maps
- Survey Maps
- Sanborn Maps
Learn more about finding and using maps from Lisa’s Premium video classes and handouts.
Canada: Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps Canada
More Resources
- Census
- Local Newspapers
- Directories
- Voter Registration
- Yearbooks
- Wills
- Monterey County Recorder and Assessor’s Office
- Local History…library and local history society
- The neighbors
More on How to Trace the History of a House
Read Tracing the History of Your Monterey House (Monterey Public Library, California History Room.) Although it’s focused on houses in Monterey, it includes many ideas and strategies applicable to all homes.
“Facts get recorded. Stories get remembered. So, what’s your home’s story?” Kathy Nielsen
The History that I Discovered About My Old House
From Lisa: This is a cross-stitch I did of an old 1905 home that Bill and I renovated in the 1980s in Tacoma, Washington.
Cross Stitch by Lisa Louise Cooke
To learn more about the house, I went to the public library and asked if they had any resources. They handed me a manilla folder marked “unidentified homes” to go through. In it I found a photo of the house taken soon after it was built!
In the basement of the home was a long wall of very shallow and short bookshelves. We were told by the realtor that it was owned previously by a Col. Andrus and that he had been involved in the Nuremburg trials after World War II. He had taken copious notes in small bound books which he later stored on those shelves in the house.
Now years later, thanks to some quick googling I’ve been able to learn much more. Burton C. Andrus was the Commandant of the Nuremberg Prison which housed the accused during the Nuremberg Trials after World War II. (Source: Wikipedia)
My realtor was taken with the framed cross-stitch, and soon hired me to create them for her to present to her clients as housewarming gifts. I enjoyed creating them for a few years while my children were young.
Free Webinar by Lisa Louise Cooke
How to Use Photo Discoveries, Photo Enhancement and Colorization at MyHeritage by Lisa Louise Cooke.
Watch it here on the Genealogy Gems YouTube channel.
Resources
Premium Members: Download the show notes handout
3 Tips for Finding WWI Ancestors and Their Stories
How did World War I affect your family’s lives? Start your search with these 3 tips for finding WWI ancestors. 
Our current Genealogy Gems Book Club title takes place at the outset of WWI. The Summer Before the War: A Novel
by Helen Simonson has endearing characters who experience fairly light-hearted dramas–and then they are plunged into war.
Through their eyes, readers begin to understand that those who lived through ‘the Great War’ experienced something totally unprecedented. There had never been such a massive loss of life and devastation.
1. Ask family what they know. Ask all living relatives what they know about ancestors’ involvement in World War I. Listen for stories about anyone who may have served in the military, dodged military service, took care of things on the homefront, lost their own lives or loved ones or lived in an area affected by the war. Ask about any old documents, photos or letters that may survive.
There are lots of ways to ask your relatives these questions. Poll everyone at your next family gathering or reunion. Use Facebook (click here for some great tips) or other social media. Connect with other tree owners who have documented ancestors of WWI interest (see step 2, below) through communication tools provided at sites such as Ancestry.com, MyHeritage.com and FamilySearch.org.
2. Identify ancestors affected by WWI. Look for families and individuals who were alive between 1914 and 1918. Where did they live? Was it an active war zone? Research local histories and maps to determine how their city–or even neighborhood or property–was affected. Scan death dates on your family tree–did anyone living in a war zone die during that time period?
Were they in a country that sent troops to war? If so, look for soldiers on your tree. The age of those who served in World War I varied. In general, look for men born between 1880 and 1900 who were alive in 1914. Again, look for death dates during the war.
3. Search military records on genealogy websites. Fold3.com’s WWI landing page is the place to start for WWI ancestors in the U.S., since it specializes in military records (you may be able to access it from your home library). Ancestry.com users can go to this landing page to search all WWI records from the U.S. and here to search U.K. records. Findmypast.com users can search WWI records here, including an extensive collection of British military records but also others from around the world. If you’re searching U.S. records, remember that draft registrations are not records of military service.
If you’re looking for a country or region not represented in these online collections, start Googling! Google search phrases such as “Germany WWI genealogy” will bring up results like these. (Click here to watch free video tutorials about Google searching for genealogy records.) You may discover new databases online or records collections you could access through archives or libraries.
Available at http://genealogygems.com
These tips are just to get you started. As you discover records, you’ll have a better sense for the stories of your WWI ancestors. Then you can start chasing those stories in newspapers, local histories and other sources. Turn to a book like Lisa Louise Cooke’s How to Find Your Family History in Newspapers to learn
British volunteers for “Kitchener’s Army” waiting for their pay in the churchyard of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square, London. August 1914. Wikimedia Commons Image
sleuthing skills you’ll need for searching out your WWI family stories in the news.
More WWI Genealogy Gems for You
Europeana World War I Digital Archive