Blog - The Ancestor Hunt

Chronicling America Updates - September, 2020

9/30/2020

Source: Library of Congress

Chronicling America, the newspaper collection available for online research of United States historic newspapers, regularly updates their collection.

Here are the updated titles for September, 2020. Some are new titles and some are added to an existing title's pages in the database. There are 29 in total from 9 different states.

Alabama

Updated content for Huntsville gazette. (Huntsville, Ala.)

Colorado

Updated content for Gilpin observer. (Central City, Colo.)

Illinois

Nebraska

Nevada

North Carolina

Ohio

Updated content for The Bluffton news. (Bluffton, Ohio)

South Dakota

Wyoming

Good Luck and Happy Hunting!

______________________________________________________

Thank you for visiting The Ancestor Hunt!

______________________________________________________

Ancestry New and Updated Collections - September 1-30, 2020

9/30/2020

Source: ancestry.com

Ancestry.com continues to add or update their records collections at a fast pace for us to search.

For the period of September 1-30, 2020, the new/updated collections are:

Arizona, Wills and Probate Records, 1866-1974 (UPDATED)
Arkansas, Birth Certificates, 1914-1917 (NEW)
Arkansas, Death Certificates, 1914-1969 (NEW)
Arkansas, Divorces, 1923-1969 (NEW)
Arkansas, Marriage Certificates, 1917-1969 (NEW)
Arkansas, Oakland and Fraternal Historic Cemetery Records, 1867-2013 (NEW)
Australia and New Zealand, Find A Grave Index, 1800s-Current (UPDATED)
Birmingham, England, Church of England Baptisms, 1813-1919 (UPDATED)
Brazil, Find A Grave Index, 1800s-Current (UPDATED)
Canada, Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current (UPDATED)
Colorado, Select County Marriages, 1863-2018 (NEW)
Delaware, Federal Naturalization Records, 1802-1943 (NEW)
England & Wales, Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858 (UPDATED)
Germany, Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current (UPDATED)
Global, Find A Grave Index for Burials at Sea and other Select Burial Locations, 1300s-Current (UPDATED)
Illinois, Federal Naturalization Records, 1840-1991 (UPDATED)
Italy, Find A Grave Index, 1800s-Current (UPDATED)
Lancashire, England, Electoral Registers, 1832-1935 (NEW)
Maryland, Federal Naturalization Records, 1795-1931 (UPDATED)
Mexico, Find A Grave Index, 1800s-Current (UPDATED)
Mönchengladbach, Germany, Marriages, 1798-1933 (UPDATED)
Netherlands, Baptism Index, 1557-1902 (UPDATED)
Netherlands, Birth Index, 1784-1917 (UPDATED)
Netherlands, Burial Index, 1540-1899 (UPDATED)
Netherlands, Civil Marriage Index, 1795-1950 (UPDATED)
Netherlands, Death Index, 1795-1969 (UPDATED)
Netherlands, Marriage Index, 1575-1938 (UPDATED)
Netherlands, Population Registers Index, 1720-1944 (UPDATED)
New Orleans, Louisiana, Slave Manifests, 1807-1860 (UPDATED)
New York City, New York, Church of the Transfiguration Records, 1847-1938 (NEW)
New York City, New York, Saint Peter's Lutheran Church Records, 1862-1955 (NEW)
Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 (NEW)
Norway, Find A Grave Index, 1800s-Current (UPDATED)
Pennsylvania, Federal Naturalization Records, 1795-1931 (UPDATED)
Pulaski County, Arkansas, Marriages 1838-1999 (NEW)
Quebec, Canada, Notarial Records, 1637-1935 (UPDATED)
Rhineland, Bavaria, Palatinate and Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, Lutheran Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1556-1973 (UPDATED)
Rhineland, Germany, Lutheran Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1610-1909 (UPDATED)
Sevier County, Arkansas, Death Records, 1914-1923 (UPDATED)
Sweden, Find A Grave Index, 1800s-Current (UPDATED)
Sweden, Select Baptisms, 1611-1909 (UPDATED)
U.S. Circuit Court Criminal Case Files, 1790-1871 (UPDATED)
U.S., Evangelical Covenant Church, Swedish American Church Records, 1868-1970 (UPDATED)
U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current (UPDATED)
UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current (UPDATED)
Utah, Federal Naturalization Records, 1906-1930 (UPDATED)
Vermont, State and Federal Naturalization Records, 1790-1954 (UPDATED)
Virginia, Federal Naturalization Records, 1901-1938 (UPDATED)
West Virginia, Federal Naturalization Records, 1844-1943 (NEW)
Yates County, New York, Swann Vital Records Collection, 1723-2009 (NEW)

I hope that some of these are what you have been waiting for!

______________________________________________________

Thank you for visiting The Ancestor Hunt!

______________________________________________________

FamilySearch New and Updated Collections - September 1-30, 2020

9/30/2020

Source: familysearch.org

FamilySearch continues to add or update their records collections at a fast pace for us to search.

For the period of September 1-30, 2020, the added/updated collections are:

For a complete list of all added/updated collections, go to https://familysearch.org/search/collection/list

I hope that some of these are what you have been waiting for!

______________________________________________________

Thank you for visiting The Ancestor Hunt!

______________________________________________________

NY State Historical Newspapers Adds/Updates 10 Titles - September, 2020

9/29/2020

If you follow this website at all, you know that I from time to time update the free online historical newspapers that are available for you to search. I originally posted the New York Online Historical Newspapers Summary in February, 2014, and have added many updates, the latest in June, 2020. The largest collection for the state is Old Fulton New York Postcards which has significant updates once a year. I usually write an article alerting you to those updates as they are published.

The NY State Historic Newspapers site is not as well known as Old Fulton Postcards, but is adding and updating titles at a very rapid rate and has over 10.76 million pages available.

All of the counties in the state are represented. It is brought to you by the Northern New York Library Network in partnership with the Empire State Library Network. You should take advantage of this resource and check back often.

Here are the latest added and updated newspapers included in their September, 2020 update. You can search them at NY State Historic Newspapers.

New Titles

Anti-Masonic telegraph. - Norwich, Chenango County, N.Y., 1829-1835
The Argus. - Albany [N.Y.], 1865-1921
Chenango telegraph. - Norwich, Chenango County, N.Y., 1835-1865
Hill News. - Canton, N.Y., 1911-current
The New Berlin gazette. - New Berlin, N.Y., 1871-1991
Oxford press. - Oxford, N.Y., 1899-1906
The Oxford review-times. - Oxford, N.Y., 1915-1958
The Oxford review. - Oxford, N.Y., 1909-1915
Oxford times. - Oxford, N.Y., 1838-1914

Updated Titles

Southampton press. - Southampton, N.Y., 1897-current

For a complete list of all this collection's titles as well as all New York titles available online, go to New York Online Historical Newspapers Summary.

Good Luck and Happy Hunting!

______________________________________________________

Thank you for visiting The Ancestor Hunt!

______________________________________________________

Free Prince Edward Island High School and College Yearbooks Online

9/28/2020

Yearbooks from high school or college are one of the most fun set of records for a genealogist to search. It provides you with a ton of story-like information about your ancestor's life. What their interests were, what sports and clubs they participated in, and often some goofy snapshots of them before they settled into being an adult. And of course, you get to see what they looked like.

Here are a few articles that may convince you to research these gems:

And here is an article providing information on where else you can find online yearbooks; some need a subscription and some do not:

Where to Find High School and College Yearbooks Online

Below is a list of links to free online yearbooks from the province:

Please note that some of the yearbooks are not searchable but are an image of each page in the yearbook.

Please note that there may seem to be duplicates. If there are, that means that there are multiple sites where the same schools yearbooks are available online.

(Updated September, 2020)

Charlottetown - Prince of Wales College

To see free online yearbooks from other provinces. please visit the Yearbooks page.

Good Luck and Happy Hunting!

For other Free Prince Edward Island Links, click on the category of interest:

Newspapers
Obituaries
BMD Records
Photos
Yearbooks
Directories

______________________________________________________

Thank you for visiting The Ancestor Hunt!

______________________________________________________

Free Newfoundland and Labrador High School and College Yearbooks Online

9/28/2020

Yearbooks from high school or college are one of the most fun set of records for a genealogist to search. It provides you with a ton of story-like information about your ancestor's life. What their interests were, what sports and clubs they participated in, and often some goofy snapshots of them before they settled into being an adult. And of course, you get to see what they looked like.

Here are a few articles that may convince you to research these gems:

And here is an article providing information on where else you can find online yearbooks; some need a subscription and some do not:

Where to Find High School and College Yearbooks Online

Below is a list of links to free online yearbooks from the province:

Please note that some of the yearbooks are not searchable but are an image of each page in the yearbook.

Please note that there may seem to be duplicates. If there are, that means that there are multiple sites where the same schools yearbooks are available online.

(Updated September, 2020)

St. Johns - Memorial University of Newfoundland
St. Johns - Prince of Wales College

To see free online yearbooks from other provinces. please visit the Yearbooks page.

Good Luck and Happy Hunting!

For other Free Newfoundland and Labrador Links, click on the category of interest:

Newspapers
Obituaries
BMD Records
Photos
Yearbooks
Directories

______________________________________________________

Thank you for visiting The Ancestor Hunt!

______________________________________________________

Free New Brunswick High School and College Yearbooks Online

9/28/2020

Yearbooks from high school or college are one of the most fun set of records for a genealogist to search. It provides you with a ton of story-like information about your ancestor's life. What their interests were, what sports and clubs they participated in, and often some goofy snapshots of them before they settled into being an adult. And of course, you get to see what they looked like.

Here are a few articles that may convince you to research these gems:

And here is an article providing information on where else you can find online yearbooks; some need a subscription and some do not:

Where to Find High School and College Yearbooks Online

Below is a list of links to free online yearbooks from the province:

Please note that some of the yearbooks are not searchable but are an image of each page in the yearbook.

Please note that there may seem to be duplicates. If there are, that means that there are multiple sites where the same schools yearbooks are available online.

(Updated September, 2020)

Fredericton - University of New Brunswick
Sackville - Mount Allison University
Saint John - Saint John High School

To see free online yearbooks from other provinces. please visit the Yearbooks page.

Good Luck and Happy Hunting!

For other Free New Brunswick Links, click on the category of interest:

Newspapers
Obituaries
BMD Records
Photos
Yearbooks
Directories

______________________________________________________

Thank you for visiting The Ancestor Hunt!

______________________________________________________

Two Hidden Secrets to Find a Ton More Results from the FamilySearch Catalog

9/25/2020

Source: Logo from familysearch.org

Full disclosure: I love the FamilySearch Catalog! For those collections that are available online, and the books that have been digitized, there are tens of thousands to choose from. For the online collections and books, I can use my PC at home to scroll through digitized page after digitized page, just as if I had my own microfilm reader, only without the hassle.

But, there are a couple of hidden secrets that you need to know if you wish to maximize your results. And they are not easy to discover, which is why I am relating them to you now.

Secret 1 - Use Keyword Searches

The first secret relates to searching through the catalog for records. Let's first look at the catalog's search box.

What I want to search for are Funeral Home records from Los Angeles County, California that are available only online. I am not interested in knowing where the microfilm is located or those that are only available at a Family History Center (FHC).

The logical place to start is to enter the place for which the collections have been digitized.

The first two screens are where I enter the Place, and the Online catalog will show me which collections are available.

For entering the place, I click in that box, enter Los Angeles, and then select from the drop downs that are presented, "United States, California, Los Angeles", which signifies Los Angeles County..

As you can see, it presents me with (1) Funeral Home collection. Only 1. This is what is presented when I click on that line - a collection for Pierce Brothers Mortuary.

Now for the Secret Trick that will optimize the number of collections returned to you

This time I am going to go back to the main search screen and click on Keywords, ignoring the Place for now.

First, I make sure that the Online button is clicked, and I will enter "los angeles funeral home" in the keyword box and hit "Search". I will show you that screen before I hit Search and then the results screen after I hit Search.

Holy mackerel! Now there are 30 online funeral home collections for Los Angeles County. The one we found in the very first search appears as the fifth hit in the second search using just keywords. So, entering the place in the Place box doesn't retrieve the optimal number of collections.

Secret 1 - Always use keyword searching when looking for online collections from the FS Catalog, and make sure that you click the Online button before clicking on Search. You will receive way more pertinent results.

Secret 2 - Make sure you are always logged in.

When searching in FamilySearch, however you are doing it, you need to first have a free account and be logged in (or signed in). It is really easy to sign up.

But here is the kicker - FamilySearch logs me out all the time when I am using the site, unbeknownst to me. I am going to show you the results of a FamilySearch Catalog search, and one of the collections that is in the results list.

The first image example is when I am logged in, and the second image example when I have been logged out, and I will show you the differences.

The differences are stark when you are looking for online collections, which I will discuss.

Sorry, I had to minimize these to fit on this page. They look exactly the same, right?

Nope. See at the bottom under "Format"? The logged in image has a camera icon, and the logged out image has a camera with a key.

What's the difference, you ask?

Near the bottom of each collection page under Film/Digital Notes is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon at the right of the name (in the Format column) then the collections' images are browsable online. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital. Finally, if there is a magnifying glass icon, the collection is searchable.

Secret 1 - Always stay logged in. And regularly check if you are on the site for a long time, because FamilySearch will log you out regularly if you are on a long time, and you won't even know it unless you look at the top right of each page where it tells you if you are signed in or not.

The Moral of the Story is easy to remember: When searching the FS Catalog, always use keyword searches, and always stay signed in.

That's all there is to optimizing your results that you can browse through - online - at home - in your PJs if you are so inclined!

______________________________________________________

Thank you for visiting The Ancestor Hunt!

______________________________________________________

10 Reasons Why Alumni Records are a Gold Mine for Genealogists

9/25/2020

Maybe it's just me, but I have never heard anyone write or talk about using Alumni Records in their genealogy research. I use them personally, and have discovered mountains of information in these gems.

I contend that alumni records are part directories, part newspapers and magazines, part biographies, part obituaries, part yearbooks, part vital records, etc. You get the idea. If you are seeking genealogy clues, these "records' are full of them. All of the information is derivative, but it can provide leads for you to search for original documents. And if you are documenting a person's family story, well, there's a ton of that kind of information too.

Take a look at two pages from an Alumni Bulletin from Abbott Academy in Amherst, Massachusetts, from the mid-1960's. The amount of genealogical and family history information on just this one page is amazing!

(Click to enlarge)

So what am I including in Alumni Records?

Alumni directories
Alumni registers
Alumni newsletters, bulletins, newspapers, and magazines
Commencement programs

And what information is available in them?

Graduation dates and degree(s) received
Current photos and/or those of their family
Current address lists
Where are they now and what are they doing?
Obituaries and "In Memoriam"
Marriages
Children born to the alumnus
Deaths in their family
Life achievements and awards
Interesting stories about the alumnus and their family

The message here is to research these genealogical gold mines. You'll be glad you did!

Stay Tuned! The Ancestor Hunt is working on links to free collections for alumni related documents and materials.

______________________________________________________

Thank you for visiting The Ancestor Hunt!

______________________________________________________

Check Out the Over 500 New Mortuary and Funeral Home Collection Links

9/24/2020

The Ancestor Hunt has just added a new category of free online collection links!

Can't find a Death Certificate and need the cause of death? Need to find out who the deceased is related to? There is more relevant genealogical information available in the records from Mortuaries and Funeral Homes. Check out the Free Online Mortuary and Funeral Home Collections on the Mortuary Records page.

Good Luck and Happy Hunting!

______________________________________________________

Thank you for visiting The Ancestor Hunt!

______________________________________________________

Over 10,000 Free United States High Schools and Colleges with Online Yearbooks

9/21/2020

Yearbooks from high school or college are one of the most fun set of records for a genealogist to search. It provides you with a ton of story-like information about your ancestor's life. What their interests were, what sports and clubs they participated in, and often some goofy snapshots of them before they settled into being an adult. And of course, you get to see what they looked like.

Here are a few articles that may convince you to research these gems:

And here is an article providing information on where else you can find online yearbooks; some need a subscription and some do not:

Where to Find High School and College Yearbooks Online

Below is a list of links to free online yearbooks from each state:

To see free online yearbooks from other states. please visit the Yearbooks page.

Good Luck and Happy Hunting!

______________________________________________________

Thank you for visiting The Ancestor Hunt!

______________________________________________________

1,010 Free Western States High School and College Yearbooks Online

9/21/2020

Yearbooks from high school or college are one of the most fun set of records for a genealogist to search. It provides you with a ton of story-like information about your ancestor's life. What their interests were, what sports and clubs they participated in, and often some goofy snapshots of them before they settled into being an adult. And of course, you get to see what they looked like.

Here are a few articles that may convince you to research these gems:

And here is an article providing information on where else you can find online yearbooks; some need a subscription and some do not:

Where to Find High School and College Yearbooks Online

Below is a list of links to free online yearbooks from each state:

To see free online yearbooks from other states. please visit the Yearbooks page.

Good Luck and Happy Hunting!

______________________________________________________

Thank you for visiting The Ancestor Hunt!

______________________________________________________

Free Oregon High School and College Yearbooks Online

9/21/2020

Yearbooks from high school or college are one of the most fun set of records for a genealogist to search. It provides you with a ton of story-like information about your ancestor's life. What their interests were, what sports and clubs they participated in, and often some goofy snapshots of them before they settled into being an adult. And of course, you get to see what they looked like.

Here are a few articles that may convince you to research these gems:

And here is an article providing information on where else you can find online yearbooks; some need a subscription and some do not:

Where to Find High School and College Yearbooks Online

Below is a list of links to free online yearbooks from the state:

Please note that some of the yearbooks are not searchable but are an image of each page in the yearbook.

Please note that there may seem to be duplicates. If there are, that means that there are multiple sites where the same schools yearbooks are available online.

(Updated September, 2020)

Ashland - Southern Oregon University
Astoria - Astoria High School
Corvallis - Oregon Agriculture College
Corvallis - Oregon State Agriculture College
Corvallis - Oregon State College
Corvallis - Oregon State College - Forestry
Corvallis - Oregon State University
Eugene - Northwest Christian College
Eugene - University of Oregon
Eugene - University of Oregon
Eugene - University of Oregon
Forest Grove - Pacific University
Grants Pass - Grants Pass High School
Klamath Falls - Klamath Union High School
Klamath Falls - Oregon Institute of Technology
Lake Oswego - Lake Oswego High School
Lake Oswego - Lake Oswego Junior High School
Lake Oswego - Lakeridge High School
McMinnville - Linfield College
Monmouth - Oregon College of Education
Monmouth - Oregon Normal School
Monmouth - Oregon State Normal School
Monmouth - Western Oregon State College
Monmouth - Western Oregon University
Newberg - George Fox College
Newberg - George Fox University
Newberg - George Fox University
Newberg - Pacific College
Newberg - Western Evangelical Seminary
Portland - Albany College
Portland - Cleveland High School
Portland - Concordia University
Portland - Concordia University
Portland - Lewis & Clark College
Portland - Parkrose High School
Portland - Portland State University
Portland - Reed College
Portland - University of Portland
Portland - Vanport Extension Center
Portland - Washington High School
Redmond - Redmond High School
Salem - Charles A. Sprague High School
West Linn - West Linn High School

To see free online yearbooks from other states. please visit the Yearbooks page.

Good Luck and Happy Hunting!

For other Free Oregon Links, click on the category of interest:

Newspapers
Obituaries
BMD Records
Photos
Yearbooks
Directories
Divorce Records
Naturalizations
Church Records
School Records
Coroner Records
Voter Records
Probate and Wills
Immigration
Mortuary Records
Alumni Records

______________________________________________________

Thank you for visiting The Ancestor Hunt!

______________________________________________________

Free Washington High School and College Yearbooks Online

9/21/2020

Yearbooks from high school or college are one of the most fun set of records for a genealogist to search. It provides you with a ton of story-like information about your ancestor's life. What their interests were, what sports and clubs they participated in, and often some goofy snapshots of them before they settled into being an adult. And of course, you get to see what they looked like.

Here are a few articles that may convince you to research these gems:

And here is an article providing information on where else you can find online yearbooks; some need a subscription and some do not:

Where to Find High School and College Yearbooks Online

Below is a list of links to free online yearbooks from the state:

Please note that some of the yearbooks are not searchable but are an image of each page in the yearbook.

Please note that there may seem to be duplicates. If there are, that means that there are multiple sites where the same schools yearbooks are available online.

(Updated September, 2020)

Aberdeen - Weatherwax High School
Anacortes - Anacortes High School
Arlington - Arlington High School
Auburn - Auburn Academy
Auburn - Auburn Adventist Academy
Auburn - Auburn High School
Auburn - Western Washington Missionary Academy
Bellingham - Bellingham High School
Bellingham - Washington State Normal School
Bellingham - Western Washington University
Bellingham - Whatcom High School
Bellingham - Whatcom High School
Bremerton - Bremerton High School
Burlington - Burlington-Edison High School
Carnation - Tolt High School
Centralia - Centralia High School
Chelan - Chelan High School
Cheney - Cheney High School
Cheney - Eastern Washington State College
Cheney - Eastern Washington State College
Cheney - Eastern Washington State University
Cheney - Eastern Washington State University
Cheney - State Normal School
Colfax - Colfax High School
Concrete - Concrete High School
Coulee City - Almira Coulee Hartline High
Coulee City - Coulee City/Coulee-Hartline High
Davenport - Davenport High School
Dayton - Dayton High School
Duvall - Cedarcrest High School
Edmonds - Edmonds High School
Ellensburg - Central Washington State College
Ellensburg - Central Washington University
Ellensburg - Central Washington University
Everett - Everett High School
Everett - Everett High School
Goldendale - Goldendale High School
Ione - Ione High School
Kapowsin - Kapowsin High School
Kent - Kent Meridian High School
Kirkland - Northwest College
Kirkland - Northwest University
Lacey - North Thurston High School
Lacey - St. Martin's College
Lacey - Timberline High School
LaConner - LaConner High School
Longview - Lower Columbia Junior College
Marysville - Marysville High School
Mount Vernon - Mount Vernon High School
Oak Harbor - Oak Harbor High School
Odessa - Odessa High School
Otis Orchard - Otis Orchard High School
Pullman - Pullman High School
Pullman - Washington State University
Pullman - Washington State University
Pullman - Washington State University
Ridgefield - Ridgefield High School
Seattle - Broadway High School
Seattle - Garfield High School
Seattle - Queen Anne High School
Seattle - Roosevelt High School
Seattle - Saint Nicholas School
Seattle - Seattle Pacific College
Seattle - Seattle Pacific College
Seattle - Seattle Pacific University
Seattle - Seattle Seminary
Seattle - Seattle University
Seattle - University of Washington
Seattle - University of Washington
Sedro Woolley - Sedro-Woolley High School
Selah - Selah High School
South Bend - South Bend High School
Spangle - Upper Columbia Academy
Spokane - Ferris High School
Spokane - Gonzaga Preparatory School
Spokane - Gonzaga University
Spokane - Hillyard High School
Spokane - Holy Name Academy
Spokane - Lewis and Clark High School
Spokane - Lewis and Clark High School
Spokane - Lewis and Clark High School
Spokane - North Central High School
Spokane - North Central High School
Spokane - Rogers High School
Spokane - Shadle Park High School
Spokane - Spokane High School
Spokane - Whitworth University
Tacoma - Annie Wright School
Tacoma - Annie Wright School
Tacoma - Pacific Lutheran University
Tacoma - Stadium High School
Tacoma - University of Puget Sound
Tacoma - Woodrow Wilson High School
Vancouver - Washington State University, Vancouver
Vera - Vera High School
Walla Walla - Walla Walla High School
Walla Walla - Walla Walla High School
Walla Walla - Whitman College
Wenatchee - Wenatchee High School
Wenatchee - Wenatchee High School
Wilson Creek - Marlin High School
Wilson Creek - Wilson Creek High School

To see free online yearbooks from other states. please visit the Yearbooks page.

Good Luck and Happy Hunting!

For other Free Washington Links, click on the category of interest:

Newspapers
Obituaries
BMD Records
Photos
Yearbooks
Directories
Divorce Records
Naturalizations
Church Records
School Records
Coroner Records
Voter Records
Probate and Wills
Immigration
Mortuary Records
Alumni Records

______________________________________________________

Thank you for visiting The Ancestor Hunt!

______________________________________________________

Are You Researching Genealogy's Biggest Clues Machine?

9/21/2020

I was thinking the other day about evidence and clues and the difference. I am not going to expound about primary or secondary sources, the Genealogical Proof Standard, evidence analysis, or original or derivatives, etc. I am not qualified to do that.

What I wish to talk about are clues. Clues we can get from different types of resources - documents, discussions with relatives, old letters, photos, and even sub-standard family trees on tree sites - and many others.

The richest source of clues are often considered to be census records. Yes indeed - they are chock full of clues - they provide us with where folks lived, who they lived with - and if we believe the census taker and census information provider - who folks are related to. Yes - censuses are certainly rich.

But I think there is an even bigger "clues machine" - and that is old newspapers. Ah - you say - this from a guy who focuses on newspaper research and even has a page dedicated on this site entitled Newspapers, and yes that page has 50 articles about searching newspapers and almost 100 articles with research links and tutorials just about that subject. So yeah - I'm biased.

But think about it - marriage license announcements in the newspaper are a clue that someone may (or may not) have gotten married. And birth announcements tell us about the son born to Mr. and Mrs. John Doe - and often have the date as well as the name of the hospital. These are clues. And obituaries? Wow - the names of siblings, which are often the first clue to a woman's maiden name if you only know her married surname. And maybe where they were buried, among many other "clues." And of course where and when they passed. More clues.

And also important - beyond names and dates - what about the life stories of our ancestors? The clubs they belonged to; the vacations they took;, the schools they graduated from; did they commit a crime or were a crime victim; did they win anything at the state or county fair; were they a boxer or a bridge player? These are all clues that add to their life story.

All this "stuff" can be found in old newspapers.

And yes - in my biased opinion - old newspapers are the biggest clues machine in genealogy. With the rapidly increasing number of digitized and online newspapers being added every single day - many of them free - you are really missing out if you are not using this resource.

Much of the time you have to start with clues before you can get "evidence." And getting clues from every possible resource should be one of your research goals.

So you need to research newspapers - genealogy's Biggest Clues Machine. You'll be glad that you did. And I'm here to help.

______________________________________________________

Thank you for visiting The Ancestor Hunt!

______________________________________________________

What is the Future of Obituaries?

9/21/2020

:Just the other day, I was having a short conversation with François Desjardins, of the Drouin Institute, the company behind Généalogie Québec, which offers over 45 million online files and images for the Quebec and French-Canadian research community. My interest was particularly the free online obituaries, which now number over 2.3 million names across Canada.

It got me to thinking about the future of obituaries - in my view, one of the richest pieces of information that a genealogist can make use of in their research. For my personal genealogy research, several breakthroughs came about SOLELY because of newspaper obituaries that I'd found.

Obviously the methods of preparing and publishing obituaries is changing quickly. A simplistic view might be - "What's the Big Deal?" Instead of paper, they are now online.

I'm not so sure there is a simple answer. Here are my thoughts:

Publishing Newspaper Obituaries and Online Newspaper Obituaries

Physical newspaper obituaries are costly. So besides the burial and funeral expenses, a newspaper obituary just adds to the expense.

From National Cremation:

"An average obituary can easily be $200.00-500.00. Costs vary by publication. Newspapers charge by the line and can average $450 for a complete obituary. The average obituary cost begins at $200.00 and increases due to the amount of content, including a photograph and the length of the obituary."

From Legacy.com:

A recent study they performed shows that most people seeking to publish a newspaper obituary have no clue how much they cost. See the results of their study - Obituaries: The Gap Between Newspaper Pricing Trends & Consumer Expectations

From BeyondTheDash,com.

In their article, they discuss published newspaper obituaries and published online obituaries. The complete article is at: How Much Does an Obituary Cost?

The good news about publishing an obituary via an online newspaper is that despite the cost, it can be inexpensive enough that one can author a longer obituary than you might if it was intended for an obituary that would actually be published in the physical newspaper.

So, as genealogy researchers, where does that leave us in the future in order to find Obituaries?

There will still be published newspaper obituaries, whether in a physical newspaper and/or in the online version of their newspaper.

Where Can I Find Published Newspaper Obituaries?

The old fashioned way - the primary methods we use now, such as searching old newspapers, or specialty obituary web pages, or obituary indexes, often prepared by libraries and genealogical societies. For free resources, check out the Newspaper Links Page, and the Obituaries Page on this website.

Where Can I Find Online Obituaries?

This is where it gets interesting. They are all over the place. Here are the options:

Individual online newspaper websites
Funeral Home websites
Free aggregators like Legacy.com, who on their website state that they partner with 1,500 newspaper websites, and 3,500 funeral homes. There are quite a few aggregators.
Individual "remembrance" and other online obituary sites where one can post a recently deceased relative. I have personally made use of one of these. These are typically not aggregated.
Schlock sites who gather up obituaries from a bunch of sources and publish them, but they really are a bait and switch because they are simply trying to get you to click on their ads. And their web pages are incredibly ugly and busy and full of ads.
Aggregators who charge a few bucks for a one time or subscription access to their posted obituaries.

So, in the future, where do we find all these online obituaries? The answer seems to be incredibly easy, and the future seems to be bright.

To find an online obituary or memorial, use Google (or your favorite search engine). It works!

I have personally used this technique successfully for recently departed relatives and friends. There is a caveat of course - what happens 30 years from now? These online companies need to stay in business. There is always the Wayback Machine I guess.

See? Not so easy.

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Thank you for visiting The Ancestor Hunt!

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8 Reasons You Can't Find Squat About Your Ancestors Online

9/21/2020

Whether you search online, or offline at libraries, courthouses, or archives, many times our ancestors can be elusive.

Sometimes they just cannot be found. Whether it be a birth date, census entry, or death date - or anything else of interest to us - we just can't seem to "score."

There are lots of reasons why we aren't successful, but many are because of our own limitations - and especially because we are just too limited in our thinking, and sometimes either inexperienced, or unwilling to try new things.

Below are just a few reasons why we can't find our ancestors online:

They aren't there! Yes this is a possibility. I have a great great aunt, Carrie Marks, who shows up only in one record - the 1880 U.S. Census. She is documented as the daughter of Louis and Caroline Marks, aged 11, born in California. One would think that at age 11, she would have showed up in the 1870 census at age 1, right? Nope - she is not there with the family. Had she not been born yet and the age 11 reference in 1880 was wrong? Was she in a hospital at the time of the census? Unfortunately, there is no 1890 census to help and by that time she could have married and changed her name. Even more worrisome is that since her mother's name was also Carrie - maybe it was a census taker error. Maybe she didn't exist at all. Then again, maybe I just haven't found her yet.
Have you expanded your search? Just searching one or two online sources, such as Ancestry.com or FamilySearch just isn't enough. Yes these are huge resources, but just as everything isn't online, all the online stuff isn't in their collections either. There are tons of other resources. Thousands of online collections not named Ancestry or FamilySearch.
Do you do only exact searches? People who write down others names often write them wrong. And then if there is an index created, they can be mis-transcribed or mis-typed. There are very few if any documents available online that were written by the ancestor themselves. They are generally recorded by someone else from first or second hand (or worse) information. So you need to be creative with your name searching by deliberately searching for names misspelled or using wildcard searches. Yes I said deliberately misspell search terms. You will be surprised at what you will find.
Do you combine searches and omit surnames? For example - if you can't find the surname in a collection - do you search for the husband's first name and the wife's first name also, in a specific geographic area? As an example, since their surname was often mangled, I often searched for husband "Ben" and wife "Jennie" (with a blank surname) in California because that is where they lived. This may have given me quite a few folks who didn't have the correct surname - but all I needed was one! The right one!
Have you looked beyond document collections? Sure census records are popular, and draft cards and naturalization, land and immigration records too. But how about newspapers? I have found new names of extended family members stated in newspaper obituaries and other articles just as much as finding a family together in a census. Check out the Newspapers page on this site for much more information regarding searching newspapers. They are a very underrated resource for you to find stuff. Besides you might find out that your great great uncle was an ax murderer! Exciting!
Are you aggressive? Or do you just give up too easy? Sitting around waiting for shaky leaves or smart matches? Have you uploaded your tree to FamilySearch, WikiTree, Ancestry, My Heritage,etc.? Then are you just waiting around for "cousins" to contact you - or the services themselves to shake a leaf on your screen? Ain't gonna cut it. You have to be an aggressive as well as creative researcher. And get out of the house if you can. Get to libraries, archives, courthouses and genealogical societies. There is a ton of material that can be accessed that is not digitized or is only available at the institution in a binder somewhere.
Do you have a research plan? Or do you just search ad hoc, searching broadly for the same thing again and again? What's the old quote? "The definition of Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." That applies here. Yes collections change and are updated. But gee - get yourself a plan. Here's an Example of a Template that Caroline Pointer created for Evernote that you can adopt (with or without Evernote) regarding planning for research. Yes it seems like a lot of work when you'd rather be surfing for ancestors. But it is time well spent and I assure you that a research plan will make the difference between finding or not finding some ancestors. Guaranteed!
They aren't there - Part 2 Really. They aren't there. Nobody wrote stuff down back then. Records weren't kept of births in many countries or local villages and towns. There were no marriage certificates. Gravestones have been buried due to wars and such over time. Babies weren't born in hospitals and there were no mortuaries. Not every family had a Bible that they recorded information in. Men didn't carry around a draft card and there was no Social Security.

So that's it for now. A few reasons why you haven't found some folks. But you can't give up - with a few exceptions - ancestors who have lived any time in the last 200 years or so should be able to be found somewhere - and you are just the person to find them. Right?

All you need to do is PLAN, BE AGGRESSIVE, THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX, and BE PERSISTENT.

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Thank you for visiting The Ancestor Hunt!

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Free Utah High School and College Yearbooks Online

9/21/2020

Yearbooks from high school or college are one of the most fun set of records for a genealogist to search. It provides you with a ton of story-like information about your ancestor's life. What their interests were, what sports and clubs they participated in, and often some goofy snapshots of them before they settled into being an adult. And of course, you get to see what they looked like.

Here are a few articles that may convince you to research these gems:

And here is an article providing information on where else you can find online yearbooks; some need a subscription and some do not:

Where to Find High School and College Yearbooks Online

Below is a list of links to free online yearbooks from the state:

Please note that some of the yearbooks are not searchable but are an image of each page in the yearbook.

Please note that there may seem to be duplicates. If there are, that means that there are multiple sites where the same schools yearbooks are available online.

(Updated September, 2020)

Altamont - Altamont High School
Beaver - Beaver High School
Bingham - Bingham High School
Blanding - San Juan High School
Bountiful - Viewmont High School
Brigham City - Box Elder High School
Brigham City - Intermountain Indian School
Cedar City - Branch Agricultural College
Cedar City - Branch Agricultural College
Cedar City - Canyon View High
Cedar City - Cedar City High School
Cedar City - Southern Utah State College
Cedar City - Southern Utah University
Davis County - Davis County High School
Delta - Delta High
Enterprise - Enterprise High School
Enterprise - Enterprise High School
Ephraim - Snow College
Escalante - Escalante High
Fort Douglas - United States Army. Division, 104th
Green River - Green River High School
Gunnison - Gunnison Valley High School
Hinckley - Millard Academy
Hinckley - Millard Stake Academy
Hurricane - Diamond Ranch Academy
Hurricane - Hurricane High School
Hyrum - South Cache High School
Ivins - Tuacahn High School
Kanab - Kanab High School
Kaysville - Davis High School
Kaysville - Davis High School
Kaysville - Davis High School
Layton - Northridge High School
Lehi - Lehi High School
Logan - Brigham Young College
Logan - Logan High School
Logan - Logan High School
Logan - Utah State University
Logan - Utah State University
Manti - Manti High School
Midvale - Hillcrest High School
Milford - Milford High School
Moab - Grand County High School
Monroe - South Sevier High School
Monticello - Monticello High School
Monticello - Monticello High School
Morgan - Morgan High School
Murray - Murray High School
Nephi - Juab High School
Nephi - Nephi High School
Ogden - Ben Lomond High
Ogden - Dee School of Nursing
Ogden - Dee School of Nursing
Ogden - Ogden High School
Ogden - Ogden High School
Ogden - Weber Academy
Ogden - Weber Academy
Ogden - Weber College
Ogden - Weber High School
Ogden - Weber Normal College
Ogden - Weber Stake Academy
Ogden - Weber State College
Ogden - Weber State University
Ogden - Weber State University
Orderville - Valley High School
Orem - Canyon View Junior High School
Orem - Lakeridge Junior High School
Orem - Lincoln High School
Orem - Lincoln High School
Orem - Lincoln Junior High School
Orem - Lincoln Junior High School
Orem - Mountain View High School
Orem - Mountain View High School
Orem - Orem High School
Orem - Orem High School
Orem - Orem High School
Orem - Orem Junior High School
Orem - Timpanogos High School
Orem - Timpanogos High School
Panguitch - Panguitch High School
Parowan - Parowan High School
Payson - Payson High
Pleasant Grove - Pleasant Grove High School
Price - Carbon County High School
Price - Carbon Junior College
Price - College of Eastern Utah
Price - College of Eastern Utah
Provo - Brigham Young University
Provo - Brigham Young University
Provo - Brigham Young University
Provo - Brigham Young University
Provo - Brigham Young University Cougar Marching Band
Provo - Provo High School
Provo - Provo High School
Provo - Utah Technical College
Provo - Utah Technical College
Provo - Utah Valley University
Richfield - Richfield High School
Richmond - North Cache High School
Richmond - North Cache High School
Roy - Roy High School
Salina - North Sevier High School
Salt Lake City - East High School
Salt Lake City - East High School
Salt Lake City - Granite High School
Salt Lake City - Latter Day Saints College
Salt Lake City - Latter Day Saints University
Salt Lake City - Latter Day Saints University, Business College
Salt Lake City - Parkview Elementary
Salt Lake City - Rowland Hall St. Mark's School
Salt Lake City - Salt Lake General Hospital
Salt Lake City - Salt Lake High School
Salt Lake City - Skyline High School
Salt Lake City - South High School
Salt Lake City - University of Utah
Salt Lake City - University of Utah
Salt Lake City - University of Utah
Salt Lake City - West High School
Sandy - Jordan High School
Sandy - Jordan High School
Sandy - Jordan High School
Sandy - Jordan High School
Smithfield - Sky View High School
South Jordan - Bingham High School
South Ogden - South Ogden Junior High School
Spanish Fork - Spanish Fork High School
St. George Dixie College
St. George Dixie College
St. George - Dixie High School
St. George Dixie Junior College
St. George - Dixie State College
St. George - Pine View High School
St. George - Snow Canyon High School
Tooele - Tooele High School
Tooele - Tooele High School
Topaz - Topaz High School
Tremonton - Bear River High School
Tropic - Bryce Valley High School
Tropic - Tropic High School

To see free online yearbooks from other states. please visit the Yearbooks page.

Good Luck and Happy Hunting!

For other Free Utah Links, click on the category of interest:

Newspapers
Obituaries
BMD Records
Photos
Yearbooks
Directories
Divorce Records
Naturalizations
Church Records
School Records
Coroner Records
Voter Records
Probate and Wills
Immigration
Mortuary Records
Alumni Records

______________________________________________________

Thank you for visiting The Ancestor Hunt!

______________________________________________________

Free California High School and College Yearbooks Online

9/21/2020

Yearbooks from high school or college are one of the most fun set of records for a genealogist to search. It provides you with a ton of story-like information about your ancestor's life. What their interests were, what sports and clubs they participated in, and often some goofy snapshots of them before they settled into being an adult. And of course, you get to see what they looked like.

Here are a few articles that may convince you to research these gems:

And here is an article providing information on where else you can find online yearbooks; some need a subscription and some do not:

Where to Find High School and College Yearbooks Online

Below is a list of links to free online yearbooks from the state:

Please note that some of the yearbooks are not searchable but are an image of each page in the yearbook.

Please note that there may seem to be duplicates. If there are, that means that there are multiple sites where the same schools yearbooks are available online.

(Updated September, 2020)

Alameda - United States. Navy. Air Transport Squadron 2; Alameda Naval Air Station
Albany - Albany High School
Alhambra - Alhambra High School
Alhambra - Mark Keppel High School
Arcadia - Arcadia High School
Arcata - Humboldt State University
Arroyo Grande - Arroyo Grande High School
Azusa - Citrus Union High School
Azusa - Gladstone High School
Bakersfield - Bakersfield College
Bakersfield - California State University, Bakersfield
Bakersfield - East Bakersfield High School
Bakersfield - Garces Memorial High School
Bakersfield - Kern County Union High School
Banning - Banning High School
Berkeley - Berkeley High School
Beverly Hills - Beverly Hills High School
Brentwood - Liberty High School
Brentwood - Liberty High School
Burbank - Burbank High School
Camarillo - Adolfo Camarillo High School
Carpinteria - Cate School
Carson - California State University, Dominguez Hills
Centerville - Centerville Elementary School
Chico - California State University, Chico
Chula Vista - Marian Catholic High School
Chula Vista - Mater Dei Catholic High School
Claremont - Pomona College
Claremont - Claremont High School
Claremont - Scripps College
Cloverdale - Cloverdale Union High School
Clovis - Clovis Union High School
Coalinga Union - Coalinga Union High School
Corona - Auburndale Junior High School
Corona - Corona High School
Corona - Garretson Elementary School
Corona - Washington Elementary School
El Centro - Central Union High School
Escalon - Escalon Union High School
Escalon - Escalon Union High School
Eureka - Eureka Senior High School
Fairfield - Armijo Union High School
Fillmore - Fillmore Union High School
Fort Ord - Fort Ord Army Base
Fremont - Fremont High School
Fremont - Robertson High School
Fremont - Washington High School
Fresno - California State University, Fresno
Fresno - California State University, Fresno
Fresno - Fresno Christian Schools
Fresno - Fresno State College
Fresno - Fresno State College
Fresno - Theodore Roosevelt High School
Fruitvale - John C. Fremont High School
Fullerton - Fullerton College
Fullerton - Fullerton District Junior College
Fullerton - Fullerton Junior College
Fullerton - Pacific Bible Seminary
Garden Grove - Garden Grove High School
Grossmont - Grossmont High School
Hanford - Hanford Union High School
Hawthorne - Hawthorne High School
Hayward - California State University, East Bay
Hayward - California State University, Hayward
Healdsburg - Rio Lindo Adventist Academy
Hemet - Hemet Union High School
Hollywood - Hollywood High School
Huntington Park - Huntington Park Union High School
Inglewood - Inglewood High School
Irvine - University of California, Irvine
Irvington - Irvington Elementary School
Irvington - Irvington Elementary School
Irvington - Irvington High School
Irvington - Kennedy High School
La Habra - Whittier Christian High School
La Mirada - Bible Institute of Los Angeles
La Mirada - Biola University
La Mirada - Biola University
Laguna Beach - Laguna Beach High School
Lakewood - Lakewood High School
Lakewood - Lakewood Senior High School
Lawndale - Leuzinger High School
Lennox - Lennox High School
Lincoln - Lincoln High School
Livingston - Livingston High School
Lodi - Lodi Union High School
Long Beach - David Starr Jordan High School
Long Beach - Long Beach Polytechnic High School
Long Beach - Polytechnic High School
Long Beach - Woodrow Wilson High School
Los Angeles - Abraham Lincoln High School
Los Angeles - Audubon Junior High School
Los Angeles - California Christian College
Los Angeles - Chapman College
Los Angeles - Chapman College
Los Angeles - Dorsey High School
Los Angeles - Franklin High School
Los Angeles - Granada Hills High School
Los Angeles - John C. Fremont High School
Los Angeles - LIFE Bible College
Los Angeles - Los Angeles County General Hospital School of Nursing
Los Angeles - Los Angeles High School
Los Angeles - Los Angeles Junior College
Los Angeles - Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles - Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles - Loyola University of Los Angeles
Los Angeles - Lutheran High School
Los Angeles - Manual Arts High School
Los Angeles - Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles - Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles - Occidental College
Los Angeles - Pepperdine College
Los Angeles - Roosevelt High School
Los Angeles - State Normal School
Los Angeles - University High School
Los Angeles - University of California
Los Angeles - University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles - University of Southern California
Los Angeles - University of Southern California
Los Angeles - University of Southern California Dentistry
Los Angeles - University of Southern California Naval Reserve Officers' Training Corps
Los Angeles - University of Southern California ROTC
Los Angeles - University of Southern California, Air Force Reserve Officers' Training Corps
Los Angeles - World Mission University
Los Gatos - Los Gatos Union High School
Malibu - Pepperdine University
Manteca - Manteca Union High School
McFarland - McFarland High School
Merced - Merced High School
Modesto - Modesto High School
Monterey - Santa Catalina School
Monterey - Seaside High School
Moraga - St. Mary's College
National City - National City High School
National City - Sweetwater Union High School
North Highlands - Highlands High School
Northridge - California State University, Northridge
Palm Springs - Palm Springs High School
Palo Alto - Palo Alto High School
Paramount - Paramount Senior High School
Pasadena - John Muir High School
Pasadena - Pasadena College
Pasadena - Pasadena Junior College
Pasadena - Pasadena University
Pasadena - Southern California Bible College
Pasadena - Southern California Bible College
Patterson - Patterson High School
Petaluma - Petaluma High School
Piedmont - Piedmont High School
Placentia - El Dorado High School
Pomona - Pomona High School
Ramona - Ramona High School
Redondo Union - Redondo Union High School
Reedley - Immanuel Academy
Reseda - Grover Cleveland High School
Riverside - La Sierra Academy
Riverside - La Sierra College
Riverside - La Sierra College
Riverside - La Sierra University
Riverside - La Sierra University
Riverside - Loma Linda University
Riverside - Riverside City College
Riverside - Riverside College
Riverside - Riverside Junior College
Riverside - Riverside Polytechnic High School
Riverside - Southern California Junior College
Riverside - University of California, Riverside
Riverside - University of California, Riverside
Rolling Hills Estates - Rolling Hills High School
Rosemead - Rosemead High School
Sacramento - Sacramento State College
Sacramento - Sacramento State College
Sacramento - American River Junior College
Sacramento - Encina High School
Sacramento - Sacramento City College
Sacramento - Sacramento City College
Sacramento - Sacramento High School
Salinas - Hartnell College
Salinas - Hartnell College
Salinas - Salinas Junior College
Salinas - Salinas Junior College
Salinas - Salinas Union High School
San Bernardino - California State University, San Bernardino
San Bernardino - Pacific High School
San Bernardino - San Bernardino High School
San Bernardino - San Gorgonio High School
San Diego - Mission Bay High School
San Diego - San Diego College for Women
San Diego - San Diego State College
San Diego - San Diego State University
San Diego - United States Naval Training Center
San Diego - United States. Naval Training Center
San Diego - University of San Diego
San Diego - University of San Diego, College for Men
San Francisco - Abraham Lincoln High School
San Francisco - Army School of Nursing
San Francisco - Galileo High School
San Francisco - George Washington High School
San Francisco - High School of Commerce
San Francisco - High School of Commerce
San Francisco - Lick-Wilmerding High School
San Francisco - Lowell High School
San Francisco - Mission High School
San Francisco - Mountain College
San Francisco - Salesian School
San Francisco - San Francisco College for Women
San Francisco - San Francisco State College
San Francisco - San Francisco State Teachers College
San Francisco - San Francisco State University
San Francisco - Sarah Dix Hamlin School
San Francisco - University of California Training School for Nurses
San Francisco - University of California Training School for Nurses
San Francisco - University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry
San Francisco - University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry
San Francisco - University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine
San Francisco - University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine
San Francisco - University of California, San Francisco School of Pharmacy
San Francisco - University of California, San Francisco School of Pharmacy
San Francisco - University of San Francisco
San Francisco - University of San Francisco
San Jose - Del Mar High School
San Jose - James Lick High School
San Jose - San Jose High School
San Jose - San Jose High School
San Jose - San Jose State College
San Jose - San Jose State Teachers College
San Jose - San Jose State University
San Luis Obispo - California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo
San Mateo - Junipero Serra High School
San Pedro - San Pedro High School
San Rafael - Dominican College of San Rafael
Sanger - Centerville Elementary School
Santa Ana - Santa Ana High School
Santa Barbara - San Marcos High School
Santa Barbara - Santa Barbara High School
Santa Barbara - Santa Barbara Junior College
Santa Barbara - Santa Barbara State Teachers College
Santa Barbara - University of California, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara - Westmont College
Santa Clara - Santa Clara High School
Santa Clara - Santa Clara University
Santa Clara - Woodrow Wilson High School
Santa Fe Springs - Lake Center School
Santa Monica - Santa Monica City College
Santa Monica - Santa Monica High School
Santa Paula - Santa Paula Union High School
Santa Rosa - Santa Rosa High School
Santa Rosa - Santa Rosa Junior College
Santa Rosa - Santa Rosa Junior College
Sebastopol - Analy High School
Sonoma - Sonoma Valley High School
South Gate - South Gate High School
South San Francisco - South San Francisco High School
Stanford - Stanford University
Stanford - Stanford University
Stockton - Edison High School
Stockton - Stockton College
Stockton - Stockton College
Stockton - Stockton High School
Sutter Creek - Sutter Creek Union High School
Taft - Taft Union High School
Temple City - Temple City High School
Thousand Oaks - California Lutheran College
Thousand Oaks - California Lutheran University
Tulare - Rankin Aeronautical Academy
Union City - Logan High School
Upland - Beulah College
Vacaville - Vacaville Union High School
Vacaville - Vacaville Union High School
Vacaville - Willis Jepson School
Vallejo - California Maritime Academy
Vallejo - California State University Maritime Academy
Vallejo - Vallejo High School
Walnut - Mt. San Antonio College
Wasco - Wasco High School
Whittier - Whittier College
Whittier - Whittier High School
Whittier - Whittier Union High School
Wilmington - Phineas Banning High School
Woodland - Woodland High School

To see free online yearbooks from other states. please visit the Yearbooks page.

Good Luck and Happy Hunting!

For other Free California Links, click on the category of interest:

Newspapers
Obituaries
BMD Records
Photos
Yearbooks
Directories
Divorce Records
Naturalizations
Church Records
School Records
Coroner Records
Voter Records
Probate and Wills
Immigration
Mortuary Records
Alumni Records

______________________________________________________

Thank you for visiting The Ancestor Hunt!

______________________________________________________

A Really Easy Way to Make a Genealogy Timeline

9/21/2020

Laying out your ancestors important events in a visual way is a great way to analyze their lives and compare them to others in your family tree.

Personally I like using timeline software applications as a way to display these events for some branches of my family tree. If you like, it is a visual way to share important events with your own relatives about their ancestors.

I have used many different timeline tools and for me the one that is the easiest to use and has the most flexibility for the future is Timeline JS from Northwestern University.

Most timeline software tools are either an app, a software program that you download, or a web application. These are terrific and often have a wide variety of features that Timeline JS does not have.

Why do I recommend Timeline JS? Because it is Open Source and not a proprietary program. Other timeline tools may have more features but are susceptible to the underlying software that they rely on. For example, many used to use Flash technology which created problems on smartphones.

Here is a sample from my own tree. It is fairly simple but does have text, photos and videos included. Not multi-color like many timeline "makers" but does the job.

So, is Timeline JS the coolest timeline creator out there? Nope - it is pretty basic. But it is really easy to implement and gets the job done. And as stated earlier, being open source protects it somewhat in the future.

Try it out - you might like it. If you still want something "fancy schmancy" you won't have invested a ton of time with Timeline JS.

(By the way, I originally wrote this article over 3 years ago, and guess what? I'm still using Timeline JS!)

______________________________________________________

Thank you for visiting The Ancestor Hunt!

______________________________________________________

Newspaper Research Tip - Change the Letters

9/21/2020

If you do newspaper research online as part of your your genealogy and family history pursuits, then you have certainly been puzzled by some of the search results (or lack thereof) that you have received.

Creation of newspaper images and application of the OCR process does not always result in what you might expect.

There is a simple explanation for this, and it all has to do with quality:

Quality of the original material - was the newspaper old and brittle when scanned? Was it yellowed? Did it have dirt on it or lots of ink spots?
Was the scan performed to create the digital image and the index from the original paper, or from a microfilm of the paper, or worse a copy of the microfilm? Every additional copy or scan degrades the resulting image and when the OCR process is applied the index suffers.
Quality of the OCR software.- some are better than others
Quality of the writing in the original newspaper. Did the author get your ancestor's name spelled correctly?
Quality of the typesetter - did the typesetter get every word from the author set up correctly?

Thus what you are searching is not a perfect digital database that represents what was originally written by the author and newspaper publisher.

What can we do about it? There are lots of things to try and this article deals with changing the letters in your search criteria. For example - if the surname you are searching for is "Wilson" and the letter "n" is often picked up as the letter "m" why not search for "Wilsom"?

I guarantee that changing your search criteria will lead to an improvement of at least 5 to 10% in search results. I heard from one reader that changing word pairs got them a 20% improvement.

So which letter pairs are often confused? Here's a few of them:

rn and m (ar n and em)
h and b
Capital D and O
i, l, 1, /, !, and I are all often interchanged
0 and O
c and e
r and n
[, ] and l (el)
nl and m (en el and em)
Capital R and B
n and ri (en and ar eye)
v and y
Capital S and 8
Capital S and 5
Capital Z and 2
Capital G and 6
Capital B and 8
Capital K and |<

My suggestion? Change your search criteria and exchange the letter string you are looking for to include these alternative letter and letter pairs and see what happens. You might be pleasantly surprised!

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4 Considerations When Picking a Newspaper Research Subscription Site

9/21/2020

If you are a genealogy researcher like me, you want to have available to you as many records that may contain information about your ancestors as possible. If you follow this site, you know that I am "big" on using old newspapers as resources to find about your family and their stories.

There is a page on this site - Newspapers that has a large number of free resources and links that you can use to search these historic newspapers.

But what about the paid newspaper subscription sites? I have used the three large ones in the U.S. (Newspapers.com, Newspaperarchive, and GenealogyBank). There are other sites where newspapers are available, such as Ancestry.com, British Newspaper Archive, etc. There are pluses and minuses to all of these sites, but this article is not a comparison of these sites.

Why is that you ask? In my opinion, each person should make up their own mind as to what characteristics are important to them and how each of these sites fit your particular preferences.

What are the four most important characteristics? Here are what I believe are those that you should consider:

Collections Available - just as in Real Estate where the motto is "Location, location, location" - the motto for subscription newspaper research sites is "Database, database, database." I get asked all the time if someone should purchase a subscription to site A. I always ask them first - for the states, cities or areas that you are researching, as well as the dates that your ancestors lived there, does the site have a collection of newspapers available? If it doesn't for a preponderance of your ancestors - and you purchase a subscription - don't complain when you can't find anything. All sites have a list of what newspapers and dates are in their collections. Check those out before you buy.

User Interface and Searching Features - every site mentioned above (and those not mentioned) have different user interfaces - some are simple and easy to figure out and use; some have richer capabilities and features. I always like to try the "Advanced Search" features because that generally indicates the total breadth of capability. And one MUST read the Help documentation for each of these sites. Generally they will let you know what type of search criteria can be entered - for example Boolean and proximity searches. Quite honestly I have heard many subscribers complain about not finding anything when they haven't even tried to learn all the search capabilities available to them.

Scan and OCR Quality - the index that the site has created is only as good as the quality of the original scan and the OCR software that they use to build the index. Were the newspapers scanned from originals or from microfilm, or from copies of microfilm? Some of the collections that I have seen have an extremely poor quality image displayed after selecting a search result. This indicates to me that the original image that they applied the OCR process to was degraded and hence the index certainly will suffer. In other words - your ancestor is mentioned but the scan was so lousy that the OCR process could not build an acceptable index entry with the correct )or near correct) spelling of the name.

Price and Billing Practices - some of the aforementioned sites are 4 times as expensive as the others. Some have a monthly plan, some annually only. Some auto-renew and some do not. If you purchase a subscription it is incumbent on you to read the terms of the subscription as well as the fine print. As always with any purchase online - it is buyer-be AWARE.

Most sites have some sort of free trial or a short time subscription so you don't have to plunk down money for a whole year if your resources are tight and you just want to check out the site.

So check out free old newspaper resources (I suggest Newspaper Links on this site), but don't forget historical newspaper subscription sites - they have different collections available than those on the free sites.

And lastly, don't forget the library. They often have subscriptions to the aforementioned sites but you need to be physically located at the library to search them. And also the library may subscribe to other historical newspaper collections that can be searched, such as Gale, ProQuest, or NewsBank for example.

Your family history research will be enhanced by using all the resources available to you.

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10 Reasons Why You Can't Find Ancestor Articles in Online Newspapers

9/21/2020

For those of us who research newspapers to find articles about our ancestors, there is one thing to keep in mind:

"Researching newspapers is a marathon, not a sprint"

OK, enough of the platitude, but why can't I find what I am looking for?

Here are 10 reasons why you might be unsuccessful and what to do about it:

All newspapers are not online. Period. My guess is that it is in the 20 to 25% range (including subscription collections), but that is just a bit of an educated guess. You may have to visit a library or archive and browse through microfilm and original newsprint.
All newspapers online to search are not free. You might just need to invest in one of the subscription sites. I have done so and found articles and obituaries that are not in the free collections. There are often free trials available if you are strapped financially.
You have found newspapers available but they don't have the dates that you are looking for. This happens all the time, so make sure that you check the dates available in the collections before you search.
Your search criteria is lacking. Please check the Newspapers! page on this site for tips and articles on how to search to produce the best results. Don't just search surnames. Vary your spelling. Etc.
Are you Browsing? If the OCR process doesn't convert the dots on the newsprint to the proper text, then the word will not be indexed properly. But browsing through pages may help you find what you are looking for. More tedious? Yes, but I have found a bunch of pertinent articles by browsing. Add browsing to your repertoire.
Don't expect Chronicling America, or Google News Archive, or the subscription sites to always have what you need. Check out my Newspaper Links to find free online collections with thousands of titles.
For your geographical area of interest, check city, county, state, local public library, college and university websites for new online collections. The link lists in #6 above can't keep track of every new collection immediately, so do a bit of research for new collections yourself in the targeted area.
Ask for help. In the Genealogy and Newspapers Facebook Group, there are several members who have offered to look up newspapers for other members in the collections that they have access to, as just one example. But, because of copyright and terms of service restrictions in subscription collections, they can only tell you where to find the newspaper and possibly provide a transcription - NOT the newspaper image itself.
Have a plan. Keep track of your searches and ancestors that you are searching for in a log. Maybe in the future additional dates and/or collections will have the target newspaper that you are waiting for.
Be patient. Don't give up. Educate yourself in the meantime. Become a patient researching machine.

Here's a video for this list of reasons if you would like to kick back and watch for about 90 seconds:

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5 Secrets for Searching Old Digitized Newspapers

9/21/2020

Everyone who has searched newspapers online will fail to find something. It happens incredibly often. The stakes are high for genealogy researchers, where finding an article about an ancestor can make a huge difference in filling out a family tree or finding an extraordinary story unknown before.

I have often heard researchers say "I can't find a single article about my ancestor, even though I have searched for hours!"

Laying competency aside as a factor, the biggest reason is that the scanning and OCR of one and two hundred year old newspapers, either from paper or from microfilm, produces way less than optimal results.

Here are 5 secrets to success:

1. Understand that you are trying to search against an imperfect database

Every collection of digitized newspapers has two parts. The first is the collection of all the scanned images. The second is the OCR text that contains all the "words" in the newspapers. In fact, the OCR text does NOT contain words or names - it really is just a string of letters and spaces. You need to know AND remember that the key is that it is a string of letters, not NECESSARILY a word or a person's name that you are searching against.

The OCR process is intended to convert the dots on the page to letters, numbers and symbols (such as punctuation). If the original newspaper is dirty, brittle, creased, etc., the OCR process, which is applied to the scanned image, may not convert the dots to the correct letters. There are a variety of strange characters and combinations of strange characters that may be picked up.

The bottom line is that the OCR text - a representation of the dots from the original pre-scanned newspaper page is only as good as the quality of the original, the quality of the scanner, and the quality of the OCR software. That's a lot of "quality" that has to exist.

You must expect inferior results and set your expectations accordingly.

2. Dates and Location Matter

A digitized newspaper collection represents a number (sometimes a large number) of newspaper pages that
when combined are a newspaper edition for a specific day (or part of a day if there is a morning and evening edition). So, a page is part of a newspaper title's publication for that day. Several days and multiple titles become a collection.

Let's say that the digitized collection of the "Herald News" has publication dates of November 12, 1887 through January 31, 1894, which represents all the newspapers in the collection.

No matter how hard you try you cannot make the collection give you results for your great grandfather's obituary if it was published in the Herald News on March 14, 1896.

A very common mistake that online newspaper researchers make is to ignore the dates of newspapers that are in the collection and the publication locations of that collection. Always check the collection dates and publication title and location prior to starting a search project.

3, Remember you are searching for a string of letters, NOT a Name or a Word

For example, if you are looking for a person named "Smith" (good luck with THAT common name, but I digress), try using different letter strings, such as "Smitb", or "sm1th", or "8mith" or combinations of those different letters/numbers.

If there is an "h" in your search term, try exchanging a "b", since b's and h's are quite similar and thus the OCR text may include the "b" rather than the desired "h" (e.g., an undesired ink spot in just the right location may make the "h" look like a "b". As a real world example, searching the California Digital Newspaper Collection for one of my ancestor surnames - "Braunhart" yields 1,507 results. Replacing the "h" with a "b", hence searching for "Braunbart" yields 96 results - for the SAME person. That is approximately another 6%!

For a similar reason as "h" and "b" are confused - the same holds true of "c" and "e".

Likewise, lower case m's and n's are often confused. The m's are often converted to several combinations of letters. Also r's and n's can be confused.

For a complete list got to Newspaper Research Tip - Change the Letters

To repeat - you may "wish" that when you enter a perfectly spelled name or word, that you will get positive results when searching against the OCR text - but actually it is the string of letters that appear in the text representation of the page AFTER the OCR process that you are searching against. So, outsmart the system by changing your search string of letters.

4. Remember to Take Hyphenated Words into Consideration

Hyphenated words were often used because of fixed width type as well as the experience and capability of the typesetter. Hyphens are less utilized today but were a staple years ago. Take that into consideration if you are searching for a surname or other search criteria with many letters in one word. Try splitting the search into two words where the hyphen may have been normally used.

I have seen in older newspapers, as much as 20% of a column have hyphenated words. So try splitting up someone's name. For example, MacDonald could have "Mac-" on one line, followed by "Donald" on the second line. Or MacDon-" on one line and "ald" on the second line.

You will get many more positive results if you take hyphenation into consideration when formulating your search string.

Here is more about searching for hyphenated words - Hyphens Are Your Friend - Use Them in Newspaper Searching

5. Use Crowdsourcing to Improve the OCR Textual representation of the Page

More and more digitized collections are using crowdsourcing to improve the OCR text. In effect you are helping the next person by correcting OCR errors and changing the letter string to words or names that are spelled correctly.

Additional help for all our searching success would be more crowdsourcing to correct OCR errors and improve the text. An example is reCaptcha processing that has been used by Google Books.

Another crowdsourcing example that I personally have used is that of correction on the actual online newspaper site, such as the aforementioned California Digital Newspaper Collection. In this example, registered users can provide edited text that is then incorporated into future searches. Kind of like a newspaper-related "pay it forward." This capability is provided on that site and many others from the fine folks at Elephind.com, who created the software used by the California collection as well as many other online newspaper sites. I have recently noticed more software that is incorporating this feature.

So, in summary - you can win with online newspaper searching - you just need to be smart about the process.

Good luck - be persistent and have reasonable expectations.

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Free Hawaii High School and College Yearbooks Online

9/20/2020

Yearbooks from high school or college are one of the most fun set of records for a genealogist to search. It provides you with a ton of story-like information about your ancestor's life. What their interests were, what sports and clubs they participated in, and often some goofy snapshots of them before they settled into being an adult. And of course, you get to see what they looked like.

Here are a few articles that may convince you to research these gems:

And here is an article providing information on where else you can find online yearbooks; some need a subscription and some do not:

Where to Find High School and College Yearbooks Online

Below is a list of links to free online yearbooks from the state:

Please note that some of the yearbooks are not searchable but are an image of each page in the yearbook.

Please note that there may seem to be duplicates. If there are, that means that there are multiple sites where the same schools yearbooks are available online.

(Updated September, 2020)

Hickam Airfield - Hickam Army Airfield
Hilo - Saint Joseph's High School
Honolulu - Kamehameha Schools
Honolulu - University of Hawaii, Manoa
Kamuela - Hawaii Preparatory Academy
Laie - Church College of Hawaii

To see free online yearbooks from other states. please visit the Yearbooks page.

Good Luck and Happy Hunting!

For other Free Hawaii Links, click on the category of interest:

Newspapers
Obituaries
BMD Records
Photos
Yearbooks
Directories
Divorce Records
Naturalizations
Church Records
School Records
Coroner Records
Voter Records
Probate and Wills
Immigration
Mortuary Records
Alumni Records

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