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Artwork for Ancestral Findings

Ancestral Findings

AncestralFindings.com

These brief historical and informational snippets about genealogy and history should encourage and help you advance your family tree.

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S12 · E1308
Friday · 10 min
Your Ancestor's Neighbors May Hold the Clues You Need
Genealogy research often begins with one person. You find an ancestor's name. You locate a census record, discover a marriage record, or uncover a family connection that moves your research forward. For a while, the pieces begin to fit together. Then the trail slows down. You cannot find where the family came from. You cannot identify the parents. You cannot explain why your ancestor moved from one place to another. The records seem to stop, and you are left wondering where to search next. At this point, many researchers continue searching only for the ancestor they are trying to find. But sometimes the best clues are found somewhere else. Our ancestors lived among relatives, neighbors, friends, coworkers, church members, and other people in their communities. Those relationships created records and connections that can help us learn more about an ancestor who has become difficult to trace. When the direct search stops working, it may be time to study the people around them... Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/ancestor-neighbors-genealogy-clues/ Ancestral Findings Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups Genealogy Giveaway: https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway Genealogy eBooks: https://ancestralfindings.com/ebooks Follow Along: https://www.facebook.com/AncestralFindings https://www.youtube.com/@ancestralfindings Support Ancestral Findings: https://ancestralfindings.com/support #Genealogy #AncestralFindings #GenealogyClips
S12 · E1307
Wednesday · 10 min
The People Who Disappeared From History: Finding Ancestors Who Left Few Records
Every genealogist eventually finds one. You follow a family line through the years, finding names, dates, places, and relationships. One record leads to another. You discover where your ancestors lived, who they married, and how their families grew. Then suddenly, the trail ends. An ancestor who should be there seems to disappear. Maybe you find them in one census record but cannot locate them afterward. Perhaps you discover a marriage record but never find a birth record. You may know someone existed because their children named them as a parent, yet finding anything else about that person seems impossible. This is one of the most frustrating moments in genealogy research. Many people assume that if they cannot find a record, the ancestor must be lost forever. But that is not always true. In many cases, the person did not disappear. The records simply did not follow the same path as the records for other family members. Some ancestors left behind hundreds of records. Others left only small pieces of information scattered across different places. Finding those people requires a different way of thinking. Instead of asking, "Where is the missing record?" sometimes we need to ask, "What clues can help me rebuild this person's life?" That change in perspective can open new possibilities... Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/finding-ancestors-who-disappeared-from-history/ Ancestral Findings Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups Genealogy Giveaway: https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway Genealogy eBooks: https://ancestralfindings.com/ebooks Follow Along: https://www.facebook.com/AncestralFindings https://www.youtube.com/@ancestralfindings Support Ancestral Findings: https://ancestralfindings.com/support #Genealogy #AncestralFindings #GenealogyClips
S12 · E1306
August 21 · 20 min
Finding Your Ancestors in Fraternal and Lodge Records
For much of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, belonging to a lodge or fraternal organization was a normal part of American community life. In towns large and small, men and women joined groups that offered friendship, social activity, financial assistance, insurance benefits, funeral support, and a place to form connections outside the home and workplace. Some of those organizations are still familiar today. Freemasons, Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, the Grange, Knights of Columbus, Grand Army of the Republic posts, Rebekah lodges, Woodmen organizations, and many others once had local chapters scattered across the country. There were also ethnic societies, religious groups, veterans' organizations, mutual-benefit associations, and small local orders whose names may be almost forgotten now. For genealogists, these groups offer a different way to understand an ancestor. A census tells us who was living in the household. A deed tells us who owned the property. A probate file shows what someone left behind. Lodge records can reveal the people an ancestor knew, the organizations that were important to the family, and the community ties that shaped everyday life. Sometimes they can even explain who stepped forward when illness, financial trouble, or death affected the household. The first step is recognizing that a connection existed... Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/fraternal-lodge-records-genealogy/ Ancestral Findings Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups Genealogy Giveaway: https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway Genealogy eBooks: https://ancestralfindings.com/ebooks Follow Along: https://www.facebook.com/AncestralFindings https://www.youtube.com/@ancestralfindings Support Ancestral Findings: https://ancestralfindings.com/support #Genealogy #AncestralFindings #GenealogyClips
S12 · E1305
August 20 · 15 min
What Coroner's Inquest Records Can Tell You About Your Ancestors
A death certificate can tell you when and where your ancestor died. An obituary might name surviving relatives and tell you where the funeral was held. But what if the death was sudden, accidental, unexplained, or suspicious? There may be another record waiting for you. Coroner's inquest records were created when officials needed to determine how or why someone died. Depending on the time and place, an inquest file might contain only a few pages. In other cases, it can include witness statements, testimony from relatives, medical findings, scene descriptions, photographs, drawings, letters, or other evidence. For a family historian, these records can reveal far more than a cause of death. They may tell you where your ancestor was living, who was with the person during the final hours of life, who identified the body, which relatives lived nearby, what kind of work the person did, and how other people described their relationship to the deceased. If an ancestor died under unusual circumstances, it's worth finding out whether a coroner became involved... Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/poorhouse-records-genealogy/ Ancestral Findings Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups Genealogy Giveaway: https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway Genealogy eBooks: https://ancestralfindings.com/ebooks Follow Along: https://www.facebook.com/AncestralFindings https://www.youtube.com/@ancestralfindings Support Ancestral Findings: https://ancestralfindings.com/support #Genealogy #AncestralFindings #GenealogyClips
S12 · E1304
August 19 · 13 min
Did Your Ancestor End Up in the Poorhouse? The Records You May Be Missing
You find your ancestor living with the family in one census. Ten years later, that person is gone. There's no obvious death record. You can't find another marriage. You don't see evidence of a move. The person simply seems to disappear. Or maybe you do find your ancestor, but instead of living with family, they are listed among dozens of unrelated people in a county institution. One place you may not think to check is the poorhouse. Depending on the place and time period, it might have been called an almshouse, poor farm, county infirmary, county home, town farm, or something similar. These institutions cared for people who, for one reason or another, couldn't support themselves. The records they left behind can sometimes explain what happened to an ancestor when the usual genealogical records fall short... Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/poorhouse-records-genealogy/ Ancestral Findings Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups Genealogy Giveaway: https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway Genealogy eBooks: https://ancestralfindings.com/ebooks Follow Along: https://www.facebook.com/AncestralFindings https://www.youtube.com/@ancestralfindings Support Ancestral Findings: https://ancestralfindings.com/support #Genealogy #AncestralFindings #GenealogyClips
S12 · E1303
August 14 · 15 min
American Folklore in Oklahoma
Oklahoma became the forty-sixth state on November 16, 1907, but its story began long before there was an Oklahoma Territory, an Indian Territory, or even a United States. Native peoples lived throughout the region long before written records. Different communities hunted the plains, farmed river valleys, built towns, traded over great distances, and created cultures that left a lasting mark on the land. One of the most remarkable places is Spiro Mounds in eastern Oklahoma. From about A.D. 850 to 1450, Spiro grew from a farming village into one of the most important Native cultural centers in what is now the United States. Twelve earthen mounds, ceremonial areas, and a large community developed there. Objects found at Spiro show connections with people living hundreds of miles away... Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/american-folklore-oklahoma/ Ancestral Findings Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups Genealogy Giveaway: https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway Genealogy eBooks: https://ancestralfindings.com/ebooks Follow Along: https://www.facebook.com/AncestralFindings https://www.youtube.com/ancestralfindings Support Ancestral Findings: https://ancestralfindings.com/support #Genealogy #AncestralFindings #GenealogyClips
S12 · E1302
August 12 · 9 min
American Folklore in Oregon
Oregon became the thirty-third state on February 14, 1859, but its history reaches far beyond statehood. Indigenous peoples had lived throughout the region long before Europeans arrived, with communities and traditions tied to the coast, forests, mountains, and rivers. One of the earliest documented European explorations of what is now Oregon came in 1543, when Bartolomé Ferrelo continued north along the Pacific Coast on an expedition begun by Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo. Over the centuries that followed, Spain, Britain, and the United States all claimed interests in the Pacific Northwest. The United States and Great Britain agreed to jointly occupy the Oregon Country in 1818, and the Oregon Treaty of 1846 established the boundary between American and British territory. Oregon Territory was organized in 1848, followed by statehood eleven years later. With forests that seem to go on forever, a rugged coastline, isolated lakes, old hotels, and communities with stories passed down for generations, Oregon has produced some wonderfully strange folklore. There are mysterious creatures, sea serpents, ghosts, and at least one monster who apparently decided that simply being a monster wasn't interesting enough. He needed a name... Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/american-folklore-oregon/ Ancestral Findings Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups Genealogy Giveaway: https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway Genealogy eBooks: https://ancestralfindings.com/ebooks Follow Along: https://www.facebook.com/AncestralFindings https://www.youtube.com/ancestralfindings Support Ancestral Findings: https://ancestralfindings.com/support #Genealogy #AncestralFindings #GenealogyClips
S12 · E1301
August 10 · 11 min
American Folklore in South Dakota
South Dakota joined the Union on November 2, 1889, the same day as North Dakota. South Dakota is traditionally listed as the fortieth state, but no one knows which Dakota was admitted first. President Benjamin Harrison shuffled the two statehood documents before signing them so neither state could claim it had entered the Union ahead of the other. Native peoples lived, hunted, farmed, and traveled across the region long before European explorers arrived. The Arikara, Mandan, Crow, Cheyenne, Omaha, Ponca, Dakota, Nakota, Lakota, and other nations were connected to different parts of the land at various times. The history was far more complex than one tribe simply replacing another. The first written record of European explorers reaching present-day South Dakota comes from 1743. French explorers Francois and Louis-Joseph de La Verendrye buried a lead plate near present-day Fort Pierre and claimed the region for France. The land later passed to Spain, returned to France, and became part of the United States through the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Today, South Dakota is known for Mount Rushmore, the Black Hills, the historic town of Deadwood, and the prairie country described in several of Laura Ingalls Wilder's books. The state's forests, ravines, outlaw hideouts, mining towns, and Victorian buildings have also inspired plenty of strange stories. Here are some of South Dakota's best-known legends. Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/american-folklore-south-dakota/ Ancestral Findings Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups Genealogy Giveaway: https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway Genealogy eBooks: https://ancestralfindings.com/ebooks Follow Along: https://www.facebook.com/AncestralFindings https://www.youtube.com/ancestralfindings Support Ancestral Findings: https://ancestralfindings.com/support #Genealogy #AncestralFindings #GenealogyClips
S12 · E1300
August 8 · 13 min
What Funeral Home Records Can Tell You About Your Ancestors
When an ancestor dies, most genealogists know the usual records to search. There's the death certificate, obituary, cemetery record, gravestone, probate file, and perhaps a church burial record. But there's another source that can be just as useful and is often overlooked. The funeral home. Funeral homes kept records for practical reasons. They needed to know who had died, where the person lived, where the funeral would be held, where the person would be buried, and who was responsible for the arrangements. For genealogists, that paperwork can contain valuable family information. What Might Be in a Funeral Home Record? Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/funeral-home-records-genealogy/ Ancestral Findings Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups Genealogy Giveaway: https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway Genealogy eBooks: https://ancestralfindings.com/ebooks Follow Along: https://www.facebook.com/AncestralFindings https://www.youtube.com/ancestralfindings Support Ancestral Findings: https://ancestralfindings.com/support #Genealogy #AncestralFindings #GenealogyClips
S12 · E1299
August 7 · 13 min
American Folklore in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's history reaches far beyond the founding of the United States. Long before Europeans arrived, the region was home to the Lenape, Susquehannock, Erie, and other Native peoples. Rivers such as the Delaware, Susquehanna, and Allegheny served as travel routes, hunting grounds, fishing areas, and centers of trade. Dutch, Swedish, Finnish, and English settlers later established communities in portions of the region. In 1681, King Charles II granted the land to William Penn, who planned a colony where Quakers and members of other religious groups could live with greater freedom. The colony eventually attracted German-speaking settlers, Mennonites, Amish families, Scots-Irish immigrants, Welsh Quakers, and people from many other backgrounds. Pennsylvania became the second state to ratify the United States Constitution on December 12, 1787. Its cities, farms, forests, mountains, mines, lakes, and battlefields have since produced an enormous collection of legends. Some Pennsylvania folklore grew from the dangers people faced. Sailors feared sudden storms on Lake Erie. Families remembered soldiers who never returned from war. Old burial grounds inspired stories about spirits guarding the dead. In other cases, a frightening tale was repeated so often that separating history from fiction became difficult. Here are several of Pennsylvania's best-known legends. Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/american-folklore-pennsylvania/ Ancestral Findings Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups Genealogy Giveaway: https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway Genealogy eBooks: https://ancestralfindings.com/ebooks Follow Along: https://www.facebook.com/AncestralFindings https://www.youtube.com/ancestralfindings Support Ancestral Findings: https://ancestralfindings.com/support #Genealogy #AncestralFindings #GenealogyClips
S12 · E1298
August 5 · 18 min
American Folklore in South Carolina
South Carolina is one of the original thirteen states, but its history began long before the first European settlers arrived. Native peoples had lived throughout the region for countless generations, building communities along its rivers, forests, coastal marshes, and barrier islands. The name Carolina comes from Carolus, the Latin form of Charles. The land was named in honor of England's King Charles I. South Carolina later ratified the United States Constitution on May 23, 1788, becoming the eighth state to join the new nation. Many Native American nations lived in what's now South Carolina. These included the Catawba, Cherokee, Pee Dee, Waccamaw, Santee, Edisto, Kiawah, Yamasee, and several other groups. The Catawba lived primarily in the Piedmont region, while other communities made their homes along the coast and major rivers. European explorers began visiting the coastline during the 1500s. A Spanish expedition attempted to establish the colony of San Miguel de Gualdape in 1526, although historians still debate its exact location. The colony failed within a few months because of disease, hunger, internal conflict, and resistance from the people who'd been enslaved there. The French established Charlesfort on present-day Parris Island in 1562, but the small settlement lasted only about a year. Spain later established Santa Elena at the same location in 1566. Santa Elena became the capital of Spanish Florida before it was abandoned in 1587. The first lasting English settlement in South Carolina was Charles Towne, founded in 1670. It was later moved to the area where Charleston stands today. With Native American, European, African, and Caribbean traditions meeting in the same region, South Carolina developed a rich collection of legends and ghost stories. Some began with real people and historical events. Others came from spiritual beliefs, unexplained sightings, family stories, and warnings passed from one generation to the next. Here are some of South Carolina's most memorable legends... Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/american-folklore-south-carolina/ Ancestral Findings Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups Genealogy Giveaway: https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway Genealogy eBooks: https://ancestralfindings.com/ebooks Follow Along: https://www.facebook.com/AncestralFindings https://www.youtube.com/ancestralfindings Support Ancestral Findings: https://ancestralfindings.com/support #Genealogy #AncestralFindings #GenealogyClips
S12 · E1297
August 3 · 14 min
10 "Must-Do" Genealogy Projects for August
August can be a funny month. Summer is still here, but it is beginning to wind down. The children and grandchildren are getting ready to return to school, vacations are coming to an end, and some of the hottest afternoons are still ahead of us. That makes August a good month to work on family history. Some genealogy projects are perfect for a quiet afternoon indoors. Others give us a reason to visit relatives, take a short trip, or spend time sharing family stories with younger generations. You do not need to finish everything on this list. Choose one or two projects that fit where you are in your research. A few hours spent on a part of your family history that has been neglected can make a real difference. You can also listen to the Ancestral Findings Podcast while you organize photographs, sort records, or work on your family tree... Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/genealogy-projects-for-august/ Ancestral Findings Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups Genealogy Giveaway: https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway Genealogy eBooks: https://ancestralfindings.com/ebooks Follow Along: https://www.facebook.com/AncestralFindings https://www.youtube.com/ancestralfindings Support Ancestral Findings: https://ancestralfindings.com/support #Genealogy #AncestralFindings #GenealogyClips
S12 · E1297
July 31 · 10 min
American Folklore in Rhode Island
Rhode Island may be the smallest state in the country, but it has never been short on independence or unusual stories. One of the original thirteen colonies, Rhode Island was the last state to ratify the United States Constitution. It finally approved the document on May 29, 1790, becoming the thirteenth state to join the new Union. Rhode Island had already developed a reputation for going its own way. Colonial officials sometimes called it "Rogue Island," partly because smuggling was widespread in its busy ports and its merchants frequently resisted British trade restrictions. The colony was also known for religious liberty and for offering a home to people whose beliefs were unwelcome elsewhere. Until recently, the state's official name was the "State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations." Rhode Island voters chose to keep that name during a 2010 referendum. Ten years later, however, voters approved removing "and Providence Plantations." Since 2020, the official name has simply been the "State of Rhode Island." Roger Williams established Providence in 1636 after being banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony because of his religious views. He reached an agreement with Narragansett leaders Canonicus and Miantonomi for the land where Providence was founded. The agreement was later recorded in a deed dated 1638. Long before European settlement, the region was home to Native peoples, including the Narragansett, Niantic, and Wampanoag. Their communities, traditions, and conflicts with European settlers all became part of Rhode Island's history. With colonial settlements, rocky shorelines, old cemeteries, and centuries-old homes, Rhode Island has collected a surprising amount of folklore. Some stories grew from documented events, while others have been passed down as local legends. Here are several of the best-known examples... Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/american-folklore-rhode-island/ Ancestral Findings Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups Genealogy Giveaway: https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway Genealogy eBooks: https://ancestralfindings.com/ebooks Follow Along: https://www.facebook.com/AncestralFindings https://www.youtube.com/ancestralfindings Support Ancestral Findings: https://ancestralfindings.com/support #Genealogy #AncestralFindings #GenealogyClips
S12 · E1296
July 29 · 9 min
Does the Same Last Name Mean You Are Related? | Genealogy MythBusters
Finding someone with your family's last name can be exciting. Maybe the name appears in an old census, a cemetery record, an online family tree, or even a DNA match list. The spelling is exactly right, the family lived in the same general area, and suddenly a new branch of your tree seems to be taking shape. It is easy to think, "We have the same surname, so we must be related." Sometimes that turns out to be true. A shared surname can be a valuable clue, especially when it is unusual and appears in the same place over several generations. But a surname alone does not prove a family connection. Different families often adopted the same last name independently. Related people may also appear under completely different surnames or spellings. To know whether two people truly belong to the same family, you must look beyond the name and follow the records... Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/does-the-same-last-name-mean-you-are-related-genealogy-mythbusters/ Ancestral Findings Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups Genealogy Giveaway: https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway Genealogy eBooks: https://ancestralfindings.com/ebooks Follow Along: https://www.facebook.com/AncestralFindings https://www.youtube.com/ancestralfindings Support Ancestral Findings: https://ancestralfindings.com/support #Genealogy #AncestralFindings #GenealogyClips
S12 · E1295
July 27 · 30 min
American Folklore in Tennessee
Admitted to the Union in 1796 as the 16th state, Tennessee has been inhabited by humans for at least 12,000 years, according to current archaeological evidence. The names of the tribes of Native Americans who inhabited the area before the first known Europeans arrived are not known, though the area has gone through several named cultural phases, such as the Archaic, Woodland, and Mississippian. Hernando de Soto led the first known European expedition into what is now Tennessee in 1540, under the flag of Spain. The Muscogee and Yuchi tribes were living in Tennessee at that time, and are the first known named tribes of that area. Later, as European diseases and incursion on their territory drove these tribes out of the area, the Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Cherokee tribes moved in, with the Cherokee being the last to come to Tennessee in 1838. The first permanent European settlement in Tennessee was built by the British in 1756. It was the westernmost British outpost to that date. European settlers gradually moved to the area in larger numbers, with most of them being of English, Scottish, and Irish descent. Tennessee has a long and storied history with humans and plenty of folklore of its own. Here are some of the highlights of this wonderful folklore... Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/american-folklore-tennessee/ Ancestral Findings Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups Genealogy Giveaway: https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway Genealogy eBooks: https://ancestralfindings.com/ebooks Follow Along: https://www.facebook.com/AncestralFindings https://www.youtube.com/ancestralfindings Support Ancestral Findings: https://ancestralfindings.com/support #Genealogy #AncestralFindings #GenealogyClips
S12 · E1294
July 25 · 20 min
American Folklore in Utah
In this addition, we are traveling through Utah, where one mysterious gravestone has puzzled visitors for decades, stolen pieces of a Jurassic forest return home with letters of apology, a grave robber disappears from an island in the Great Salt Lake, and a brilliant blue mountain lake is said to conceal something enormous beneath its surface. Some parts of these stories are documented history. Others are legends that grew as they passed from one storyteller to the next. That distinction matters, but it does not make the folklore any less fascinating. In fact, the place where the records end and the legends begin is often where the most interesting questions are waiting. Before we explore those stories, it helps to understand the remarkably deep history of Utah itself... Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/american-folklore-utah/ Ancestral Findings Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups Genealogy Giveaway: https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway Genealogy eBooks: https://ancestralfindings.com/ebooks Follow Along: https://www.facebook.com/AncestralFindings https://www.youtube.com/ancestralfindings Support Ancestral Findings: https://ancestralfindings.com/support #Genealogy #AncestralFindings #GenealogyClips
S12 · E1293
July 19 · 17 min
American Folklore in Vermont
Today, we travel through Vermont in search of a family curse, a legendary lake creature, the ghost stories surrounding a terrible railroad disaster, and a group of mineral springs that seemed to resist every attempt to turn them into a business. Some parts of these stories are supported by historical records. Others belong entirely to folklore. Together, they reveal how real people, places, and tragedies can become legends passed down for generations. Long before Vermont had its present name or boundaries, Indigenous people lived throughout the region. Archaeological evidence shows that people were living in the Champlain Valley thousands of years ago. Over time, small seasonal camps developed into more permanent communities along the lakes and rivers. The Western Abenaki were among the Native peoples whose homeland included what is now Vermont. Lake Champlain provided food, transportation, and spiritual meaning, while rivers such as the Winooski and Missisquoi connected communities throughout the region. In 1609, Samuel de Champlain became the first European known to have set foot in what would become Vermont. Contrary to a frequently repeated claim, there is no reliable evidence that Jacques Cartier visited Vermont in 1535. The French built Fort Sainte Anne on Isle La Motte in 1666, creating Vermont's first European settlement. France eventually lost control of the region to Great Britain in 1763. Vermont then declared itself an independent republic in 1777 before joining the United States on March 4, 1791, as the fourteenth state. That long and complicated history created the perfect setting for stories in which fact and folklore are rarely far apart... Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/american-folklore-vermont/ Ancestral Findings Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups Genealogy Giveaway: https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway Genealogy eBooks: https://ancestralfindings.com/ebooks Follow Along: https://www.facebook.com/AncestralFindings https://www.youtube.com/ancestralfindings Support Ancestral Findings: https://ancestralfindings.com/support #Genealogy #AncestralFindings #GenealogyClips
S12 · E1292
July 15 · 8 min
American Folklore in Virginia
Today we explore three unusual stories from Virginia folklore: the ghost legend associated with Sarah Shelton Henry, the mystery of the Beale ciphers, and the modern tale of a werewolf-like creature in Henrico County. Along the way, we will separate the documented history from the legends that grew around it. Virginia was one of the thirteen colonies that declared independence from Britain, but its human story reaches back much farther. Archaeological evidence shows that people have lived in what is now Virginia for at least sixteen thousand years. Early communities were mobile hunters, fishers, and gatherers. Over thousands of years, many became more settled. During the Late Woodland period, farming, towns, and far-reaching trade networks became increasingly important. By the early 1600s, Virginia's Indigenous peoples spoke languages belonging to three broad families: Algonquian, Iroquoian, and Siouan. In Tidewater Virginia, Wahunsenacawh—known to the English by his title, Powhatan—inherited authority over six groups. Through diplomacy and force, he expanded that alliance to include between twenty-eight and thirty-two tribes and smaller chiefdoms. This alliance did not include every Native nation in Virginia, and its population numbered in the tens of thousands. European contact also began earlier than the original article suggested. Spanish Jesuits attempted to establish a mission in the Chesapeake region in 1570. Jamestown, founded in 1607, became the first permanent English settlement. Relationships between the English and Virginia's Native peoples included trade and diplomacy, but also warfare, dispossession, and forced displacement. Virginia's Native nations survived those events and remain part of the Commonwealth today. This long and complicated history provides the setting for some of Virginia's most enduring folklore... Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/american-folklore-virginia/ Ancestral Findings Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups Genealogy Giveaway: https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway Genealogy eBooks: https://ancestralfindings.com/ebooks Follow Along: https://www.facebook.com/AncestralFindings https://www.youtube.com/ancestralfindings Support Ancestral Findings: https://ancestralfindings.com/support #Genealogy #AncestralFindings #GenealogyClips
S12 · E1291
July 13 · 8 min
Nantasket Beach and Paragon Park | Postcards From the Past
For this installment of Postcards From the Past, I have two vintage postcards that were sent to me by a friend and podcast listener, M. Green. He included a handwritten note explaining that they show Paragon Park and Nantasket Beach in Hull, Massachusetts, a place once well-known and deeply loved by generations of people from the Boston area. He thought the postcards would be interesting to share with everyone through Ancestral Findings, and he was right. I have been running Ancestral Findings since 1995 as a genealogy hobby that I enjoy. My wife helps with the free lookups, but otherwise it is just me researching, writing, recording the podcast, and sharing the history I find along the way. That makes it especially meaningful when a reader or listener takes the time to send something from a personal collection for the rest of us to see. These postcards did not come from a museum display or a planned research project. M. Green had them, thought of this series, and mailed them to me because he believed their history was worth sharing. I agree with him... Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/nantasket-beach-and-paragon-park-postcards-from-the-past/ Ancestral Findings Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups Genealogy Giveaway: https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway Genealogy eBooks: https://ancestralfindings.com/ebooks Follow Along: https://www.facebook.com/AncestralFindings https://www.youtube.com/ancestralfindings Support Ancestral Findings: https://ancestralfindings.com/support #Genealogy #AncestralFindings #GenealogyClips
S12 · E1290
July 11 · 8 min
10 "Must-Do" Genealogy Projects for July
With the dog days of summer approaching, you may be thinking of genealogy projects to keep you occupied during the long, hot days ahead. The good news is that there are plenty of things you can do in July that fall outside your usual genealogical research, and these should keep you occupied and entertained while you wait for the weather to cool off and school to start again. Here they are if you are looking for some fun and creative genealogical projects for July. Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/10-must-do-genealogy-projects-for-july/ Ancestral Findings Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups Genealogy Giveaway: https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway Genealogy eBooks: https://ancestralfindings.com/ebooks Follow Along: https://www.facebook.com/AncestralFindings https://www.youtube.com/ancestralfindings Support Ancestral Findings: https://ancestralfindings.com/support #Genealogy #AncestralFindings #GenealogyClips

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