Category: Early American

Now What: Early West Virginia Genealogy

Q. How can I find birth records in West Virginia before 1850? A. Virginia, of which West Virginia was then a part, first mandated birth and death registration in 1853; county records before that date may be spotty or nonexistent. Fortunately, the West Virginia Division of...

Uncovering Your Revolutionary War Ancestor

This carte de visite of Daniel Frederick Bakeman commemorates his status as the last living Revolutionary War soldier in 1868. Bakeman died the following year. This image was widely available in the 19th century and Bakeman is generally accepted as the last living Revolutionary War soldier, but there is one...

Searching for Early Immigrants

Q. I always get discouraged when I read about immigration records, because my ancestors came over sometime before 1790. I’ve checked all the books at my library, and a few have my family’s last name, but none of the first names match my ancestor’s. Is there any other place to look? A. The government didn’t […]

AncestorNews: The Soddie

About sod houses Where to learn about soddies online

AncestorNews: Pioneer Certificates

Did you know that several genealogy societies offer "pioneer certificates" to direct descendants of people whose family settled in a certain area before a specific date? Some societies even offer more than one type of certificate. For example, the Utah Genealogical Society offers a Founding Pioneer, Territorial Pioneer or...