In my opinion, online newspaper research is more of an art than a pure science. However, that does not mean that it should be undisciplined. On the contrary, the best way to waste your time is to perform research with no discipline. Sure, when you get a new name in your tree (or not yet […]
Cemetery records and cemeteries, in general, are a very large part of our family history and are a significant pursuit for many genealogists. Sometimes, the information on a headstone is the only information available for certain ancestors. What can you find in these records? How about birth, marriage, and death information and clues to military service, […]
School exams, student evaluations, and educational records are rarely consulted by genealogists, yet they contain rich personal details about children, families, neighborhoods, and communities. These records were created by teachers, school boards, state departments of education, and local districts to document academic performance, attendance, progression, and special circumstances. For genealogists, they reveal information not found […]
There are a number of approaches, strategies, tips, and techniques to succeed at old newspaper research. Here are 10 that will be extremely helpful in your research. Download the Quicksheet PDF To obtain a one-page Quicksheet PDF of this information, download it by clicking on the Download button below: For all the previously published Quick […]
Old telephone directories and telephone exchange records are overlooked but powerful tools for tracking ancestors between census years, identifying residences, confirming occupations, and locating relatives and associates living nearby. These materials can help genealogists follow families as they moved, discover name and address changes, and reconstruct neighborhoods or business networks. This Quicksheet explains how to […]
This past week (December 5, 2025 to December 11, 2025), the following additions were made to The Newspaper Research Academy: ✅ Free Resources – 0 New Articles were added – 83 Total ✅ Research Guides – 2 New Guides were added – 94 Total ✅ Video Guides – 0 New Videos – 19 Total ✅ […]
Most genealogists know WorldCat only as “a library search tool,” but in practice, it is one of the most important engines for discovering hidden offline and online genealogical resources. WorldCat connects thousands of libraries, archives, and historical societies into a single database, allowing you to find books, manuscripts, maps, microfilms, and digitized materials that never […]
HathiTrust is one of the most powerful and overlooked genealogy tools on the internet. Containing millions of digitized books, journals, government documents, local histories, city directories, school reports, and genealogical society publications, it rivals — and frequently exceeds — Google Books in usefulness for family history research. What makes HathiTrust exceptional is its focus on: […]
The David Rumsey Map Collection is one of the premier free resources for historical cartography. While it is widely known among map historians, most genealogists have only scratched the surface of what this site can do. It provides tools to visualize the exact world your ancestors lived in—land boundaries, migration routes, towns that no longer […]
Introduction: Ever wondered what talents, skills, or passions your ancestors were known for? County fairs were community showcases—places where farmers, homemakers, schoolchildren, and local craftsmen competed for bragging rights that were proudly recorded in the newspaper. Prize lists captured everything from the best corn and largest pumpkin to finest needlework, fastest horses, strongest oxen, and […]