Ancestry New and Updated Collections – November 1-30, 2025

Ancestry.com continues to add or update its record collections at a fast pace for us to search. For the period of November 1-30, 2025, the new and updated collections are: I hope that some of these are what you have been waiting for! Good Luck and Happy Hunting!

FamilySearch New and Updated Collections – November 1-30, 2025

FamilySearch continues to add or update its record collections at a fast pace for us to search. ​​For the period of November 1-30, 2025, 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! Good Luck and […]

Hidden Clues in School Census & Attendance Records

School census lists, attendance registers, and enrollment logs are among the most overlooked genealogical sources in the United States and Canada. Many survive at the county, district, or state level, often in handwritten ledgers created annually. These records identify children too young to appear in city directories, families who avoided traditional censuses, and movements between […]

Using AI to Locate Newspaper Articles

This is the first occurrence of a newspaper article about my cousin Gloria Metzner, stage name Gloria Dea. It was published in 1929 in Oakland, California. As you know, I am a newspaper research fanatic, and have recently launched the Newspaper Research Academy, to provide a vast number of resources to those who want to […]

Researching Ancestors in Probate Packets (Beyond Wills)

Probate research often begins and ends with a will—but the richest genealogical evidence is found in the probate packet, the full collection of documents created when a court settled an estate. These packets contain dozens of papers that reveal relationships, debts, residences, occupations, land boundaries, social networks, guardianships, inventories, and disputes that never appear in […]

Hidden Clues in Census Marginal Notes & Enumerator Comments

While most researchers focus on the main census columns—names, ages, birthplaces, occupations—some of the most revealing information is found in marginal notes, crossed-out entries, symbols, enumerator comments, and side annotations added during data collection or later review. These scribbles and remarks often explain discrepancies, identify temporary absences, clarify household relationships, or point to additional records. […]

9 Ways to Effectively Find Obituaries in Online Newspapers

Obituaries are one of the most sought after articles that are published in old newspapers. They can be found a multitude of ways. If you are searching newspapers online, there are several methods to get you to the obituary faster and more effectively. There are thousands of indexes to newspaper obituaries that have been created […]

How to Access Ancestry’s 1,391 Free Collections

Did you know that there are many Free Collections and Free Index Collections available on Ancestry dot com? And yes, you do not need a subscription to access them (but you need to have registered, which is free). Below is the list of the 1,391 Free and Free Index Collections (as of November 2025). How […]

Newspaper Research Academy Weekly Update – November 27, 2025

This past week (November 21, 2025 to November 27, 2025), the following additions were made to The Newspaper Research Academy: ✅ Free Resources – 0 New Articles were added – 83 Total ✅ Research Guides – 6 New Guides were added – 90 Total ✅ Video Guides – 0 New Videos – 19 Total ✅ […]

Immigration Clues in Stagecoach, Railway & Road Travel Records

Long before large-scale passenger list systems were established, millions of immigrants and migrants moved inland across America using stagecoaches, railroads, wagons, and early road networks. Although these forms of travel rarely produced formal “passenger lists,” they generated an impressive variety of traces—tickets, baggage records, hotel registers, newspaper notices, timetables, accident reports, and local travel announcements. […]