Fraternal orders, benevolent societies, and community clubs were a cornerstone of American life from the mid-1800s through the mid-1900s. If your ancestor wasn’t listed in a census or newspaper that year, there’s a good chance they were recorded in the membership rolls of a lodge, union, or club. 20% of men in 1900 belonged to […]
When searching old newspapers and census records, we are often faced with unusual names of occupations, and we have no clue as to their meaning because the terms are not in use today. I have collected a list of about 360 old occupations and their meanings from a variety of sources. Dan Burrows and Jan […]
Funeral home records often pick up where obituaries and death certificates stop. They can provide personal details, informant names, addresses, burial locations, and clues about religion and finances. Why Funeral Records Are Valuable What You Might Find in These Records How to Locate Funeral Home Records Tips for Contacting Funeral Homes Other Records to Use […]
When doing our genealogy research, whether looking at death certificates, newspaper articles, or other sources, we are often faced with different terminology for things. Nowhere is that more evident than in medical terminology. Whether the term is written in an old letter, a newspaper article, or an official document, we are often faced with the […]
One of the main goals for genealogists is finding birth, baptism, and/or christening information about their ancestors. Over the past few decades, thanks to volunteers, librarians, and archivists, a great number of indexes to birth and baptism collections have been provided for free online. These searchable indexes provide specific birth, baptism, or christening information, and […]
This past week (October 31, 2025 to November 6, 2025), the following additions were made to The Newspaper Research Academy: ✅ Free Resources – 0 New Articles were added – 83 Total ✅ Research Guides – 0 New Guides were added – 81 Total ✅ Video Guides – 0 New Videos – 19 Total ✅ […]
For generations, women were documented everywhere in records — but often not under their own names. They might appear as “Mrs. John Smith,” “the widow,” or “the daughter of….” Learning how to spot these patterns opens new doors in your research. Tips for Locating Women in Records Naming Conventions That Obscure Identity Quick Searches That […]
A Focused Guide from the Newspaper Research Academy Introduction – The Obituary Is Only the Beginning When a loved one died, the obituary was only one of many newspaper traces left behind. In fact, dozens of other articles — often printed before or after the obituary — reveal details that never appeared in the formal […]
Illinois Digital Newspaper Collections regularly adds or updates newspaper titles to the collections. Last month, 18 titles were added or updated (Information provided by Veridian Software, which powers the Illinois Digital Newspaper Collections website). Here is the list of titles for this month: To access the site, go to Illinois Digital Newspaper Collections
Virginia Chronicle regularly adds or updates newspaper titles for the collection. Last month, 60 titles were added or updated (Information provided by Veridian Software, which powers the Virginia Chronicle website). Here is the list of titles: To access the site, go to Virginia Chronicle