Most genealogists know how to search newspapers. Far fewer know how to truly research them. That difference matters. Because newspapers are unlike any other genealogical record source. They are messy, inconsistent, emotional, fragmented, and often difficult to search effectively. Names are misspelled. Articles are hidden in unexpected sections. OCR errors distort people and places. Important […]
Author: Kenneth R Marks
Kenneth R Marks was born and educated in the San Francisco Bay Area, receiving a BS in Mathematics in 1968. His career was in Information Technology; with the last 20 Years as a software executive with Boeing, Pearson, and NASA. His genealogy career began in 2004. He is an expert in newspaper research for genealogy, as well as additional genealogy topics. He regularly conducts webinars on the subject and has authored three genealogy books. See the About page for more details.
The Ancestor Hunt, founded in 2008, is focused on helping genealogy and family history researchers of all skill levels to achieve their goals, by providing links to free online genealogy collections, and search tips and techniques, largely via easy-to-understand Quick Reference Guides.
MyHeritage continues to add or update its record collections at a fast pace for us to search. For May 1-15, 2026, there are 7 new and 2 updated collections. The new and updated collections are: I hope that some of these are what you have been waiting for! Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
Ancestry.com continues to add or update its record collections at a fast pace for us to search. For the period of May 1-15, 2026, the new and updated collections are: I hope that some of these are what you have been waiting for! Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
The strongest family trees are built from verified facts, not hopeful leaps into distant generations. The Insight One of the most common mistakes new genealogists make is rushing toward distant ancestors before fully documenting the generations closest to them. The excitement of discovering colonial-era relatives, famous surnames, or connections to historical events often pulls researchers […]
Family stories often point you in the right direction—but records determine whether the story is true. The Insight Many genealogy journeys begin with a story passed down through generations. A grandparent mentions a Revolutionary War ancestor. An aunt recalls Native American heritage. A family Bible references an immigrant who arrived under dramatic circumstances. These stories […]
A matching name may start the search, but evidence is what proves identity. The Insight One of the easiest mistakes in genealogy is connecting two people simply because they share the same name. In many communities, the same names appeared repeatedly across multiple families, generations, and even neighboring households. A record may seem like a […]
FamilySearch continues to add or update its record collections at a fast pace for us to search. For the period of May 1-15, 2026, 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 […]
Background Historical Occupation Profiles explain what ancestors actually did for a living and how those occupations shaped the records genealogists rely on today. Occupation Overview Apothecaries and druggists prepared, sold, and dispensed medicines and medical compounds for local communities. In the eighteenth, nineteenth, and early twentieth centuries, they played important roles in healthcare before modern […]
Background Historical Occupation Profiles explain what ancestors actually did for a living and how those occupations shaped the records genealogists rely on today. Occupation Overview Prison guards supervised inmates and maintained security within jails, prisons, and correctional institutions. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, prisons expanded as governments developed more formal correctional systems. Guards […]
Background Historical Occupation Profiles explain what ancestors actually did for a living and how those occupations shaped the records genealogists rely on today. Occupation Overview Asylum attendants cared for patients housed in mental institutions, state hospitals, and related facilities. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, asylums were established to house individuals suffering from mental […]