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 Shepherds cared for sheep raised for wool, meat, and milk production. In the eighteenth, nineteenth, and early twentieth centuries, shepherding was an important agricultural occupation in rural communities and grazing […]
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.
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 Undertakers managed funeral arrangements, burial preparation, and related services for families and communities. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, undertakers became increasingly important as funeral practices became more formalized […]
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 Cabinet makers crafted fine wooden furniture, cabinets, and decorative household items using specialized woodworking skills. In the eighteenth, nineteenth, and early twentieth centuries, cabinet making was considered a skilled trade […]
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 Jewelers and watchmakers crafted, repaired, and sold jewelry, watches, and small precision items. In the eighteenth, nineteenth, and early twentieth centuries, these trades required specialized skills and careful workmanship, often […]
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 Meatpacking workers processed livestock into meat products for distribution to markets and consumers. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, meatpacking became a major industrial activity, particularly in large urban […]
Over 1,000 New titles were added by various Free and Subscription databases in the last month. Here are links to all the updates:
GenealogyBank, a subscription newspaper site, has announced its updates for May 2026. There are 5 New Titles and 9 Titles that have had issues added in the previous month. From GenealogyBank: Here are some of the details about our most recent U.S. newspaper additions: To see our newspaper archives’ entire title list of more than […]
Illinois Digital Newspaper Collections regularly adds or updates newspaper titles to the collections. Last month, 19 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
Source: Northern New York Library Network If you follow this website at all, you know that I, from time to time, update the free online historical newspapers that are available for you to search. I originally posted the New York Online Historical Newspapers Summary in February 2014 and have added many updates, the latest in November 2024. The largest collection […]
Virginia Chronicle regularly adds or updates newspaper titles for the collection. Last month, 34 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