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 […]
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.
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 ✅ […]
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. […]
Find a Grave is one of the most widely used genealogy websites in the world — and also one of the most misunderstood. Millions of memorial pages exist, but genealogists frequently treat each one as a quick lookup: a name, a date, maybe a headstone photo… and then they move on. This approach leaves an […]
Researching ancestors with common names is one of genealogy’s most difficult and time-consuming tasks. When dozens—or even hundreds—of people share the same name in the same state, county, or decade, traditional record-by-record searching quickly becomes overwhelming and misleading. But common-name problems are rarely impossible. The key is to stop relying on the name as your […]
Church and religious notices appeared frequently in historical newspapers through Sunday service listings, congregation news, society meetings, charity events, pastoral changes, and community religious observances. The language used in these sections often reflects denomination, social ties, migration patterns, and family participation in religious life. Understanding these terms helps genealogists uncover affiliations, identify clergy, confirm residences, […]