John Yost, the 1870 U.S. census enumerator for Shawneetown, Gallatin County, Illinois employed a unique hack that perhaps made the task easier for him. In 1870 John was a thirty year old farmer with a wife and three children, including a six-month-old baby. When he listed himself and his family …
So this is ChristmasAnd what have you done?Another year overAnd a new one just begun. How does a genealogist take stock in the past year and the year ahead? Last year I calculated my source citations/footnotes (…read more). As we move onto 2026 I looked back at 2025. 8 articles …
Through out 2024 I was working through some genealogical problems in early Louisville, Kentucky (see post). It was a popular place to go in the American journey westward. The popularity led to same name men arriving in the vicinity near the same time. I was searching for James Cunningham. In …
I’m pleased to announce the publication of my latest article, “Tailor, Saloon Keeper, Grocer: Nashville Native John ‘Oly’ Eckhardt (b. 1860).” It appears in the Winter edition of the Tennessee Genealogical Society’s Ansearchin’ News. Starting with a photograph of the dapper Oly Eckhardt, this biographical sketch tells the story of …
What secrets can handwriting reveal about a 215-year-old murder case? Back in March I was able to view a Tennessee legislative petition while in Nashville. Petitions are fascinating, especially ones signed by numerous citizens. Because there isn’t an 1800 or 1810 U.S. census for Wilson County, Tennessee these documents are …
