Unique Census Record: This Census Enumerator Used A Stamp
John Yost, the 1870 U.S. census enumerator for Shawneetown, Gallatin County, Illinois employed a unique hack that perhaps made the...
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New Year. Time To Take Stock.
So this is ChristmasAnd what have you done?Another year overAnd a new one just begun.John Lennon, Happy Xmas (War Is...
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Four Men Named James Cunningham– Which One Witnessed Janet (McDonald) Cameron’s Will in Bullitt County, Kentucky in 1799?
Through out 2024 I was working through some genealogical problems in early Louisville, Kentucky (see post). It was a popular...
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NEW ARTICLE: Oly Eckhardt, Nashville Tailor, Saloon Keeper, Grocer
I'm pleased to announce the publication of my latest article, "Tailor, Saloon Keeper, Grocer: Nashville Native John 'Oly' Eckhardt (b....
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NEW ARTICLE: 1809 Wilson County, Tennessee Legislative Petition for Zebulon Baird
What secrets can handwriting reveal about a 215-year-old murder case? Back in March I was able to view a Tennessee...
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It’s Here! The Kinship Papers, Volume 1
NOW AVAILABLE: The Kinship Papers, Volume 1 I'm pleased to announce that The Kinship Papers: Genealogical Articles by Vanessa Wood,...
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Genealogy Tip: What Happens in Genealogy When You LET IT GO?
It's surprising. When we let go in genealogical research we can get past research and writing hurdles. What can we...
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COMING SOON: The Kinship Papers, Volume 1
I've been asked, "How can I read your genealogy article?" I'm pleased to announce that my first compilation of genealogical...
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NEW ARTICLE: Tracing Five Connected Families from Tennessee to Kentucky
I'm pleased to announce that my latest research article, "Five Families from Hawkins County, Tennessee: Their 1850s Migration to Pulaski...
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UPDATE: What’s happening at The Record Lady
Things can seem pretty quiet while genealogy work is happening. I've been working on a collection of genealogical writings and...
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NEW ARTICLE: One Signature, Three Frontiers: William Pryor of Stewart County, Tennessee
Picture this: You're researching an ancestor who appears in records from Tennessee, Alabama, and Texas. The same person in three...
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Public Acts of Tennessee 1836: Locating The Source
While researching Nashville Penitentiary convicts, I noted the prisoner Lacy Witcher (and many other prisoners) was "Pardoned under the Act...
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NEW ARTICLE: An eBay Postcard Starts the Search For A Lost House, A Husband and Wife Medical Practice, and A Cross-Country Friendship
I'm happy to announce that my article "Two Doctors and A House: Dr. Andrew J. Harris and Dr. Clara E....
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How to Use Fonts to Date Old Photographs
Figuring out the date of an old photograph can be pretty tricky. Hairstyles, clothing and furniture that change with fashion...
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NEW ARTICLE: Edith La Reina Rule (1902-1973): Hollywood Psychic to Genealogical Source
I'm excited to share that my article "Edith 'La Reina' Rule (1902-1973): Hollywood Psychic to Genealogical Source" has been published...
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Lacy Witcher of Hawkins County, Tennessee: A True Crime Story of Arson and Incarceration (1845)
I'm particularly drawn to women's stories because they are so often lost or misplaced in history. When I discovered a...
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A Marriage and 20 Divorces in North Carolina Legislative Records (1807)
I was looking for something else and spotted these records of marriage and divorces in North Carolina Legislative Records during...
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NEW ARTICLE: William Wood (1783-1852), The Hairdresser of Sheerness, Kent
The Wood ancestry hails from Great Britain. The current issue of Kent Family History Society journal includes my article "The...
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Who Is the Most Traveled Person In Your Family?
I admit my inner child is still that kid who asks on car rides "Are we there yet?" Even on...
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The Miami Canal in Ohio
I headed down the research rabbit hole last week. I'm looking at a family who lived in Ohio during the...
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