Ancestral Findings

Few things capture the feeling of summer like a stop at Dairy Queen. Whether it's a soft-serve cone after a ballgame or a burger on the way home from church, DQ has been stitched into the fabric of Am...

9 Mai 20257min

I'm holding a postcard today that feels different from most of the others in my collection. It doesn't show a grand hotel, a busy beach, or a flashy tourist attraction. No, this one shows something qu...

8 Mai 20256min

The 1900 U.S. Census marks the beginning of a new era. It was the first census of the 20th century—and it knew it. By 1900, America had changed dramatically. Cities were growing faster than ever. Immi...

7 Mai 20257min

The 1890 census may be gone, but your ancestors aren't. This worksheet aims to help you rebuild the missing years—one clue at a time. Whether your ancestors were settling in a new state, welcoming chi...

6 Mai 20256min

The 1890 U.S. Census is one of the most heartbreaking gaps in American records. It leaves a missing chapter for family historians—twenty years between 1880 and 1900 when so much changed. Children grew...

5 Mai 20259min

I really love looking at and collecting postcards—especially vintage postcards. Here at Ancestral Findings, I've collected thousands and thousands of them over the years. People have sent me postcards...

2 Mai 20254min

The 1880 census is one of my favorite records—not just because of what it tells us, but because of what it helps us feel. This is the first census where we can see families take shape on paper. For th...

30 Apr 20257min

When people talk about the U.S. Census, most think of it as just a headcount. But by 1880, the census had become something far more powerful. It wasn't just about population totals or determining how ...

29 Apr 20259min