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A Genealogical Treasure Hunt
Exploring the Past
If you're asking yourself, "Where does my family fit in? Where and when did we enter America? What are the stories and legends of my ancestors?" then you're ready to begin the real work — and real fun — of genealogy. Remember those blank spaces on your Pedigree Chart? Now you have to try to fill them in. That means it's time for one of the biggest challenges for an Ancestor Detector: the genealogical treasure hunt.
You're not looking for coins or jewels, but for something just as precious — -information that reveals something about your family, past or present. It might be a document with information about a long-lost relative, or a ragged old sweater, or a piece of woodwork created by an ancestor. It might even be a memory or a story, funny or scary or wonderful, about someone in your family. Anything that mattered to one of your relatives is worth seeking out and studying for clues about an ancestor. The three best places to look for items that might supply information are family collections, official records and documents, and relatives' memories.
Finding Family Collections
Here are tips on how to make the most of these sources.
- Information about your family is lurking in all kinds of places: family bibles, baby books, photo albums, old papers and documents, citizenship papers, school records. Ask your parents and other relatives if they have any of these, and if you can look through them.
- Many of these "treasures" may be old and in very fragile condition. Handle them with great care. Don't touch photographs, except on the edges. Handle old books very gently; their pages may crack or the spines may break if you are too rough with them.
- Look at the front inside cover and the last pages. There may be an inscription or notes made by the previous owners. If the owners of these things are nervous about your examination, suggest that they turn the pages or handle the items while you just look. Write down any significant dates you find on your Family Group Sheets, noting where you found the information.
- If you find an old family bible, inspect the inside front and back covers, and the exact middle of the book. Years ago, bibles were often used to record the dates of family births, marriages, and deaths.
- Citizenship papers, passports, old drivers' licenses, and school records often include a person's date and place of birth. They may also list the names of both parents (including the hard-to-find grandmother's maiden name).
- Family photo albums can be wonderful resources. You may hear stories about the circumstances under which a photo was taken, or about the people in the picture. Just seeing photos of ancestors sometimes jogs peoples' memories, and may bring to mind a long-lost name.
- Ask your relatives to talk about the people in the pictures. After they've identified who's who, you may want to ask them about the way people are dressed. Before about 1920, taking pictures was considered a great occasion and people often wore their best outfits. What were your ancestors wearing? What do the clothes say about them? Are they serious or lively, worn or new, dressy or everyday?
- Where was each photograph taken? Check to see if the name of the photographer's studio, its location, or a date is on the back. Was the photograph taken near where your family lived, or was the studio far away?
- If there is more than one person in the photograph, are the people related? Is everyone dressed the same way? Are their hairstyles the same? Are the women wearing head scarves and aprons and are the men wearing hats? If so, are they in the style of America or the Old Country?
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