Genealogy resources to research your family history

Did you know that the Kansas City region has lots of great resources for genealogy research? 

We have the Midwest Genealogy Center which has many records on microfilm that haven't yet been digitized, along with lots of other wonderful resources. We also have the Great Plains regional office of the National Archives and Records Administration. 

Whenever I am stuck with researching online, I am often able to go to one of these repositories and find what I need. They have many books that are relevant to genealogy research, including for other countries. I was able to find a record of a very distant ancestor who arrived on a ship from LaRochelle, France, in Quebec  in the 1670s, as well as great books about immigration into Canada from Scotland, books at the county level from all over the US, Native American genealogy sources, and lots of great maps. These all help to build a picture of a family and its members, where they went, what they did, whom they married, etc. 

Also close by in Concordia KS is the National Orphan Train Complex, which I look forward to visiting some time soon! 

And for local research here in the KS-MO area, there is the Missouri Valley Room of the Kansas City Public Library. A gem to be sure; I used to bring students there when I was teaching at UMKC.

Lots of resources to help with family history research - let's see what we can do with them!

Gretchen Green (aka "GreenGenes"!)

 

Tracing your ancestors' footsteps is a way to get in touch with your family history! In August, I went to Two Harbors, Minnesota, where my grandmother was born, and where her father (Harry Fowler) was an engineer and fireman (meaning keeping the engine fire going to power the train) for the Duluth & Iron Range RR. The family would have routinely seen this view from the harbor out into Lake Superior (the second largest lake in the world, I am told). 

This is a restored train of the railroad that was the lifeblood of the town and for which my great-grandfather worked. He was one of the "committee men" for the Firemen's Mutual Sick and Accident Insurance Association, of the B of LF&E (Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Engineers). 

I saw this great photo in the town museum (in the old RR depot, fittingly), and did not see my great-grandfather's name on this bulletin, nor was he one of the men in this photo, but could easily have, around the same vintage - c 1905-1920. 

The great thing about census records is that often you can find the exact address where your ancestors lived! This was the house that my great-grandfather and probably his brother (they came from a family of builders and carpenters) built, and where the family lived. My grandmother would have come home from the "Railroad Hospital" to this house in 1910 when she was born. 

The family came and went from Two Harbors many times, as they were close to their family who lived across Canada and the US - some in California, some in Connecticut, in New York, in New Brunswick Canada. They often had the maiden aunt "Aunt Addy" who was famous as a grouchy old lady, come and stay with them. 

Here is the train depot/ station, where the family would have embarked and arrived at whenever they travelled to go visit family in Connecticut, New York, perhaps even Havelock New Brunswick Canada. The family papers and letters indicate that this did happen while they lived here. And of course, this was where my greatgrandfather would have gone to work, I assume, as a fireman or engineer for the railroad. I found his naturalization papers (he was from Canada), indicating he was naturalized at the Lake County Courthouse in Two Harbors. I don't have a picture of it, but was able to walk by it during my visit and imagine his experience that day. 

I also tried to imagine my greatgrandmother's life - starting a family here very far away from her own family in Troy NY, and with her husband often gone for work (travel was definitely a part of railroad workers' life). I found a note in family papers from a friend of hers telling her (Marie Louise Pillard Fowler) that she (the friend) couldn't plan their Sunday school lesson because she was traveling. So Marie was very involved with their church, as the whole Fowler family was wherever they lived. Here is a picture of the church they attended, and some family photos of Marie and the Fowler family (with their 4 kids) must have been taken in Two Harbors! 

Today, Two Harbors is a very nice town just northeast of Duluth Minnesota, which I recommend visiting (during the summer!).  I was able to piece together much of this because of genealogy research - census records, military records like draft cards, birth certificates, naturalization papers, family papers, etc. There is a wealth of information about your family history waiting to be discovered!

Great conference!

 I learned a lot at the recent Genealogy KC conference; so many great presenters who are very generous with their time and expertise. Will be putting my learnings to good use!

How to get started with your ancestry discovery journey!

 We will have a conversation (either zoom or phone) in which we discuss your goal(s) for researching your family history. Don't worry if your goal isn't very specific yet - we can work together to refine it. I will also need to have access to any and all research / information you already have in order to move forward. You don't want to pay me to do research that's already been done! 

Once we've agreed on the scope of the project, discuss project timeline and payment setup, and you've decided to hire me, I will have you sign a contract and pay the first installment (probably 40% of my hourly rate). A typical defined project might take 6-12 hours of research time, as a ballpark. I have a 6 hour minimum for contract projects. As a benchmark, depending on what information already exists, confirming an ancestor 5 or 6 generations back as a parent of a known ancestor 4 or 5 generations back would take about 6 hours. 

If you have a preference for receiving the results/ report in paper form in addition to or instead of electronically, we can work out those details. Also, if you want me to keep you up to date periodically on the progress of the project, or if you would rather that I limit communication with you during the duration of the project, I'll follow your preferences. Please note that your project may take months to complete (not weeks!) depending on my volume of current clients.  Feel free to bring all your questions! Here is the form to get started! I look forward to helping you unlock the secrets of your family history!

Searching to unlock your family's past

 Have you ever wondered about your great-great-grandparents - where they lived, and how? Maybe even what they did for a living? Did they have large families? Lots of kids? When they arrived in North America? If you've got questions, but don't have the time or know where to look for answers, consider hiring a genealogist - me! - for your search. I've been doing genealogy research and learning and teaching history for a long time and know where to look. Email me at gretchencdn@gmail.com to get started!