Genealogy Pieces (Family Quilt Genealogy)

04/05/2026

Witness names on marriage records and wills can reveal:
• Siblings
• In-laws
• Close cousins
• Business partners
Never ignore the small print. That’s where even more of the story hides.

04/05/2026

The Old McKendree Chapel, built in 1819, is the oldest protestant church building still standing west of the Mississippi River. This was a Methodist congregation. Built of hand hewn timbers, the building is located about three miles west of Jackson, Missouri in Cape Girardeau County. The metal roof structure (not attached) was added in modern times to protect the historic building. See the My Genealogy Hound website for additional photos including the interior of the building:
http://www.mygenealogyhound.com/vintage-photographs/missouri-photographs/MO-Jackson-Missouri-Old-McKendree-Chapel-historic-photos.html

This photo is part of an ever expanding collection of thousands of historic photographs and vintage postcard views for a wide variety of topics and locations (including views from EVERY state) that can be viewed on the My Genealogy Hound website at:
http://www.mygenealogyhound.com/vintage-postcards-photos-and%20images.asp

04/05/2026

Monthly Open Meeting - Lecture - 14 April 2026 at 20.00hrs (UTC+1) (Irish Time) - All Welcome. Please share. GRMA (Thanks : Merci)

04/05/2026

In celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence, the National Society Sons of the American Revolution will offer a special reduced registration fee for New Member and Jr. Member applications during the month of July 2026.

04/05/2026

Good morning from Coronado Historic Site at Kuaua Pueblo!

Did you know that whitewashing buildings was a common practice among many of the Rio Grande Pueblos? By grinding gypsum into a powder and mixing it with water, a white paste could be produced to cover over adobe surfaces. This use may not have been purely aesthetic but also utilized as a way to protect the underlying material and to reflect intense sunlight.

Back in the winter of 1583, Spanish explorer Antonio de Espejo said this as he and his party passed by the villages around Kuaua: (translated) “I merely say that this province of the Tiguas, from this pueblo of Puala onward, contains neat and clean people, for so they are in eating and sleeping. They sleep in estufas and have their houses whitewashed, and they use very good crockery.”

Among the notable examples of this practice is the St. Augustine Church at Isleta Pueblo. This photo shows the white-walled structure as it appeared circa 1955. Even today, this tradition can still be found around various villages. While we can no longer see this at Kuaua, it’s highly likely that at least some of the houses here were also whitewashed!

Photo: Mission church, Isleta Pueblo, New Mexico, ca. 1955, New Mexico Tourism Bureau (HP.2007.20.555)

04/05/2026

📣New Equipment Alert!📣
The James E. Potter Research Room is excited to share that the Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation has graciously purchased two new digital microfilm readers for research purposes.

These new ScanPro 3500 machines have enormous value to researchers and staff. The obstacles of viewing dark or poor film are no longer an issue! These scanners automatically adjust the image for better readability. Additional features, such as cropping, spot editing, and scanning multipage pdf’s enable the researcher to bring past documents into the present.

The Research Room in Lincoln is open Mondays (by appt. only), Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays – 9:00 am – 4:00 pm.

04/05/2026

The New York State Library and New York State Archives are working with global nonprofit genealogy organization, FamilySearch, in an exciting effort to expand access to some of the state’s most important ancestry records and historical collections. Through this collaborative effort, thousands of records will be made available online in digital format for the first time, providing researchers with greater access to the documents from anywhere in the world. Learn more: https://bit.ly/41uLcP2

04/05/2026

04/05/2026

Mining Genealogical Clues from Guardianship & Curatorship Records

When a minor lost a parent, inherited property, or needed legal oversight, the courts often appointed a guardian or curator. These records can reveal family structure, financial circumstances, and relationships that rarely appear in other sources—making them essential for reconstructing complex or fragmented families.

Get the Quicksheet PDF at https://theancestorhunt.com/blog/mining-genealogical-clues-from-guardianship-curatorship-records/

04/05/2026

The Kentucky State Archives is excited to announce the launch of a new database that allows users to search Kentucky Court Cases. The database has over 500,000 entries to be discovered with more being added regularly as staff continue to process and index materials from across Kentucky’s 120 Circuit Courts. Criminal and Civil cases are both included and range in date from 1785 through 1991. Cases can only be accessed in-person in the Research Room of KDLA. These are an invaluable record of Kentucky’s past and include judgements, warrants, bonds, and often depositions. They offer unique perspective into the lives of the Commonwealth’s past occupants.

Check out the database for yourself today! https://judicialindexes.ky.gov/

04/05/2026

🏛️ Fact Friday: Fort Laramie – Crossroads of the West

Fact Friday!

Long before Wyoming became a state, Fort Laramie stood at the center of one of the busiest crossroads in the American West.

Established in 1834 as a fur trading post, the location soon became a critical stop for thousands of emigrants traveling the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails. By the mid-1800s, wagon trains regularly stopped here to rest, repair equipment, and gather supplies before continuing west.

In 1849, the U.S. Army purchased the post and transformed it into a military fort. Soldiers stationed here protected travelers and helped maintain order along the overland routes.

Fort Laramie also became the site of major diplomatic negotiations, including the Treaties of Fort Laramie in 1851 and 1868, which attempted to establish peace and define territorial boundaries between the United States and Plains tribes.

Today, visitors can walk through preserved buildings and parade grounds that once saw trappers, soldiers, emigrants, and tribal leaders pass through one of Wyoming’s most historic locations.

📍 Fort Laramie is now preserved as a National Historic Site.

Sources: National Park Service; Wyoming State Historical Society publications