Research Tips

Category

Old Photo Identification: Ove Tintypes Update

Nearly two years ago I posted about a set of tintype photos that were passed down in the Ove family. Unfortunately, the photos had no names, dates, labels or other forms of identification. I have shared them with many distant cousins in hopes that the individuals in the photos could be identified, with no luck. Identifying Individuals in Old Photos There are ways of identifying the folks in those old nameless photos with a little sleuthing. Here are some simple...

A May Day Tradition: New York Moving Day

“Never knew the city in such a chaotic state. Every other house seems to be disgorging itself into the street; all the sidewalks are lumbered with bureaus and bedsteads to the utter destruction of their character as thoroughfares, and all the space between the sidewalks is occupied by long processions of carts and wagons and vehicles omnigenous laden with perilous piles of moveables.” -The Diary of Templeton Strong (Cover Photo: May Day in New York, Harper’s Magazine, 1850) Moving Day…packing...

Finding Jacob Ove: Researching Norwegian Ancestors

Jacob Ove (left) with an unidentified person (right) My memories of visiting Great-grandma and Grandpa Conlin while growing up are primarily connected to sweets — namely butterscotch candies and fig newtons. Grandma needed those candies to keep Grandpa sweet…or so she said. When I grew older and began genealogy research there were plenty of stories and information passed down about Grandpa Conlin’s Irish Family and Grandma Conlin’s mother’s Norwegian family, but when it came to her father, I only knew two things:...

I took a DNA test…Now What?

DNA test next steps You took a DNA test and received your results. So what’s next? The answer to that is…it depends. Depending on why you took the test there are a variety of ideas and tools to get the most out of your DNA results. If you are thinking about taking a DNA test but don’t know which one to choose, here is a good article comparing the top 3 tests. I break down DNA testers into three basic categories: I...

Finding your past: Where to begin? It is as easy as 1,2,3!

This week I am adding a new research section to the blog to help those interested in learning about their own family history. Where to start? How to organize? Where to find information? Here are three tips to help you begin: 1. start at home That family bible in a dusty box in your basement, newspaper clippings stuck in the photo album from your grandma, an old photograph with names in neat script on the back…these are the little clues...