We’ve made it to the 1910 census, and I have to say, this one feels like a bit of a turning point. If you’ve been following along through each census with me, you’ve probably noticed how much the country has been changing—and how those changes show up in the records. The 1900 census gave us a lot, but the 1910 one steps things up in a way that’s easy to miss unless you really sit with it. What’s always fascinated me about these records is how they stop being just lists of names when you start re...
May 15, 2025•7 min•Season 11Ep. 1088
There’s a certain charm to scrolling through digital records at midnight, coffee in hand, uncovering new ancestors with the click of a button. But once you’ve collected a few dozen census pages, probate files, and handwritten family notes, you might start to feel a little… buried. Tabs multiply, download folders fill up, and suddenly, you’re not sure where that one 1870 census record went—or whether you ever saved it in the first place. That’s where paper steps in—not as a step backward, but as ...
May 14, 2025•6 min•Season 11Ep. 1088
Mother’s Day. For most of us, it’s a Sunday in May marked by greeting cards, flowers, long-distance phone calls, and maybe a brunch reservation you made weeks ago to avoid the rush. It’s a sweet, sentimental holiday—a time to pause and show appreciation for the women who raised us, loved us, and often kept the whole family running quietly behind the scenes. But this day we all know and love didn’t just appear out of nowhere. It’s not ancient like Christmas or rooted in a religious calendar like ...
May 10, 2025•8 min•Season 11Ep. 1087
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 American family life for generations. But like so many beloved things from the mid-20th century, the Dairy Queen we grew up with has changed—and one of the clearest signs of that change is a sign itself. If you’ve ever passed through Grafton, West Virginia, you might’ve seen her—perched on the roof of...
May 09, 2025•8 min•Season 11Ep. 1086
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 quieter—two hand-built huts sitting in the dirt beneath a wide Texas sky. They’re simple. The one on the left looks to be made of thick mud with a thick palm-thatched roof. The one on the right? A little taller and more open, woven from sticks and palm fronds. Between them, a crooked tree leans toward...
May 08, 2025•7 min•Season 11Ep. 1085
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. Immigrants from Italy, Poland, Russia, and other parts of Eastern Europe were arriving in record numbers. The American frontier was nearly closed. Families were moving, industries were booming, and the pace of life had quickened. This census tried to capture all of that. And for genealogists, it’s one o...
May 07, 2025•7 min•Season 11Ep. 1084
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 children, remarrying, or passing on, they left traces in other records. This worksheet gives you a place to follow those trails, ask the right questions, and close the gap between 1880 and 1900. Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/navigating-the-1890-census-gap/ Ancestral Findings Podcast: htt...
May 06, 2025•7 min•Season 11Ep. 1083
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 up and left home, elders passed on, families relocated, and new generations were born. But the record meant to capture it all is mostly gone. The story of how we lost the 1890 census and how we’ve learned to work around it still has much to teach us. Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/ins...
May 05, 2025•9 min•Season 11Ep. 1082
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 from their hometowns, old pictures of places that meant something to them, and scenes from all across the country—and it’s been exciting to receive each and every one of them. So, I decided to set aside a little time to talk about some of these postcards and the stories they tell. I’m calling it Po...
May 02, 2025•5 min•Season 11Ep. 1081
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 the first time, we know how everyone in the household is related to each other. We can watch grandparents living with grown children, sons-in-law starting new farms, and widowed mothers moving in with their daughters. It’s where the people we’ve been tracing start to become real. When I first found m...
Apr 30, 2025•7 min•Season 11Ep. 1080
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 many representatives each state should send to Congress—although that was still its constitutional purpose. The 1880 census was the most detailed snapshot of American life ever taken up to that point. It didn’t just tell the government how many people were living in the country. It told them who tho...
Apr 29, 2025•9 min•Season 11Ep. 1079
The 1870 U.S. Census is a milestone for many family historians. For those tracing African American ancestry, it often marks the very first time their ancestors appear in a public federal record by name. The names are handwritten clearly on the page—no longer separated, omitted, or counted as property. For the first time, individuals who were born into slavery are seen on equal footing with every other American, listed not as someone’s possession but as someone’s parent, spouse, child, worker, or...
Apr 25, 2025•9 min•Season 11Ep. 1078
The 1870 U.S. Census might be one of the most meaningful records ever created in the history of the country. For the first time, every person—Black, white, free-born, formerly enslaved, immigrant, farmer, child, war widow—was recorded by name on the main schedule. No longer confined to tally marks or separated into slave schedules, formerly enslaved individuals finally had their names written down as citizens. This was the country’s first full census after the Civil War. Reconstruction was under...
Apr 23, 2025•9 min•Season 11Ep. 1077
As we continue through our The Forgotten Seconds series—exploring the lives of vice presidents who never became president—we now turn to one of the most unusual figures ever to hold the office. Richard Mentor Johnson, a frontier-born politician from Kentucky, lived a life of contradictions. Celebrated as a hero of the War of 1812 and known for his plain appeal to common voters, he was also scorned by many in his party for his controversial personal life and lack of discipline while in office. Th...
Apr 21, 2025•10 min•Season 11Ep. 1076
Daniel D. Tompkins was born on June 21, 1774, in the town of Scarsdale in Westchester County, New York. He came into a world still under British rule, just two years before the colonies would declare their independence. His family roots traced back to England, where the name Tompkins derived from a form of “Little Thomas’s son,” a patronymic surname that can be found as far back as the 1300s in Kent. The Tompkins family likely came to the American colonies in the mid-1600s during the great wave ...
Apr 18, 2025•8 min•Season 11Ep. 1075
The 1860 U.S. Census might be one of the most emotionally charged documents in early American history. On the surface, it looks similar to 1850—names, ages, occupations, birthplaces, property values. But just beneath that is a country on the brink of war. It was taken in a moment when the United States was technically still whole, but very much coming apart. If you’re researching ancestors during this time, the 1860 census offers a powerful glimpse into their world—whether they were preparing fo...
Apr 16, 2025•9 min•Season 11Ep. 1074
By the time the 1850 U.S. Census was taken, the United States was no longer a slow-growing collection of coastal settlements. It was a booming, restless, coast-to-coast land of contradictions. The population had reached over 23 million people. The western frontier had stretched all the way to California. Cities were growing fast, but most people still lived on farms. The railroad and steamboat had made the country feel smaller, even as it grew larger. And in the background, tension over slavery ...
Apr 14, 2025•13 min•Season 11Ep. 1073
The 1840 U.S. Census might be the most overlooked turning point in early American recordkeeping. On the surface, it still looks like the older ones—just one name listed, a page full of tick marks, and plenty of room for guesswork. But this was a census taken on the edge of transformation. The United States was about to change fast. Railroads were spreading. The telegraph was just a few years away. Families were scattering across the continent. And yet, there was still one more census to be taken...
Apr 11, 2025•9 min•Season 11Ep. 1072
By 1830, the United States had reached a new kind of maturity. The Revolution was no longer in living memory for some—though a surprising number of veterans were still alive and tucked into households across the country. Andrew Jackson was president, the Erie Canal had transformed trade in the North, and the South was leaning heavily on slavery and cotton. The country was bigger, louder, more divided, and more connected than ever before. And right in the middle of all that, the federal governmen...
Apr 10, 2025•12 min•Season 11Ep. 1071
The 1820 U.S. Census rolled out during what historians often call the "Era of Good Feelings"—a peaceful name for a time that was anything but simple. The War of 1812 had ended just a few years earlier. James Monroe was president, and the country was pushing its borders westward at full speed. Tensions over slavery, expansion, and power were beginning to heat up, even though the surface looked calm. The 1820 census is a small turning point for those tracing family histories. It’s still far from p...
Apr 09, 2025•9 min•Season 11Ep. 1070
In 1810, the United States was only 34 years into its existence as a nation and was still figuring things out—including how to count its people. That year marked just the third official census, and while the goal was simple on paper—get a headcount of everyone in the country—the results were far from perfect. If you’ve ever looked through the 1810 census while researching your family, you know it’s not exactly a goldmine. Entire areas are missing. Everyone in the household except the head is jus...
Apr 08, 2025•6 min•Season 11Ep. 1069
Before the White House, before political parties fully took shape, and before America had even decided how it wanted to govern itself, there was George Clinton. He didn’t wear a powdered wig for fashion. He wore it through gun smoke and battle. A wartime general, a power-hungry governor, and one of the longest-serving public officials in early American history, Clinton seemed destined to be more than just a sidekick. Yet despite holding the office of vice president under not one but two presiden...
Apr 04, 2025•8 min•Season 11Ep. 1068
Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller was born into wealth so vast that most Americans in the early 20th century couldn’t comprehend it. Born on July 8, 1908, in Bar Harbor, Maine, his life began with a silver spoon—and possibly a silver platter. But behind the art collections, philanthropy, and power dinners at Pocantico Hills was a complex man with ambitions that extended far beyond the trappings of wealth. He wanted to be president. He tried several times. But despite a pedigree that read like royalty a...
Apr 03, 2025•8 min•Season 11Ep. 1067
Spiro Theodore Agnew, the 39th vice president of the United States, was born on November 9, 1918, in Baltimore, Maryland. His name, though Americanized, hints at his family’s rich ethnic heritage—Greek and German, two cultures steeped in tradition and history. Before his rise to national prominence and eventual disgrace, Agnew’s story began generations earlier in the Mediterranean hills of southern Greece and the Protestant communities of colonial-era Virginia and Pennsylvania ... Podcast Notes:...
Apr 02, 2025•10 min•Season 11Ep. 1066
April 1st often arrives with a mixture of groans and eye-rolls, especially for those who have been on the receiving end of thoughtless pranks. While some brush it off as harmless fun, others know the sting of being caught off guard—sometimes in ways that leave lasting discomfort. Behind the jokes, however, is a centuries-long story filled with cultural shifts, misunderstandings, and changing attitudes toward humor and public behavior. Whether you appreciate the tradition or dislike it entirely, ...
Apr 01, 2025•8 min•Season 11Ep. 1065
You’ve probably seen it if you’ve ever driven down a sleepy road in the American South—maybe through Georgia , Louisiana , or northern Florida . Long, ghostly strands of gray-green threads dangle from oak branches like forgotten tinsel after a storm. Spanish moss sways in the breeze with a rhythm all its own, creating a scene that’s equal parts romantic and haunting. It’s one of those things you notice, even if you don’t know what it is. But what exactly is Spanish moss? Is it alive? Is it harmf...
Mar 26, 2025•14 min•Season 11Ep. 1064
Lineage societies have long been a cornerstone of genealogical research, offering a structured way for individuals to connect with their ancestry, preserve historical records, and participate in exclusive communities that honor their lineage. These societies, often formed around shared heritage from specific historical events or regions, require rigorous documentation to establish membership, making them both invaluable resources and, at times, difficult organizations to join. While lineage soci...
Mar 24, 2025•8 min•Season 11Ep. 1063
Our ongoing series, The Forgotten Seconds, explores the lives and legacies of vice presidents who never reached the presidency. These individuals played crucial roles in shaping American history, yet their contributions are often overshadowed by those who held the highest office. Today, we continue with Hubert Humphrey, a man whose influence on civil rights, social policy, and American politics remains significant despite his near-miss at the presidency. Hubert Horatio Humphrey Jr., the 38th vic...
Mar 21, 2025•9 min•Season 11Ep. 1062
Charles Gates Dawes, the 30th vice president of the United States, was a man of remarkable versatility. A banker, diplomat, military general, composer, and Nobel Prize laureate, Dawes led a life filled with public service and personal achievements that set him apart from many of his peers. His legacy extends beyond politics, reaching into finance, international diplomacy, and even popular music... Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/charles-dawes-the-vice-president-who-left-a-lasting-ma...
Mar 20, 2025•8 min•Season 11Ep. 1061
The office of vice president has often been overshadowed by the presidency, yet throughout history, some vice presidents have left a profound mark on the nation—despite never reaching the highest office. This series explores the lives of these influential figures, uncovering their family roots, rise to power, and the lasting impact they made in their own right. Some faded into quiet political retirement, while others shaped history unexpectedly. Few vice presidents had a more dramatic or controv...
Mar 19, 2025•8 min•Season 11Ep. 1060
