Miscellaneous

For everything we couldn't fit in the other categories but still deserves to be posted! Come here to find random bits of genealogical news, the posting of genealogy events and conferences, and a lot of genealogy fun!

Celebrate Family History Month

October is a great month. Not only does it bring beautiful fall colors, but it is also Family History Month! Archives.com has some things planned to help you celebrate! Read More »

Early Censuses, Migration, and County Changes: Upcoming Free Livestreams

What do early U.S. censuses, migration trails, and county boundary changes have in common? Besides being things helpful to your genealogical research, they are all topics of upcoming Archives.com livestreams! Here's the schedule: Read More »

August Livestream Videos: 4 Free Topics

Want to learn some helpful tips and tricks for learning about your family history? Archives.com has some great opportunities for you this month. The free weekly livestreams will cover evaluating sources, census records, putting your ancestors in context, and moving your research to a new country. Here's the schedule: Read More »

July Livestreams: 5 New Free Topics

Summertime and the living is easy, so the song says. Summertime is also a relaxing time to learn about discovering your family tree! Grab an ice cold drink, take your laptop out to the hammock, and enjoy five new livestreams this month! Topics include:
July 3 - Patriots of Color: African-Americans in the Revolutionary War Read More »

Actress Vanessa Williams Explains How DNA Powers Her Family Tree

The following appeared in the Los Angeles Times, April 27, 2013. Written by Jessica P. Ogilvie. The world within Vanessa Williams 5 QUESTIONS Most of us are curious about our family lineage. For Vanessa Williams, who recently took part in the show "Who Do You Think You Are" and explored her family's history, the task was both surprising and informative. Here, she talks about what she learned and how... Read More »

Livestreams in June: UK Census, Finding Records, and Citing Sources

Just because school is out doesn't mean you can't learn something new about genealogy! The Archives.com livestreams on Wednesdays are fun ways to learn about different resources and how to climb higher on your family tree. Let's take a look at some upcoming topics:
June 12, Across the Pond: Using UK Censuses Read More »

Memorializing Our Military Ancestors

Monday is Memorial Day in the United States. Although it was originally established to honor those who had perished while serving the military, it has come to be a time to remember all veterans who have passed away. We here at Archives.com would like to help you remember the veterans in your family. Read More »

Livestreams in May: Military, Newspapers, Cemeteries and the Census

Want to learn more about military ancestors or newspapers? What about cemeteries or getting more from the 1920-1940 censuses? The Archives.com livestreams on Wednesdays in May are just the thing you're looking for! Here is the upcoming schedule:
May 8, Salute Their Service: Identifying Military Ancestors Read More »

5 Guaranteed Ways to Mess Up Your Genealogy

We at Archives.com love to share tips to help you find your ancestors. Today, we're pointing out some sure-fire ways that you can mess up all your work. Why would we do such a thing? Think of the following as good examples of what not to do. Read More »

Archives Livestreams in April: Lutheran Records, Common Names and More!

Looking to learn more about genealogy? You can enjoy free genealogy livestreams every Wednesday at 1:00pm Eastern/10:00am Pacific! Here's the lineup for April:
April 3, Using the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Records on Archives.com
Archives.com recently published over 4.5 million records from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. This livestream will cover what the records include and how to search for them on Archives.com. Read More »

Archives.com Announces Weekly Livestream Videos

There's always something to learn in genealogy. That's part of the fun! Archives wants to help you learn more about how to find your ancestors, so we have started weekly livestream presentations! These free videos are held every Wednesday at 1:00pm Eastern/10:00am Pacific. Amy Johnson Crow is your presenter for these 20-minute videos. Signing Up The livestreams are free. You can learn about upcoming topics and sign up for reminders... Read More »

Spelling Doesn't Count

Back in school, there was usually one student who had the same question every time the teacher assigned a paper: "Does spelling count?" (This same student was always relieved when the answer was "no.") This student might make a good genealogist, because when it comes to names in older records, spelling doesn't count.

Have you disregarded a record because the name has a different spelling? You should look at that record again. You might have had the right person all along. Read More »

National Women's History Month is here!

March is Women's History Month and Archives.com encourages you to celebrate by thinking about the women in your family tree. What were their triumphs? What were their hardships? Were they women ahead of their times? Were they women who worked hard in order to get by? Whatever their situation, you wouldn't be here without them. Let these remarkable women inspire you to learn about the women in your past. Share... Read More »

Getting the Spark Back in Your Genealogy

Winter months are long and, for those in the north, grey. There are days when you want to pretend you're a bear and hibernate until spring. Winter can affect how you look at things - even your genealogy! If you're feeling lethargic about your family history, here are five tips to get you going again

1. Pick a Different Family. You can get into a rut when you're looking for the same people all the time. Read More »

Dissecting Family Myths and Legends

Does your family have one of those too-good-to-be-true stories? You know the kind: Great-great-great-great Grandpa stowed away in a wine barrel to come to America. Great-great Grandpa was present when Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant. Unfortunately, they're often not true or, at least, not completely true.
Family stories sometimes have a way of growing over the years, but they often have a kernel of truth to them. The trick is knowing which part is the kernel! Here are three things to look at in order to ferret out the truth. Read More »

What to Do if You Think Your Ancestors Came From Outer Space

Today marks the 51st anniversary of John Glenn's historic orbit around the Earth. NASA has denied encountering any alien beings on his (or any other) mission, yet sometimes in our genealogy, we are convinced that our ancestors must have come from outer space. Here are some ways to bring your family tree back to Earth. Read More »

The Genealogy of Your Counties

We're used to thinking of people having a genealogy. People have parents and some people have children. The same is true of counties in the United States. A county usually has another county it was formed from and some counties have had other counties split off from it. This can have a huge impact on your research.
Counties were formed as populations grew and moved. For example, when Indiana became a state on 11 December 1816, there were 15 counties. Today, there are 92. The creation of the counties followed the growth and migration of the population. Read More »

Getting the Most Out of Marriage Records

Marriage records are vital to genealogy research. They document the beginning of a couple's legal status and, at least in the case of first marriages, show the bride's maiden name. But there are clues for further research even in the most basic of marriage records. Let's take a look at how we can use marriage records to their fullest. Read More »

Organizing Digital Photos

It's an irony of our time that we take more photos than ever before, but fewer are identified. We snap tons of photos with our phones. We share them on Facebook and Flickr. We add filters and post them on Instagram. While we have photos by the (virtual) bucketful, we tend to be lacking in organization and identification. It doesn't have to be this way. Read More »

Archives.com Celebrates Black History Month

Archives.com is proud to celebrate Black History Month throughout the month of February. Let's take a look at the history of this important month and ways that you can celebrate along with us.
Historian Carter G. Woodson is often referred to as the "Father of Black History." Born in 1875, Woodson was the son of former slaves. He earned his bachelor's degree from Berea College, his master's degree from the University of Chicago, and his doctorate from Harvard. Read More »

Planning Your Vacation, Genealogy Style

Winter has an icy grip on much of the United States right now. If you're dreaming of breaking away, why not combine a vacation with your genealogy? A little sun, some warm breezes, and family history -- what could be better? There are all sorts of ways you can have a genealogy vacation. Now is the time to start planning. Read More »

Planning to Break Down Your Brick Wall

It's mid-January, which means that a lot of New Year's resolutions are starting to slide. They say that you're more likely to be successful if you have a plan. As it turns out, making a plan was one of our resolutions!

Family history can take you down a path of discovery. But sometimes on the path, there is a stumbling block. Don't panic -- it's perfectly normal! Read More »

New Year's Resolutions for Every Kind of Genealogist

Happy New Year! It's the time of year for making resolutions, so we at Archives.com came up with some for all of the genealogists out there! You're sure to enjoy them, because unlike some popular resolutions, these are actually enjoyable! Read More »

Archives.com Gift Memberships

Gift giving can be stressful. This year, let us help you with the perfect gift for the genealogists in your life: a gift membership to Archives.com. It's a present they will use again and again as they explore their family history. (Bonus for you: no trips to the mall involved!)

You can choose twelve-, six-, or three-month memberships. With memberships starting as low as $19.95, there's one for every budget! Read More »

Poets, Presidents, and Playboys: Mayflower Family Ties

Clergy, columnists, and crooners. This selection of notable Mayflower descendants shows not only the connections between these celebrities, but also illustrates their diversity. Mayflower descendants don't have a "one size fits all" mold. That's one of the exciting things about family history: you never know who you'll find as a cousin! Read More »

Visit Archives.com at the FGS Conference

It's that time of year again! Archives.com is happy to be exhibiting at the FGS (Federation of Genealogical Societies) Conference for the second year, this time held in Birmingham, Alabama. With stormy weather predicted, we weren't sure what to expect, but the conference has proved to be a fantastic event.

This year Archives.com sponsored the tote bags - so think of us when you carry yours!

We're located in the exhibit hall in booths 705/806. Please stop by to learn more about the latest features, record collections, and how Archives.com can help to enhance your family history research. Read More »

Celebrate the Fourth of July with Us

Tomorrow is the Fourth of July and we hope you enjoy the picnics and fireworks in your communities! Even more importantly, we also hope you take time to celebrate the founding of the United States, and the people from all walks of life that banded together to fight to gain its independence. The struggle would not be easy, nor without cost. It was not lightly that the signers of the Declaration of Independence pledged to each other "our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."

The role of blacks in the Revolutionary War had gone largely unstudied until fairly recently. Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Jane E. Ailes, and others, facilitated the research and publication of a database providing new insight into the men and women of color who aided the cause of independence. Archives is proud to present their work in "Patriots of Color," a searchable database which is available for free at archives.com/patriots Read More »

Participate in Bay Area Study and Earn $150

Archives.com is looking for family history enthusiasts of all levels to participate in an upcoming user study. Read More »

Remembering Family on Memorial Day

Memorial Day weekend is upon us and we encourage you to have fun with friends and family, and also to take pause to remember and honor those who have died in military service. The origins of Memorial Day trace back to the years just after the Civil War, when towns across the nation began to memorialize those who had fallen in that conflict. Eventually Decoration Day, as it was originally... Read More »

NGS Here We Come!

We can't believe it's been only been a year since the first time Archives.com exhibited at a family history conference - NGS 2011! So much has happened since then it's amazing to look back at how far we've come. This year we're back again, this time in Cincinnati, with a new look and we can't wait for the conference to begin!

Tomorrow Joe Godfrey, Product Director for Archives.com, will be addressing NGS attendees before the Opening Session. Make sure to come early to get a good seat. You'll learn more about where Archives.com is headed, and why we're psyched about joining with the Ancestry.com team. (Read the announcement here). Read More »

Announcing the Winners of the Run & Hug Contest

We are pleased to announce the winners of the Run & Hug family edition contest, sponsored by Archives.com and Whitepages.com. The contest called for the public to vote on submissions of photos and stories about a long-lost relative to win an all-expense paid trip for two to reunite with that relative, along with $1,000 cash.

Shirley Franklin, a homemaker in Lexington, OK, garnered 16,324 votes to win a trip to visit her grandmother in Cleveland. She plans to take her mother, a recently retired nurse who lives in Norman, OK, with her on the visit in April. Read More »

Eight Holiday Gifts to Bring Families Together

Are you looking for a family-oriented gift this year? These eight gifts are great to give your family members. The best part? You can enjoy them together. These eight ideas focus on bringing families together, you can learn something new about your heritage or discover a new interest to share.

1. Archives.com gift membership: $25-50. Give the gift of family history without breaking the bank. Archives.com offers gift memberships for three, six, or twelve month subscriptions. Your loved ones will enjoy the opportunity to trace their ancestors and learn about their heritage, whether they are serious hobbyists or just beginners. Read More »

Win a Trip to Reunite With a Long Lost Relative This Holiday Season!

Have you lost touch with any of your relatives? The holiday season is when many take the time to connect with family members near and far. If you ask anyone who has been able to reconnect with a family member separated by time or distance, the opportunity to finally see one another can be magical.

As a website built around the importance of connecting families, Archives.com is excited to announce that we are sponsoring a contest with WhitePages.com to connect one lucky winner with their long lost relative. From now until December 19th, we want to hear your favorite memory about that particular relative you would like to see again. Read More »

Archives.com Team Welcomes Amy Johnson Crow

Today, we'd like to share the most recent addition to our Content Development team. Amy Johnson Crow, MLIS, CGsm , will join Archives.com as a Genealogical Content Manager and Contract Specialist. We're excited to welcome Amy to the Archives team, where she will be assisting in the acquisition and management of historical records collections.

As a researcher, editor, webmaster, and database developer, Amy's background unites genealogical expertise and technological savvy. A certified genealogist, she has written dozens of articles in genealogy publications, including a piece that garnered first place in the 2003 International Society of Family History Writers and Editors Excellence-in-Writing Contest. Read More »

Document the Veterans in Your Family Tree

This Veterans Day, take some time to honor the veterans in your life, and remember your ancestors who served in the military.

Veterans Day was established on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day in the eleventh month of 1918 to mark the peace agreements that ended World War I. In other parts of the world, this day is known as Remembrance Day or Armistice Day (as it was originally called in the United States). Do you have veterans in your family tree?

Read More »

Celebrate Jewish Genealogy Month

Happy Jewish Genealogy Month! Recognized annually since 1999, Jewish Genealogy Month is now held during the Hebrew month of Cheshvan. This year, Cheshvan corresponds to October 29 through November 26. Whether or not you or your ancestors are Jewish, this month is a great time to celebrate and learn more about Jewish history.

You can start by reading our Expert Series articles on topics specifically related to Jewish genealogy.

Robert J. Friedman's overview of Jewish genealogy offers insight to starting your research and outlines how names may have changed as they were translated from Hebrew into other languages. Read More »

Today in History: Theodore Roosevelt Takes to the Skies, First President in Flight

At Archives.com, we like to spotlight the fascinating things you can find in our record collections. We're proud to offer members access to millions of newspaper pages (U.S. and international), spanning 400 years courtesy of NewspaperArchive and the Library of Congress. Today, we wanted to share a lively story we found, about a milestone that occurred on this day 101 years ago.

On October 11, 1910, Theodore Roosevelt became the first U.S. President to fly in an airplane. On his way to visit to St. Louis, a year and a half after he left office, he stopped at an aviation field in Kinloch, MO. A pilot named Alex Hoxsey had just descended from a flight and soon was introduced to the former president. "Colonel," Hoxsey said, " I'd like to have you for a passenger." Read More »

FGS Interview with Dick Eastman

Yesterday we had the pleasure of sitting down with Dick Eastman of the popular genealogy blog www.eogn.com to talk about this year's FGS Conference.

The interview was hosted by Anne Roach, Director of Content Development for Archives.com. Watch the video below for some reactions on the conference, and other interesting tidbits. This will be especially helpful if you weren't able to attend FGS this year! Read More »

FGS Conference Highlights (So Far)

The Archives team is having a great time at the FGS Conference. In particular, we've enjoyed talking to other attendees at our booths 621/720! It has been a pleasure meeting lots of new folks, and also seeing many that we recognize from previous NGS and RootsTech conferences.

We're particularly excited to share information about our newly launched Community Contributions Project. This program helps societies, libraries, archives or individuals make their records available online. Come by booths 621/720 to pick up a flier and learn more.

Here are some of the other activities we've enjoyed so far. Read More »

Archives Launches New Program to Help Organizations Share Records Online

We're happy to announce the new Archives.com Community Contribution Program, which will allow individuals and organizations to easily make their digital indexes of family history collections accessible online! Archives.com will host submitted content at no cost, providing custodians of digital genealogical records with a free and easy way to reach an audience of millions.

Contributors may be anyone with digital indexes of genealogical records, and may be individuals or community-based organizations such as libraries, archives, and genealogical societies. Contributions must be digital indexes of records in Excel or .txt format. Examples of appropriate record types include vital, church, obituary, military... Read More »

Archives.com at FGS 2011 - Come Meet Us!

We've arrived in Springfield, IL and are excited to be exhibiting this week at the FGS 2011 Conference. This city holds much historical significance, as the home to Abraham Lincoln for over twenty years leading up to his ascension to the White House in 1861. Not only are we looking forward to meeting lots of new folks, but also demoing what's new at Archives.com, getting together with genealogy friends, and sitting in on some of the fantastic sessions lined up.

Setting up in the exhibit hall today we saw the conference begin to come alive, and we are looking forward... Read More »

Anne Roach Joins the Archives.com Team!

We are pleased to announce that Anne Roach, RootsTech 2011 conference developer and chair, will join Archives.com as the Director of Content Development. Anne has considerable expertise in the genealogy industry, as an accredited and certified genealogist with 19 years of research experience. She will lead the Archives content acquisition and digitization effort along with a dedicated team, to bring hundreds of millions of new records to Archives this year. As part of this, we're particularly excited to bring many new collections online which have never before been digitized.

Anne has been involved in the genealogical community for many years... Read More »

Live From Charleston! Archives at NGS 2011

Greetings from Charleston, SC! Archives is a platinum sponsor of the NGS 2011 Conference, running May 11-14. Like other exhibitors today, we're setting up and looking forward to the week ahead. Archives is located at booths 229 and 231, so please stop by to say hello! We'd love to meet you, and help you learn a little more about Archives.com. We've recently made many exciting product enhancements which we'd love... Read More »

Finale! "Who Do You Think You Are?" Season Two: Episode Eight

Season two of "Who Do You Think You Are?" has come to an end, but last week's episode was a true treat to watch. The episode explored Ashley Judd's ancestors, who accomplished some truly amazing feats. First she explores the life of her third great grandfather Elijah Hensley, a man who at the age of 15 enlisted to fight as an infantry member of the Union Army in the Civil... Read More »

"Who Do You Think You Are?" Season Two: Episode Seven

American actress Gwyneth Paltrow was featured on the latest episode of "Who Do You Think You Are?" which aired Friday, April 1st. Starting out, her story was similar to that of many beginning family historians. She knew bits and pieces about her ancestors but wasn't sure what was fact and what was fiction. One of the myths passed down to her was that someone on her mother's side of the... Read More »

"Who Do You Think You Are?" Season Two: Episode Five

This episode of "Who Do You Think You Are?" followed famous signer Lionel Richie, who came into the experience curious to learn more about his maternal grandmother's line. He didn't leave disappointed. Richie's search focused around his great grandfather, John Louis Brown. Despite having grown up with his grandmother, he never heard any mention of his great grandfather. Richie worked with local historians to discover J.L. Brown was the founder... Read More »

Amazing Things Your Family History Can Reveal

Family history research is extremely rewarding, in part because of the intriguing stories you can learn about your ancestors. Recently, we asked Facebook community members "What's the most interesting fact you've learned about an ancestor?" We've chosen to share a couple real stories which demonstrate some truly remarkable things they've learned about their family heritage. "That many of my close friends turned out to be cousins." - Irene "LOL...I just... Read More »

"Who Do You Think You Are?" Season Two: Episode Four

In the fourth episode of "Who Do You Think You Are?" actress Kim Cattrall dives into the 70+ year mystery of her grandfather's disappearance. In case you missed it here's a quick recap of this powerful, emotionally charged episode. Kim's journey begins with a visit with her mother and aunts, who tell what little they remember of their father George Baugh. It's clear that the children suffered considerably after their... Read More »

"Who Do You Think You Are?" Season Two: Episode Two

Whether you tuned in at RootsTech or at home, everyone was sure to enjoy last Friday's "Who Do You Think You Are?" episode featuring Tim McGraw. As an American country music icon, McGraw brought star-power, and also a really interesting family story. We were excited to see Archives.com Expert Series author Kathleen Brandt featured as one of the historians helping McGraw to trace his ancestors. Brandt appears in the first... Read More »

Learn More About Your Ancestors On Valentine's Day

February 14th is the day to appreciate the love in your life, and it can also be a great time to learn more about your ancestors. Who was your ancestor spending this special day with? Did he write her a poem, or buy her chocolates? It's said Americans probably began exchanging homemade Valentine's Day cards sometime in the early 1700's. It can be particularly fun to look at historic valentines,... Read More »

"Who Do You Think You Are?" Season Two: Episode One

Did you tune in Friday for the first episode of "Who Do You Think You Are?" Season Two? We did! Here's a quick recap of the episode which brought in 7.3 million viewers - a series high. The actress and former beauty queen Vanessa Williams was featured, exploring the lives of several ancestors who much like Vanessa herself broke through racial barriers and stereotypes in their day. The search took... Read More »

Industry Trends Infographic

Archives just released the Online Family History Industry Trends Report, and here is the corresponding infographic which summarizes important data points presented.This infographic was created for public use, so please feel free to pass it on, and share with your friends!  Please let us know your thoughts on recent trends at [email protected].... Read More »

Online Family History Trends

At Archives.com we're deeply engaged with genealogy market trends, but we've never found a central place that synthesized the data we were curious about. We created this report to investigate the genealogy trends that impact our business and the space as a whole. The results are interesting and worthy of sharing.  Please note, our intention is to provide a snapshot of a handful of ideas we find meaningful - this... Read More »

Archives Parent Company Announces Funding And Website Launch

Yesterday, Archives.com's parent company Inflection made two major announcements: one about a $30 million Series A financing round led by Matrix Partners and Sutter Hill Ventures, and another about the launch of new website PeopleSmart.com. (read the press releases here) Inflection's goal is to organize and provide easy access to public records past and present. Archives will focus on serving users looking for historical content, while PeopleSmart is primarily for... Read More »

Archives.com One Year Anniversary

Archives.com is one year old! The site was originally launched as GenealogyArchives.com July 2, 2009, and it's amazing to think how far we've come in this short period. Not only do we provide access to over 1.2 billion records, but we also have hit some truly amazing milestones. Archives.com surpassed 2 million unique monthly visitors in February 2010 (according to Compete.com) Members have created or uploaded tens of thousands of... Read More »

NGS 2010: A Day In Salt Lake City

It was our pleasure to attend the 2010 National Genealogical Society (NGS) Conference in Salt Lake City. Three representatives from Archives made a day of it on Friday, April 30th. It was great to reconnect with friends and make many new ones! We were impressed overall by the venue, organization, and professionalism of conference staff. I slipped into Kip Sperry's talk on "Tips For Field Research" and greatly enjoyed... Read More »

Make 2010 Your Best Year Ever

Scads of bloggers have made genealogy resolutions for 2010. These are great posts to read because they set goals we can all take to heart like making better source citations, planning a long-overdue genealogy trip, or finally organizing that shoe box of old pictures in the closet. However, instead of discussing resolutions in this post we've asked the Archives.com expert authors to weigh in on tips, tricks, and must-attend events... Read More »

Q&A With The Generations Project

Did you catch the first episode of The Generations Project, a new reality show, on BYUTV last night Jan. 4? If not its worth a look. We had the opportunity to interview Mary Wollenzien, a member of the Generations Project team, and we're passing along the story to you!  Mary gives us a couple sneak peeks into highlights from the show, as well as helpful pointers for our own research.... Read More »

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