November/December 2022

Family Tree

The Leading Family History Magazine

Family Tree1 min read
Family Tree
Editor Andrew Koch Art Director Julie Barnett Digital Editor Melina Papadopoulos New Media Editor Rachel Christian eLearning Producer Amanda Epperson Contributing Editors Lisa A. Alzo, Rick Crume, David A. Fryxell, Nancy Hendrickson, Sunny Jane Morto
Family Tree1 min read
Out On A Limb
We often think studying our ancestors is its own reward. Learning about previous generations connects us to others—both living and deceased—and helps us draw inspiration from those who came before. Genealogy binds us all through time: We better under
Family Tree2 min readInternet & Web
Tree Talk
TALK TO YOUR OLDEST family members before it’s too late! They’re usually a wealth of family history going back a couple more generations at least, and they don’t charge a penny. And they’re the ones who will be able to put names to all those nameless
Family Tree1 min read
Angels Among Us
Massachusetts resident Kate Kelley was going through old family photos with her mother when she noticed several nonrelatives in them. “Family friends, neighbors, war buddies—they all meant something to our relatives,” she says. “Wouldn’t it be great
Family Tree1 min readInternet & Web
New Map at Chronicling America
A NEW INTERACTIVE MAP at Chronicling America leads you to 3,000-plus digitized newspapers from your ancestors’ times and places. Chronicling America is a free-to-use website sponsored by the U.S. Library of Congress. To a
Family Tree1 min read
Geneticists Identify New Haplogroup
A team of scientists that includes genetic genealogist Roberta Estes has identified a new mitochondrial (mtDNA) haplogroup. Their article in the journal Nature describes the new hap
Family Tree1 min read
Avotaynu Closes Doors
Publisher Gary Mokotoff announced in July that Avotaynu Inc. has ceased operations . Over the course of nearly four decades, the venerable Jewish genealogy publishing company produced 145 issues of its jour
Family Tree1 min read
AncestryDNA Chromosome Painter
ANCESTRYDNA expanded its DNA analysis tools by launching a chromosome painter in July. Found under DNA Story, this tool (similarly to SideView) assigns DNA ethnicity estimates to each of your parents, then applies that informat
Family Tree2 min read
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
The Dumont Golden Telecruiser is the oldest known restored television mobile unit. Originally built to bring live sporting events to generations of eager fans, the unit was pressed into service by Dallas television station WFAA, an ABC affiliate, to
Family Tree1 min read
Branchingout
“A PENNY SAVED is a penny gained.” Clergyman and historian Thomas Fuller includes this famous idiom in his 1662 History of the Worthies of England. Fuller likely didn’t coin the phrase himself—neither did Benjamin Franklin, to whom a modified version
Family Tree4 min read
Free And Clear
As is often the case, money was on many people’s minds this year, but especially in 2022. With rising inflation rates and supply-chain issues, many of us have been tightening our belts and stressing about financial security—perhaps in ways we haven’t
Family Tree1 min read
Typical Record Fees
• Federal or nationwide censuses that are outside of privacy restrictions, both US and international• Passenger arrival lists and ship manifests (especially from Ellis Island and Castle Garden)• City directories• Vital and church record indexes• US m
Family Tree1 min readInternet & Web
Free from Family Tree
Organize your research, record your findings, and publish your research with this directory of 50-plus downloadable worksheets. See what’s available at . Get the latest genealogy news and Family Tree’s most helpf
Family Tree2 min readInternet & Web
Free Genealogy Websites
Find free records and research guides at this website, which is especially strong for American Indian research. Cyndi Ingle has spent more than 25 years curating some 300,000 links to genealogy websites,
Family Tree5 min read
Dual Purpose
Would you like a second citizenship to go along with your ancestry research? While you’re climbing your family tree, you might find some unexpected “fruit”: eligibility for citizenship by descent. This is especially true if you have European ancestry
Family Tree2 min readInternet & Web
Free Research at the Big Four
FamilySearch is 100%, unequivocally free. The web arm of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City has a myriad of tools available for researchers, just some of which are listed here. FamilySearch boasts a whopping 5.8 milli
Family Tree1 min readInternational Relations
Citizenship by Descent: Common Myths
Reality: It is legal for Americans to have dual (or even multiple) citizenship. Obtaining a second citizenship, as a general matter, does not require applicants to renounce their US citizenship. Note that being a dual citizen does, however, have disa
Family Tree9 min read
Storytime
Wouldn’t it be great if a genealogy website could write your family stories for you? All those names and dates could magically turn into a narrative for your next book, or a video to post on social media. Maybe a likeness of your ancestor could even
Family Tree6 min read
Nevada
NEVADA, LIKE MANY OTHER STATES, HAS A LONG and varied history—from pioneers to high tech, from boom to bust. Known today as America’s Silver State, Nevada has gone through an incredible transition. And it has the distinction of being one of only two
Family Tree1 min read
Timeline
Modern Nevada is claimed for Spain Spain forms the Alta California province out of Nevada and other regions Mexico (then including Nevada) gains independence from Spain John C. Fremont and Kit Carson embark on a highly publicized expedition to the Gr
Family Tree6 min read
Virginia
AS THE OLDEST PERMANENT ENGLISH SETTLEMENT in North America, Virginia has a long history. It also has a rich trove of genealogical records to explore. Read on for more on the history of Virginia, plus what records you can find there. When European se
Family Tree1 min read
Toolkit
Cyndi’s List: Nevada FamilySearch Research Wiki: Nevada Linkpendium: Nevada The Nevada Library Cooperative
Family Tree1 min readAmerican Government
Timeline
Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America, is founded The first ship carrying African slaves to the modern United States arrives at Hampton, Va. King James I makes Virginia the first royal colony Colonists stage an armed revo
Family Tree1 min readWorld
Timeline
Catherine the Great invites colonists to populate Russian lands; many Germans living in territory ravaged by the Seven Years’ War participate Russia annexes the Crimean Peninsula, expanding Russian territory around the Black Sea Russia annexes Volhyn
Family Tree1 min read
Toolkit
Archival Resources of the Virginias Cyndi’s List: Virginia FamilySearch Research Wiki: Virginia Linkpendium: Virginia
Family Tree6 min read
Russlanddeutsche
From medieval times, Germans and Russians, the largest population blocs in Europe, have seldom been allies on the world stage. And yet millions of people around the world identify in a way that seems oxymoronic: “Germans from Russia.” A confusing des
Family Tree2 min readCorporate & Business History
Toolkit
Black Sea German Research CompGen (in German) Cyndi’s List: Germans from Russia FamilySearch Research Wiki: Germans from Russia
Family Tree1 min read
Record Highlight: EWZ
EWZ stands for Einwanderungszentralstelle, or Central Immigration Control Department. During World War II, ethnic Germans resettling from countries in Eastern Europe back to Germany were required to fill out a number of forms with that agency to requ
Family Tree8 min read
Genetic Engineering
When I was a sophomore in college, I remember sitting in a 50-person, windowless classroom in the science building’s basement. That day, just a handful of us were listening to Dr. Scott Woodward explain what we were about to create. “One day someone
Family Tree1 min read
Estimating Relationships from Shared DNA
The first three columns show how much DNA two matches theoretically expect to share based on the mathematics of DNA inheritance. The fourth column indicates the actual observed range of shared DNA for those relationships, based on data from the Share
Family Tree7 min readCrime & Violence
Passport Applications
A passport is widely understood today to be a prerequisite for international travel. However (with a couple exceptions), the US government has only required its citizens to have passports for overseas travel since June 1941. Still, your ancestors may
Family Tree2 min read
At a Glance: Passport Application
1 Passports are numbered at the top-right, which can be helpful if you know the file number but can’t find the record via keyword search. Lillian King’s number is 112996. 2 The applicant’s date of naturalization—as well as court of naturalization—are
Family Tree2 min read
Rock-Solid Research
1 When faced with an unidentified photo, start by remembering who gave it to you. This image belonged to Carol Sooter’s aunt, Frances Elizabeth Logan (b. 1918). Frances’ mother, Jesse Andrus, died shortly after her birth, and her father re-married to
Family Tree1 min read
Treetips
REACH OUT FOR HELP when you need it. Genealogists, as a group, are generous and collaborative, willing to lend a helping hand. Find tips for working with other researchers at . This issue’s Resour
Family Tree2 min readInternet & Web
Searching the Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is a free online library with billions of items that can help you with your family history. The archive has curated millions—even billions—of books and other texts, audio files, videos, photographs and much more
Family Tree2 min read
Preserving Vinyl Records and CDs
1 Keep them cool. The single most important factor to consider when storing vinyl and CDs is temperature. The ideal storage condition is about 50°F with 30% humidity, but the coolest location in your house (perhaps an outside wall, or somewhere away
Family Tree3 min read
Now What?
Q I’m having a hard time finding a birth record for my grandmother. Death records and censuses say she was born in Washington, DC somewhere between 1880 and 1885. A The District of Columbia didn’t begin widespread birth registration until 1874, but e
Family Tree2 min read
Genealogy Groups to Join
1 Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society Reportedly the largest African American genealogical society, AAHGS has chapters across the United States. Members enjoy the benefits of local chapters; members-only content and publ
Family Tree2 min read
Learning About African Heritage
QWhich DNA test is best for researching African ancestry? AAn estimated 12.5 million Africans were forcefully removed from their families between 1500 and 1900. We see the effects of that diaspora in our modern DNA databases, and tens of thousands of
Family Tree1 min read
Military Service Record
In each issue, Your Turn offers a form that’ll help you preserve your family’s unique stories and organize your research. Tear out and use the form or make a photocopy. ■
Family Tree2 min read
6 Keys to Scottish Genealogy Research
Most Scottish records are in English, but many place names continue to have Gaelic and Scots influence. As a result, these places may have had their names Anglicized throughout the centuries. Turn to Scottish gazetteers to help you. Also watch for sp
Family Tree2 min read
Historical Timeline
Romans begin building Hadrian’s Wall, which eventually forms the boundary between Roman Britain and native-ruled lands. Gaelic-speakers from Ireland, called the Scotti, settle in Scotland. Saint Ninian, the first bishop of Galloway, establishes a chu
Family Tree1 min read
Geography Quick Guide
The two best-known Scottish cultural regions are the Highlands and the Lowlands, with the Highland Boundary Fault running between them. The Highlands are the mountainous northern and western regions of Scotland. Here, Gaelic remained the primary lang
Family Tree1 min read
Scottish Counties
Based on a map from FamilySearch ■
Family Tree1 min read
Records Quick Guide
Source: 1975 Annual Report: Immigration and Naturalization Service (Washington, D.C.1976)
Family Tree2 min read
Resources
Ainmean-Àite na h-Alba (AÀA): Gaelic Place-Names of Scotland Am Baile: Highland History and Culture Association of Scottish Genealogists and Researchers in Archives $ British Newspaper

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