The website of The National Archives in the U.K. has a page on reading old handwriting with tips and tutorials. Some of the information is specific to U.K. records, but if you've taken your genealogy very far back, you've found yourself puzzling over old handwritten documents. Polish your skills here.
May 10, 2022
By: Erin Renfroe
1950 Census Searchable on Ancestry
Ancestry.com has gone ahead and made the 1950 census searchable. I have to say, I had a hard time finding my father because his family was on the move in 1950 and I'd had zero luck using the search on the National Archives site. But when I found out Ancestry had a search function, I typed his father's name in and it popped right up. Maybe you'll have good luck, too. Click here to search (subscription required if not at a WFGL computer).
May 5, 2022
By: Erin Renfroe
FPAN Events for May
For updates on archaeology events and to register, visit the Events Calendar page.
6-8
May
Florida Anthropological Society Annual Meeting Miami, FL
12-14
May
Heritage Awareness Diving Seminar
with Virtual Option 5:00pm-8:00pm (May 12 and 13)
19
May
Archaeology Arcade: Valheim with special guest Henry Rayment-Pickard
9:00-10:00am CT
20
May
Cemetery Resources and Protection Training (CRPT) - Mini Workshop in support of the City of Pensacola's Juneteenth Celebration Whitmire Cemetery, Pensacola, FL 32514
10:00am-12:00 pm CT - RSVP REQUIRED
23
May
The Turpentine Industry in North Florida with FPAN Regional Director Barbara Clark
Bay County Public Library, 898 W 11th St, Panama City, FL
7:00pm-8:00pm CT
25
May
Archaeology After School! FPAN Coordinating Center, 207 E Main Street, Pensacola, FL
3:30pm-4:30pm CT - RSVP REQUIRED
26
May
Kayak Tour: Bruce Beach by the Bay in support of the City of Pensacola's Juneteenth Celebration
Bruce Beach, 601 W Main Street, Pensacola, FL
9:00am-11:00am CT
FEW SPOTS LEFT - RSVP REQUIRED
April 28, 2022
By: Erin Renfroe
New York's Digitized Records
From the Facebook page: New York's recent digitization and online publication of vital records led Renate Yarborough Sanders to several important discoveries - but she can't take every detail on those records as fact. Read more (including a link to the records) here.
April 11, 2022
By: Erin Renfroe
Census Fraud from 1920 Uncovered!
From the Facebook page: A fascinating piece of genealogical detective work! How one woman uncovered an enumerator's fraudulent filings more than 100 years after the fact.
The 1950 census was released April 1, 2022 (I personally know someone who was there at two minutes after midnight!). If you haven't dug your way into it yet, here are some helpful links:
Ancestry has a handy location search that overlays Enumeration District maps onto present-day locations. With the only search function available right now based on machine-read data, knowing the ED of your subject will help you narrow down the crazy results.
Pour a cup of your favorite genealogy-marathon beverage and get to it!
March 29, 2022
By: Erin Renfroe
Preserving an heirloom American flag
From the Facebook page: The blog "Genealogist in the Archives" provides sources for archival-quality papers and boxes for preserving flags and other family heirlooms. Click here for more.
March 27, 2022
By: Erin Renfroe
Counting down to April 1!
In case you've been living under the proverbial rock: April 1 is the date the 1950 U.S. Census will be released. Here are some details on that census and what information you can expect to find in it, from FishWrap, the official blog of Newspapers.com.
March 22, 2022
By: Erin Renfroe
Biggest ever genetic human family tree
CNN: DNA reveals biggest-ever human family tree, dating back 100,000 years
Researchers have created the largest genetic human family tree ever produced.
"We have a single genealogy that traces the ancestry of all of humanity, and shows how we're all related to each other today."
From the Facebook page: The UK recently released the 1921 Census. An archivist involved in digitizing the pages shared his insights into the records and the process with readers of the LostCousins newsletter. Click here to read.
