20th Century Migrations

By Shannon Combs-Bennett, Student Once again there was a lot of great information put forward in Module 5 and 6 of the US: Migration Patterns course. However, I found the information in Module  6 to be very enlightening. That module focused on migration patterns  for 1920 and forward. A subject that I have not really given my full attention to since most of my research is in the early 1800s and before. Bad on me! Of course I remember the unit from US History class about the migration that occurred during the Great Depression; how the “dust bowl” effected farmers and they packed up their lives and moved west. I also remember reading The Grapes of Wrath in English class. However, through this course I learned quickly that there was more to movement and migration in the US during the 20th century than what took place during the 1930s. Anyone who had taken extended road trips across the US knows that the federal highway system was slowly replaced by the interstates to get people where they were going quicker. What I didn’t internalize until now was how many of these highways followed the old migration routes. But it makes sense doesn’t it?  If the route is already there why not create a better road on top of it! It especially hit home that I was traveling the footsteps of my ancestors when I drove these roads (some of them I have driven frequently over the last few decades). Most importantly…

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Some Thoughts On Researching US Occupations

Each  individual  researcher’s  quest  to  understand  their  ancestor’s  “life’s work”  will  have  its  own  twists  and  turns. There  is not  one  record  or  one repository  that  will  give  you  all  the  answers. Before you begin your  research using a specific record, have a general idea what might be found in that record. For  example:  If  you  are  working  in  county  land  records  what  type  of information  would  you  expect  to  find  about  a  person’s  occupation? Here are just a few examples: their stated occupation (i.e: blacksmith, yeoman, trader, etc). location   of   where   they   practiced   this   occupation   (where  they purchased or rented their land). location  of  where  they  last  practiced  their  occupation  (statement  of  a location other than the current county of residence). any partnerships or corporations. where they learned their trade. where they might have acquired their tools. any business difficulties, bankruptcy, sheriff sales, etc. did  they  buy  and  sell  land  repeatedly,  possibly  as  a  means  of  an income (land speculator). A land record has more to tell than the description of the land, and names of   the  grantee/grantor. You  must  evaluate it  with  a critical eye. Repositories  are  numerous  and  the following  is  a  short list  of  repositories that you should  be using: Family History Library and the local Family History Center Genealogy Libraries (Allen County Public Library; Midwest Genealogy Center; Sutro Library; DAR Library;  Clayton Library) Local library and the interlibrary loan system National Archives and its regional branches Library of Congress State Libraries and Archives County…

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Working for the Railroad: A Few Tips

    Spending this Labor Day holiday weekend researching your family tree? Good! Consider learning more about  the occupations of your ancestors. For many, railroad jobs figure prominently in their  family’s story. Here’s a few tips for researching railroad employees from our course US: Occupational Records. The development of the railroad system in the United States opened up new frontiers. It employed people in all aspects from surveying and construction to the porter, conductor and engineer. Some of these individuals worked directly for a specific rail line while others worked for companies that contracted with the rail lines. The first place to begin research for a railroad employee that was employed after 1937 is the Railroad Retirement Board. The Railroad Retirement Board was formed in the mid-1930s, under the Railroad Retirement Act of 1935  and began maintaining records in 1936. Until 1964, Railroad workers received a special Social Security number, numbers starting with 700 to 728, and a separate pension plan. The Board’s primary function is the administration and payment of railroad pension funds. The Railroad Retirement Board maintains a genealogy web page with helpful information for researching railroad employees. They will perform a search of their records for a fee. For more information about what is available and how to request a search, see their website. Please note: the Railroad Retirement Act did not include street, interurban, or suburban electric railways. If your family member worked for a railroad before 1936 the Board does not have those records. To locate a…

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Go West!

By Shannon Combs-Bennett, Student Through the next two modules in the course US: Migration Patterns  we continue to travel west across the US.  In Module 2 we were in Colonial America, Module 3 we expanded to the Mississippi River, and in Module 4 we saw the explosion of westward migration to the Pacific Ocean.  I remember reading about that last stage in American history during school.  For those Americans in the crowd, do you remember your US History classes? Let’s admit it,  Manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion may not have been the most interesting thing in our lives while we were in high school.  However, as genealogists, plotting our family’s trail across the US we should realize that those ideas were a driving force for many people to move from one coast to the other.  Of course, it is also sort of awesome to read about trails that you have actually traveled yourself. For those of you who do not know what Manifest Destiny was, let me try to explain it briefly.  Trust me, there are volumes written about this way of thought, but I think it is crucial to understand why droves of people left their homes in the Eastern US and headed west.  In a nut shell those who believed in this concept felt that the United States should (and eventually would) possess all of the land from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean.  Many believed it was their God-given right to control and civilize the whole…

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The History Behind Migration

By Shannon Combs-Bennett, Student The first module of US: Migration Patterns was packed full of useful information.  Facts and tid-bits that I had not heard before, or at least not stopped to consider when looking at the bigger picture of US migration patterns.  I actually read this module several times through.  Each time I did I made a note in the margins about statements that related to my personal research, and I am sure you will too. Of particular interest was the long list of records presented that might be left behind as our ancestors moved westward.  Some I am sure you can guess.  Of course there could be bible records, censuses, personal manuscripts, or vital records.  Some of the more unusual ones (that I will be checking on) were emigrant aid companies, fort records, occupation records, voting registers, plus many others.  Once again reminding me that our ancestors did not live in a vacuum.  They were people who lived full lives and left a paper trail if you know where, or how, to look. If you have read any of my blog posts in the past you may remember me harping on how important it is to know all types of history and geography.  Which is why I was literally yelling “YES” as I read Module 1 and came to the section on history and geography.  Our instructor, Beverly Whitaker, does an excellent job driving home the point that you need to understand the history of the US, from…

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