Your PA ancestor in 1926 Reader, In 1926, the country turned a hundred and fifty, and Philadelphia threw another World’s Fair — the Sesquicentennial International Exposition in South Philadelphia. You’ve probably never heard of it, and there’s a reason. It rained on 107 of the 184 days it was open, drew about 6.4 million of the 10 million visitors planners expected, and lost more than twenty million dollars. An honest civic flop. But here’s the thing: the fair flopped, and your ancestor’s...
2 months ago • 1 min read
Where was your PA ancestor in 1826? Reader, We just spent the spring on 1776. But your ancestor lived through every American milestone after it — and each one left a different paper trail. Over the next six weeks I’m walking the anniversaries: 1826, 1876, 1926, 1976, and then two posts on what makes Pennsylvania research genuinely its own animal. We start with the hardest one. In 1826, the country turned fifty. On July 4 — the exact half-century mark — John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died...
3 months ago • 1 min read
PAancestors.com Free this week: immigration records for your PA ancestors Hello Reader! If you have an immigrant ancestor who landed in Pennsylvania, the arrival record is one of the most useful documents you can find. It often names the ship, the port of departure, the date, an age, sometimes a last residence or a relative waiting in the States — the bridge that carries your research back across the ocean. MyHeritage keeps a number of these collections free to search and view. I went through...
3 months ago • 2 min read
PAancestors.com Loyalist Records: The Pennsylvania Ancestors Who Chose the Other Side Hello Reader! When the British evacuated Philadelphia in June 1778, approximately 3,000 Loyalists left with them. Some went to New York, some to Nova Scotia, some to England. Many never came back. Their property was seized, their names published on attainder lists, and their families scattered. If your Pennsylvania ancestor disappears from the records between 1778 and 1785, Loyalist records are worth...
4 months ago • 1 min read
PAancestors.com Philadelphia Just Signed a Deal to Digitize 20 Million Records Hello Reader! In March, Philadelphia Mayor Parker signed Bill 251066 into law, authorizing the City of Philadelphia to partner with Ancestry.com to digitize approximately 20 million historical records held by the City Archives. Birth records, death records, marriage records, and property records — dating from the late 1600s through approximately 1950. If you have Philadelphia ancestors, this is the biggest access...
4 months ago • 2 min read
PAancestors.com How to Find Revolutionary War Pension Records for PA Ancestors Hello Reader! If you could read only one Revolutionary War record for a Pennsylvania ancestor, make it the pension file. No other document from this era gives you this much family detail in one place. Congress passed pension acts in 1818, 1832, and 1838 with each one expanding eligibility. By 1832, any veteran who had served at least six months could apply, regardless of financial need. Widows could apply under the...
4 months ago • 1 min read
PAancestors.com What the closing of the DAR Library means for you Hello Reader! I just returned from a research trip to Washington D.C. and need to let you know something urgent - The Daughters of the American Revolution Library in Washington, D.C. is closing in July for a multi-year renovation. The entire collection of over 225,000 books is being moved offsite. The historic reading room is getting a full restoration of its plasterwork, skylights, floors, and shelving. When it reopens, it...
4 months ago • 2 min read
PAancestors.com New Book: The Revolutionary War Writing Workbook Hello Reader! If you've been doing Revolutionary War research in Pennsylvania — or anywhere in the original thirteen colonies — I just published something I've been working on for months. The Revolutionary War Writing Workbook: Turn Your Research into Your First Family History is now available on Amazon. This is not another research guide. If you're reading this newsletter, you already know how to find pension files and muster...
5 months ago • 1 min read
PAancestors.com Pennsylvania Militia and Associator Records: What Survives Hello Reader! Most Pennsylvanians who served in the Revolution did not enlist in the Continental Army. They served in the militia or as Associators which were voluntary companies formed before formal military organization existed. If your ancestor served, there's a strong chance it was local, short-term militia duty, not a Continental Line enlistment. Associators came first (1775-1777). These voluntary companies were...
5 months ago • 1 min read