Through The Ancestry Looking Glass

Discover Their Social Circles in Historical Newspapers!

Have you ever wondered if your ancestors had their own FAN club? No, not the sports or theater kind—though they might have been into those, too! In genealogy, “FAN” stands for Family, Friends, Associates, and Neighbors. These are the folks who surrounded your ancestors and can provide crucial clues about their lives. So, how can digging into your ancestor’s FAN club help you uncover Ready to dive into the past and uncover some amazing stories? Using online newspapers to find your ancestors’ traditions and social circles is like opening a time capsule! Here are some cool ways to get started:

Keep It Organized: Make a note of the articles you find, including publication dates and page numbers. This way, you’ll have all your findings neatly organized and ready to reference.

Gather the Deets: Start by collecting as much info as you can about your ancestors—names, nicknames, dates, and places they lived. This will make your search way easier.

Local Gems: Focus on local newspapers from your ancestors’ hometowns. These papers are packed with juicy details about community events and gatherings.

Social Butterflies: Check out the society pages or neighborhood columns. These sections are treasure troves of parties, dances, and social events where your ancestors might have been mentioned.

Search Like a Pro: Use different name variations and spellings to catch every possible mention. You’d be surprised how many hits you can get with a little creativity!

Digital Digs: Websites like Newspapers.com, Ancestry.com, and Chronicling America are your best friends. They’re packed with digitized newspapers just waiting to be explored.

Set Your Sights: Decide what you want to find. Are you looking for specific events, family members, or just a glimpse into their daily lives? Having a goal can keep you focused and on track.

Dive into Digital Archives: Your Go-To Online Newspaper Resources

Let’s dive into the archive diamond mines of resources to explore your social pages! Newspapers.com is a fan-favorite, though it comes with a subscription tag. But wait! Don’t give up just yet—head over to your local library. Many libraries cover the subscription costs and offer it to their patrons for free! Happy hunting!

There are several excellent online resources for newspaper research that can help you uncover valuable information about your ancestors. Here are some of the best:

1. Chronicling America: This is a free resource from the Library of Congress that provides access to over 20 million pages from 3,810 newspapers across the United States. You can search by title, place, or year1.
2. Newspapers.com: This subscription-based service offers access to millions of pages from newspapers across the U.S. It’s a great resource for finding articles about your ancestors.
3. GenealogyBank: Another subscription-based service, GenealogyBank provides access to historical newspapers, obituaries, and other records that can be invaluable for genealogical research.
4. Fulton History: This free resource offers access to over 50 million pages of historical newspapers from New York State and other states. It’s a fantastic resource for finding local news and events.
5. Trove: This Australian resource provides access to over 23.8 million pages from Australian newspapers. It’s a great resource if your ancestors lived in Australia.
6. Google News Archive: This resource offers access to over 2,500 newspapers from the U.S. and Canada. While the search function is somewhat limited, it’s still a valuable resource for finding older newspaper articles.
7. Elephind: This free resource provides access to over 200 million newspaper pages from several countries. You can search multiple collections all at once, making it a powerful tool for finding articles about your ancestors.
8. USGenWeb: This free resource provides links to various online genealogy resources, including historical newspapers. It’s a great starting point for finding free newspaper archives.
9. Oldnews.com: The site requires a subscription, but many times offers papers or articles not found on some of the other sites.