Where Did They Go

ANNOUNCEMENT! Posts for the next two weeks will be brief with genealogy tips only. When the blogger returns (Oct 28) we will go back to our standard format. As they say: “Don’t go away. We’ll be right back!”

 

 

Genealogy tip for today: Where did they go?

 

Have you decided the world really is flat and your great-great grampa must have fallen off the edge of the earth? How, on earth (!), can you find him? That’s a good question and sometimes one that is hard to answer or doesn’t always have easy answers.

 

But sometimes you can follow clues.

          What was happening at that time? The gold rush?

          What were the migration patterns in his time frame?

          What or where were others going that lived in the same town? (“Cluster Theory”)

          Where were some of his children born? (check the census.)

          What was his occupation and what was going on, at that time, in the economy?

          What were the headlines of the day?

          Did you check the deeds? Sometimes they will list that John Doe sold his land to his brother before moving west to Oregon.

          Was it during the Pioneer days and everyone was going west? Check to see where the trails went and if they left footprints in the towns they went through.

          Was it during the Industrial Revolution and everyone was moving to the cities? What’s the nearest big city? Did he find better work in another city?

          Did you check the newspaper to see if there was an auction for a family because they were moving to ….!

 

Sometimes we want to just throw our hands up and say we have no clue. But actually we have lots of clues. You’ve got to put yourself in their shoes, their location, their timeframe, and do some brainstorming. The things going on in your life can be the very things that went on in their life.

 

Everyday things are the things of which life is made! See what you can think of that may have been some of their “stuff” as well. You never know where your mind may lead you if you peek outside of the box.

 

 

 

 

If any of these posts are helpful drop us a line in the comments section below. We just want to know if the information we provide to you is helpful in anyway.

 

 

 

 

ENJOY!

 

Now You Know!