I spotted an article in the paper today about my friend, Luana Darby, and her success using newspapers. The article has numerous online newspaper-related links. Following is a teaser.
PROVO, Utah — Professional genealogist Luana Darby was
researching Madison Cheadle — the ancestor of a friend. But some things were not clear. Darby found the context she needed in a local newspaper. Cheadle had been a victim of vigilante justice, and although he survived being hanged, he probably was never the same.
“And we had wondered why, in later years, this gentleman had ended up in an institution,” Darby said. “Being hung would kinda mess me up too.”
Official records are the mainstay of genealogical work, but some of the best information (and sometimes the only information) about ancestors is found in newspapers.
Read the full article in the July 31, 2010 edition of Mormon Times, and check out the links.
“There is no point in searching for a relative who died in 1845 if the newspaper database only goes back to 1890.”
On the contrary, a subsequent article about the deceased’s surviving spouse or child(ren) may contain details about his/her death, place of burial, etc., even though it happened decades earlier.
My local newspaper has been published weekly since 1857. While you won’t be able to find a contemporary notice of marriage prior to that date, a landmark anniversary (25, 50, 60+ years) may warrant a lengthy article mentioning the people who attended the wedding, the names of the couples’ parents, and such.