Genealogy Roundup, January 18
This week: Commemorating the 125th anniversary of Annie Moore and Ellis Island, a hoard of gold found inside a donated piano, two genealogy-themed TV series to air soon, and much more!
Genealogy Roundup, January 11
This week, explore Pitcairn Island, a new online index to Oklahoma births and deaths, slang, Barack Obama Plaza, and a project to mark the 100th anniversary in 2016 of the start of the first Great Migration.
125th Anniversary of Annie Moore and Ellis Island
On January 1, 1892, 17-year-old Annie Moore from Cork, Ireland became the first immigrant to ever arrive at Ellis Island, so both Annie and Ellis Island celebrated their 125th anniversary on January 1, 2017. Now is an especially relevant time to reflect on the Annie Moores in our own family trees – those pioneers who made a leap that so drastically altered the trajectories of their descendants’ lives for the better.
Genealogy Roundup, December 14
Lots of great reads this week: a true WWII POW escape story, a most intriguing tombstone, and news from the Library of Congress. We finish up with an interesting interview with a photographer commissioned by the National Park Service, who, when asked why the assignment was important, responded, "Because I think a lot of people forget about where we came from all too easy. It’s what shapes us. It’s how we know where we got to.”
Genealogy Roundup, December 7
In this week's Roundup: Discover Central Park before it was Central Park, when the site housed a village where African-Americans "had a rate of property ownership four times as great as New Yorkers as a whole". Also enjoy the story of the 75th baby in his family to wear a baptism gown made from his great-great-grandmother's wedding dress!
Genealogy Roundup, August 24
In this week's Roundup, get your funny bone tickled with an Ellis Island cartoon, explore a tattoo shop formerly frequented by medieval pilgrims (and still in the same business!), check out two family sagas you might enjoy reading, and more.
Genealogy Roundup, August 3
In this week's Roundup: Ukrainian flower crowns (gorgeous! be sure to click through to the gallery in the photo credit), ancestry tourism, a juxtaposition of portraits and genetic ancestry from Brazil, talking statues, and more.
Genealogy Roundup, July 13
This week we rounded up an analysis of and tribute to Lin-Manuel Miranda, incredible trompe l’oeil facades in France, an 86-year-old grandmother celebrating her birthday with her 86th great-grandchild, and much more . . .
Genealogy Roundup, June 29
In this week's Roundup, check out the story of a "quiet and self-effacing" Marine who chose to stay silent about his role in the 1945 flag raising on Iwo Jima, quirky and interesting stories about microfilm and time capsule homes, more on VP Biden's visit to Ireland, and more . . .
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Revolutionary Ancestors
In climbing the branches of Lin-Manuel Miranda's family tree, I found myself following the trail of an early nineteenth century, interracial love story, peppered by war and rebellion, all interwoven with a decades-long struggle to outrun slavery that began in Virginia and ultimately unfolded under a handful of flags even though most of it occurred in one place – Nacogdoches.