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The Anomalies of Placing Out Children & Babies

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 NATIONAL ORPHAN TRAIN COMPLEX MUSEUM AND RESEARCH CENTER Orphan Train Movement 1854-1929 Like any other massive immigration movement, the United States, although known as the land of ‘milk and honey,’ had the reality of tenements, scarce jobs, and insufficient provisions for the over four million arrivers. These newcomers faced unsanitary living conditions, diseases due to the lack of sanitary living quarters and work environment, and risky jobs without safety measures where many of the men faced their demise leaving overworked mothers at home with young children who may have begun working as early as age six. Due to the high death rate of parents, or their heavy burden, these children were often abandoned or orphaned, left to feign for themselves. By 1854 there were over 30,000 children living in the New York City streets.  But this was a growing issue especially in overcrowded eastern cities. Two organizations took noticed: The Children’s Aid Society (CAS) led by  Charle
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Don't Let It Happen to Genealogy Societies

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  Preserving Our Heritage: Supporting Local Genealogy Societies I'm from small town Kansas. Well not really, but I spent every summer in small town Kansas with grandparents. Lyons, Rice County, Kansas to be exact. We had the best Ma and Pa shops, generational shops, a 5 and dime store, (3, YES! 3) small grocers...then Walmart entered the picture. I was probably out of college by then, so I got to see the town close doors because, as you may already know, few would call Walmart a team player. They came in, under priced the little Ma and Pa shops, and within a few years had what most thought as a "one stop shop," not noticing that there was no more competition. As I said Walmart is not noted for being a team players. As soon as the competition was annihilated, Walmart no longer had to be competitive. The were able to put forth limited offerings while defining the "shopping" experience in Lyons, KS. Oh...and they most often got tax breaks to stay in town. Walmart h
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The Telling Records of Insured Slaves 1640 - 1865

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Insured Slaves: Slave Era Insurance Polices, 1640-1865 Yes Cami, there are plenty of records not referenced in this episode but slave era records are valuable resources for all of our ancestral research. D escendants of enslaved persons and enslavers may bring down a brickwall with these records.  Uses for Brickwalls Let's talk about one of my favorites,  Slave Era Insurance Polices,  and be sure to surf the a3genealogy blog for others. They are not widespread, but perusing these records is well worth the researchers time.  Know that often these policies were not sold locally.   If you want to check to verify if your enslaved ancestor was insured, or perhaps if your ancestor insured enslaved persons, Here are two great resources: California Department of Insurance: Slavery Era Insurance Registr y   This registry   highlights a  nationwide listing  from NY Life Insurance Company, American International Group, Inc, and the Missourian’s favorite: Aetna Life Insurance.. The states of T
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Don't Miss an Episode of Your Favorite DIY Genealogy Podcast!

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Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen

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Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen , sponsored by Tracing Ancestors  is brought to you by the following partners: 1 ) a3Genealogy : the big umbrella. A historical and forensic research firm. We partner with the 100% donation sponsored educational entities below. Visit our one-stop-shop: linktr.ee/a3Genealogy . 2) Tracing Ancestors : a 501c3 Not-for-profit education platform offering an internship program, educational blog. Our STEM - STEAM opportunities and programs for schools, colleges and university students and teachers. We partner with a3Genealogy research projects for internship experiences. This is a paid internship program. We rely on donations and grant monies for operating expenses. Be a part of our Tracing Ancestors Team. Be sure to go to this link to pledge your DONATION . All donations are applied to operating expenses for the educational podcast and youtube channel below. We are a fully volunteer based group. Here is more information on Tracing Ancestors. Podcast: Hi
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Code Girls

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World War II Code Girls: What’s in a Name?  Looking for Records?  "Code girls:” the women who worked in cryptography (the practice of making a code) or as cryptanalysts (breaking codes) during World War II. They were commonly recruited from colleges and universities to work in the intelligence branches of Federal agencies. However, you will not be able to locate your Code Girl ancestor easily within the record groups held by the National Archives or Military Personnel Records. There is no record group that encompasses a roster of all the Code Girls. It plainly does not exit.  Plus based on their jobs, you may never uncover their real job.  What You May Learn With the following in hand, you may uncover some personnel information: name, maiden name, date of birth, employing agency, and location of employment. You may be able to facilitate the search for Code Girl within the archives by providing this data and requesting by email to STL.archives@nara.gov . But again your pre-work is
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Barbie - Do You Really Know Her?

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Not Just A Doll, But Inspiration Tracing Ancestors is a STEM / STEAM not-for-profit organization. Our focus is to empower and encourage underserved communities to explore  STEM / STEM fields through exposure and education. This education always starts with "history: where we were, where we are, and where we can go.  So let's talk Barbie. She, too, was designed to empower women. Here are three sources chock- full of facts that many have overlooked:  Fast Facts: http://www.barbiemedia.com/about-barbie/fast-facts.html Barbie Through the Ages:  https://www.history.com/news/barbie-through-the-ages List of Barbie's Friends and Family : https://tracingancestors.blogspot.com/p/list-of-barbies-friends-and-family.html Oh, and know there were failures along the way to Barbie's success! Interested in a presenter for your organization? Consider our You Are A Pioneer Series.  Contact Kathleen Brandt, 816-729-5995 or at info@tracingancestors.org.  Looking to Donate to Tracing Ancesto
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