Tracing Ancestors: STEM / STEAM Education

If you want to share your race-based stereotypes, know that I am prepared to respond.  I know your issue is not my race but your ignorance of history.  I know the American education system has given you permission to embrace half-truths of America's history; while disregarding the parts of history that do not benefit you.  I know it gives you the power to share your uninformed knowledge because to accept the facts, to learn the truth, somehow hurt you, instead of lifting me.  I know this is your choice.  But I am prepared to respond. I am an eager eraser of ignorance. If you know the truth, share the truth. If not, I will.  It's my gift. Albeit, obnoxious, unbearable, and sometimes annoying. It's my gift.  Help your brother when they are weak, I was told. Lift up the misfortunate , they said. Do good and share with others, I've heard.  Be generous with your time and treasure, it is written  Well, My Friend, I've been blessed...

We often use city directories to quickly locate a person, or family in a town or to confirm their occupation. But, for every quick research endeavor, there are issues.  City directories are a great resource, as long as you know that they may not have been created for the year you are researching. It took months to even a year to create a city directory. So you must adjust your City Directory research time frame. Searching for someone in 1918, check out the 1918 city directory and the 1919 directory.   This is to say, if the effort began Jan 1918, a city directory depending on the data collection process and size of the city, may have come off the press in Oct of 1918.  Conversely, if the process for 1918 data collection began in June, after planting season, or at a time when the weather allowed for door to door collections of ads to support the directory, your 1918 person may really be in the 1919 city directory.  For our ancestors to produce a city directory, t...