It’s October, and people are thinking about all things Halloween. Since I am from Massachusetts, I think that it is a good time to talk about a place that I visited a long time ago when I was a Girl Scout – Salem. People from all over the world come to Salem, Massachusetts to learn more about the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. The Witch Trials undoubtedly played a large part of the lives of all that were living in New England during that time. My ancestors were still in other countries at that time, but other people are able … Continue reading →

Families with roots in New England may have American roots that date back quite a few generations. New England was one of the first places in America to be settled by Europeans, so many of the first families of European descent to live in America made their homes there. Fortunately, the history of New England is very well preserved in museums, books, monuments, and other forms of historical memorabilia. If your family has roots in New England, particularly in New Hampshire, you may find it interesting to know that there are walking tours where you can explore the lore and … Continue reading →

Today, I came across an interesting way that Americans can support the work of the Statue of Liberty – Ellis Island Foundation while at the same time making their family a part of an interactive exhibit that will eventually appear both in person at Ellis Island and online. The Flag of Faces is a part of an expansion project at Ellis Island called “The Peopling of America Center”. The goal of the Statue of Liberty – Ellis Island Foundation in adding the Center to the existing Ellis Island Immigration Museum is to preserve the history of the American Experience, an … Continue reading →

Were any of your ancestors in the Civil War? There were more than two million soldiers in the Civil War. The majority of them fought in the battlefields located in Virginia. There is a new program called “Walk In Their Footsteps” that lets you track where your ancestor actually fought at. You can take a tour through those places if you visit Virginia. “Walk In Their Footsteps” is a website that has been launched by the Virginia Sesquicentennial of the Civil War Commission. The website is highly interactive. Before you even start to dig into the resources it holds, you … Continue reading →

If you are planning a trip to visit family this Memorial Day, why not attend a Memorial Day parade or other activity in the local area that you will be visiting. Local communities offer many unique ways to remember those who gave their lives for our country. You may be surprised by what you find when you look into what activities are planned for the place that you are visiting. For example, today I learned about a Memorial Day event that is scheduled for my local community which really took me by surprise. The event is being held in honor … Continue reading →

If it has been quite some time since your family last had a family reunion, now may be a good time to think about why. Here are a few common reasons that families put off having family reunions along with some suggestions to help you get around those reasons and plan a great gathering for your family this summer. With the way the economy is, money could be one reason that your family has not had a reunion lately. The good news is that you don’t need to keep holding out until the economy shapes up. By keeping your reunion … Continue reading →

In the middle of winter, when it is cold and snowy here, my thoughts often turn to travel. While I do not currently have any travel plans for this year aside from the occasional visit to my parents’ house (only three and a half hours away) and my annual trip to Cape Cod, it is nice to think about trips that I would like to take some time in the future. When people think about places that they would like to visit, they often think about going somewhere that has personal significance to them. Visits to the home lands of … Continue reading →

Many genealogists are taking their family history research beyond the record books and onto their computers. Software programs for mapping family trees and online databases for searching all kinds of records are just a few of the ways that genealogists can use technology to help their research along and preserve it for years to come. New technologies are being developed all the time and some of them are geared towards family history researchers. If you have ever wondered what would happen if technology developers and genealogists got together, wonder no more. There is a new conference that will be taking … Continue reading →

If you are a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints or an avid family history researcher, you may be familiar with the Church’s Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. The library is an amazing resource for genealogists of all kinds. There are thousands of resources from all over the world there for you to search. While you are certainly able to plan your own trip to the Family History Library, there are “tours” that you can sign up for and turn your library visit into an in-depth family history research experience, complete with … Continue reading →

Whether you can trace your ancestry back to the Mayflower or you are simply interested in exploring a very important place in American history, you may wish to plan a trip to Plymouth, Massachusetts. This quaint seaside community is home to Plymouth Rock, the most famous rock in New England and the monument to the Pilgrims’ landing on American shores in 1620. There is much more to Plymouth than just the Rock, though. It’s been a while since I visited Plymouth with my parents, as part of a family visit to Cape Cod, but I remember that there was a … Continue reading →