The best Family History Finds this week:

Family Stories

The First Bathtub in Dexter, Iowa by Joy on Joy Neal Kidney

The Case of Pegge: Tracing Enslaved People in New England Archives by Sulaiman Jamil

Retracing Steps in Berlin by Jonny Perl on DNA Painter Blog

The Wreck of Walter L. Main’s Circus Train, Part 1 by Lori Olson White on The Lost & Found Story Box

What Was Important to Mom: The Last Roll of Film by Nancy Gilbride Casey on Leave on the Tree

Lifting the Mius and Guidry Men Out of the Shadows: The Gallows Didn’t Win – 52 Ancestors #483 by Roberta Estes on DNAeXplained – Genetic Genealogy

Research Resources

AI Transcribes Almost 24 Million Russian Archive Record Pages for Free Searching by Vera Miller on Find Lost Russian & Ukrainian Family

SF Public Library Launches Massive, Historical Platform Free to Public by Debbie Mascot on California Genealogical Society Blog

Deathindexes dot com Updates by Paula on Paula Stuart-Warren

Tech News

Testing ChatGPT Work: Can It Build a Genealogy Research Workbook, Using AI? by Diane Henriks on Know Who Wears the Genes in Your Family

I Let ChatGPT Sign Into My Web Accounts for Me, and It Was More Trouble Than It’s Worth by David Nield on Lifehacker

Genetic Genealogy

Where Do Clusters Fit? by Jim Bartlett on Segment-ology

Methodology

Could This Be my 3rd Great-Grandfather, David, Bestowed Upon Presley Nelms Jr. by Presley Nelms Sr.? by Robin on Genealogy Just Ask

No Marriage Record, No Problem: Proving the Marriage of John Dawson and Elizabeth “Betsy” Cessna by Diana Elder on Family Locket

Education Is for Everyone

The LOC Veterans History Project, Part 1: Getting Ready AND The LOC Veterans History Project, Part 2: Plan and Practice the Interview, both by Marian B. Wood on Climbing My Family Tree

Understanding FamilySearch.org’s User-Owned Trees by James Tanner on Genealogy’s Star

The AI Brief for Family Historians: September 2026 by Denyse Allen on Chronicle Makers

Privacy and Online Family History by James Tanner on Genealogy’s Star

Keeping Up with the Times

Announcing the AATP 2026 Pacific Edition lineup. It’s “All About That Place” LIVE! by Barbara Tien on ProjectKin

The best Family History Finds this week:

Family Stories

When Neighbors Become Family: A Duplex Love Story by Kirsten M. Max-Douglas on Our Growing Family Tree

Knock Once for Yes by Aryn Youngless on Genealogy by Aryn

The Remarkable Funeral Service of Rev. Horne by Lori Olsen White on The Lost & Found Story Box

Jane’s Illness: Home Care, Her Doctor & Her Caretakers by Nancy Gilbride Casey on Leaves on the Tree

The 200th Anniversary of the Willey Family Landslide in Crawford Notch by Heather on Heather Rojo

The House on Seaton Street by Mary Sutherland on Genealogy Ensemble

A History of America and Canada by Jim on Jim the Historian

The Book by Paul Chiddicks on Stories Behind the Records

Research Resources

How to Find Rare and Obscure Books by Katharine Andrew on Family Tree Magazine

The Records Are Online. The Knowledge Isn’t. by Chris on The Scottish Genealogist

Tech News

Introducing Learning Paths at Legacy Family Tree Webinars by Geoff Rasmussen on Legacy Family Tree Webinars

The Changing World of AI — Tokens and Users by James Tanner on Genealogy’s Star

Testing ChatGPT Sites for Genealogy: Can It Build an Interactive Ancestor Website with AI? by Diane Henriks on Know Who Wears the Genes in Your Family

Genetic Genealogy

Finding and Examining Genetic Networks by Melvin Collier on Roots Revealed

An Ongoing Workflow: Connecting Top Matches to Help Identify Shared DNA Lines by Marie Cooke Beckman on MarieB’s Genealogy Blog

Methodology

Two Wrong Smiths by Amy Crooks on Untangled Family Roots

Create Your Customized Genealogy Research Guide by DiAnn Iamarino Ohama on Fortify Your Family Tree

Unearthing the Story of Mary (Crane) Wheeler by Ashley Morin on vita Brevis

Education Is for Everyone

Librarian Hotline: The Difference Between Asking AI and Thinking With AI by Hana Lee Goldin on Card Catalog

How to Date Real Photo Postcards by Maureen Taylor on The Photo Detective News

AI in Genealogy: There Are No Shortcuts by Doris Kenney on A Tree With No Name

Genealogy Myths – Government Records Are More Reliable Than Family Records by Kenneth Marks on The Ancestor Hunt

Keeping Up with the Times

Projectkin’s First Commemorative Magazine, “Stories250 | Where were your ancestors on July 4, 1776?” is Here! by Barbara Tien on Projectkin

BYU Library Family History Center Sunday Classes and Webinars Discontinued by James Tanner on Genealogy’s Star

The Importance of Digital Preservation for Churches, Historical Societies, Libraries, Organizations, and Other Entities by Paula on Paula Stuart-Warren

The best Family History Finds this week:

NOTE: I’ve been on the road this week and I tried to leave comments on several posts in my list this week. However, my laptop has been weird lately and, for some reason, it wouldn’t let me comment on some sites. I did enjoy your articles and stories.

Family Stories

Adalaide Blanche Bartlet and The Rev. George Dyson: Got Away with Murder by Gwen Kubberness on Criminal Genealogy

Pierre Goicheau (c1652-after 1698) and the Silence of Famine – 52 Ancestors #482 by Roberta Estes on DNAeXplained – Genetic Genealogy

Well-to-Do Girls, Indeed! by Joy on Joy Neal Kidney

Jane’s Illness: Home Life, Beginnings of Mania, and Mental Illness as a Cause of Death by Nancy Gilbride Casey on Leaves on the Tree

Summer on the Farm: Remembering How Our Ancestors Lived by Doris Kenney on A Tree With No Name

Research Resources

Substitutes for the (Mostly) Lost 1890 Federal Census by Nancy Maxwell on Grapevine Public Library Local History & Genealogy Blog

Tech News

Changes When Searching the NARA Catalog by Dr. Mac on A Week of Genealogy

Three New History Mapping Tools by Jason on Jason Duncan – webjmd

New Map Overlay Tool by Jason on Jason Duncan – webjmd

Genetic Genealogy

Big news from MyHeritage:
New on MyHeritage: Trace Your Paternal Line Back Thousands of Years with Y-DNA by Daniella on MyHeritage Blog

Ancestry’s Updated ThruLines: What I Like and What I’d Like To See In Future Updates by Marie Cook Beckman on MarieB’s Genealogy Blog

Autosomal DNA Unlock at FamilyTreeDNA to Be Retired August 18th by Roberta Estes on DNAeXplained – Genetic Genealogy

Methodology

Why I Don’t Start My Genealogy Research Online by Diane Henriks on Know Who Wears the Genes in Your Family

SNGF: Verify, verify, verify…especially newspaper articles… by Teresa on Writing My Past

Finding William Henry Kelsey’s Naturalization in a Utah County Minute Book by Nicole Dyer Elder on Family Locket

John Michael Gleason’s Birthdate: Untangling Nine Conflicting Sources by Don on Don Taylor Genealogy

Education Is for Everyone

Postcards and Family History by Maureen Taylor on The Photo Detective News

Why Did Your Immigrant Ancestors Leave Home? by DiAnn Iamarino Ohama on Fortify Your Family Tree

Fall 2026 Mastering Genealogical Documentation Study Group by Cari Taplin on Genealogy Pants

Colonial Craftsmen: Skilled Labor of Enslaved Africans in 18th Century New England by Anna Ruane on Vita Brevis

Genealogy Myths – Census Takers Always Visited the Household by Kenneth marks on The Ancestor Hunt

Escheating by Michael John Neill on Genealogy Tip of the Day

A Major Update of Keep or Throw Away: The Challenge of Genealogical Documents and Photos by James Tanner on Genealogy’s Star

Keeping Up with the Times

Lost & Found by Lisa Rogak on Rooting Around