Many family history researchers know how useful obituaries published in newspapers can be. But did you know there are a lot of other things in newspapers that can help with your research? Below we will cover a few of the newspaper items that can also have information about your relatives.
Business
If your ancestor owned their own business, newspapers may have mentioned it. Below we see an article about the owner of a grocery store that was forced into bankruptcy. This can tell us more about an ancestor's business ventures.
Illness
Newspapers sometimes reported on who was sick or injured in the area they covered. In this example, we have a listing of people suffering from the flu during the Influenza Pandemic of 1918. This gives us insight into and humanizes the effects of the pandemic.
Membership
The activities of clubs and other organizations often appeared in newspapers. In this example, news of the formation of a new chapter of a fraternal benefit society appears. This tells us more about what the people listed did with their time and what they may have believed in.
Military Service
If you have an ancestor who served in the military, there may be information about their service. Below is a list of sick and injured soldiers arriving in Massachusetts during the Civil War. From this we can learn more about the lives of the soldiers and what their service was like.
Parties
Many newspapers had social pages that had information about local residents' activities. This example reports on a surprise party thrown for a resident of Pittsfield. From this we learn more about what her social life was like.
Learn More
The above examples are a small sampling of what you can find out about your ancestors in newspapers. To learn more about accessing newspapers at the BPL and beyond, check out these resources:
- BPL Online Resources, Newspapers
- Research Guide, Newspapers at the BPL
- Genealogy Research Guide, Newspaper Databases at the BPL
- BPL online class recording, "Genealogy: Using Newspapers to Research Your Ancestors" (November 8, 2023)
- BPL Blog Post, "Travel to the 19th Century Without Leaving Your Home"
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