Genealogy

What Do Seeds Have to Do with Our Immigrant Ancestors?! Join Daniel Smith, Genealogy Librarian, as he explores the connections between seeds and our immigrant ancestors. You may be surprised to learn that many immigrants brought seeds with them to America. These seeds were so valuable that they sometimes went to great lengths to hide…

  Nearly half a million people walked through the Library's doors last year. What’s the draw? Everything. The Library is where inspiration lives. Whatever sparks your curiosity, we’ve got something for everyone. Celebrate National Library Week by visiting us any day during the week for pop-up demos that showcase hidden gems in our materials, services,…

What Do Seeds Have to Do with Genealogy?! Join Daniel Smith, Genealogy Librarian, as he explores the connections between seeds and genealogy on the Cook Memorial Public Library Podcast. You may be surprised what you can learn about your family's history from seeds! During the episode, Daniel shares what he has learned about his ancestors…

Have you ever had difficulty locating the name of an ancestor's county of birth? Perhaps you have noticed an ancestor's county of residence is not the same as today? This is not uncommon, as county boundaries changed a lot in the early days of each state, particularly as it became more settled and populated. In…

Did you know that there are approximately 44 million people alive today who are descended from formerly enslaved Americans? Have you heard about the 10 Million Names project from American Ancestors? This amazing effort is fueled by the desire to name those who were enslaved in the United States. More specifically, their mission is to…

Were your ancestors religious? Did they belong to a church, mosque, or temple? Yesterday, January 19, was World Religion Day. This is a great time to learn about the religious traditions of your ancestors. Besides giving you a fuller picture of their daily life and values, knowledge of a particular religious tradition, like its history…

Did you make a New Year’s resolution to get organized? If so, don’t forget to include your genealogy! It is never too late to organize your research and develop a plan for going forward with your genealogy. Taking the time to plan now will save you a lot of time later! While organization is key…

In the previous post, we explored holiday family traditions. This time, we are discussing ways to preserve those holiday family traditions. Whether they are in physical or oral form, there are ways to make sure that they are saved and documented for current and future generations. Your family will thank you for taking the time…

Does your family come together for the holidays? Do you have special holiday traditions? If so, these can hold genealogical clues that are worth exploring! Sometimes, they have small pieces of information that can lead you in new directions or break through a stubborn brick wall, and the holidays are a perfect time to explore…

Did you know that November is National Novel Writing Month, often called NaNoWrMo? This month is a perfect time to write down those family stories! You may not consider yourself a good writer, and/or you may not want to write an entire novel. That is okay. You can start with yourself and then branch out…