CULTURE
E-LEARNING by Susan Hines-Brigger
ANCESTRY ACADEMY
38 • May 2022 / StAnthonyMessenger.org
When we think of genealogy research, we typically think of people. But another aspect of the research focuses on either the actual homes in which we currently live or ones in which our ancestors lived. Homes, after all, have stories too. In the video “Discovering the History of Your House,” genealogist and house historian Marian Pierre-Louis explains the process of researching your current home and any other homes in which you are interested. The process, she says, is very similar to that of researching family genealogy. Reasons for doing such research, Pierre-Louis explains, include seeking National Historic Register status, learning about former owners, or even to prevent demolition. Over the course of the 11-video series, the viewer is taken step-by-step through the process of how to do the research. But even if you aren’t interested in doing any research yourself, the videos are interesting enough in themselves. It is worth watching them just to learn about what they reveal, such as the progression of how information was gathered and when street names began being documented. An interesting tidbit from the 1930 census is that it was noted whether the homeowners had a radio in the house. In the final video of the course, Pierre-Louis says that it’s not only houses that people can research. They can also look into the history of a particular church or other building. Most of the records, she says, are readily available, and within those records lie the stories.
TOP LEFT: UCLA LIBRARY SPECIAL COLLECTIONS; TOP RIGHT: LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF WATER AND POWER; FAR RIGHT: ALL COURTESY OF PBS.ORG (3)
RESEARCHING YOUR HOME
ISTOCK PHOTOS: LEFT: VGABUSI; RIGHT: GRANDADED
THROUGHOUT THE BIBLE, we can find many stories of families and their ancestors. For instance, in the Gospel of Matthew, we find the genealogy of Jesus (1:1–16). And chapter four of the Book of Genesis details the descendants of Adam and Eve. All of this information helps to piece together the stories that make up the history of our faith. Much like those in the Bible, we, too, have our own family histories to uncover. And with those histories come stories, some known but also many unknown. Those lost stories are only discovered, however, with some digging. Ancestry Academy (AncestryAcademy.com) is a free resource of the website Ancestry.com. The academy features videos that can help people learn how to research and find information—both good and bad—regarding their families. The videos cover topics such as how to use vital records in your search, how to find military veterans, or tips for navigating wills and probates. Many of the videos direct viewers to Ancestry.com, which is a paid service, to find more in-depth information. But signing up for the paid service is not necessary. Ancestry Academy also offers a number of suggestions for ways to conduct free searches on your own, such as by using church and state records. It also gives tips on how to go about that process. Looking into your family’s history can be a daunting but very rewarding task. After all, our families make up the stories of our lives. Luckily, there are resources available—such as Ancestry Academy—to help make the journey a little less confusing and overwhelming.
