House Hunting: Building a Day In a Life

May 11, 2012

You're a genealogical savant, and you've finished your entire family tree. You know where and when every single person was born, where they died, and maybe even the exact addresses of where they lived. Okay, so maybe you’re not quite done just yet. Do you know the details of where your family lived? Maybe, you want a more intimate look at your ancestor's lifestyle.

Building a house history can enhance your genealogical data in many ways. You might find that someone famous lived in or held meetings in an ancestor’s home. Maybe, you discover proposed changes to a property that were never completed, leading you into yet another facet of a past life. Researching historic properties can give you greater insight into the "day in a life of..." your family members. For instance, my husband's grandmother was born on what was basically considered the Canadian frontier. You may nod and say, "Cool, so she's Canadian." She isn't just Canadian. Delving further into her "house history" she tells me that the original homestead was accidentally burned down, a new house was built, and that great grandpa was a one-armed man. How amazing it was to find out that he rebuilt a cabin in a very rural, and very cold area of Canada where help was limited. For me, knowing this gives me a deeper insight into who they were, not just where and when. Maybe, the story passed down from your grandparents about Jesse James hiding out in their ancestor’s barn is true? Maybe, the old homestead later became a brothel or a school?

So where do you start? Choose a few "focus" ancestors, and then come join us on May 19, 2012 from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. for a discussion on “house hunting.” We will give you the tools you need to start your own house history. With this type of exploration, you'll get a better understanding of where your family settled and how that influenced who they were and what they experienced.

We look forward to seeing you!

Cynthia S.
Midwest Genealogy Center