Families’ Tall Tales

We all have family stories. They can range from legendary tales to something mentioned in passing. It might vary from a claim that you descend from President Thomas Jefferson to the declaration that your great-grandfather Joseph Higgins stole a cow from his neighbor Marvin White in 1902. Either way, they leave us wondering if there is any truth in what we have been told and how we can find out.

As we begin our search for answers, we must understand that it might be the kind of story that we cannot prove, especially because of the time in which it supposedly happened. We must determine if, based on the information found, it could have reasonably taken place. Tracing Thomas Jefferson’s lineage is straight-forward and likely easy to prove. However, trying to find information about a stolen cow is not the kind of thing that was necessarily recorded, unless there is a story in a newspaper.

Start by sorting through what you have been told. A good practice is to use the 5 W's guide, or in our case, 4 W's: who, what, when, and where. Trying to figure out the “why” of a story usually requires a time machine. So, we’ll stick with the four.

Who: The story might only be about one person, a few people, or an entire group, but researching everyone involved will help make sense of the details. Everyone in the story could have played a part, so it’s important that each person be considered.

What: The details of the story will lead you to determine which records and resources you should look for. Works have been published about the descendants of Thomas Jefferson, so finding documentation about his family should not be as difficult. You can then compare that to your own family tree to see if there are any similarities. In the second scenario, trying to find records regarding a stolen cow could be a real challenge. There might be newspaper articles, or even a court record if Mr. White chose to sue Joseph for damages. Outside of those possibilities, though, the question becomes, “Is this story reasonable?”

When: This is probably the largest factor to consider. The timeline can determine what documents might be available. The older the story is, likely from the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s, the easier it is to find documents and records to substantiate the details. As we all know, the further back in time you are researching, the more difficult it can be to find records because they either weren’t created to begin with or were lost to time.

Where: Geography can play an important role in the details of the story. Did any of Thomas Jefferson’s descendants live in places where your family was from? Did Joseph Higgins have a neighbor named Marvin White? You would need to compare the locations of each party to see if they lived near each other.

After you’ve been able to go through the 4 W's, consider everything you have learned. Analyze your results. Once you have compiled all of the information, you are then ready to determine “Could it have really happened? “

Mary
Midwest Genealogy Center