Between the headlines

My favorite part of family history is when I can learn more not just about when my ancestors lived, but how they lived. Dates and places are important, of course, but they're really the bones of family history. They're the structure that shows the outline of a person, a life lived. Birth and death are just bookends. The real story comes in between.

The best source for this rich detail (the "meat on the bones" if you will) is first-person narrative. Oral history as so much texture and detail to genealogy. If you haven't already, talk to the older generations in your family now and document their stories. You'll learn so much more than you may ever find in a microfilm of county death records.

But talking to those with a link to the past isn't always possible, especially when you start going far enough back into history. That's where my second favorite source comes in: newspapers.

When I first started researching history some 15 years ago, most of the newspaper research I did involved looking up and transcribing obituaries. This is always an important place to start because it can provide the vital statistics you need, but sometimes can hold a lot of the details of how someone lived - and how they died.

Obituary writers in the early 20th Century were really artists. Just look at this excerpt from the obituary of my great-great-grandfather's sister, Mary Shaffer, who died in 1918 during the Spanish Influenza epidemic at the age of 19.

Her fight against the Grim Reaper was a brave one and was waged not only by herself but also by the physicians, her family and those who nursed and tenderly fulfilled her every wish, doing all that medical science and love could suggest to stay the cold hand of death. All efforts were in vain and in the twilight of the evening the young spirit was released, surrounded by all the members of her family.

They just don't write them like that anymore, do they? It's so poignant, so detailed, so literary in its description of a young woman snatched from life in her prime. It goes on to describe how she became ill, where she became ill, and the details of her final days. Obituaries like this tell you so much more than when, where, and how someone died. It's a snapshot of a family in crisis, of sickness and mourning and fear. It's not hard to imagine the fear and heartache.

Sometimes the most interesting facts from these stories aren't about the primary individuals in it. Take this anniversary article about Daniel W. and Rachel (Shaffer) Dorland, my many times great uncle and aunt:

The West Union Gazette Oct. 11, 1901, p. 8

Golden Wedding.

At the home of Mr. and Mrs. D.W. Dorland, Wednesday, Oct. 2d, occurred the fifteenth anniversary of their wedding. A pleasant surprise having been planned by their children, fifty of their relatives drove to their home about twelve o’clock and after Mr. and Mrs. D. had recovered from the surprise the guests were invited to partake of the wedding feast which had been prepared by the children. An unusual feature was that eight of the friends who were present, sat at the table with the bride and groom fifty years ago.

Mr. and Mrs. Dorland were kindly remembered by their children and friends with gifts appropriate on such an occasion.

After spending several social hours the friends departed leaving their best wishes with the worthy couple.

The day following Mrs. J.A. Gruver, eldest sister of D.W. Dorland, who prepared the reception dinner fifty years ago in Ashland Co., Ohio, invited Mr. and Mrs. Dorland and family to partake in a like feast prepared by her own hands. She is now seventy-five years old.

 Here, we not only learn about an anniversary party in 1901, but we glean key details about a wedding that occurred in 1851. For me, the most important part is not the anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Dorland, but the details about Mr. Dorland's eldest sister, Mrs. J.A. Gruver, my four times great grandmother.

In this newspaper article I learn that in 1851 she was not only present at her brother's wedding, but she prepared the reception dinner. It's not something that would show up on a list of "major life events" for Elizabeth (Dorland) Gruver, but it gives texture and substance to her story. It shows a little something about her early life and her relationship with family.

Obituaries and anniversaries are a great place to start, but there is so much more to be found in early newspapers, especially is your ancestors came from small towns, where the primary news of the day was the comings and goings of average citizens.

My favorite newspaper gems now are the "in-between" things - the stories that happen between the big headlines. I still look for the articles about births, marriages, deaths, anniversaries, etc., as those provide a wealth of information, but some of the most interesting stories come from the everyday.

Take, for example, this story I found just yesterday detailing a birthday party for my great-great grandmother, Bessie (Richards) Shaffer. A birthday isn't something that will show up on a long list of "important" dates in a genealogy report, but it's another snapshot of a moment in life:

The West Union Argo July 13, 1904, p. 8

A genuine surprise party was spring on Miss Bessie Richards last Tuesday evening, to remind her of the fact she had on that day attained her majority. Guests to the number of thirty assembled and passed the evening pleasantly with music and games. During the evening Mr. Richard’s favored the company with several solos. It is a well known fact (so Mr. Richards says) that when he was starring in England these same selections brought tears to the eyes of Queen Victoria. Some of the musical experts present noticed a slight discord in the performance, but such trifles are overlooked in the presence of a master. Refreshments were served at a late hour and the guests departed with many good wishes for Miss Bessie.

Can't you just see the group of young people gathered in the parlor, laughing and playing games? Can't you see her father, Thomas Richards, singing old English tunes and telling tall tales of life in Victorian England?

When I first started researching family the only place to really find newspapers were at libraries and historical societies. I spent many hours on microfilm readers scrolling through thousands of feet of microfiche, hoping to land on an interesting tidbit. For someone who is prone to motion sickness, I can tell you that prolonged exposure to scrolling microfilm is tantamount to reading in the car. Not a pleasant experience.

Now, through the wonders of technology and the Internet, there are a lot of ways to access the information remotely. About a year ago I discovered the website www.newspaperarchive.com, which has thousands of titles from around the US, with some international selections. It's a subscription service, with quarterly fees, but it's a fairly manageable amount considering the information it contains. It's especially helpful when researching ancestors from faraway places. I've found a lot of information on ancestors in Montana through Newspaper Archives. The best part is that it's searchable! You have to be careful with the search engine, however, but it doesn't always pick up everything - especially if a name is broken up by newspaper columns or spelled wrong (as they so often were in old papers).

I've also discovered many free resources. If you haven't checked out your local library website, do so. Many are adding local newspaper archives that are free. I've found three libraries in Iowa where newspapers are available to search: Carroll, Elgin, and West Union. I'm sure there are many more, but these are the ones where I was researching. If you have a place where an ancestor lived, check out the public library website and search their online resources.

Searching for these newspaper gems can be tedious, but the payoffs are huge. I suggest breaking it down. Pick a year, type in the name you want, and go through January to December. It will help you be thorough without being overwhelmed.

Happy searching!