Week 6: Social Media (52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks – 2023 Version)

The theme for Week 6 is "Social Media." Social media can connect us to people we otherwise wouldn't have encountered. Have you made a family history discovery via social media? (What about in the social column of their newspaper -- that was basically their Facebook!) Have you ever imagined how an ancestor would have used social media? Write about it this week. Click here to check out all of the themes for 2023.

The Social column of newspapers can be gold mines. They report who is visiting whom, who is feeling ill, sometimes it will tell of surprise parties. Even marriages can be hidden in these social columns along with who from out of town is visiting for a funeral.

In this clipping I saved on Edward Hilts; I see “Mr. and Mrs. Clemons will occupy the house which Mr. Clemons recently purchased of Edward Hilts, December 1st. Mr. Hilts will move his family into the Bojus house at Fayetteville.” So I can see that he moved, in case I lost track of him, or wondered if this was the same Edward Hilts in this area. 

Look at the other postings in this little clipping, there are six different reporting’s in this little article.

This article told me about a Monument erected for my ancestor, Johannis Spangable (Johannes Spanknable as known with the Daughters of the American Revolution.). It even mentions that they have been unable to pinpoint the correct spelling of the surname.

I decided to create a Facebook page for my Revolutionary Ancestor, since I saw that 13 other people joined DAR with this Patriot. I created the Johannes Spanknable page so descendants of Johannes could connect. Also, when I write a blog post that involve the Sponable family, I create a Facebook post on this page to link back to the blog post. I have received positive feedback, I even received information or resources about the Sponable family. In fact, I read a little blurb in the newspapers that stated some library or museum had some papers of Johannes Spanknable which I wrote a blog post titled "#476 - Johannes Spanknable (1747-1825)." One of the followers of this page, stated they were going to the archive and they obtained copies of the papers and they shared them with me. 

Even though reading the social column of old newspapers can be time consuming, it is much easier if you have access to them via online either through a paid or free service. I remember many days of having to drive to the local library and using the microfilm reader machine and scrolling through numerous films. Now I have access to newspapers from all over the United States and elsewhere. I can type in a surname and the online website looks for the articles for me. Or I can go to a specific newspaper from that area (if available on line) and manual page through the newspaper looking for these little social columns.

I use Twitter to follow other genealogist to learn about resources or even to hear about their discoveries. I belong to many Facebook genealogy related groups to help me refine my genealogy skills, whether to get the most of my genealogy software package, or a genealogy website or just genealogy skills in general. I have even connected with a few distant relatives in these groups.

Remember to have fun and Just Do Genealogy!