This week in my genealogy class we are studying databases and how to evaluate a good database. One of our tasks was to find and evaluate at least one database using Google. We were told to search for things by area and topic, for example searching for ‘obituaries Cook County, IL.’ I searched for a few different things from both sides of my family.
One thing I searched for was the Kansas State Historical Society. While most historical societies don’t have many databases on their websites, they do often link to places for research. KSHS has a special program for Kansas residents with a valid driver’s license. We can be verified on the website then follow a special link to KSHS collections on Ancestry.com and Newspapers.com. I already have an Ancestry membership, so I did not need to use their link for Ancestry, but I do not have a membership for Newspapers.com.
One of the neatest things about this site, is while you are searching images, you can type in the text you want to search in the images and it searches the text on the page for your search criteria. I was also able to limit it to year. This is especially helpful if your ancestor has a very common name.
The Kansas collection of newspapers contains several newspapers for Osage County, Kansas – where my father’s ancestors staked a claim as pioneers. It did not have any for Greenwood or Coffey counties where my mother has ancestors. When searching for my great-grandfather Frank Smith I found the newspaper article about his death and funeral. They also published snippets where Mr. and Mrs. Jolly went to visit him and his wife during his illness. There were actually several Frank Smith’s in Osage County, two of whom were born the same year – my ancestor and another Frank Smith. So, sorting by dates I knew was imperative. Initially had results for well past Frank’s death – clearly referring to the other guy. But, by searching for a specific time frame I was able to find things I knew for my ancestor.
I also went to look for information for my great-grand uncle M. T. Headington. He married Frank’s sister Lizzie and was the local school teacher and superintendent. I found out the W. M. Headington listed as a boarder in the same census was probably his brother – the newspaper referred to them as the Headington Brothers. He also have another brother in a nearby county in Kansas. Matthew and Lizzie did not have any children that survived past infancy, so they have always been a bit of a mystery to me. But, because he had a high profile position, he was in the newspaper frequently. There was even an article where they published that a local teacher was fired and they hired M. T. Headington to take over the classroom. It happened so quickly that one day the students arrived at school and they had a new teacher. There were also articles about him going to Washington to attend a conference for educators. He was well liked and obviously a great educator.
In case you are curious, there were not newspapers for the counties for my mother’s side of the family. Even if there were, they likely would not have had too many mentions considering they shunned worldy things like high school educations in the 1930s when my grandmother was school aged. But, if any are added I will be able to see them thanks for the KSHS partnership.
It was so exciting learning that I can have access to this site thanks to the state historical society. They did include on the website that if you are not a Kansas resident, many local libraries carry subscriptions to Newspapers.com. So, when looking for records in your search for family records, don’t forget to check the local historical societies. Some have things available for residents only, or for free for residents, but at a cost for non-residents. There are many wonderful volunteers and experts that work all for the public greater good.
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