Historical Notes

Find an old newspaper (archives, library, online) and see what events coincide with your ancestor's life.  He/she may or may not have been affected by every historical happening, but this type of info will add color and sometimes vital records information to your genealogical search.  

Access   https://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/technique/genealogy/  Check out this site and click on "Detective Techniques". These suggestions will make you an expert historian in no itme!

Here are some discoveries that I made in a trip to my local Fort Walton Beach Library in 1997 from the historic publication of the  Okaloosa News Journal on microfilm, Film #2:

• June 10th, 1921:  GASTON DAVIS DROWNS AT VALPARAISO, contains news article and a memorial written by his teacher Lula Edge, and signed by the students in his class. 
• Also in this issue of the newspaper:
• J.E. WORTHINGTON, a legislative correspondent, announces the forthcoming wedding of two prominent young people.
• "UNCLE GEORGE EDGE was in town Monday and requested us to state that there is a cemetery working at the Old Bethel Cemetery on Friday...".
• MRS. TOBE EDGE left here the first of the week to visit her sister who lives in Texas.
• ADVERTISEMENT: W.W. Clark & L.V. Trueman, lawyers in Milton, Florida.
• (Rock Hill Dots):  MR. JOHN H. CUTTS and Mesdames Ida Steele and Will Cutts were visitors to Laurel Hill [on] Saturday.
• Medames Chipley and Ida Steele were dinner guests of Mrs. Ed Wang Sunday.
• Miss Era Hart visited at Svea Sunday last.
• (Laurel Hill News): "Mrs. J.W. Weatherly is expected home from a visit with her daughter, Mrs. P.C. Richbourg, and family in Pensacola."
•  (Laurel Hill News): Tuesday, Rev. Wiley F. Martin was greeting old friends in Laurel Hill.  Wednesday he left for a visit with a sister in Pensacola.

 

What are the old detective questions?  In the case of finding family history, you want to ask:

• Who?  (Name)
• Where? (Place, locale)
• When? (Date)