Celebrating A Decade Blogging Family History

I can hardly believe it, but this year marks a milestone in my family history journey. I'm celebrating my decennial blogiversary!

Where has the time gone?

Ten years ago, in June 2013, I started the Family Sleuther blog to uncover my family's forgotten history. Amy Johnson Crow’s 52 Ancestors initiative prompted me to make blogging a habit. Soon, I was routinely researching and publishing.

Propelled by a desire to rediscover my kin, I sought out ancestors whom the world had long forgotten. As the poet Marie Howe wrote, “I am living. I remember you.”

And remember I have done. Across 284 blog posts (this is #285!), I’ve racked up over 524,000 total views and nearly 1,400 comments.

I’ve learned a lot about the science and art of genealogy while making some dramatic discoveries. For example:

• I learned that my third great-grandfather John Flynn was murdered in a trifling quarrel in 1881.
• I uncovered and then solved a Misattributed Paternity Event, identifying my Kirk lineage and likely Irish roots and even self-published a biography of my fifth great-grandfather Thomas Kirk.
• I discovered my Cornish heritage and learned about the tragic and grisly death of my third great-grandfather Thomas K. Stephens who was killed in a Colorado mining accident.
• I learned that my third great-grandfather Francis Stephen Lamb shot and nearly killed a man in a jealous fit of rage, making his family fodder for Denver's early 20th century tabloids.
• I learned about my second great-grandfather William Kirk's drowning in a Denver water reservoir.
• I discovered the role Mahlon Haworth, my fifth great-grandfather, played as a station agent on the Underground Railroad.

I've also been fortunate to travel across the country and even overseas on same amazing family history road trips, retracing and documenting the steps of my ancestors. 

The author during a family history road trip to Licking County, Ohio.

I often return to past blog posts and am reminded of discoveries that have already escaped my memory. Writing my family history has helped me process my way through the information that I'm uncovering and preserving for posterity. It's made me a better genealogist.

As I celebrate this milestone and look forward to the decade ahead, I invite you to blog your family's history. I suspect that a year from now (or ten) you'll be grateful you took steps to help safeguard your ancestors' stories for the future. As I walk down memory lane, I know I sure am!

2019 Year-End Review

Family Sleuther had one goal in 2019. Just one.

My aim was to finish writing and publish my book about my fifth great-grandfather Thomas Kirk.

Yet, here we are, the clock ticking down to the year's end and I've not accomplished that one genealogy endeavor.

Sure, a lot of progress was made on the manuscript. However, the chief complicating factor (aside from limited time) was that I encountered a lot of new research avenues that held the potential to reshape Thomas' origins story. 

It would be ridiculous to publish without thoroughly investigating each new lead. So, the year is drawing to a close and the book remains undone. 

But the prospects for 2020 are quite promising.

Blogging Family History

This year-end recap is my 40th post in 2019. That's seven fewer posts than I wrote last year or the two years prior. Not only did I not achieve my year's goal, but my blogging output dipped. Nonetheless, I'm still celebrating!

In my defense, the 15% decrease in published posts wasn't due to a waning interest in writing family history. My excuse was travel.

On the road again

I traveled a lot. In fact, in 2019 I traveled - for work or pleasure - every month beginning in January. Some of these travels touched on family history.

• In January, I traveled to San Francisco for work and was able to trace the footsteps (and recreate a photo) of my great-grandfather Samuel Kirk who served in the Motor Transport Corps while based at the Presidio during WWI.

• In February, I traveled to Salt Lake City for RootsTech, and met many of my genealogy buddies including the inspiration for the Family Sleuther blog, Amy Johnson Crow.

• In April, I traveled back to Salt Lake City for work, and during a brief escape to the Family History Library, I met long-time genea-friend True Lewis! A small genealogy world.

• In May, work took me to London where I was able to squeeze in some research time at the Society of Genealogists and locate my ancestors in the 1841 census, learning that they had been copper miners before emigrating to America and continuing that profession in the Rocky Mountains.

• In late May and early June, I traveled to Kansas for an annual family reunion where 100 descendants of my second great-grandmother Minnie (Hawks) Lumpkins Barber gathered to commemorate her life and enjoy each other's company.

• In August, I didn't have to go far when I traveled to Washington, DC for the Federation of Genealogical Societies' annual conference. A highlight was meeting famed genealogist extraordinaire Elizabeth Shown Mills.

• In September, I traveled to Potenza, Italy, the hometown of generations of my Italian ancestors before they emigrated to America. I had the good fortune to spend an evening in the small mountaintop old town and wander the streets where my ancestors once strolled.

These are just some of the travel highlights that included family history. Clearly, I covered a lot of ground (and need to get a new wardrobe... apparently I like that red checkered shirt, a lot!).

Did you read it?

This year's top three most-read posts were:

1. The Trials and Tribulations of Triangulation*
2. RootsTech 2019: Daily Recap
3. Family Rumors Beget A Genetic Conundrum

*My most-read post of the year got me into hot water with some genetic genealogists who rightly flagged the challenges inherent with triangulation. I corrected the record in The Limits of Triangulation. 

Those were the most widely read posts, but there were others that told important stories, including:

• The Linchpin Who Links an 18th Century Family Together
• Following Thomas Kirk's FAN Club Across 18th Century Virginia
• Timeline of a Colonial-Era Death

These three posts detail just a few of the research leads I'm pursuing in my Kirk family history, which have necessitated the delay in writing and publishing my book.

A year of accomplishment

There were many research discoveries this year, and although I didn't finish my intended goal, I did make progress which will ensure that the final product is a more thorough and accurate volume.

Here's to a happy and productive 2020 for all of us.

Belated Blogiversary: 6 Years of Family Sleuthing

One of the hallmarks of my blogiversary is that I routinely forget my blogiversary. It's now part of the celebratory tradition. I forget. I remember after the fact. Then I publish a commemorative post a week later.

So, we're gathered here today to celebrate: June 4, 2019 marked six years of blogging my family's history.

If that's not cause to celebrate, I don't know what is!

I've learned an awful lot about my ancestors and the events that shaped their lives. I've also come to understand that every moment of their lives culminated in the circumstances that shaped my own life - certainly the foundations anyway. 

I'm grateful that I get the opportunity to remember their history, reflect on its significance, and share it for posterity. 

And I'm particularly grateful that I get to share it with you. So if you're looking for a good reason to splurge and celebrate today, let it be Family Sleuther's blogiversary!

2018 Year-End Review

At the dawn of 2018, my chief genealogy goal was to continue writing my book - a genealogical survey of my fifth great-grandfather Thomas Kirk.

I made great progress over the past 12 months, but there's still much to be done and the writing will continue into the new year. Who knew writing a book was such a time-intensive pain labor of love?

Blogging helped me make headway on the book. Writing your family history is one of the best ways to surface research gaps and inconsistencies. It's also a great way to pilot chapters with an audience.

Blogging Family History

This year-end recap is my 47th post in 2018. That's the exact same number of posts that I published in 2017 and 2016.

I was only missing in action a handful of times this year, and was able to include guest-authored posts from my aunt and mother during my three-week trip to Europe.

While I didn't publish 52 posts, I'm pleased with the publishing frequency and hope to maintain that in 2019.

Did You Read It? 

Collectively, this year's 47 posts were read over 17,000 times. Since its inception five years ago, my blog's all-time top 10 most-read posts now include three that were published in 2018. This year's top three most-read posts were:

• Deciphering an Irishman's Death: Was It Accidental?

• A Genealogist's Quick Guide to Finding County Histories

• A Little Desperation Goes A Long Way: Finding Susan's Parents

Those were the year's most-read posts, but there were others that told important stories and are worth another glance, including:

• Lucinda's Bout of Insanity Topples a Family Mystery

• Will the Real Kirk Daughter Please Stand Up?

• Virginia is For Lovers: Finding Thomas Kirk in His Father-in-Law's Hometown Tax Records

A Year of Accomplishment

There were many research finds and blog posts this year that I take great pride in and that advanced my genealogy.

One of this year's most exciting discoveries, was uncovering the identities of eight (yes, eight!) fourth great-grandparents. 

2018 was clearly a year of great accomplishment. I am thankful to have you along for the ride, and I look forward to our continued success.

Happy New Year and may all of our genealogy brick walls crumble in 2019!

2017 Year-End Review

At the outset of 2017, I dedicated myself to maintaining the consistent blogging habits I developed the prior year. My goal was to publish a blog each week.

Blogging Family History

This year-end recap is my 47th post in 2017. It's the exact same number of posts I wrote and published last year. 

Like last year, I took a three-week blogging respite when I traveled to Ireland to walk the footsteps of my ancestors. I also took a week off in both November and December.

One of those 47 posts was a Tuesday's Tips contribution to Carolina Girl Genealogy about planning your summer family reunion (Summer is Coming: Time to Plan Your Family Reunion).

While I didn't publish 52 posts, I'm pleased with my publishing frequency and aspire to maintain the number in the new year.

Readership Rises

I was very pleased to see my blog readership continue to rise. While I certainly don't write about genealogy for fame and fans (although both are welcome), I do have immense gratitude for those who follow, encourage, and advance my work.

In 2017 there was a whopping 83% increase in readership over the prior year. This year's 47 posts were read nearly 20,100 times! 

That's 20,100 connections with possible cousins who have that family bible I've long been searching for or the missing daguerreotype of my 19th century great-granny. 

If we're talking cousin bait, 2017 was the year of 20,100 fishing lures all bobbing in the family history pond. And you better believe I've got my eye on each and every one of those lines. Now quiet or you'll scare the fish cousins!

Did You Read It?

Of my blog's all-time top 10 most-read posts, five were published in 2017. The top three most-read posts this year were:

• Mapping Your Ancestry: A Genealogist's Quick Guide to Google Maps. This is now my blog's most-read post of all time!

• Surname Evolution: A Y-DNA Journey From Ohio to Ireland. This is my blog's second most-read post of all time!

• The Back End of Nowhere: My Irish Ancestral Homecoming

Those were the year's most read posts, but there were many others that told important stories and are worth a glance, including:

• Grandpa's Stand Against Andrew Jackson

• The Farmer's Entrepreneurial Side Hustle

• A Bitter Night of Peril

• Love to All The Family. Don't Worry About Me.

• The Sensational Murder of a Wounded Civil War Veteran, Maybe

Lights! Camera! Action!
There were many research finds and blog posts this year that I take great pride in and that advanced my genealogy.

One of this year's most exciting discoveries, though, was finding film reels of two of my second great-grandmothers.

The reels were recently digitized and allowed me to see two of my ancestors come to life leaving their staid and stoic photographic depictions behind.

Eva (Lamb) Stevens Fagan - about 1957

Minnie (Hawks) Lumpkins Barber - 1950s or 1960s

Minnie (Hawks) Lumpkins Barber - 1950s or 1960s

Read more about this fantastic find in Ancestors in Motion: Lights, Camera, Action!

A Year of Accomplishment
2017 was clearly a year of great accomplishment. I am thankful to have you along for the ride, and I look forward to our continued success. 

Happy New Year and may all of our genealogy brick walls crumble in 2018!

2016 Year-End Review

This year sure didn't lack for eventfulness. No, I'm not talking political or social tumult. I'm recalling the many achievements for this blog and my genealogy.

Blogging Family History
In 2016, I bested my own record and told more stories. This is my 47th post, representing a 15% increase in the number of blogs I published last year. On average, I'm posting nearly once a week.

Number of blog posts in 2016 vs. 2015

Happily, I also have more readers along for the ride this year. With nearly 11,000 views of just the 47 posts that I published in 2016, readership has skyrocketed a whopping 97%. That means I have a lot of bait bobbing along in the cousin pond. My published genealogy posts are fishing for relatives who have the long-sought-after family Bible, photos, or lore. I'm just waiting for them to take the bait.

Number of readers of blog posts published in 2016 vs. 2015

Based on readership, a handful of my posts particularly resonated with readers. Of my blog's ten most read posts, seven were published in 2016. The top three for the year included the following:

• During Memorial Day weekend, I revived a dwindling family reunion that had been a celebrated event for decades. Every year family would gather from across the country to commemorate the birthday of my 2nd great-grandmother Minnie (Hawks) Lumpkins-Barber. In A Family Reunion Revived, I detail how I organized this year's event and brought together nearly 100 family members for our biggest reunion in years.

• To celebrate my third blogiversary, I indulged in some self-laudatory reflection on the achievements of this blog since my first post on June 4, 2013. In The Power of Blogging For Genealogy, I share how writing and publishing my family history has helped advance my genealogy.

• This year's most popular post (and the most read post on this blog since its inception) was about my maternal grandmother's birth location. To mark what would have been her 80th birthday, I wrote about the Kansas farmstead where she was born and our visit together to the property decades later. In Excavating A Family Heirloom On A Kansas Farmstead, I wrote about discovering a piece of family history.

These were the most read posts, but there are others that are worth a second look, including:

• Night Watchman Found Drowned

• Covered Wagons Spark American Wanderlust

• My Grandfather, Abraham Lincoln's Carpenter

• Luck of the Irish Reveals Orphan History

• Till Jealousy And Bullets Do Us Part

• Albert Benedick's Final Enlistment: Grand Army of the Republic

Home Sweet Home

After playing the long game for three years, I finally landed my dream property: www.familysleuther.com! When I first created this blog, someone had already bought the dot com domain, but they weren't using it. In May, the domain wasn't renewed and went up for auction. After a tense bidding war, I landed my new home. Check out Family Sleuther Is Now A Dot Com! for the complete story.

A Little About Me

In October, I was featured in the Geneabloggers May I Introduce to You interview series. I enjoy learning how other genealogists approach their research, and have been a fan of the series for a while. It was an honor to share my own perspective on family history in Who Is Family Sleuther?

Genealogy's Nerve Center

In November, I returned to the famed Family History Library for ten hours of focused research. With the clock counting down to closing time, I cruised through reels of microfilm and discovered documentation indicating my 5th great-grandfather had a previously unknown daughter. See Ten Hours In The Family History Library Uncovers A New Daughter.

My Grandfather's WWI Service

I've dedicated a lot of my research energy this year to my paternal family. After DNA identified my paternal great-grandfather (see Family Mystery Part IV: DNA Doesn't Lie), I've been busily tending to that family's roots. 

In May, a cousin sent me a handful of original photos of my great-grandfather including several of him as an enlisted soldier during World War I. In Finding WWI Military Service Despite National Archives Fire, I pieced together his service using surviving records and the photographs. 

Great-Grandfather Samuel Kirk

A Year of Accomplishment
Clearly, 2016 was a year of genealogy accomplishment. I'm grateful for these many discoveries.

In the new year, I hope to be so fortunate. If I have even half the success, I'll be doing pretty darn well. I hope that you'll join me for the journey.