AF-1087: The Story Behind Mother’s Day: Where It Came From and What It Was Meant to Be
Mother’s Day. For most of us, it’s a Sunday in May marked by greeting cards, flowers, long-distance phone calls, and maybe a brunch reservation you made weeks ago to avoid the rush. It’s a sweet, sentimental holiday—a time to pause and show appreciation for the women who raised us, loved us, and often kept the whole family running quietly behind the scenes. But this day we all know and love didn’t just appear out of nowhere. It’s not ancient like Christmas or rooted in a religious calendar like Easter. Mother’s Day, as we celebrate it in the United States, has a very specific origin story. And that story is tangled up in heartache, determination, public health reform, the Civil War, and—believe it or not—a bit of corporate frustration. So let’s take a few minutes together and trace it back to where it all began... Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/mothers-day/ Ancestral Findings Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups Genealogy Giveaway: https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway Genealogy eBooks: https://ancestralfindings.com/ebooks Follow Along: https://www.facebook.com/AncestralFindings https://www.instagram.com/ancestralfindings https://www.youtube.com/ancestralfindings Support Ancestral Findings: https://ancestralfindings.com/support https://ancestralfindings.com/paypal #Genealogy #AncestralFindings #GenealogyClips
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AF-1086: Frozen in Time: Last Eskimo Girl | Ancestral Findings Podcast
Few things capture the feeling of summer like a stop at Dairy Queen. Whether it’s a soft-serve cone after a ballgame or a burger on the way home from church, DQ has been stitched into the fabric of American family life for generations. But like so many beloved things from the mid-20th century, the Dairy Queen we grew up with has changed—and one of the clearest signs of that change is a sign itself. If you’ve ever passed through Grafton, West Virginia, you might’ve seen her—perched on the roof of the local Dairy Queen. A girl in a white parka, mittens on, holding up a soft-serve cone like a beacon. Her nickname? The Eskimo Girl. And she’s the last of her kind, still right where she started in 1957. Her story—and the story of Dairy Queen itself—isn’t just a slice of brand history. It’s about small towns, family traditions, design, and how even the quietest fixtures can become part of our lives in ways we don’t always notice—until they’re gone... Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/frozen-in-time-last-eskimo-girl/ Ancestral Findings Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups Genealogy Giveaway: https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway Genealogy eBooks: https://ancestralfindings.com/ebooks Follow Along: https://www.facebook.com/AncestralFindings https://www.instagram.com/ancestralfindings https://www.youtube.com/ancestralfindings Support Ancestral Findings: https://ancestralfindings.com/support https://ancestralfindings.com/paypal #Genealogy #AncestralFindings #GenealogyClips
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AF-1085: The La Choza Huts | Postcards from the Past
I’m holding a postcard today that feels different from most of the others in my collection. It doesn’t show a grand hotel, a busy beach, or a flashy tourist attraction. No, this one shows something quieter—two hand-built huts sitting in the dirt beneath a wide Texas sky. They’re simple. The one on the left looks to be made of thick mud with a thick palm-thatched roof. The one on the right? A little taller and more open, woven from sticks and palm fronds. Between them, a crooked tree leans toward the camera, its branches rustling above a bench made from a rough-cut board. There’s no pavement, no electricity, no cars—just silence. The caption on the back reads: “Palm leaves, mud, and branches of trees are about all that is necessary to build La Chozas (The Huts). These homes are now very rare and are known to withstand severe storms and rains.” That line stayed with me: “These homes are now very rare.” Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/the-la-choza-huts-postcards-from-the-past/ Ancestral Findings Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups Genealogy Giveaway: https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway Genealogy eBooks: https://ancestralfindings.com/ebooks Follow Along: https://www.facebook.com/AncestralFindings https://www.instagram.com/ancestralfindings https://www.youtube.com/ancestralfindings Support Ancestral Findings: https://ancestralfindings.com/support https://ancestralfindings.com/paypal #Genealogy #AncestralFindings #GenealogyClips
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AF-1084: Inside the 1900 Census | Ancestral Findings Podcast
The 1900 U.S. Census marks the beginning of a new era. It was the first census of the 20th century—and it knew it. By 1900, America had changed dramatically. Cities were growing faster than ever. Immigrants from Italy, Poland, Russia, and other parts of Eastern Europe were arriving in record numbers. The American frontier was nearly closed. Families were moving, industries were booming, and the pace of life had quickened. This census tried to capture all of that. And for genealogists, it’s one of the richest federal records available. With just one census page, you can estimate a birthdate, find an immigration year, see how many children a woman had, and even figure out how long a couple had been married. In a single glance, you get a snapshot of relationships, household structure, and a family’s trajectory at the start of a new century... Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/inside-the-1900-census/ Ancestral Findings Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups Genealogy Giveaway: https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway Genealogy eBooks: https://ancestralfindings.com/ebooks Follow Along: https://www.facebook.com/AncestralFindings https://www.instagram.com/ancestralfindings https://www.youtube.com/ancestralfindings Support Ancestral Findings: https://ancestralfindings.com/support https://ancestralfindings.com/paypal #Genealogy #AncestralFindings #GenealogyClips
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AF-1083: Navigating the 1890 Census Gap | Ancestral Findings Podcast
The 1890 census may be gone, but your ancestors aren’t. This worksheet aims to help you rebuild the missing years—one clue at a time. Whether your ancestors were settling in a new state, welcoming children, remarrying, or passing on, they left traces in other records. This worksheet gives you a place to follow those trails, ask the right questions, and close the gap between 1880 and 1900. Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/navigating-the-1890-census-gap/ Ancestral Findings Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups Genealogy Giveaway: https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway Genealogy eBooks: https://ancestralfindings.com/ebooks Follow Along: https://www.facebook.com/AncestralFindings https://www.instagram.com/ancestralfindings https://www.youtube.com/ancestralfindings Support Ancestral Findings: https://ancestralfindings.com/support https://ancestralfindings.com/paypal #Genealogy #AncestralFindings #GenealogyClips
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