If you've ever wondered what your block looked like 100 years ago, Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps are the perfect place to start. Originally created for assessing fire insurance liability in urban areas, these maps have become invaluable tools for historians, genealogists, preservationists, and anyone interested in the built environment of the past.

A small neighborhood archive, overwhelmed by an unruly collection, faced a common dilemma: what to keep and what to discard? The key is a clear collection policy. Without it, institutions risk becoming storage spaces for unrelated donations—like 2,000 salt and pepper shakers. A well-defined policy ensures each item aligns with the mission, storage capacity, and research value, transforming clutter into a meaningful collection.

If you're familiar with Friday Finds, you know 20th-century obituaries can be incredibly detailed. Captain Robert Bruce Ferry’s is a prime example:

Death? "Died Sunday morning, after 24 days of illness."
Bio? "Family traced back to 1090 Normandy royalty."
Accomplishments? "Served in many Civil War battles, including Gettysburg."
Deer count? "Killed 1,029 deer between 1851 and 1910."

A real-life war hero with a serious hunting record!

Feuding with in-laws may be a sitcom staple, but in 1909, Mr. M.J. Murphy took his dispute to a higher authority: the church. After his son-in-law reneged on a 20-year-old promise to raise his children Catholic, Mr. Murphy sought documentation to bolster his case. The church’s swift reply? No record of dispensation.

Genealogy isn’t just about uncovering family secrets or distant noble ties—it’s about the joy of discovery. Take the Roche family, for example: tracing their roots back to 17th-century Cork County, Ireland, revealed baptismal records from a village called Castletownroche. Even more exciting, Blackwater Castle, the heart of Castletownroche, still stands today, connecting the past to the present in a tangible way. How far back have you traced your family tree?

Searching for an ancestor's headstone is a classic genealogical activity for good reason! Beyond death certificates and obituaries, cemetery records like plot maps and burial registers can reveal hidden family connections.

December 3rd marks the birthdays of Robert, Leonard, and Edward Thornhill—not triplets, but brothers born years apart on the same day in New Jersey. A remarkable coincidence for genealogical records!

Census records aren’t always straightforward—like when 7-year-old Osca Bischoff was listed as an “inmate.” In 1870, this term referred broadly to residents of places like hotels, orphanages, or asylums!

Passports weren’t consistently required for U.S. travel until WWII, but Edward Gut’s 19th-century application highlights their utility. Instead of a photo, it included a written description—like having a “mouth, proportional”!

For Neil Parker and Mabel Beakley, Halloween 1927 wasn’t just spooky—it was romantic too! By then, the holiday was already a lively tradition, perfect for their memorable wedding day.

Rev. Caesar Spigardi, known for arranging marriages in St. Louis’s Italian community, helped Italian workmen secure brides from their hometowns—often meeting for the first time right before the wedding!

Surname distribution maps visualize where surnames appeared in a specific time and place, helping narrow down ancestral regions—though they’re less useful for common names or unrelated sources

Confused by an Ortssippenbuch? Last week’s #FridayFind explained what these German lineage books are; now, learn how to decode them! Symbols like ∞ for marriage and numbers guide you through family histories.

Ortssippenbücher, or "town lineage books," compile German church and civil records, streamlining genealogy research—provided you’ve traced your line back to a specific town first!

St. Louis's history includes French, German, and lesser-known Spanish influences. An 1856 plat map highlights the U.S. grappling with honoring Spanish land grants after the Louisiana Purchase.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported 27 murders in 1880 under the sensational headline, “A Bloody Record of Red-Handed Murder”—proof that sensationalism isn’t just a modern media trend!

The Modern View captured the travels of its tight-knit community, from business trips to college returns, highlighting the comings and goings of local residents.