State history journals can be a treasure trove of useful information for family historians and local history enthusiasts alike. Many state historical societies included a journal focusing on the early history of their region among their earliest offerings to members and scholars. In addition to articles on a wide array...
By: Cheri Daniels, KAO Editor & KHS Head of Reference Services In June, 1985, my great Aunt, Ada Browning, wrote a letter to my mother, wishing her a Happy Birthday. Beyond the standard niceties one would expect in a family letter, Ada informed my Mother that the card she sent...
By: Julie Maio Kemper, Curator, Museum Collections & Exhibitions, Kentucky Historical Society Around a corner in the Kentucky Historical Society’s permanent exhibit, “A Kentucky Journey,” two portraits sit enclosed in a large glass case. These are the images of Dennis and Diadamia Doram, dated 1839. Like many prosperous 19th century Kentuckians, the Dorams...
‘Tis the Season to celebrate with family and friends! As many gather together this week to continue their family traditions, here is a family history mystery from the Owensboro/Daviess County area, circa 1951. As part of the Ohio River Portrait Project, Ida Mae Pruden contributed this lovely image of family...
When Native American Heritage Month rolls around, Kentuckians with Native American roots usually take notice. Regionally, Kentucky not only played a large part in migration patterns for several eastern tribes but it also sits very close to a major tribal area: The Eastern Band of the Cherokee. Many Kentuckians have...
By: Cheri Daniels, KAO Editor and KHS Head of Reference Services Genealogists are usually very cognizant of those odd moments, when we discover something during our research that sends a tiny little shiver down the spine…..or gives us goose bumps…..or makes us pass by it quickly because it’s just plain creepy....
Using Historical Newspapers to Solve a Genealogical Mystery By Kathy Reed My grandmother was secretive. Ask her how old she was. No definitive answer. What is your wedding anniversary? No answer for that, either. I remember one whispered conversation among older members of my family questioning whether or not my...
