Searching my own name I was able to find 4 matches, with my address at the top of the list. I thought it was interesting that the search result produced zero matches when I clicked on “exact match”. I was unable to find any information other than my address. With regards to grandparents, I found records of their marriages with dates and ages. I know the hours could disappear searching AncestryLibrary as one search leads you to another and another….
The “Photos and Maps” tab produced yearbooks, historic Sears and Roebuck catalogs and a Library of Congress photo collection. I was impressed with the photos from the 1930’s and also the photograph of the library onboard the S.S. South Dakota.
Using Heritage Quest I located the 1900, 12th Census of the United States, records. I found information on both of my great-grandfathers. Some of the scans were difficult to read. Browsing through the publications was very interesting, a good spot for some primary source material. Doane Robinson’s Encyclopedia of South Dakota is in full text. I really appreciate the zoom feature!
To satisfy the curiosity of those who “wonder where”, Sanborn Maps is especially helpful. I searched for churches in my town and discovered that the 1898 map indicated that several churches were heated with a stove, and the location of fire hydrants… which would only make sense, as the maps were fire insurance maps.
We are so fortunate to have these resources available to our patrons!
Thanks for your comments, Kriscat! You are right about these being excellent primary document sources! We've heard from several social studies teachers who use these resources for that purpose. You are also right that one thing leads to another, so set a timer before going in! :)
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