Ancestral Findings

Walter Knott created Knott's Berry Farm, and Walt Disney created Disneyland. Both parks were near each other, but the two Walters became good friends instead of competing. They were friends long before Disneyland was built. This is the story of their friendship. Podcast Show Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/the-friendship-between-walter-knott-and-walt-disney  

Knott's Berry Farm is an iconic theme park in Orange County, California. It was begun as a restaurant in the 1930s, owned and operated by the Knott family to raise extra money to support their berry farm during the Great Depression. Here's how it became a beloved theme park attraction. Podcast Show Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/the-history-of-knotts-berry-farm  

Florence Kling Harding was a formidable First Lady. The first to be divorced before her marriage to a future president, Florence was the driving force behind much of her husband's life during their marriage. She married Warren Harding though he was an enemy of her father. She also endured his several infidelities and kept moving forward with their marriage like a pro. Here is her remarkable story....

Woodrow Wilson, our twenty-eighth US President, had two First Ladies. His first, Ellen Axson, died in his second year in office. He re-married Edith Bolling near the end of his third year in office. Here are the stories of these two incredible women who were both so fiercely devoted to their husbands. Podcast Show Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/ellen-axson-wilson-and-edith-bolling-wilson/  ...

Are you looking for some excellent genealogy projects to keep you busy and building your family tree in October? Here are six of them you definitely must do. Podcast Show Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/6-must-do-genealogy-projects-for-october  

Helen Herron Taft was the First Lady of many firsts. As the wife of twenty-seventh US President William Howard Taft, Helen was born into a family with political connections. As First Lady, she shone. Here is her story. Podcast Show Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/helen-herron-taft/  

Edith Carow was the second wife and First Lady of Theodore Roosevelt. She was a pioneering First Lady in many ways and strong-willed. Her influence over Theodore was well-known. Here is her exciting story. Podcast Show Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/edith-carow-roosevelt/  

Cubby O'Brien is one of the original Mouseketeers on The Mickey Mouse Club and is one of the best-known male Mouseketeers to this day. In addition to being an actor, dancer, and singer on the show, Cubby is a drummer, which has been his primary career for most of his life. This is Cubby's exciting story. Podcast Show Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/cubby-obrien-the-mouseketeers-part-5/  

Darlene Gillespie is one of the original Mouseketeers on The Mickey Mouse Club. The most popular cast member in the first season, her popularity was usurped by Annette Funicello in the second season and thereafter. Darlene enjoyed a medical career before becoming a petty criminal and even did some jail time before retiring to a respectable life. This is her intriguing tale. Podcast Show Notes: htt...

Annette Funicello is perhaps the best known of the original Mouseketeers on The Mickey Mouse Club TV show. In addition to being a Mouseketeer and appearing in guest spots in several Disney movies and TV shows, she also had a career as a singer and as the popular star of a series of beach movies in the 1960s. This is Annette's intriguing stardom story. Podcast Show Notes: https://ancestralfindings....

Ida Saxton McKinley was the 25th First Lady of the United States. With a promising beginning, she ended up having a tragic life after marrying William McKinley. Her husband devoted himself to her care and wellbeing. Here is her story. Podcast Show Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/americas-first-ladies-ida-saxton-mckinley/  

Caroline Lavinia Scott Harrison was the 23rd First Lady of the United States and a hard-working one. Though her health was never robust during her marriage, she took on many duties to make herself useful before and during her tenure as First Lady. Here is her story... Podcast Show Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/caroline-lavinia-scott-harrison/  

Frances Folsom Cleveland was the First Lady in a very literal sense of the word. She accomplished many firsts for First Ladies while she was one and after. Here is the exciting story of the youngest of the First Ladies. Podcast Show Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/frances-folsom-cleveland/  

Chester A. Arthur was the 21st president of the United States, but his wife died a year before he became president. Instead, he asked his sister, Mary Arthur McElroy, to take on First Lady duties. Here is Mary's interesting White House story. Podcast Show Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/mary-arthur-mcelroy   Genealogy Clips Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast Historical Postcard Gi...

Bobby Burgess was one of the original Mouseketeers on the Mickey Mouse Club TV show that aired in the mid to late 1950s. Bobby was a natural performer from a young age, loving to dance and beginning lessons as a toddler. By the time he was cast on The Mickey Mouse Club, he'd already appeared on about seventy-five TV shows. This is his story... Podcast Show Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/bobb...

Presidents' Day is celebrated in February and usually means a day off work or school for many people. It is also highly associated with retail sales, as many businesses hold a special Day sale. But what is the history of this federal holiday, and what does it mean to the country? Podcast Show Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/presidents-day/   Genealogy Clips Podcast: https://ancestralfindings....

Lucretia Rudolph was the wife of 20th US President James Garfield. A woman of keen intellect, she and James enjoyed a scholarly lifestyle together. Yet, due to James's assassination, she was First Lady for less than a year. Here is the story of this intellectual First Lady. Podcast Show Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/lucretia-rudolph-garfield   Genealogy Clips Podcast: https://ancestralfindi...

Lucy Ware Webb Hayes was a modern First Lady in every sense of the word. Highly educated and passionate about progressive causes like women's rights and the abolition of slavery, she was the first First Lady to have a college degree and racked up several other "firsts" during her tenure. Here is her story. Podcast Show Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/lucy-ware-webb-hayes/   Genealogy Clips Po...

Julia Boggs Dent Grant was a pioneering First Lady in several ways. She had a birth defect but didn't let it hold her back. She was a staunch supporter of women's rights and opposed white supremacy. Most of all, she was passionately devoted to her husband. Here is her fascinating story... Podcast Show Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/julia-boggs-dent-grant Genealogy Clips Podcast: https://ance...

Hal Adelquist is known for being instrumental in bringing the Mickey Mouse Club TV show to the air and making it a success during its first season. He worked for the Disney Company for decades before that and was involved in departments ranging from Animation to Personnel. A falling out with Walt ended his career in show business. This is his story. Podcast Show Notes: https://ancestralfindings.co...

Lighthouses are one of those amazing pieces of Americana that fascinate all of us endlessly. Of course, these structures aren't to be found only in the United States—they're all over the world, and all throughout history, too. But here in the States, we have a rich tradition surrounding lighthouses, with many iconic ones featuring interesting stories. You'll find them coast to coast, on the Great...

The weather is getting cooler, the kids are back in school, and you are in the mood for some genealogy. Here are ten perfect projects for your genealogy research for September. Try them and enjoy a renewed sense of accomplishment in your genealogy work. You'll love these. Podcast Show Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/10-must-do-genealogy-projects-for-september/   Genealogy Clips Podcast: https...

What to do if you can't find a mention of your ancestor in the old newspaper records you are searching? Just because you aren't finding a name yet doesn't mean it isn't in an old newspaper somewhere. There are a lot of reasons why you may not be finding your ancestor. These are some techniques for locating your elusive ancient family… Podcast Show Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/a-closer-look...

In old newspaper records, there are various ways to search for information on your ancestor. Some methods are better than others. You need to know this to get the best, most accurate results when doing a general and specific search on an old newspaper records database website… Podcast Show Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/a-closer-look-at-newspaper-records-3/   Genealogy Clips Podcast: https:/...

Old newspapers are wonderful genealogical resources that should be part of every genealogist's toolbox. They are much more user-friendly these days than they used to be. This is what you need to know about how these records used to be searched, how they are searched today, and where you can go to find them. Podcast Show Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/a-closer-look-at-newspaper-records-2/   G...