Reclaim the Records

 Reclaim The Records is a non-profit activist group of genealogists, historians, researchers, and open government advocates. They identify important genealogical record sets that are wrongly restricted by government archives, libraries, and agencies. They file Freedom of Information and Open Data requests to get the public data released. If the government doesn't comply they take them to court. The records are digitized and put online for free. 

Thanks to their efforts here are a few of the records that are now available:

New Jersey Marriage Index 1901-2016

Missouri Death Index, 1968-2015

New York State Marriages (Outside of New York City) 1881-2017

New York State Death Index 1880-2017

The BIRLS (Beneficiary Identification Records Locator Subsystem) Database

Wyoming Marriage, Death, and Divorce Indices, 1900-1965

Maryland State Archives Collection

Visit their website for a full list https://www.reclaimtherecords.org/

Sign up for their newsletter  https://www.reclaimtherecords.org/#newsletter

DNA Day Event by Kelli Bergheimer

 Kelli Bergheimer founded a DNA group Genetics, Genealogy and You. They meet on the 3rd Sundays from 5-7 pm EST online. The meeting are 30 minutes of updates followed by a 60 minute presentation and Q&A. 

They have a DNA Day Event coming up on April 26th that is free to join.

Topic: DNA Day event
Time: Apr 26, 2026 05:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83306692927?pwd=N3mb0IhvX0fOjOFYR4cxQhyRPBRGap.1

Meeting ID: 833 0669 2927
Passcode: 584298

Their Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100046358384221# 

Colonial Taxes to the 20th Century

 

I remember the date of April 15 in two different ways - first, as my grandmother's birthday and, of course, filing my taxes over the years. 

If you'd like to explore tax records from 1791-1996, check NARA Record Group 58 at:

https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/058.html

For easier perusing, try Cyndi's List using the Taxes category:

https://www.cyndislist.com/taxes/general/

Any Patents or Inventors in your family tree?

 

Someone in our GenFriends group said "I don't have any inventors in my family". Come listen to Judy on Saturday. I thought the same thing until last year when I found a family member involved as a contractor in the farming community. 

I know of one distant cousin who applied for a patent shown below:

J. T. WELLS. TRUSS FOR BUILDINGS OR BRIDGES. No. 401,870.

Patented Apr. 23, 1889.

"Be it known that 1, JOHN TALCOTT Wants, of Scottsville, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Truss for Buildings or Bridges.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved truss for buildings for simplicity with great strength, and at the same time dispensing with metallic braces, thus making it a very cheap structure.

The invention consists of two parallel arches formed of bent boards or any material used in building and connected with each other by posts and braces."

Accompanying drawings, specifications, and letters of reference apparently were also included in the application.

Want to see what the barns look like?  Check this website - https://www.wellsbarnhistory.com/introduction/

Add to comments on this post with any patent and/or inventor discoveries you find!

 

Mining U.S. Census Records (1790-1950)

 

U.S. Census Records currently are available from 1790 to 1950. 

How time has flown! The 1950 Census was released on April 1, 2022 - four years ago.

Come to Research at the Library on 4/11/26 to ask and/or share your Census insights from your family research. See 1880 Agricultural Schedule for what I learned about my family in Scriba, Oswego, NY.

After this month's Research at the Library, we'll continue learning about Other Censuses at a future session.

Don't forget that you also can learn about the Census more at:

https://www.census.gov/en.html

Researching Revolutionary War Ancestors

The 250th anniversary of the United States (July 4, 2026) is officially known as the Semiquincentennial. It marks 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. There is a focus on resources to research ancestors who served in the Revolutionary War on both sides. Here are a few that might help:

• American Ancestors Revolutionary Roots https://americanrevolution.americanancestors.org/
• Free Research Guides
• Researching Patriot Roots
• Researching Loyalist Roots
• Video - Friend or Foe by David Allen Lambert
• Fold3 - Free access with a Plano or Dallas Library Card from home
• Revolutionary War Burial Index 1775-1875 - Index cards created by BYU Library from lists of burial locations of soldiers published by the DAR https://www.fold3.com/publication/1464/revolutionary-war-burial-index

Card for Joseph Durfee

• Revolutionary War Pension Files, 1775-1900 - Full Text Search - https://www.fold3.com/publication/467/us-revolutionary-war-pensions-1800-1900

Joseph Durfee mentioned in the Pension file for George Read. 

• Revolutionary War Service Records, 1775-1783   https://www.fold3.com/publication/470/us-revolutionary-war-service-records-1775-1783

Compiled Military Service Record - Joseph Durfee

German Genealogy Made Possible: A Roadmap for Research, Records, and Trees

FamilySearch and the German Genealogy Collective are offering a free one-day online event on Saturday, May 23, 2026. Link to save your seat - https://germangenealogycollective.com/fs-ggc-call

More information will be available soon.