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Hard to Find Surnames: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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Were Your Ancestors Spenders or Just Window Shoppers? from Mary Penner President Calvin Coolidge said, "The chief business of the American people is business. They are profoundly concerned with producing, buying, selling, investing, and prospering in the world." That sentiment may be true, but Americans haven't cornered the market where business is concerned. Ever since cavemen scratched on walls with rocks, people throughout the world have bartered, traded, bought, and sold goods and services. The good news for family history sleuths is this: where there are businesses, there are consumers, and where there are consumers, there are ancestors. We tend to picture our hardworking and industrious ancestors living off the land, raising their own food, sewing their own clothes, and making their own soap and hand tools. Depending on the historical time frame, that's often true to some extent. In 1820, 86 percent of the American population lived on a farm, and many of them probably did fend for themselves for food, clothing, and the odd household gadget. But, by 1900 that number had dropped to 36 percent. So, even though some of your ancestors may have been self- sufficient holdouts well into the twentieth century, most of them ventured into town occasionally leaving a trail of clues in one store after another. Before computers, credit cards, and super-secret PIN numbers, some people relied on a name and a handshake to conduct business. Yet, to keep all the details tidy, most business owners kept handwritten ledgers or account books of their daily transactions. For example, businessman Henry O'Neill kept ledger books for his general store in Santa Fe. The two books still in existence cover the years 1854-59, listing customer names and what they purchased. You'll also find the date and how much the items cost. If you find your ancestors listed in a general store ledger, you'll get an insider's glimpse into their habits and inclinations. While many of... Read More - Click Here.
 This Weeks Free Genealogy ResourceUse a name to Search Birth & Death Records for FREE.Free Lookups: Guidelines
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