Heartland Genealogy

Genealogy discoveries are even better when shared. After writing about Percy Ernest Crawford’s SS-5 application, I uploaded the document to Ancestry, WikiTree, and FamilySearch so other Crawford researchers can benefit. Are there treasures in your files that should be shared? #genealogy #FamilyHisto

A Wells surname search in Genesee County, New York, uncovered a promising cemetery cluster—but further digging showed it belonged to another Wells family. Genealogy isn’t just about finding ancestors; it’s also about ruling out the wrong ones. #Genealogy #MondaysDiggings #FamilyHistory #WellsFamily

For this week's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun, I look at the risky decision my 3rd great-grandfather, Alexander Briles, made when he left North Carolina for Kansas Territory in 1857. The gamble paid off—the family homestead remains in Briles hands today. #Genealogy #FamilyHistory #KansasHistory

From RootsMagic narrative report to multimedia family history video! I used Google Notebook LM, Canva, and YouTube to create a shareable video about Angelina Jane Burke Currey’s life. #genealogy #AIgenealogy #familyhistory #NotebookLM #Canva

Friday Find: Before genealogy records were just a click away, researchers wrote letters, mailed checks, and waited for documents to arrive. This week, I’m sharing Percy Ernest Crawford’s SS-5 application—and a nostalgic look at early 2000s genealogy research. #genealogy #FamilyHistory #FridayFind #C

Google Notebook LM’s cinematic videos look impressive—but are they accurate? When I used an ancestor’s narrative report, the visuals introduced false genealogical information. Here’s why the explainer version worked better. #genealogy #AIgenealogy #NotebookLM #familyhistory

Is Google Notebook LM giving your 1800s ancestor a corporate infographic makeover? I experimented with prompt wording to get a more historically appropriate design for Angelina Jane Burke Currey—and the difference was dramatic. #genealogy #AIgenealogy #NotebookLM #familyhistory

What if your ancestor’s life became a song? I turned the story of Angelina Jane Burke Currey (1836–1901) into a frontier-style ballad using AI lyrics, Suno music, Canva video creation, and YouTube sharing. #genealogy #familyhistory #AIgenealogy #SunoAI

A familiar surname. A promising photocopy. The wrong family! This week’s Monday’s Diggings explores an old Wells genealogy find in my files and the reminder that not every Thomas Wells belongs on our tree. #Genealogy #FamilyHistory #MondaysDiggings

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun

Angelina Jane Burke Currey lived through frontier Kansas, the Civil War era, railroad expansion, and the challenges of raising a family in nineteenth-century America. My latest ABC Biography post shares her story through an AI-assisted family narrative. #genealogy #familyhistory #AIgenealogy

A handwritten note in my genealogy files seemed to reference my ancestor James Crawford—until one detail proved otherwise. This Friday Find explores how undocumented notes can provide valuable clues, even when they point to the “other” James Crawford. #genealogy #FridayFind #familyhistory #Crawford

Do you remember the early days of genealogy on the web? I took a trip down memory lane using the Wayback Machine to revisit Heartland Genealogy’s journey from GeoCities and USGenWeb to Blogger, WordPress, and today’s AI-assisted storytelling. Did you have an early genealogy website? #genealogy #fami

How long have you been sharing your genealogy online? My journey began with GeoCities, moved through The Master Genealogist and Blogger, and eventually landed on WordPress. What started as a way to learn web technology became a way to connect with cousins and fellow researchers. #genealogy #familyhi

Can AI help bring family history to life? I used Google Notebook LM to create an infographic, audio overview, and cinematic video about my 3rd great-grandfather, Hiram M. Currey. Two very different videos resulted—which style do you prefer? #Genealogy #FamilyHistory #AIgenealogy #NotebookLM

Monday’s Diggings takes me back to my old WELLS research notebook! This early 1806 deed between brothers Thomas and Green Wells places the family on land in Broadalbin, New York, within the historic Sacandaga Patent—proof that even old notes can lead to new discoveries. #Genealogy #MondaysDiggings #

The 1900 census lists my great-grandfather Hiram Currey as a “magnetic healer.” What exactly did that mean? For this Saturday Night Genealogy Fun, I used AI to imagine a day in his working life and explore this unusual occupation. #genealogy #familyhistory