Help From Beyond
When I became interested in genealogy after I inherited my grandfather's family papers, I turned to the public library (as always) for more information. Searching for Your Ancestors by Gilbert H. Doane was the perfect start for a beginner genealogist.
And just three or four years ago, after almost ten years as a professional genealogist, in a burst of nostalgia, I bought a copy of the 3rd edition on Ebay, for about $10. When it arrived I flipped through it briefly, reflecting on how much I've learned, and how much research has changed in the intervening years, and then put it on my bookshelf.
Recently I've been mulling over an idea of writing a genealogy mystery, taking place in Detroit and Beulah, Michigan, about 1922. My main character, upon inheriting a cottage on Crystal Lake, is met with some conflicting information regarding her parents and grandparents, and she starts on a quest to find some answers.
But how did you DO genealogy research in 1922? The internet and DNA were decades in the future, and so was microfilm. What I needed was a guide to research written back then.
So I turned to WorldCat, a world-wide library catalog. After I put in "searching for your ancestors" and saw the results, I started laughing. There, at the top of a list of over 4,000 titles, was my own book:
Scrolling through the list, I came (as expected) to Gilbert Doane's book. I clicked on his name, hoping to see some earlier editions listed, and stopped short when I saw a title with "University of Michigan":
This was published in 1923, right in the time period I was searching for. I needed to know more about Gilbert Doane, so I did a quick Google search and found a complete biography:
Wow! Not only did he get a degree in Library Science, he also worked at the University of Michigan as Assistant Librarian and Head Classifier from 1922 to 1925. I immediately decided on having him as a character in my book, giving good advice on genealogical research.
Reading further, I was astonished to find that he was ordained in the Episcopal Church and served as a priest in Madison, Wisconsin.
At this point I decided to take another look at my copy of Searching for Your Ancestors. I opened it up, and there on the very first page, I was astounded to see this label.
Folks, I don't recall ever owning this book before I bought it on eBay a few years ago. I have never owned or used a label like this, and I don't even recall seeing this label when I got the book.
As Albert Einstein once said:
