AF-1088: Why I Went Back to Paper for Genealogy—and Why You Might Want to Do the Same

05/14/25 • 6 min

There’s a certain charm to scrolling through digital records at midnight, coffee in hand, uncovering new ancestors with the click of a button. But once you’ve collected a few dozen census pages, probate files, and handwritten family notes, you might start to feel a little... buried. Tabs multiply, download folders fill up, and suddenly, you’re not sure where that one 1870 census record went—or whether you ever saved it in the first place.

That’s where paper steps in—not as a step backward, but as a grounding force in your research. Building a paper-based family history folder (or several) gives your work structure, clarity, and even a bit of beauty. It’s not just about printing out documents. It’s about creating something you can flip through, revisit, and share.

Let me show you why I returned to paper—and why it’s become one of the most valuable tools in my own research...

Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/the-three-biggest-reasons-to-go-back-to-paper/

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Let me show you why I returned to paper—and why it’s become one of the most valuable tools in my own research...

Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/the-three-biggest-reasons-to-go-back-to-paper/

Ancestral Findings Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast

This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups

Genealogy Giveaway: https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway

Genealogy eBooks: https://ancestralfindings.com/ebooks

Follow Along: https://www.facebook.com/AncestralFindings https://www.instagram.com/ancestralfindings https://www.youtube.com/ancestralfindings

Support Ancestral Findings: https://ancestralfindings.com/support https://ancestralfindings.com/paypal

#Genealogy #AncestralFindings #GenealogyClips

Previous Episode

AF-1087: The Story Behind Mother’s Day: Where It Came From and What It Was Meant to Be

Mother’s Day. For most of us, it’s a Sunday in May marked by greeting cards, flowers, long-distance phone calls, and maybe a brunch reservation you made weeks ago to avoid the rush. It’s a sweet, sentimental holiday—a time to pause and show appreciation for the women who raised us, loved us, and often kept the whole family running quietly behind the scenes.

But this day we all know and love didn’t just appear out of nowhere. It’s not ancient like Christmas or rooted in a religious calendar like Easter. Mother’s Day, as we celebrate it in the United States, has a very specific origin story. And that story is tangled up in heartache, determination, public health reform, the Civil War, and—believe it or not—a bit of corporate frustration. So let’s take a few minutes together and trace it back to where it all began...

Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/mothers-day/

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This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups

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Next Episode

AF-1089: Inside the 1910 U.S. Census | Ancestral Findings Podcast

We’ve made it to the 1910 census, and I have to say, this one feels like a bit of a turning point. If you’ve been following along through each census with me, you’ve probably noticed how much the country has been changing—and how those changes show up in the records. The 1900 census gave us a lot, but the 1910 one steps things up in a way that’s easy to miss unless you really sit with it.

What’s always fascinated me about these records is how they stop being just lists of names when you start reading between the lines. You begin to see the stories. You see families grow, move, lose someone, gain someone. You start noticing how many mothers answered heartbreaking questions about how many children they had and how many were still living. Or how people changed jobs—or didn't—and what that might’ve meant. These records speak if you know how to listen.

So whether you’re deep into your family tree or just curious about what these old government forms can reveal, the 1910 census is worth exploring. It holds more than you might expect. Let’s take a look at what makes it unique, what new information you’ll find, and how it can help you bring your ancestors’ stories to life...

Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/inside-the-1910-census/

Ancestral Findings Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast

This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups

Genealogy Giveaway: https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway

Genealogy eBooks: https://ancestralfindings.com/ebooks

Follow Along: https://www.facebook.com/AncestralFindings https://www.instagram.com/ancestralfindings https://www.youtube.com/ancestralfindings

Support Ancestral Findings: https://ancestralfindings.com/support https://ancestralfindings.com/paypal

#Genealogy #AncestralFindings #GenealogyClips