As nitty as some of the gritty was, there were also quite a few success stories. A candidate for the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution), my membership and that of my children will be well substantiated by all my research and the ancestors who fought in the Revolutionary War. At least as far back as the 1850 U.S. Census and other, much older records in existence show, it's all documented. I'm happy to have gotten as far as I have, but goodness knows, there is much more hunting to do.
As it is, I now know almost every Gulick in the United States (and many others) came from just one couple, Hendrick Van Gulick and Geertruyt Jochem Willekens, who settled in the New World in the mid-1600s. That’s remarkable to me.
If only they knew.
(Note: There is no 1890 Census image for this article. Almost all of the 1890 Census was destroyed in a fire.)
Article comments
1 - Robin
Fabulous! As a professional researcher, I can honestly say this nails the beginner's feelings and experience perfectly. The excitement (and occasional horror) of finding oneself through roots is a journey more should undertake.
You never realize how far you've really come until you see how far you go back.
Excellent job!