Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen

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Episode Overview

Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen is the genealogy podcast that features your questions and her answers, exploring the records, places, and historical context that help families uncover difficult and forgotten stories.

In this episode, Kathleen speaks with Mark Schindler, Rebba Omer, and Daniel Feldman about the Forgotten Children Initiative and what happens when historical research into youth prisons leads to the discovery of children buried in neglected and forgotten cemeteries.

The conversation traces a path from Maryland to the Missouri Training School for Boys in Boonville, Missouri, where research uncovered another forgotten cemetery and raised difficult questions about race, institutional history, access, ethics, and how genealogists can help reconnect families with children whose stories were nearly lost.

If you would like to help with this initiative, Contact: Rebba Omer at [email protected]

In This Episode, You'll Learn

• How historical research into juvenile institutions can lead to forgotten burial grounds
• Why death certificates are an essential starting point for forensic genealogy
• How annual reports, institutional archives, and facility newspapers can identify individuals when names are missing
• What racial segregation and historical disparities reveal about institutional records
• How genealogists can assist with family identification and restorative justice
• Why access, permissions, and family involvement matter when researching burial sites

Topics Covered

• The origins of the Forgotten Children Initiative at Georgetown's Center for Youth Justice
• Historical research into youth facilities and hidden burial sites in Maryland
• The Missouri Training School for Boys in Boonville, Missouri
• Research into Boonville's forgotten cemetery
• Juvenile justice history and its connection to the present
• Racial segregation and disparities in institutional history
• Death certificates as a starting point for forensic genealogy
• Annual reports, archives, and institutional newspapers
• Identifying individuals when names are incomplete or missing
• Restorative justice, memorials, and family-guided decisions
• Access and research permissions for burial grounds on Department of Corrections property

Episode Discussion & Key Moments

Kathleen and her guests explore how a historical investigation can grow into a larger effort to identify forgotten children, locate burial sites, and reconnect families with relatives whose lives disappeared into institutional records.

The discussion begins with the origins of the Forgotten Children Initiative and research into youth facilities in Maryland. That work uncovered evidence of neglected burial grounds and created a broader effort to identify the children buried there and locate their descendants.

The conversation then turns to Boonville, Missouri, where research into the Missouri Training School for Boys led to the discovery of another forgotten cemetery. The guests discuss how a seemingly simple search can open a much larger investigation involving institutional records, death certificates, annual reports, newspapers, archives, and historical patterns of racial segregation.

The episode also addresses the ethical responsibilities involved in forensic genealogy and cemetery research. Identifying a person is only one part of the work. Questions of access, permissions, memorialization, and family involvement remain essential—particularly when burial grounds are located on government or Department of Corrections property.

Key questions examined include:

• How do genealogists begin identifying individuals buried in forgotten cemeteries?
• What records can help when a person's name is missing or incomplete?
• How does institutional history reveal patterns of racial inequality?
• What does restorative justice look like when families are finally connected with a forgotten relative?
• Who should make decisions about memorials and the treatment of historic burial grounds?

Resources & Research Tools Mentioned

• Death certificates
• Institutional annual reports
• Juvenile facility archives
• Institutional and facility newspapers
• Cemetery and burial records
• Historical records relating to racial segregation
• Forensic genealogy research methods
• Department of Corrections records and property access procedures

Why This Episode Matters

Genealogy is not limited to building family trees. It can also help restore names, identities, and histories to people who were marginalized, institutionalized, and forgotten.

This episode demonstrates how genealogists, historians, archivists, and families can work together to investigate neglected cemeteries and recover the stories of children whose lives were often reduced to incomplete institutional records. It also asks an important question: once these individuals are identified, how do we respectfully return their stories to the families and communities connected to them?

About the Podcast

Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen is the genealogy podcast that features your questions and her answers, helping listeners explore overlooked records, difficult family histories, and the historical context that shapes the stories we inherit.

Support the show

Be sure to bookmark linktr.ee/hittinthebricks  for your one stop access to Kathleen Brandt, the host of Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen. And, visit us on YouTube: @HTBKRB with Kathleen John and Chewey video recorded specials. 

Hittin' the Bricks is produced through the not-for-profit, 501c3 TracingAncestors.org.
 

Let us know what you think!

Episode Overview

Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen is the genealogy podcast that features your questions and her answers, helping researchers build stronger family histories through better sources and smarter research methods. In this episode, host Kathleen Brandt shares a curated summer reading list for genealogists, featuring nonfiction books that demonstrate how historians use original records to reconstruct real lives.

More than book recommendations, this episode explores how accomplished nonfiction authors approach research—and how genealogists can apply those same techniques to break through brick walls and create richer, evidence-based family stories.

Episode Discussion & Key Moments

Kathleen explores why some of the best genealogy lessons come not from genealogy books, but from well-researched works of narrative history. These authors routinely uncover forgotten stories by combining original documents, archival collections, maps, correspondence, government records, and local history into compelling narratives.

The episode highlights several recommended books, including Obstinate Daughters by Denise Kiernan, The Indifferent Stars Above by Daniel James Brown, and The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson, demonstrating how each author reconstructs lives through careful documentation and thoughtful analysis. 

The discussion also introduces the show's blog on reform school identification projects, illustrating how ancestors often appear in unexpected record collections:
11 Overlooked Records for Children Sent to Reform Schools.

Obstinate Daughters by Denise Kiernan

• The Indifferent Stars Above by Daniel James Brown
• The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson

Additional Resources

•  Behind the Uniform (Missouri Humanities-supported project) 
•  Reform school identification:
  11 Overlooked Records for Children Sent to Reform Schools.

Why This Episode Matters

Excellent genealogy depends on more than finding names in databases, it requires understanding the historical world your ancestors lived in. This episode demonstrates how reading well-documented history can sharpen research skills, expose overlooked sources, and inspire more accurate, engaging family histories.

About the Podcast

Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen is the genealogy podcast that features your questions and her answers, helping listeners discover overlooked records, understand historical context, and develop research strategies that bring family stories to life.

Support the show

Be sure to bookmark linktr.ee/hittinthebricks  for your one stop access to Kathleen Brandt, the host of Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen. And, visit us on YouTube: @HTBKRB with Kathleen John and Chewey video recorded specials. 

Hittin' the Bricks is produced through the not-for-profit, 501c3 TracingAncestors.org.
 

Let us know what you think!

Episode Overview

Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen is the genealogy podcast that features your questions and her answers, helping researchers uncover records and historical context that bring family stories to life. In this episode, host Kathleen Brandt explores the U.S. Congressional Serial Set, one of the most overlooked resources in genealogy research.

Far more than a collection of congressional documents, the Serial Set contains petitions, testimony, claims, investigations, and reports that can place ordinary Americans into the historical record. Kathleen explains how these records can help researchers discover ancestors, understand community issues, and add context to family histories that extend far beyond names and dates.

In This Episode, You'll Learn

•  What the U.S. Congressional Serial Set is and why genealogists should care about it 
•  How digitized federal records make searching easier than ever 
•  The types of ancestors who may appear in Congressional records 
•  How to use the Serial Set alongside other record collections 
•  Research strategies for finding ancestors when direct name searches fail 

Topics Covered

•  The U.S. Congressional Serial Set and its genealogical value
•  Searching digitized federal documents through govinfo.gov 
•  Veterans, widows, petition signers, centenarians, and community advocates 
•  Congressional petitions, testimony, claims, and investigations 
•  Using the Serial Set as both a primary source and supporting evidence 
•  Freedmen's Bureau records and federal documentation 
•  Reconstruction-era records and connections to Juneteenth 
•  Southern Claims Commission files and witness testimony 
•  Researching formerly enslaved individuals and enslavers 
•  Search strategies using ships, locations, organizations, and community events 

Episode Discussion & Key Moments

Kathleen explains why many genealogists overlook the Congressional Serial Set, assuming it only contains information about elected officials and national politics. In reality, these volumes often document the lives of everyday Americans who interacted with the federal government through petitions, compensation claims, military matters, land disputes, and community concerns.

The episode explores how digitization efforts have made these records more accessible and how researchers can use them to uncover details unavailable in local records. Kathleen discusses the value of combining Serial Set findings with sources such as Freedmen's Bureau records, military files, land records, and local histories.

Special attention is given to Reconstruction-era documentation, including Southern Claims Commission files that contain affidavits, witness statements, and testimony from formerly enslaved individuals, enslavers, neighbors, and community members. These records can provide extraordinary context for understanding families during and after the Civil War.

Key questions examined include:

•  How can federal records help solve local genealogy problems? 
•  What kinds of ordinary people appear in Congressional documents? 
•  What should researchers do when a name search produces no results? 
•  How can historical events be used to uncover hidden family connections? 

Resources & Research Tools Mentioned

•  U.S. Congressional Serial Set 
•  GovInfo.gov digital federal collections 
•  Freedmen's Bureau records 
•  Southern Claims Commission files 
•  Reconstruction-era federal records 
•  Military and pension records 
•  Petitions, testimony, and claims documentation 

Why This Episode Matters

Many researchers focus exclusively on local records while overlooking federal collections that document entire communities and major historical events. The Congressional Serial Set provides access to stories, claims, testimony, and evidence that can place ancestors within the broader context of American history and reveal connections that other records miss.

About the Podcast

Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen is the genealogy podcast that features your questions and her answers, helping listeners navigate historical records, uncover hidden sources, and understand the larger historical forces that shaped their ancestors' lives.

Support the show

Be sure to bookmark linktr.ee/hittinthebricks  for your one stop access to Kathleen Brandt, the host of Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen. And, visit us on YouTube: @HTBKRB with Kathleen John and Chewey video recorded specials. 

Hittin' the Bricks is produced through the not-for-profit, 501c3 TracingAncestors.org.
 

Let us know what you think!

#genealogy #familysearch #census #bountyland

Episode Overview

Hittin’ the Bricks with Kathleen is the genealogy podcast that features your questions and her answers, helping researchers uncover overlooked records and stronger research strategies. In this episode, host Kathleen Brandt answers listener questions focused on three high-impact genealogy sources that can quickly break through stubborn brick walls: Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) records, Virginia Revolutionary War bounty land grants, and Ireland’s newly free 1926 census.

Kathleen explains where to search, what clues researchers often miss, and how to connect these records to broader family stories involving migration, military service, inheritance, and identity.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn

•  Why CCC records are valuable for Depression-era genealogy research 
•  How Revolutionary War bounty land files extend far beyond the first certificate 
•  What makes the 1926 Irish Census important for Irish family history 
•  How supporting records reveal widows, heirs, migration patterns, and community ties 
•  Why original files often contain clues omitted from abstracts and indexes 

Topics Covered

•  Civilian Conservation Corps records and Depression-era family research 
•  CCC applications and clues about parents, schooling, work history, and migration 
•  Researching CCC records through newspapers, local societies, state archives, and National Park Service collections 
•  Virginia Revolutionary War bounty land digitization 
•  Common mistakes in bounty land research 
•  Warrants, surveys, plat maps, patents, tax lists, deeds, probate, and wills 
•  Why abstract books are not enough for complete genealogy research 
•  Ireland’s free 1926 Census and Irish genealogy research 
•  Linking Irish census records to passenger lists, naturalization records, and church documents 

Episode Discussion & Key Moments

Kathleen walks listeners through three record groups that frequently contain overlooked genealogical evidence. The episode begins with CCC records, explaining how applications and related files reveal personal details about family structure, education, employment, and migration during the Great Depression.

The conversation then shifts to Virginia Revolutionary War bounty land grants, where Kathleen explains why researchers should never stop at the initial certificate. Supporting documents—including surveys, deeds, probate files, and tax lists—often identify widows, heirs, neighbors, and land relationships that deepen family reconstruction.

Finally, Kathleen explores the release of Ireland’s 1926 Census, discussing how researchers can connect census findings with U.S. immigration records, naturalization paperwork, and church records to build more complete Irish family histories.

Key questions examined include:

•  What records are researchers most likely to overlook? 
•  Why do original files matter more than abstracts? 
•  How can one record group lead to multiple generations of evidence? 

Resources & Research Tools Mentioned

• National Archives of Ireland 1926 Census
•  Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) applications and records 
•  Newspapers and local historical societies 
•  State archives and National Park Service collections 
•  Virginia Revolutionary War bounty land records 
•  Plat maps, tax lists, deeds, probate, and wills 
•  Ireland’s 1926 Census 
•  Passenger lists, naturalization records, and church registers 

Why This Episode Matters

Many genealogy breakthroughs come from looking beyond indexes and pulling the full record set surrounding an ancestor. This episode demonstrates how layered research across military, land, labor, and immigration records creates stronger and more accurate family histories.

About the Podcast

Hittin’ the Bricks with Kathleen is the genealogy podcast that features your questions and her answers, helping listeners navigate historical records, research challenges, and overlooked sources to uncover deeper family stories.

Support the show

Be sure to bookmark linktr.ee/hittinthebricks  for your one stop access to Kathleen Brandt, the host of Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen. And, visit us on YouTube: @HTBKRB with Kathleen John and Chewey video recorded specials. 

Hittin' the Bricks is produced through the not-for-profit, 501c3 TracingAncestors.org.
 

Let us know what you think!

#genealogy #genealogytips #rootstrip  #FamilyHistoryTravel 
Episode Overview

Hittin’ the Bricks with Kathleen is the genealogy podcast that features your questions and her answers, helping researchers move beyond online databases and into the archives, collections, and communities where deeper family stories live. In this episode, host Kathleen Brandt gets honest about what researchers cannot afford to forget on a summer genealogy road trip—from choosing the right repositories to asking better questions than simply “Do you have my ancestor’s name?”

Using examples from research trips to Detroit and Ann Arbor, Kathleen explains why offline records are often the key to understanding the motivations, conflicts, migrations, and community ties that shaped ancestors’ lives.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn

•  Why online genealogy databases rarely tell the full story 
•  How to identify repositories worth visiting in person 
•  What kinds of offline records reveal context and motivation 
•  How archivists and advance preparation improve research results 
•  Why community history matters as much as individual records 

Topics Covered

•  The limits of online genealogy databases 
•  Researching letters, manuscripts, minutes, and special collections 
•  Prioritizing repositories by time period, topic, and community relevance 
•  Using AI tools to build realistic genealogy research itineraries 
•  Why calling ahead and consulting archivists saves time 
•  Detroit Public Library’s Burton Historical Collection 
•  Labor archives and society minutes as sources of conflict and motivation 
•  Ethnic community research and migration patterns 
•  Common genealogy road trip mistakes 
•  Avoiding unnecessary travel for records already available online 

Episode Discussion & Key Moments

Kathleen explains why many genealogy researchers reach a plateau when they rely only on searchable online databases. While digitized records provide access and convenience, they often miss the documents that explain why families moved, joined organizations, changed occupations, or became part of specific communities.

Drawing from research experiences in Detroit and Ann Arbor, Kathleen discusses how repositories containing manuscripts, labor records, organizational minutes, and ethnic community collections can uncover motivations and social context absent from census and vital records. She also highlights the importance of preparation—using AI tools, targeted planning, and archivist guidance to make research trips more productive.

The episode emphasizes that successful genealogy travel is not about visiting the largest number of libraries, but about identifying the repositories most connected to a family’s time period, occupation, migration path, or community network.

Key questions examined include:

•  What records are worth traveling to see in person? 
•  How do community archives change genealogical conclusions? 
•  Why do offline collections often explain migration and identity better than databases? 

Resources & Research Tools Mentioned

•  Detroit Public Library Burton Historical Collection 
•  Labor archives and organizational records 
•  Manuscript collections and society minutes 
•  Ethnic community archives 
•  AI-assisted research itinerary planning 
•  Archivist consultations and repository finding aids 

Why This Episode Matters

Genealogy research often becomes more meaningful when researchers move beyond names and dates into the broader social world their ancestors inhabited. This e

Support the show

Be sure to bookmark linktr.ee/hittinthebricks  for your one stop access to Kathleen Brandt, the host of Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen. And, visit us on YouTube: @HTBKRB with Kathleen John and Chewey video recorded specials. 

Hittin' the Bricks is produced through the not-for-profit, 501c3 TracingAncestors.org.
 

Let us know what you think!

Episode Overview

Hittin’ the Bricks with Kathleen is the genealogy podcast that features your questions and her answers, focusing on how place, movement, and records intersect. In this episode, host Kathleen Brandt speaks with Melissa Brown from the National Frontier Trails Museum about why Independence, Missouri became a primary jumping-off point for westward migration—and how that context changes real genealogy research.

Together, they show how to move from family lore about “going west” to documented evidence using museum resources, diaries, historic maps, and the OCTA Paper Trail index.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn

• Why Independence, Missouri became a central departure point for multiple western trails
• How river landings and shifting routes affect where records and clues appear
• How to use diaries, maps, and museum collections to verify migration stories
• Where the OCTA Paper Trail index fits into trail-based research
• Why preparation with census and other records improves on-site research results

Topics Covered

• The five major trails interpreted in Independence and why the river matters
• The Santa Fe Trail as commerce and trade, not just settlement
• Shifting river landings and movement toward Westport and beyond
• The Merle J. Mattis Research Library: diaries, letters, maps, artifacts
• Research appointments and how targeted requests save time
• Using OCTA’s Paper Trail index to search names in trail diaries
• Preparing with census and foundational records before archival visits
• Using historic maps to identify landowners, neighbors, and family connections
• The diversity of people who traveled west
• Free admission, current Santa Fe programming, and family activities

Episode Discussion & Key Moments

Kathleen and Melissa explain how understanding place-based context—especially transportation routes and economic drivers—can transform vague migration stories into traceable research paths. Independence’s role as a convergence point for trails means that records may be scattered across local, regional, and trail-specific sources, not just standard census or vital records.

Melissa outlines what researchers can expect from the Merle J. Mattis Research Library, including firsthand accounts and material culture that provide context often missing from official documents. The conversation also emphasizes preparation before archival visits, showing how prior work in census and other records allows researchers to ask more precise questions and locate relevant materials faster.

Key questions examined include:

• How do trail routes and river access shape where records are found?
• What sources move a family story from tradition to evidence?
• How can researchers use maps and diaries together to confirm identity and movement?

Resources & Research Tools Mentioned

• Merle J. Mattis Research Library (National Frontier Trails Museum)
• OCTA (Oregon-California Trails Association) Paper Trail index
• Historic maps and plat maps
• Trail diaries and letter collections
• Census and foundational records for research preparation

Why This Episode Matters

Westward migration is often reduced to broad narratives, but real genealogy depends on specific routes, locations, and records. This episode shows how understanding trail systems and using targeted research tools can convert family stories into verifiable history.

About the Podcast

Hittin’ the Bricks with Kathleen is the genealogy podcast that features your questions and her answers, helping listeners connect place, records, and histor

Support the show

Be sure to bookmark linktr.ee/hittinthebricks  for your one stop access to Kathleen Brandt, the host of Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen. And, visit us on YouTube: @HTBKRB with Kathleen John and Chewey video recorded specials. 

Hittin' the Bricks is produced through the not-for-profit, 501c3 TracingAncestors.org.
 

Let us know what you think!

Episode Overview

Hittin’ the Bricks with Kathleen is the genealogy podcast that features your questions and her answers, exploring how overlooked sources reveal deeper family stories. In this episode, host Kathleen Brandt speaks with diary collector and history writer Angie Rodesky about how journals, letters, and personal writings provide granular clues for genealogy and local history research.

Together, they explore how diaries expand your understanding of an ancestor’s world—and why preserving complete records matters for future research.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn

• How diaries and letters reveal details not found in official records
• Why different types of diaries offer different research value
• Where to find personal writings beyond common marketplaces
• How to organize names, dates, and events from narrative sources
• Why preserving original materials is critical for historical accuracy

Topics Covered

• Angie Rodesky’s path from writer’s block to diary collecting
• Types of diaries and what each can reveal
• Diaries as tools for one-place studies and community context
• Finding diaries and family “lots” beyond eBay
• The risks of dismantling originals for “junk journals”
• Digitizing options, including the Midwest Genealogy Center Memory Lab
• Organizing research with charts, timelines, and spreadsheets
• Research mindset: curiosity and following leads

Episode Discussion & Key Moments

Kathleen and Angie discuss how personal writings—often overlooked—can transform genealogy research by adding context, emotion, and daily detail to otherwise sparse records. Diaries and letters reveal relationships, routines, and events that rarely appear in official documents.

Angie shares how she began collecting diaries and the different types researchers may encounter, from daily logs to reflective journals. The conversation highlights how these materials support one-place studies, helping researchers reconstruct entire communities rather than isolated individuals.

The episode also addresses preservation concerns, including the growing trend of dismantling historical documents for craft purposes. Kathleen and Angie emphasize the importance of maintaining intact records and explore digitization options such as the Midwest Genealogy Center Memory Lab.

Key questions examined include:

• What kinds of clues do diaries provide that records do not?
• Where can researchers find personal writings outside traditional archives?
• How should genealogists balance access with preservation?

Resources & Research Tools Mentioned

• Personal diaries and letter collections
• Local archives and historical societies
• Midwest Genealogy Center Memory Lab (digitization tools)
• Charts, timelines, and spreadsheets for organizing data

Why This Episode Matters

Personal writings bring depth and humanity to genealogy. This episode shows how diaries and letters expand research beyond names and dates—revealing the lived experiences, relationships, and environments that shaped your ancestors’ lives.

About the Podcast

Hittin’ the Bricks with Kathleen is the genealogy podcast that features your questions and her answers, helping listeners uncover deeper meaning in records, places, and historical context.

Support the show

Be sure to bookmark linktr.ee/hittinthebricks  for your one stop access to Kathleen Brandt, the host of Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen. And, visit us on YouTube: @HTBKRB with Kathleen John and Chewey video recorded specials. 

Hittin' the Bricks is produced through the not-for-profit, 501c3 TracingAncestors.org.
 

Let us know what you think!

SHOW NOTE UPDATE: 

We would like to thank one of our listeners from Oakland, California for submitting the following clarification:

"Puerto Ricans who live on the island can’t vote in federal elections as set forth in the U.S. Constitution. Consequently, they do not have full representation in Congress."

For Clarification:

The United States Constitution does not explicitly say “Puerto Ricans cannot vote.” Instead:

•  Presidential elections are determined through the Electoral College, which is tied to states (and, via amendment, Washington, D.C.), not territories. 
•  Congressional representation is likewise structured around states, not territories.
• Residents of Puerto Rico cannot vote in presidential elections despite being U.S. citizens.
• Puerto Ricans can vote in federal elections if they live in one of the 50 states or Washington, D.C. and are registered voters.
• Registering to vote in Puerto Rico requires the individual to be a U.S. citizen and is a resident of the island.
  
  Sources: LegalClarity, Puerto Rico Territory Authority, Thoughtco.com

Episode Overview

Hittin’ the Bricks with Kathleen is the genealogy podcast that features your questions and her answers, focusing on how law, place, and history shape the records we rely on. In this episode, host Kathleen Brandt breaks down what “territory” really means in a genealogical context—and why your ancestor’s rights, status, and documentation can change overnight when laws change.

Using examples from Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, and the Philippines, this episode explains how legal status determines where records are kept, what rights were granted, and why incorrect assumptions often create genealogy brick walls.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn

• What “territory” means and how it differs from colony status in records
• Why citizenship status affects where and how records were created
• How legal changes alter the paper trail across generations
• Where to find records across federal, territorial, and local systems
• Why assumptions about U.S. affiliation often lead to research errors

Topics Covered

• Colony vs. territory definitions and their impact on record trails
• Puerto Rico citizenship after 1917 and where to research before that date
• Key inhabited U.S. territories for genealogy research
• U.S. citizen vs. U.S. national distinctions
• Record locations: federal archives, territorial archives, naval records, church registers, civil registration
• Guam’s citizenship timeline and unequal territorial treatment
• Military service and draft records vs. proof of citizenship
• Common research mistakes tied to legal assumptions
• Using FamilySearch as a catalog and checklist tool

Episode Discussion & Key Moments

Kathleen explores how the concept of “territory” is often misunderstood in genealogy, leading researchers to expect records and rights that did not exist at the time. She demonstrates how shifts in legal status—especially under U.S. governance—can dramatically alter what records were created, where they are stored, and how individuals were classified.

The episode highlights case examples from Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, and the Philippines to show how citizenship, nationality, and governance differed across regions. Kathleen also explains why military service or draft registration does not automatically prove citizenship, and why careful interpretation of legal context is essential.

A key takeaway is the importance of abandoning assumptions—particularly the belief that being “under the U.S. flag” guarantees uniform rights or record systems. Instead, researchers must follow the legal framework in place at the time their ancestors lived.

Support the show

Be sure to bookmark linktr.ee/hittinthebricks  for your one stop access to Kathleen Brandt, the host of Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen. And, visit us on YouTube: @HTBKRB with Kathleen John and Chewey video recorded specials. 

Hittin' the Bricks is produced through the not-for-profit, 501c3 TracingAncestors.org.
 

Let us know what you think!

Hittin’ the Bricks with Kathleen is the genealogy podcast that features your questions and her answers, with a focus on clear reasoning, historical context, and practical research methods. In this episode, Kathleen and John Brandt sit down with guest Chelsea Clarke from the Midwest Genealogy Center to explore how a free, do-it-yourself Memory Lab helps families preserve and digitize their personal archives.

From VHS tapes and cassette recordings to slides, photographs, film reels, and even floppy disks, Chelsea explains how the Memory Lab allows patrons to convert aging media into digital files. The conversation covers real-time capture, planning digitization sessions, storage decisions, and how these tools help communities preserve family stories before fragile media is lost.

• What the Memory Lab is and how to reserve time to use it
• What formats can be digitized, including video, audio, photos, slides, and negatives
• Why many formats require real-time capture and how to plan multi-slot sessions
• How to think about file sizes, storage options, and potential cloud limitations
• What quality expectations to have when working with aging media
• How library staff help patrons inspect, prepare, and capture their materials

• Digitizing VHS tapes, film reels, cassettes, photos, slides, and negatives
 • Batch scanning photographs and converting legacy media formats
 • Transferring data from 3.5-inch floppy disks
 • Overhead scanning tools and storytelling features such as VividPix narration
 • File management, storage choices, and digital preservation considerations
 • Access, equity, and the community value of public digitization resources
 • A local project highlight involving tracing ancestors and birth records

Chelsea explains how the Memory Lab at the Midwest Genealogy Center gives community members access to professional-grade digitization equipment without the cost of private services. Patrons can bring their own tapes, photos, slides, negatives, and disks and convert them to digital formats using specialized equipment while receiving guidance from knowledgeable staff.

The conversation also highlights the realities of digitization: many analog formats must be captured in real time, file sizes can grow quickly, and planning storage ahead of a session is essential. Kathleen and John explore how these tools support not only preservation but storytelling—helping families transform fragile recordings and images into lasting digital archives.

Key questions examined include:

• What should researchers bring to a Memory Lab appointment?
 • How can families plan ahead when digitizing large collections?
 • What risks do aging tapes, slides, and disks pose if not preserved soon?

Countless family histories remain trapped on fragile analog media that deteriorates over time. This episode highlights how accessible community tools—like library Memory Labs—make it possible for anyone to preserve recordings, photographs, and documents before they disappear.

Hittin’ the Bricks with Kathleen is hosted by Kathleen and John Brandt and helps listeners turn scattered historical records into meaningful family narratives using modern research tools and practical methodology.

Do you have a genealogical question for Kathleen?
 Email: [email protected]

Learn more about the Midwest Genealogy Center and the Memory Lab:
 https://www.mymcpl.org/genealogy

Memory Lab contact: [email protected]

Support the show

Be sure to bookmark linktr.ee/hittinthebricks  for your one stop access to Kathleen Brandt, the host of Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen. And, visit us on YouTube: @HTBKRB with Kathleen John and Chewey video recorded specials. 

Hittin' the Bricks is produced through the not-for-profit, 501c3 TracingAncestors.org.
 

Let us know what you think!

#oneplacestudy #genealogy #genealogybasics
Hittin’ the Bricks with Kathleen is the genealogy podcast that features your questions and her answers, with a focus on clear reasoning, historical context, and practical research methods. In this episode, Kathleen and John Brandt are joined by guest Denise Cross to explore how a one-place study transforms scattered historical records into a working model of a town—and how that model can be used to solve difficult genealogy problems.

Denise shares practical methods for defining research scope, mapping census visitation routes to historical land parcels, and linking neighbors, deeds, taxes, wills, church, and newspaper records to uncover relationships that traditional research approaches often miss.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn

• How to define a one-place study and choose a manageable scope
 • How to build a full-town research spreadsheet using census, deeds, probate, church, tax, and newspaper records
 • How neighbors and associates can help identify missing women in the historical record
 • How to map census visitation order to historical parcel maps
 • How to research frontier communities using indirect evidence
 • How place-based research supports surname studies and resolves endogamy challenges

Topics Covered

• One-place studies as a genealogy research method
 • Linking community networks to uncover family relationships
 • Mapping households to land ownership and movement
 • Frontier research with limited records
 • Endogamy and surname studies through place context
 • Registering and sharing one-place studies on WikiTree and research directories
 • Resources, webinars, and collaboration strategies

Episode Discussion & Key Moments

Denise explains how building a place-based research framework allows genealogists to move beyond individual ancestors and instead understand entire communities. By organizing census, tax, probate, land, and church records into a town-level model, researchers can identify patterns, relationships, and identity clues that would otherwise remain hidden.

The conversation also highlights how mapping census routes to historical land parcels helps clarify neighbor relationships, track movement over time, and provide indirect evidence—especially in frontier eras or communities with thin documentation.

Key questions examined include:

• How can a one-place study help solve identity problems?
 • What role do neighbors and associates play in genealogical proof?
 • How do researchers work effectively in communities with limited documentation?

Why This Episode Matters

When records are incomplete or identities unclear, understanding the place can be just as important as understanding the person. This episode demonstrates how community-level research strengthens genealogical conclusions and supports evidence-based reasoning.

About the Podcast

Hittin’ the Bricks with Kathleen is hosted by Kathleen and John Brandt and helps listeners turn scattered historical records into meaningful family narratives using modern research tools and practical methodology.

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 Email: [email protected]

Hittin’ the Bricks is produced through the not-for-profit 501(c)(3) TracingAncestors.org.

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Hittin' the Bricks is produced through the not-for-profit, 501c3 TracingAncestors.org.