Blog Entries

A library genealogy program is a great way to discover your family's history. These programs are free and offer access to historical records, census data, and other valuable resources that can help you trace your family tree. With a library genealogy program, you can uncover fascinating details about your ancestors and gain a deeper understanding of your family's story. So whether you're just starting out or have been researching your family tree for years, a Stewart Bell, J. Archives genealogy program is definitely worth exploring. Here are upcoming programs: 

Did you know that more than 102 million people research their family history? You can be one of them! The questions often asked are where do I start, and how do I find what I need? 

Our Beginner Genealogy Workshops are for individuals who are just starting in their genealogy quest or who have started and need assistance. The workshops include a five-step process that covers the basics of ancestry research.

Yesterday as part of the archives continuing Family History Hunter programs, members were taken on a tour of the archives.  Lorna Loring, Archives Associate, gave a brief outline of what a person might expect if they were to visit an archive in whatever place the researcher decides to go to.  Even though each library, archives or historical society will have its own rules the basic focus will be the same.  This is to preserve history and make it available to the public in some way.  So the following remarks are highlights of Lorna's presentation. 

Holiday time: it is a great time to be with family, friends or alone with your thoughts.  For most of us it is a hustle and bustle time of year and doing something “extra” might just put a person over the edge of sensibility!  So for me to suggest that this is a good time to do something involving genealogy might seem a little different.  In reality it is not, because holidays are the time in which people naturally gravitate towards remembrances.  So, if you are inclined, here are a few ideas that you might like:

Thursday, November 10, 2022, the Family History Hunters met in the Benham Room.  The topic of conversation centered around the subject of Genealogical brick walls.  The program started with a fifteen-minute podcast presented by Katie Corwin of Ancestry.com.  She gave several suggestions regarding a researcher’s brick wall and how it can be broken through.  I myself found the podcast very interesting and discovered two suggestions that I believe can assist me with my own brick wall problem. 

The Handley Regional Library System is excited to offer tours of the downtown Handley Library Branch on the 2nd Saturday of the month at 11 AM. This tour is FREE and open to the public. Meet on the Lower Level to start your tour at 11 AM.

The Handley Library branch tour will take you behind the scenes to all floors of the building. Learn about the unique architecture and amazing history of this beautiful library. Walk on the famous glass floors, and see the well under the stage.  

Researching Common Surnames:

May 2022

My last name is Smith.  I have been told that our ancestors changed our surname before immigrating to the United States from Poland.  I have hesitated to attempt any research because I feel like I truly have a generic name.  Would it even be possible to learn anything about this family?

-A Researcher

April’s Family History Hunters meeting will feature a special presentation on organizing your family history research. Our presenter for this meeting, Tina Claflin, is the owner of Halcyon Reflections, a certified photo manager, and offers independent consulting and organizing services for veterans, families, and non-profits to help others get organized to preserve their stories.

Census Records

April 2022

This month I want to build on the past ideas that I have written about and hope that you are having some success.  I have suggested that those who are beginning their family history:

                1. Identify what you already know about your ancestors through family members or papers you already have in your home. 

Q: Which records should I be trying to get?

 Where do I get the records I need for my genealogy work?

Like any good artist there comes a time in the creative process where a decision must be made.  Should I put a mountain here or a tree over there?  What colors should I use, etc. to make everything look beautifully balanced on the canvas.  So also, should a genealogist make vital decisions to have their family canvas develop beautifully. 

By Joan Wood, Archives Assistant & Genealogy Specialist, Stewart Bell Jr. Archives

WELCOME, to the new Family History Corner! 

“We are not makers of history. We are made by history.”

– Martin Luther King, Jr., Strength to Love, 1963

To us at the Stewart Bell, Jr. Archives, these are words to live by.  We do not seek to manipulate the historical data entrusted to us, but rather to present an accurate picture of the people and events of our community. We members of the community are a multi-faceted bunch, each shaped by the past in ways unique to the individual; this is the legacy preserved in the archives. 

Joan Wood has worked as an Archives Assistant at the Stewart Bell Jr. Archives for ten years. She has a passion for genealogy, and as our resident genealogy specialist she has helped countless researchers uncover ancestors who once lived in the Winchester-Frederick County area. Joan also leads a genealogy discussion group known as Family History Hunters open to anyone interested in learning more about their family history, regardless of research experience.

The Virginia Department of Historic Resources has approved a historic marker for the site of the former home of African American scientist and Winchester native Dr. Madison Spencer Briscoe.

Early this year, a committee, assisted by the Stewart Bell Jr. Archives, began to assemble an application packet and supporting documents. With assistance from the City of Winchester and the Winchester-Frederick County Historical Society the application was successful. The text of the marker will read as follows:

This Black History Month we commemorate Robet Orrick (c.1827-1902), an African American businessman and Methodist minister who left a lasting legacy in Winchester and Frederick County.