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What Ever Happened to Uncle Frank: The Alaska Pioneer Homes

21 Oct By Dwight Leave a Comment

An interesting source for documenting a lost branch of your family is the Alaska Pioneer Home registers. A home for infirmed and destitute pioneer men was founded in 1913 in abandoned U.S. Marine barracks in Sitka. Other homes were founded much later.

Who Were the Alaska Pioneers

Who were these men? Many came to Alaska seeking their fortune in the gold rushes, only to find themselves busted and broke. They came from all over the world and when they found themselves destitute they never went home. Their families, often wives and children, never heard from them again. They came from all over Alaska to the Sitka Home where they lived their remainder of their lives.

The records are simple but provide important insights. For example, in 1914, Peter Farrell from Iditarod was admitted. He was born in Ireland on 25 April 1847 and had arrived in Alaska in 1894. In 1916, Edward J. Taylor from Ketchikan was admitted. He was born in Ireland on 8 April 1856. He had arrived in Alaska on 9 August 1897. The variety of men from around the world who can be found admitted to the Sitka Pioneer Home is enough to make any researcher pause and reflect.

The Sitka Pioneer Home Records

There are several places where the admission registers have been transcribed. An old publication is History of the Alaska Pioneer Home 1913-1962 (196?) a typescript published in the 1960s takes a history of the Sitka Home from 1913-1962). A newer more complete work is Robert N. DeArmond’s Roster of Residents. Sitka Pioneers’ Home, 1913-1993 (1994).

These sources can lead to others to supplement the information from the Sitka Home. An excellent textbook for identifying other resources is (2001), by Connie Malcolm Bradbury and David Albert Hales.

If you would like to learn more about Alaska family history or your genealogy in general check us out here

Filed Under: Irish Ancestry Tagged With: Alaska, American Frontier, Institutions, Yukon

Tracking Down Orphanage Records

3 Oct By Dwight Leave a Comment

If your ancestor spent time in an orphanage, don’t always assume the parents died. In the nineteenth and early twentieth century, it was common for parents who fell upon hard times to put their children in an orphanage. Remember, an orphanage may have meant an education, regular meals, descent clothing, religious training and of course discipline. Often It allowed the parents’ time to get on their feet, come back and claim their children.

If the parents died, then tracking down the orphanage records are very important. In them, you hope to find the family circumstances, if it was a legal matter, the names of the parents and perhaps even the birth place in Ireland of the child or the parents. In the search for records, consider the following questions:

Perhaps it was taken over by another institution who continued to run the home. In the case of a Catholic orphanage, you need to know which Religious Order ran the facility. In the case of a Protestant home, was it run on a congregation, denominational or society bases. History books or old city directories can help you trace the history of orphanages.

This should help you find information. Remember, you won’t be the only person asking about the records. This makes the librarian, archivist or local historian your best friend!

Filed Under: Irish Ancestry Tagged With: Institutions, Research, Strategies

Dwight A. Radford

Dwight A. Radford is a professional family history researcher. Along with his staff they specialize in Ireland, England, Canada, African American, Native American, and United States. Connecting families together through historical documents and then creating a cherished family heirloom published book for generations to enjoy. Full bio…

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