So last month an advertisement came across my Facebook page for the Genealogy Scavenger Hunt. I had heard about it in the past while listening to Julie Cahill Tarr talk to Denys Allen of PA Ancestors (click here to view the podcast on the PA Ancestors YouTube page).
What Is It?
The Genealogy Scavenger Hunt is a challenge every month where you explore records you may not necessarily use every day in your genealogical pursuits. When I signed up, I was able to get the previous 5 months challenges, so for February you were analyzing documents associated with the enslaved, for March it was a female homesteader, and for August it is coroner’s reports.
Why It’s Awesome!
Why am I enjoying the Scavenger Hunt? Because I’m using records I wouldn’t necessarily use. All of my people have been in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, or Massachusetts, I’ve not had any reasons to look up resources for the enslaved. It has been refreshing to get out of my comfort zone (and that is the perfect phrase as I haven’t always been excited about the findings, especially in February’s use of the documents for the enslaved individuals). But searching through the Homesteaders information on the Bureau of Land Management’s site was fun to utilize as well, I’ve not had a whole lot of success on the website with my own ancestors but feel better prepared now whenever I am fortunate enough to get lucky!
The Badge
I’ve yet to get a 100% on everything (though with the August one I apparently mis-read the month of when something happened), I had the date and year correct. Still with each month’s completion you earn a badge.
If you are interested in a great genealogy challenge that will allow you to expand your knowledge of different types of records and actually put them to use for an exercise, go and check out the Genealogy Scavenger Hunt on Julie Cahill Tarr’s website Genealogy in Action.
Please note, Julie Cahill Tarr is not aware of my writing about her challenge, though I am hoping she does not mind. I am simply writing about my own experience about how these challenges are helping me be a better researcher. I am not getting compensated in any way for this review.
Helping History Come Alive 