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Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen

Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen

著者： Kathleen Brandt
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概要

A "brick-wall" DIY genealogy podcast that features your questions and Kathleen Brandt's answers. She wants your stories, questions, and “brick walls”. But be ready to add to your "to-do" list. As Kathleen always says, this is a Do it yourself (DIY) genealogy podcast. “I'll show you where the shovel is, but I'm not digging up your family.”
Maybe, you have no idea where to start searching for an ancestor. Or, perhaps you want to know more about your family folklore. Host Kathleen has 20 years in the industry and is the founder of a3genealogy. She's able to dispense genealogy research advice and encouragement in understandable terms that won't get you lost in genealogy jargon. Along with her husband and co-host, John, she helps you accomplish "do-it-yourself" research goals, learn some history, and have a bit of fun along the way. Light-hearted and full of detailed info, Hittin' the Bricks is your solution for your brick-wall research problems.

© Kathleen Brandt, a3Genealogy. All rights reserved. This content is published by a3Genealogy and reflects the views of its host(s). Where it appears on the Tracing Ancestors website, it is shared with permission and is not a publication of Tracing Ancestors.


© 2026 Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen
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  • HTB Mailbag: Tracing Early Ports of Entry

    HTB Mailbag: Tracing Early Ports of Entry
    2026/11/07
    Let us know what you think!Episode OverviewHittin' the Bricks with Kathleen is the genealogy podcast that features your questions and her answers, helping researchers uncover overlooked records and historical clues that bring family stories to life.In this episode, host Kathleen Brandt explores one of the most challenging areas of American genealogy: pre-1855 immigration research. Many family historians assume their immigrant ancestors entered the United States through New York, but early immigration involved numerous ports, shipping routes, and entry points that are often overlooked.Kathleen explains how to research early immigrants using federal arrival requirements, National Archives databases, historical newspapers, and alternative records to establish when and where ancestors arrived in America.In This Episode, You'll LearnWhy pre-1855 immigration research requires different strategies than later passenger list researchHow the 1820 federal passenger arrival requirement provides an important research starting pointWhy New York should not be your only port of entry searchHow to use National Archives databases to locate early passenger informationWhy historical geography and changing country names complicate immigration researchHow to reconstruct an immigrant's arrival when passenger lists are missing or unavailableTopics CoveredPre-Castle Garden immigration and early American immigration recordsThe 1820 federal requirement for recording immigrant arrivalsAlternative ports of entry: New Orleans, Philadelphia, Boston, and BaltimoreImmigration routes from coastal ports to the MidwestTravel through the Mississippi River systemNational Archives AAD (Access to Archival Databases)Searching historical records by empire, region, and changing geographic boundariesIdentifying Polish, Finnish, Swedish, and Dutch ancestors in broader historical record categoriesMail ships and timber ships as sources of immigration cluesCanadian entry points for Irish famine-era immigration researchMissing passenger list years and alternative documentationCourt records, naturalization papers, church registers, and historical newspapersNewspaper signatures as evidence that an immigrant successfully reached AmericaEpisode Discussion & Key MomentsKathleen examines why early immigration research creates so many genealogy brick walls and why researchers need to look beyond the familiar passenger lists associated with New York.The discussion begins with pre-Castle Garden immigration, explaining the historical importance of the 1820 federal requirement for recording passenger arrivals. This provides researchers with a useful starting point for understanding which records might exist and where to search.Kathleen then explores alternative American ports of entry, including New Orleans, Philadelphia, Boston, and Baltimore. She explains how immigrants frequently continued their journeys inland through coastal shipping routes and the Mississippi River system, eventually reaching communities throughout the Midwest.The episode also addresses the complications of researching ancestors whose places of origin were recorded under historical empires or broader geographic classifications. Polish, Finnish, Swedish, and Dutch immigrants, for example, may appear in records under categories that do not correspond to modern national boundaries.Finally, Kathleen discusses practical alternatives when passenger lists are missing. National Archives databases, naturalization records, court documents, church registers, and newspaper evidence can help establish an immigrant's arrival and subsequent movements. Even a newspaper signature can provide an important clue that an ancestor successfully made the journey.Key questions examined include:Why might an immigrant ancestor have entered the United States somewhere other than New York?How can researchers locate passenger information from before 1855?What happens when an ancestor's country of origin no longer existed under that name?How can genealogists prove an ancestor's arrival when passenger lists are missing?What alternative records can reconstruct an early immigrant's journey?Resources & Research Tools MentionedNational Archives (NARA)Access to Archival Databases (AAD)Early federal passenger arrival recordsNew Orleans, Philadelphia, Boston, and Baltimore port recordsNaturalization and court recordsChurch registersHistorical newspapersCanadian immigration and shipping recordsHistorical maps and geographic referencesWhy This Episode MattersImmigration research before 1855 requires genealogists to think beyond modern borders, familiar ports, and conventional passenger lists.This episode demonstrates how understanding historical immigration laws, shipping routes, geography, and alternative documentation can help researchers overcome brick walls and reconstruct the journeys their ancestors took to reach America.Sometimes the record you need isn't where you expected it to be—or isn't even called what you think ...
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    23 分
  • Behind the Uniform: Military Genealogy Book Launch

    Behind the Uniform: Military Genealogy Book Launch
    2026/10/14

    Let us know what you think!

    A Conversation with Kathleen Brandt: Behind the Uniform Every Soldier Has a Story

    When: Saturday, October 24th

    2 - 4pm

    The Conference Center at MGC

    Join Kathleen Brandt for a conversation about Behind the Uniform: Every Soldier Has a Story, the first book in a new series dedicated to military family history research. Learn how to research and uncover personal stories hidden within military records and preserve them for future generations. This event will be followed by a book sale and signing.

    REGISTER HERE



    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.
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    2 分
  • Forgotten Children: Genealogy and Lost Burial Grounds

    Forgotten Children: Genealogy and Lost Burial Grounds
    2026/08/25
    Let us know what you think!Episode OverviewHittin' 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 ro295@georgetown.eduIn This Episode, You'll LearnHow historical research into juvenile institutions can lead to forgotten burial groundsWhy death certificates are an essential starting point for forensic genealogyHow annual reports, institutional archives, and facility newspapers can identify individuals when names are missingWhat racial segregation and historical disparities reveal about institutional recordsHow genealogists can assist with family identification and restorative justiceWhy access, permissions, and family involvement matter when researching burial sitesTopics CoveredThe origins of the Forgotten Children Initiative at Georgetown's Center for Youth JusticeHistorical research into youth facilities and hidden burial sites in MarylandThe Missouri Training School for Boys in Boonville, MissouriResearch into Boonville's forgotten cemeteryJuvenile justice history and its connection to the presentRacial segregation and disparities in institutional historyDeath certificates as a starting point for forensic genealogyAnnual reports, archives, and institutional newspapersIdentifying individuals when names are incomplete or missingRestorative justice, memorials, and family-guided decisionsAccess and research permissions for burial grounds on Department of Corrections propertyEpisode Discussion & Key MomentsKathleen 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 MentionedDeath certificatesInstitutional annual reportsJuvenile facility archivesInstitutional and facility newspapersCemetery and burial recordsHistorical records relating to racial segregationForensic genealogy research methodsDepartment of Corrections records and property access proceduresWhy This Episode MattersGenealogy 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 PodcastHittin' the Bricks with Kathleen is the genealogy podcast that features your questions and her ...
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    39 分
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