『Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen』のカバーアート

Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen

Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen

著者： Kathleen Brandt
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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.

© 2026 Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen
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  • Books, Blogs and B.S. (Better Sources)

    Books, Blogs and B.S. (Better Sources)
    2026/07/23

    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.
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    16 分
  • Finding Ancestors in The Congressional Serial Set

    Finding Ancestors in The Congressional Serial Set
    2026/06/16
    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 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 MomentsKathleen 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 MattersMany 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 PodcastHittin' 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 showBe 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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    20 分
  • Mailbag Mania: Three Genealogy Records That Break Brick Walls

    Mailbag Mania: Three Genealogy Records That Break Brick Walls
    2026/05/26
    Let us know what you think!#genealogy #familysearch #census #bountylandEpisode OverviewHittin’ 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 MomentsKathleen 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 MentionedNational 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 MattersMany 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 PodcastHittin’ 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 showBe 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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    21 分
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