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I got some great feedback on the eBay post I did (see: https://www.californiaancestors.org/strange-sources/) showing how you can use eBay for some unique finds. I thought I’d continue along those lines and show you how I’ve used YouTube (www.YouTube.com) in my genealogy.
First of all, education. Most of the genealogy companies have a YouTube channel:
• Ancestry- https://www.youtube.com/@AncestryUS
• FamilySearch- https://www.youtube.com/@familysearch
• Legacy Family Tree- https://www.youtube.com/@legacyfamilytree
• RootsMagic- https://www.youtube.com/@RootsMagicTV
There are also individuals who specialize in genealogy or aspects of it:
• Lisa Louise Cooke- https://www.youtube.com/user/GenealogyGems
• Devon Noel Lee- https://www.youtube.com/@FamilyHistoryFanatics
• Aimee Cross- https://www.youtube.com/@AncestryAimee
• Amy Johnson Crow- https://www.youtube.com/@AmyJohnsonCrow
• Jen Shaffer- https://www.youtube.com/@theformidablegenealogist
• Dana Leeds- https://www.youtube.com/@DanaLeeds
There are history channels (one of my favorites is on historical cooking—if I watch how they used to have to bake a cake, maybe, just maybe, I’ll turn off the computer and get downstairs to my Betty Crocker box mix…).
• Tasting History- https://www.youtube.com/@TastingHistory
• Weird History- https://www.youtube.com/@WeirdHistory
• Simple History: https://www.youtube.com/@Simplehistory
• History Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@HISTORY
But by far, my most favorite way to use YouTube in my genealogy is the more obscure.
• My third great grandfather was a pioneer in the Civil War and was instrumental in the Battle of Stones River. But what does that mean? I took a virtual tour and learned for myself. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqA3oIl1_10&t=149s
• My grandfather grew up in what is now a ghost town in South Dakota. I have photos, stories and maps, but to see it on video hits differently (that structure with the hole– Grampa’s house) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8u4x31tzlo&t=614s
• My mom’s birth father was from Piana degli Albanesi, Italy. It has a unique non-Italian history with their own language. Reading about the language is hard. Listening to comparisons? Wonderful! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjBrAe3xex8
• Want to see what life was like in 1906 four days before the SF earthquake? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Q5Nur642BU
• Want to see vintage New York City? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9-2Acd6Poo
• Or maybe you want to create and share a slide show of a place you lived (please forgive the mistakes… this was an experiment years ago)? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-12xw2aagE
You can subscribe to a station, you can just go to it when you feel like it, or you can spend some time searching around for the things you need when you need them. You can skip the ads after a few moments and then it is free.
Helpful Links
Events: https://www.californiaancestors.org/events-and-education/
Special Interest Groups: https://www.californiaancestors.org/special-interest-groups-for-members/
Calendar view: https://www.californiaancestors.org/cgs_calendar/
Tips & Talk: Oakland FamilySearch Center Family History Classes: https://www.familysearch.org/en/centers/oakland_california/classes
JUN
2025