Like many people, I was curious about my family origins. I expected to learn more about my ancestry and perhaps connect with distant relatives.

Instead, I discovered that I had a brother I never knew existed.

When I opened my DNA matches, the first result immediately caught my attention. According to MyHeritage, a man living in the United States was my half-brother.

Angelo’s match to a half-brother in the U.S.

I was 60 years old at the time. I already had brothers and sisters. As far as I knew, there were no family secrets.

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

I called my wife, Adriana, and showed her the results. Then I called my brothers. We were all shocked. We tried to think of an explanation, but none of us could understand how such a thing could be possible. As far as we knew, there was no missing branch of our family. My father, Pippo, had died years earlier. He had married my mother and raised our family in Sicily. He had never mentioned another child, and none of my brothers or sisters had ever heard anything that suggested otherwise.

But the match was too close to ignore.

I decided to contact him.

The first messages

The man was called Carlo Arco and lived in Connecticut.

I sent him a message through MyHeritage, introducing myself and asking whether he knew anything about his biological family.

His reply raised even more questions.

Carlo explained that he had been adopted. He had been born in Turin in 1952 — before my father married my mother — under the name Giancarlo Lavi. He knew very little about his origins and had spent most of his life searching for answers.

The Italian passport issued to Giancarlo Lavi in 1956

Shortly after his birth, he was placed in a religious institution. He spent the first years of his life there. At the age of 5, he was sent alone to the United States, where he was adopted by an American family.

As we exchanged messages, it became increasingly clear that the DNA results were correct.

We arranged a video call.

It is a moment I will never forget.

When the call began, Carlo was overcome with emotion. He struggled to speak. Both of us were trying to process what was happening. After nearly 70 years, two brothers who had never known each other were finally meeting.

When he was finally able to speak, his words were simple and direct.

“I love you, my brother.”

Those words marked the beginning of a relationship that quickly became very deep. The more I listened to his story, the more strongly I felt that I had a responsibility to help him find the truth. I knew we must be related through my father Pippo, but that was only half of the story. Who was Carlo’s mother, and why had she abandoned him? With my father gone, there was only one way to find out: research.

Searching for Carlo’s mother

For nearly two years, I examined civil records, church archives, municipal registries, and historical documents. I traveled to Turin and contacted institutions connected to Carlo’s early life. I followed every lead I could find.

A record on MyHeritage of Carlo’s 1958 arrival in the U.S.

Little by little, the pieces began to come together.

Eventually, I identified Carlo’s mother.

Her name was Filomena.

Carlo’s biological mother, Filomena. Photo colorized and enhanced by MyHeritage

The story that emerged was very different from the one Carlo had believed for most of his life.

A different truth

For decades, Carlo believed that he had been abandoned because he was unwanted.

The documents and testimonies I uncovered told another story.

Filomena was a young woman living in post-war Italy, a time when social conventions and religious pressures could be unforgiving. An unmarried pregnancy often carried enormous stigma.

As I continued my research, I came to understand that she had been caught in circumstances that left her with very few choices.

I located her grave and was able to reconstruct much of her life. I also contacted relatives connected to her family and gathered information that helped fill in many of the missing details.

The more I learned, the more convinced I became that she had never forgotten her son.

For me, this was one of the most important discoveries of the entire journey.

Carlo had spent almost 70 years believing that he had been rejected.

The truth was far more complicated and far more human.

Meeting in person

In April 2019, my son Marco and I traveled to the United States to meet Carlo and his family.

After months of messages and video calls, we finally embraced in person.

Angelo and Carlo share their first hug

It was an extraordinary experience.

Although we had grown up on opposite sides of the Atlantic and lived completely different lives, there was an immediate sense of familiarity between us.

I also met his wife, Debra, who had been by his side through many difficult years, and his family welcomed us warmly.

Angelo (center) with Carlo and Debra

Our relationship continued to grow over the following years. We remained in regular contact and shared many conversations about family, history, and the discoveries we were making together.

In 2022, I returned to visit him again.

By then, we both understood how precious our time together was.

Angelo and Carlo during Angelo’s second visit

The final goodbye

Carlo had faced many health challenges throughout his life.

In his later years, his condition became increasingly serious. Despite everything, he remained grateful that we had found one another.

In November 2023, I learned that he was nearing the end of his life.

I spoke to him one last time.

Even in those final moments, he recognized my voice.

His last words to me were the same words he had spoken during our first video call years earlier.

“I love you, my brother.”

Shortly afterward, he passed away.

Angelo and Carlo

Preserving Carlo’s story

After Carlo’s death, I felt an even greater responsibility to preserve what we had discovered together.

Our story is not only a family story. It is also part of a larger history involving children who were separated from their families and sent abroad during the post-war years.

To document everything we uncovered, I wrote a book titled Lavi: Figlio di Nessuno (now available also in English as Lavi: Nobody’s Child). The book tells the story of Carlo’s life, our discovery through MyHeritage DNA, the search for our mother, and the long investigation that helped us understand what had happened.

The English edition of Angelo’s book

Today, when I think back to that day in August 2018, I still find it difficult to believe that a simple DNA test could uncover so much.

What began as a search for family origins led me to a brother I never knew existed.

Most importantly, it gave Carlo answers that he had been searching for his entire life.

And it allowed two brothers, separated for nearly 70 years, to finally find each other.

Many thanks to Angelo for sharing this incredible and heartbreaking story with us. If you’ve also made an amazing discovery with MyHeritage, we’d love to hear about it. Please send it to us via this form or email us at stories@myheritage.com.

The post ‘I Love You, My Brother’: How a DNA Discovery Closed a 70-Year Circle Before My Brother’s Final Goodbye appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.

“I was 21 years old, and my assignment was both simple and nerve-wracking: set up our heavy broadcasting equipment outside the home of Stephen and Viola Armstrong, and be ready to broadcast any live interviews they give to the global television pool feeds. At the time, Life magazine held the exclusive rights to be inside the house with the family, which meant all the major television networks — NBC, CBS, ABC — had to wait outside. If Stephen and Viola wanted to speak to the world, they had to step out onto their lawn.

Bob on Neil Armstrong parents’ lawn

The small steps behind one giant leap

“It was a brutally hot and humid Ohio summer. My supervisor and chief engineer, Mory Lamb, and I spent three days before the scheduled moonwalk setting up our cameras, running cables, and securing a massive microwave tower scaffolding contracted just to relay our signal. We stood on raised platforms in the stifling, direct sunlight, sweating, checking and double-checking our gear. In television, you only get one chance to get it right.

Outside the Armstrong home

“And then, the front door opened. It was Viola Armstrong, holding a tray of ice-cold lemonade and fresh cookies. She was genuinely worried about us working out there in the hot July sun.

“I remember looking at her and thinking: Imagine that. Her eldest son, Neil, was sitting in a capsule on his way to the moon. She had no earthly guarantee she would ever see him alive again. The sheer weight of maternal anxiety she must have been carrying was unimaginable. Yet, there she was, stepping out of her quiet home to make sure a group of sweaty camera technicians had cold drinks.

Stephen and Viola are interviewed by NBC

“That single, simple gesture defined the character of the Armstrong family for me. She raised a son who became the most famous man on Earth back then, but stayed grounded and modest. Armstrong bypassed immense wealth, choosing instead to quietly teach engineering at the University of Cincinnati. His legendary humility and quiet brilliance were instilled in him right there, in that Wapakoneta home, by a mother who cared about strangers in her yard.

“Neil Armstrong took one giant leap for mankind, but it was his mother’s small, humble steps across a hot lawn with a tray of lemonade that taught me how the greatest moments in history are built on simple acts of human kindness.”

Documenting the homecoming parade

“Weeks after returning to Earth, Armstrong visited Wapakoneta for a massive homecoming parade. The streets were flooded with thousands of people. I attended again, carrying a $12 Kodak camera to capture my own memories.

“I managed to photograph Neil smiling from an open-top car, along with his parents, Stephen and Viola.

Neil Armstrong’s homecoming parade

“Viola stood tall, and waved to the crowds, with the same quiet grace she had shown on her front lawn.

Viola waves to the crowd welcoming her son home from the moon

“It was a beautiful day, and I realized I had been granted a unique view into a historic moment.”

A sweet handwritten note from Viola

“Ten years passed. It was July 1979, and the national media was gearing up for the decade anniversary of the moon landing. As the anniversary approached, I felt a sudden, strong urge to write. I didn’t want the story of the lemonade and cookies to fade away. More than anything, I wanted my own children to know that their father had played a tiny part in that historic moment.

“I sat down and wrote an article about that hot July week in 1969, publishing it in our local newspaper, the Bowling Green Sentinel-Tribune. I recounted Viola’s kindness and how much it had meant to our crew. After it was published, I mailed a copy to Viola, and she amazed me again. I received a handwritten card in the mail, written in beautiful, elegant cursive, from Viola Armstrong.

The note from Viola Armstrong

“She wrote: 

‘I remember you, you seemed like a fine young gentleman. Also, you wrote a very nice article, and I shall keep it always. Many thanks for sending it to us. My husband put out a nice garden, and I canned and canned. In August our eldest granddaughter in Wisconsin was married to a fine young man. We went too, and it was all very lovely. In October Stephen and I were married 50 years. We celebrated with family and friends, and had a wonderful time. Then, of course, on Thanksgiving and Christmas we were with our children, so this is where my time has gone. Wishing you a Happy, and Healthful New Year. Gratefully, Stephen and Viola Armstrong’

“A decade later, with her son’s name etched permanently into human history, she was still the same warm and thoughtful person who cared enough to write a letter back to a cameraman.

“For a long time, I kept these memories tucked away in my memory and photo albums. But a few years ago my 18-year-old granddaughter was asking me about my career. When I pulled out the old photos and Viola’s handwritten letter, her eyes lit up. ‘Grandpa,’ she said, ‘you never told me this before!'”

On Neil Armstrong’s family couch

MyHeritage user Gary Fruland’s family holds a significant memory from that exact same historic weekend in July 1969. While Bob was looking through his camera viewfinder under Ohio’s sunny sky, Gary’s family connection to that day takes us inside the most private, anxious room of the Apollo 11 mission: Neil Armstrong’s family home in El Lago, Texas.

“When Neil Armstrong stepped outside the lunar lander onto the dusty surface of the moon to make that first monumental step for mankind, my cousin, Walter Fruland, was a protocol officer who worked for NASA. During those high-stakes, historic moments, he was the only person allowed inside Neil Armstrong’s home.

“Walter’s assignment carried an unimaginable emotional weight: he was there to comfort Neil’s wife, Jan, and their two young sons, Rick and Mark, if anything went wrong.

“As Neil descended the ladder of the lunar module, Walter was sitting right there on the family couch, positioned between Jan and the two boys. When Neil finally returned to Earth, he had to spend two weeks in isolation. The day he was finally cleared to return to normal life, it was Walter who drove to the facility, picked him up, and personally brought him home to his family.

“Walter was also the one who accompanied all three Apollo 11 astronauts, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins, as they embarked on their whirlwind, global ‘Giant Leap’ tour to celebrate the monumental achievement with the world.

“The NASA legacy in our family didn’t stop with Walter, either. His daughter, Ruth, went on to work for NASA as well. She was a scientist who actually analyzed the physical lunar samples Neil and his crew brought back from the moon’s surface.

“We, the Fruland family, are deeply proud of our Norwegian heritage, and we are incredibly honored and humbled to have Walter and Ruth as part of our family heritage. We are blessed to have these wonderful members of our family during such an historic time in human history.”

Walter with Gary and his wife

A protective buffer from the public eye

In an interview he gave to NASA Johnson Space Center Oral History Project in 2009, Walter reflected that “the two Armstrong boys were just young enough to be goggle-eyed about the whole thing. We sat there during the landing on the Moon around midnight watching this event unfold. It was amazing. I couldn’t help but be amazed. I thought it was just one of the most once-in-a-lifetime events that we were seeing.”

He also went on to speak about Neil’s wife, Janet Armstrong, and how she managed the overwhelming pressure of that historic moment, noting, “I was impressed with the more or less self-contained emotional display that she was able to maintain.”

Managing that level of pressure was a constant theme for Walter. As part of NASA’s Public Affairs and Protocol branches, he witnessed firsthand how they had to handle the unprecedented onslaught of global media attention, explaining that “the media presence in Houston was unlike anything we had ever prepared for. There were television trucks and reporters camped outside the astronauts’ homes for days. Our job in Protocol wasn’t just about managing VIPs at the Space Center; it was about creating a buffer so the families could breathe and experience these historic moments without being completely overwhelmed by the public eye.”

Following the mission, Walter was heavily involved in managing the logistics for the “Giant Leap” global tour, which took the three astronauts to 24 countries in just 45 days. Reflecting on the sheer exhaustion and diplomatic weight of the tour, he remembered, “It was a whirlwind. We traveled on a presidential plane, and the security and protocol requirements in every single country were intense. The astronauts were exhausted, but they understood the immense diplomatic value of what they were doing. Everywhere we went, millions of people came out just to get a glimpse of them.”

Ultimately, Walter saw his role in this space-age triumph as part of a deeper family lineage. Descending from the “Sloopers” — the very first organized group of Norwegian immigrants who arrived in America in 1825 on the ship Restaurationen — he viewed the journey to the moon as the natural continuation of his ancestors’ voyage: “My ancestors came over on a small sloop seeking new horizons, and here I was, working for an agency sending men to the Moon. To me, NASA represented that exact same American drive to explore the unknown, to push past the boundaries of what people thought was possible.”

Many thanks to Bob and Gary for sharing their personal connection to this historic moment. Explore more American Family Stories and discover how ordinary families experienced extraordinary moments in U.S. history on MyHeritage’s America 250 hub.

The post While the World Watched the Moon Landing, They Were There for the Armstrongs appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.

Key takeaways about the Vietnamese reunification

• The official reunification on July 2, 1976, legally merged North and South Vietnam into a socialist republic. This official merger marked a painful foreign policy shift for a deeply introspective U.S. nation.
• Severe postwar political and economic upheavals triggered massive, perilous waves of “Boat People” refugees and permanently reshaped the cultural, demographic, and economic landscapes of U.S. cities through vibrant new diaspora communities.
• 50 years later, the diaspora’s descendants face unique genealogical challenges due to destroyed historical records, using modern DNA testing and digital archives to reconstruct fractured family histories and heal historical trauma.

The view from Hanoi: the historical re-stitching

On July 2, 1976, the National Assembly of Vietnam officially merged the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North) and the Republic of Vietnam (South). The provisional authorities gave way to a singular government, Hanoi was designated the sole capital, and Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City.

While the chaotic fall of Saigon in April 1975 captured global television screens, July 1976 was the bureaucratic rubber stamp that cemented the new reality. Economically and socially, the reunification was fraught. The new regime introduced strict socialist transformation policies in the south. They closed private businesses, collectivized agriculture, and sent hundreds of thousands of former South Vietnamese military and civil personnel to harsh “re-education camps.” The physical war had ended, but an ideological and economic restructuring had just begun.

The U.S. angle: from foreign failure to domestic reality

For the United States, July 1976 was a time of intense introspection. The nation was celebrating its own bicentennial that very same month, trying desperately to heal from the wounds of the Watergate scandal and a divisive war that had cost 58,220 lives.

The formal reunification of Vietnam solidified a painful chapter in U.S. foreign policy. Washington responded by maintaining a strict trade embargo and diplomatic isolation against the newly unified nation — a freeze that wouldn’t thaw until the mid-1990s. However, the U.S. could not isolate itself from the human collateral of the conflict. The political reality of a unified, communist Vietnam triggered an unprecedented domestic shift: the arrival of hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese refugees on U.S. soil.

Waves of migration: the birth of the diaspora

While the initial 1975 evacuation brought roughly 125,000 Vietnamese closely tied to the U.S. military, the post-reunification realities of 1976 sparked a much larger, more perilous wave of migration.

“Between the late 1970s and the 1980s, hundreds of thousands of people fled the country by sea. They became known globally as the ‘Boat People.'”

Risking starvation, pirate attacks, and drowning in the South China Sea, these refugees sought safety in neighboring countries before being resettled globally. The U.S. accepted the lion’s share of these migrants through landmark legislation like the Refugee Act of 1980. Entire communities were reshaped as enclaves known as “Little Saigons” bloomed in Orange County, California, and Houston, Texas, and forever altered the cultural and economic fabric of the nation.

Shattered history, living memory: genealogy and family history

50 years after the reunification, the narrative has shifted from the geopolitical to the personal. For the children and grandchildren of the Vietnamese diaspora, the events of July 2, 1976, serve as the ultimate “ground zero” for building their family tree.

Tracing Vietnamese genealogy from this era is a uniquely challenging puzzle:

1. Destroyed historical records: The collapse of the South Vietnamese government resulted in the destruction or abandonment of vital statistics, historical military records, and provincial archives.
2. Fragmented identities: During the frantic escapes, families were separated, names were anglicized or altered for survival, and exact birthdates were frequently lost or estimated.
3. The silence of trauma: For decades, many first-generation refugees chose not to speak of the hardships following the 1976 reunification, which left a blank canvas for younger generations trying to map their roots.

Today, a genealogical renaissance is underway. Armed with at-home DNA testing options, digitized refugee camp logs from Guam and Wake Island, and crowdsourced social media registries, younger Vietnamese-Americans are actively reconstructing their fractured lineages. By searching billions of historical records, researchers can uncover documents that survived the conflict. Exploring common Vietnamese surnames like Nguyen or Tran also helps families trace branches back to specific ancestral villages. They are bridging the half-century gap, connecting with long-lost relatives in Vietnam, and preserving the stories of ancestors who survived the transition from a divided nation to a displaced global community.

A living ledger of resilience

5 decades later, the reunification of Vietnam stands as a profound pivot point in human resilience. As we mark this 50-year milestone, we remember the macro-history of nations rewriting their borders alongside the deeply personal micro-histories of families who rebuilt their lives from scratch, ensuring their roots would never be forgotten.

Frequently asked questions about the Vietnamese reunification

What was the main difference between the 1975 and 1976 migration waves?

The 1975 wave primarily comprised individuals closely tied to the U.S. military fleeing immediate collapse, while the post-1976 waves consisted of “Boat People” escaping harsh postwar socialist reforms.

How did the U.S. government legally respond to the mounting refugee crisis?

The U.S. government responded by passing the landmark Refugee Act of 1980, which standardized resettlement procedures and helped hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese refugees build new lives in America.

Can I find historical immigration records from 1976?

Official U.S. historical immigration records specifically from 1976 are largely unavailable or incomplete due to chaotic refugee processing. However, you might successfully locate ancestors using historical city directories.

What role does DNA testing play in Vietnamese genealogy today?

At-home DNA testing bridges gaps left by destroyed archival documents to help descendants of the diaspora bypass lost paperwork, locate long-lost relatives, and reconstruct their fragmented family trees.

Why was Saigon officially renamed Ho Chi Minh City in July 1976?

The name change was a symbolic move by the newly unified communist government to honor their revolutionary leader and signal the official erasure of the former South Vietnamese state.

Yan Sandler is a passionate genealogy enthusiast, specializing in Eastern European and Jewish heritage. He enjoys helping others to uncover their roots, turning complex archival fragments into meaningful family stories for researchers worldwide.

The post Echoes of 1976: 50 Years of Vietnamese Reunification, Migration, and the Search for Roots appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.

He had sailed from England to America to fight for the Union Army, joining the Third New York Independent Battery in 1861. They reached the outskirts of the little farming town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, amidst a horrific fight around 4 o’clock that afternoon.

Gettysburgh, Pennsylvania, photographed from the west in 1863. Photo colorized and enhanced by MyHeritage

The following morning, July 3, Bill’s battery was moved up to a reserve position behind the front line. They soon found themselves in the midst of a fierce cannonade with the Confederates almost a mile away. Over 200 cannons sent shells tearing through the air, a roar so loud that it could be heard 27 miles away in Carlisle. Two hours later, there was a pause. It was a very brief respite, for out of the woods on Seminary Ridge stepped 15,000 Rebel soldiers, marching straight for Bill’s position. Pickett’s, Pettigrew’s, and Trimble’s Charge had begun. The Pennsylvanians at the Bloody Angle fought hard as the Rebels came on and pierced their line. The attack was ultimately repulsed, but Bill suffered a wound to his upper leg, possibly during that opening cannonade.

Finding love in the midst of war

After the 3 days of battle, the town was completely overwhelmed with the wounded. The citizens were mustered into nursing service as most of the local churches and houses became makeshift hospitals. One of those citizens was Margaret Slonaker, who was living in the Adams County Almshouse along with her 7-year-old son, Forrest. The first day’s battle had seen the armies surging back and forth almost on their very doorstep. While nursing Bill back to health, Margaret found herself attracted to the Englishman from Northamptonshire. Little did Bill know that his heart would be stolen away after the carnage of the bloodiest battle of the American Civil War.

AI illustration of Bill recovering under Margaret’s care

Following his recovery, Bill joined the 17th Pennsylvania Cavalry and rode away to fight on. The 17th battled all the way to Appomattox Court House in April of 1865. Afterward, Bill found his way back to Gettysburg and proposed to the light of his life. They married in September 1866 and had 4 children, with Bill informally adopting Margaret’s son, Forrest.

Exploring Bill’s legacy

Margaret passed away in 1897, but Bill lived to be 98 years old. He even took part in the 50th anniversary of the famous battle and was interviewed in his later years by the local newspapers, featured as “Carlisle’s Oldest Citizen” in The Evening Centinel (April 13, 1926), and in Gettysburg’s Star and Sentinel (April 19, 1924). He passed away in 1927. I have copies of his and Margaret’s obituaries in The Evening Sentinel and The Gettysburg Compiler, and he was even featured in a July 1963 edition of The Gettysburg Compiler honoring local citizens who fought in the battle.

Bill is featured in the Gettysburg Times in July 1963

I also have a photo of Bill taken after the war wearing his G.A.R. hat as a member of Captain Colwell Post 201 in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, though unfortunately, I haven’t found a photo of Margaret.

Bill Thompson

No physical artifacts were passed down to my family. Instead, my late cousin, Mildred Riggeal Bucher, spent 30 years researching our family, and her nephew passed her notes on to me. I had to piece the rest of this story together using civil records — including the federal census, marriage and death certificates, and Bill’s Union Army pension records from the National Archives. I also found his service history in the National Park Service U.S. Civil War Soldiers database.

Pension record for Bill Thompson

I was so delighted to find these records, to piece Bill and Margaret’s story together after so much searching, and to share it with my mother and family. I have many, many cousins who now know the personal story of how our forebears met, married, and became a part of such an important event in our nation’s history. We had all wondered about their story, and it has been wonderful to get a glimpse of their romance and the role it played in shaping our family tree. Their story has truly brought history to life for us, giving us a personal connection to the trauma of that momentous event. I can feel that deep connection every single time I visit Adams County, Pennsylvania.

MyHeritage user Susan Alexander

Many thanks to Susan Alexander for sharing her ancestors’ beautiful love story with us. Explore more American Family Stories and discover how ordinary families experienced extraordinary moments in U.S. history on MyHeritage’s America 250 hub.

The post My Ancestor Was Wounded at Gettysburg. The Nurse Who Treated Him Became the Love of His Life appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.

To celebrate Independence Day and America 250, MyHeritage is offering free access to the U.S. City Directories collection from July 1–5, 2026.

Search the U.S. City Directories for free!

The MyHeritage U.S. City Directories collection contains 561.5 million records compiled from more than 25,000 city directories published between 1860 and 1960. These directories provide a unique look at where people lived, what they did for a living, and how their lives changed over time.

City directories are especially useful because they can:

• Fill gaps between census years: They help track people between federal censuses and are particularly valuable for researching the years surrounding the largely lost 1890 U.S. Census.
• Follow families over time: Because directories were often published annually, you can trace changes in addresses, occupations, and household members from year to year.
• Add context to your research: Many directories include occupations, business listings, and other details that help paint a fuller picture of your relatives’ daily lives.

Although these records are normally available with a Complete, Data, or Omni plan, they’ll be free to search and view from July 1 through July 5, 2026. A free MyHeritage account is all you need to access them during the promotion.

If you’re celebrating America 250 by learning more about your family’s place in American history, this collection is an excellent place to start. You may discover where your relatives lived, the work they did, and how they contributed to the communities they called home.

For more ways to explore your family’s connection to American history, visit the MyHeritage America 250 website, featuring historical records, family stories, and genealogy resources celebrating 250 years of American independence.

Happy Independence Day, and happy exploring!

The post Explore Your American Roots with Free Access to U.S. City Directories This Independence Day appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.

But rather than travel overland, it was decided it would be better if the members on the Eastern Seaboard could charter a ship to take them to California, where they were to await instructions on the final settlement location.

A portrait of Isaac Goodwin

So it was that on February 4, 1846, the same day that the first group of Church members left Nauvoo, the Isaac Goodwin family, together with 229 other members of the Church, set sail on the 370-ton ship Brooklyn, chartered by their local Church leader Samuel Brannon. Their trip, spanning 26,000 miles of ocean, took 6 months to complete. Conditions aboard the ship were cramped and uncomfortable, to say the least. It was said that the drinking water was so thick with slime that it had to be strained between the teeth and even then, the taste was so dreadful that the passengers could hardly drink it. Moreover, all the passengers had to share a space below deck that was roughly the equivalent of a modern 4-room home.

A devastating loss at sea

After the ship had rounded the treacherous Cape Horn, the stormy seas did not abate. Coming up on the Western side of South America, the ship tossed violently in a gale, causing pregnant Laura to fall down a hatchway, leading soon thereafter to her death. Laura’s dying wish was that she not be buried at sea. To honor that request, the ship put in at the Juan Fernandez Islands, the first time the passengers had stepped on solid ground in 3 months of navigation. There, on what is also called Robinson Crusoe Island, Laura Hotchkiss Goodwin was laid to rest. It was a difficult time for everyone, particularly for Laura’s 7 little children, ranging in age from 17 months to 11 years. They had not only lost their mother, but they also knew they would never ever see this lonely burial spot again.

A photo of Robinson Crusoe Island taken at the turn of the 20th century, several decades after Laura was buried there

Settling Yerba Buena, later known as San Francisco

After a much need refueling stop in Hawaii, the Brooklyn ultimately reached the sleepy town of Yerba Buena on July 31, 1946. At first sight of the Brooklyn, the U.S. military on shore thought they were facing an enemy attack, but then upon seeing many women and children on board, they greeted the ship with a gun salute. Once the Brooklyn docked in the harbor, they saw that there were only a few American settlers to greet them. The local community consisted mainly of a few Spanish families and a small group of Indians. The Catholic Mission in the area was deserted at the time, so some of the weary travelers found temporary shelter there. Others began to pitch tents for their initial dwelling place.

A lithograph of Yerba Buena created by Jean-Jacques Vioget in 1837

The arrival of the pilgrim group aboard the Brooklyn basically tripled the population of the small California village of Yerba Buena, later to be known as San Francisco. These pioneers were not fortune seekers. Rather, they were settlers. Among their number were doctors, teachers, farmers, mechanics, carpenters, masons and millers. They had brought with them mechanical and agricultural tools, grist mills, a harrow, blacksmith and carpenter tools and a printing press. They also brought school supplies, Bibles, a library, wheat seed and farm animals. They had come to stay.

In their first year in Yerba Buena, the Mormon Saints constructed more than 100 permanent structures, preparing the area for a true village, later to be renamed San Francisco. They published the village’s first newspaper, the California Star, and built the first schoolhouse where lessons were taught in English. Their agricultural association organized projects that extended to what is now Fremont and the San Joaquin Valley.

Rejecting Salt Lake Valley

In the following Spring of 1847, Isaac Goodwin, along with the Saint’s designated leader, Samuel Brannan, and a third man by the name of Charles Smith, traveled over the Sierra Nevada Mountains to meet up with Brigham Young and his vanguard group of some 148 persons making their way West. They met each other at Green River, Wyoming. Brannan thought he was there to help guide Brigham Young and his party to the San Francisco area. Brannan told Young about the beautiful and fruitful valley in which the California Saints were building a place for all the Saints coming from Nauvoo to occupy. Instead, Young reminded Brannan that the Church members were all going to settle in the Salt Lake Valley where they could establish themselves without interference. The Saints intended to make the desert “blossom as a rose.”

Brannan was upset because he thought the idea of forsaking California was foolish. Brannan, Goodwin, and Smith joined with the vanguard group as they continued on their way to the Salt Lake Valley. Upon arriving, Brannan pointed out to Young how difficult it was going to be to develop this barren land by the Great Salt Lake, whereas California was the land of promise. When his efforts were once again rejected, he, Goodwin and Smith left the Salt Lake Valley and returned to California. Many years later, Brannan died a pauper in California.

Striking gold

One year later, when Goodwin was back in California, he and some of his fellow Mormons found work at Sutter’s Mill near present-day Sacramento. Isaac Goodwin was present when gold was discovered in the American River. It is not clear from the record if Isaac ever tried his luck with gold, but if he did, he did not do so for very long.

Sutter’s Mill, California, where Isaac Goodwin witnessed the discovery of gold

After living in the San Francisco area for almost 10 years and raising his seven children by himself, Isaac decided it was time to get married again. Some two years earlier his oldest daughter Emerette had married William Kuhns, a discharged soldier from the Mormon Battalion now working in the gold fields. That left Isaac without an important helper. So, on December 22, 1855, he married Mary Cox. They stayed in California for several years. But the message from Salt Lake City to join with the Saints there and forsake the lure of gold and other temptations in California finally hit home with him. On February of 1859, some 13 years after he first landed in San Francisco Bay on July 31, 1846, Isaac and his new wife, along with some of his children, arrived in present day Lehi, Utah.

Bringing alfalfa to Utah

When Isaac came to Utah, he brought a small quantity of alfalfa seed instead of gold, considering the former far more precious than the latter. The Spanish had introduced alfalfa to California and Isaac in turn introduced it to Utah. In 1860 he planted his first seeds, in order to use the resulting plants to produce more alfalfa seeds. Early on in this process of slowly developing a suitable supply of alfalfa seeds, a neighbor picked up a pinch of Isaac’s small collection. “Put it down,” admonished Isaac. “I would as willing give you so much gold dust.” A few years later he had produced enough seed that he could make alfalfa seed available to all the farmers in the area. It was not long before many acres of alfalfa hay were being cut. Isaac was rightfully given the credit for his efforts in bringing the first seeds to Utah.

An alfalfa field in California circa 1890

Isaac initially settled his family on the west side of the Jordan River at a place called Cold Springs. He later moved into the heart of Lehi, setting up his residence on a 2½ acre plot on the southeast corner of Fourth West and Main Street. To this home he invited his granddaughter Laura Elizabeth Coons to live. Laura bore the brunt of the failed marriage between Isaac’s daughter Emerette and William Kuhns (often known as William Coons). Once Emerette left William to marry a second husband, and with William working in the gold fields, Laura was farmed out to a number of families in California. It was ultimately decided by William to send Laura to Utah to live with her grandfather Isaac and his family, where she lived until she got married.

Peace and contentment

Isaac developed his Lehi property by planting a carefully nurtured garden and orchard. A story about his efforts is found in a book by John Codman, written in 1879. In the book, Codman talks about “sauntering about the Lehi neighborhood” when he came upon Isaac’s home. He could not help noticing the “fruitful orchard” surrounding Isaac’s home. He knocked on the front door, and when Isaac answered, he asked if he could buy some of the abundant fruit. The answer from Isaac was: “No, but you can take as much as you please.”

Later that day, after Mr. Goodman had enjoyed the fruit so generously given him, he asked Isaac about the Mormon practice of polygamy. Isaac told Mr. Codman: “I believe in the doctrine [of polygamy] for those who like it, but God never required it of me. I like to go it alone.” Codman was impressed by Isaac and concluded that portion of his lengthy travel narrative which discussed his visit to Lehi by saying: “Good, honest, straight, and narrow-walking Isaac Goodwin gets along through the world in peace and contentment with only one wife, because he loves her too well to take another.”

Isaac did not live long after the visit with Mr. Codman. He died on April 25, 1879 at the age of 68. He was buried in the Lehi City Cemetery. But his good works live after him.

Isaac Goodman’s descendants, the Rust brothers, in the Grand Canyon. MyHeritage user Marvin Rust, who wrote this story, is on the right

Many thanks to Marvin Rust for sharing his ancestor’s remarkable story with us. Explore more American Family Stories and discover how ordinary families experienced extraordinary moments in U.S. history on MyHeritage’s America 250 hub.

The post My Ancestor Helped Build San Francisco, Saw Gold Discovered, and Brought Alfalfa to Utah appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.

To celebrate, MyHeritage is offering free access to 15 Canadian census collections containing 52,305,792 historical records for a limited time, through July 5, 2026.

Search Canadian census records for free!

Canadian census records are among the most valuable resources for family history research. They can reveal where your relatives lived, who was in their household, their ages, occupations, places of birth, and much more. Whether your family has lived in Canada for generations or arrived more recently, these records can help you uncover new details about their lives.

The free collections span multiple Canadian census years, helping you trace families across generations and build a clearer picture of your family’s journey through Canada.

Take advantage of this limited-time opportunity to explore your Canadian roots and discover new branches of your family tree.

Happy Canada Day!

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MyHeritage user Peter Langenfeld

She had a husband and two brothers who all fought for the North in the Civil War. Her brother George Houghton, born 1840 in Macomb, New York, was with General Sherman all through his Georgia campaign. Her brother, Charles Henry Houghton, was born in 1842, also in Macomb, New York.

Record of the Haughton brothers’ service. Their brother-in-law Robert is listed on the same page

Unfortunately, I didn’t read everything closely enough, and I didn’t even notice the information about Charles and George. I saw the original information about Charles well before a major family milestone, but I didn’t understand what I read until a couple of years after it. It wasn’t until years later, while researching something else, that I realized what I had been missing.

What I had missed was that in the battle for Fort Stedman, Charles Henry Houghton was severely wounded. He lost most of his right leg and was battle promoted for his service. As he lay on his cot, bleeding to death, it was believed that he would not survive the night. At some point he had a visitor. He woke to find President Abraham Lincoln praying for him. In Lincoln: The War Years, written by Carl Sandburg, page 86, he describes how Lincoln sobbed and implored the 22-year-old Houghton that he “must live!”

AI illustration of Abe Lincoln begging Charles to live

Many years later, Houghton was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for what he did that day, and he is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Charles in later years

The moment I made that discovery was a mix of pride and frustration. Part of my frustration comes from missing it the first time because I didn’t read the full text. The other part is closer to home. My family has visited Arlington National Cemetery, but unfortunately, we didn’t have this information at the time. My daughter and her class visited Arlington, and part of the trip was the wreath ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. If you had a family connection to someone buried there, you could be actual hands-on at the ceremony, and she really wanted to take part.

I should note, another interesting part of the life of Charles Houghton is that in 1892 he was the collector for the port at Perth Amboy. That is when he was brought up on federal charges of “transmitting false vouchers” to the U.S. government. He was found guilty and fined 500 dollars. I’d also note that he received the Medal of Honor in 1899. Apparently, the U.S. government didn’t hold any grudges.

Still, I’ve always been proud of our country. Sometimes, I’m more proud of what our country can be, the ideals it strives for, than for some of the things from its past.

Many thanks to Peter Langenfeld for sharing this amazing story with us. Explore more American Family Stories and discover how ordinary families experienced extraordinary moments in U.S. history on MyHeritage’s America 250 hub.

The post My Gravely Wounded Ancestor Woke to Find Abe Lincoln Praying and Begging Him to Live appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.

Andrew served in the Stonewall Brigade under Brigadier General James Walker and was known as a skilled sharpshooter. By June 1863, after nearly two years of service, he had been promoted to corporal. As his regiment marched north into Pennsylvania, neither Andrew nor his family could have known how profoundly the coming battle would shape their lives.

The Battle of Gettysburg

The Battle of Gettysburg, fought over three days in July 1863 in and around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, would become one of the most significant turning points of the Civil War. More than 50,000 soldiers were killed, wounded, captured, or missing, making it the bloodiest battle of the war. While its national impact is well documented, for the Hoge family it became a deeply personal tragedy.

On July 1, 1863, Confederate forces under General Henry Heth advanced toward Gettysburg in search of supplies but unexpectedly encountered Union cavalry. What followed was an unplanned but fierce engagement. Despite intense heat and heavy fighting, Confederate forces eventually pushed Union troops through the town and onto Cemetery Hill.

Battle of Gettysburg by Thure de Thulstrup, 1887

The second day of battle saw Union forces entrenched along a defensive line shaped like a fishhook across the hills and ridges south of Gettysburg. Although Confederate troops gained ground at both ends, the Union position held as night fell.

On the third day, General Robert E. Lee ordered a direct assault on the Union center at Cemetery Ridge. This attack, known as Pickett’s Charge, proved devastating. Of the 12,500 Confederates who advanced, casualties approached 60%, and only one brigade briefly reached the ridge. Simultaneously, heavy fighting continued at Culp’s Hill, while cavalry engagements unfolded to the east and south.

Comfort from a cousin in his final moments

After the battle, according to our family’s history, Andrew sought shelter in an area known as Devil’s Den alongside fellow soldiers, including his cousins. While resting against a stone wall with his weapon in hand, a stray bomb fell and exploded in his lap. The blast killed or scattered those nearby. Only his cousin, Captain John Thomas Howe, remained. Despite his own injuries and the danger surrounding him, John retrieved water from a nearby stream, placed a blanket beneath Andrew’s head, and stayed with him until he passed, receiving his final words and closing his eyes in death.

John’s brother, Samuel Shepherd Howe, was also present that day. Both men were captured by Union forces. Captain John Howe was sent to a hospital, sparing him the harsh conditions of Point Lookout, Maryland, where Samuel later died.

The photograph from Devil’s Den

Andrew’s body remained among the fallen in the field. According to the Hoge family’s history, Andrew’s body was photographed in Devil’s Den after the battle. The image was later published in the Review of Reviews and subsequently in Photographic History of the Civil War, accompanied by the caption: “Whatever the results of the war, for this fine manly young Southern boy, it is over.” It was Governor James Hoge Tyler who later identified Andrew from the photograph.

Editor’s note: The following historical photograph depicts a deceased soldier.

The famous photo of the Civil War soldier the Hoge family identified as Andrew, titled Home of a Rebel Sharpshooter by Timothy O’Sullivan

According to the family’s records, formal identification came in 1864, when Dr. Moses Drury Hoge recognized Andrew’s remains during the reburial of soldiers at Hollywood Cemetery, using documents found in his pockets.

Emotional and financial scars

The loss profoundly affected Andrew’s father. In the wake of his son’s death and following the nearby Battle of Cloyd’s Mountain, James Fulton Hoge enlisted in 1864 at the age of 46. He joined the 4th Regiment Virginia Reserves, known as Preston’s Reserves, a unit composed largely of men over 45.

After a year of service, James returned home. During his absence, his wife and younger children maintained the family farm. Their eldest daughter, Anne, age 23, and son Robert, age 13, likely played critical roles in sustaining the household, even as many farms were stripped of resources by passing Union troops.

The devastation experienced by the Hoge family reflected a broader reality. Confederate families across the South endured immense loss not only of loved ones but also of economic stability. Many lost primary providers, and communities struggled to rebuild amid widespread destruction and grief. The emotional and financial scars of Gettysburg and the war lingered for generations.

In the aftermath of the war, James Hoge, having served as a Confederate officer, was required to pledge loyalty to the United States. As a result, he lost both his voting rights and his law practice. Already burdened by the loss of his son and the decline of his farm, he now faced the challenge of rebuilding his life during Reconstruction.

More than 160 years later, Andrew’s story remains an important part of the Hoge family’s history. Today, I am honored to help preserve that legacy from Belle Hampton, the family’s historic Virginia home, where generations of the Hoge family have lived and safeguarded their stories.

Tom and Madeline Hoge, who currently live on and manage the Hoge family’s historic estate

Many thanks to Madeline Hoge for sharing her family’s heartbreaking story with us. Explore more American Family Stories and discover how ordinary families experienced extraordinary moments in U.S. history on MyHeritage’s America 250 hub.

The post A Son Lost at Gettysburg, Preserved in a Haunting Photograph appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.

Key takeaways on the Battle of the Little Bighorn

1. The U.S. Army underestimated the size, unity, and military skill of the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho forces gathered along the Little Bighorn River.
2. The Battle of the Little Bighorn remains one of the most significant engagements in the struggle for sovereignty and resistance to U.S. expansion. Its military, political, and cultural significance continues to be studied by historians today.
3. The outcome galvanized public opinion in the United States, leading to lasting changes in federal Indian policy.

Origins of the conflict

The origins of the conflict can be traced to the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie, which established the Great Sioux Reservation and guaranteed Lakota control of the Black Hills. That agreement began to unravel in 1874 when an expedition led by Lt. Col. George A. Custer confirmed the presence of gold in the Black Hills. News of the discovery sparked a rush of prospectors and settlers into the reservation, despite federal treaty protections.

As settlers increasingly ignored reservation boundaries, many Lakota and Cheyenne bands likewise disregarded those same boundaries and continued hunting in territories claimed by other tribal nations, including the Crow. Frustrated by the encroachment of Lakota and Cheyenne hunting parties, the Crow appealed to the federal government for assistance. Many Crow men subsequently joined the U.S. Army as Indian scouts, providing valuable knowledge of the region and its peoples.

In response to growing tensions, the United States government issued an ultimatum in December 1875, ordering all Lakota and Cheyenne bands living outside the reservation to return within its boundaries within thirty days. Many Native leaders viewed the demand as unreasonable, particularly given the winter conditions and the vast distances involved. When many bands failed to comply, the government declared them hostile, setting the stage for the military campaigns that culminated in the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

Why the Battle of the Little Bighorn mattered

For Native peoples, the battle was the pinnacle of resistance against expansionism. It would become a symbol of resilience, unity, and determination.

For the U.S. Army, it was the worst defeat in any of the conflicts against the Plains Indians. This loss shocked the nation and strengthened public support for a more aggressive military campaign against Plains tribes. In the years that followed, the federal government intensified its efforts to force Native peoples onto small reservations, opening up millions of acres to settlers. The Lakota, for example, were stripped of the Black Hills and 115 million acres of unceded treaty lands, despite protections guaranteed under the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie.

The aftermath

Once the dust had settled, the various Native nations dispersed into smaller groups. The Little Bighorn Valley could not sustain the thousands of people who had gathered there before and during the battle. In the months that followed, many Native people either surrendered to the U.S. government or were compelled to do so through continued military campaigns. Those who had fought at the Battle of the Little Bighorn were ultimately scattered among reservations in South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, and Montana, while others sought refuge across the border in Canada.

South Dakota

• Pine Ridge Reservation – Home to the Oglala Lakota.
• Rosebud Reservation – Home to the Sicangu (Brulé) Lakota.
• Lower Brule Reservation – Home to the Lower Brulé Lakota.
• Cheyenne River Reservation – Home to the Minnecoujou, Two Kettle, Sans Arc (Itázipčho), and Blackfoot (Sihásapa) bands of the Lakota.
• Standing Rock Reservation – Extending across both North and South Dakota, Standing Rock is home to the Hunkpapa and Sihásapa (Blackfoot) Lakota, as well as the Iháŋkthuŋwaŋna (Yanktonai) Dakota.

North Dakota

• Spirit Lake Reservation – Home to the Sisseton, Wahpeton, and Cut Head (Pabaksa/Pabaska) bands of the Dakota.

Nebraska

• Santee Sioux Reservation – Home to the Santee Dakota.

Montana

• Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation – Home to the Northern Cheyenne.

Canada

Several Lakota and Dakota communities sought refuge in Canada following the battle. Among them is Standing Buffalo Dakota Nation in Saskatchewan, established by descendants of Chief Standing Buffalo and home to many Sisseton and Wahpeton Dakota. Other descendants settled in communities such as Wood Mountain Lakota First Nation and Whitecap Dakota First Nation.

Researching Sioux family history

There is no single repository that contains all historical records and information related to Sioux family history. Instead, historical records are scattered among various federal agencies, tribal governments, archives, and historical collections. Census rolls for many Sioux reservations are available free of charge through Access Genealogy. The years covered vary by reservation, so researchers should consult the available historical records for each specific reservation of interest.

Frequently asked questions about Sioux family history

When did the Battle of the Little Bighorn take place?

The historic battle took place on June 25–26, 1876, along the Little Bighorn River in Montana Territory, pitting the U.S. Army against Lakota Sioux, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho warriors.

Where can I find historical records for Sioux ancestors?

You can explore regional archives, tribal governments, and federal agencies. Online resources like Access Genealogy provide free reservation census rolls, which are excellent starting points for tracing your indigenous roots.

How can a family tree help with my research?

Building a digital family tree allows you to organize generations clearly. Tracking names, dates, and specific reservation locations makes it easier to spot patterns and connect separate historical documents.

What information do reservation census rolls contain?

These rolls typically include names, ages, relationships, and tribal enrollment numbers. The exact details and years covered vary significantly depending on the specific reservation your ancestors lived on.

Can a DNA test pinpoint my tribal heritage?

A DNA test provides an ethnicity breakdown and connects you with living genetic relatives. While it highlights geographic origins, combining genetic matches with historical documentation is essential to confirm specific tribal lines.

Why is the Battle of the Little Bighorn culturally significant today?

It stands as a powerful symbol of Native resilience, unity, and resistance to expansionism. The aftermath significantly altered federal Indian policy, making it a crucial focal point for historical study.

Jason Felihkatubbe (Choctaw) is an Education & AVC Editor with 25 years of experience in Native American family history. He specializes in southeastern tribes and lectures on regional record collections.

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