[Genealogy] Keeping it All and Loose Cattle

Wed Jan 21 16:36:55 CST 2026

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20 January 2026
Genealogy Update

** Can't Keep It All
** Landless Farmers Webinar
** Loose Cattle in 1886
** Full Text webinar

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Can't Keep It All
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This is the brief story of a photograph that I'm getting rid of--by sending
it to a relative.
https://rootdig.genealogytipoftheday.com/?p=11355

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Farmers Without Their Own Land
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Those who worked in American agriculture but did not own their own farm are
more difficult to research than those who owned real estate. In this
presentation, we focus on farmers and farm families, but concentrate on
those who did not own farms of their own.

Tenant farmers and farm laborers comprise a significant proportion of those
involved in American agriculture. The challenge is that they tended to
leave fewer records than did landowning farmers. In this presentation we
will look at specific challenges involving these families and what records,
sources, and methods should be utilized in order to research them as
completely and effectively as possible. While there are never any
guarantees in genealogy research, there are ways that we can maximize the
chance we find as much about our non-landowning farm ancestors as possible.

The presentation will be given with the premise that the person being
researched did not own any real estate.

Concepts covered include:

   - Determining the residence as precisely as possible.
   - Documenting others with whom the ancestor interacted.
   - Documenting moves and migrations where possible.
   - Determining if the same person has been located.
   - Strategies to locate as many references to the ancestral name as
   possible.

This is not a live presentation although those who purchase the
presentation before its release are encouraged to submit questions for
possible inclusion in the presentation. This presentation focuses on
research in the United States.

Purchase includes video of presentation and handout. Immediate download for
$24
<https://michael-john-neill.dpdcart.com/cart/add?product_id=247703&method_id=270569>
.

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Loose Livestock in 1886

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Michael Trautvetter’s livestock cost him an extra $15 in 1886.  Apparently
they got off his property and were responsible for damaging some property
on his neighbor’s farm.

Trautvetter’s expenses totaled more than $15. That was just how much was
awarded to J. H. Ensminger for the damage to his property. There were legal
fees added to the amount Trautvetter owed  the court when he lost the suit
for “trespass and damage by stock” brought against him by J. H. Ensminger
in 1886.

The *Warsaw Bulletin* devotes three lines to the livestock drama in its 29
October 1886 issue. The case was heard in Breckenridge.

But that’s not the county seat of Hancock County? No it’s not. In 1886 in
Illinois, Justices of the Peace could hear civil cases under $200. That’s
who heard this case the Justice of the Peace for Walker Township who
apparently had his office in Breckenridge.

That’s also why I was unaware of this big livestock drama until recently.
The records of many of these Justices of the Peace are no longer extant.
The only reason I am aware of this suit between Trautvetter and Ensminger
is because news of it made the local newspaper. My research into court
records in Hancock County has concentrated on records of county-level
courts which heard larger cases, probate cases and criminal cases. My not
finding this case in the county records was simply because it was not heard
there and is not contained among the records of those courts.

It was not because I was unable to find it.

One has to know where to look to find the records. . Too bad these records
are not extant. That packet of loose court papers would be interesting.

Unlike loose livestock.

Loose livestock are just irritating.

See the newspaper image at:

https://rootdig.genealogytipoftheday.com/?p=4523

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January 2026 Full-Text Search at FamilySearch Webinar

Intro price ENDING--regularly $37.50--save $30

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We’re excited to offer this revised presentation on the full-text searching
at *FamilySearch*--reflecting changes made to the site since this was
recorded in August 2025. We’ve redesigned our presentation as this
functionality continues to change. And…we have an extensive handout
complete with forms to help you find more people.

If you have purchased an earlier version of this presentation--email me at
mjnrootdig at gmail.com for the code to order this revision for $10.
Fully Utilizing Full-Text Search: Revised for January 2026

Your purchase includes:

   - *A 90 minute (or more presentation)* you can view as often as you want.
   - *Detailed handout* with charts and forms to help organize your
   searches. Charts and forms sent as separate files you can edit and
   customize and not as a locked PDF you have to re-create yourself as a new
   document.

We’ll be including and discussing:

*Determining what is in Full-Text Search—*what you can access at home and
what you will have to be in a FamilySearch facility or affiliate to access.

*Seeing How AI Transcriptions are different*—they aren’t like the
transcriptions made by humans. That can change your approach.

*Remembering that Full-Text means every word*—approaches need to differ as
we aren’t looking up a name in an index any more.

*Asking Who* is in the record? We aren’t just searching for the main person
like we did with traditional indexes. We’ll discuss how to determine who
could be mentioned in a record.

*Determining How to search?* There are a variety of ways to search and
filter results. We’ll see how each one works to help determine the best
strategy.

*Creating search strategies*—how full-text search changes your approach and
why just dumping terms in search boxes is not always effective.

*Determining what you found* The interface does not always make this clear.
We will show you how to get beyond the confusion and help you get enough
detail for a citation.

*Creating effective problem-solving approaches*—what to do when you cannot
find something you want.

*Demonstrating practical examples*—completely new people and families from
our previous presentations.

Available for immediate download for $30
<https://michael-john-neill.dpdcart.com/cart/add?product_id=246272&method_id=268990>.
Complete handout included and additional forms.

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Common Names When Using Full-Text Search?

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Having difficulties with common names when using the full-text search at
FamilySearch? Take a look at our presentation on this very topic.

Common Name webinar:

https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2025/11/04/common-names-at-familysearch-full-text-webinar/

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Michael John Neill
Genealogy Tip of the Day
http://www.genealogytipoftheday.com
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