MDGenWeb Project

Always use maiden names.

When you're researching your Maryland ancestor, many records are created in her maiden name up to her marriage. But it may also appear in birth records of her children, her death record, her parents or siblings obituary...

I always search by maiden name first. And then married name if I am looking for a record created during her marriage like a land record.

Knowing what to look for will save time when you're looking for your maryland relatives and ancestors.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Hhbmd1ZYq/

Every maiden name is a doorway to a whole new branch of your family tree. Don’t let it be obscured by a married surname!

If you're eager for more tips about researching the women in your family, head to Youtube for Crista's virtual session focused on finding maiden names: https://bit.ly/4s5nHYG

Kent County Maryland

Maryland land patents are more than property records—they’re timeline builders.

• Trace ancestors back to the 1600s
• Pinpoint when someone arrived in Maryland
• Identify neighbors, associates, and family networks
• Spot occupation clues tied to acreage and location
• Track migration patterns as land changes hands
• Discover earlier generations before census records existed

If your ancestor owned, leased, inherited, or patented land, this is a record set you can’t ignore. I’ll drop a direct link to the Maryland State Archives so you can explore it yourself.

https://guide.msa.maryland.gov/pages/viewer.aspx?page=land-patents

https://landrec.msa.maryland.gov/Pages/Login.aspx

I just used these to trace my grandmothers home back to 1851... it was a library at one point. Then the Wilna telephone company. My grandfather bought it from the Department of Public Works in 1936.

Great records!

❄️❄️❄️❄️ Enjoying the snow here in Maryland today?

Snowstorms have a way of slowing us down just enough to notice them. Today’s snowfall might feel like an inconvenience—or a cozy to stay in and bake cookies and binge watch Netflix, like me!

While this may be an epic ice event for many, it’s worth remembering that some of Maryland’s biggest storms were not so long ago.

☃️ The Blizzard of 2016 dropped 29.2 inches on the Baltimore metro area.
☃️ Snowmageddon in 2010 buried much of the state under more than two feet of snow.
☃️ The Storm of the Century in 1993 earned its name, dumping 15–25 inches and shutting down nearly everything in its path.

But, let’s rewind a couple of generations.

🌨️ In January of 1922, our ancestors faced what became known as the 'Knickerbocker Storm', more than 20 inches of heavy, wet snow fell across the Mid-Atlantic. Unlike the powdery snow we saw early today, this was dense and dangerous. Roofs strained. Buildings groaned. Transportation halted.

The storm is named after the Knickerbocker Theatre in Washington, D.C., whose roof collapsed under the weight of the snow, killing 98 people and injuring more than 130. It remains one of the deadliest building collapses in U.S. history.

There were no weather apps. No advance warnings. No emergency alerts buzzing in pockets. Families relied on experience, neighbors and sheer resilience. Some shoveled roofs to prevent collapse. Others would have huddled indoors for days, burning whatever fuel they had. Many walked miles through snow just to check on relatives or bring food.

So here’s something to ponder:

❓What was your family doing in January 1922?

🧑‍🌾 Were they farmers worrying about livestock?
🚗 Did they have one of those new fandangle automobiles yet, or still relied on horse and wagon?
🚽 Did they have indoor plumbing, or have to improvise if they couldn't get to the outhouse?

They most likely relied on coal stoves or wood stoves. Perhaps they used their oil lamps and self made candles for light? Maryland still had one foot in rural 1800's and the other in more modern cities. Folks experienced this storm very differently.

Storms like the Knickerbocker remind us that weather isn’t just history—it’s someone's 'lived experience'.

If you know a family story tied to a winter storm, please share!

Stay safe out there, and remember... our ancestors were fierce! Just another day in their life.