Welcome to our blog, where we embark on a captivating journey through time, exploring the rich tapestry of history and genealogy.
In this edition, we'll delve into the treasure trove of historical news articles dated January 1, unearthing stories that resonate with genealogists and history enthusiasts alike.
From local happenings to global events, we'll uncover the stories that shaped the lives of our ancestors, providing valuable insights for those on a quest to discover their roots.
So, grab your magnifying glass and step into the past as we unravel the January 1 historical headlines that may hold the missing pieces of your family's history puzzle.

James Green & Co., dealers in Drugs, Medicines, Chemicals, Paints, Oils Dye-Stuffs, Perfumery, Spices, Sporting and Blasting Powder, Fishing and Hunting Apparatus, &c.
At the Old Stand opposite Centre School House, Main-st.
WORCESTER, MASS.
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Jackson, Michigan, USA
DETROIT, Dec. 30. The center portion of of [sic] the building at the State Prison, Jackson, Mich., fell yesterday. The building was three stories high, and had been used formerly as a tannery, but at present was occupied by a cigar contractor named Hollingsworth. There were only three men in the building at the time of the accident, 150 men having just left. The lower story had been used as a dining room until Monday last. The building was badly built, having no solid support, and was condemned ... Read MORE...
Bangor Daily Whig and Courier - Bangor, Maine - January 1, 1874
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1874 - A CRASH AT THE STATE PRISON.
DETROIT, Dec. 30. The center portion of of [sic] the building at the State Prison, Jackson, Mich., fell yesterday. The building was three stories high, and had been used formerly as a tannery, but at present was occupied by a cigar contractor named Hollingsworth. There were only three men in the building at the time of the accident, 150 men having just left. The lower story had been used as a dining room until Monday last. The building was badly built, having no solid support, and was condemned ... Read MORE...
Bangor Daily Whig and Courier - Bangor, Maine - January 1, 1874
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Rockford, Illinois, USA
Mrs. Ruth Williamson, 30, Rochelle, was killed at 3:40 a.m. Sunday when she lost control of her automobile on the ice on South Main road a half mile north of Pelley road and the machine crashed into a tree.
Mrs. Williamson, whose husband, Staff Sgt. Floyd Williamson, is serving with the army in the South Pacific, incurred a fracture of the neck and was pronounced dead upon arrival at St. Anthony hospital, where she was taken by her father and step-mother, Mr. and Mrs.
Henry Nottelmann,... Read MORE...
Register-Republic - Rockford, Illinois - January 1, 1945
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1944 - Woman Dies as Car Hits Tree - Car Skids on Ice on South Main Road
Mrs. Ruth Williamson, 30, Rochelle, was killed at 3:40 a.m. Sunday when she lost control of her automobile on the ice on South Main road a half mile north of Pelley road and the machine crashed into a tree.
Mrs. Williamson, whose husband, Staff Sgt. Floyd Williamson, is serving with the army in the South Pacific, incurred a fracture of the neck and was pronounced dead upon arrival at St. Anthony hospital, where she was taken by her father and step-mother, Mr. and Mrs.
Henry Nottelmann,... Read MORE...
Register-Republic - Rockford, Illinois - January 1, 1945
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1800s Cooking Tips and Recipes
Brown Bread Biscuit - One pound of coarse brown flour or oatmeal flour, two ounces of butter, a little water. Make the butter and water boiling hot and add both to the flour, keeping the paste firm; roll it out, cut it into biscuits and bake...Read MORE...
The Willimantic Chronicle, Willimantic, Conn., May 3, 1882

The Celebrated WILD CHERRY TONIC!
Prepared by M. K. Maine, Druggist & Apothecary, Windsor, Vt.
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1800s Advice and Etiquette for Ladies
Avoid making any noise in eating, even if each meal is eaten in solitary state. It is a disgusting habit, and one not easily cured if once contracted, to make any noise with the lips when...Read MORE...
The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness: A Complete Handbook for the Use of the Lady in Polite Society... by Florence Hartley, January 1, 1872
Kingston, Ulster County, New York, USA (Esopus)
200 Tons of Coal Piled up at Albany Avenue Bridge When Wheel Breaks and Derails 8 Cars - O. & W. Terminal Used by U. & D.
Sunday afternoon about 5:40, while the Ulster and Delaware coal train No. 39, eastbound, as proceeding about two rails lengths west of the Albany avenue bridge a wheel on one of the cars near the front of the train broke, piling four of the cars up in the west end of the tunnel and derailing four others. Three of the cars which were piled up in the west end of the tunnel... Read MORE...
The Kingston Daily Freeman - Kingston, New York - January 1, 1923
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1922 - U. AND D. WRECK BLOCKS THIS TERMINAL AND SPILLS BLACK DIAMONDS
200 Tons of Coal Piled up at Albany Avenue Bridge When Wheel Breaks and Derails 8 Cars - O. & W. Terminal Used by U. & D.
Sunday afternoon about 5:40, while the Ulster and Delaware coal train No. 39, eastbound, as proceeding about two rails lengths west of the Albany avenue bridge a wheel on one of the cars near the front of the train broke, piling four of the cars up in the west end of the tunnel and derailing four others. Three of the cars which were piled up in the west end of the tunnel... Read MORE...
The Kingston Daily Freeman - Kingston, New York - January 1, 1923
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Gulfport, Mississippi, USA
GULFORT, Miss., Jan. 1. - (AP) - Four persons were killed, two injured seriously and one slightly hurt when an automobile in which they were riding was struck by a Louisville and Nashville east-bound passenger train at the 39th Avenue crossing here last night.
The dead are:
JOSEPH P. McNAMEE, operator of a meat market in Gulfort.
Mrs. CORRINE McMAMEE, his wife.
Miss MARY McMAMEE, 19, their daughter.
Mrs. INEZ DUCKWORTH, wife of Hobart Duckworth, flagman of the Gulf and Ship Island... Read MORE...
The Bee - Danville, Virginia - January 1, 1930
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1929 - Four Killed at Grade Crossing In Mississippi
GULFORT, Miss., Jan. 1. - (AP) - Four persons were killed, two injured seriously and one slightly hurt when an automobile in which they were riding was struck by a Louisville and Nashville east-bound passenger train at the 39th Avenue crossing here last night.
The dead are:
JOSEPH P. McNAMEE, operator of a meat market in Gulfort.
Mrs. CORRINE McMAMEE, his wife.
Miss MARY McMAMEE, 19, their daughter.
Mrs. INEZ DUCKWORTH, wife of Hobart Duckworth, flagman of the Gulf and Ship Island... Read MORE...
The Bee - Danville, Virginia - January 1, 1930
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1863 - January 1 - Lincoln issues Emancipation Proclamation, freeing slaves
President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, as the nation approached its third year of bloody civil war. The proclamation declared "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free."...
Although the Emancipation Proclamation did not end slavery in the nation, it captured the hearts and imagination of millions of Americans and fundamentally transformed the character of the war. After January 1, 1863,... Read MORE...
www.archives.gov
January 1, 1863
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Plainfield, Connecticut, USA (Moosup) (Wauregan) (Central Village) (Almyville) (Packerville)
Special to the New York Times.
NEW HAVEN, Dec. 31. - The question as to how many widows C. H. Chickering, the former proprietor of the Plainfield (Conn.) Hotel leaves is one that is likely to keep the courts busy for some time to come. Chickering was found dead in Albion yesterday, and there are thus far four claimants for his estate from women who show certificates of their marriage to him.
Chickering appeared in Plainfield last Summer and bought the hotel, and, on account of his address... Read MORE...
The New York Times - New York, New York - January 1, 1901
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1900 - C. H. CHICKERING'S WIDOWS - Four Women Claim the Estate of a Plainfield (Conn.) Man.
Special to the New York Times.
NEW HAVEN, Dec. 31. - The question as to how many widows C. H. Chickering, the former proprietor of the Plainfield (Conn.) Hotel leaves is one that is likely to keep the courts busy for some time to come. Chickering was found dead in Albion yesterday, and there are thus far four claimants for his estate from women who show certificates of their marriage to him.
Chickering appeared in Plainfield last Summer and bought the hotel, and, on account of his address... Read MORE...
The New York Times - New York, New York - January 1, 1901
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1886 American Optical
The American Optical company is just closing a very busy season. They now employ over 400 hands, and during the past year have, in addition to their large lens-grinding business, made over one million pairs of spectacles and eye-glasses.
The Southbridge Journal
Southbridge, Massachusetts
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1710 January 1 - Paris merchant Jean Marius obtains 5-year royal privilege for his invention of a folding umbrella - first in Europe
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1881 On entering the sea, bathers should go thoroughly into it, and not dabble about, to get chilled knee-deep in the water...
When an individual commences bathing, it is best that he or she take one or two plunges, and then leave the water. After the next two or three days, five minutes' immersion may be allowed, but it should be noticed if there is any feeling of chilliness. If so, the time should even be lessened, when a glow is felt after one or two plunges into the sea, but a coldness if the bather remains longer in the water. It may be well to take the bath twice a day; but for short intervals each time. The...
Read MORE...
Cassell's Household Guide To Every Department of Practical Life
London, England
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The American Optical company is just closing a very busy season. They now employ over 400 hands, and during the past year have, in addition to their large lens-grinding business, made over one million pairs of spectacles and eye-glasses.
The Southbridge Journal
Southbridge, Massachusetts
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1710 January 1 - Paris merchant Jean Marius obtains 5-year royal privilege for his invention of a folding umbrella - first in Europe
www.onthisday.com
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1881 On entering the sea, bathers should go thoroughly into it, and not dabble about, to get chilled knee-deep in the water...
When an individual commences bathing, it is best that he or she take one or two plunges, and then leave the water. After the next two or three days, five minutes' immersion may be allowed, but it should be noticed if there is any feeling of chilliness. If so, the time should even be lessened, when a glow is felt after one or two plunges into the sea, but a coldness if the bather remains longer in the water. It may be well to take the bath twice a day; but for short intervals each time. The...
Read MORE...
Cassell's Household Guide To Every Department of Practical Life
London, England
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1920 January 1 - Babe Ruth is traded by the Red Sox for $125,000, the largest sum ever paid for a player at that time.
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1918 January – 1918 flu pandemic: "Spanish 'flu" (influenza) first observed in Haskell County, Kansas.
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1898 January 1 – New York City annexes land from surrounding counties, creating the City of Greater New York. The city is geographically divided into five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, and Staten Island.
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1918 January – 1918 flu pandemic: "Spanish 'flu" (influenza) first observed in Haskell County, Kansas.
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1898 January 1 – New York City annexes land from surrounding counties, creating the City of Greater New York. The city is geographically divided into five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, and Staten Island.
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1889 January 1 - A total eclipse is seen over parts of California and Nevada.
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1867 January 1 – The Covington–Cincinnati Suspension Bridge opens between Cincinnati, Ohio and Covington, Kentucky in the United States, becoming the longest single-span bridge in the world.
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1934 January 1, 1934 - Heavy rain which began on December 30th led to flooding in the Los Angeles Basin area of California.
Flooding claimed the lives of at least 45 persons. Walls of water and debris up to ten feet high were noted in some canyon areas. Rainfall totals ranged up to 16.29 inches at Azusa, with 8.26 inches reported in Downtown Los Angeles.
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1867 January 1 – The Covington–Cincinnati Suspension Bridge opens between Cincinnati, Ohio and Covington, Kentucky in the United States, becoming the longest single-span bridge in the world.
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1934 January 1, 1934 - Heavy rain which began on December 30th led to flooding in the Los Angeles Basin area of California.
Flooding claimed the lives of at least 45 persons. Walls of water and debris up to ten feet high were noted in some canyon areas. Rainfall totals ranged up to 16.29 inches at Azusa, with 8.26 inches reported in Downtown Los Angeles.
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1870 For forty years Deacon Bachelor has led the singing in the Congregational Church at Northbridge, Mass.
St Joseph Herald
Saint Joseph, Michigan
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1870 At Hingham, Mass., the Methodist Rev. W. T. Alderman, who was sick and unable to officiate his church on a recent Sunday, sent his wife as a substitute, and the accounts relate that she preached a better sermon than her husband ever did.
St Joseph Herald
Saint Joseph, Michigan
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1887 Loss, Fifty Thousand Dollars.
JOHNSTOWN, N.Y., Dec. 30. - Charles King's glove-leather establishment was burned Tuesday night. Sixty men are thrown out of employment. The loss estimated at about $50,000; insurance, $35,000.
St Joseph Herald
Saint Joseph, Michigan
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St Joseph Herald
Saint Joseph, Michigan
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1870 At Hingham, Mass., the Methodist Rev. W. T. Alderman, who was sick and unable to officiate his church on a recent Sunday, sent his wife as a substitute, and the accounts relate that she preached a better sermon than her husband ever did.
St Joseph Herald
Saint Joseph, Michigan
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1887 Loss, Fifty Thousand Dollars.
JOHNSTOWN, N.Y., Dec. 30. - Charles King's glove-leather establishment was burned Tuesday night. Sixty men are thrown out of employment. The loss estimated at about $50,000; insurance, $35,000.
St Joseph Herald
Saint Joseph, Michigan
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1928 January 1 - 1st US air-conditioned office building opens, San Antonio
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1902 January 1 - 1st Rose Bowl game (Pasadena, California) (U of Mich-49, Sanford-0)
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1886 January 1 - 1st Tournament of Roses (Pasadena California)
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1902 January 1 - 1st Rose Bowl game (Pasadena, California) (U of Mich-49, Sanford-0)
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1886 January 1 - 1st Tournament of Roses (Pasadena California)
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1855 We Wish You a Happy New Year.

The New York Times
New York, New York
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1831 January 1 - First Abolitionist Newspaper
The first abolitionist newspaper, The Liberator, published in Boston by William Lloyd Garrison
www.e-referencedesk.com/ resources/state-history-timeline/ massachusetts.html
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The New York Times
New York, New York
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1831 January 1 - First Abolitionist Newspaper
The first abolitionist newspaper, The Liberator, published in Boston by William Lloyd Garrison
www.e-referencedesk.com/ resources/state-history-timeline/ massachusetts.html
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America - Did you know?
Going to see the Elephant. (1860s)On the California Trail, the elephant was a metaphor for the exotic sights that travelers expected to see once they reached California. As the journey began, "seeing the elephant" was a positive allusion. As...Read MORE...
Mormon Station State Historic Park. Genoa, Nevada

Quebec - Did you know?
In New France, socially, the seigneur and his family did not stand apart from his neighbors. All went to the same church, took part in the same amusements upon days of festival, and not infrequently worked together at the common task of clearing the ...Read MORE...Daily Life in New France (www.chroniclesofamerica.com/ french/ daily_life_in_new_france.htm)

Picture of the Day
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Currier Park

Wm. Smith, Manufacturer of Patent Water Closets
Jackson Foundry, No. 523 Jackson Street, Between Montgomery and Kearny, San Francisco, 1871
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