Before the comforts of indoor plumbing and municipal sewage systems, someone had to do the dirty work. And by dirty, we mean truly revolting. The Night Soil Man was the one tasked with removing human waste from privy pits, outhouses, and cesspools—usually under cover of darkness when the smell might be slightly less offensive and when the public eye wouldn’t witness the mess.

The term "night soil" refers to human excrement that was collected before the days of flushing toilets. It piled up in backyard outhouses, chamber pots, and cesspools beneath tenement buildings and homes. Cities were packed with people, but sewage systems were almost nonexistent or in their earliest forms. This meant that a whole class of workers existed solely to shovel out and haul away human waste...

Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/night-soil-man-dirty-jobs/

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As we continue our journey through The Forgotten Seconds, we pause to examine the life of Schuyler Colfax—a name once associated with optimism, eloquence, and the future of the Republican Party. He was Vice President under Ulysses S. Grant, a former Speaker of the House, and one of the most prominent political figures of his time. But Colfax’s career was later marred by scandal, and his name, once linked to presidential potential, was swept away in the tide of changing political winds.

Let’s step back into his world and uncover the story of the man who stood beside a general turned president and nearly charted a course for the White House himself...

Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/schuyler-colfax-speaker-scandal-and-the-shadow-of-what-might-have-been/

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As we continue our series, The Forgotten Seconds, we take a closer look at those vice presidents who, despite standing one heartbeat away from the highest office, never became president themselves. Today’s spotlight is on Hannibal Hamlin, Abraham Lincoln’s first vice president—a name that once carried national significance but has since faded from common memory. Hamlin’s life tells the story of New England grit, political courage, and quiet conviction in a turbulent era...

Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/hannibal-hamlin-vice-president/

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I found this old postcard the other day, and something about it pulled me right in. It shows a dimly lit room, heavy with shadow and curiosity. There’s a man standing with a bird—maybe a parrot—perched on his arm. A woman leans against the back bar. You can just make out a bartender. There’s a large wooden chest in the corner, chains hanging from the wall, and rough-hewn beams that look like they’ve seen more than a century of stories.

This isn’t just a bar. It’s something else. It feels like a set from a play, or maybe a place where the curtain never fully drops. That’s when I knew—I was looking at a piece of history from New York’s old Pirate’s Den...

Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/pirates-den-greenwich-village/

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This one caught my eye for a completely different reason than most of the postcards I’ve written about. It’s not a quiet street scene or a charming old building—it’s people. A whole lineup of them. Dancers, performers, maybe a few singers too, all standing in formation in front of a dramatic backdrop. They’re dressed in full costume—fringe, sequins, feathers—ready to perform, or maybe just wrapping up another night’s set.

The caption at the bottom reads: The Ensemble of “The Famous Hollywood Cabaret” Restaurant, Broadway at 48th St., New York City. It says a lot in just a few words. This wasn’t just a restaurant—it was a place where dinner came with a full night of entertainment. And this postcard doesn’t just show a building or a business—it captures a whole slice of nightlife in one of New York’s most legendary neighborhoods.

Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/hollywood-cabaret-new-york/

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Some postcards you flip past quickly. Others make you stop. This one made me stop. It’s not flashy—there’s no massive landmark or postcard-perfect sunset. Just a simple church nestled among a few trees, with a neat little gatehouse and a quiet street. What caught my eye was the caption: The Little Church Around the Corner. That name alone makes you want to find out more. It sounds like something you’d say if you were giving directions in a familiar neighborhood—only this neighborhood happens to be in the middle of New York City...

Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/little-church-around-the-corner-nyc/

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Every June, many of us pause to honor the fathers in our lives—the ones who taught us how to change a tire, tied our fishing lines, and maybe even showed us how to be brave in the quietest of ways. But for all the neckties and backyard barbecues, few people know the full story of how Father’s Day came to be. The holiday didn’t spring up as easily as Mother’s Day, nor was it without its share of controversy, setbacks, and surprising twists. The roots of Father’s Day reach deep into early 20th-century America—and they begin not with a celebration, but with a tragedy...

Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/the-real-history-of-fathers-day-from-1910-to-today/

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The 1925 New York State census holds a prominent place in the lineup of state enumerations. This is not only because it was the last one conducted by the state but also because of the historical moment it captured. Taken just five years before the 1930 federal census, the 1925 enumeration offers researchers a final glimpse of New York families as they transitioned from the post–World War I years into a new, modern era marked by rapid change.

By the mid-1920s, New York State had evolved into a complex and dynamic region, shaped by industrial expansion, immigration, and cultural shifts. Therefore, the 1925 census becomes an indispensable resource for those seeking to understand the people and communities during this pivotal period...

Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/exploring-the-1925-new-york-state-census/

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