Episode 200 - America’s First “Mug Shots” Can Now Be Seen / How Court Records Can Answer A Lot Of Very Old Questions

It’s Extreme Genes’ fourth anniversary month, and this week’s episode is number 200! Host Scott Fisher opens this landmark show with David Allen Lambert, Chief Genealogist of the New England Historic Genealogical Society and AmericanAncestors.org. Fisher first shares a touching story of how a group of Florida women recently made a bet concerning their DNA tests, and how she won the pool. (Hint: The bigger prize was finding her birth family… Fisher’s cousins!) David then shares recent research which indicates second children are more likely to be trouble in school and maybe even more likely to go to prison! Hear why. Then, the mystery of the “barber pole” is revealed. Why is it red, white, and blue? It’s far from what you think! David will have the answer. Then, America’s oldest living World War II vet, Richard Overton, age 111, is back in the news. And, it’s good news! Hear about a service being performed for him by an area organization. David then spotlights LifeInThePastLane.org and a recent blog about the complications of having Southern ancestry. Next, Fisher visits with Shayne Davidson, a Michigan resident and St. Louis native. Not long ago, her research led to her what is called St. Louis’ “Rogues Gallery,” a group of 1850s and 1860s era photos, that we would today call “mug shots.” It’s the earliest surviving known collection. Shayne has researched those that had enough information on them and shares some of their stories, and how she has come to create an ebook on the subject. Then, Fisher visits with genealogist Lisa Lisson about court records, and the fascinating story about what they taught her about her ancestor. The details were juicy, and she shares how you can use these records to answer questions you may have had about an ancestor for a very long time. Tom Perry, the Preservation Authority, then answers a listener question about a large, old Quaker group photo she located in a safe deposit box. How can she properly digitize it? Tom has the answer with a great suggestion of how she can digitally note who each participant is. Hear what Tom has to say. That’s all this week on Extreme Genes- America’s Family History Show!