I didn’t expect to have a great experience when I drove my sister to her friend’s house across town. Her friend lived near the neighborhood I had spent ages 11-14 in. It was a lot of fun to reminisce as I drove by. I decided to stop at the creek by my old house. It was a beautiful, summery day, and the wind blew the scent of the local flowers. My mind overflowed with happy memories. I had played at that creek for hours every day with my friends. It was the neighborhood hotspot for the junior high kids. We could wade through the water, jump out of trees into the deeper parts, or just sit on the bank and relax. My Dad had built a rope swing that hung over the water and I was so proud of it. Some kids would claim that their dad had built it, but I knew the truth. When I visited that creek several years later, I found that it had been fenced off, all around. The water was dirty and thorny weeds grew everywhere. As I walked back to my car, a thought came to me: “If this place means so much to you, then take a picture.” I walked back and took a picture but I didn’t like it. I kept going past the fence and found a spot where someone had taken care of the greenery by the banks. It was perfect. I snapped a picture and left. Oftentimes, we don’t have the option to go back and take a picture to share with our descendants. So what do you do? Well, I have found Google Earth to be an AWESOME tool for genealogy! It is pretty straightforward to use so I won’t take the time to explain how the technology works. I plugged in the address of my old house, went to street view, and screenshotted a picture! Now I have a way to hold onto that memory. I also like to use Google Earth to see the places my ancestors lived. I found the town where my 7th great Grampa lived in England. The place looks much different now than when he lived there but it was still fun to see. I found the address of my Grandma Wheeler who came to Utah with the Willie Handcart Company. I plugged it into Google Earth and was so excited to find out that her house had been restored! The Daughters of Utah Pioneers had worked to painstakingly preserve and restore her history. I was able to arrange for a tour with my family. It was a privilege to walk in the very bedroom where Grandma Wheeler nursed her children back to sleep. And to sit in the kitchen where she read the scriptures with her family. I was able to experience this because of Google Earth. There are several different types of learning; this format can help visual learners understand their ancestors better. Everyone will enjoy seeing the places where their ancestors lived, but for some teens, it can be exactly the kind of connection they need. Teenagers need help to learn that their ancestors aren’t just names and dates on a page. Google Earth can bridge that gap.
Have you ever used Google Earth for family history? I would love to hear your experiences!
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AuthorHi! I’m Sydney Orton. I am 18 years old and I love genealogy! I’ve been doing it for 7 years now and love sharing my passion with others. In my free time, I enjoy musical theatre, cooking, and kayaking. Archives
October 2018
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