Search old newspapers...

Search old newspapers...  Tens of thousands of pages of old newspapers have been digitized on this site, and are searchable.  There is no charge. 

Just to try it out, I ran a search for my father's name, and found the listing at right in a 1937 edition of a Long Island, NY paper.  In 1937 my father would have been 13 years old – and apparently at that age he collected cigar bands.  There can be no doubt that's my father, as he is the only Dilatush to have had that exact name, and he lived near Robbinsville.  It's very hard for me to imagine my father collecting cigar bands, though :)

Then I found this May 8, 1938 reference in the same paper.  Apparently my dad also collected stamps.  I've heard him poke a great deal of fun at collectors, in particular of stamps – so this greatly surprises me!

In a January 1949 edition of the Pittsburgh Courier, there's an article about the conviction and sentencing to death of 6 black men.  It contains the reference at right.  I know my grandfather grew potatoes at one time (on the farm I grew up on), but I think it was considerably earlier than 1949. 

I also found references to my grandmother, grandfather, my two uncles on my father's side, my sister, and my brother.

I foresee myself spending some hours on this site :)