Beyond the Records: A Personal Discovery at the National Archives

National Archives in Washington, DC, photographed by Brenda Leyndyke

Last summer, I had the opportunity to attend Gen-Fed in Washington, DC, and the main highlight of that trip was spending time at the National Archives.

This was something I had wanted to do for years.

As a family historian, we spend so much time working with digital records, indexes, and transcriptions. Those tools are invaluable, but they are not the same as being there in person.

Walking into the research room, I felt a sense of awe. I knew that somewhere in that building were records connected to my own family.

When I was finally able to sit down, look at, and touch the documents, it became something more than research.

It became personal when I looked through logbooks from the 1890s and early 1900s for Point Betsie Lighthouse in Frankfort, Michigan, and saw entries for my great-grandfather, Frank H. Glover.

Lighthouse Log Book at NARA in Washington, D.C.

I had the opportunity to view log books from my great grandfather’s time as an assistant lighthouse keeper. Seeing his name written in those records was one thing. But actually being there, turning the pages, and knowing that these were the very documents created during his lifetime, is hard to put into words.

I am emotional just writing this.

There is something powerful about touching a piece of your family’s history. It connects you to them in a way that no digital image ever can.

The log book entry, on the last entry, for Frank H. Glover's resignation in June, 1900

In that moment, my great grandfather was no longer just a name, a date, or an entry in my family tree. He was a person who kept those logs, who lived that life, and whose work was recorded in those pages.

It is an experience I had hoped for, and one I will never forget.

Research Notes:

• Repository: National Archives I

• Record type: Lighthouse log books

• Time period: 1898-1902

• Location: Record Group 25, Entry Number NC 1 106, Bound volume number 10

• Access notes: Accessed in person 

This was just one of many records I found documenting my great-grandfather’s life, each adding another piece to his story. But this moment felt different. It reminded me why I spend so much time doing this work, not just to gather names and dates, but to better understand the lives behind them. Moments like this turn research into connection and make family history feel truly personal.