Now that the winter snows are hopefully behind us, it’s time to start venturing out again in search of our ancestors, visiting those places where they lived and trying to get an idea of what life was like for them so many years ago.
My maternal grandparents lived in in Brecknock township in Berks County when I was a child, so we often crossed over to Lnacaster County during our visits. It wasn’t till I was much older though that I got a chance to explore the county more, tracking down some of my elusive ancestors. Camera in hand, I’ve meandered a bit through some of the small towns along the highway and I’m always flooded with memories of side trips taken with my grandmother as a child. Though so many of those areas have gotten more and more built up over the years, there are still lots of delightful places to roam in the county.
To make the most of my time these days on my trips, I spent a good bit of time planning my route and have found that the county maps are an invaluable aid in mapping out the best routes to take. Invariably there are some surprises along the way, as maps can’t always give a clear picture of how an area appears now and may even include labels for places that don’t exist anymore. I’ve found that the satellite maps of Google can be a real help in zeroing in on some of these sites, especially the old graveyards and churches. And a small notebook to make notes about what I find is a tremendous help as well.