Photo courtesy of Benicia Historical Museum

Pictured: The Union Hotel still stands at 401 First Street in Benicia. It initially opened in the 1800s and has had various names such as the Newport, the Bella Union and the Old Union. A major renovation was begun in the 1970s after the building was condemned and slated to be destroyed. The Union Hotel now has 12 historically decorated guest rooms as well as a dining room and a bar. It is claimed that the hotel is haunted by ghosts, some of whom are "Disappointed Mary", "Mrs. Miniver" and a tall man wearing a black suit.

Home

About Us

Become a Member!

Members Only

Surname Research

Our Library

Genealogy Tips

Events Page

Gallery Page

Links Page

Richard Dunphy

Richard Downey Dunphy (1841-1904) was a native of Kilkenny, Ireland. He was a coal heaver aboard the USS Hartford at the Battle of Mobile Bay on 5 August 1864. Both of his arms were amputated as a result of gunshot wounds suffered during the battle. He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his courage. After the Civil War he worked at Mare Island Navy Yard. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Genealogy Tips

Did you know that with each generation your number of direct ancestors doubles? For example, you have 2 parents, 2x2 = 4 grandparents.

Self

2 parents

4 grandparents

8 great-grandparents

16 great-great-grandparents

32 great-great-great-grandparents

64 great-great-great-great-grandparents

128 great-great-great-great-great-grandparents

512 great-great-great-great-great-great-grandparents

1024 great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandparents

Wow! You have 1024 7th great-grandparents! How many of these have you found?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Start Searching!

Genealogy always begins with yourself and goes back in time. Some of the online databases charge a fee, some are free. Copies of certificates usually cost. Find out all you can from any living relative. Spread the word you are interested in family history. Ask them to send you copies of things they have. Always offer to pay for the copies and shipping.

Birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates, census records, etc. prove your work. Keep an open mind about how the names are spelled. Remember it might not have been your relative writing the information. Also, in the 1800’s spelling your name several different ways meant you were educated.

Direct line means your father, mother, grandparents, great grandparents and so on. Collateral lines are the uncle, aunts and cousins. Search both direct lines and collateral lines.

Use complete a complete date - a 4 digit year. Use town, county, state, not just Fairfield, for Fairfield, California.

What information do you currently have.

BMD (birth /marriage /death) records/certificates
Old Photos
Family Tree Charts
Bibles
Diaries
Letters
Report Cards
Immigration/Emigration
Homestead papers
Oral Histories
Written histories
Wills

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~