Into the Past: My Road Trip to Scranton

January 21, 2026

Taking on the 2026 14-Day Research Like a Pro Challenge

Image courtesy of Family Locket, used with permission. It's January and time for the 14-Day Research Like a Pro Challenge brought to us by the mother-daughter team of Diana Elder and Nicole Dyer at Family Locket . I love the dedicated time to focus on a particular research question. The challenge takes researchers through the 7-step Research Like a Pro process to solve genealogical questions. Here's what I've done in the first seven days of the challenge: Day 1 - Objective: Research Question My question for this year's challenge flows from some research I did last year on Maria Jane Darragh, a second great-grandmother. While I have learned a good deal about her already, some questions remain. First, why was Maria Jane's mother, Dorah Elliot Darragh, buried in the same plot as Joanna Elliot? Dorah Darragh died on 12 October 1856, while Joanna Elliot died three months prior, on 15 August 1856. Both are buried at St. Stanislaus Catholic Cemetery in Chats...

I am participating in 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, a writing challenge encouraging genealogy researchers to write about their ancestors. The challenge is hosted by genealogist, blogger and podcaster Amy Johnson Crow.

Here's my post for Amy's Week Eighteen prompt: Road Trip

By Nancy Gilbride Casey

Part preparation, part dumb luck, part generosity of others, part serendipity. These things equal success on a genealogy road trip, in my recent experience. Scranton and Wayne County, Pennsylvania were my road trip destinations in March 2019—the places my Gilbride ancestors first called home in the United States.

Facebook was the perfect medium to share my discoveries while on the road in Pennsylvania, and I reported back each night to my family and friends in a series of posts I'll share here. They create a neat road trip timeline, while capturing the thrill of the find, somber closure, and other emotions which may only come by actually walking where our ancestors trod.