Calling all Genea-Musings Fans:
It’s Saturday Night again—
Time for some more Genealogy Fun!!
Come on, everybody—join in, accept the mission, and execute it with precision.
This week’s challenge asks:
- Do you have research notes for some of your ancestors scattered across multiple sources—old papers, notebooks, citation notes, or perhaps buried in a Person Note or Research Note in your desktop genealogy program—and dread the thought of turning them into a coherent genealogical sketch or biography?
- This week, take all of the research notes for one person in your tree and place them into a single word-processing document. Organize them if you want—or don’t. Then create a PDF file and give it a meaningful name.
- Next, head to your favorite LLM (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, or another AI tool), upload the document, and ask:
“Please organize the research notes in the attached document for [your ancestor’s name, birth and death year] and create an engaging biography about him and his family. Do not use any information other than what is provided.”
Ugh—research notes.
That’s one area where I know I struggle. While I usually attach transcriptions to individual citations, I’m not very good about compiling or preserving those notes outside the citations themselves. As a result, my research notes tend to be fragmented and easy to overlook.
That said, after watching one of Connie Knox’s excellent videos on the value of research notes, I did make a concerted effort to create more structured notes for several ancestors. So, for this week’s challenge, I went digging—and found a substantial set of research notes for my third great-grandfather, Nelson G. Crawford. [Ancestry / WikiTree]
Armed with those notes, I decided to test Randy’s prompt using ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude.
Gemini produced a very brief biography. ChatGPT generated a much longer and more detailed narrative, though it initially lacked the sub-headings I’m accustomed to seeing in my ABC Biographies. After a follow-up prompt requesting sub-headings, ChatGPT produced a biography that closely resembled the ABC format I’ve been using on Heartland Genealogy.
Claude, however, surprised me. Although I rarely use it, the biography it created was not only comprehensive but also wove in broader historical context—without introducing information not found in the research notes.
Below is the biography of Nelson G. Crawford written by Claude, created entirely from my existing research notes.
Nelson G. Crawford: Pioneer Farmer of Warren County, Indiana
Early Life in Ohio
Nelson Garret Crawford was born on October 17, 1808, in Preble County, Ohio, during the presidency of Thomas Jefferson. He grew up in Gasper Township, where his father James Crawford owned land and raised horses and cattle. In 1832, the tax records show young Nelson owned just one horse valued at $40—modest beginnings for a man who would eventually accumulate 750 acres of valuable Indiana farmland.
Journey to Indiana
In 1829, at age 21, Nelson left Ohio and settled in Warren County, Indiana, ready to make his fortune as a farmer. He wasted no time establishing himself. On May 18, 1830, he filed for his first land patent—80 acres in Section 8, Township 21 North, Range 8 West. By December of that year, President Andrew Jackson had signed the patent granting Nelson ownership of “the west half of the north west quarter of section eight,” his first stake in the Indiana frontier.
Building a Life and Family
The year 1833 proved momentous for Nelson. On September 2, a marriage license was issued for him to wed Martha Smith. The following day, September 3, 1833, Reverend Daniel D. Hall joined them together as husband and wife in Warren County. That same week, Nelson made another significant transaction—purchasing 313 acres of land (the south half of Section 30 in Township 23 North, Range 9 West) from William A. Duggins and his wife Sarah for $1,600.
The Crawford family grew steadily:
- James H. Crawford – born June 19, 1834
- William C. Crawford – born November 28, 1835
- Washington Marion Crawford and Mary Elizabeth Crawford – twin children born April 21, 1838
- Amanda S. Crawford – born by 1840
- Celia Carrie Crawford – born December 10, 1851
A Shrewd Businessman
Nelson proved to be an exceptionally capable businessman and land manager. Throughout the 1830s, 1840s, and 1850s, he continually bought and sold parcels of land, always improving his position. His transactions were numerous and strategic:
- In 1836, he sold a 40-acre parcel to Henry Hall for $102.50
- In 1844, he purchased 40 acres from James J. McAlliley for $250
- In 1848, he bought another 40 acres from Henry L. Ellsworth for $200
- In 1851, he acquired 160 acres through a military warrant assigned from William Quackenbush, a veteran of the First Regiment New York Volunteers
- In 1853, he made two substantial purchases totaling over $2,700
By 1850, the census listed Nelson as a 41-year-old farmer with $2,500 in real estate. A decade later, that figure had grown to $8,000—a remarkable accumulation of wealth.
Civic Engagement
Nelson was active in his community beyond business. In November 1836, he cast his vote in the presidential election at Washington Township. The historical record notes that 296 votes were polled that day, with Nelson’s name among them—a small glimpse of democracy in action on the Indiana frontier.
Family Ties and Responsibilities
In 1854, Nelson’s father James Crawford passed away in Preble County, Ohio. James’s will, written in 1851, left his wife Sally a life estate in all his property, with small bequests to two granddaughters, but the bulk of the estate—”all the residue and remainder of my estate both real and personal of every kind and description whatever”—went to Nelson. James appointed Nelson as executor, trusting his son to manage the estate and care for his mother.
Generous Father, Careful Planner
Nelson’s approach to his own children mirrored his father’s trust in him. As noted in the 1877 Warren County Atlas biographical sketch, “He gave each child one thousand dollars at their marriage and accumulated enough to own, at his death, 750 acres of land.”
True to his word, Nelson advanced $1,000 each to James H., William C., Washington Marion, and Mary Elizabeth (who married Elisha V. Briggs). To Amanda S. (who married Harrison H. Woodward), he gave $900 during his lifetime.
A Father’s Loss
Tragedy struck the family in November 1860 when Nelson’s son William C. Crawford died. On November 16, Nelson appeared before the Warren County clerk to serve as surety for his son James H., who was appointed administrator of William’s estate. Nelson swore he was “worth over and above my indebtedness, sixteen hundred dollars”—a testament to his continued financial stability even as he grieved.
The estate sale of William’s belongings in December 1862 shows the modest possessions of a young farmer: harness, axes, livestock, stacks of hay, corn, a two-horse wagon. Nelson himself purchased a few small items at the sale—300 ears of seed corn, a barrel of salt, hay rigging, and a white sow—perhaps wanting to keep pieces of his son’s life.
Final Days and Last Testament
On March 16, 1864, Nelson sat down with witnesses Clive R. Hudson and John Briggs to sign his last will and testament. He was 55 years old and his health was clearly failing. Just five days later, on March 21, 1864, Nelson G. Crawford died at his home in Warren County.
His will revealed both his business acumen and his love for his family. To his “beloved wife Martha,” he left one-third of all his property in fee simple, plus use of the remainder during her lifetime. Having already given substantial advances to most of his children, he now bequeathed just $50 more to James H., Marion, William C., and Mary E., ensuring equity among his heirs.
To Amanda S. Woodward (whose husband Harrison had died), he left an additional $150 beyond her $900 advancement. His youngest daughter, Celia C., just 12 years old, received $1,050. Nelson appointed Martha as Celia’s guardian “to have the care control and education of said Celia C” without requiring any bond—a remarkable expression of trust in his wife’s judgment.
John C. Lincoln was named executor with specific instructions to pay bequests in a particular order: first Amanda, then Celia, then the others “in the order he shall think best.”
Legacy
Nelson G. Crawford was buried at West Lebanon Cemetery in West Lebanon, Indiana. His tombstone marks the grave of a man who arrived in Warren County with little more than ambition and one horse, and left behind 750 acres, a substantial estate, and a family well-provided for.
The 1877 Warren County Atlas remembered him this way: “He held positions of trust in his township; was a thorough business man, never having trouble of any kind with his neighbors… He enjoyed the respect and confidence of his neighbors and died regretted by all who knew him.”
From pioneer to prosperous farmer, from young bridegroom to patriarch of a large family, Nelson G. Crawford embodied the American story of the mid-nineteenth century—hard work, careful planning, community involvement, and devotion to family creating a legacy that would endure long after his death.
This exercise reminded me that research notes don’t have to be perfect to be valuable—they just have to exist. By pulling scattered notes into a single document and letting an AI tool organize and narrate them, I was able to see my ancestor’s life more clearly and cohesively than I had before. More importantly, it highlighted gaps, patterns, and possibilities I might not have noticed otherwise. For me, this wasn’t about replacing traditional genealogy work, but about using new tools to make better use of the work I’ve already done. And that makes tackling those dreaded research notes feel a little less overwhelming—and maybe even a little fun.