Legacy Lane Genealogy

09/21/2026

History has a way of making today’s headlines feel a little different.

After a measles case was confirmed in Fillmore County, I went digging through local records, and found stories from it’s past that feel especially relevant today.

This last week, a case of measles was confirmed here in Fillmore County. Under ordinary circumstances, that news would concern me. But this time, it hit a little differently. I have a newborn at ho…

08/21/2026

Let me know if you know who Ross is! 🤚

A 1911 infant handprint hidden in a Fillmore County farmhouse basement sparks a search for Ross, William Goodwin and a century-old family mystery. Full story at the link in the comments ⬇️

07/06/2026

Recommend all Fillmore County residents, interested in their roots to check out this map!

The detail is amazing! 🗺️

https://collection.mndigital.org/catalog/fch:348

🗺️ One of the highlights of Sunday’s Family Fun 250th Celebration was the unveiling of the newly reproduced 1878 Fillmore County plat map!

Thanks to our partnership with the Minnesota Digital Library, you can now explore the map online for free. The enlarged reproduction is also now on display at the Fillmore County Historical Society Museum.

Whether you’re researching your family history or simply curious about Fillmore County’s past, we invite you to take a look!

View the map here: https://collection.mndigital.org/catalog/fch:348

06/21/2026

Father’s Day is a time to celebrate the fathers we know—but it’s also a reminder of those whose stories remain incomplete.

Today I’m sharing the mystery of Sylvester Smith and the father we cannot name. Despite years of research, some questions remain unanswered, and that’s part of the journey of family history.

Read more: https://legacylanegenealogy.com/2026/06/21/the-father-we-cannot-name/

05/09/2026

The Last Woman in the Line 🧬

With it being Mother’s Day weekend, I’ve been reflecting a lot on the women who came before me — and the ancient maternal DNA passed from mother to child for thousands of years.

As a genealogist — and a boy mom expecting my third son — I decided to write about the surprising patterns I discovered in my own family tree, what it means to possibly be the final woman in my maternal line, and why I’ve come to see that not as a loss… but as an honor. 💙

https://legacylanegenealogy.com/2026/05/09/the-last-woman-in-the-line/

04/01/2026

Thank you, Root River Current! 😊

Laney Smith of Spring Valley uses genealogy, storytelling and her podcast “Roots & Riddles” to uncover forgotten families, ghost towns and local history in Fillmore County. Read our full story at the link in the comments 👇