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Buchanan Estate Scam: Detecting and Navigating Genealogical Hoaxes

Newspapers and Periodicals

Below are some of the most interesting or important sources cited in this presentation. Much more material exists, especially at the local and family levels. As you pursue the records of specific relatives who may have been impacted by the hoax, be sure to study area newspapers, courthouse quitclaim deeds and civil suits, local museum or library vertical files, published family histories, and your own family papers.

Search Strategies

Hundreds of newspaper articles covered the Buchanan estate debacle. Major news was picked up by syndicates which reprinted the items with varying headlines across newspapers big and small nationwide, sometimes even internationally. The selection below represents a range of features that emphasized assorted aspects of the scam. The newspapers chosen for this list are available to view in the Library of Congress Newspaper and Current Periodical Reading Room or online through the Library of Congress E-Resources Online Catalog.

You can further explore the topic of the "Buchanan Estate Scam" using the following search strategies:

  • Use the following terms in combination, proximity, or as a phrase: Buchanan Estate, L D Buchanan, Lorenzo D Buchanan.
  • To narrow results, limit the search to dates between 1931 and 1936.

Selected Articles in Print

The following materials can be accessed the Library's Newspaper and Current Periodical Reading Room. The following titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content are included when available.

Selected Articles from Chronicling America

Selected Articles from Subscription Databases

The subscription resources marked with a padlock are available to researchers on-site at the Library of Congress. If you are unable to visit the Library, you may be able to access these resources through your local public or academic library.