Welcome to HistoryWho.com! HistoryWho offers historical and genealogical research, reporting and archiving services for individuals and organizations.
Founded by Michael Mercadante, who holds degrees in History and Psychology and has an extensive background of professional experience working with a variety of analog media, including photographs, documents and audio and video recordings. He also has professional genealogical expertise, specifically with family trees in America and Europe.
My Story
Growing up, I had the privilege of knowing all four of my grandparents. My father’s side of the family came from Italy in the early 20th century. My great-grandmother, an immigrant herself, was alive until I was about 13. I didn’t know much about my mother’s side. The whole family lived in Barbour County, West Virginia, but I had no idea from where – or when – they arrived there.
I went to college originally as an art major, eventually graduating from Temple University with a degree in History. I went on to get a Master’s degree in Psychology. I got married, had three kids, got divorced, and started my own driving school, working with individuals with autism and learning differences.
I had dabbled in family research for a long time, without ever getting anywhere. And then the 2020 Pandemic hit. The government closed my driving school for several months (apparently I was a “non-essential” business). With an abundance of free time, I dove into my ancestral research. With 12 years of university-level research training, I began building a substantial library of resources. I spent countless hours pouring over census data, church records, and county archives.
I found a direct ancestor who served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Not only had he served, but he had died in the Third Battle of Winchester on September 19, 1864. His name was Cornelius Hymes, and he was my fourth great-grandfather on my mother’s side. I eventually found at least five other grandfathers who fought in that war, all on the Union side. I decided to use Cornelius’ service to apply for membership in the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, a lineage society. After several months of document-gathering and research, my membership was accepted. I was hooked.
I found a grandfather who fought in the American Revolution. He spent the winter at Valley Forge with George Washington. I eventually found a direct ancestor path to the Mayflower, the ship that brought European pilgrims to this continent in 1620. And eventually, I found a direct path all the way back to the Emperor Charlemagne. Within a relatively short amount of time, I had connected my children directly to ancestors in the Middle Ages. The historian in me went crazy with this!
This is my passion – connecting the young with the ancient past. I am here to help your family connect with its roots, as far back as we possibly can. While I still run my driving school full-time, I also love to help families connect with the past in meaningful ways. I helped one family discover an ancestor who was a famous sailmaker centuries ago, and he began this trade as an indentured servant. Now, those children have a direct peek into the life of a family member who lived centuries ago. What can I teach your children about their family’s past?