About
From the Founder
I have loved history for as long as I can remember.As a child, I could spend hours pretending I was Laura Ingalls, living out some imagined prairie life of my own. Years later, while working through my own family history, I discovered that some of my ancestors had lived within twenty miles of Laura’s family. In a strange and wonderful way, I had been acting out a world that was already part of my own story.
That is what drew me to this work, and what has kept me here for more than twenty-six years.
My favorite place is still the archive: the old books, the paper, the ledgers, the handwriting, the quiet thrill of finding one small piece that changes what we know. I love the careful work of evidence, but I also love what the evidence can restore. A name becomes a person. A date becomes a life. A house becomes a place where people hoped, worked, grieved, moved on, and left traces behind.
I believe family history is more than a chart of names and dates. It’s the work of finding the people behind the records, understanding the world they lived in, and bringing their stories back to life.
Through Provenance Research Services, I help clients uncover family histories, lineage paths, house histories, and long-held questions with care, accuracy, and respect for what the records can truly support. My work is grounded in professional genealogical standards, shaped by decades of research experience, and written for people who want more than a pile of documents.
I am based in the Pacific Northwest and work with clients across the United States and beyond, with particular experience in the records and family histories of the Pacific Northwest, Montana, and the places my own research has led me.
Shannon
Research credentials
Shannon Johnston
Founder & Researcher
- Experience
- 26+ years in genealogy, archival research, and family history investigation
- Memberships
- Association of Professional Genealogists
National Genealogical Society - Standards
- Research guided by professional genealogical standards; currently pursuing certification through the Board for Certification of Genealogists.
- Specialties
- Family history research, lineage review, house history, archival records, and DNA / biological family research by inquiry