From the 1910 and 1920 census records, I knew my great-grandfather, James Michael Byerley was employed in the Coke Ovens in Eastern Tennessee. To bring context to his life, I wanted to know more about his time spent working in the Coke Ovens. With his timeline outlined by census entries I grounded the timeline for my research.
| Year | Location | Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 | Rhea, Tennessee | Farmer |
| 1910 | Rhea, Tennessee | Coke Ovens – Foreman |
| 1920 | Campbell, Tennessee | Coke Ovens |
| 1930 | Rhea, Tennessee | Farmer |
Research Methods Over Time
Prior to the internet, such research would have required me to explore libraries and court records searching for information about the industry, the impact of the industry to the local communities and the communities themselves. There was no online catalog or digital copies of information so travel to the locations with the information would have been necessary.
With the internet came online search capabilities that could be used to find information that was available online and pinpoint where non digital content could be found. With search engines, the process would be anchored in selecting the combination of words followed by looking through possibly thousands of results for information. Even my simple search in Google of “coke ovens in Campbell County TN in 1920” returned over 250,000 results.
A lot of folks, myself included struggle with the effective use of AI tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Claude, Co-pilot, etc. Could these tools actually help me by facilitating the research and combining information found in multiple sources?
Was AI able to assist me? Let’s try this!
I used Google Gemini and entered a simply stated prompt of what I was looking to understand.
My ancestor, James Michael Byerley, worked in the Coke Ovens near Lafollette, Tennessee circa 1920. What can you tell me about the life there and how the work in the coke ovens could have impacted the family?
The response to that prompt provided me context around the life of coal miners working in the area in 1920. It also pointed me to his possibly employer, LaFollette Coal, Iron and Railway Company. Overall, a good summary of information with sources provided limiting to those that were relevant to providing context to my prompt.
Gemini also asked me if I wanted to undertake deeper research. Seeing results that were relevant to my question – my reply was yes, go for it! Gemini then created a research plan for me to review, before it started the research. After the research it presented me with the findings. In the output was also a list of further research opportunities along with the list of sources that were used with the research.
I then decided to give more context with a new prompt –
James Michael Byerley was originally from Rhea County, Tennessee and listed the Coke Ovens as his occupation on 21 April 1910 when the census was taken. Would the working conditions had been similar? Any thoughts on what prompted his move to Lafollette?
While it could not possibly know the exact reason for the move from Rhea to Campbell County it replied with historical context that no doubt played into the move.
Therefore, the most logical and compelling reason for James Michael Byerley’s relocation to LaFollette was the cessation of operations at his workplace in Rhea County in 1913, coupled with the abundant and growing employment opportunities in the coal and coke industry in LaFollette during the 1910s. He likely moved in search of continued work in the industry he knew, drawn by the promise of a thriving industrial center.
My conclusion – Yes Gemini was able to assist me with this search! It was able to search for and interrogate information and provide me with its findings, including sources, in less than 10 minutes – information I will be able to expand on and use to place my great-grandfather in historical context framed by his occupation.
