Free Genealogy and Family History Websites

www.google.com image

As a genealogist who likes to stay in the know, you may be wondering where you can stay informed and find your place amongst other family history enthusiasts.

Finding your ancestors for free seems like an impossible task. Everywhere you turn, subscription-based access seems to be the only way to gain the family tree information you’re desperately seeking. Take some time to do research on some of these totally free genealogy websites.

1. Allen County Public Library, https://www.acpl.lib.in.us/genealogy, based in Indiana, this library’s online reach extends much further—reflecting its status as the nation’s second-richest genealogy library.

2. Family Search, https://www.familysearch.org/en/united-states/, More than 3,000 online collections (and growing) make this the internet’s largest home to free genealogy data, with recent updates spotlighting Italy, South America and US vital records. You can share and record your finds in family trees and a “Memories” gallery, and get research help from the wiki.

3. Olive Tree Genealogy, https://www.olivetreegenealogy.com/index.shtml, Since its launch in 1996, this modest website has grown into a useful collection of how-to help and databases. It’s strongest on passenger records, heritage groups such as Palatines and American Indians, and less-familiar records, such as those for residents of orphans and almshouses.

4. USGenWeb, https://www.usgenweb.org/, This website has been up and running for 20 years and recently got updated to provide users with a smoother mobile experience. Its state and county pages and special projects remain as vibrant as ever.

5. Chronicling America, https://www.loc.gov/collections/chronicling-america/,

   Boasting almost 20 million pages from coast to coast, this Library of Congress project digitizes US newspapers from 1777 to 1963 and offers a directory to help you find newspapers in libraries.

Free Websites to Share Your Genealogy!

1. Facebook, www.facebook.com, the world’s biggest social networking site is also a useful tool for finding cousins and sharing research finds.

2. Geni, https://www.geni.com/, Start your own online tree here by looking for matches among 245 million individual profiles generated by 15 million users.

3. Pinterest, https://www.pinterest.com/, Sort of like Facebook for images, this online scrapbook/digital tagboard has proven a valuable tool for family historians, who share everything from records to old photos.

#laureljonescountylibrary #genealogy #familyheritage #hometown