1. Check Place-Based Source Guides
Several handy reference books put key facts at your fingertips. The Family Tree Resource Book for Genealogists (Family Tree Books), a guide to county and town sources, tells you when each US county began keeping various records and which offices have jurisdiction over those records now.
2. Consult Town and County Networks
Most counties have official websites with instructions for requesting copies of records. Find them by running a web search for the county and state name,
3. Scour the Web Cyndi’s List is an excellent gateway to all types of genealogy sites, including those with census records, gravestone transcriptions, and more. A web search engine like Google will turn up more sites focusing on your ancestral hometowns. Use quotation marks to find exact phrases; you don’t have to capitalize proper names.
4. Study Area History
Town and county histories often include detailed biographical sketches of pioneers and prominent residents. But even if your ancestors aren’t mentioned, these books still can give you valuable background information: when the area was first settled, and also where the pioneers came from, which churches were close to your ancestor’s home, and what your relatives’ lives were like.
5. Check Local Records
Although you might discover your ancestors’ names in published histories, you have an even better chance of finding them in local records. Many of our ancestors owned property, left wills, and got involved in court cases. Sometimes, land, probate, court, and other local records are the only of our forebears’ existence. State historical societies and archives have local, county, and state records you won’t find at the FamilySearch Library. Almost every such organization has a website with helpful information for genealogists. Most have online catalogs, and some even feature searchable databases and images of original documents.
6.Find Other Researchers
If you live far away from the places your ancestors called home, you might lack first-hand knowledge of researching there. However, local genealogists in those areas likely know your ancestral hometowns well and can share insights into accessing local records. Maybe you don’t know where cemeteries are located or whether gravestones have been transcribed. Perhaps you need help finding a place that’s not on modern maps.
Online mailing lists and message boards are ideal places to pose such questions. Take a few minutes to search all the messages ever posted to a forum or mailing list, and you might find an answer to your quandary. Look for a search box on the main page. The free Ancestry Community has boards for each state, surnames, and other topics. You also can search the member directory by research interest, such as surname or location.
Genealogical and historical societies are also great sources of information on local books and records. Many have message boards, newsletters with queries, and regular meetings where you can get help in person. The National Genealogical Society hosts a database of US societies, or you can run a Google search on the place and genealogy society.
Comments