Every once in a while, I look at someone in a family tree and realize I have done a pretty good job documenting them. I have birth, marriage, and census records, children, an occupation, and a death...
Category - Genealogy Resources
How Road Petitions Can Reveal Your Ancestor’s Neighborhood
Most family research begins with records created around major events such as births, marriages, deaths, land purchases, and military service. A request to build or repair a road may seem far removed...
Using Bastardy Bonds in Family Research
A missing father can stop a family line very quickly. You may know the mother, where she lived, and what happened to the child later in life, yet still have no record that names the father. There may...
What School Records Can Tell You About Your Ancestors
Family research often follows the adults. We search census records, marriage licenses, deeds, probate files, military records, obituaries, and death certificates. Those records are essential, but...
Your Ancestor’s Neighbors May Hold the Clues You Need
Genealogy research often begins with one person. You find an ancestor’s name. You locate a census record, discover a marriage record, or uncover a family connection that moves your research forward...
The People Who Disappeared From History
Every genealogist eventually finds one. You follow a family line through the years, finding names, dates, places, and relationships. One record leads to another. You discover where your ancestors...
Finding Your Ancestors in Fraternal and Lodge Records
For much of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, belonging to a lodge or fraternal organization was a normal part of American community life. In towns large and small, men and women joined...
What Coroner’s Inquest Records Can Tell You About Your Ancestors
A death certificate can tell you when and where your ancestor died. An obituary might name surviving relatives and tell you where the funeral was held. But what if the death was sudden, accidental...
Did Your Ancestor End Up in the Poorhouse?
You find your ancestor living with the family in one census. Ten years later, that person is gone. There’s no obvious death record. You can’t find another marriage. You don’t see evidence of a move...
Why You Should Incorporate Periodicals into Your Genealogy Research
What are periodicals, and how can they help you with your genealogy research? These are actually highly valuable and woefully underutilized tools you need.
Genealogy Tools You Didn’t Know Existed
Gathering the stories of your ancestors can feel like unraveling a mysterious puzzle. You might start with a few names and dates, only to discover that every answer leads to a dozen more questions...
Uncover the Riches of Colonial History
The entire New England area is rich in colonial history, much of it faithfully documented by local historians.
Can the Shape of Your Feet Reveal Your Ancestry?
Have you ever heard of foot shape genealogy? It is a concept out of the 19th century that still has some adherents today. It is based on the belief that the shape of your foot can tell you one of...
What DNA Testing Can Reveal About Your Genealogy
There are three different types of DNA testing that are used in genealogical research. Each one tells you something different. Here's what each will tell you.
What Information Can You Find in Tax Records?
Have you started using tax records to research the lives of your ancestors? If not, you should. Tax records offer a lot of information you never imagined.