The Legacy Tree Genealogists Blog

Hand-picked, tested and trained, our professional genealogist team knows how to find your story. We search the world for answers. Find the un-findable. And we’re experts at everything from tracking down rare international records to analyzing DNA test results. Based near the world’s largest family history library in downtown Salt Lake City, we also work with researchers and archives around the globe. Contact us today if you would like help discovering your ancestors!

Mapire: A Free Tool for Historical Maps of Europe

October 4, 2019 by Mckenna - Legacy Tree Genealogists Researcher Leave a Comment

Historical maps of Europe are an often underutilized resource in European genealogy research. We share a free tool that allows you to add European maps to your genealogy toolbox!Since most records were held on the town/parish level in Europe, locating the correct town is an essential first step before researching your ancestors in their country of birth. Over the centuries, borders in Europe sometimes changed drastically, so it is important to know to which country or empire your ancestral hometown belonged in the time period of interest as well as today. Border changes can impact where records are held, the language(s) in which they were recorded, and even the name of the town. Sometimes smaller villages or hamlets named in records no longer exist today, but their former locations and names are preserved on historical maps. Finding a contemporary map of the area in the time period your ancestors lived there can also add fascinating detail to your understanding of their lives. Did …

Finding Vital Records for Galicia, Austria-Hungary

September 26, 2019 by Michelle - Legacy Tree Genealogists Researcher Leave a Comment

Historical name and border changes can affect what records were created and where they are held today. In this article, we look at how to find vital records in Galicia, Austria-Hungary. Before historical records can be searched for any location, it is necessary to understand the historical names and border changes associated with that place, since this can impact what kinds of records were created and where they are held today. If you have ancestors that reported they were from Galicia, Austria-Hungary in an immigration record, locating that place on a map can be challenging at first glance, since the region is not known by either name today.The Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria [Königreich Galizien und Lodomerien], also known as Galicia, was originally established as a result of the First Partition of Poland in 1772. The former territory was created from the entire southwestern part of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and became a crownland (province) of the Austrian Empire in …

Putting the “Story” Back in Family History

September 20, 2019 by Brenda - Legacy Tree Genealogists Project Manager 1 Comment

Whether you want to build your family history with as many names and dates as possible, or choose to instead focus on discovering the stories and details of your ancestors' lives, there's no right or wrong goal. It's about choosing what's important to you.Choosing How to Build Your Family HistoryAs project managers, one of the questions we ask our clients is whether they want us to build their family trees as quickly as we can, only including biographical material if it is of unusual interest. A second option is to include limited biographical material, focusing our efforts on extending the family tree as far back as possible within the allotted research time. The last option is to spend time expounding upon biographical information, including material from documents beyond those used to prove genealogical linkages.Why do we offer all three options? In our experience, everyone is interested in slightly different results.Building a Broad Family TreeOne cousin of mine has spent …

Seeking Connection: The Importance of Family History

September 13, 2019 by Marissa - Legacy Tree Genealogists Researcher Leave a Comment

We explore the importance of family history in helping you find belonging, and how records can help you discover the meaningful details of your ancestors' lives.Family can mean different things to different people. For some, it means to be with people who understand and accept you unconditionally. For others, it is strictly those to whom they have a biological connection. Some of us don’t have ideal families, while others couldn’t imagine their life without family. Most often, though, it’s a mixture of each of these types of relationships.When I think about my most ideal family relationships, I think of my dad’s Germans-from-Russia Mennonite cousins, double cousins, aunts and uncles, grandparents… you get the idea. It’s a big family with lots of endogamous connections—I mean, my grandparents are first cousins once removed, and they didn’t even know each other before they were young adults and started dating. My favorite memories are of huge family reunions at a park with homemade …