When privacy laws prevent researchers from finding genealogy records, newspaper records may provide the information you're searching for! Strict privacy laws, designed to protect both the living and the dead from having their identities stolen, can create some serious problems for a genealogist. Some states permit the acquisition of birth, marriage, or death records when the individuals named in those records have been dead for 50 years, or 100 years after the event was recorded. Other … [Read more...]
Google Searching Tips for Genealogists
In the digital age, searching for your ancestor's records is easier than ever. Read our 5 tips on using Google to navigate your genealogy search. You may be surprised what amazing genealogy finds you can discover using just Google alone! Thousands of photos, scanned books, and online genealogical collections are available that aren't at the usual big websites like Ancestry or FamilySearch. A reasonably exhaustive search should include a plunge into Google. Most know that you search for an … [Read more...]
6 Valuable Resources for Tracing French Ancestors
These are the resources you've been searching for to trace your French ancestry! Use the tools professional genealogists use to break through century-old brick walls. One of the greatest challenges in tracing immigrant ancestors is determining their town of origin in the home country. Some records may provide clues of their nationality or ethnicity, but narrowing the search further can be difficult. Though this article deals specifically with tracing French immigrants, these principles … [Read more...]
Using Local Libraries and Historical Societies for Genealogy Research
One of our genealogists shares examples of how local libraries and historical societies can be a great asset for genealogy research. The Hoyt Public Library in Saginaw, Michigan In family history research, when it is discovered that a family lived in a particular town for an extensive length of time, contacting the local library and historical society can be a great investment of a genealogist's time and potentially yield great dividends. For instance, when we found … [Read more...]
Small-Town Newspapers: Windows to the Past
Using local newspapers in your genealogy research can provide important glimpses into the lives of your ancestors. Here's how we used a small-town newspaper to uncover details about a client's ancestor not found anywhere else. Turn-of-the-century small-town newspapers are treasure troves of genealogical information. Offering so much more than just cold, hard facts, these small-town papers reported on the social lives of their citizens, retold the drama at city council meetings, or … [Read more...]
Analyzing Your Family Tree: Decoding Conflicting Evidence
When analyzing your family tree you may encounter conflicting evidence. We share our top tips for resolving conflicts in your family tree. As you search for your heritage, you may notice that sites such as Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, and others might contain numerous family trees with information about your ancestors. In addition to this, your grandma, great-aunt, and other various family members may also have their own versions of your family tree. You could also find a book published … [Read more...]