Our team has completed thousands of hours of writing client biographies. Review our tips for writing family biographies that will help make your ancestors come to life! Recently, we published a post on tips for writing a family biography that others would want to read. Perhaps that article inspired you to begin your own, or to dig up an unfinished manuscript and take a closer look. Maybe you’ve got the organization part figured out, but your writing itself needs some polishing. At Legacy … [Read more...]
Research Pitfalls of Beginning Genealogists
Avoid these common research pitfalls that many beginning genealogists fall into! If you’re looking for ways to improve your research skills, it’s always best to take a personal inventory of your research practices and habits. Following are some errors that many beginners and hobbyists make which, if eliminated, could save time and increase accuracy immensely. Collecting Ancestors This is one of the most common mistakes. Simply copying down someone else’s tree or taking their … [Read more...]
Maps and Family History: Early United States Maps We Love
Linking maps with family history research can help us better understand the lives of our ancestors. Here are our top resources for finding early U.S. maps! As genealogists, we love maps. They're such a helpful way to show a client where an ancestor was living, especially if the ancestor lived near the border of another town or county, which can affect what records need to be searched. Here are some great resources for early United States maps: We love http://mapofus.org. When you click on … [Read more...]
Write a Captivating Family History with the 1900 Census
As you write your family history, don't neglect the wealth of information that can be found in the 1900 census! What were you doing at the turn of the century? Watching the Times Square Ball drop as Dick Clark prattled on? Were you hiding in a closet, worried about how Y2K would wreak havoc on your life? Were you partying like it was 1999? Author Ian Frazier masterfully wove together the happenings of the previous turn of the century with his own genealogical findings in the opening of … [Read more...]