If you have German ancestry, village genealogy books are an essential resource for extending your family history. German genealogy can be intimidating—after determining the ancestral village of origin, the next step involves deciphering documents written in an archaic handwritten cursive script that can challenge even the best of us. So, genealogists seeking their German ancestors can perhaps be forgiven for wishing for any kind of a shortcut that could make their lives easier. Fortunately, for … [Read more...]
Horses Not Zebras: 5 Tips for Evaluating Conflicting Evidence
"How do I evaluate conflicting evidence in my family history?" Read on to discover tips from professional genealogists. A common medical aphorism states, “When you hear hoofbeats, think of horses, not zebras.” Essentially, this means that when making a diagnosis, doctors should avoid jumping to an exotic conclusion when there is a more commonplace explanation. The same principle applies when evaluating genealogical evidence. One of the most common mistakes a novice researcher can make is … [Read more...]
Legacy Tree Onsite: A Genealogist’s Guide to Australian Archives
Legacy Tree Genealogists works with researchers from across the globe to access records for our clients. We asked one of our onsite researchers to share an inside look at the resources available for family history research at various Australian archives. Australian archives can be broadly sorted into governmental, public and private collections. They can occur at each of the three levels of government (federal, state and local), within other public institutions such as state libraries, or … [Read more...]
8 Essential Tips to Maximize Productivity While Working Remotely
As employers and employees around the globe scramble to implement and adjust to remote work options in the face of COVID-19, for Legacy Tree employees, it's just another day "in the office". Legacy Tree Genealogists has been a remote-based company since its inception in 2004--allowing us to attract top talent regardless of geographical location, access records around the globe for our clients, and grow our company to allow us to serve even more individuals and families worldwide. As work from … [Read more...]
Tips for Using City Directories for Genealogy Research
The R.L. Polk company, though not the earliest company to do so, published their first city directory in the 1870s, as a way to centralize community information. They employed sales associates and census enumerators to go door to door to collect information, sell advertising and make sales for their new directories. These handy guides were the quitessential Google search of their day--the go-to resource for finding information. These same directories can be an important resource for genealogy … [Read more...]
RootsTech 2020 Recap: Celebrating 10 Years of Connection
A recap of all the happenings of RootsTech 2020. There was a lot to celebrate this year at RootsTech 2020, and Legacy Tree Genealogists was there for it all. We discovered great stories, connected with friends new and old, shared our genealogy knowledge, and helped commemorate the conference’s 10th anniversary. The theme of RootsTech 2020 was “Discover the Story of YOU.” The story of each of us is made up of an intricate mix of not only our own experiences, but the trials, traditions, and … [Read more...]
Legacy Tree Onsite: Genealogy Research at the Pest County Archives in Budapest, Hungary
Legacy Tree Genealogists works with researchers from across the globe to access records for our clients. We asked one of our onsite researchers in Hungary to share an inside look at the resources available for family history research at the Pest County Archives located in Budapest, Hungary. The Pest County Archives | Pest Megyei Levéltár Pest county (Hungarian: Pest megye) was formed after World War II, incorporating a part of the former Pest-Pilis-Solt-Kiskun county, as well as smaller … [Read more...]
Legacy Tree Genealogists at RootsTech 2020: Schedule of Events
This year marks the 10th anniversary of RootsTech, the world's largest family history conference. With hundreds of classes to choose from and keynote speakers like Emmitt Smith and Leigh Anne Tuohy, this milestone anniversary will be filled with education, entertainment and connection as you are immersed in the conference theme of "Discovering the Story of You". Held in Salt Lake City, Utah, the conference will run from Wednesday, February 26th through Saturday, February 29th. Legacy Tree … [Read more...]