As you’ve no doubt noticed while reading this book, genealogy websites come in all categories. You will find portals that aim to be your web home. You will find sites with images of original documents or transcribed records (perhaps both!), and sites with completed, annotated genealogies. You will find sites where folks have slapped up any data they found, regardless of accuracy or relevancy. You will find primary records, secondary records, family legends, and scams. It’s truly an embarrassment of riches out there.

You must remember to judge each source you find critically and carefully. Compare it to what you have proven with your own research. Look for the original records cited in an online genealogy to see if they have been interpreted correctly (remember the lesson about census records!). Most of all, look for application to your genealogy. How helpful is it?

This list of websites reflects what I’ve found to be valuable. Some of these sites are portals and will link you to sites I haven’t found or that didn’t exist at press time. Other links may be “dead” (as they say in web parlance) by the time you read this. Don’t be discouraged by this. That’s part of the fun of online genealogy: There’s always something new!

Alexa.com Top 25 Genealogy Sites Early 2014

Alexa Internet, started April 1996, crawls the Web and reports the most popular of sites back to the database. The website not only has current trends in web surfing, but also historical measures of the popularity of sites in thousands of categories. If you are brand new to online genealogy, these are good places to start, which is why some of them got a dedicated chapter in this book. Among the top genealogy sites measured by Alexa for early 2014 are:

    • http://www.ancestry.com As covered in a previous chapter, this is the subscription-based resource of worldwide census, marriage, newspaper, and various other records. The site has some free searchable databases, columns and articles, GEDCOMs, and forums.

    • http://www.legacy.com Legacy.com collaborates with more than 800 newspapers in North America, Europe, and Australia to provide ways for readers to express condolences and share remembrances of loved ones.

    • http://www.familysearch.org The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provides an online search of the millions of names in its International Genealogical Index, and of genealogical websites. It also has information on its Family History Library and local branches.

    • http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com Genealogical resource with searchable databases, family trees, mailing lists, and message boards.

    • http://www.archives.com This site is a resource guide, allowing the sharing of family photos and documents.

    • http://www.geneanet.org Features a network of online genealogy databases.

    • http://www.genealogy.com Offers FamilyTreeMaker software, subscription-based access to searchable databases, plus forums, news, and research tips.

    • http://www.wikitree.com A free, collaborative worldwide family tree project by a community of genealogists and their family members.

    • http://boards.ancestry.com Centralized collection of genealogical message boards hosted by Ancestry.com. Forums include specialized topics such as surnames, locales, and organizations. A versatile search engine allows for locating specific resources, including bible records, deeds, and marriage bonds, among others.

    • http://blog.eogn.com Newsletter with family history news, tips, and reviews from genealogist Dick Eastman.

    • http://www.ancientfaces.com Ancient Faces builds a visual representation of history through the collaboration of the online community. Share vintage photos to discover the faces and places related to your history at this website.

    • http://www.familytreedna.com DNA is the ultimate link in the family and social network. DNA can show relationships between individuals, whether close or distant. It also establishes fingerprints for the purpose of determining ancestral pedigrees. Any person can have a simple DNA test with a simple and painless cheek swab. The company has headquarters in Houston, Texas.

    • http://www.findmypast.co.uk Family history research online. Enables you to create a family tree using birth, marriage, and death indexes; census returns; and many more historical UK family history records.

    • http://www.genforum.genealogy.com Over 14,000 online forums devoted to genealogy, including surnames, U.S. states, countries, and general topics.

    • http://www.genealogyintime.com An online genealogy magazine with free search engines, articles, tools, and listings of the latest genealogy records on the Internet.

    • http://www.newspaperarchive.com Registered members may access a database of searchable and downloadable archived newspapers from the 1700s to today. Many libraries have access for patrons.

    • http://www.genealogy.about.com Written by famed genealogist Kimberly Powell, this blog and link site features links for researching family history, including genealogical societies, ethnic sites, and access to genealogical software.

    • http://www.kabalarians.com Approximately 300,000 names and what purports to be analysis of the names’ meaning and significance. I don’t know why this one is listed in the “genealogy” category, as it is about New Age philosophy as applied to names. It’s a parlor game, not useful data to do family history.

    • http://www.cyndislist.com A large, categorized, and cross-referenced directory of sites useful for genealogical research, with hundreds of thousands of links.

    • http://www.jewishgen.org Provides a wide range of resources, including databases, Family Finder, articles, societies, projects, and discussion groups.

    • http://www.royal.gov.uk This official site covers the monarch’s role and the history of the monarchy, gives biographies of the Royal Family, and tourist information for Royal Palaces and the Royal Collection.

    • http://www.worldvitalrecords.com This website offers users international record databases, references to top genealogical resources, a blog, podcasts, videocasts, webinars, expert advice, training, and user-generated content.

    • http://www.surnames.behindthename.com Searchable database featuring the etymology and history of last names.

    • http://www.ellisisland.org Runs the American Family Immigration History Center on Ellis Island, which offers access to the passenger records of the ships that landed some 22 million immigrants, crew members, and other passengers at the Port of New York and Ellis Island from 1892 to 1924.

    • http://www.progenealogists.com Official research firm for Ancestry.com. Professional genealogists specializing in family history research worldwide. Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, at the Family History Library. Genealogists for the NBC TV show Who Do You Think You Are?, the member genealogists have accumulated over 500 years’ worth of research experience.

Golden Needles in the World Wide Haystack

In the manner of websites everywhere, these sites will all lead you to other sites, where (I hope) you’ll find the information you need. Note that this isn’t even close to an exhaustive list. For that, see Cyndi’s List and Genealogy Resources on the Internet. I have sorted these sites by topic.

Adoption

The following are places that concentrate on reuniting birth families:

    • Adopting.org This site includes a birth-family search guide.

    • Adoption.com This site has a discussion board for adoptees, including birth mother searches.

    • American Adoption Congress (http://www.americanadoptioncongress.org) The American Adoption Congress (AAC) is an advocacy group for adoption reform. AAC members support those whose lives are touched by adoption or other loss of family continuity. The organization promotes honesty, openness, and respect for family connections in adoption, foster care, and assisted reproduction. It educates members and professional communities about the lifelong process of adoption and advocates legislation that will grant every individual access to information about his or her family and heritage.

    • Bastard Nation (http://www.bastards.org) This organization fights to open all adoption records. It’s a strident site, but has some good articles and book reviews. A sample from their “About Us” page: “We at Bastard Nation believe that there is NOTHING shameful about having been born out of wedlock or about being adopted. We selected our name because we will no longer be made to feel shamed by the odious state laws that permanently seal our original birth records. We do not fling the word ‘bastard’ at anyone. Rather, we wear it proudly as we work to achieve our goal of equal and unconditional access to original birth records for all adult adoptees.”

    • Karen’s Adoption Links (http://www.karensadoptionlinks.com/worldwide.html) This site has a section for adoptees.

    • Facebook (http://www.facebook.com) Facebook has some groups and pages for adoptees to network, many sorted by geography (states, countries, etc). Simply search Facebook for “adoptees” to find several.

    • RootsWeb Adoption Discussion Lists (http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/index/other/Adoptions/) This site provides four different lists for those researching adoptions in their genealogy: Adoption-Gen, Aus-Vic-Adoptions, Il-Rhbal (Illinois-Research hindered by adoption laws), and Pre-1940_Adoption_Genealogy.

Beginners’ “Classes,” How-to Articles, Tips, Etc.

    • About.com Genealogy (http://www.genealogy.about.com) This site has tips, discussion groups, and weekly articles on genealogy.

    • Ancestors Series Teacher’s Guide (http://www.byub.org/Ancestors/teachersguide) This site is a set of pages designed to help teachers and students in grades 7–12 use the ten-part Ancestors series to create their genealogies as a school project.

    • DearMYRTLE’s Genealogy Lessons (http://www.dearmyrtle.com/lessons.htm) This is a self-guided course for beginners.

    • Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter (http://blog.eogn.com/) This is a weekly newsletter on genealogy topics. A typical issue will cover reviews of genealogy computer programs; news items of note to genealogists; a list of websites to visit; reviews of books, CD-ROMs, TV programs; and more. Eastman publishes a short free version and a “Plus Edition” for $20 a year.

    • GeneaWebinars.com If you ever wake up one morning and say to yourself, “Self, I want to learn more about genealogy today,” then head over to http://www.geneawebinars.com. There you will find a Google Calendar schedule of online meetings, classes, hangouts, seminars, and webinars. Many are free, although some are fee based. Note: The times on the calendar are in U.S. Eastern Time Zone (New York). If you need a time zone converter, see http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html.

    • Genealogy Dictionary (http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~randyj2222/gendict.html) This site gives you definitions for all those confusing terms such as “cordwainer” and “primogeniture.”

    • Genealogical Glossary (http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nsdigby/lists/glossary.htm) This page is similar to the Genealogy Dictionary.

    • Genealogy Lesson Plan (http://www.teachnet.com/lesson/misc/familytrees040199.html) Located at TeachNet.com, this site has a lesson plan on family history for different curriculum areas.

    • Genealogy Today (http://www.genealogytoday.com) This site announces and rates genealogy sites, has news updates and links to databases, lets readers vote for their favorite sites, and so forth.

    • Kindred Trails (http://www.kindredtrails.com) This site has links, a kinship calculator, articles, message boards, and more.

    • Lineages, Inc. (http://www.lineages.com) This is the website for a group of professional genealogical researchers who, for a fee, will help you find your roots. Many of them hold professional certification. In addition, their site includes some free information, such as “First Steps for Beginners,” a free genealogical queries page, and more.

    • Association of Personal Historians (http://www.personalhistorians.org) This site helps you find a professional to write your personal history.

    • Treasure Maps (http://www.amberskyline.com/treasuremaps) This how-to genealogy site is one of the best sites on the Web for novices. To keep track of the latest news on Treasure Maps, you might want to subscribe to its monthly newsletter.

Blogging and Genealogy Blogs

Genealogy bloggers can help you with techniques, news, and more, as noted in Chapter 9. Here are a few more blogs to consider:

    • Ancestry Insider, at http://www.ancestryinsider.org, reports on the two big genealogy organizations: Ancestry.com and FamilySearch. The unnamed author, who is a genealogical technologist, has worked for both companies, but strives to be objective in his analysis. It is always worth a read.

    • Arlene H. Eakle is a speaker, blogger, and president and founder of The Genealogical Institute, Inc. Arlene’s blogs include Arlene H. Eakle’s Genealogy Blog (http://www.arleneeakle.com/wordpress/), Tennessee Genealogy (http://www.tnblog.arleneeakle.com/), Virginia Genealogy (http://www.virginiagenealogyblog.com/), and Kentucky Genealogy (http://www.kyblog.arleneeakle.com). She is on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/arleneeakle. Dr. Eakle is a professional genealogist with more than 30 years’ experience in research, consulting, lecturing, and writing and is an expert in tracing families from New York, the Southern United States, the British Isles, Switzerland, and parts of Germany.

    • Cheryl Rothwell has three blogs: Logan County Genealogy (http://www.logancountygenealogy.blogspot.com/) is about Logan County, Illinois, and the companion blog, Graveyards of South Logan County (http://www.southlogancounty.blogspot.com/) focuses on the cemeteries there. Ancestor Hunting (http://www.genealogysleuth.blogspot.com/) is more general and covers “the never-ending, incredibly addictive search for information about our ancestors, their family and friends, neighbors, and total strangers, commonly known as genealogy.” It’s witty, informative, and fun. Also, she’s my friend and neighbor!

    • Documenting the Details (http://www.lfmccauley.blogspot.com) is the blog by Linda McCauley about her own genealogy, the use of technology in research, the value and fun of genealogy events such as conferences and workshops, and delightful musings.

    • Elyse Doerflinger of Elyse’s Genealogy blog (http://www.elysesgenealogyblog.com) shares both her personal family history and her knowledge of research techniques. An elementary schoolteacher as well as an administrator of WikiTree, she has a fresh and breezy approach to genealogy.

    • Gena Philibert Ortega writes for the blogs at Gena’s Genealogy (http://www.philibertfamily.blogspot.com) and contributes to the World Vital Records blog (http://blog.worldvitalrecords.com). She wrote the books Putting the Pieces Together (Lulu, 2007) and Cemeteries of the Eastern Sierra (Arcadia Publishing, 2007). Follow her on Twitter: @genaortega and @WVRNewsletter.

    • Geneabloggers (http://www.geneabloggers.com) is Thomas’ MacEntee excellent blog about blogging… for genealogists, by genealogists, about genealogists, and so on! A good description is at http://www.geneabloggers.com/about/. This is a must-see site! Thomas MacEntee specializes in the use of technology and social media for better family history research and to cooperate with others in the genealogy world. He is on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/tmacentee and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/tmacentee.

    • Jean Wilcox Hibben blogs at Circle Mending: Where Music and Genealogy Meet (http://www.circlemending.org). Hibben lives in Riverside County, California, and is a Board-Certified Genealogist, with a doctorate in folklore and a master’s in speech communication. She is also president of the Corona Genealogical Society and the Southern California Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists.

    • Lee R. Drew writes the FamHist Blog (http://www.famhist.wordpress.com/about/) and Lineage Keeper Blog (http://www.lineagekeeper.blogspot.com). You can reach Lee at the Twitter account http://www.twitter.com/lineagekeeper.

    • Lisa Alzo writes The Accidental Genealogist (http://www.theaccidentalgenealogist.com) and is on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/lisaalzo and Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/lisaalzo. Lisa has written seven books, including Baba’s Kitchen: Slovak & Rusyn Family Recipes and Traditions (Gateway Press, 2005) and Finding Your Slovak Ancestors (Heritage Productions, 2005). She teaches classes for GenClass.com and the National Institute for Genealogical Studies. Lisa has presented at numerous national and international conferences, genealogical, and historical societies.

    • Lisa Louise Cooke (http://www.lisalouisecooke.com) owns Genealogy Gem. She writes blogs and magazine articles, hosts podcasts and videocasts, and works closely with Family Tree Magazine. She is the author of Genealogy Gems: Ultimate Research Strategies (privately published, 2007) and several other books. You can find Lisa on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/LisaCooke and on Facebook.

    • Renee Huskey blogs at http://www.photoloom.wordpress.com/ and on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/PhotoLoom). Renee writes about preserving the images and stories in order to turn genealogy data into family history.

    • Renee Zamora writes Renee’s Genealogy Blog (http://www.rzamor1.blogspot.com) and is on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/rzamor1. Renee has been secretary for the Utah Valley PAF Users Group and a Family History Consultant at the Alpine Family History Center. Her blog is often about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) family history scene. She began researching at age 15, mainly in Warren and Washington Counties, New York.

Other blogs to check out:

    • Amy Johnson Crow writes the blog No Story Too Small about the small stories that make up family history. She shares the stories and the techniques to find them for your genealogy. Find it at http://www.nostorytoosmall.com.

    • FootnoteMaven.com is a wonderful blog about citations, sources, reference works, and genealogy. It is much more entertaining and fun than that sounds. You can also follow the author on http://www.facebook.com/footnoteMaven and http://www.twitter.com/footnoteMaven.

    • Marian Pierre-Louise writes Roots and Rambles (http://www.rootsandrambles.blogspot.com) and Fieldstone Common podcast (http://www.fieldstonehistoricresearch.com). Her podcast gives away weekly book prizes for listeners!

    • Thomas J. Kemp blogs for http://www.genealogybank.com/gbnk/.

    • Maureen Taylor is the author of The Photo Detective (http://www.photodetective.com).

    • Randy Seaver writes the Genea-musings Blog (http://www.geneamusings.com).

    • Colleen Fitzpatrick writes The Forensic Genealogist (http://www.forensicgenealogy.info).

    • Paula Hinkle writes the Southern California Genealogy Jamboree (http://www.genealogyjamboree.blogspot.com/).

    • Stephen Danko PhD writes a genealogy blogger at http://www.stephendanko.com/blog.

Birth, Death, Marriage, and Other Records

Here are just a few of the sites where volunteers are uploading data. Be sure you visit RootsWeb and Cyndi’s List often for updates and new pages:

    • Australian Office of Regulatory Services has a page where you can search vital records at http://www.ors.act.gov.au/community/births_deaths_and_marriages/historic_death_index.

    • Danish Demographic Database (http://www.ddd.dda.dk/ddd_en.htm) has several ways to search for information in different sources. You can search for individuals when you have some information. Information is being added regularly by volunteers, so keep searching!

    • There are three good sites for finding cemetery information. Cemetery Junction: The Cemetery Trail (http://www.daddezio.com/cemetery/trail/index.html) has transcriptions of tombstones found in cemeteries across the United States, Canada, and Australia, collected and uploaded by volunteers, links to other sites focusing on cemeteries, and some interesting articles on the subject. Find a Grave (http://www.findagrave.com/index.html) is all about cemetery research and recording gravesites, new and old. Here, people volunteer to find headstones for each other. Finally, check out http://www.BillionGraves.com, a site searchable on FamilySearch and Ancestry.com. BillionGraves also has its own smart phone/tablet computer app.

    • Census Bureau Home Page (http://www.census.gov/genealogy/www) site has a list of frequently occurring names in the United States for 1990, a Spanish surname list for 1990, an age search service, and a frequently asked questions (FAQs) file on genealogy.

    • FreeBMD (http://www.freebmd.rootsweb.com), which stands for Free Births, Marriages, and Deaths, is made up of volunteers transcribing the Civil Registration Index information for England and Wales from the years 1837 to 1898 onto the Internet. Progress is sporadic; volunteer if you can.

    • GENWED (http://www.genwed.com/) is a free genealogical research database for marriage records and a directory to other marriage records online for the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Some of the records can be obtained for free; others will require some sort of cost. Most of the records are volunteer submitted and are therefore considered secondary material.

    • The Bureau of Land Management Land Patent Records (http://www.glorecords.blm.gov) is a searchable database. It’s invaluable, especially for information in the Western states when they were territories and when local records were scarce.

Also, do not forget that many states, provinces, and territories have online sites for the official archives of vital records. Even if you cannot find the actual record online at some of them, usually, you can at least search an index of them and then write for a copy. On occasion, this is also true of larger libraries.

DNA

DNA research is becoming part of online genealogy. These are sites you can explore for this topic:

    • Chris Pomeroy’s DNA Portal (http://www.dnaandfamilyhistory.com) What was a website of articles turned into a book, a free e-mail newsletter, and a set of articles on the cutting edge of DNA genealogy.

    • Family Tree DNA (http://www.familytreedna.com) This is a company you can pay to look for matches with people you suspect are relatives. In searching my mother’s genealogy, we had long suspected that our Abraham Spencer was related to a certain Abner Spencer. Using this site, my uncle and another man submitted saliva samples. The other man (who wishes not to be named) was a proven descendant from that Abner. The results showed that he and my uncle have an ancestor in common. Many professional genealogists scoff at such proof (for example, the white descendants of Thomas Jefferson), but we feel this has finally solved our 30-year brick wall on Abraham’s parents.

    • Genealogy DNA Mail List (http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/index/other/DNA/GENEALOGY-DNA.html) This is a discussion group about the topic of DNA hosted by RootsWeb.

    • Oxford Ancestors (http://www.oxfordancestors.com) This is a company that does the same thing as Family Tree DNA, but in the United Kingdom.

    • Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation (http://www.smgf.org) Brigham Young University (BYU) has a site explaining its DNA genealogy research. You can learn how this project is progressing and how you can participate in your area. You can also read about how BYU hopes to use the data to further the Mormons’ quest to have a family history for all mankind.

Ethnic/National

Here’s a list of some important ethnic pages:

    • Australian National Library (http://www.nla.gov.au/guides/#Genealogy_-_Australia) This is a subject guide page with links to Australian genealogy resources, organizations, military service records, and so on, as well as an online card catalog.

    • Center for Basque Studies (http://www.basque.unr.edu) This site, at the University of Nevada, Reno, covers history, anthropology, and other aspects of Basque culture.

    • Center for Jewish History (http://www.cjh.org) This site has a special section on family history at http://www.cjh.org/collections/genealogy/.

    • Christine’s African-American Genealogy Website (http://www.ccharity.com) This is an excellent site about African-American history and genealogy.

    • Federation of East European Family History Societies (http://www.feefhs.org) This site has databases, maps, and directories to help with genealogy in this region. The group is also on Facebook.

    • History and Genealogy of South Texas and Northeast Mexico (http://www.vsalgs.org/stnemgenealogy) This is an interesting source if you’re looking for relatives from the South Texas/Northeast Mexico area. The database has over 11,000 names, all linked as lineages.

    • Hungarian Genealogy (http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~wghungar) This is a good place to start if your research leads you to Hungary.

    • India Office Family History Search (http://indiafamily.bl.uk/UI/Home.aspx) This site has data taken from a card index at the British Library. The card index was compiled by members of staff at the India Office Records from the mid-1970s onwards to meet the growing interest in genealogy. Although less than 10 percent of the biographical sources available in the India Office Records were incorporated into the index, the site notes that future additions are in the works.

    • Johannes Schwalm Historical Association (http://www.jsha.org) This is a registry for descendants of Hessian soldiers, the German auxiliary troops the British used in the Revolutionary War. Many of them remained here, became citizens, and are the ancestors of thousands of Americans. JSHA maintains an archive of materials and resources at the Franklin and Marshall College Library. You can search the inventory of the archives at http://www.library.fandm.edu/archives/jsha.php.

    • New Zealand History Online (http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/handsonhistory/genealogy-links) This is a page of links to various sites with shipping lists, cemetery records, tribal history, archives, and so on in New Zealand.

    • Scotland’s People (http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk) This is one of the largest online sources of genealogical information, with almost 80 million records. This is the official government source for genealogy data in Scotland.

    • Spanish Heritage Home Page (http://www.shhar.net) This is a great site with articles, links, and networking resources for those researching Hispanic family history in the Western Hemisphere.

Historical Background

Certain historical events may have an impact on your genealogy. The following sites can give you some information on the people in history:

    • The History Detectives TV series (http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/) This is a favorite of genealogy junkies across the United States. They take an object from a submission (click the link on the home page) and trace its history, provenance, and origins. Based on viewer submissions, the History Detectives investigated Goering’s gun, Lewis and Clark’s cane, an antislavery flag, Jean Lafitte’s spyglass and a Revolutionary War prisoner letter.

    • American Civil War Home Page (http://www.sunsite.utk.edu/civil-war) This site has links to fantastic online documents from many sources, including those of two academics who’ve made the Civil War their career.

    • British Civil War, Commonwealth, and Protectorate (http://www.british-civil-wars.co.uk) This site offers timelines, biographies, and military history on the United Kingdom from 1638 to 1660.

    • Calendars Through the Ages (http://www.webexhibits.org/calendars) This site explores the fascinating history of how we have tried to organize our lives in accordance with the sun.

    • Castle Garden (http://www.CastleGarden.org) This is the educational project of The Battery Conservancy. Castle Garden was a major port of entry for immigrants before Ellis Island opened. The free database has information on more than 11 million immigrants, spanning most of the nineteenth century.

    • Glossary of Terms Used in Past Times (http://www.johnowensmith.co.uk/histdate/terms.htm) This site, written by John Owen Smith, is a page of definitions of “assart,” “toft,” and other terms you may come across in old records.

    • Dan Mabry’s Historical Text Archive (http://www.historicaltextarchive.com/) This is a compilation of articles and documents on various topics. Of special interest are the collections on African-American history and genealogy.

    • Daughters of the American Revolution (http://www.dar.org) This is the organization for those who can prove an ancestor fought in the American Revolution. A free lookup in the DAR Patriot Index is just one of the site’s many features.

    • Fold3.com This is a site for original documents and photographs concerning American military history. The free membership allows you to create your own Footnote pages; search and browse all images, and documents; upload images to your gallery; annotate member images; upload, annotate, and print your own images; and view and search member images. The paid membership allows you more interaction, notations, and control.

    • Hauser-Hooser-Hoosier Theory: The Truth about Hoosier (http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Flats/7822) This site explains how genealogy solved the mystery regarding the term “Hoosier” in a whitepaper titled “Migration, Ministry, and a Moniker.”

    • Immigration: The Living Mosaic of People, Culture & Hope (http://www.library.thinkquest.org/20619) This is a student project about immigration in the United States.

    • Mayflower Web Pages (http://www.mayflowerhistory.com) These pages contain the passenger lists of the Mayflower, the Fortune, and the Anne, plus many related documents.

    • Medal of Honor Citations (http://www.history.army.mil/moh.html) This site contains the names and text of the citations for the more than 3,400 people who’ve been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor since 1861.

    • Migrations (http://www.migrations.org) This site has two separate parts. First is a database of migration information submitted by volunteers (secondary source information, of course!), searchable by name and place. Second is a list of links to resources on migration.

    • The Olden Times (http://www.theoldentimes.com/newsletterpage.html) This site has historic newspapers online that can be searched for free.

    • Pitcairn Island Website (http://www.lareau.org/genweb.html) This is one place to go for information on over 7,500 descendants of the crew of the H.M.S. Bounty, of Mutiny on the Bounty fame. Another good site for history and to buy stamps and coins is found at the island’s government site: http://www.government.pn/.

    • Sons of the American Revolution (http://www.sar.org) This site has information on this organization’s genealogical library, articles from its quarterly magazine, the history of the American Revolution, and more.

    • United States Civil War Center (http://www.lib.lsu.edu/cwc) This site from Louisiana State University publishes book reviews, research tips, and articles about studying the War Between the States.

Libraries

Search the web catalogs (Yahoo!, Lycos, Google, and so on) for “library” plus “state” or “national” or the region you need. Some state libraries also have special genealogical collections, which you might find with a search such as “Michigan State library genealogy.” These are some of the best library sites for genealogy:

    • Abrams Collection, Archives of Michigan (http://www.the-abrams-foundation.org/grantees/archives-of-michigan/) The Library of Michigan’s genealogy collection is known as the Abrams Foundation Historical Collection. The Abrams Collection provides a variety of resources for researchers to explore their family history. Materials are mostly for states east of the Mississippi River. This includes the Great Lakes, New England, Mid-Atlantic, Southern states, and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The Abrams Collection Genealogy Highlights lists what researchers can find at this wonderful library. From assistance on specific genealogy topics to an online newsletter, this page lists resources at the Library of Michigan and at other libraries and research centers.

    • Allen Public Library Genealogy Division (http://www.genealogycenter.org) This is one of the leading genealogy departments in a public library in the United States. Be sure to use the library’s online catalog to prepare before you make a trip to this outstanding facility. This will help orient you to the scope of the collection and help you plan your actual research time in the department. Also, be sure to check the library’s main webpage (http://www.acpl.lib.in.us) for any important news and announcements regarding hours or closures. Librarians experienced in genealogical research are always on duty to answer your questions.

    • Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research (www2.houstonlibrary.org/clayton) This library is in Houston, Texas, but with much more genealogy information than just Texas research resources. The site has searches for their collections, microprint collection, periodical collection, and online catalog.

    • Connecticut State Library History and Genealogy Unit (http://www.cslib.org/handg.htm) This page explains the special collections and services the state library has for genealogists.

    • Elmer’s Genealogy Corner (http://www.elmersgenealogycorner.com/) This site, established by Elmer C. Spear, features Madison County, Florida, and several other categories of records. Elmer is a past Genealogist of the Year in Florida.

    • Gateway to Northwestern Ontario History (http://images.ourontario.ca/gateway/search) This site has more than 1,000 photographs and drawings, as well as the full text of several books.

    • Indiana State Library Genealogy Division (http://www.in.gov/library/genealogy.htm) This site has searchable databases and an online card catalog.

    • Midwest Genealogy Center (http://www.mcpl.lib.mo.us/genlh/mgc.htm) This is a branch of the Mid-Continent Public Library, based in Independence, Missouri. The branch has its own page, building and card catalog and participates in interlibrary loans.

    • Mobile Local History and Genealogy (http://www.mplonline.org/lhg.htm) This site covers the area from Pascagoula to Pensacola. The Local History Collection includes works by local authors, Mobile histories, periodicals, an extensive clippings file, Mobile newspapers on microfilm from 1819 to the present, city directories back to 1837, and the federal census records for most of the southeastern states. A recent addition to the collection is the Mobile Historic Development Commission’s survey of historic architecture in Mobile, with 10,000 images stored and indexed on CD-ROM.

    • Repositories of Primary Sources (http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/special-collections/other.repositories.html) This site is a listing of over 5,000 websites describing holdings of manuscripts, archives, rare books, historical photographs, and other primary sources. Sorted by geographical region, this site is worth a look.

    • South Carolina State Library (http://www.statelibrary.sc.gov) This is the online card catalog for the South Carolina Library, which houses an extensive collection of genealogy holdings. Be sure to look at the pages under the menu choice “S. C. Information” for links to sites with obituary records, history of counties and towns, and libraries across the state.

    • Texas Archival Resources Online (http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/index.html) This site is just a really large index in a way. You use a drop-down box to search specific repositories for descriptions of archival materials, manuscripts, and museum collections held in repositories across the state.

    • Texas General Land Office (http://www.glo.texas.gov) Just like the federal GLO, this site has volumes of land records. In fact, one genealogy speaker, James Harkins, said they scan 5,000 records a week. Poke around in the collections; search the Texas Land grant database, the online map database, the online surname index, and all archival collections located at the GLO, and learn how to use the GISweb Mapping Viewer. Also, look into buying one of their research guides.

    • Texas State Library and Archives (http://www.tsl.state.tx.us) This site for the library in Austin, Texas, has a genealogy page with various links, such as an index for county records on microfilm. These films are available for free via interlibrary loan within Texas. The TSLA also has microfilm of the federal census schedules for all states through 1910, selected states from the 1920 and 1930 censuses, printed family and county histories, and a variety of Texas government records. As with all state archives and manuscripts, the riches here are mind-boggling.

    • Virginia Memory (http://www.virginiamemory.com) A starting point where you can search Virginia colonial records, as well as bible records, newspapers, court records, and state documents.

Maps, Geography, and More

“Where is that township?” is sometimes a hard question to answer. It can be even harder to find a community that no longer exists, or where county or state lines were moved. Searching for “historical maps” and the name of the county, state, province, or nation in question may turn up a hit in Google, Yahoo!, or other search sites. An excellent article on this topic can be found at http://www.joycetice.com/articles/place.htm. It’s titled “You Gotta Know the Territory—The Links between Genealogy, Geography, and Logic.” Some other good sites to help with maps include:

    • Deed Platter (http://www.genealogytools.net/deeds) If the deed with your ancestor has the metes and bounds, you can have this site draw a map. Learning to do this can sometimes help you see a connection you didn’t see before.

    • The Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library (http://www.libs.uga.edu/hargrett/index.shtml) This library at the University of Georgia has a collection of over 800 historic maps spanning five centuries.

    • Global Gazetteer Version 2.2 (http://www.fallingrain.com/world/index.html) This is a directory of over a quarter million of the world’s cities and towns, sorted by country and linked to a map for each town.

    • GEONET Names Server (http://earth-info.nga.mil/gns/html/) This site lets you search for worldwide geographic feature names, and it responds with latitude and longitude coordinates. For names in the United States and Antarctica, visit the U.S. Geological Survey site (http://www.usgs.gov) or the Geographic Names Information System site (http://geonames.usgs.gov). The GNS contains 4 million features with 5.5 million names.

    • U.S. Census Bureau Gazetteer (http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html) This is where you can search by entering either the name and state abbreviation (optional) or the five-digit ZIP code.

    • A Vision of Britain (http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk) This project started in 1994 with the goal of creating a major database of Britain’s localities as they have changed over time. This website was created by the Great Britain Historical GIS Project (GIS stands for Geographical Information System), based in the Department of Geography of the University of Portsmouth.

    • Historical Maps of the United States (http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/united_states.html) This site, hosted by the University of Texas at Austin, has dozens of maps under the headings Early Inhabitants, Exploration and Settlement, Territorial Growth, Military History, Later Historical Maps, and Other Historical Map Sites.

    • Old Maps UK (http://www.old-maps.co.uk/) This site lets you search online for maps and order hard copies.

Regional

If you need a regional resource, first go to Google, Yahoo!, Lycos, or another web catalog and search for “archives.” The following links are good examples of what you can expect to find:

    • Alabama Department of Archives and History Genealogy Page (http://www.archives.alabama.gov/research.html) This is a collection of tutorials for how to search the Alabama archives for family history, as well as links to various online records. Most state and province archives have something similar.

    • Canadian Heritage Information Network (http://www.rcip-chin.gc.ca/index-eng.jsp) This is a bilingual French/English guide to museums, galleries, and other heritage-oriented resources in Canada.

    • European Archival Network (http://www.euan.org/) This page lists national archive sites by alphabet and region.

    • Filson Historical Society (http://www.filsonhistorical.org) This is a library, manuscript collection, and museum concentrating on Kentucky history and genealogy. It has a searchable online card catalog of library materials.

    • GENUKI (http://www.genuki.org.uk) This site is all about genealogy in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

    • Irish Genealogy (http://www.irishgenealogy.ie/en/) This is a portal with message boards, transcribed records, surname origins, and a newsletter.

    • National Archives of Singapore (http://www.nas.gov.sg) This site offers relatively recent records.

    • New England Historic Genealogical Society (http://www.americanancestors.org/home.html) This site is designed to be a center for family and local history research in New England. The society owns 200,000 genealogy books and documents. If you’re a New England genealogist, you should check it out.

    • Surnames.com (http://www.surnames.com) This site discusses general genealogy, with some focus on the Arizona area. It includes a surname search and a map of genealogical organizations in the United States. The site also has a useful beginner’s section.

    • Utah State Archives (http://www.archives.utah.gov) Here you can access the research center for the archives’ public services. This site includes research, places where questions can be answered, and places where records can be ordered. Not everything here is free, but it’s very convenient!

Starting Places

Here are some good places to begin your search for people, places, and pages:

    • WikiTree (http://www.wikitree.com) This is a free, cooperative genealogy site. You put in or upload your data, with sources, photos, scans of documents, family stories, and more. Other members searching the site for their ancestors may find your data and suggest a merger between your entry on a person and another entry that seems to be the same person. If you agree, then the sources, data, and connections are merged into one entry, eliminating duplication and sometimes eliminating mistakes or typos. Then, it can calculate the relationship between you and the owner of the other record. It has a wonderful, active message area, too. It is easy and intuitive to use. If you have not been thrilled with the usual suspects of online genealogy sites, give WikiTree a try.

    • Archives.com (http://www.archives.com/) This is a competitor to Ancestry.com with many of the same features and services.

    • Genealogy Links.Net (http://www.genealogylinks.net) This site includes over 9,000 links, most of them to online searchable databases, such as ships’ passenger lists, church records, cemetery transcriptions, and censuses for England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Europe, United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

    • Genealogy Pages (http://www.genealogypages.com) This site provides a collection of links to free genealogical services, as well as to over 29,000 online resources.

    • Genealogy Spot (http://www.genealogyspot.com) This is a free portal with links to online genealogy resources for beginners and experts alike. Sites featured here are hand selected by an editorial team for quality, content, and utility.

    • GeneaNet (http://www.geneanet.org) Based in France, this is a genealogy database site you can search by name or geographic location. It is not based on GEDCOM, but rather has its own database format. Other resources are available, such as a list of genealogy books, genealogy news briefs, and more. Much of the emphasis is on French history, genealogy, and research, but there are other resources, too.

    • DMOZ Genealogy page (http://www.dmoz.org/Society/Genealogy/Directories/) This is part of an edited catalog of the Web, so real people have gathered, verified, and edited the links here.

    • Linkpendium (http://www.linkpendium.com) This site has a goal to index every genealogy, “geneology,” family history, family tree, surname, vital records, biography, or otherwise genealogically related site on the Internet. Built and maintained mainly by RootsWeb founders Brian Wolf Leverich and Karen Isaacson, it is updated often and definitely worth a bookmark.

    • Marston Manor (http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~dickmarston/) This personal genealogy site offers numerous useful items for online genealogists, including a chart for calculating family relationships and a detailed discussion of the terms “proof” and “evidence” as they relate to genealogy.

    • The USGenWeb Project (http://www.usgenweb.com) This is a noncommercial project with the goal of providing websites for genealogical research in every county and every state of the United States.

Supplies, Books, Forms, and More

    • Global: Everything for the Family Historian (http://www.globalgenealogy.com) This is the Global Genealogy Supply website. Shop online for genealogy supplies—maps, forms, software, and so forth—and subscribe to the Global Gazette, a free e-mail newsletter covering Canadian genealogy and heritage.

    • Family Chronicle (http://www.familychronicle.com) This is the website for the Family Chronicle magazine, which is dedicated to families researching their roots. Check out their offerings and request a free sample of the magazine.

    • Genealogical.com (http://www.genealogical.com) This site has genealogy supplies, articles about research, and books and CD-ROMs.

Wrapping Up

    • Thousands of websites exist to help with genealogy.

    • Some of the most useful websites are collections of links to other sites, such as Cyndi’s List and RootsWeb.

    • A number of websites are more specific with genealogies submitted by users.

    • Several websites have data such as land records, family bible entries, and transcribed census data (for example, AfriGeneas, The Library of Virginia, and the Bureau of Land Management).

    • Other pages have good information on how to proceed with your research (for example, DearMYRTLE and the Adoptee Search Resource page).