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Genealogist's Survival Kit

The focus here is on open web internet sites that are free and at the same time valuable resources in their own right

Backing Up Your Genealogy Data

Keeping backup copies of your genealogy data and your research files is important. You may use a software program to back up your data files. You will have other research files on your home computer. What would you do if your computer hard drive failed? The answer is, "Go to your backup copy." Sadly, many do not make backup copies of their research files. Think about the time you will spend compiling your family history. Now get out there and back up those files ! Here's another idea.

Fortunately you have an inexpensive and ready-to-use solution right at hand. A USB flash drive, also known as a jump drive is a handy device. You can copy almost any data to these portable devices and take your data with you.

Organizing Your Research

It's important to find a methodology and a set of research tools that will work for you. If you can keep an organized record of your research, you'll save time and avoid "plowing the same field," over and over. It also helps to have some "pre-designed" data charts and research guides. Some of these forms will be available via the software programs you use. Others are free downloads from the open web. Try these sites:

Census Forms Online

Includes a Soundex converter, links to online census records and city directories

Ancestry.com site [this one is on the open web and free]

Includes a sample Pedigree Chart, Family Group Sheet, Research Calendar, Research
Extraction Form, Record of Correspondence and Source Summary Sheet.

More Census Extraction Forms Online

Newsletters and Subscription Sites

Don't ignore commercial sites. Some offer valuable services at a reasonable cost, but watch out for the sales pitches !

Dick Eastman's Online Genealogy News is becoming the model that everyone follows. This is a commercial site. However, he offers a "free subscription" to his Standard Edition and a "paid subscription" to his "Eastman Plus Edition." [$19.95 for 12 mos. or $5.95 for 3 mos.]

Genealogy Today has an attractive site with feature articles.

Genealogy.com will offer you a free login to some of their sites and message boards. They will also ensure that your inbox is never empty agan.

GenCircles has some free services and a popular, widely used family trees database; some services are free; others require a subscription. You can submit your GEDCOM file to this site. You can submit your GEDCOM files to other sites as well. Think about it before you do.

Cool Free Sites You Never Thought Existed

Rootsweb.com provides links to a "Family Trees" database, the Social Security Death Index, Search Thingy and links to many other free resources.

U S GenWeb Research Project includes links and tie-in with Rootsweb but virtual links to every Statewide project and several International projects.

Illinois Regional Archives Depository System [IRAD]

Low cost, vital records searching for Illinois on a Statewide and County basis. This regional approach provides access to birth, death and marriage records in one convenient place.

Veterans' Grave Locator

I can never remember this link when I need it. This site allows you to search burial records for all the National Cemeteries. Several states, such as the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs have also put up their own grave site locators.

Every State has a Veterans Program Assistance Officer who can help you with Veterans Administration problems and locating records. In Denver, the VA Office at 155 Van Gordon St. has full time staff to take your requests for VA Administration Records. Ph: 303-914-5700

Veterans' - Historical - 1840 Census of Pensioners

This little known site provides a state-by-state index to the Special 1840 Census of Pensioners, many of who served in the Revolutionary War or War of 1812.

National Archives [NARA]

Access to Archival Databases [AAD] and their Genealogists / Family Historians pages are good places to start your research. The 1930 Census - NARA Film Locator is often useful.

Chicago - A Look at Cook 1870-1930

Here's another site I can never find when I want it. Chicago was the great cross-roads. Millions of people came through there. But Chicago kept changing their street names, wards and census districts. This guide will allow you to locate a Chicago Street address from census to census for 1870-1930.

MyOhiogenealogy.com provides resources, historic charts, graphs and census maps for the entire state. There is one of these sites for almost every state, e.g. MyIllinoisgenealogy.com, etc.

Land Patent Searches

When it's up it's great and when it's down it's a shame. The General Land Office (GLO) surveyed the public land and then issued the patents to the individuals who settled the land. There were several ways to get land from the Federal Government in the 1700s and 1800s. For example, individuals could buy the land for about $1.25 per acre; or a pioneer could claim up to 640 acres for a homestead by building a house, living on the land, and producing a crop; or military men sometimes received land in return for service in a war.

The GLO site contains land patent data for the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. You can search by Land Patentee Name or by Legal Land Description (Section, Township, Range and Meridian). You can download copies of original land patents from the GLO site.When the BLM site is down [frequently, and lately due to the Native American Trust lawsuit] some of the states have put up their own BLM/GLO records, e.g. Michigan BLM/GLO

More Cool Sites...

Ohio HeritagePursuit

Ohio was another great crossroads. This site offers county by county resources and histories and is full-text searchable.

Michigan Genealogical Death Indexing System [GENDIS]

This handy site is a database with a 30-year index, 1867-1897 for all of Michigan. Combine this with the Michigan Family History Network and the Michigan Dibean Marriage Index and you've pretty well got the state covered for resources. Now combine this with GEO 333 Historical and Human Geography and the Great Lakes Region and you have an historical context complete with maps for any ancestors who were part of the Settlement of Michigan whether by way of Western New York, Ohio or travel across the Great Lakes.

Your German Roots - My German Roots

A good starting place. However, even if you're not speaking or reading the language, there are many regional genealogy "familien forschung" organizations that you can subscribe to or join or that will answer your queries in English. My favorite is in Bremen, Die Maus Gesellschaft für Familienforschung in Bremen

St. Louis, Missouri Genealogy Resources & Records

Another great cross-roads site. Saint Louis City & County separated from each other on 22 August 1876 by a vote of the people of St. Louis. Today these are two separate governmental entities. St. Louis City is not in St. Louis County. This webpage contains genealogy resources for both the City and County. Use this site with, St. Louis, Pages From the Past, St. Louis County GenWeb Archives site and the Index to Missouri in the Civil War or the Civil War in Missouri

Civil War More Examples

Roster of Wisconsin in the War of the Rebellion along with Ohio in the Civil War and the Civil War Archive Minnesota are examples of State Historical Societies that have put up their own Civil War Sites. You can often search the open web at the County or State level for sites that have indexes to Rosters, Regiments and Unit Histories.

Using Professional Researchers and Associations

Professional researchers are available for almost every aspect of family history research. State Historical Societies and Local Genealogy Societies often maintain lists of qualified or recommended researchers. Many of these individuals are accessible through membership in genealogy research groups. Always consider joining any group in the area or county where you are doing research. It gives you a calling card, shows that you support their efforts and may lead to a valuable contact. When hiring someone from a distance, always ask for references. Start them off with small tasks until you are comfortable with what they deliver. Work from a budget and think about what your time and the cost of travel is worth.

Foothills Genealogical Society - Lakewood, Colorado

Objectives of the Foothills Genealogical Society are:

to promote an interest in genealogy;
to encourage and instruct members in genealogical research;
to locate, preserve, and index public and private genealogical records;
to publish genealogical and historical information; and
to assist and support any genealogical library in Colorado that is open to the public

FamilySearch.org

The LDS are pros when it comes to family history research and they have a site for it that's freely available to the public. Otherwise, stop in and visit one of their many Family History Centers where you can look up, research and order microfilm records from all over the United States and the world. A great resource for those who are geographically and genealogically challenged. They're also very polite about not asking you to join anything. You may be asked, however, to volunteer in one of their history centers if you are a pro.