Monday, November 30, 2020

Getting Started            
  •      Create an email address that you will use solely for your genealogical research. This will keep the inevitable junk mail that comes from using your email address to sign up for websites to this email address only, and won't flood your general email with junk.
  •       A name to start with – your own, your parents, or that elusive ancestor
    • Ask your relatives to help you out. Many genealogy websites allow collaboration.
  •        A place to record your findings (don’t necessarily need both paper and software, but if using software, you might want to use some of the paper forms to keep track of correspondence or research questions.
    •   Paper copies of family tree chart (also known as ancestral or pedigree chart), family record sheets, research calendar, research extract, source summary, correspondence log, and research question form
    •    Software for keeping your records on your computer(remember to backup or save to an external location as well)     
      •   Family Tree Maker Software program for Windows or Mac. Price depends on whatever extra bonus items are included. Available from https://www.mackiev.com/ftm/to download or buy DVDs. 
        •     Family Tree Maker 2019 for Windows  and Mac  $79.99 download
        •     Family Tree Maker 2019 for Windows and Mac DVD and download $89.99  
        • 2019 edition lets you sync info from your smartphone and with ancestry.com online and allows you to share your family tree with family and friends even if they don’t have a subscription.
        •  This and older editions of Family Tree Maker are also available from vendors like amazon.com, Best Buy, Staples, etc.  
        • The software lets you publish your finished product in books or reports.
      • Click here for a list of other genealogy software, some free. Many people like Legacy or My Heritage.

    • Online 
      • Ancestry.com can be used for filling in your information as you obtain it and is also good for letting you see any information on your ancestors that others may already have posted. This information can then be easily added to your tree. There is a fee for this program, though, so if this is the only place you are going to have your information, be prepared to pay a yearly fee. It will also sync with Family Tree Maker if you have that program. 
        • 14-day free trial for USA information
        • $24.99 a month
        • $149 for a 6-month subscription 
        • Adding World information or other subscriptions costs more
      • Click here for a list of other online family tree sites, including FamilySearch.org

Things to Watch Out For   
  •      Names – different spellings, similar or the same
    • The spelling of surnames may have changed over time
      • Names were often misspelled when they were written down
      • When people immigrated to the US, the recorder may not have been able to spell the surname as it was pronounced
      • Some individuals changed the spelling to make the name sound "more American"
      • Don't even trust the spelling in the census records as that was written by a clerk, not the individual
      • If you're having difficulty finding your ancestor under the name you think is correct, try a different spelling (i. e. Durnell, Durnel, Darnelle, Darnel)
    •  There are many names within families that are similar or even the same, especially 200 years ago when there seems to have been a very small list of names for boys and girls.  Families often had 8 or more children, and brothers or cousins would each name their sons after the grandfather, resulting in lots of boys with the same name in the same generation. (Middle names were not very common). Or, a family might lose a child to illness, and then name their next child the same name.
    •  The more information you have when looking up individuals, the better chance of finding the correct person.
      •   Date of birth
      •   Date of death
      •  Spouse’s name
      •  Children’s names
      •  Sibling's names
    • Here is an interesting article on names and naming patterns that may help you sort out some of your information.
  •      Check Sources
    • Anybody can post anything on the internet and say that it is true
    • You will probably find lots of information about your ancestors that is contradictory. Information that comes from a reliable source is best, and there are lots of places online to obtain vital records.
      • Try to use death information from Social Security records, cemetery records, pictures of headstones, or obituaries
      • Birth and marriage information can come from state online sources, church records, or newspaper clippings.
      •  Cite your sources so that you know where to check its authenticity
      •  Books of town or church history



Free Sites      
Website
 Catego-ry    
Address
Find a Grave      
Ceme-tery     
Information collected by volunteers. From cemeteries in all US states and many foreign countries. May show dates, names of family members, pictures of headstones, etc. 
New York State Historic
Newspapers
News-
paper Records
https://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/
Look up by name, county, etc. 

Fulton Search
Search almost 50 million newspaper pages
FamilySearch
Records
A huge resource run by the Morman Church (Latter Day Saints). Can often find entire family trees, documents, etc. Contains 4 billion names. 24/7 phone service, ability to go to almost 5,000 family search centers where you can search in person. Can upload photos and collaborate with other members. Here is a video on how to get started with FamilySearch.
Many records have not been indexed yet. Click here to access these records. 
Ellis Island.org
Records
An excellent resource if you think your ancestor may have come through Ellis Island. There are downloadable forms under the category Genealogy that will be useful if you want to keep paper records – pedigree charts, family group sheets, and passenger arrival logs.
Access Genealogy
Records
Black and Native American genealogy, cemetery records, census records, databases, military records, and vital records by states.
DAR Genealogical Research System (GRS)
Partial Family Trees
This free resource from the Daughters of the American Revolution includes family tree information linking present day members to their Revolutionary Ancestors. Click on either Ancestor or Descendants at the top of the page.
Civil War Records
Records
Ancestry, My Heritage, and other genealogical sites also include Civil War lookup information
Cyndi’s List
Links
“A categorized & cross-referenced index to genealogical resources on the Internet.”
Ancestry from Individual States/ Foreign Countries
Links
Click on a link at the top of the page to go to the country of your choice and view the links associated with it.
Genealogy Inc.
Links
Links to many genealogy topics. Click on vitals for information on where to locate birth, death, marriage and divorce records for each state
Death Indexes
Links
Online searchable death indexes and records for each state.
Census Finder
Links
A directory of free census records.
Ship Passenger Lists
Links
US GenWeb
Links
A huge site with information added by volunteers. Search by State and County. Census records; newspaper articles; family, town, and church records; cemeteries, military records, and so much more.
World GenWeb
Links
Like its counterpart, US GenWeb, this site is maintained and added to by volunteers. 11 regions divided into countries, and then provinces, states, or counties.
Olive Tree
Links
Lots of useful links, including 1500 ship passenger lists, naturalization and census records, Canadian genealogy, military records, etc.
Family Tree Searcher
Family Trees
Search 10 different online family tree sites at once.

 
Finger Lakes Library System
  •    Free online services available if you are a member of one of the libraries in the Finger Lakes Library System. Other libraries also have this service, so check with your local library.
                                    HeritageQuestOnline Genealogy 
(look under online databases, then genealogy)
          • Census Records
          • City Directories
          • Family and Local History Books
          • Revolutionary War Pension Records
          • Freedman's Bank Records
          • Slave Schedules
          • U.S. Indian Census Records
  •    Use the Interlibrary loan feature to check out books on local town and county history
                              Finger Lakes Library System login


Genealogy on Facebook
  •        Once you become a member of Facebook, you can ask to join specific groups. Do a search for these groups or others, including specific surname pages. After you locate the group, you need to ask to join, and wait to be accepted into the group (this is just a technicality, it doesn't mean anything specific).When you become a member of one of the genealogical groups, other similar groups will more than likely show up on the right side of your screen, and you can decide whether or not you want to join them, also.






Free Google Searches    

Google Web Search



Google Image Search


Google Book Search




Using the Find Feature
 ·      If you want specific information on a long page of words, use the “find” feature.

Pay Sites    
Website
Category
Address
Ancestry.com
Records

Archives.com
Records
Genealogybank.com
Records

Fold 3
Records

My Heritage.com
Records

Geni.com
Records

  
Top 100 Genealogy Websites 


Technology Tools to Aid Your Research and Recording

Other Ways to Research Your Family Tree   
  • Ask your relatives to help you out
    • Write down or video tape their stories and memories
    • Search out old family Bibles, diaries, letters
    • email those far-away relatives, too. They may have lots of information, or can forward your email to other relatives you don't even know you have!
  • Go to the public library
    • Many libraries have special genealogical collections
    • Find local town and county history books or books on specific families which might have useful information
    • Many libraries will get the books for you through interlibrary loan
  • Visit local places where historical records are kept.
    • The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints Family History Center in Owego. 
    • The Coburn Library in Owego has a large genealogical section
    • The Tioga County Historical Society in Owego has many genealogical resources.
    • Similarly, visit places in other towns your ancestors may have come from.
  • Go to the cemeteries where your ancestors are buried and check the gravestones or ask the local cemetery association for help. 
    • If the stone is hard to read, try doing a rubbing to help make the letters stand out. 
    • Take pictures of the gravestones for your documentation
  • Town and County Clerks 
    • marriage, birth, death records
    • census records
    • land records - deeds sometimes help determine when someone lived in a particular area, or even give names of spouses or children
  • County Court House
    • Wills
    • Estate records