genealogical gold. It can also be a great waste of time with less than

satisfactory results. While it is not always possible to locate online

genealogical information on a specific ancestor, the Internet can provide

clues about the family being researched or about off-line sources. Given the

"unorganized" nature of the Internet itself and the lack of a web page

classification system, locating online genealogical information is

problematic. In this article, we will focus on those sites and databases

that concentrate on regions below the national level in the United States.
 
 

Internet searching is most frustrating when searching the Internet for a

"new" ancestor. The number of potentially useful web sites is mind-boggling.

Viewing all the web sites on one topic (even a narrow one) is frequently

impossible for any one person. This problem is compounded by the fact that

the genealogist frequently needs to analyze several different types of sites

in order to effectively search for one ancestor. The chance that one site

will contain all the information necessary to search for an ancestor is

essentially zero.
 
 

Before surfing, the genealogist should attempt to locate the complete name

of the ancestor, as well as the date and place of birth, death, and

marriage. While there's an argument to be made that "if I knew all that I

wouldn't need to look," there is a reason. Frequently locating information

on Henry JONES' ancestors requires locating as much information on Henry

JONES as possible. Broad online searches with non-specific information

seriously limit the researcher-unless the surname is extremely unusual. It

is not necessary to have all the information previously mentioned, however,

the more details available, the easier it is to search. Again, much of this

information will be located in off-line records.
 
 

The following sites are useful in beginning your search for any "new"

ancestor or for any ancestor who has not been researched via Internet. This

listing and the suggestions that follow are a starting point. To provide

some focus, our discussion concentrates on non-national databases and

references.
 
 

~ The USGenWeb County Page
 
 

This page is a "clearinghouse" of sorts for genealogical information on one

county. The pages for those counties where your ancestor was born, died,

married, or lived any number of years should be referenced. These sites

should be checked for queries, online records, information about

county/local offices, genealogical societies, etc. Pay close attention to

links to research sites that are not a part of the county page. The USGenWeb

page for any county can be linked to from the appropriate state page on

Cyndi's list or the appropriate USGenWeb State Page. The county pages do

vary greatly in terms of style and content.
 
 

~ The USGenWeb State Page
 
 

This page provides statewide information similar to the county page. State

pages for those states where the ancestor was born, married, died, or lived

for any number of years should be referenced. Pay particular attention for

any state type research guides, or links to state records repositories. The

state page may contain information not on the county page.
 
 

USGenWeb State Pages can be through the USGenWeb's main index to states at:

http://www.usgenweb.org/statelinkstable.html

County pages are linked at the state level.
 
 

~ Vital Records
 
 

Many states' Vital Statistics Offices are now online and some even have

downloadable request forms that you can print off at home and send in with

your request. You may be able to access fee information, years available,

restrictions, and the preferred address. Another advantage of going to the

directly to the Vital Records Office online, is that the information is

typically more current than other sites.
 
 

Unfortunately, these Web sites vary from state to state and some states

still do not have this information online yet. If necessary, you can

determine the availability of vital records for your ancestor using a

nation-wide vital statistics site. These sites can't always provide

up-to-the minute details for each county and city, but the state information

is generally accurate. Any site on vital records should be used in

conjunction with the county and state USGenWeb pages. The county page and

the county genealogy mailing list (if in existence) should also be

referenced for suggestions on obtaining vital records in that area (there

are some states and counties that have a different fee for the same record -

one state office charges twice what the county does for a copy of the same

piece of paper).
 
 

To find a particular states Vital Records Office online, go to the Official

State Government Web site. Every state can be accessed by going to:

http://www.state.(Insert state abbreviation here).us/

For example, the Illinois State site is at:

http://www.state.il.us
 
 

Navigating government sites can be tricky, but I have found the best way to

find it is by doing a search of the site if that option is available, or if

not, the sites usually have a directory of state agencies. In some cases,

the Vital Records page is under the state's Department of Health.
 
 

A good nation-wide Vital Records site is at:

http://vitalrec.com/
 
 

Another good source is the Ancestry.com State Resource pages at:

http://www.ancestry.com/sncresource.htm
 
 

Statewide Records Repositories and Agencies
 
 

Determine if the state archives, state historical library, or any similar

agency has information that might be of help in your research. It is even

possible that one of these repositories performs simple research requests

via mail. The appropriate state page from Cyndi's List, or a search of

Juliana's Links should provide web sites of this type. The state USGenWeb

page might also have links to such agencies. These statewide repositories

might have some material online. Some state or provincial archives have

their entire inventories available for downloading. It's much faster (and

cheaper) than purchasing a copy through the mail.
 
 

Cyndi's List

http://www.cyndislist.com
 
 

Juliana's Links

http://www.ancestry.com/ancestry/testurllinks/search.asp
 
 

~ Genealogical Society Web Pages
 
 

Determine if any genealogical societies in the area have web pages. Do not

focus only on state or county societies. There are societies that cover

several states, several counties, or just one city or suburb. They should

not be overlooked. However, do not limit your contact of societies to only

those that have a web page (off-line societies have information, too).

Cyndi's List has links to most societies that have web pages, but the state

and county USGenWeb pages should also be watched for links (or mailing

addresses) to societies as well.
 
 

~ Newspapers
 
 

Locate the state repository for newspapers, using the US Newspaper Project

Home Page. This site provides links to statewide projects to microfilm

newspapers throughout a given state. Other libraries might have newspapers

relevant to your research, but this site is a good place to start. Cyndi's

List or the individual USGenWeb state pages may have links to other

newspaper repositories.
 
 

Newspapers-US Newspaper Project

http://www.neh.fed.us/html/usnp.html
 
 

~ State, Regional, and Ethnic Listserves
 
 

Determine if there is a listserve for those areas where your ancestor lived

and decide which ones (if any) you want to subscribe to. Listserves for your

ancestor's ethnic group (if available) may also prove helpful. Remember, it

is best not to subscribe to too many lists or your mailbox (and you sanity)

will be overwhelmed. "Lurking" on the list for a while will help you to

determine the type of questions typically posted and allow you to get a feel

for the group's "culture." If the other techniques mentioned in this article

are unsuccessful in locating information, posting a question to the

listserve might yield answers. Both county and state lists should be tried,

where appropriate. It's helpful to remember that each county has it's own

research peccadilloes. Someone on the county list might be able to answer

your question or provide unique research suggestions.
 
 

Always take comments and suggestions with a grain of salt though. One list I

to which I subscribe had a raging debate regarding the effectiveness and/or

helpfulness of a historical library. In this case, I listened to what

sources they indicated the library had and "ignored" the debating. In some

cases, though, you might get several individuals who concur on the fact that

"you really want to get the lady with the horn rimmed glasses to help

you---she knows what she is doing."
 
 

Here's a great site to find a listserve for your area of interest:

John Fuller's Genealogy Resources on the Internet

http://users.aol.com/johnf14246/gen_mail.html

Or try:

Rootsweb

http://www.rootsweb.com
 
 

~ Genealogy Helplist
 
 

Reference the genealogy Helplist for those states and counties relevant to

your search. Has someone offered to do free lookups in certain sources at no

charge? While these volunteers can't do extensive research, a quick lookup

in one or two sources may be just what your research needs to get

jumpstarted. A lady in California looked up a 1976 obituary on my

great-grandmother's half-sister. The death notice provided me with the name

of the funeral home, cemetery, and the church (this information was obtained

in two days at no charge).
 
 

Genealogy Helplist

http://posom.com/hl/index.shtml
 
 

~ Geographic Information
 
 

Maps and geographic information for the areas you are interested in should

also be referenced, especially if you are unfamiliar with the locale being

researched. The 1895 atlas is online for all states and researchers should

pay attention for links to maps as they are visiting the state and county

pages. Also the Geographic Names Server may prove useful in locating various

places.
 
 

United States Geographic Names Information System

http://mapping.usgs.gov/www/gnis/gnisform.html
 
 

1895 Atlas Page

http://www.LivGenMI.com/1895
 
 

~ Keep Your Eyes Peeled
 
 

Experienced online researchers are always on the search for new sites. As

your online research progresses, "keep your eyes peeled." Experienced

researchers have learned to watch for unexpected sources at every turn, long

before the computer age. The difficulty is to avoid getting sidetracked. You

never know what you may overlook if you don't look at the same type of sites

for each ancestor. Remember what might have been extremely successful in

locating your Kentucky ancestor might not work in locating your New

Hampshire family. And the county in New York State might have a great web

page, while the one in Illinois did not contain as much information as you

hoped. (If that's the case, consider submitting some yourself.)
 
 

~ There's More
 
 

One relatively short article cannot possibly cover all the web sites that

might help in the quest for ancestral information. This article is not meant

to be comprehensive. By the time a researcher has accessed the sites

mentioned for all the locations in the ancestor's life, chances are they

will have found actual information, learned about possible off-line

resources, or found even more sites to visit. Not necessarily everything,

but there's a good chance that at least one lead to follow will turn up. And

no one ever said genealogical research was fast and easy.
 
 

Good Luck!

************************************************************

Michael John Neill, is the Course I Coordinator at the Genealogical

Institute of Mid America (GIMA) held annually in Springfield, Illinois, and

is also on the faculty of Carl Sandburg College in Galesburg, Illinois.

Michael is the education columnist for the FGS FORUM and is on the editorial

board of the Illinois State Genealogical Society Quarterly. He conducts

seminars and lectures on a wide variety of genealogical and computer topics

and contributes to several genealogical publications, including Ancestry and

Genealogical Computing.

This page was last updatedFriday, 28-Mar-2008 06:27:00 EDT

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(c) 1999 - Linda Nichols - County Coordinator. All rights reserved. The information found at this site is for the purpose of non-commercial genealogical research. Information submitted by other researchers are copyrighted by the submitter. Queries are also copyrighted by the submitter. Any commercial reproduction or inclusion of this information is prohibited without the express authorization of the author/host of this site. Previous ORGenWeb coordinator: (c) 1999 - Shawn Byrd-Johnson - County Coordinator.crystalbyrd2@prodigy.net
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