Anyone Do Genealogy?

[chicksgalore]

I'm no pro and am not digging real deep but I am in the process of putting together a book about my deceased grandfather and some of his ancestors. Just wondering if anyone knows where I can find free records (census, deed, birth, etc.) online? If there's one thing I hate, it's when you do a search and the site says they have so many matches, now you just have to subscribe for the low price of...

 

[Up-the-Creek]

Oh I LOOOOVE Genealogy! I have researched online for about three years and have dug up the family tree's roots!(SIX generations plus!) There is some great free websites too. There is the www.usgenweb.org, also there is www.rootsweb.ancestry.com ,..so many good websites! Just dig,..that is the fun of it! Good luck!

 

[chicksgalore]

Thanks I will check these out. I was just on ancestry.com searching the 1930 census, found some of my relatives, but can't get the "details" without subscribing.

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Try --

http://www.cyndislist.com/

and the Family History site (LDS) http://www.familysearch.org/eng/default.asp

good luck, and I think you'll find it's addicting - I started out just curious - spent a few years doing a LOT of research. I need to organize it all into a book of some sort (just a family book, not to publish). I found soem fantastic stories, and it really makes the people come alive for you if you can find some good info or stories from dif. places.

Oh, and I also met a LOT of people I'm related to who I never would have known otherwise.

eta a warning about cyndi's list - it is EXTENSIVE - you could be there for a month or more

and still not find everything the site has to offer.


eta a nother one - you can do a surname search and find message boards with other people looking for the same family name - http://genforum.genealogy.com/

meri

 

[chicksgalore]

Great--thanks so much!!

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Oh one more thing (

I love genealogy, sorry, I'm excited to help someone!!) Try looking to see if the county your grandfather lived in has a genealogy site - many of them do, with contributors fromt he county that have old photos, landmark photos, other relatives, etc... I found a ton of info on the Michigan Ionia County site - and I contributed a lot after I foudn stuff too.


just type in the name of county, state and "genealogy" after the name - most counties and cities have good genealogy sites online.

 

[chicksgalore]

So far I haven't had any luck with that with the county I'm looking for. Maybe they just don't have the info. online? I guess maybe I could do that the old-fashioned way and go and look up some stuff--I'm looking for some deeds.

 

[citalk2much]

I love it did my family to the 800's
Looks like you have all the good links best of luck any questions just post!

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Quote:
If it was very long ago the county lines may have changed. I know when I went to find the county and town in England for my GGG Grandfather - they had changed the lines back in the 70's and I had a heck of time (Plus, my GG Aunt, who has been a bit loopy all her life, misheard the name of the town, so passed it down to me wrong - but I found it!!!)

It isn't just England, I know that in Kentucky they changed county lines a few times.

what I meant to say is, try neighboring counties, also.

meri

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Quote:
The local library in the town probably has good records (unless they had a fire or a flood). Check old newspapers, too - I read a bunch of old newspapers - they were a trip back then - those people told EVERYTHING!!!

I found one account of a girl who had died and her parents had said it was Apendicitis - but she had actually had a back alley abortion - the reporters in those days were merciless with the info.

One of my Grandfathers (don't recall howmany Greats) commited suicide, and they interviewed his 13 year old son (my next in line grandfather) abotu how he acted that day, etc... they gave full details of how he did it, what the place looked like, etc...

Oh, and they used to do "society" columns, where they told who was visiting from out of town, and who had tea at the corner restaurant, etc...

they're a hoot to read.