My grandmother was a genealogist. She had hundreds of folders, books, newsletters, papers, and more all crammed with genealogy information. I guess I got the bug from her. As a kid, she took me along with her on all her cemetery research exploits. I find myself doing the same thing with my own kids. Unfortunately, some of her research only goes so far back. She just didn’t have access to records to continue the lineage.

The Internet has changed all that– boy, has it changed all that! Thanks to the Internet, I’ve been able to trace some of my ancestry as far back as the 900s! And I discovered that I am a direct descendant of a Matflower Compact signer. That’s something I know my grandmother would have liked to have known. I’m sorry she died before I could tell her.

I’ll share with you some of the best resources I’ve found online for my genealogy search. I haven’t spent one cent in doing so; I know Ancestry.com charges fees (what is it now, $100 a year?), but there are loads of other sites out there that offer you information for free, if you are willing to do a little legwork. (Just to let you know, everything I mention here is absolutely FREE unless otherwise mentioned.)

First thing before you get too deep into research– you need to keep records. I used to write everything down, but that became very messy. I now use free software, called Personal Ancestral File (PAF). It’s offered free by the Latter Day Saints site. They also have a searchable database where you can search for your ancestors. It’s limited somewhat, and I found numerous errors in my ancestral information (someone had last names mixed up, which could lead a person on a goose chase).

If you like to write things down, there are some free family tree documents you can print out, at Family Tree Templates.

About.com has a good genealogy site to get you started. There are some good links to sites that you may find very useful.

Cyndi’s List is probably the most famous genealogy portal. She links to dozens of ancestry sites. There’s a lot there to find.

U.S. National Archives. This is a huge site. They have a section devoted to genealogy with loads of links and articles. Exprect to spend half your lifetime here, lol.

The U.S. Census Bureau. It’s not exactly the most user-friendly place, but everything is there.

Census Online. You can search the site by state and by year. They also enable you to search a few countries.

Ellis Island online. This is a site I found rather sketchy in information. The records keepers at Ellis Island cared little for accuracy or family names. We’ve all heard the stories about the records keepers designating names like “Shumacher” because a man said his occupation was making shoes (even though his last name was really Fischer or something). Also, I found absolutely nothing at the site to help me, because all my ancestors came to America in the 1600s and 1700s, centuries before Ellis Island took in immigrants. But if you have ancestors from Europe who came the U.S. sometime after 1890s, this site may help. ALWAYS get confirmation on your research, though.

Vital Records. The government has loads of information about registered births, deaths, Social Security, marriages, divorces, taxation, and census information. Check out this site, which is searchable by state.

USGenWeb Project. Huge. You can search by state.

DAR. This stands for the Daughters of the American Revolution, and they have lots of information on American patriots and servicemen. You can join the group, too, for added benefits.

Cemeteries online. I don’t have a link because there are millions of cemeteries, everywhere. Sometimes a Google/Yahoo search for your ancestor’s last name and place or residence is enough to find his/her burial place. I have been to dozens of cemeteries where I’ve located mt ancestors. Here’s another tip: take photos of the headstones when you visit. You can upload them into your genealogy program or online. And don’t underestimate the amazing record-keeping of cemeteries. If you can pinpoint an ancestor’s location, you can probably find relations nearby in the cemeteries. Some cemeteries have websites with photos. New York State has a huge database of cemeteries, organized by county. Here’s a brief list:

New York State’s Official Division of Cemeteries
New York State Association of Cemeteries
New York State Department of Health
NYGenWeb Cemetery Database
Interment.net

(Note: Now just because I’m listing New York State links, doesn’t mean you can’t visit them! If you click “HOME” on some sites, it will take you to the home page where you can search extensively by state or keywords.The nice thing about genealogy research is that you can dig deeper and deeper and perhaps find some important information or clues.)

For New Yorkers, there’s a nice database here called the NYGenWeb. It has a lot of links and other places to search, also. There’s also the New York State Library system, which has a lot to look into. If you’re looking into Cayuga County, the county has one of the BEST sites I’ve ever seen, The Cayuga County NYGenWeb Project. Some of the links may give you leads for other areas.

New York State is a good place to start genealogy searches. Why? Because just about everybody who moved east to west passed through New York. Everyone I meet always says they have a relation or ancestor in New York! New York, with the lowlands of the Mohawk Valley and then the Erie Canal, was the only way to get east to west for hundreds of years. People couldn’t cross the Adirondacks, Alleghenies, or the Appalachians, and New York State has a natural strip– a low area in the valleys– where people and their goods could pass through. Many genealogists have found my own blog, New York Traveler.net to be a helpful resource for their searches, because I have blogged about history, visited cemeteries and landmarks, and have mentioned various New Yorkers. So maybe that will help.

Here’s a very extensive site called Ray’s Place. He has a ton of information and links about New England, and an excellent site relating to New York’s Local History.

Other useful links I have found:
RootsWeb
GenCircles.com
Geneaolgy Links.net
Genealogy Today
Ancestor Hunt
ProGenealogists
JewishGen.com is affiliated with the Museum of Jewish History.
Genealogy.com
Genealogy.com also has a good forum where you can search for names and browse discussions. I have found some good information there (and a few mong-lost cousins!) The forum is the GenForum.
GenGateway
Olive Tree Geneaology (yes, they spelled it that way)
DMOZ has a page on genealogy (but they spelled it wrong, too)

I hope this helps! Remember to keep records, take photos, and verify as much information as you can. Your grandkids and great-grandkids will appreciate it. Happy hunting!

Tags: ancestry, genealogy, research