Alan E. Mann, AG
alan.familyhistory@gmail.com Accredited
Genealogist
Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy January
2006
Course 2:
Records and Indexes on the
Internet
It simply would not be
possible to give you a comprehensive list of web sites to help with
genealogical research in the
USGenWeb (www.usgenweb.org/ny)
– Replace the ny with the
two letter abbreviation for the desired state. This is a volunteer organization
that attempts to list everything genealogical for each state and each county
within each state. Statewide resources are listed on the state page, which then
has links to the individual counties. Lots of links to things you might
overlook here. USGenWeb also tends to host actual
data as well as queries, which puts it ahead of the “list of links” sites.
USGenWeb Archive (www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/newsearch.htm) – The archive contains
over 250,000 extraction projects from thousands of cemeteries, church records,
newspapers, census records, family bibles, and much more. This
is an underutilized database—use it! You can search all states at once
at http://searches.rootsweb.com/htdig/search.html.
Ancestry
(http://www.ancestry.com/search/Default.aspx?us) – Click on the
desired state on the map below the search box. Many databases will be listed, however, Ancestry’s policy is to list all national
databases as part of the state database list (since each state is part of the
nation, after all…). This means
following lots of links to find all the databases for a state. Note the “How
to” and “Sources” tabs at the top. These can also be helpful, and a good source
of background information as well as hints for research. Note that Ancestry is
free at Family History Centers.
Family
Tree Databases are a potentially valuable source of compiled
pedigrees. Note that this information must be verified. A good starting point
is to search several databases at once using www.familytreesearcher.com.
Forums
and Message Boards are a rich source of derivative or compiled
family history information. Note that this sort of information must be
verified. Use both surname-based and locality-based forums at both www.genforum.com
and http://boards.ancestry.com.
HelpLists and Lookups should
not be overlooked as a means of using the Internet to obtain information or to
obtain access to information not available elsewhere. USGenWeb
maintains a helplist, and there is a great list of
lookup exchanges maintained at www.cyndislist.com/lookups.htm.
Lists of Links
Linkpendium
(www.linkpendium.com)
– A straightforward list of web sites with good categorization. It
seems even more extensive that the competing “lists of links” for genealogy. It
directs you to databases at other sites for the state and topic you selected.
It is also annotated with $ for fee-based sites.
GenealogyLinks (www.genealogylinks.net)
– Lots of links to valuable sites, organized by state. It is particularly
strong for marriage records.
Cyndi’s List (www.cyndislist.com)
– The best known genealogy list of links. Lots of things listed.
After selecting a state, scroll down to the R’s, where all of the sites
containing records will be listed (R is for records…).
Genealogy
SiteFinder (www.genealogy.com/links)
– Originally created by Matt and April Helm (Genealogy ToolBox,
Sources2go), an extensive list of web sites organized in somewhat unusual
categories. Sites listed are often
unusual sites that are not listed on the other “link lists.”
Genealogy
Directory (www.genealogydirectory.net) – recommend
saving this one until last, as almost always everything listed has been seen in
those above.
In addition to the lists of
links, consider using a search engine. I particularly recommend using a
clustering search engine such as www.clusty.com. To use this, do your search,
then note the “common words” grouped at the left of the search results.
OTHER
LINKS by topic
Archives and Libraries
New
York - www.archives.nysed.gov/a/researchroom/rr_family.shtml
(valuable guides under genealogy and under naturalization, only database is
Civil War – name and regiment only given, with link to order record)
Nearly
every library has a web site. We should look for libraries in the areas our
ancestors lived, contact them, and find what materials they might have. Use LibWeb (http://lists.webjunction.org/libweb/) or CyndisList to locate them.
Census
Ancestry.com
– www.ancestry.com
(fee/free at FHC)
Census
Finder – points to resources elsewhere, but good summaries (see
Heritage
Quest Online – use your local library/university or www.godfrey.org
Sources2go
– www.sources2go.com
earlier US census records digitized, but no indexes
Genealogy (Miscellaneous)
Colonial
Ancestors – http://colonialancestors.com/ Has some
ancestral databases, links to valuable state resources. CAUTION: avoid the
prominently displayed “Other Resources” links—they just take you to
Ancestry.com.
DelMarVa – http://delgensoc.org/delfam.html
New
Jersey Historical Society Genealogist’s Guide -- www.jerseyhistory.org/genealogy.html Guide only, but a good one.
History
Accessible
Archives – www.accessible.com/about/aboutAC.htm (extensive
searchable collection of PA county histories, many for NJ and NY as well) free
at FHL only.
State
Histories – see www.rootsweb.com/roots-l/USA/nj/history.html
(just replace the nj in this URL with the
two letter abbreviation for the desired state)
Basic
History – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_New_York
(replace New_York with name of desired state)
History
of individual counties and towns - list by county, links to histories at http://history.rays-place.com/ny/index.htm (for NJ or PA,
replace two letter code)
Immigration
Many available, see excellent list at www.progenealogists.com/genealogysleuthb.htm
Military Records
Good
list at GenealogySleuth - www.progenealogists.com/genealogysleuthb.htm
Access
to Archival Data (NARA) - http://aad.archives.gov/ many items from
Sources2go
– www.sources2go.com
has 1790-1848 casualties, 1812 land bounty
Civil
War Data – www.civilwardata.com ($25/year)
Civil
War Soldiers & Sailors Index - www.civilwar.nps.gov/cwss/ (free)
World
War I Registration -
World
War II honor roll - www.abmc.gov/search/wwii_list.php
Naturalization
See
excellent list at www.progenealogists.com/genealogysleuthb.htm
Newspapers
Newspaper
Abstracts - (pre-1923
only) www.newspaperabstracts.com/index.php?action=displaycat&catid=313
New
Jersey Burlington Mirror, 1818-1947 (note: birth notices, marriages, weddings, obit)
http://index.burlco.lib.nj.us/Mirror/
Various
Probates
Delaware
Probates at www.state.de.us/sos/dpa/collections/probate.shtml
SAMPubCo
project –
www.sampubco.com/wills/states.htm
USGenWeb Wills extractions (part of Archives Project)
www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/newsearch.htm
Vital Records
GenealogySleuth at www.progenealogists.com/genealogysleuthb.htm
|
|
©Copyright 2006 by Alan E. Mann, AG. All rights reserved. Written permission to reproduce all or part
of this syllabus material
in any format, including photocopying, data retrieval or the
Internet, must be secured in advance from the copyright holder.