How to Submit Your Mystery Photo to the Photo Detective
Do you have shoeboxes filled with unidentified family photographs? Let photo historian Maureen A. Taylor lend a hand.You can submit a mystery photograph for Taylor to analyze online in the Photo Detective blog or in Family Tree Magazine's print Photo Detective column.See the Photo Detective blog for examples...
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Doing Genealogy With Just a Name and SSN
Q. I’m stuck on my Dad’s family tree: I have his father’s name, birth and death dates, and Social Security number (SSN). I can’t find anything on him. I have only his mother’s first name, and I can’t get a birth certificate without her surname. Where do I go from here? Can I find out […]
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Finding Your Ancestors’ Cattle Brand Registrations
Searching for the history behind your ancestors' cattle brand registry? Learn how to conduct a cattle brand lookup based on state.
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Out on a Limb: State of the Union Premium
When our State Research Guides debuted in February 2005, we were confident readers would like the concept — you'd find it handy to have tips and resources for the places you're researching in a convenient pullout format you could stash in your research binder. Our hunch was right. Since...
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No Heirs? How To Save Your Genealogy Research From the Dumpster
Q. What can someone who has no heirs do with photos, birth certificates and other family heirlooms so they won’t be thrown away? Is there any organization they could be donated to? A. Many libraries, historical and genealogical societies, historical museums and state archives accept donations of family papers, genealogical research and heirlooms. Consider giving […]
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How to Find Your Ancestor’s Will
Q I’m not sure if my grandparents ever had a will drawn up. They died 10 years apart. How would I go about checking to see if they ever filed a will? Whose death should I check first? A We asked Christine Crawford-Oppenheimer, author of Long-Distance Genealogy (Betterway Books, out of print), to weigh in […]
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Out on a Limb: All the Difference Premium
We at Family Tree Magazine enjoy honoring the people who make a difference in genealogy — so much so that we launched a series to celebrate unsung family history heroes. In addition to those accolade-worthy individuals, we'd like to commend a collective effort by many unsung heroes: the genealogists...
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Metes and Bounds: What Are They?
What are metes and bounds in old land records? Our experts have the answer!
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Belgian Waffling: Tracing a Lead Across the Pond
Finding clues to one's Belgian ancestry starts with thorough research in America, recommends our expert-author.
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Saving Old Family Newsletters
Q. My aunt found several copies of our family newsletter dating back to 1959 in an old suitcase. It appears they were run off on a duplicating machine because the typed part is somewhat smeared blue ink. The paper feels like carbon paper. Any ideas or suggestions on how to preserve these and make the […]
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