Archives for Allison Dolan
Plot Ancestors’ Lives With Online Mapping Tools
Q. I heard about a site that can help me find places in Chicago where my ancestors lived. What is it and how does it work? A. You’re thinking about ChicagoAncestors.org, an interactive online mapping tool, created by the Windy City’s Newberry Library. Type in an address, and you’ll get a map showing the location, […]
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Ancestry.com Starts Volunteer Indexing Project
The subscription service Ancestry.com is launching a volunteer indexing project that looks to compete with FamilySearch’s records indexing project.The Ancestry 24/7 Family Circle Blog announced in March that Ancestry.com was planning a volunteer indexing initiative. The anonymous Ancestry Insider blogger recently reported that the just-launched-in-beta World...
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How Do You Cite Sources for Genealogy?
Q: How do you cite your sources? I know how to fill out a family tree chart, but I don’t know how to cite the information. A: “Source citation” can sound like a technical term, but it’s really just recording where you found each record or piece of genealogical information—that way you or anyone else […]
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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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All About Census Enumeration Districts
Q. What’s an enumeration district? A. An enumeration district (ED) is an administrative division of a particular county or township for the purposes of census-taking. Each census taker would be assigned one or more EDs, each of which was designated with a number. At one time, to find your ancestor’s census return, you’d have to […]
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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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